Sorry for no Up Dates, Still in Tahiti
Well what can I say I have been very busy the last two weeks and have neglected my blog, oops. I hope that the small amount followers I have gained in the last nine months have not lost faith in my blog and not moved on to more exciting reality TV or some other stuff. Anyway the real reason for my silence was a few events that have changed my sailing schedule, and crew. I had some personal family issue back home, but everybody is doing well so don’t get to worked up. My dad has decided to take a break from sailing and will go home. Adam and I will continue through the last three chains of Islands to Tonga and meet up with our new friend Ben in September. Do to the duration of our stay here in Tahiti and a few other places we will have to spend the winter season in New Zealand until April 2014. We cannot sail through the Indian Ocean during the winter months December to April.
I should be in New Zealand by October or November of this year. I plan on touring a lot of New Zealand, and Australia to kill time, I know a rough life. I may get a job as a waiter or something who knows. Anyway I will welcome any friends or family to come visit Adam and I in New Zealand if you feel adventures. But for now I have compiled the last two weeks of our adventures into a few photos and videos for your enjoyment and hopefully a few loughs. Thanks again for following our adventure.
Take care,
Jacques
The mooring field where Dragonsbane is tied to a mooring ball and the sun is setting on the Island of Moorea in the background. Tahiti is to my back when the photo was taken.
This was taken in our anchorage and these huts on pontoons would drive by and anchor. The folks onboard would drink, swim, and have a great time. I think when the time comes I will build one these for the lake.
We walked downtown Tahiti and this was one of the busy streets and little cafes you would see.
More of the downtown area and as you can see a lot of the buildings were in rough shape. I guess I was thinking Tahiti was a much cleaner city but like most big cities it was very dirty.
The center market of Tahiti where you can buy anything from fresh fruit to blankets or spices.
In Tahiti the main city of Papeete the traffic was always at a stop and nobody really moved very fast. I was on foot so I really didn’t care but I was surprised to see so many cars.
More pictures of Papeete Tahiti.
Last photo of Papeete
Ok so these were a few friends of mine that I met on the sea. The guy in the Viking hat is Toby and the other two are fighting on the ground. But anyway they have sailed from Sweden in a 24 foot sailboat and they all live on it. I think I was crazy but they take crazy to a whole new level and I always enjoy their stores and drinking with them. We are always finding each other in the anchorages. In this situation we were celebrating a birthday party for Lilly who is traveling in a 28 foot sailboat with her boyfriend. They are going to some Island that her father owns some land that he bought in the 70’s to build a tree house and live in it. I am telling you, I am not making this shit up!
After drinking at the birthday party we strolled down the beach park to a area were all the local people bring there vans and set up mobile restaurants. You can eat like a king for $15 bucks and still have dessert. I had pizza and beer, lol.
Ok, so it’s a funny story! So after we left the party we tried to find a bus back to the anchorage but the buses stop running at 5pm on the weekend and so after walking two miles we hitch hiked back to the anchorage. When we got back we all met up at the Dinghy bar and drank beer, smoked, and even had a chew!
Ok so after a full night of drinking and what not, I felt like hammered shit! But we went to the 2013 Puddle Jump event for sailors in Tahiti and after a few free local rum drinks I was back on top. NIIIICE!
This picture was taken the next day. All the sailors from the 2013 Puddle Jump gathered in the main harbor of Tahiti for a group sail to Moorea for a fun weekend of games, drinking, and fun. We happened to get caught in a local paddle race I hope they don’t chase us for that.
Ok, so maybe we should not piss off 100plus Polynesians, oops to late.
See its cool they are going around.
Well we made it past the paddlers and into the ocean and we are all off to Moorea.
We are all anchored in Cooks bay in Moorea Island 25 miles west of Tahiti
So we went to shore and had dinner with all the puddle jumpers and watch the Tahiti Ukulele competition. I thought it would be very boring but I was wrong. I never new you could get heavy with a Ukulele
We woke up early the next day and joined our team for the paddle boat race. Our team name was skitsamma which means “What the Fuck” yup it’s a good one.
And we are off! We placed first in our first heat then lost our second becase we got pinned in the turn and could not paddle. The team we beat the first time ended up winning the final heat. So we should have won it all. Owell!
Our team was from left to right Jacques, Adam, Lena, Para. Ella and Pare are from Sweden who were both great paddlers, defiantly Ella! That girl paddled her little butt off!
My dad was on Orca Suite Team and they did a great job but the local ladies crewing the boat messed up and they lost.
We then played this local game were we round around in a circle carrying a log with bananas strapped to it and then hand it off. I was just trying to tack the bananas and run away!
Adam caught me and won the race.
Then I had to pick up a big rock that weighed 115 pounds first.
No problem, just like a bundle of asphalt shingles! Ok were is the ladder, up to the roof we go.
Adam took control of that rock next and kicked its butt.
Don’t worry I represented all that is America in my local news interview! I am not sure if they understood me but it was a fun interview.
After a weekend of games and drinking we walked around Moorea.
Good Morning Folks Or I should say Good Monday!
