S/Y Anastacia Circumnavigation We are a Swedish couple in their mid 50s who decided to live out our dream. This is our story. daily 1 https://sy-anastacia.skipperblogs.com Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Welcome Anastacia II Malin <p>It was Alan, the Canadian on Timmies Run, who had contacted us with an offer to buy his boat. The boat is a Beneteau Oceanis 461 (46 feet, 14 m) from 2000. Two feet longer than Anastacia and ten years older. It is the same boat that Alan and Christer spent a whole day in, a few months ago, trying to find the fault with the autopilot that had stopped working. Alan had originally planned to continue to New Zealand with crew member Alena and sell the boat there, but the sales process in NZ would be complicated, so he decided to make the boat ready to sail and sell her in Fiji instead. When we flew to Fiji on June 7, the boat was on land in Vuda Marina and was already treated with antifouling. A Raymarine expert had started troubleshooting the autopilot and after a few days it was discovered that a small cable from the control unit was the problem. When it was replaced, the autopilot worked as it should. Alan wanted the engine, autopilot and all navigation equipment to work before we took over the boat and during the two weeks it took to sort out all the electronics and service the engine we stayed at a cheap hotel in the town of Lautoka and rented a car so we could commute to the marina and fix what was needed on the boat. We also took the opportunity to change the name of the boat from Timmies-Run to Anastacia II. Sailors’ superstition says that a name change signifies bad luck but, since the boat had already changed its name once before it didn't feel so bad 😊. Timmies-Run is a Canadian slang expression for getting coffee at Tim Hortons, a fast food chain focusing on coffee and snacks. A typical Canadian expression but without any connection to us or Sweden. However, we decided to keep the picture of the coffee cup but now as a symbol of Swedish "fika".</p><p>Christer, with the help of ChatGPT and other sources, made a proposal for an international boat contract that Alan was happy with and Christer also managed to charm the ladies at the marina expedition into witnessing the signatures. We were now the fourth owner of the boat. We made sure that the boat received a Swedish registration certificate from the Swedish cruising club and Alan deregistered her from Canada. The AIS number and Callsign from Anastacia were transferred to Anastacia II so that we can continue sailing with the same identity as before and Alan was able to deregister what previously applied to Timmies-Run. When all the important repairs were completed, she was launched and is now at a berth in the marina. Alan has traveled back to Canada. While we were working on the boat, Alena had spent the weeks in Fiji improving her surfing technique at one of the many surfing spots on the east side of the island. Big waves often form here, perfect for wave surfing. However, with the disadvantage that the waves do not break against a sandy beach but against a sharp coral reef. It adds an extra dimension of excitement to surfing, where you not only have to master the waves but also have to make sure you land correctly at the end, so as not to get yourself damaged. Alena was quite bruised and had received a few hits that must have taken a toll, but there was no complaining, like the tough girl she is, she just stated that she needed to improve her technique a little more. Now she is in New Zealand ready for new adventures. We hope that this was not the last time we met...</p><p>Another two weeks have passed since the boat was launched. In the meantime, we have turned the Anastacia II inside out and gone through all the spaces, washed it clean, inspected it and tried to get to know the boat. We have run over 15 washes in the marina's washing machines and used up several liters of vinegar. At times, the boat has looked like a floating drying rack. Before Alan bought the boat five years ago, she had been sailing in The Great Lakes in Canada. Previous owners had spent a lot of equipment and tools on her. Alan hadn't used everything so we've tried to restore some parts that had been turned off and given away or thrown away things that were no longer needed or were usable. We've come across some gadgets that we had no idea what they could be used for and after a lot of guessing we've finally had to use Google Lens to help. The boat is built in the USA and is therefore adapted for 12 and 110 V respectively. This means purchasing extra adapters and inverters/converters so that we can use certain equipment and stay in marinas in the rest of the world, which uses 220V 😉.</p><p>Anastacia II has a huge equipment list with far more features and gadgets than our previous boat. Including a diesel generator and a larger watermaker, davits to hang the dinghy at the stern as well as radar and other navigation equipment that we didn't have before. Alan had installed new consumer batteries and there are substantial solar panels mounted on the davits so power supply at sea will not be a problem.</p><p>The disadvantage of so many gadgets and equipment is that all these things cost space, so one of the stern cabins has, for example, been given space for the generator and we use the remaining space as storage room instead. The boat also includes a very nice, foldable bike that also needs space. The generous “bedroom” in the bow means that we only have one double cabin left in the stern, which is significantly smaller than in Anastacia where we had a total of four cabins. Despite the longer boat, the boat feels a little smaller than before. However, Anastacia II is more solidly built in “one piece” and has more real wood in the interior.</p><p>For communication, there is both IridiumGo satellite communication and Starlink for Internet. We are not activating the Starlink subscription yet because we will be sailing to countries where it is forbidden to use the equipment and we do not dare to take chances on the argument that we are a “yacht in transit”. In addition, the subscription is relatively expensive and we have managed well in the past with IridiumGo on longer passages and local SIM cards on land. The sails are in good condition even though they are used, but we only have a mainsail and a genoa on board, as well as a spinnaker that we recently had repaired. We do not have any spare sails or storm jib, which feels a bit insubstantial. We also wanted to install a third reef in the mainsail, but the sailmaker had a waiting list for a month of work, so we are postponing that job. What we are perhaps lacking most of all, however, is a wind rudder. We can't really see how we would have been able to mount one on the stern because the davits and solar panels are in the way, so we will be completely dependent on the autopilot for self-steering. If it doesn't work, hand steering is the way to go!</p><p>Onboard comfort is good. In the galley there is a three-burner gas stove with a fantastic oven that we have already tried baking bread and muffins in, a microwave, a spacious fridge, a freezer, etc. There are also opportunities for some entertainment on the boat. A (working) TV adorns the wall above the freezer so we can watch movies and Christer managed to get a radio with Bluetooth working so we can play some music. There is both AC and a heater in the boat, which we however, didn't want to test drive. The equipment hasn't been running for at least five years and we need to go through the engines, fans, ventilation pipes, etc. first. That will have to wait until another time.</p><p>To our great joy, in the midst of all the chaos with the boat, we were visited by our French friends Milena and Nicolas on Oatneck. The young couple who spent the days with us when our respective boats were at the buoys in Niue during the storm. It must be admitted that the shared experience made us feel an extra emotional bond with the couple. Before they left Niue, they had given us a very personal gift in the form of a small (medicine) capsule containing some words of wisdom written on a neatly rolled piece of paper. They themselves had been given a small jar of such capsules, carefully made by their parents, before their own sailing. The idea of the medicine jar is that, when courage fails, open a small capsule and read the contents as comfort and encouragement. Now we had the honor of receiving one of these capsules and when we opened the little fortune cookie, we found a few lines from the French poet, writer and politician(!) Alphonse de Lamartine: "Le monde est un livre dont chaque jour nous ouvre une page" roughly “the world is a book where every day opens a page for us”. It felt so comforting then, when we sat there and the boat had sunk, to think that each of the days in life provides experiences to learn from and marvel at, and that you never know what awaits when the next page is turned
 We still have that little capsule with us and now it has a given place in Anastacia II.</p><p>Oatneck has now left the marina and is now on its way to Vanuatu. We believe that we will also soon be ready to set off and do some test sailings in the Fijian archipelago before we also sail on to Vanuatu. First, we need to rent a car again and visit some hardware stores and boat supply stores to buy things we don't have and to stock up on provisions for the sail. Maybe we'll have time to write a few lines in the blog about Fiji, which we've barely had time to explore yet.</p><p><br> ~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p><br>Det var kanadensaren Alan, pĂ„ Timmies Run, som hade hört av sig till oss med erbjudande om att köpa hans bĂ„t. BĂ„ten Ă€r en Beneteau Oceanis 461 (46 fot, 14 m) frĂ„n 2000. TvĂ„ fot lĂ€ngre Ă€n Anastacia och tio Ă„r Ă€ldre. Det Ă€r samma bĂ„t som Alan och Christer tillbringade en hel dag i, för nĂ„gra mĂ„nader sedan, för att försöka hitta felet pĂ„ autopiloten som slutat fungera. Alan hade ursprungligen tĂ€nkt fortsĂ€tta till Nya Zealand tillsammans med besĂ€ttningsmedlemmen Alena och sĂ€lja bĂ„ten dĂ€r men sĂ€ljprocessen i NZ skulle bli komplicerad sĂ„ han bestĂ€mde sig för att göra bĂ„ten segelklar och sĂ€lja den i Fiji istĂ€llet. NĂ€r vi flög till Fiji den 7 juni lĂ„g bĂ„ten pĂ„ land i Vuda Marina och var redan bottenmĂ„lad. En Raymarine-expert hade börjat felsöka autopiloten och efter nĂ„gra dagar uppdagades att en liten kabel frĂ„n styrenheten var problemet. NĂ€r den var utbytt fungerade autopiloten som den skulle. Alan ville att motor, autopilot och all navigationsutrustning skulle fungera innan vi tog över bĂ„ten och under de dryga tvĂ„ veckor det tog att reda ut all elektronik och serva motorn bodde vi pĂ„ ett billigt hotell i staden Lautoka och hyrde en bil sĂ„ vi kunde pendla till marinan och fixa med det som behövdes pĂ„ bĂ„ten. Vi passade Ă€ven pĂ„ att byta namn pĂ„ bĂ„ten frĂ„n Timmies-Run till Anastacia II. Seglarskrock sĂ€ger att ett namnbyte kan betyda otur men eftersom bĂ„ten redan hade bytt namn en gĂ„ng tidigare kĂ€ndes det inte sĂ„ farligt 😊. Timmies-Run Ă€r ett kanadensiskt slanguttryck för att hĂ€mta kaffe pĂ„ Tim Hortons, en snabbmatskedja med inriktning pĂ„ kaffe och tilltugg. Ett typiskt kanadensiskt uttryck men utan nĂ„gon koppling till oss eller Sverige. Vi beslöt dock att behĂ„lla bilden pĂ„ kaffekoppen men nu som en symbol för svenskt ”fika”.</p><p>Christer, med hjĂ€lp av ChatGPT och andra kĂ€llor, gjorde ett förslag pĂ„ internationellt bĂ„tkontrakt som Alan var nöjd med och Christer lyckades Ă€ven charma damerna pĂ„ marinaexpeditionen till att bevittna signaturerna. Vi var nu fjĂ€rde Ă€gare till bĂ„ten. Vi sĂ„g till att bĂ„ten fick ett svenskt registreringsbevis frĂ„n svenska kryssarklubben och Alan avregistrerade henne frĂ„n Kanada. AIS-nummer och Callsign frĂ„n Anastacia fördes över till Anastacia II sĂ„ vi kan segla vidare med samma identitet som tidigare och Alan kunde avregistrera det som tidigare gĂ€llt för Timmies-Run. NĂ€r alla viktigare reparationer var klara, sjösattes hon och ligger nu vid bryggan pĂ„ marinan. Alan har rest tillbaka till Kanada. Under tiden vi arbetat med bĂ„ten hade Alena tillbringat veckorna i Fiji med att förbĂ€ttra sin surfteknik pĂ„ en av de mĂ„nga surfplatserna pĂ„ öns östsida. HĂ€r bildas ofta stora vĂ„gor, perfekta för vĂ„gsurfing. Dock med den nackdelen att vĂ„gorna inte bryts mot en sandstrand utan mot ett vasst korallrev. Det ger en extra spĂ€nningsdimension i surfandet, dĂ€r man inte bara skall bemĂ€stra vĂ„gorna utan ocksĂ„ se till att man landar rĂ€tt i slutet, för att inte slĂ„ sig fördĂ€rvad. Alena var ganska blĂ„slagen och hade fĂ„tt nĂ„gra törnar som mĂ„ste ha gjort rejĂ€lt ont men det hördes inget klagande, som den tuffing hon Ă€r, utan hon konstaterade bara att hon behövde förbĂ€ttra sin teknik lite till. Nu befinner hon sig i Nya Zealand redo för nya Ă€ventyr. Vi hoppas att detta inte var sista gĂ„ngen vi trĂ€ffades
