Sunk on Hiva Oa !!!!

We arrived at Hiva Oa, French Polynesia on Saturday April 13th after a "Lively Romp" from Fatu Hiva. It had been squally as we entered the bay and we look carefully for the harbour off to one side. 

We were a little disappointed to see floating debris in the water and assumed that the anchorage we were entering was probably quite dirty. Not so. 

It turns out that the night before we arrive an Australian flagged vessel had been coming into the same harbour, in the dark & navigating by computer & radar. On board was a couple with there two children.  As he approached his computer showed he was already on land but he was using his radar to help find the harbour. They had been out some 20 days at sea and were anxious to get in and get the anchor down. They were suddenly hit by a squall which "whited" out there radar screen. 

The next thing they knew they had run up on the Island into almost a cave in the rock created by the waves. The boat was pinned there and started to break up. The father managed to get the life raft out and send up flares to no avail. 

Later a fishing boat spotted them and the father managed to swim out and get aboard. They returned to the harbour waking Dave on Adagio who ventured out in his dingy with it's 2HP motor to help rescue the rest of the family.

Unfortunately the boat was lost (No Insurance) and the possessions that were salvaged off the boat were sold to raise enough money to buy them tickets back to Australia.....