Glad you stopped by my blog this morning at work and don’t worry, your boss has know idea and if they do then a great compliment goes far. Yup that’s right its Sunday evening here about 6:30pm and on the East coast it is 12:30am. You know it’s hard to explain that drinking on a Sunday night is not a bad thing but if you have a job that requires you to be chained to the desk from 7am to 5pm, 5 days a week , you would shun me. Well I work very hard at not dyeing each day we sail and repairing everything that breaks each day. I feel more like MacGyver in the TV show each day. I surprise myself what I can do with the tools I have. But back to the whole drinking thing, I know its bad to drink on Sunday but after a few Glasses of red wine and a beer I feel like a leaf just falling form a tree on a warm fall evening with the smoky sent of the fire place nearby. Ok, after that sentence I guess I should put down the second beer, LOL. FYI “LOL” means “lough out loud” don’t worry mom & dad gotcha covered on the text language. Well you know when you have a double fisted grip on some local Hinano Tahiti beer you just have to finish it. Then wake up at 6am when the old man is rummaging around the galley for his breakfast and you just say “fuck it” get up and sail through the reef and on to Northern Tahiti, “day 200”. Yes life with your parent after you have been away for 12 years is somewhat hard to be re-accustomed too. I shall not get into that right now and continue with the real point of this blog. What we did in Tahiti was clean the boat from 8am to 2 pm. Then Adam and I listened to a motocross track on the main land and were drawn to the sound like bugs to a zapper. We dinghy to shore and walked a ¼ mile to a motocross track and watch the local all-stars ride the dirt bikes in a motocross. Then when we got back to the boat we watched some crazy asshole fly some little plans off the anchorage around our heads and then land again as we enjoyed some wine. After that Adam made some dinner with my dad’s continuing impute and we drank more beer. Off to northern Tahiti tomorrow and hopefully markets of fruit, bread, meat, and great people to talk to. Miss you Beautiful Lady!
Enjoy It, each Drop, each Flavor, each Day, Enjoy Life
Jacques
A little motocross, its just amazing that such a small island contains such a sport.
This guy took first in his heat and I think just about any rider in the US could smokem. But “A+” for effort
This guy just got big air lol! Yup ready to buy another motocross bike again
, lol!
Yup, I always thought about making my red radio flyer wagon into a plan but this guy beat me to it. DAM IT Every time
Dam thing got off the water
Tahiti, Fakarava Photo’s
Today we took a bus from our anchorage on the south end of Tahiti to the north main city of Papeete. We were only there for 3 hours and had to get back on the bus after we found out that the bus stops running at 12pm. So we climbed back onto the bus and went back to Dragonsbane to fix stuff, scrub stuff and watch a great moon rise and sunset. I also took some time to catch you up on my photo’s of our travels through the Tuamotu Islands. I started with Tahiti landfall when we sailed into our anchorage early in the morning. Then I back track to Fakarava Island in the Tuamotu’s. Enjoy!
As the sun rose over South Tahiti it shined over the mountains that rise 4500 feet above sea level and the sunlight warmed my face as we searched the reef breakers for our narrow passage into the anchorage as Adam slept below. It was a cold night became its winter here, almost 75 degrees last night!
The clouds tried to snuff out the sun but it fought through the clouds and ended up being a great day in Tahiti!
Later that day in our anchorage called the Port du Phaeton the local canoe paddleing club raced by our boat for a hour or two.
Ok so back tracking now! The photo is us entering the lagoon passage in north Fakarava .
As we sailed in a squall started to race toward us but the little strip of land was enough to fend it off and the sun came out shortly after this photo.
After we set the anchor we took the dinghy in and walked onto the main road or I should say the only road on Fakarava.
As we walked along we snapped a few pictures and this is a pixcture of the dock off the dive shop where we arranged our dives.
We road bikes up and down the strip of land and took a few photos of the landscape.
More landscape of north Fakarava
Our showers after diving the north passage of Fakarava. Adam and I did our first Nitrox dive and went down 120 feet. I love Nitrox because you can dive for over a hour with little effort.
Just a little 2 track that we walked to get our bikes and some lunch from some local persons home.
Well this is the Fakarava school bus and public bus as well.
Typical transportation
The only store which had very limited items and that was no surprise to us. I guess I am getting used to have only the basic foods and nothing else.
Yup life is so hard here the dog has to take a nap at 1 in the afternoon.
Time to get out of North Fakarava and sail to south 26 miles to South Fakarava which we did on the inside of the island through the lagoon.
Few sailboats in front of us that we passed, just saying!
Welcome to the new neighborhood in South Fakarava.
Nice little house off our anchorage.
First shot off the back of Dragonsbane and we could not believe how clear the water is. We are anchored in 30- feet of water.
The only restaurant that only served dinner with reservation only . Also the bungalow for the diviers that came here to dive only for a few days. That’s it, that’s south Fakarava!
As we ate lunch and through orange peels into the water the fish would swim up and try and eat the peels even a big grouper.
And then more fish!
Then the sharks that we dived with and snorkeled came to check out the action and ate the shit out of the fish LOL!
Adam and I went to shore and my dad took this picture of us looking into the water for coral heads that are near the surface. You had to weave around them so you would not rip a hole in the dinghy or damage the outboard motor.
Ok well sometimes you hit a coral head and your not so happy with yourself. Good news is that no damage was done, lol.
Ok this is looking from the lagoon side of Fakarave to the Pacific ocean which as you can see is not far away.
As you can see the beach is very gray and all coral. This is the beach on the pacific side of the island that face the non-stop punishment of the Pacific Ocean.
Ok so remember when I blogged about the crazy guy who made pizza in a skirt and served us a salad that was only tomatoes? Well this is his bungalow and resort for divers and crazy sailors! This is the entrance into his own little dock.
