Marquesas

All things considered we were ready to leave these beautiful islands. We were stuck in a rolly anchorage in Nuku Hiva for about a week and half since we needed the internet to formulate a plan to replace the batteries. In hindsight, it was time well spent because the battery manufacturer has agreed to replace all of our 2-year old batteries (worth $2100) as a warranty item. We need to send him pictures of the one that leaked proving that it was nothing we did to cause the leak, but we should have 6 new batteries waiting for us in Tahiti. We will be paying for shipping from New Zealand, but since they are coming by boat it is not too much.

We did manage to spend a weekend in nearby Daniel's Bay where we could pick as many mangos and grapefruit as we could carry from the wild trees. We also rented a jeep with the crew of Imagine and we explored every road on Nuku Hiva and had a memorable picnic with French cheeses, baguettes, olives and wine in the volcanic mountains.

To add to our woes, we also had a scary Mother's Day. While lowering our 600 pound dingy, an upper shackle let go and tumbled the dingy into the water upside down. Quick thinking by the crew righted the dingy within about a minute and the captain managed to get the motor running again. A tune-up will be needed, but trying to find a replacement motor in paradise would have been almost impossible. During the drop, our boom bent into two pieces and we were left scratching our head at how we were going to get the dingy back up to the boat deck. No one was hurt, but it was not a happy Mother's Day aboard the Emily Grace.

I pulled out my sawzall and cut the aluminum boom in two parts to remove a 16" section that was bent. I managed to find a woodworker who created a wooden splice to get the two pieces back together and I believe it to be stronger than ever. Kim gave the wood piece a paint job and I'll post pictures when we get a good connection.

We are currently underway the 500 miles to the Tumoutus where we hope to do some snorkeling and see the famous black pearl farms. Neptune has decided that we have had enough trouble for a while and is providing us with light winds and a very comfortable passage. We were escorted to sea by hundreds of small dolphins racing in our bow wake and leaping all around us.

Tom
Posted via SSB