</p><p>Sedan bĂ„ten sjösattes har det gĂ„tt ytterligare tvĂ„ veckor. Under tiden har vi vĂ€nt ut och in pĂ„ Anastacia II och gĂ„tt igenom alla utrymmen, tvĂ€ttat rent, inspekterat och försökt lĂ€ra kĂ€nna bĂ„ten. Vi har kört över 15 tvĂ€ttar i marinans tvĂ€ttmaskiner och gjort slut pĂ„ flera liter Ă€ttika. Stundom har bĂ„ten sett ut som en flytande torkstĂ€llning. Innan Alan köpte bĂ„ten för fem Ă„r sedan hade hon seglats i The Great Lakes i Kanada. Tidigare Ă€gare hade kostat pĂ„ henne vĂ€ldigt mycket utrustning och verktyg. Alan hade inte anvĂ€nt allt sĂ„ vi har försökt Ă„terstĂ€lla vissa delar som s a s stĂ€ngts av och givit bort eller slĂ€ngt sĂ„dant som inte lĂ€ngre behövdes eller kunde anvĂ€ndas. Vi har stött pĂ„ nĂ„gra prylar som vi inte haft nĂ„gon aning om vad de kan anvĂ€ndas till och efter mycket gissande har vi till slut fĂ„tt ta Google Lens till hjĂ€lp. BĂ„ten Ă€r byggd i USA och Ă€r dĂ€rför anpassad för 12 resp. 110 V. Det innebĂ€r införskaffande av extra adaptrar och invertrar/konvertrar för att vi skall kunna anvĂ€nda viss utrustning och ligga i marinor i resten av vĂ€rlden, som anvĂ€nder 220V 😉.</p><p>Anastacia II har en diger utrustningslista med lĂ„ngt fler finesser och prylar Ă€n vĂ„r förra bĂ„t. Bl a en diselgenerator och en större watermaker, dĂ€vertar för att hĂ€nga upp dingen i aktern samt radar och annan navigationsutrustning som vi inte hade tidigare. Alan hade satt in nya förbrukningsbatterier och det Ă€r rejĂ€la solpaneler monterade pĂ„ dĂ€vertarna sĂ„ strömförsörjningen till havs skall inte vara nĂ„gra problem. </p><p>Nackdelen med sĂ„ mĂ„nga prylar och utrustning Ă€r dock att alla dessa saker kostar i utrymme sĂ„ ena akterruffen har t ex fĂ„tt ge plats Ă„t generatorn och vi anvĂ€nder resterande utrymme som stuvutrymme istĂ€llet. I bĂ„ten ingĂ„r nĂ€mligen Ă€ven en vĂ€ldigt fin, hopfĂ€llbar cykel som ocksĂ„ behöver plats. Det generösa ”sovrummet” i fören gör att vi bara har en dubbelhytt kvar i aktern vilket Ă€r betydligt mindre Ă€n i Anastacia dĂ€r vi hade totalt fyra hytter. Trots lĂ€ngre bĂ„t sĂ„ kĂ€nns utrymmet alltsĂ„ lite mindre Ă€n tidigare. Dock Ă€r Anastacia II mer gediget byggd i ”ett stycke” och mer riktigt trĂ€ i interiören.</p><p>För kommunikation finns bĂ„de IridiumGo satellitkommunikation och Starlink för Internet. Starlinkabonnemanget aktiverar vi inte Ă€nnu eftersom vi kommer att segla till lĂ€nder dĂ€r det Ă€r förbjudet att anvĂ€nda utrustningen och vi vĂ„gar inte chansa pĂ„ argumentet att vi Ă€r ”yacht in transit”. Dessutom Ă€r abonnemanget relativt dyrt och vi har klarat oss bra tidigare med IridiumGo vid lĂ€ngre passager och lokala SIM-kort i land. Seglen Ă€r i gott skick Ă€ven om de Ă€r begagnade men vi har bara ett storsegel och en genua ombord samt en spinnaker som vi nyligen lĂ„tit reparera. Vi har inga reservsegel eller stormfock, vilket kĂ€nns lite klent. Vi hade ocksĂ„ velat sĂ€tta in ett tredje rev i storseglet men segelmakaren hade en mĂ„nads vĂ€ntetid sĂ„ vi avvaktar med den Ă„tgĂ€rden. Det vi dock kanske mest av allt saknar, Ă€r ett vindroder. Vi kan inte riktigt se hur det hade gĂ„tt att montera ett pĂ„ aktern eftersom dĂ€vertar och solpaneler Ă€r i vĂ€gen sĂ„ vi kommer att vara helt beroende av autopiloten för sjĂ€lvstyrningen. Fungerar inte den Ă€r det handstyrning som gĂ€ller!</p><p>Komforten ombrd Ă€r god. I kabyssen finns en trelĂ„gig gasspis med fantastiskt bra ugn som vi redan provbakat bröd och muffins i, en mikro, en rymlig kyl, en frys o s v. Dessutom finns möjligheter för lite underhĂ„llning i bĂ„ten. En (fungerande) TV pryder vĂ€ggen ovanför frysen sĂ„ vi kan titta pĂ„ film och Christer lyckades fĂ„ igĂ„ng en radio med Bluetooth sĂ„ vi kan spela lite musik. Det finns bĂ„de AC och vĂ€rmare i bĂ„ten som vi dock inte velat provköra. Utrustningen har inte varit igĂ„ng pĂ„ minst fem Ă„r och vi behöver gĂ„ igenom motorer, flĂ€ktar, ventilationsrör etc. innan. Det fĂ„r vĂ€nta till en annan gĂ„ng. </p><p>Till vĂ„r stora lycka fick vi, mitt i allt stök med bĂ„ten, besök av vĂ„ra franska vĂ€nner Milena och Nicolas pĂ„ Oatneck. Det unga par som genomled dygnen tillsammans med oss nĂ€r vĂ„ra respektive bĂ„tar lĂ„g vid bojarna i Niue under ovĂ€dret. Det mĂ„ste erkĂ€nnas att den gemensamma upplevelsen gjorde att vi kĂ€nner ett extra emotionellt band till paret. Innan de reste vidare frĂ„n Niue hade de givit oss en mycket personlig gĂ„va i form av en liten (medicin)kapsel innehĂ„llande nĂ„gra visdomsord skrivna pĂ„ en prydligt ihoprullad papperslapp. De hade sjĂ€lva fĂ„tt en liten burk med sĂ„dana kapslar, omsorgsfullt gjorda av förĂ€ldrarna, inför sin egen seglats. Tanken med medicinburken Ă€r att, nĂ€r modet sviker, öppna en liten kapsel och lĂ€sa innehĂ„llet som tröst och uppmuntran. Nu hade vi den Ă€ran att fĂ„ en av dessa kapslar och nĂ€r vi öppnade den lilla lyckokakan fann vi nĂ„gra rader av den franske poeten, författaren och politikern(!) Alphonse de Lamartine: "Le monde est un livre dont chaque jour nous ouvre une page" ungefĂ€r ”vĂ€rlden Ă€r en bok dĂ€r varje dag öppnar en sida för oss”. Det kĂ€ndes sĂ„ trösterikt dĂ„, nĂ€r vi satt dĂ€r och bĂ„ten hade förlist, att tĂ€nka att vart och ett av dagarna i livet ger erfarenheter att lĂ€ra sig av och förundras över, och att man aldrig vet vad som vĂ€ntar nĂ€r nĂ€sta sida blĂ€ddras fram
 Den lilla kapseln har vi fortfarande med oss och fĂ„r nu en given plats i Anastacia II.</p><p>Oatneck har nu lĂ€mnat marinan och nu Ă€r pĂ„ vĂ€g till Vanuatu. Vi tror att vi ocksĂ„ snart Ă€r redo för att ge oss ivĂ€g och göra nĂ„gra provseglingar i den Fijianska arkipelagen innan vi ocksĂ„ seglar vidare till Vanuatu. Först behöver vi hyra en bil igen och besöka nĂ„gra jĂ€rnhandlare och bĂ„ttillbehörsbutiker för att inhandla sĂ„dant vi saknar samt proviantera inför seglatsen. Eventuellt hinner vi skriva nĂ„gra rader i bloggen om Fiji som vi knappt hunnit utforska Ă€nnu.</p><p><br></p><p><em>French comfort-pill</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_100931.jpg?1751792712?1751792712" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Boat name in the changing</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_120314.jpg?1751792825?1751792825" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123405.jpg?1751792825?1751792825" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123516.jpg?1751792825?1751792825" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250612_090345.jpg?1751792825?1751792825" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Two guys are lifting heavy batteries. Notice the pulled-in bellies!</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250610_123423.jpg?1751793071?1751793071" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>In the water. At last!</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250706_150704.jpg?1751793165?1751793165" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Messy, but work in progress (we promise to take more pictures when everything is done)</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092111.jpg?1751793241?1751793241" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250628_092222.jpg?1751793242?1751793242" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_134851.jpg?1751793242?1751793242" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>What the...?</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Fiji/20250705_132955.jpg?1751793370?1751793370" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/july-2025/welcome-anastacia-ii /blog/july-2025/welcome-anastacia-ii The quest for a new boat Malin <p>Before leaving Niue, we searched the sailboat market and realized that French Polynesia and Tahiti probably had the largest selection at reasonable prices. So, we flew there with a stopover in Auckland, New Zealand. We wanted to be as efficient as possible and had already booked some visits and video tours in advance. During the barely two weeks we lived in Papeete, we managed to look at over 10 different boats. We drove to different ports, took the ferry to Raiatea to look at the boats that were there, and moved from hope to despair. Hope was lit when we saw pictures and read descriptions and watched films of prospective sailboats. However, hope was lost when we visited the boats on site. Many of the pictures and films that the owners and brokers showed were several years old and rarely reflected the condition of the boats. This is not unusual in itself, but the differences here were much greater than we were used to. The concept of “ready to sail!” as stated in most advertisements, should probably be read in the sense that the boat needs at least three months of renovation and overhaul, which increases the cost considerably. We looked at a Hallberg-Rassy 41 from 1978 and an Amel Maramu 46 from 1979, both ketch-rigged (two masts) and “ready to sail”. Both models are known for being robust, where age plays less of a role if they have been looked after properly, but unfortunately, they turned out to be in such a deplorable condition that even a year of renovation work on them would not have been enough to make them ready to sail. In both cases, the owners had a nostalgic image of how the boats once looked and often reminded themselves of all the fantastic and romantic moments they had on their sailing trips. Many sailors come to French Polynesia to spend the winter and end up staying. Then the owners are forced to pay the boat VAT to stay and the boat becomes “Papeetisised”. Sailing is then more about shorter trips between the islands and the boat becomes more of a live aboard- boat and maintenance is therefore secondary... Often there were many spare parts and tools on the boats (to our delight!) where the owners had brilliant renovation plans that unfortunately never came to realization. When we then visited the boats, we could see that the boats, spare parts and tools were now in less operational condition...</p><p>We still put a bid on a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39 DS from 2007 (unvisited) that was in Bora Bora. The boat was in good condition and was very similar to the Anastacia, although a little smaller and with a so-called "deck-saloon". Unfortunately, the owner asked for a lot more than we could give for it so we did not go ahead with the purchase. We also looked at a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 from 1999 that looked really promising at a good price until we discovered that the entire teak deck was perforated with thousands of small screws right into the hull. On a boat we visited, the owner had some odd solutions to everyday problems on board. For example, he had installed a washing machine on the boat where the water from the machine was not led out from the boat but went straight down into a compartment under the floor just above the keel of the boat. When the water almost reached the floor (which had begun to swell from the moisture), he simply scooped it out with a bucket. He didn't think a bilge pump was needed for the purpose. He knew exactly when it was time to scoop after different wash programs!</p><p>We were finally close to buying a Dufour 43 Classic from 1999 where we spent almost two hours going through the boat and bombarding the poor owner with questions. There were many things that needed fixing on the boat but nothing that was remarkably difficult and there was good bargaining power on the price. Just when we had decided to submit an offer with the condition that we would also be allowed to inspect the boat after a haul-out, we were contacted by a friend who needs to sell his boatskipper, The same boat we sailed with between Aitutaki and Niue. Now the boat is on land in Fiji for a refit and will hopefully be ready next week and "ready to sail" for real! Unlike the other boats we have looked at, this boat is basically fully equipped for long passages. The offer was too good not to be taken seriously so now we have turned down more boat-visits in French Polynesia and have instead booked flights to Fiji. If everything is going according to plan, we will be able to continue our adventure with "Anastacia II" 🙂 and we have not lost any time from what we had planned from the beginning.