Looking down the side of the lagoon and his speed boat to the dock we arrived on.
The tables we ate pizza
Looking down from our table into the ocean pool you could see all these little fish.
After walking through the dock side you entered the bungalows and the center garden.
All the bungalows where on land and sea.
Another cool bungalow.
If you can recall to my blog of the 3rd worlds largest waterfall in Nuka Hiva, I talked about the man I meet in the jungle there. Well this is him and he was I think a little touched in the head but I really like the guy. He was very nice! The Photo was given to me by our good friends from Compass Rosy
Just remember, god did not intend for man to sit in a office cubical and look into a computer screen for 50 years. So let it all go and find what makes you happy, so do that STUPID. I know that I will when I return to the USA.
Love Life and enjoy it! You only get One!
Thanks,
Jacques
Swimming With Sharks Video South Fakarava
Taken at 100 feet below the ocean in a 3 knot current pushing us into the Fakarava Lagoon. You see most of the sharks at the 3/4 mark.
Thanks,
Jacques
One more video of the same dive but in 60 feet on a reef wall. FUN STUFF A?
Day 2 to Tahiti, Lots of Wind
We are currently 30 nautical miles off the south end of Tahiti. Our destination is the Port du Phaeton on the South West end of Tahiti. The wind is blowing 25 to 30 knots and we have been averaging 7.5 knots which will put us at the Tahiti reef entrance at 4 in the morning. We have decided to heave too 30 miles off the coast until midnight. Then we will begin to sail again and should arrive at the reef entrance to Port du Phaeton around 8am. Hopefully the currents are weak like many of our friends have informed us. I would hate to do white water rafting again through the tall waves that block most of the reef passes when the current is opposite of the offshore waves.
We are all glad to be back at a more modern location but it is bitter sweet. We will have to start locking up Dragonsbane and the dinghy on shore. It is true that when you get to a modern country the crime is much worse then out in the small island chains. I personally like the feeling of no crime and that if there is a crime it could only be a handful of people. Anyway I hope to post pictures and video when we get settled on Tahiti Island.
Current Position: 17deg 45.9min South, 148deg 36.0min West
Thank you all,
Jacques
On Our Way to Tahiti; PIZZA?
We left this morning to Tahiti and it should be a 2 day sail. Our speed right now is 7 knots heading 236 degrees. The weather forecast is calling for winds to stay 20 knots all the way to Tahiti which is great news.
Last evening I found out that there was a man on the little spit of land that we anchored in front of that made pizza. The catch was that you need to have at least 6 people for him to fire up his mud oven for pizza. So I motored around the little anchorage and found 11 people to eat pizza. It really was not that hard to get folks to join us for a pizza dinner, salad, and dessert for $2000 Franks each. The other reason being that there is no restaurants on the south end of the island so this was a nice find. The French pizza mans name was Nihiru and owned his own bungalow right on the island. His location was very cool, after you made your way through the maze of shallow coral heads with your dinghy you tied up to a small concrete dock, greeted by a old dog wagging his tail. The Lagoon was part of his bungalow and the ocean water pooled right next to where we ate pizza. The roof was a high peaked A-frame with long tables under it. The pacific ocean breeze kept us very cool and the water was filled with tropical fish. We dined with 6 English, and the rest Americans. We drank wine and talked about everything, but like all conversation we drifted into the difference in political, government, and life in our own countries. The pizza was made by Nihiru who ran the fire mud oven well wearing a green flower skirt and no shirt. He was a very fun busy guy and kept telling us not to give any wine to his works because they would drink all night and not work tomorrow. He served us first the salad which I thought would be lettuce, vegetables, and dressing. Nope his salad was just tomatoes and dressing. Not one person was upset about having just a tomato salad because none of us has seen tomatoes in a months and we enjoyed the tomatoes very, very much. Then he served the pizzas two at a time that had cheese, red sauce of some kind, chicken, and another white sauce. They were all very good pizzas. Then he served a dessert cheese pie that had crumbled honey granola on it, which ended up being very tasty. He collected his money and said stay as long as you like but I am off to bed. So we all drank a little more wine, and chatted with full stomachs. As the evening wore on we all dinghy back to our mother ships and slept under a clear star night sky.
Current Position: 16deg 51.36min south, 146deg 14.87min West, COG 238 SOG: 6.5 kts
Enjoying life is hard sometimes, but always worth the risk!
Thanks,
Jacques
Fist Full of Black Pearls, Chasing Sharks!
I dont know if I have mentioned that French Polynesia is the best place in the world. Over the last few days I have enjoyed diving in the northern and southern passes of Fakarava Island. I saw many of the famous black pearl farms that supply the world with some of the best pearls. I personally bought a hand full of low grade black pearls and a few high grade pearls that have already been set/jeweled. Yesterday we sailed 28 nautical miles through the interior of Fakarava Island and weaved our way through the coral heads and reefs to the southern end of the island. Adam and I had scheduled two dives at the southern passage that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Fakarava Lagoon. The northern pass has a current of five knots and the southern pass has a current of 10 knots. The nice thing is we are anchored on the inside of the southern area of the island which is nice and calm. But the bottom is littered with coral and the anchor chain makes lots of noise as it drags across the coral. The really nice thing is that the water is so clear you can see 40 feet down like you are looking through air. The most interesting thing about the southern end of Fakarava is the black and white tipped reef sharks. After we anchored we ate some lunch and through some old bread off the back of Dragonsbane. First a school of 30 or 40 black fish swam up and started eating the bread, then a few 40lbs groupers swam up and sucked in the bread like a vacuum. Then 12 black tipped reef sharks showed up and they were 4 to 8 feet long. The water boiled with tropical fish and sharks around us and I was like a little kid again laughing up a storm watching them swim around Dragonsbane. I could not wait to go diving with all the sharks.
