We have on board, Charlies Charts of Polynesia, South Pacific Anchorages and The Pacific Crossing Guide, Landfalls of Paradise. Also the Pilots for these areas, Jimmy Cornells World Cruising Routes and Tide Tables & Nautical Almanacs.

The most useful cruising guide has been Charlies Charts – Landfalls is not worth the price and has very little details of the anchorages. The others are also not worth the price although the boat should always have, in my opinion, the Tide Tables & Nautical Almanacs.

We used Vector electronic charts and these were accurate. We also have the paper charts. If you don’t have electronic charts, overview paper charts plus Charlies Charts guidebook will work.

Weather:

We did not really worry about weather information while in the Marquesas. Every day is the same and there are no fronts or things like that, just squalls with not too much wind, just gets your decks nice & washed off.

Provisioning - Everything in the Marquesas is very expensive – eg. Eggs 4.00 US/doz, diesel 3.00 US/gal. Best to come provisioned. You can get a little veggies sometimes but again very expensive – you can get basics like potatoes, tomatoes cucumbers, onions but only when the supply ship has been in.

There are no good anchorages in the Marquesas, all are rolly, some just less so. We thought we would be anchoring in 100 ft all the time, but we always found 30 ft so it was OK that way. Also it is usually difficult to go ashore. Dinghy docks are non-existant, and what landings there are are subject to violent surges. Beach landings are exciting to say the least and you have to pull your dinghy way up the beach so the tide doesn’t take it away.

Fatu Hiva – Just like Jurassic Park, beautiful vertical spires very green. This was our first landfall but we only stayed one night because we did not feel we were stuck properly – scrabbly bottom which drops away to China very steeply from shore and gusty winds at night. There was only one other boat there and we felt crowded, although I heard on a radio net someone saying there were 16 boats there and room for more! Must have a different idea of personal space! We did not go ashore but others who did say there is a beautiful waterfall you can walk to.

Hiva Oa – The town is Atuona. We cleared into the country (French Polynesia) here, got passports stamped, visas and got the infamous bond – about 650 US each. European did not have to get a bond, so it depends on what passport you hold. Every island you go to you should visit the Gendarme who notes that you are there and enters it into the computer – they keep track of visitors there – and notes where you are going next. No charge. Atuona anchorage is very rolly and uncomfortable, murky water and famous for sharks (everywhere in the Marquesas is) – everyone sets a stern anchor but this does not help.Very crowded too but everyone does the best they can with stern anchors to keep away from each other. There are a few stores in town. Got swiss and mozzarella cheese that was not outrageously expensive.

Tahuata – Baie Hana moe noa – was the nicest anchorage we visited. Nice clear water, sand bottom, lots of room in the bay. Not too rolly. Good place to clean the boat waterline and fix everything that broke on passage. Stayed a couple of days but did not go ashore –nice beach but very surgy.

Ua Pou (pronounced WahPoo) Baie Hakahau – has a breakwall if you can get behind it (room for 2 boats behind the breakwall) with a stern anchor, otherwise another very uncomfortable, pitchy, rolly spot with seas breaking on the rocks close behind you. Has a concrete wharf to take the dinghy but need to set a stern anchor on the dinghy or it gets pounded to smithereens. Went ashore and walked around the little town but nothing much there although the gendarme was friendly.

Nuka Hiva – Baie Tahioae – the main town there but the bay is the rolliest of them all. Very large and room for many boats but man, you roll and roll. We tried not to set stern anchors unless we had to since in a blow you are stuck 2 ways if someone drags on you, and it can be difficult retrieving the stern anchor. Instead we try to find nice anchorages. There is a small town here and a few grocery stores but since the prices were so high, and we were already provisioned from Panama, we only bought eggs, baguettes and some fresh stuff. We stayed in Tahioae 3 days and when we were sufficiently rolled around, we left for the Tuamotus, thinking we might as well be at sea as to sit and roll like this!

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