</p><p>The contribution that friends and family have gratefully collected for us will go to the purchase of the boat. Even if the budget is a little tighter, we will be able to complete our round-the-world voyage!</p><p><br> ~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p><br>Innan vi lĂ€mnade Niue sökte vi igenom segelbĂ„tsmarknaden och insĂ„g att Franska Polynesien och Tahiti troligen hade störst utbud till rimliga priser. Vi tog dĂ€rför flyget dit med mellanlandning i Auckland, Nya Zealand. Vi ville vara sĂ„ effektiva som möjligt och hade redan bokat nĂ„gra visningar och videogenomgĂ„ngar i förvĂ€g. Under de knappa tvĂ„ veckor vi bodde i Papeete hann vi titta pĂ„ över 10 olika bĂ„tar. Vi körde till olika hamnar, tog fĂ€rjan till Raiatea för att titta pĂ„ de bĂ„tar som lĂ„g dĂ€r och pendlade mellan hopp och förtvivlan. Hoppet tĂ€ndes nĂ€r vi sĂ„g bilder och lĂ€ste beskrivningar och tittade pĂ„ filmer pĂ„ presumtiva segelbĂ„tar. Hoppet slĂ€cktes dock nĂ€r vi besökte bĂ„tarna pĂ„ plats. MĂ„nga bilder och filmer som Ă€gare och mĂ€klare visade upp, var flera Ă„r gamla och speglade sĂ€llan vilket skick bĂ„tarna egentligen var i. Det Ă€r i och för sig inget ovanligt men skillnaderna hĂ€r var mycket större Ă€n vad vi var vana vid. Begreppet ”ready to sail!” som det stod i de flesta annonserna skulle nog lĂ€sas som att bĂ„ten behöver minst treâč mĂ„naders renovering och översyn vilket ökar kostnaden betydligt. Bl a tittade vi pĂ„ en Hallberg-Rassy 41 frĂ„n 1978 och en Amel Maramu 46 frĂ„n 1979, bĂ„da ketchriggade (tvĂ„ master) och ”ready to sail”. BĂ„da modellerna Ă€r kĂ€nda för att vara robusta, dĂ€r Ă„ldern spelar mindre betydelse om de har skötts pĂ„ rĂ€tt sĂ€tt, men tyvĂ€rr visade de sig vara i sĂ„ bedrövligt skick att inte ens ett Ă„rs renoveringsarbete med dem hade rĂ€ckt för att göra dem segelklara. I bĂ€gge fallen hade Ă€garna en nostalgisk bild av hur bĂ„tarna sett ut en gĂ„ng i tiden och pĂ„minde sig ofta om alla fantastiska och romantiska stunder de haft pĂ„ sina seglatser. Till Franska Polynesien kommer mĂ„nga seglare som s a s övervintrar och till slut stannar kvar. DĂ„ blir Ă€garna tvungna att betala bĂ„tmomsen för att fĂ„ stanna och bĂ„ten blir ”Papeetisised”. Att segla handlar dĂ„ mer om kortare turer mellan öarna och bĂ„ten blir mer av en bo-bĂ„t och underhĂ„llet dĂ€rför underordnat
 Ofta ingick det mĂ„nga reservdelar och verktyg pĂ„ bĂ„tarna (till vĂ„r förtjusning!) dĂ€r Ă€garna haft strĂ„lande renoveringsplaner som tyvĂ€rr aldrig blivit av. NĂ€r vi sedan besökte bĂ„tarna kunde vi konstatera att bĂ„tarna, reservdelarna och verktygen numera var i mindre anvĂ€ndbart skick
</p><p>Vi la Ă€ndĂ„ ett bud pĂ„ en Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39 DS frĂ„n 2007 (osedd) som lĂ„g i Bora Bora. BĂ„ten var i bra skick och var vĂ€ldigt lik Anastacia fast lite mindre och med sĂ„ kallad ”deck-saloon”. TyvĂ€rr begĂ€rde Ă€garen en bra bit mer Ă€n vad vi kunde ge för den sĂ„ vi gick inte vidare med köpet. Vi tittade ocksĂ„ pĂ„ en Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 frĂ„n 1999 som sĂ„g riktigt lovande ut till ett bra pris tills vi upptĂ€ckte att hela teakdĂ€cket var perforerat med tusental smĂ„ skruvar rĂ€tt in i skrovet. PĂ„ en bĂ„t vi besökte hade Ă€garen lite udda lösningar pĂ„ vardagsproblemen ombord. Bl a hade han installerat en tvĂ€ttmaskin pĂ„ bĂ„ten dĂ€r tvĂ€ttvattnet inte leddes ut utan gick rĂ€tt ner i ett fack under golvet strax ovanför kölsvinet pĂ„ bĂ„ten. NĂ€r vattnet nĂ€stan nĂ„dde golvet (som börjat svĂ€lla av fukten) öste han helt sonika ut det med en hink. NĂ„gon lĂ€nspump tyckte han inte behövdes för Ă€ndamĂ„let. Han visste ju precis nĂ€r det var dags att ösa efter olika tvĂ€ttprogram! </p><p>Vi var till slut nĂ€ra att köpa en Dufour 43 Classic frĂ„n 1999 dĂ€r vi Ă€gnat nĂ€stan tvĂ„ timmar med att gĂ„ igenom bĂ„ten och bombarderat den stackars Ă€garen med frĂ„gor. Det var mĂ„nga saker som behövde fixas pĂ„ bĂ„ten men inget som var anmĂ€rkningsvĂ€rt svĂ„rt och det fanns god prutmĂ„n pĂ„ priset. Precis nĂ€r vi bestĂ€mt oss för att lĂ€mna ett bud med villkoret att ocksĂ„ fĂ„ inspektera bĂ„ten efter upptagning pĂ„ land, blev vi kontaktade av en vĂ€n som vill sĂ€lja sin bĂ„t. Samma bĂ„t vi seglat tillsammans med mellan Aitutaki och Niue. BĂ„ten  ligger pĂ„ land i Fiji för genomgĂ„ng och blir förhoppningvis klar under nĂ€sta vecka och Ă€r ”ready to sail” pĂ„ riktigt! Till skillnad frĂ„n de andra bĂ„tarna vi tittat pĂ„ Ă€r den hĂ€r bĂ„ten i princip fullt utrustad för lĂ„nga passager. Erbjudandet var för bra för att inte tas pĂ„ allvar sĂ„ nu har vi tackat nej till fler visningar i Franska Polynesien och har istĂ€llet bokat flyg till Fiji. Om allt gĂ„r enligt plan kan vi fortsĂ€tta vĂ„rt Ă€ventyr och har inte heller förlorat nĂ„gon tid mot det vi hade planerat frĂ„n början.</p><p>Det bidrag som vĂ€nner och familj tacksamt har samlat ihop för oss, gĂ„r till bĂ„tköpet. Även om budgeten blir lite tightare sĂ„ kommer vi att kunna slutföra vĂ„r jordenruntsegling!</p><p><br></p><p><em>Some of the boats we have been looking at (yacht broker's pictures)</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The quest/2-pelagos-tribord-modif-2.jpg?1749092133" loading="lazy" data-original-width="270" data-original-height="203" srcset="" src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f/userfiles/The%20quest/2-pelagos-tribord-modif-2.jpg?1749092133" width="320" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The quest/1979-amel-maramu-.webp?1749092133" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1028" data-original-height="685" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The%20quest/1979-amel-maramu-.webp?1749092133 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The%20quest/1979-amel-maramu-.webp?1749092133 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The%20quest/1979-amel-maramu-.webp?1749092133 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The%20quest/1979-amel-maramu-.webp?1749092133?1749092133" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The quest/imagesdufour43_1999.jpg?1749092133" loading="lazy" data-original-width="270" data-original-height="203" srcset="" src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f/userfiles/The%20quest/imagesdufour43_1999.jpg?1749092133" width="320" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The quest/imageshallbergrassy41782a84e863-ac3b-47a9-b198-72ce9bc7fcd5-1 copy 1.jpg?1749092253" loading="lazy" data-original-width="270" data-original-height="203" srcset="" src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f/userfiles/The%20quest/imageshallbergrassy41782a84e863-ac3b-47a9-b198-72ce9bc7fcd5-1%20copy%201.jpg?1749092253" width="320" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px"> </p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The quest/imagessunodyssey99photo_41.jpg?1749092253" loading="lazy" data-original-width="270" data-original-height="203" srcset="" src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f/userfiles/The%20quest/imagessunodyssey99photo_41.jpg?1749092253" width="320" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/The quest/sunodyssey391.jpg?1749092253" loading="lazy" data-original-width="270" data-original-height="203" srcset="" src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f/userfiles/The%20quest/sunodyssey391.jpg?1749092253" width="320" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px"></p> Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/june-2025/the-quest-for-a-new-boat /blog/june-2025/the-quest-for-a-new-boat “The Rock” and the end of Anastacia Malin <div style="padding: 0px 0px 1px;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;"><p><span>After staying on Niue for a little over a week, it was time to set off for Tonga and we waited for the next weather window. We were now several boats following weather forecasts and some were in contact with meteorologists specializing in marine weather for help as we were unsure how the weather systems that prevailed further west would develop. A low-pressure system with thunderstorms had formed to the west of Tonga on its way east and it was unclear how fast it would move and what direction it would take. We had hoped to leave the island on Friday 9 May but in the end we all chose to stay on Niue as it was not possible to determine whether the low-pressure would go north or south of the island and we did not want to risk encountering it on the way to Tonga. Especially not considering the thunderstorms. None of us had boats that fast... So far, the prevailing trade winds and waves were from the east, so we were well protected at our buoys on the west side of the island, but if the low-pressure were to take a southerly direction, we would suddenly get wind from the west, which is very unusual at this time of year on Niue. As time went on, however, more weather forecasts pointed to this particular scenario and we discussed different strategies for coping with the approaching weather without taking too many risks. Seeking shelter on the east side was a possibility but also associated with some danger as the forecasts were so uncertain and that side of the island was already exposed to high easterly waves. The island is not so high that it provides good protection from the wind and it always takes a long time before the waves follow a change in wind, risking getting a wind with the opposite wave direction for several hours. There were also no anchoring options on the east side and the charts were not entirely reliable because the depth has not been measured all the way to the reef. Everyone prepared their boats by tying up additional moorings at the buoys with several long storm lines and lashing sails, etc. The buoys were new and in very good condition so we weren't too worried that they wouldn't hold. In addition, the low-pressure system would move quite quickly past the island, Sunday to Monday and there wouldn't be any storm winds (about 50 knots). We therefore didn't expect any dangerously big waves to whip up from the west. We were actually more worried about the wind and possible lightning.</span></p> <p><span>The young French couple on the S/V Oatneck went ashore on Saturday to avoid having to wait out the low-pressure system on the boat. We had, from the beginning, planned to stay on Anastacia but, took it safe before the uncertain, and instead chose to go ashore on Sunday morning and sleep one night in the same place as the French couple. Two of the boats that remained at the buoys chose to go to the east side of the island. The third boat remained but later announced that it had become rollier than expected at the buoy and so unpleasant that they also cast off. The wind speed at that time was around 25 knots and it was no longer possible for us on land to get to our boats. The sea was too rough in and around the harbor where the reef is shallower. However, the westerly waves were manageable for Anastacia and Oatneck and they moved, facing the waves as they should at their buoys. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was later changed to say that the wind would only subside during the night to Tuesday. During Monday it continued to blow with about the same strength as before but there were now strong gusts and the wave height at the reef was estimated to be around 3-4 m. However, there was never any thunderstorm. The last time we checked at our boats was at 3 p.m. At 4-5 pm the wind strength increased further while the wind began to turn to the southwest and during the half hour that it lasted, Anastacia's mooring lines snapped and she was wrecked. The police came to us shortly afterwards and wanted to make sure that we were safe and that no one else was on board either boat. Nothing more could be done at that time.