Today we went diving and I can say that it was the best diving I have ever done. We dove with Nitrox enriched oxygen tanks and went to depth of 104 feet. We dropped into the pacific ocean and descended down to 100 feet and rode the current into the lagoon along the coral walls through the southern pass. The water was so clear I felt like I was superman flying through the sky. There was millions of tropical fish and really big fish. Eels, Rays, Grouper, and tons of fish that I have never seen inches away from my face. Then halfway through our dive were the current was the strongest, there was over 200 black tipped sharks swimming in schools. We drifted right through them and I could not believe how big the sharks were. I took lots of film and I hope I will get a good internet connect soon so I can share some of the video. Today was one of those days you hear people talk about but you never think its really as good as they say. Well its all true and I am so glad I am doing this trip. Life to short, live now!
Thanks,
Jacques
Life is Better With Less
Fakarava Island is a very beautiful and laid back like many of the Pacific Islands I have had the pleasure of visiting. The Island is 32 miles long and 15 miles wide but the middle is a lagoon of water that we are anchored in. The perimeter of the island is land and you can walk from the pacific ocean beach to the inside lagoon beach in 5 minutes. Today we rented some bikes and peddled up and down the strip of land and stopped at many of the local homes. At the driveway of many of the local homes they have signs that say SNACK. I would turn down there drive way and peddle down to their home on the beach and they would offer to make us sandwiches or a whole meal of food. I would also be offered handmade crafts that were all made from local black pearls, stones, shells, and beads. I have been collecting a lot of the handmade necklaces, and bracelets because they are so complex and beautiful. They only cost between 1 to 20 dollars depending on how much you dicker and deal or how well you speak French.
I must say again that the Pacific French Polynesia Islands are 150% better than the Caribbean Islands. Every cruiser that I have talked with that has been in both locations has agreed with me. I know in the future that I will return to the French Polynesia, and hopefully with my own family. The area is void of large groups of tourist and commercial development. This allows you to experience a more true and unique appreciation for the communities food, lifestyle, and conservation. Based on my months of experiences here I personal feel like I have surrounded myself in the past with too many material items that I thought I needed. I know now that I am much better off to be without, then responsible for them or have the stress to care about them. Life is better with less, because it gives you more time to be better at life.
Enjoy Life,
Jacques
Pictures!
Picture from the beach of our anchorage
Walking down the main road in town
Biking down the Island road
Having dinner on the beach with some other cruisers! We made hamburgers
Chatting with some young peolpe my age. They are from Germany, and LA.USA
Sunset Again
The Pictures of the “Some Big Dam Fish, Post”
Yup 38 pounds 4.5 feet long. Mahi Mahi
Check it out 38 pounds and Adams holding up the tail with a sail tie so it may have been closer to 40 lbs. Just saying !
Filleted this fish and got 20 pounds of meat out of 38 pound fish. Not my best work but best with a moving boat and small knife.
Our normal Sunset now
O yeah as I said in my in blog post from a few says ago I was sleeping and I never put anything on. Thats right this guy catches fish in his boxers. Yeah I know real sexy but you know I caught a great fish and that what counts, not the picture.
Heading to a New Island Called FaKarava
We spent the day working on Dragonsbane and I helped out some friends with there engine. Then this afternoon we went snorkeling around all the coral heads. I felt like I was swimming around a fish aquarium. The water here is so clear and clean its wonderful to swim in. I saw lots of black tip reef sharks swimming along the shore as well.
Tomorrow we are going to leave early so we can make the tides out of the Lagoon and into the Fakarava lagoon. I hope I have my tide right because the out going tide can reach 10 knots of current and our boat with the engine can only go 7.7 knots. So I hope this goes well.
Have a great night,
Jacques
Day 6 Tuamotu Landfall
We made our landfall or I should say our lagoon fall at noon today. The Tuamotu Islands are ancient volcanoes that once peeked high out of the ocean like Hawaii, but the center volcanic plug that makes the island had sunk back into the ocean and left only a thin ring of land that stayed above the ocean water. Today we sailed though a small channel in the ring, into the old volcano. We sailed 7 more miles to the southern end of the lagoon and anchored in 40 feet of water. We had talked to a few sailors that were already anchored in Kauehi Island lagoon and when we dropped our anchor they came over the radio asking if we wanted to go snorkeling. Most of the lagoons that make up the Tuamotu Islands have large coral heads, that are taming with fish, sharks, and odd creatures. We joined the group and went about 1 mile away to a large coral head and jumped in. I saw two sharks, a black and white tipped reef sharks. I saw an octopus devouring a fish and millions more bright colored fish. After an hour of snorkeling we went back to Dragonsbane and I started dinner. I made fried potatoes, Thai Fish with peanut butter, soy sauce, and garlic. I finished up the meal with a cake I baked early in the day which was fun at 20 degrees as we sailed.
