About 1200 nm to Tonga. Here we sit at anchor, listening to the wind howl across our boat, waiting for a weather window. Our weather consultant (Sailing Totem) had warned us that our initial 3,000nm across the Pacific would prove less challenging than finding the right weather window in these squirrelly parts of the ocean. We’re in the tricky part now. Patience. Patience. Patience. This is our mantra. We are “stuck” at a beautiful palm covered atoll with sandy beaches, turquoise waters, friendly welcoming locals, and an anchorage of friend boats. Makes it easier to be patient.
Once we made the decision to stay put for about another week, we were able to relax into the experience, not having the daily anxiety of making the decision to stay or go. There is a bit of a natural tension in cruising between trying to live in the present moment fully…while also keeping one’s eye on the future weather out of necessity and safety. SV Totem recently wrote about patience as a cruiser’s virtue in this recent article (in which we are quoted; we’re famous now!): https://www.sailingtotem.com/blog/patience-as-a-cruising-virtue
Our last week in Maupihaa was mellow and fun, amidst the waiting. The boat kids played games on rainy afternoons and in the evenings, as I happily listened to the nonstop laughter of a group of kids on our boat. On one hot motu walk, a local names Opupu gave us the gift of a refreshing coconut to drink and eat, showing us how to use a sliver of the coconut shell as a scoop to get the meat out.
Another local, Pierre, taught me about the medicinal properties of this atoll’s flora, from berries that serve as natural eye drops to leaves that treat kidney stones.
Calder continued to improve his wing-foiling skills. We had numerous beach gatherings with other boat families, as well as the locals. We went for numerous beach and motu walks. Chris picked away at some projects, such as putting in new outlets and fixing broken hatches.
Our 20th wedding anniversary was spent with a lazy morning drinking coffee in bed together.
We then went for a walk on the beach out to reef where waves crashed…the quickest way to realize that staying put is the best idea! That evening, another beach gathering.
Fishing has also been a highlight here, as we have been informed by the locals that their reef fish are safe to eat. This is the first atoll we have been able to fish in, supposedly free of ciguatera toxin. Ciguatera fish poisoning is a foodborne illness caused by eating tropical reef fish, which have accumulated a naturally occurring toxin called ciguatoxin. Small sea plants, called dinoflagellates, which grow on and around coral reefs, naturally produce ciguatoxins that the fish eat. When it gets into the human body, ciguatoxins activate sodium ion channels in nerve and muscle tissues, leading to cell membrane instability. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, numbness, itchiness, sensitivity to hot and cold, dizziness , and weakness. The onset of symptoms varies with the amount of toxin eaten.
Calder and his friends frequently walked over to the reef to catch numerous reef fish, from parrotfish to grouper to jacks.
One day, the families took dinghies to a motu across the way, where we frantically reeled in fish, racing the sharks ready to grab them off our hooks. We made a fire and had a beach cook-out of yummy reef fish. The awesomeness of the subsistence experience made up for the incredibly rough ride back to the boats, as the wind had freshened during our excursion.
Hina, a 50 year local who lives alone, loves music. Our friend Nikki brought out her guitar and a group of us sang together with Hina; the look of joy in her face was a highlight of our time here.
The cruisers pooled supplies and expertise to fix her electrical system. She has not had electricity (no light!) for over a year. An afternoon spent with the right supplies and knowledge means she now has light; she was so grateful. The things we take for granted…light.
The day we left, Hina brought us a bag of fish that she had gotten up early to catch. She also made us beautiful cowry necklaces as a token of thanks and friendship.
I will miss French Polynesia – the sweet smelling tiere flowers, crabs peeking up from holes lining the ground and hermies clung to the trees, the perfect temperature (using a sheet over us again) – but most of all, I will miss the generous and joyful people that we experienced among friends.
Now, off to…Suwarrow? Tonga? Samoa? Niue? This is new to us, leaving without a clear destination. Only time with tell…
SV Terikah Adventures 