</span></p> <p><span>While we had been ashore and waiting for the low-pressure to pass, we tried to keep our spirits up, together with Milena and Nicolas from S/V Oatenec. We checked on the boats at regular intervals and it was a good support not to have to be alone with the agony. However, we were, despite everything, pretty sure that everything would go well until Monday afternoon. When the wind strength suddenly increased and our boat tore from the mooring, it became much worse mentally for both us and our friends. During the night of Tuesday, we could only lie listening to the wind and hoping that their boat would withstand the waves. It was a great relief for all of us to see Oatenec at her buoy on Tuesday morning. It was worse with Anastacia, which had now completely broken up against the reef and the rocks of the island during the night.</span></p> <p><span>During Tuesday the wind gradually died down and a little later the other boats appeared from the east side. When we all met later the other crews told how they had been “patrolling” back and forth behind the island, trying to avoid the areas that were not mapped on the charts and trying to stay away from each other at night so that they did not collide by mistake. It had It had been a tough 48 hours for them too, with a lot of motoring when it was difficult to set suitable sails. However, everything had gone well and everyone was relieved but also very sad on our behalf. A piece of good news in the midst of all the misery was that the autopilot on Timmies Run suddenly and for some inexplicable reason decided to work, along with other electronics that had also previously given up. It had made it a lot easier for the crew to finally not have to steer manually during the two days.</span></p> <p><span>Of the two boats that remained, it is difficult to know which was decisive for Anastacia to sink while Oatenek endured. There were probably several factors that interacted. The buoy Anastacia was moored at, was closer to the island than the neighboring boat. We later also learned that one of the buoy’s concrete blocks had moved a little closer to the reef. She was therefore in shallower water and the waves broke more in front of her when the wind increased. Another contributing factor may have been that she was slightly heavier than Oatenek. Two of the three mooring lines we used to moor her were strong storm lines with both chafing protection and built-in shock absorbers and we had laid them out about 10 m away from the buoy which in turn also had “slack” to the buoy’s blocks. There were never any storm winds so they should have been able to handle the pressure but since the wind lasted longer than expected the waves probably became too high and when the wind slowly changed direction the boat may have heeled over into the waves. But that is just speculation. It is easy to conclude in retrospect that we should have made it to the east side of the island on Sunday but we really didn’t think it would be necessary and at the same time we were unsure of what the conditions on that side of the island would be like. It is of course a lesson to learn from that weather forecasts are uncertain until the last moment and you have to take that into account. At the same time, in the midst of all this chaos, we were grateful that we were unharmed and still had each other.</span></p> <p><span>When we looked at the remains of Anastacia on Tuesday morning, we could only see that what had been our home for two years was literally in ruins, washed ashore and far out on the reef. It was difficult and so incredibly sad to see and for a long time we had difficulty approaching the place and seeing all our private belongings so scattered and destroyed. The reef is razor sharp and the rock so hard that most of it had been torn to pieces. Now we understand why Niue is nicknamed “The rock”!</span></p> <p><span>We have been met with a lot of warmth and understanding and have received help from both our sailing friends and the islanders as well as several business owners. Not least, the Niue Yacht Club has contributed to our being able to buy some clothes and hygiene items and helped us with accommodation together with Kololi's Motel. Although there are few things that are still intact, we hope that they can be of some use on the island. We know that some items have already found a new home. Our dinghy, that had been on land, has been donated to those who will work on restoring the reefs. Salvage of the wreck and everything that has been scattered is being handled by the Maritime Division of Niue Transport Authority's Department with the help of various actors. Our insurance company has confirmed that they will cover the costs of wreck removal, environmental actions and as well as final disposal, which is a relief, even though we realize that there is a lot of work involved before the reef is restored. It should also be said that we received many questions and several who suggested that we should have stayed on the boat and sailed around the island when the low-pressure system came, and that is absolutely true, but the situation was also difficult to assess and the safest strategy was not obvious.</span></p> <p><span>While we were on the island after the accident, we had the privilege to participate in a headstone unveiling ceremony for a deceased relative of the family that stayed at the motel with us. It was a very warm and beautiful experience where several relatives from near and far had gathered to unveil the gravestone of a relative who died in the midst of the corona epidemic. Parts of the family live in Niue and parts in New Zealand, so it has been difficult for them to arrange this occasion. Now it has finally happened and the beautiful headstone that they arranged, as well as the ceremony, breathed both love and humor, spiced with little anecdotes about the deceased. As in many other places in Polynesia, deceased relatives are often buried in the family’s property. This way, it is easier to keep the memory of the deceased alive and they continue to be a natural part of the family. It was touching to be part of so much human warmth and meant a lot to us. It helped us to gain perspective on what had happened and to be grateful for what we still had. After the ceremony, we were treated to such a large buffet at the motel that we could not possibly manage to taste all the delicious dishes. Thank you very much for letting us be a part of this!</span></p> <p><span>It has now been almost two weeks since the accident and we are experiencing how we think in terms of the time before and after Anastacia. The time that has passed since the accident has felt like an eternity but it has been useful to process what has happened. We do not feel we are done with sailing and it seems that the insurance company will compensate us for the boat itself but not all the equipment we had on it. If that happens, we will try to find a new boat that works with our, now a tighter budget, so we can continue our adventure. Here we would like to especially thank family and friends for supporting us so that we can hopefully continue sailing.</span></p> <p><span>Soon we will leave Niue and head back to Tahiti where there are several sailboats for sale
</span></p> <p><span> </span><br></p> <p><span> </span>~~~~~~~~~~~~</p> <p>NĂ€r vi stannat pĂ„ Niue i lite drygt en vecka var det dags att ge sig av mot Tonga och vi vĂ€ntade pĂ„ nĂ€sta lĂ€mpliga vĂ€derfönster. Vi var nu flera bĂ„tar som följde vĂ€derprognoser och nĂ„gra hade kontakt med meteorologer specialiserade pĂ„ sjövĂ€der för att fĂ„ hjĂ€lp eftersom vi var osĂ€kra pĂ„ hur de olika vĂ€dersystemen som rĂ„dde lĂ€ngre vĂ€sterut skulle utvecklas. Ett lĂ„gtryck med Ă„skovĂ€der hade bildats vĂ€ster om Tonga pĂ„ vĂ€g österut och det var oklart hur snabbt det skulle röra sig och vilken riktning det skulle ta. Vi hade hoppats kunna lĂ€mna ön fredagen den 9 maj men till slut valde samtliga att stanna pĂ„ Niue eftersom det inte gick att avgöra om lĂ„gtrycket skulle gĂ„ norr eller söder om ön och vi ville inte riskera att möta det pĂ„ vĂ€gen till Tonga. SĂ€rskilt inte med tanke pĂ„ Ă„skan. SĂ„ snabba bĂ„tar hade ingen av oss... Än sĂ„ lĂ€nge rĂ„dde passadvind och vĂ„gor frĂ„n öster sĂ„ vi lĂ„g vĂ€l skyddade vid vĂ„ra bojar pĂ„ vĂ€stsidan ön men om lĂ„gtrycket skulle ta en sydlig riktning skulle vi plötsligt fĂ„ vind frĂ„n vĂ€ster vilket Ă€r vĂ€ldigt ovanligt sĂ„ hĂ€r Ă„rs pĂ„ Niue. Ju lĂ€ngre tiden gick pekade fler vĂ€dermodeller dock för just detta scenario och vi diskuterade olika strategier för att klara det annalkande vĂ€dret utan att ta för stora risker. Att söka skydd pĂ„ östsidan var en möjlighet men ocksĂ„ förenat med viss fara eftersom prognoserna var sĂ„ osĂ€kra och den sidan av ön var redan utsatt för höga östliga vĂ„gor. Ön Ă€r inte sĂ„ hög att den ger skydd för vinden och det dröjer alltid lĂ€nge innan vĂ„gorna följer en vindförĂ€ndring sĂ„ man riskerade att fĂ„ en vind med motsatt vĂ„griktning under flera timmar. Det fanns heller inga ankringsmöjligheter pĂ„ östsidan och sjökorten var inte helt tillförlitliga dĂ„ det inte Ă€r djupmĂ€tt Ă€nda fram till revet.  Alla förberedde sina bĂ„tar genom ytterligare tampar vid bojarna med flera lĂ„nga stormlinor och surra segel m m. Bojarna var nya och i mycket gott skick sĂ„ vi var inte sĂ„ oroliga för att de inte skulle hĂ„lla. Dessutom skulle lĂ„gtrycket röra sig ganska snabbt förbi ön, söndag till mĂ„ndag och det skulle inte bli stormvindar (motsvarande ca 50 knop). Vi rĂ€knade dĂ€rför inte med att det skulle hinna piska upp nĂ„gra större vĂ„gor vĂ€sterifrĂ„n. Vi var egentligen mer oroliga för vinden och ev. blixtnedslag. </p> <p>Det unga franska paret pĂ„ S/V Oatneck gick iland pĂ„ lördagen för att slippa vĂ€nta ut ovĂ€dret pĂ„ bĂ„ten. Vi hade, frĂ„n början, tĂ€nkt vara kvar pĂ„ Anastacia men, tog det sĂ€kra före det osĂ€kra, och valde istĂ€llet att gĂ„ i land pĂ„ söndagsmorgonen och sova en natt pĂ„ samma stĂ€lle som det franska paret. TvĂ„ av bĂ„tarna som lĂ„g kvar vid bojarna valde att ta sig till östsidan av ön. Den tredje bĂ„ten lĂ„g kvar men meddelade senare att det blivit ”rulligare” Ă€n förvĂ€ntat vid bojplatsen och sĂ„ pass otrevligt att de ocksĂ„ kastade loss. Vindstyrkan var vid det tillfĂ€llet runt 25 knop och vid den tidpunkten var det inte lĂ€ngre möjligt för oss pĂ„ land att ta oss till vĂ„ra bĂ„tar. Sjön var för orolig i och runt hamnen dĂ€r revet ligger grundare. De vĂ„gor som kom vĂ€sterifrĂ„n var dock hanterliga för Anastacia och Oatneck och de rörde sig mot vĂ„gorna som de skulle vid sina bojar. VĂ€derprognoserna Ă€ndrades tyvĂ€rr senare till att vinden skulle avta först under natten till tisdag. Under mĂ„ndagen fortsatte det att blĂ„sa med ungefĂ€r samma styrka som tidigare men det kom nu starka byar och vĂ„ghöjden vid revet lĂ„g uppskattningsvis runt 3-4 m. NĂ„got Ă„skvĂ€der blev det dock aldrig. Sista gĂ„ngen vi tittade till vĂ„ra bĂ„tar var vid 15-tiden. Vid 16-17-tiden ökade vindstyrkan ytterligare samtidigt som vinden började vrida mot sydvĂ€st och under den cirka halvtimme som det varade, brast Anastacias förtöjningslinor och hon förliste. Polisen kom till oss strax efterĂ„t och ville försĂ€kra sig om att vi var i sĂ€kerhet och att ingen mer fanns ombord pĂ„ nĂ„gon av bĂ„tarna. NĂ„got mer kunde inte göras dĂ„.</p> <p>Under tiden vi hade varit i land och vĂ€ntat pĂ„ att ovĂ€dret skulle dra förbi försökte vi hĂ„lla modet uppe, tillsammans med Milena och Nicolas frĂ„n S/V Oatenec. Vi tittade till bĂ„tarna med jĂ€mna mellanrum och det var ett gott stöd att inte behöva vara ensamma med vĂ„ndan. Vi var dock, trots allt, ganska sĂ€kra pĂ„ att allt skulle gĂ„ bra Ă€nda fram till mĂ„ndagseftermiddagen. NĂ€r sedan vindstyrkan plötsligt ökade och vĂ„r bĂ„t slet sig blev det psykiskt mycket vĂ€rre bĂ„de för oss och vĂ„ra vĂ€nner. Under natten till tisdagen kunde vi bara ligga och lyssna pĂ„ vinden utanför och hoppas att deras bĂ„t skulle stĂ„ emot vĂ„gorna. Det var en stor lĂ€ttnad för oss alla att se Oatenec vid sin boj pĂ„ tisdagsmorgonen. VĂ€rre var det med Anastacia som nu helt slagits sönder mot revet och öns klippor under natten.