We enjoyed our dinner as we watched the sun being pulled down by a cloud hand that cause the rays of the sun to shine only through the fingers of the hand that struggled to end our day by snuffing out the light in the sky. The sky is so clear, each star is standing before a great milky galaxy. Stars are bigger then pin pricks in a dark paper bag, its as if a person took a hammer in a dark room and punched holes through the walls to let light in. This place is amazing and I am so far from anything that its hard to breath without wondering what will happen if I get hurt. I guess the most beautiful things in the world are worth the risk.
Current Postion: Kauehi Island, Tuaamotu
I have found the doors that lead to Heaven, Tuamotu
Jacques
Day 5 to Tuamotu Islands
Change of plans folks, we are now heading to the island called Kauehi. It’s a nice little island where a few of our sailor friends are going. Also we have been motoring for the last 8 hours with no wind. We finally have enough wind to sail tonight and hopefully through tomorrow. But I can already feel the wind dying off as I am writing. Hopefully we will maintain 5 knots so we can arrive around noon. I just hope we can get into the island lagoon before the tides change. I would be very sad if we had to heave too for the night in the ocean. All is well here and I cooked up some pan fried Mahi Mahi and rice. The dinner was great and I cannot wait for more tuna fish sandwiches.
Take care everybody!
Current Position: 14deg 26.3min South, 145deg 30.48min West
Thanks,
Jacques
Day 4 to Tuamotu Islands “Some Big Dam Fish”
If you have not guessed from the title of this blog today, it is true I finally caught my big Tuna/Mahi Mahi. I hope that you enjoyed my letter to the dear tuna fish that I wrote yesterday and shared with you on my blog. The tuna must have received my letter because they answered with a great bounty of the sea which is now in my stomach. The first tuna caught today was a nice sized blue fine tuna about 10 pounds. I was sitting before my rode and the reel went off like wild fire and I set the hook and drag. It was a easy battle for the small tuna, I reeled it in and bleed it out with my knife. I filleted it up and made 4 sushi rolls out of the blue tuna and set it aside for a per dinner snack. After cleaning up that mess I baked some chocolate chip cookies for a dessert that I would have after we enjoyed fresh baked tuna and sushi. I was feeling a little sleepy so at 4pm I took a nap and asked to be awaken at 5pm so I could start prepping the blue tuna to be baked for our dinner.
I was lying in my bunk sweating my butt off but managing to slip in and out of sleep like normal and thought of all things I will do when I get home. I have been on the sea for 8 months now and it has really just flown by. Then I heard that sweet sound that gets my heart pounding. My fish reel was on fire and line was being ripped off the reel. I rolled out of my bed and dashed up the companion way to my rod. I put my thumb on the spinning spool which heated up so fast my thumb hurt. I increased the drag and the spool stopped spinning out of control. Just then Adam looking over my shoulder said “Dam that is a big fish” I looked up and a huge Mahi Mahi burst out of the ocean into the air, showing off its bright colors of blue, yellow, and green. Its colors were so bright it was like a neon sign. My heart was thumping in my chest and the adrenaline was coursing through my veins as I held the rod and my arms strained against the weight of the big tuna. I started to reel in the line and tuna started to come at me, I reeled as fast as I could to keep the tension on the line. The rod was digging into my hip and my arms were burning but I kept fighting that fish as it got with in 10 feet of the boat and burst out of the water and whipped violently in the air. I could now see the whole fish up close and personal. The tuna dived down deep, it took off and took out about 100 feet of line in a flash. My dad worked the motor and Adam stood by with the gaff. It took about an hour or more of fighting the tuna until it was tired. I instructed Adam what to do and my dad when the tuna came close again. I handed the rod to Adam and had him bring the tuna in closers, my dad shut down the engine so the tuna would not be as scared. I reached down with the gaff and stuck him right behind the gill plate and heaved the tuna onto the sugar scope. The tuna went wild; it came off the gaff and dropped into the ocean. My heart dropped and I yelled to secure the fish line which Adam tried to hold off my back as it ran across my skin. I prayed that the hook would hold a few minutes longer. The hook held and I gaffed the tuna right behind the head. I sank the gaff deep into the tuna and dragged half of it onto the sugar scope. I grabbed it by the gills and hung on for dear life as the tuna thrashed around. Adam secured a line around the tale and I cut the gills with my knife. I felt the last death rattle of the big fish and was little sad to kill the beautiful fish but I was hunger too. Covered in sweat, blood, and fish guts I felt so happy and proud to have land such a big fish. She weighted in at 38lbs and was 4.5 feet long. This even we at sushi, Blue Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and a cookie with wine.
Remember to Dream Tonight,
Thank you everybody,
Jacques
Current Position: 13deg 35.0min South, 145deg 12.3min West UTC 15:26 COG 220 SOG 2.8knots
Day 3 to Tuamotu Islands “Death to All Tuna”
Dear Tuna Fish,
I would like to inform you of a few personal facts. First, I have read many books on the subject of fishing on oceans, rivers, and lakes. I have fished all over the world and have had training from some of the best fishermen. Second for this trip I have consulted several cursing fishermen and bought one of the best books on the market to better understand the principals that allow me to catch you. Third I have invested roughly $1000 dollars on my fish pole/reel, hooks, lead, wire, swivels, and lots of line. So frankly after all that effort and work, I have to say to you with the most honesty of my heart, is you are PISSSING ME OFFFFF! You little silver, blue, red blooded, gill breath SOB have eaten half my fishing gear with out me catching a thing. I spent hours making trolling rigs to have them ripped off by your sharp teeth. I have deployed new lures with 800 pound test wire and yet you still just snap my line instead of just biting through it. Well guess what you 200 lbs tub meat I am going to get an all wire line, reel, and rod. I am going to catch you and all your friends. I will devour you raw, wrapped in rice and smothered in soy sauce. So keep laughing and enjoy all the time I have cut myself on the fishing line or lost my mind in a long rants of profanity. If I fail I ask kindly that all you Tuna just drop dead.
