Sailing the Pacific and Hiva Oa, Marquesas

It's official! We have successfully sailed across the Pacific Ocean! The 3,050 nautical mile sail from Santa Cruz, Galapagos to Hiva Oa, Marquesas took just under 17 days.

Thankfully, our crossing was relatively uneventful. The boat handled the open seas very well and we were constantly trying to slow ourselves down. With the exception of a broken batten, the boat was perfectly sound. We motored South from Galapagos to find the trade winds and had a steady average of 15-20 knots of wind for the majority of the passage. We had nearly two weeks of amazing sailing, but we had to motor through light winds the last three days.

Life aboard Ko-Ko is very comfortable. The boat is a Najad 570. Our cabin is very spacious and we have more storage than we have clothing. The Norweigan owners, Haaken and Ellen are a fun couple and made the crossing enjoyable. We ran the galley as couples, cooking one day and taking the next off. Lunches were usually light, followed by a pretty nice dinner in the evening. The watermaker makes 160 liters and hour, so we are able to shower and do laundry as frequently as we would like. Brian fished everyday and finally, on our last day, pulled up a beautiful tuna. We were all so proud of him. The owners are covering all of our on board expenses, so we are excited to have some flexibility in our budget to do some extra diving, tours, and enjoy local cuisine.

Hiva Oa is one of many islands of the Marquesas. As the boat sailed into the islands, the mountains, cliffs, and forests looked positively pristine. The anchorage was not visible until we approached land and turned a corner into a protected area nestled in the island. There is no reef around Hiva Oa, so the lush green cliffs drop into navy blue water with white surf. Our first night on we had dinner and drinks at Alex's Place, a local who hosts visitors at his home. On an island with a population of 1,500, it made the experience very comfortable. The French Polynesians are welcoming to visitors and are eager to talk about their lives and culture. We spent a day taking a truck tour of the island's view points and tiki stones. Hiva Oa is historically known as the hot spot for cannibalism in the Marquesas.

After four days in Hiva Oa, we are heading to a nearby island, Tahuata. By April 1, we will be to Nuka Hiva and will have better internet so we can share some pictures. Attached, is a picture of us at landfall on day 17!

Thinking of you all!