</p> <p>Under tisdagen avtog vinden sĂ„ smĂ„ningom och lite senare dök de övriga bĂ„tarna upp frĂ„n östsidan. NĂ€r vi senare trĂ€ffades allihop berĂ€ttade de andra besĂ€ttningarna hur de ”patrullerat” fram och tillbaka bakom ön och försökt undvika de omrĂ„den som inte var kartlagda pĂ„ sjökorten samt försökt hĂ„lla sig borta frĂ„n varandra pĂ„ nĂ€tterna sĂ„ de inte kolliderade av misstag. Det hade varit tuffa 48 timmar för dem ocksĂ„, med mycket motorkörning dĂ„ det var svĂ„rt att sĂ€tta vettiga segel. Allt hade dock gĂ„tt bra och alla var lĂ€ttade men ocksĂ„ bedrövade för vĂ„r skull. En glĂ€djande nyhet mitt i allt elĂ€nde var att autopiloten pĂ„ Timmies Run plötsligt och av oförklarlig anledning bestĂ€mt sig för att fungera, tillsammans med annan elektronik som ocksĂ„ tidigare givit upp. Det hade underlĂ€ttat en hel del för besĂ€ttningen att Ă€ntligen slippa styra manuellt under de tvĂ„ dygnen.</p> <p>Av de tvĂ„ bĂ„tar som legat kvar Ă€r det svĂ„rt att veta vad som var avgörande för att Anastacia förliste medan Oatenek klarade sig. Troligen var det flera faktorer som samverkade. Bojen Anastacia lĂ„g förtöjd vid, lĂ„g nĂ€rmare ön Ă€n grannbĂ„ten. Vi fick senare ocksĂ„ veta att en av bojstenarna hade flyttat sig lite nĂ€rmare revet. Hon lĂ„g alltsĂ„ pĂ„ lite grundare vatten och vĂ„gorna bröt mer framför henne nĂ€r vindökningen kom. En annan bidragande faktor kan ha varit att hon var nĂ„got tyngre Ă€n Oatenek. TvĂ„ av de tre tampar vi förtöjt henne med var riktiga stormlinor med bĂ„de skavskydd och inbyggd ryckdĂ€mpare och vi hade lagt ut dem med ca 10 m avstĂ„nd till bojen som i sin tur ocksĂ„ hade ”slack” till bojstenarna. Det blĂ„ste aldrig stormvindar sĂ„ de borde ha klarat pressen men eftersom blĂ„sten varade lĂ€ngre Ă€n förvĂ€ntat blev vĂ„gorna antagligen för svĂ„ra och nĂ€r vinden sakta bytte riktning sig kan bĂ„ten ha fĂ„tt slagsida mot vĂ„gorna. Men, det Ă€r bara spekulationer. Det Ă€r lĂ€tt att i efterhand konstatera att vi borde tagit oss till östra sidan av ön pĂ„ söndagen men vi trodde verkligen inte att det skulle behövas samtidigt som vi var osĂ€kra pĂ„ hur förhĂ„llandena pĂ„ den sidan av ön skulle bli. Det Ă€r sĂ„klart en lĂ€rdom att ta med sig att vĂ€derprognoser Ă€r osĂ€kra in i det sista och man mĂ„ste ta höjd för det. Samtidigt, mitt i allt detta kaos som rĂ„dde, kĂ€nde vi tacksamma för att vi var oskadda och fortfarande hade varandra.</p> <p>NĂ€r vi tittade pĂ„ resterna av Anastacia pĂ„ tisdagsmorgonen sĂ„ kunde vi bara konstatera att det som varit vĂ„rt hem sedan tvĂ„ Ă„r tillbaka bokstavligen lĂ„g i spillror, uppspolat pĂ„ land och lĂ„ngt ut pĂ„ revet. Det var svĂ„rt och sĂ„ oerhört ledsamt att se och vi hade lĂ€nge svĂ„rt att nĂ€rma oss platsen och se alla vĂ„ra privata saker sĂ„ fullstĂ€ndigt utspridda och förstörda. Revet Ă€r sylvasst och berget sĂ„ hĂ„rt att det mesta slitits i smĂ„bitar. Nu förstĂ„r vi varför Niue har smeknamnet ”The rock”!</p> <p>Vi har mötts av mycket vĂ€rme och förstĂ„else och fĂ„tt hjĂ€lp av bĂ„de vĂ„ra seglarvĂ€nner och öborna liksom flera nĂ€ringsidkare. Inte minst har Niues Yacht Club bidragit till att vi kunnat handla lite klĂ€der och hygienartiklar samt hjĂ€lpt oss med logi tillsammans med Kololi's Motel. Även om det Ă€r fĂ„ saker som fortfarande Ă€r intakta hoppas vi att de kan komma till nĂ„gon nytta pĂ„ ön. Vissa prylar vet vi redan har fĂ„tt ett nytt hem. VĂ„r dinge som legat pĂ„ land Ă€r skĂ€nkt till dem som skall arbeta med restaurering av reven. BĂ€rgning av vraket och allt som spridits ut sköts av Niues transportmyndighet avdelning för maritima frĂ„gor med hjĂ€lp av olika aktörer. VĂ„rt försĂ€kringsbolag har bekrĂ€ftat att de kommer att tĂ€cka kostnaderna för bĂ€rgning och omhĂ€ndertagande av bĂ„tresterna liksom Ă„terstĂ€llning av miljön efter förlisningen vilket Ă€r en lĂ€ttnad, Ă€ven om vi inser att det Ă„terstĂ„r mycket arbete innan revet Ă€r Ă„terstĂ€llt. Det skall ocksĂ„ sĂ€gas att vi fĂ„tt mĂ„nga frĂ„gor och flera som antytt att vi borde varit kvar pĂ„ bĂ„ten och seglat runt ön nĂ€r ovĂ€dret kom och det Ă€r ju helt sant men situationen var ocksĂ„ svĂ„rbedömd och den sĂ€kraste strategin var inte sjĂ€lvklar. </p> <p>Under tiden vi varit pĂ„ ön efter olyckan hade vi privilegiet att delta i en avtĂ€ckningsceremoni efter en avliden slĂ€kting till den familj som bott pĂ„ motellet tillsammans med oss. Det var en mycket varm och fin upplevelse dĂ€r flera slĂ€ktingar frĂ„n nĂ€r och fjĂ€rran hade samlats för att avtĂ€cka gravstenen till en slĂ€kting som avled mitt under coronaepidemin. Delar av familjen bor pĂ„ Niue och delar pĂ„ Nya Zealand sĂ„ det har varit kĂ€mpigt för dem att ordna med detta tillfĂ€lle. Nu blev det Ă€ntligen av och den vackra gravvĂ„rden som de ordnat liksom ceremonin andades bĂ„de kĂ€rlek och humor kryddad med smĂ„ anekdoter om den avlidna. Som pĂ„ mĂ„nga andra platser i Polynesien sĂ„ begravs avlidna slĂ€ktingar ofta pĂ„ slĂ€ktens tomt. PĂ„ sĂ„ sĂ€tt hĂ„ller man lĂ€ttare minnet levande av de avlidna och de fortsĂ€tter att vara en naturlig del av familjen. Det var rörande att vara med om sĂ„ mycket mĂ€nsklig vĂ€rme och betydde mycket för oss. Det hjĂ€lpte oss att fĂ„ perspektiv pĂ„ det som hĂ€nt och vara tacksamma för det vi Ă€ndĂ„ fortfarande hade kvar. Efter ceremonin bjöds vi pĂ„ en sĂ„ stor buffĂ© pĂ„ motellet att vi omöjligen kunde klara av att smaka pĂ„ alla goda rĂ€tter. Stort tack för att vi fick vara med om detta!</p> <p>Det har nu snart gĂ„tt tvĂ„ veckor efter olyckan och vi upplever hur vi tĂ€nker i banor av tiden före respektive efter Anastacia. Tiden som gĂ„tt efter olyckan har kĂ€nts som en evighet men det har varit nyttigt att fĂ„ bearbeta det som hĂ€nt. Vi kĂ€nner oss inte fĂ€rdiga med seglingen och det verkar som att försĂ€kringsbolaget kommer att ersĂ€tta oss för sjĂ€lva bĂ„ten men inte all utrustning vi hade pĂ„ den. Blir det sĂ„ kommer vi att försöka hitta en ny bĂ„t som fungerar med vĂ„r, numera lite tightare budget, sĂ„ vi kan fortsĂ€tta vĂ„rt Ă€ventyr, HĂ€r vill vi speciellt tacka slĂ€kt och vĂ€nner för att de stĂ€llt upp för oss sĂ„ att vi förhoppningsvis kan fortsĂ€tta segla.</p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;"><br></p><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div> <p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250513_082602.jpg?1747820433" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1687" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250513_082602.jpg?1747820433 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250513_082602.jpg?1747820433 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250513_082602.jpg?1747820433 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250513_082602.jpg?1747820433 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250513_082602.jpg?1747820433?1747820433" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> </p> <p> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_124327.jpg?1747820433?1747820433" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250515_131758.jpg?1747820433?1747820433" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/may-2025/the-rock-and-the-end-of-anastacia /blog/may-2025/the-rock-and-the-end-of-anastacia Niue Malin <div style="padding: 0px 0px 1px;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><em style="font-size: 14px;">Large parts of this post were written before the low-pressure system swept over Niue and took Anastacia with it. To exclude all the good things we had experienced during our stay on the island and only write about the accident, would not do Niue justice. A new post about what happened to the boat and our plans for the future will therefore come a little later, when everything is sorted out and we are able to leave the island.</em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The crossing to Niue went well for us. We had waves up to four meters high and a strong trade wind from the east. However, the wave period was long and the waves did not break so Anastacia still bobbed nicely on the water, despite the roller coaster feeling...đŸ«€ The wind rudder did most of the work with the steering with minor adjustments from the person sitting at the helm when the gales became too strong. It was much tougher for the buddy boat Timmies Run with Canadian captain Alan and Russian crew member Alena on board. The electronics on their boat worked poorly or not at all and the faults could not be fixed in Aiututake. The boat basically only had a working chart plotter and a VHF radio. They sent AIS signals at certain intervals but could not receive AIS signals and, worst of all, their autopilot refused to work. They had to steer manually during the (almost) five days that the voyage took and in the prevailing conditions they could not leave the helm, even for a short while. Alan and Alena had three hours shifts where the nights were the worst as they could not see the waves and were forced to try to keep their course via compass and plotter. To top it all off, there was no moon so the sky was pitch black at night. We could only imagine how difficult it was for them and tried to stay as close as possible so that we always had the boat in sight and gave them the opportunity to steer by our lanterns at night. It was easier said than done as the high waves often obscured the light from Anastacia's side and stern lanterns. Often, they couldn't see us at all... We marked their position on our plotter as soon as their AIS transmitted and, as usual, we wrote down our own position at regular intervals.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Timmies Run had some gybes that tore their mainsail despite the fact that they had set up the preventer and at one point the whisker pole fell off and the ropes got tangled in the propeller. Alan then decided to put on his snorkel gear and jumped into the water while the boat was lying along the waves with all the sails down. He managed to cut the propeller free and get back on the boat. An incredible feat that could have ended really badly in the high waves! Before he set out on his attempt, we asked him to make sure Alena could handle the radio in case something went wrong... In the meantime, all we could do was circle around them and keep our fingers crossed that everything would go well. Luckily, Alan is a very experienced sailor and Alena is a real tough lady, despite her young age. They also managed this setback with skillfulness! For us, the sailing was also a good practice in adjusting the boat's speed. It turned out to be more difficult than we thought. We tried different sail settings but still had difficulty keeping their speed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The relief was of course enormous on both boats when the silhouette of Niue emerged in the darkness on the last night and we were finally able to dock at our buoys on the west side of the island. For a while we were the only boats there but later Valentin also joined with JĂŒrgen and Heike onboard who left a day after us from Aiututake. After everyone had rested, Christer and Alan spent a few hours going up and down almost all the cables and equipment on Timmies Run and measuring everywhere to try to identify the fault and at least be able to get the autopilot working again but unfortunately there was something wrong with the main unit itself. The islands of Niue and Tonga are too small with too few resources to be able to order and replace equipment so Alan expects to be able to get help in Fiji.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Niue rises like a pancake out of the water and is at its highest just over 60 m above sea level. It is a coral island and has no lagoon but only a narrow reef around the island that ends steeply into the sea and already a few hundred meters out from the island the depth is over 1000 m! It is still somewhat unclear how and when the island was formed but geologists believe that the island was formed around 1.6 million – 10,000 is then through volcanic activity where the volcano cooled, eroded but then slowly built up with coral reefs, much like an atoll and where tectonic activity and different periods of sea changes of the volcano as the rest of the water level. Therefore, Niue's geology is extra interesting with high levels of iron and aluminum oxides and mercury. In addition, high levels of natural radioactivity! 