Sincerely,
Jacques
P.S. For all you salty dogs wondering where we are I will tell you! We are in the ocean and sailing through a non stop string of squalls that are mixing between 4 low pressure systems. We get hit by a squall that only packs 20 knots and rain. Then it passes leaving us with swirling wind at 4 knots and Drangonsbane just pitch poles in the confused, lump sea. This kind of sailing is worse then sailing through a wash machine because the wind changes direction by 40 degrees and blows from 2 to 20 knots. We have changed our sail configurations 8 times today and reefed at least 7 times and them let it out. But, I think I am getting a good work out and my guns are looking real good!
Take it easy and Enjoy your hot shower!
Current location: 12deg 24.6min South, 144deg 9.7min West, COG: 215 SOG: 2.9knots
Day 2 to the Tuamotu Islands “Forgotten Notes, to much RUM?”
Ok so, the morning we left Hakatea Bay Nuku Hiva I woke up and joined my dad in a cup of coffee and a French baguette with butter and local jam. It was about 7 am and the sun was already getting hot. I could hear a dog barking and barking on the small shore line that surrounded us with high cliffs beyond the rock beach. The dogs barking echoed around the little lagoon that we and 3 other sailboats where anchored in. I noticed that the dog had a wild goat cornered between the rock cliffs and the water and just stood there watching the dog bark. A local island man was climbing over the rocks and working his way to the dog. We watched for about 40 minutes and then the man was only 10 feet from the goat and dog. The goat kept his eyes glued to the dog and then the man jumped from his position, grabbed the goat by the horns and with one quick motion slashed the goats throat. I thought this was very interesting and a great way to start ones day. I did feel a little bad for the goat. After the man killed the goat he had the dog lock his jaws around the goats neck and left them there for a few minutes as he walked over to the cliff and started picking at the old lava rock wall. After awhile he came back and released the dog from the goat and walked over to the cliff where he had been picking at. He then stuck a stick into the hole he made and hung the goat from the stick in the cliff wall and dressed it out giving the dog its inner parts. He then skin and butchered the goat. I thought about going to shore and buy some of the meat from him but we had to get going to beat the incoming tide. I woke Adam, pulled the anchor and where off to the next Island.
As of today we change our sail configuration 3 times. We started the early morning out with a reefed main and jib. Then put the spinnaker pull out for the jib and went wing and wing with the main sail. Then the wind got really light so then a switch the spinnaker pole to the port side and flew the spinnaker. I am may drop the spinnaker and go back to the jib and pole for tonight but I may just run with the spinnaker tonight. Fingers crossed I don’t get hit with a squall again with that dam spinnaker up. But I love speed and without the spinnaker up I feel like I am moving backwards. I just want to get to the Tuamotu Islands and buy a big bag of pearls for a 100 bucks, lol.
Current Position: 11deg 11.4min South, 142deg 33.1min West: COG 244, SOG 4.8
Thanks,
Jacques
Sailing West Again
After spending a few days on the Island of Ua Poa and heading to the Island of Rangiroa which is in the chain of islands called the Tuamotu’s. I was not to impressed with the island of Ua Poa. They had 2 restaurants that were only open from 6pm to 9pm, but they were never open when I went by at that time. There was 3 stores that had dry goods, baked bread, and meat but the selection was very limited. The local folks mostly hung out and played games and swam on the beach. The island is the tallest of the Marquesas but I never did see the island uncovered from the clouds but did see some very tall volcano plugs that were I am guessing 3000 feet high. Not much else to talk about other then we are underway again for the next five days and hopefully the weather ill be good.
Current position: 03:42utc 9deg 43.32min South, 140deg 36.35min West: COG 225degrees SOG 6.7knots, Wind Speed 16.8 ESE
Thanks,
Jacques
Pictures from the 3rd Tallest Waterfall
My dad taking the dinghy for a run down the river. O Boy!
Adam crossing a river
The tide is out and so is the ocean. Its a little hard to use the dinghy right now.
At the end of the day I enjoy a few local beers.
Nice Guy I talked with and I loved his hat. Nice horse to
Waterfall is up ahead
Adam is so happy
Climbing the rocks at the base of the waterfall
Not good when you slid off the rock into the deep pool
Walking through the canyon
the landscape as we walked
Making a phone call from the jungle! This may take a few minutes to connect.
Thank you for stopping by and enjoying our pictures and my blog. Thanks for the comments and I do read them and try to answer them all. Take care and God bless.
Jacques
On a New Island Today “Ua Pou”
We landed on the Island of Ua Pou and we are anchored in a bay called ummmm, who the hell knows other then the girls look better on this Island. The Island has the tallest peaks and has a volcano plug that reaches 4000 vertical feet and is always covered by clouds. Today the peak was covered by clouds and I could make out half of its height. The bay is very small and we are protected by a large break wall that stops the swells from coming into the bay. We put out a stern anchor and bow next to 2 German boats and an Australian. The village is having a party tonight and I may just dinghy in and say hello. My French still sucks but when you drink and talk with the locals things makes more sense. Yup the drinking language is universal. But I will have to be careful because the cows walk the street and I may try some tropical cow tipping tonight or at least demonstrate it to the locals. Don’t worry I have the best of Americas interest at heart when I represent our country, so it should all go well.
