After almost two weeks in Nuku Hiva we had finally made it to our second island in the Marquesas, Ua Pou. The first two bays we visited were on the western leeward side of the island, protected from the swell brought by the trade winds. Despite being comfortable flat anchorages, both bays had steep, rocky beaches making a shore landing in the dinghy unfeasible. After anchoring outside of a cute town with a colorful cathedral, Eitan and I decided to try making our way in by paddle board. We had watched the local fisherman bring in their outrigger canoes at a crude, rocky “boat ramp” and decided we would give it a try. For some reason, we only took one paddle board which was almost submerged by our combined weight. Despite the surge and slippery rocks, we managed to get to shore in front of audience of locals, who were confused by our antics. We walked around for a bit and decided to head back, but were soaked on our paddle back to the boat by a squall bringing an abundance of rain.
We set sail to check out the two northern anchorages on Ua Pao and decided to put out the handlines to do some fishing along the way. Dolphins seemed to be a good omen for fishing since they seem to use the boat as a tool for their own fishing, driving the fish to the boat and feeding on the same bait fish that the desirable game fish eat. After seeing some large pods of dolphins around, it seemed like this would be a good time to get the lines out. Shortly after setting the lines we heard the jingle bells alerting us that there was a fish on! Seeing a decent sized tuna, we danced on the deck in celebration as Martin pulled him in. Unfortunately, at the last minute, the tuna managed to throw the hook and got off the line. Our dreams of fresh poke bowls were dashed. Not too long after that, we heard the jingle again and pulled in the handline, surprised to have snagged a large houndfish in the stomach, about in the middle of its 3-foot snake-like length. We did our best to get it off the hook and release it with as little harm as possible.
We ran the hand line back out in the water again and just few minutes later we had another fish on. We prayed it wasn’t the unfortunate houndfish from before, getting snagged once again. But this time it seemed to be something much bigger that put up quite a fight. After struggling to get it to the boat we saw we had a large black and silver stripped fish about 4 to 5 feet long. At first, we thought it might be a large barracuda, but it didn’t have the big teeth. We had no idea what this fish was, if it was edible, or how to even get something this big on deck. We dragged the struggling fish alongside the boat, still hooked on the cedar plug it had mistaken for a bait fish, as we tried to decide what to do with it. It didn’t take long for him to take advantage of our uncertainty and make a decision for us as he finally threw the hook and swam away. After sending my dad a description of the fish on the satellite phone and then some pictures when we had internet service, he identified the fish as a wahoo, one of the best eating fish in the ocean. Based on the length, he said it would likely have weighed between 30 and 40 pounds, and was potentially the catch of a lifetime, especially for cruising sailors. Although we didn’t put fish on the table for dinner that night, it was certainly our best day of fishing so far.
We soon arrived at Hakahetau and dropped the anchor. It was an overcast and stormy day so we spent it doing some boat projects and taking advantage of the cool air. The following day, we woke up to spectacular views of the incredible rock spires jutting up from the middle of the island. Around 10 am, our friends on SV Kismet arrived in the bay and we planned to meet up for a waterfall hike. We could finally explore onshore since there was a decent boat ramp and concrete pier/breakwater to land the dinghy. As we approach the pier and saw where the other boats were tied up. There was enough surge coming in that it wasn’t safe for the dinghy to be repeatedly slammed up against the barnacle covered concrete, so Eitan had to stern anchor the dinghy to prevent it from getting too close.
By the time we returned, it seemed the boat ramp was the local playground. Kids would run and slide on the slick and slimy algae that covered the concrete then jump headfirst off the end of the ramp and into the surge. None were wearing bathing suits, only some jean shorts or underwear at best. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in such a remote place, but I’m sure kids can find fun in almost anything, even if its potentially super dangerous and not intended for child play. We had heard that just a few weeks before, someone died coming into dock at one of the neighboring islands, having poorly timed the swell and conditions, flipping the dinghy and being caught underneath.
Eitan and I spent the rest of the day with Kevin and his brother Sean from SV Kismet and their significant others who had just flown in. The waterfall hike wasn’t too difficult and the pool at the base of the waterfall felt incredible. We then did a little snorkeling in the afternoon followed by a nap before meeting up with them again for some sundowner drinks onboard SV Sierra Wind. We wanted to spend more time with them but Sean and his girlfriend were due to fly out of Nuku Hiva the following day, then back to their home to Montana. So, we said goodbyes one more time and headed to our last anchorage on Ua Pou, called Hakahau Bay.