😼 The island has no sandy beaches but a fantastic coastline with lots of deep cracks and caves. Just like the Cook Islands, Niue was populated by Polynesians and today belongs to New Zealand with relatively large autonomy and is considered a representative democracy but without parties! A form of government that we have not heard of before but which seemswork in countries with small populations. Here, just like on Aitutake, the New Zealand dollar and left-hand traffic apply.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Niue has around 1700 inhabitants with a large diaspora where many live and work in New Zealand and Australia and come home a few times a year. They speak both English and a variant of Maori/Polynesian. Everyone we have met has been wonderfully welcoming and there is a relaxed atmosphere where everyone greets each other and wherever you go you are met with smiles and curious questions. If you walk by the roadside, you are immediately offered a lift. In the capital Alofi, where the small warf is also located, there is most of the service in the form of cafes, restaurants, a market place and shops. However, the largest shopping center is at the airport. Niue is the first entire country to be designated an “International Dark Sky Sanctuary” so stargazing is also a nice activity to do.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The wharf in Alofi is a high concrete pier with stairs down to the water. The waves, the reef and the tidal differences make it difficult to arrange floating docks, so if you want to get to the island from the sea, the only option is to use the small crane in the harbor and lift the dinghy onto the dock. A funny device that worked great! The important thing is to make sure to leave the lifting hook behind so that it hangs at the right height, ready for the next boat to hook in.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">A small and a bit sad connection to Sweden: Niue lost its top-level domain .nu in the 1990s in an agreement with the American businessman Bill Semich who wanted to control the domain in exchange for free unlimited access to the internet in Niue. Too late, the small island nation discovered that they had lost a lot on the deal that had brought in big money for Bill's company when Scandinavian (mainly Swedish) companies paid to be able to use .nu (means “now” in Swedish) in their web addresses. Nowadays, the operation and maintenance of the top-level domains .se and .nu are handled by the Swedish Internet Foundation and Niue is in an unequal legal battle against the Internet Foundation to regain its top-level domain and receive compensation for many years of lost revenue. Please see a GP article on the topic from 2024 (Swedish): <a href="https://www.gp.se/nyheter/nyhetsanalys/soderhavso-kan-inte-stamma-svenska-internetstiftelsen.94cc031c-63b8-4ce5-8f55-81cd4456638f" target="_blank">https://www.gp.se/nyheter/nyhetsanalys/soderhavso-kan-inte-stamma-svenska-internetstiftelsen.94cc031c-63b8-4ce5-8f55-81cd4456638f</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">We rented a small motorbike and went around the island and visited several beautiful places. Mainly on the west side where erosion and constant waves have created fantastic formations in the rock. We walked small paths down to the water's edge and admired the small pools and hollows that have formed over millennia and are characteristic of the island.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">In addition to drinking coffee and a little girl talk, we, three ladies from Anastacia, Timmies Run and Valentin, were also able to engage in some cultural activities. We visited the Niue Council of Women and learned some basics of the art of weaving baskets. Older and very patient women took us on. We had a nice and very moving time with these ladies who encouraged us novices and showed us their ancient craft and, after an hour or so, we left proudly with our own handmade, braided coasters. It felt just like when you came home with something you made in crafts when you were at school😁</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">After a little over a week on Niue it was time to plan our departure for Tonga. Another sailboat, S/V Oatneck with the young French couple Milena and Nicolas on board, joined our small fleet. They were also going on to Tonga and we discussed a possible date for departure. The weather forecast predicted unstable weather and a low pressure system was starting to form far to the west
</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><em style="font-size: 14px;">Stora delar av detta inlĂ€gg skrevs innan lĂ„gtrycket svepte över Niue och tog Anastacia med sig. Att utesluta allt fint vi varit med om under vĂ„r vistelse pĂ„ ön, och bara skriva om olyckan, skulle inte göra Niue rĂ€ttvisa. Ett nytt inlĂ€gg om vad som hĂ€nde bĂ„ten och vĂ„ra planer för framtiden kommer dĂ€rför lite senare, nĂ€r allt rett ut sig och vi kan lĂ€mna ön.</em></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Överfarten till Niue gick bra för vĂ„r del. Vi hade upp till fyra meter höga vĂ„gor och stark passadvind österifrĂ„n. Det var dock lĂ„ngt mellan vĂ„gorna och de bröt inte sĂ„ Anastacia guppade Ă€ndĂ„ fint pĂ„ vattnet, trots berg- och dalbanakĂ€nslanâ€ŠđŸ«€ Vindrodret gjorde det mesta av arbetet med styrningen med mindre justeringar frĂ„n den som satt vid rodret nĂ€r byarna blev för starka. Mycket tuffare var det för kompisbĂ„ten Timmies Run med kanadensiske kaptenen Alan och ryska besĂ€ttningsmedlemmen Alena ombord. Elektroniken ombord fungerade dĂ„ligt eller inte alls och felen hade inte kunnat avhjĂ€lpas i Aiututake. PĂ„ bĂ„ten fanns i princip bara en fungerande kartplotter samt VHF-radio. De sĂ€nde AIS-signal med vissa intervaller men kunde inte ta emot AIS och, vĂ€rst av allt, sĂ„ vĂ€grade deras autopilot att fungera. Det var handstyrning som gĂ€llde under de (nĂ€stan) fem dygn som seglatsen tog och i de förhĂ„llanden som rĂ„dde kunde de inte lĂ€mna rodret, ens för en kort stund. Alan och Alena löste av varandra var tredje timme dĂ€r nĂ€tterna var vĂ€rst eftersom de inte kunde se vĂ„gorna utan var hĂ€nvisade till att försöka hĂ„lla kursen via kompass och plotter. Till rĂ„ga pĂ„ allt rĂ„dde det nymĂ„ne sĂ„ det var becksvart pĂ„ himlen pĂ„ nĂ€tterna. Vi kunde bara ana hur jobbigt de hade det och försökte hĂ„lla oss sĂ„ nĂ€ra som möjligt sĂ„ att vi alltid hade bĂ„ten inom synhĂ„ll och ge dem möjlighet att styra efter vĂ„ra lanternor nattetid. Det var lĂ€ttare sagt Ă€n gjort dĂ„ de höga vĂ„gorna ofta skymde ljuset frĂ„n Anastacias sido- och akterlanternor. Ofta kunde de inte se oss alls
 Vi markerade deras position pĂ„ vĂ„r plotter sĂ„ fort deras AIS sĂ€nde och, som vanligt, skrev vi ner vĂ„r egen position med jĂ€mna mellanrum.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Timmies Run rĂ„kade ut för jippar som slet pĂ„ deras storsegel trots att de satt upp preventer och vid ett tillfĂ€lle slet sig spirbommen och tamparna trasslade in sig i propellern. Alan valde dĂ„ att ta pĂ„ sig sin snorkelutrustning och hoppade i vattnet under tiden de lĂ„g pĂ„ tvĂ€ren i vĂ„gorna med alla segel nere. Han lyckades skĂ€ra loss tamparna och ta sig upp pĂ„ bĂ„ten igen. En otrolig bedrift som kunde slutat riktigt illa i de höga vĂ„gorna! Innan han gav sig pĂ„ försöket bad vi honom se till att Alena kunde hantera radion ifall nĂ„got skulle gĂ„ fel
 Under tiden kunde vi inte göra mer Ă€n att cirkla runt dem och hĂ„lla tummarna för att allt skulle gĂ„ bra. Som tur Ă€r, Ă€r Alan en mycket erfaren seglare och Alena en riktig tuffing, trots sin unga Ă„lder. De klarade Ă€ven detta bakslag med bravur! För vĂ„r del blev seglatsen en bra trĂ€ning i att anpassa bĂ„tens fart. Det visade sig nĂ€mligen vara svĂ„rare Ă€n vi trott. Vi provade olika varianter pĂ„ segelsĂ€ttning men hade Ă€ndĂ„ svĂ„rt att hĂ„lla oss till deras fart..</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">LĂ€ttnaden var sĂ„klart enormt stor pĂ„ bĂ„da bĂ„tarna nĂ€r Niues silhuett avtecknade sig i mörkret den sista natten och vi till slut kunde lĂ€gga till vid var sin boj pĂ„ öns vĂ€stsida. Ett tag var vi de enda bĂ„tarna vid ön men senare anslöt Ă€ven bĂ„ten Valentin med JĂŒrgen och Heike som gav sig av nĂ„gon dag efter oss frĂ„n Aiututake. Efter att alla vilat ut lade Christer och Alan nĂ„gra timmar pĂ„ att vĂ€nda uppochner pĂ„ nĂ€stan alla kablar och utrustning pĂ„ Timmies Run och mĂ€tte överallt för att försöka identifiera felet och Ă„tminstone kunna fĂ„ igĂ„ng autopiloten men tyvĂ€rr verkade det vara nĂ„got fel med sjĂ€lva huvudenheten. Öarna Niue och Tonga Ă€r för smĂ„ med för dĂ„liga resurser för att kunna bestĂ€lla och byta ut utrustning sĂ„ Alan rĂ€knar med att kunna fĂ„ hjĂ€lp först pĂ„ Fiji.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Niue sticker upp som en pannkaka ur vattnet och Ă€r som högst strax över 60 m över havet. Det Ă€r en korallö och har ingen lagun utan bara ett smalt rev runt ön som slutar brant ner i havet och redan nĂ„gra hundra meter ut frĂ„n ön sĂ„ Ă€r djupet över 1000 m! Det Ă€r fortfarande nĂ„got oklart hur och nĂ€r ön bildades men geologer tror att ön bildades runt 1,6 miljoner – 10 000 Ă€r sedan genom vulkanisk aktivitet dĂ€r vulkanen svalnat, eroderat men sedan sakta byggts upp med korallrev, ungefĂ€r som en atoll och dĂ€r tektonisk aktivitet och olika perioder av havsnivĂ„förĂ€ndringar gjort att delar av den gamla koralltĂ€ckta vulkanen rest sig ovanför vattenytan. DĂ€rför Ă€r Niues geologi extra intressant med höga halter av jĂ€rn- och aluminiumoxider samt kvicksilver. Dessutom höga halter av naturlig radioaktivitet! 😼 Ön har inga sandstrĂ€nder men en fantastisk kustremsa med massor av djupa sprickor och grottor. Precis som öarna pĂ„ Cook Islands sĂ„ befolkades Niue av polynesier och tillhör idag Nya Zeeland med relativt stort sjĂ€lvstyre och rĂ€knas som en representativ demokrati men utan partier! En form av styrelseskick som vi inte hört talas om tidigare men som verkar fungera i lĂ€nder med liten befolkning. HĂ€r, precis som pĂ„ Aitutake Ă€r det NyazeelĂ€ndska dollar och vĂ€nstertrafik som gĂ€ller.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Niue har runt 1700 invĂ„nare med en stor diaspora dĂ€r mĂ„nga lever och arbetar i Nya Zeeland och Australien och kommer hem nĂ„gra fĂ„ gĂ„nger per Ă„r. Man talar bĂ„de engelska och en variant av maori/polynesiska.<span>  </span>Alla vi mött har varit fantastiskt vĂ€lkomnande och hĂ€r rĂ„der en avslappnad atmosfĂ€r dĂ€r alla hĂ€lsar pĂ„ varandra och vart man Ă€n kommer möts man av leenden och nyfikna frĂ„gor. GĂ„r man vid vĂ€gkanten sĂ„ erbjuds man omedelbart lift. I huvudstaden Alofi dĂ€r ocksĂ„ den lilla hamnen ligger finns den mesta servicen i form av cafĂ©er, restauranger, marknadsplats och butiker. Det största köpcentret ligger dock vid flygplatsen. Niue Ă€r första hela landet som utsetts till ”International Dark Sky Sanctuary” sĂ„ stjĂ€rnskĂ„dning Ă€r ocksĂ„ en trevlig aktivitet att Ă€gna sig Ă„t.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Hamnen i Alofi Ă€r en hög betongbrygga med trappor ner till vattnet. De höga vĂ„gorna, revet och tidvattenskillnaderna gör det svĂ„rt att ordna med flytbryggor sĂ„ vill man komma in till ön frĂ„n havet Ă€r enda möjligheten att anvĂ€nda sig av den lilla lyftkranen i hamnen och lyfta upp dingen pĂ„ bryggan. En lustig anordning som fungerade utmĂ€rkt! Det viktiga vara att se till att lĂ€mna lyftkroken efter sig sĂ„ den hĂ€ngde pĂ„ lagom höjd, fĂ€rdig för nĂ€sta bĂ„t att kroka i. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">En liten trĂ„kig koppling till Sverige: Niue blev av med sin toppdomĂ€n .nu pĂ„ 1990-talet i ett avtal med den amerikanske affĂ€rsmannen Bill Semich som ville kontrollera domĂ€nen i utbyte mot gratis obegrĂ€nsad tillgĂ„ng till internet i Niue. Alltför sent upptĂ€ckte den lilla önationen att de förlorat stort pĂ„ dealen som inbringat stora pengar för Bills bolag dĂ„ skandinaviska (frĂ€mst svenska) företag betalade för att kunna anvĂ€nda .nu i sina webbadresser. Numera sköts drift och underhĂ„ll av toppdomĂ€nerna .se och .nu av svenska Internetstiftelsen och Niue för en ojĂ€mn juridisk kamp gentemot Internetstiftelsen för att Ă„terfĂ„ sin toppdomĂ€n och fĂ„ ersĂ€ttning för mĂ„nga Ă„rs förlorade intĂ€kter. Se gĂ€rna en GP-artikel frĂ„n 2024 (Svenska): <a href="https://www.gp.se/nyheter/nyhetsanalys/soderhavso-kan-inte-stamma-svenska-internetstiftelsen.94cc031c-63b8-4ce5-8f55-81cd4456638f" style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">https://www.gp.se/nyheter/nyhetsanalys/soderhavso-kan-inte-stamma-svenska-internetstiftelsen.94cc031c-63b8-4ce5-8f55-81cd4456638f</a> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Vi hyrde en liten motorcykel och tog oss runt ön och besökte flera vackra platser. FrĂ€mst pĂ„ vĂ€stsidan dĂ€r erosion och stĂ€ndiga vĂ„gor skapat fantastiska formationer i berget. Vi gick smĂ„ stigar ner till vattenbrynet och beundrade de smĂ„ bassĂ€nger och urholkningar som bildats genom Ă„rtusenden och som Ă€r utmĂ€rkande för ön. Förutom kaffedrickande och lite tjejsnack kunde vi, tre damer frĂ„n Anastacia, Timmies Run respektive Valentin, ocksĂ„ Ă€gna oss Ă„t lite kulturaktiviteter. Vi besökte Niues kvinnorĂ„d ”Niue Council of Women” och fick lĂ€ra oss nĂ„gra grunder konsten att binda korgar. Äldre och mycket tĂ„lmodiga kvinnor tog sig an oss. Vi hade en trevlig och mycket rörande stund med dessa damer som uppmuntrande visade oss noviser sitt urgamla hantverk och efter nĂ„gon timme gick vi stolta dĂ€rifrĂ„n med varsitt egentillverkade, flĂ€tade glasunderlĂ€gg. Det kĂ€ndes precis som nĂ€r man kom med nĂ„got man gjort i slöjden nĂ€r man gick i skolan😁</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Efter lite drygt en vecka pĂ„ Niue var det dags att planera för avfĂ€rd till Tonga. Ytterligare en segelbĂ„t, S/V Oatneck med det unga franska paret Milena och Nicolas ombord anslöt sig till vĂ„r lilla flotta. De skulle ocksĂ„ vidare till Tonga och vi diskuterade möjligt datum för avförd. VĂ€derprognoserna spĂ„dde ostadigt vĂ€der och det började bildas ett lĂ„gtryck lĂ„ngt vĂ€sterut