Thanks,
Jacques
Hiked to the 3rd Tallest Waterfall in the World
We are in Hakatea Bay which is surrounded by 2400 foot rock walls that lead up to a 2000 foot waterfall. Yesterday when we arrived we decided to hike the trail up to the base of the waterfall. The bay here has only one house and no dock to land your dinghy. It was low tide and the surf breaks about 30 feet off shore. As we motored closer to the beach a big swell lift us up and dropped us onto the rock bottom. At the same time the outboard motor was grinding the rocks. I tried to tilt the motor but a second wave almost tipped us over and I fell out but I was able to keep the dinghy from capsizing. Adam and my dad were nice and dry as I dragged the dinghy to shore. I have to say landing a dinghy in surf is very hard to do. But anyway, we carried the dingy up the beach and tied it to a tree so when the tide comes back in our dinghy won’t float away. I was pretty mad to be wet again because for the last week I have been wet every day by rain or waves as we ride the dinghy to shore.
We hiked on a 2 track road that slowly changed into a trail and headed for the waterfall. We had to cross small streams and rivers by wading across them. As we hiked there were old stone structures and stone carvings that littered the forest floor and the path was made of solid stone that had been perfectly puzzled together. The closer we got to the waterfall the cliff walls began to feel like skyscrapers and caused the trial to narrow. The forest floor was full of wet thick moss, and vines from trees that grew all over and twisted together to form a natural structure and was devouring the old stone walls that were left behind. Then we popped out into a clearing and looked up and you could see the cliffs hanging over our heads 2000 feet up and made us dizzy because they were so high and big. You could see 100s of birds flying in circles and nesting in the cliff walls. The spray from the waterfall filled the canyon with mist, everything was bright green and looked like no other human had been to this place but us. As we turned the corner you could see the top half of the waterfall that disappeared behind stone and then you could see where the water landed. In front of the water fall was a deep big pool that Adam and I waded across to and climbed up the sharp rocks to get to the water fall. As we looked over the stones you could feel a cool strong wind blowing from the force of the falling water. There was a second pool of water that had a strong current running through it and we decided it would not be a good idea to swim any further. So we took lots of pictures and were happy to see the worlds 3rd tallest waterfall.
After eating a little lunch P&J sandwiches we hiked back to the beach. On our way out we passed a house with a man and a women sitting outside. They yelled for us to come in and buy some fruit. The man was about 30 and had a tattoos on half his face and body. His hair was shaved into a Mohawk and had a carved chicken bone pierced through his ear drum. I bought 40 or more bananas and paid 1 dollar. We then made it back to the beach and carried the dingy to the ocean. We wade out about 40 feet and jumped in as a big swell hit us. But we gave the motor lots of gas and pushed over the wave and only flooding half the dinghy.
First Tattoo! Where it all Started Marquise
Last Monday we arrived from our long passage and have been very busy. One of the last thing that I wanted to do was get my first tattoo. So I got my first Swallow bird, which represents my first 5000 nautical miles sailed. I designed the tattoo with the help of a local artist Franswa. I had the swallow bird filled in the Marquises symbols which mean safe voyage, protection of the sole, power and strength, and the eye that sees and avoids danger. I also had 5 of the same points put into the tattoo which represent 1000 naturals each. I spent 3 days working and design the tattoo and finally yesterday I was happy with the design. I went to the Franswa home were he had a little porch room that over looked the bay and was open to the outside air. He took the design from the paper and free hand designed it on to my skin. I was very worried because I always thought tattoo artist traced there designs on carbon paper and then stuck that to your skin. Not in Marquises, they free hand the design and then free hand the design to your skin. After he finished drawing it on me and I was happy he started the tattoo. I have never gotten a tattoo before and it was very interesting feeling the needle work over my skin. It hurt for the first 20 minutes like a hot knife being dragged along my skin and as time went on I just zoned out and enjoyed the sensations. I listened to my music and the buzz of the needle gun. I watch little lizards crawl across the ceiling and all the rosters outside the porch crow. After 1 hour of work the tattoo was done and I was very happy to have my first Tattoo ever. My plans when I left the states was to get a swallow tattoo for each 5000 nautical miles and so I have 5 more to go. Each tattoo will represent the area of the world I received the ink in.
My First Tattoo completed on Nuka Hiva Island Marquesan Islands 5/28/13
Thanks,
Jacques
I Found Never Never Land, With Beer!
FYI: Click on Pictures to see full size! O yeah I was a little drunk when I wrote this because I had to keep buying beer for the internet service!
Today we spent the day exploring the Island of NuKu Hiva which is one of the Iles Marquises Islands. We hired a very nice man named Tata Mahina AKA Thomas. We meet him in his restaurant which is the second and only other restaurant on the island which is a truck with a porch to eat your meal under. We had gone there for breakfast and enjoyed a pile of French bread, jam, butter, and the best coffee which was served in bowls because he had no cups but ended up being the best coffee to date. We arranged a tour of the island for today which he was happy to do because he said he was the best driver/taxi man on the island. My dad spent a hour talking his price down and we settled on a good price of 18,000 Franks, which is not bad for 3 people.