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><em style="font-size: 14px;">The Warf and bay outside Alofi</em></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_092643.jpg?1747454621" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1687" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_092643.jpg?1747454621 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_092643.jpg?1747454621 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_092643.jpg?1747454621 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_092643.jpg?1747454621 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_092643.jpg?1747454621?1747454621" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250501_115457.jpg?1747454621?1747454621" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><em style="font-size: 14px;">Caves, chasms and the famous arch</em></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103415.jpg?1747454926?1747454926" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_103520.jpg?1747454926?1747454926" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; 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line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104838.jpg?1747454927?1747454927" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120821.jpg?1747454927?1747454927" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104939.jpg?1747454927" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1687" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104939.jpg?1747454927 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104939.jpg?1747454927 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104939.jpg?1747454927 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104939.jpg?1747454927 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_104939.jpg?1747454927?1747454927" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_112234.jpg?1747454927" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1687" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_112234.jpg?1747454927 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_112234.jpg?1747454927 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_112234.jpg?1747454927 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_112234.jpg?1747454927 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_112234.jpg?1747454927?1747454927" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1687" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250502_120828.jpg?1747454926?1747454926" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">At Niue Council of Women (Photos by Heike Wagener)</span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0001.jpg?1747455196" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0001.jpg?1747455196 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0001.jpg?1747455196 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0001.jpg?1747455196 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0001.jpg?1747455196 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0001.jpg?1747455196?1747455196" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0003.jpg?1747455196" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0003.jpg?1747455196 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0003.jpg?1747455196 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0003.jpg?1747455196 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0003.jpg?1747455196 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0003.jpg?1747455196?1747455196" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0004.jpg?1747455196" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0004.jpg?1747455196 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0004.jpg?1747455196 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0004.jpg?1747455196 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0004.jpg?1747455196 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0004.jpg?1747455196?1747455196" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0005.jpg?1747455196" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0005.jpg?1747455196 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0005.jpg?1747455196 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0005.jpg?1747455196 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0005.jpg?1747455196 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/IMG-20250507-WA0005.jpg?1747455196?1747455196" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; line-height: 107%; padding: 0px; font-size: 15px;"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250508_162015.jpg?1747455196" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1687" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250508_162015.jpg?1747455196 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250508_162015.jpg?1747455196 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250508_162015.jpg?1747455196 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250508_162015.jpg?1747455196 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Niue/20250508_162015.jpg?1747455196?1747455196" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/may-2025/niue /blog/may-2025/niue Cook Islands and Aitutaki Malin <div> <p class="MsoNormal">Aitutaki belongs to the southern group of the Cook Islands and is an “almost” atoll with a large coral reef around the entire island and several small islands inside the surrounding lagoon. We had good winds but also high waves when we sailed to the island, so it was a rough four days sailing for us. Since we had sailed a little faster than expected, we sailed the last few nautical miles with only a small headsail in order to arrive after sunrise. To get to the island, you have to pass through a narrow channel on the northwest side and this has to be done in daylight. Once inside the small harbor at the larger town of Arutanga, we noticed that we were the only visiting boat. The harbor is under construction and actually consists of a large basin that is being excavated. The excavator was in full swing and the water was completely brown from all the mud that had been suspended. We anchored in the basin and found that the depth was around 2 meters in some places and were getting stuck in the mud as Anastacia’s draft is 2.05 m. After being checked by authorities from the biosecurity, health, immigration and customs, we were able to take down the yellow Q flag and raise the Cook Islands courtesy flag. We were welcome ashore!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A little later that day, the catamaran Valentin appeared with a German crew and anchored behind us in the basin. JĂŒrgen and Heiki were a nice couple and we quickly got along well with them. We decided to move Anastacia and instead anchor on the outside of the atoll. Now the catamaran had the entire basin at its disposal 😊. Outside the reef, the water was much clearer and we had enough protection from the waves, although the flat island itself does not provide any protection from the wind. We anchored on a shelf in the coral reef and floated the chain so as not to damage the corals or get caught with the chain. The weather forecast warned of winds of up to 30 knots during the Easter weekend so we wanted to make sure that Anastacia was in a good position. Later, the Canadian boat Timmies-Run appeared and had the same problem as we had in the shallows in the basin so that boat also had to anchor the outside reef. We had many nice sundowners on our boats...</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Cook Islands archipelago is named after Captain James Cook who visited the islands in the 18th century. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the islands have belonged to New Zealand and thus also to Great Britain but now have greater autonomy. Previously, different Polynesian dialects were spoken on the different islands but it is mainly the older generation that master the indigenous languages because it was banned for several years in schools in favor of English. Nowadays, the rules have been relaxed and a Maori dialect is now an official language on the islands along with English. Aitutaki is the second largest of the Cook Islands after the main island of Rarotonga and is an incredibly beautiful atoll that is often compared to Bora Bora. The islanders themselves say that Aitutaki is paradise on earth. About 1200 people live here and most are Christians belonging to one of the several different faith communities represented on the island. All with their own church or meeting place.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">To see around, we were recommended to rent scooters. We went to the nearest rental company and booked two. I happily thought how nice it would be to drive my own scooter because otherwise we always just used to rent a scooter that Christer used to drive and where I sat behind. My experience can certainly be accommodated in a few hours of moped driving about 10 years ago, but this looked so easy! Everyone droves scooters on the island. Old and young! After a brief introduction to the few and simple controls of the means of transport, Christer drove off a bit further down the road. We had agreed that he would drive ahead of me as he was more used to left-hand traffic. I tried to follow but it was coming to an end with horror when I crossed the road. Acceleration, keeping my balance and finding the right brakes was just too much. Then I had to turn too - preferably BEFORE the ditch appeared... halfway into the ditch I managed to stop my vehicle. A lady in the car right behind me asked compassionately if everything was okay. She had seen me swaying away and was genuinely concerned. I thanked her for her concern and said I was fine. Then I realized that I was actually a traffic hazard and that there would probably be no more scootering for me. My self-confidence had taken a hit and I muttered something to Christer who quickly understood the situation and without any major fuss gave my scooter back and offered me a seat on his instead. Then he looked really pleased when I sat behind him, and exclaimed "This actually feels much safer. Now I know where I have you!" I muttered something like “Yes, yes. I can’t do everything” and so we didn’t discuss the matter anymore