Thomas or Friend and Driver
It was 8am and we started our drive around the island which would take all day. We began up the mountain and stopped just above our anchorage in the bay of Taiohae. As we drove up we passed our Norwegian friends who I am working with to do a pig hunt on the island hopefully. All 3 of them arrived on a 27 foot sailboat that had no motor, little food or water but they made it 3000 nautical miles from the Galapagos. They had 4 people but they bought to much rum in south America and made the other guy go home, true story.
After passing our friends and making our way around the winding roads up the mountain we came into a red pine forest and I quickly felt like I was at home driving through Upper Michigan. Then we traveled for through the old crater of the volcano that once was fire, ash, and lava but today is green pastures for wild pigs, cows, and horses.
After we passed through the old crater we started climbing up the north side of the crater but soon ran into a big problem. Once again like all my adventures into the wild we ran into a road block. The day before there was lots of rain and there was a small rock slid that was blocking the mountain road. We were told that we could not pass because the road was blocked by rock and earth. Well being the engineers and builders that we are we marched up to the problem and said that this is no problem to Thomas.
All we had to do was move a few rocks and compact the earth a little and drop that truck into 4X4 and get ON IT, HUBA HUBA BABY! So we went to work and moved the big rocks and with our hands tossed rocks, mud, and shrubs out of the way. It took about a hour but we made a great road. The first jeep made it over and then the next. The three of us felt great to help out the local people to make it across the earth slid and people thanked us all day. I felt great to fix a problem other than a sailboat related. With smiles on our faces as we continued around the island to the Village called Hatihau. Thomas said we are the best and smiled.
I guess I miss understood Thomas when he said we would take a dirt road and it would be a short cut. What he really meant was that the dirt road or two track was the main road on the back side of the island to his village. As we drove along the two track dirt road we passed a canyon, and meadows of green.
It was so funny as we drove the road had cows, horses, and goats which sometimes blocked the road. It was really interesting when we would drive by the animals at 35 mph and they just stood in one place like nothing was happening. I would think to myself, “if that bull moved 2 feet to the left we would hit him head on and more then likely die”!
We continued to drive and saw some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.
It was realy cool as we drove we would stop and get melons, papaya, mangos, grapefruit, coconut, bananas, and a few other fruits I don’t know the names of but ate anyway. They all were right off the trees and we ate them up.
After we stopped for a picnic we traveled to Thomas village and his home where he had to stop and feed the cow goat. He told us to look at his mango tree and left us. We enjoyed a chicken fight as they beat over one another to eat the mangos that fell to the ground. Then Thomas came back with a hand full of fresh limes for my dads Gin and Tonics. Then he used his home made mangos catcher to gather up fresh mangos and gave us a dozen for the boat.
It was getting late about 5pm and Thomas had to stop and get coconuts for his restaurants which we helped him do. Then we drove back down the mountain to the bay we are anchored in. We all agreed that the day was fun and worth the cost. We got into the dinghy and made it back to Dragonsbane to have beers, and eat dinner as we watched the sky clear and the man in the moon smile at us as we smelled the sweet island smells drift into our cabin.
Thanks,
Jacques
Marquises, Nuku Hiva Island Landfall
Ok, first all the french studying I did provide me with the knowledge that I suck at speaking french and I learned pretty much nothing. But I will keep at it and hopefully it will stick more in my head like my Spanish. I say that because the first response to a question I had in french I responded with Spanish, oops.
As we sailed into Nuke Hiva Island you could see tall mountains with jagged peaks that looked like the saw teeth of a shark that dripped with fog and clouds rolling down to the ocean. As we rounded into the bay of Taiohae I could hear loud drums being pounded and then the waves being crushed up against the volcano walls that opened up into a bowl that held the town of Nuku Hiva and the sailboats all anchored together. It was a emotional thing to see and hear because it didn’t look real. The colors are so bright, wonderful, and the landscapes are covered in waterfalls and sounds are just thunderous all around. It is just amazing here!
Day 22 Galapagos to Marqueses Island 5/21/13
We have made landfall and finished our 3281 nautical mile sail. I am on the Island called Nuku Hiva and looks like the island in Jurassic Park movie. It is a big volcano and we are anchored in the old volcano summit. It is the most beautiful place I have seen to date, or maybe just not seeing anything for 3 weeks could be the cause. But this place is awesome and I am off to eat, drink, and relax.
Current Position: 8deg 54.97min South, 140deg 06.02West
Beer is only 330 feet from the back of my boat!
Thanks,
Jacques
Day 21 Galapagos to Marquesas Islands 5/20/13
I feel like I am climbing an up hill battle once again. The wind is blowing only 6 knots and we are crawling to the finish line at 4 knots or less. We are implementing every trick we can think of to increase our speed. We are now running a full main sail, Jib on our port, and a spinnaker off our starboard. The cockpit is so full of lines that we spend most the time coiling and winching in sheets to keep the sails tuned, heaven forbid a squall catch us now. What a grand mess a squall would make of us right now under all this sail. But we are leaning down and stretching our heads to the west horizon as hard as we can to make it to land. We are all tired of the same food and tonight we will dine for the second time on soup, beans, and canned fruit for dessert. We will have one beer each, instead of water to keep up our moral.
Current Position: 8deg 48.4min South, 137 deg 56.65min West
Soup is just an excuse for water to be called dinner!
Thanks,
Jacques
dragonsbanevoyage 