 For the next two days we explored the small island, found beautiful viewpoints and drove on all the back roads we could find. We sometimes stopped for coffee and lunch and had a great time 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Easter weekend is celebrated in a traditional way on the island, as the Christian holiday it really is, in memory of Jesus’ death and resurrection. No Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, sweets or easter witches. No feasting and lavish meals. Here you go to your church and attend the services throughout the weekend and spend time with your family. Together with our German friends, we therefore chose to go to the island's largest and oldest church on Easter Day. The church was built almost 200 years ago and is simple but beautiful. Most of the visitors from the local population were brightly dressed and the ladies wore large, bright straw hats with flowers in them. The service was a pleasant experience with many different speakers and a, not too long, sermon in the name of joy. Throughout the ceremony, there were many breaks for beautiful choir singing. Some messages to the local population with information about upcoming events were also given, as well as some welcoming words to us tourists who had gathered in the church.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the strong wind during the Easter weekend, the wind has almost completely died down and we are waiting for the next weather window to be able to set off. We have passed the time with some snorkeling around the boat and have slowly started preparing for departure for Niue together with the Canadian boat together with the Canadian boat that has some problems with the electronics on board and is happy to join us as they are heading to the same destination.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal">Aitutaki tillhör den södra ögruppen av Cooköarna och Ă€r en ”nĂ€stan”atoll med ett stort korallrev runt hela ön och flera smÄöar innanför den omgivande lagunen. Vi hade god vind men ocksĂ„ höga vĂ„gor nĂ€r vi seglade till ön sĂ„ det blev fyra skumpiga dygn för oss. Eftersom vi seglat lite snabbare Ă€n berĂ€knat seglade vi de sista sjömilen med bara lite försegel för att kunna komma fram efter soluppgĂ„ng. För at ta sig in till ön Ă€r man nĂ€mligen tvungen att passera genom ett smalt sund pĂ„ nordvĂ€stra sidan och det mĂ„ste göras i dagsljus. VĂ€l inne i den lilla hamnen vid den större orten Arutanga konstaterade vi att vi var den enda besökande bĂ„ten. Hamnen Ă€r under uppbyggnad och bestĂ„r egentligen av en stor bassĂ€ng som hĂ„ller pĂ„ att grĂ€vas ut. GrĂ€vmaskinen var i full gĂ„ng och vattnet var alldeles brunt av all uppslammad lera. Vi ankrade i bassĂ€ngen och konstaterade att djupet var runt 2 meter pĂ„ vissa sĂ€llen och höll pĂ„ att fastna i lerbotten eftersom Anastacia sticker ner 2,05 m. Efter att ha blivit kontrollerade av myndighetspersoner frĂ„n miljö, hĂ€lsa, immigration och tull kunde vi ta ner den gula Q-flaggan och hissa Cooköarnas gĂ€stflagga. Vi var vĂ€lkomna i land! </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Lite senare samma dag dök katamaranen Valentin upp med tysk besĂ€ttning och lade sig bakom oss i bassĂ€ngen. JĂŒrgen och Heiki var ett trevligt par som vi snabbt fick bra kontakt med. Vi bestĂ€mde att byta plats pĂ„ Anatsacia och istĂ€llet ankra pĂ„ utsidan av atollen. Nu hade katamaranen hela bassĂ€ngen till sitt förfogande 😊 Utanför revet var vattnet mycket klarare och vi hade tillrĂ€ckligt skydd frĂ„n vĂ„gorna Ă€ven om den flacka ön i sig inte ger nĂ„got skydd för vinden. Vi ankrade pĂ„ en avsats i korallrevet och bojade kĂ€ttingen för att inte skada korallerna eller fastna med kĂ€ttingen. VĂ€derprognosen varnade för vindar uppĂ„t 30 knop under pĂ„skhelgen sĂ„ i vi ville vara sĂ€kra pĂ„ att Anastacia lĂ„g bra. Senare dök den kanadensiska bĂ„ten Timmies-Run upp och fick samma problem som vi haft i den grunda i bassĂ€ngen sĂ„ Ă€ven den bĂ„ten fick lĂ€gga sig pĂ„ utsidan revet. Vi hade mĂ„nga trevliga "sundowners" pĂ„ vĂ„ra respektive bĂ„tar...</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ögruppen Cooköarna Ă€r döpt efter kapten James Cook som besökte öarna pĂ„ 1700-talet. Öarna tillhör sedan början av 1900-talet Nya Zeeland och dĂ€rmed ocksĂ„ Storbritannien men har numera en större autonomi. Tidigare talades olika polynesiska dialekter pĂ„ de olika öarna men det Ă€r frĂ€mst den Ă€ldre generationen som behĂ€rskar ursprungssprĂ„ken eftersom det förbjöds under flera Ă„r i skolorna till förmĂ„n för engelskan.  Numera har man lĂ€ttat pĂ„ reglerna och en maoridialekt utgör nu officiellt sprĂ„k pĂ„ öarna tillsammans med engelskan. Aitutaki Ă€r den nĂ€st största av Cooköarna efter huvudön Rarotonga och Ă€r en otroligt vacker atoll som ofta jĂ€mförs med Bora Bora. Öborna sjĂ€lva menar att Aitutaki Ă€r paradiset pĂ„ jorden. HĂ€r bor ca 1200 mĂ€nniskor och de flesta Ă€r kristna tillhörande nĂ„gon av de flera olika trossamfund som finns representerade pĂ„ ön. Alla med sin egen kyrka eller samlingslokal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">För att se oss omkring blev vi rekommenderade att hyra skotrar. Vi gick till nĂ€rmaste uthyrare och bokade tvĂ„ stycken. Glad i hĂ„gen tĂ€nkte jag hur skönt det skulle bli att köra egen skoter eftersom vi annars alltid bara brukade hyra en skoter som Christer brukade köra och dĂ€r jag satt bakom. Min erfarenhet kan visserligen inrymmas i nĂ„gra timmars mopedkörning för en sisĂ„dĂ€r 10 Ă„r sedan men det hĂ€r sĂ„g ju sĂ„ enkelt ut! Alla körde ju skoter pĂ„ ön. Gammal som ung! Efter en kort introduktion av fortskaffningsmedlens fĂ„ och enkla reglage körde Christer ivĂ€g en bit bort pĂ„ vĂ€gen. Vi hade kommit överens om att han skulle köra före mig dĂ„ han hade större vana vid vĂ€nstertrafik. Jag försökte köra efter men det höll pĂ„ att ta en Ă€nde med förskrĂ€ckelse nĂ€r jag korsade vĂ€gen. Att gasa, hĂ„lla balansen och hitta rĂ€tt i bromsarna blev bara för mycket. Sedan skulle jag ju svĂ€nga ocksĂ„ - helst INNAN vĂ€gdiket dök upp
 halvvĂ€gs ut i diket fick jag stopp pĂ„ mitt Ă„kdon. En dam i bilen strax efter mig frĂ„gade medlidsamt om allt stod rĂ€tt till. Hon hade sett mig vingla ivĂ€g och var uppriktigt bekymrad. Jag tackade för omtĂ€nksamheten och sa att jag mĂ„dde prima. Sedan insĂ„g jag att jag egentligen utgjorde en trafikfara och att det nog inte skulle bli mer skoterkörande för min del. Mitt sjĂ€lvförtroende hade fĂ„tt sig en törn och jag fick mumlat nĂ„got till Christer som snabbt förstod situationen och utan nĂ„gra större Ă„thĂ€vor lĂ€mnade tillbaka min skoter och erbjöd mig plats pĂ„ hans istĂ€llet. Sedan sĂ„g han riktigt nöjd ut, nĂ€r jag satt mig bakom honom, och utbrast ”Det hĂ€r kĂ€nns faktiskt mycket sĂ€krare. Nu vet jag var jag har dig!” Jag muttrade nĂ„got om att ”Ja, ja. Jag kan inte klara allt” och sĂ„ diskuterade vi inte den saken mer
 Kommande tvĂ„ dagar utforskade vi den lilla ön, hittade vackra utsiktsplatser och körde pĂ„ alla smĂ„vĂ€gar vi kunde hitta. Vi stannade ibland för fika och lunch och hade det hur mysigt som helst 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">PĂ„skhelgen firas pĂ„ traditionellt sĂ€tt pĂ„ ön, som den kristna högtiden det egentligen Ă€r, till minne av Jesus död och uppstĂ„ndelse. Inga pĂ„skĂ€gg, pĂ„skharar, godis eller pĂ„skkĂ€rringar. Inget kalasande och överdĂ„diga mĂ„ltider. HĂ€r gĂ„r man till sin kyrka och deltar i gudstjĂ€nsterna under hela helgen och umgĂ„s med familjen. Tillsammans med vĂ„ra tyska vĂ€nner valde vi dĂ€rför att gĂ„ till öns största och Ă€ldsta kyrka pĂ„ pĂ„skdagen. Kyrkan byggdes för snart 200 Ă„r sedan och Ă€r enkel men vacker. De flesta besökarna ur lokalbefolkningen var ljust klĂ€dda och damerna bar stora ljusa strĂ„hattar med blommor i. GudstjĂ€nsten blev en trevlig erfarenhet med mĂ„nga olika talare och en, inte alltför lĂ„ng, predikan i glĂ€djens tecken. Under hela ceremonin var det mĂ„nga avbrott för vacker körsĂ„ng. NĂ„gra meddelanden till lokalbefolkningen med information om kommande hĂ€ndelser hanns ocksĂ„ med liksom nĂ„gra vĂ€lkomnande ord till oss turister som bĂ€nkat oss i kyrkan. </p> <p>Efter den starka blĂ„sten under pĂ„skhelgen har vinden nĂ€stan mojnat helt och vi vĂ€ntar pĂ„ nĂ€sta vĂ€derfönster för att kunna ge oss ivĂ€g. Vi har fördrivit tiden med lite snorkling runt bĂ„ten och sĂ„ smĂ„tt börjat förbereda oss för avfĂ€rd mot Niue tillsammans med den kanadensiska bĂ„ten som har lite problem med elektroniken ombord och gĂ€rna hĂ€nger med oss dĂ„ de skall till samma destination.</p><p><br></p><p><em>Aitutaki</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1351" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_104313.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="450" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1351" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250416_110806.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="450" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_100248.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1351" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_100248.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_100248.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_100248.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_100248.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_130859.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1351" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_130859.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_130859.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_130859.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_130859.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140930.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1351" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140930.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140930.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140930.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140930.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140939.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1351" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140939.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140939.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140939.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_140939.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1351" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144125.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="450" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1351" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250417_144151.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="450" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Arutanga CICC Church</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1351" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112057.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="450" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1351" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/20250420_112150.jpg?1745545526?1745545526" width="450" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Sundowner with crew from Valentin, Anastacia and Timmies-Run. Photo by Heike Wagener</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/IMG-20250420-WA0006.jpg?1745546883" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/IMG-20250420-WA0006.jpg?1745546883 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/IMG-20250420-WA0006.jpg?1745546883 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/IMG-20250420-WA0006.jpg?1745546883 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/IMG-20250420-WA0006.jpg?1745546883 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Aitutaki/IMG-20250420-WA0006.jpg?1745546883?1745546883" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/april-2025/cook-islands-and-aitutaki /blog/april-2025/cook-islands-and-aitutaki French Polynesia and the Society Islands Malin <p class="MsoNormal">Tahiti is the largest of the 14 islands in the archipelago of the Society Islands and is also home to Papeete, the capital of all of French Polynesia. Tahiti, like many of the islands in the archipelago, is surrounded by lagoons protected by large reefs all around the islands and act as effective breakwaters. A bit like a combination of island and atoll!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We arrived in Tahiti on March 10, two days after we left Fakarava. Apart from a few strong squalls, the sailing did not hold any surprises. None of the marinas in Tahiti had responded to our requests for a buoy or a berth, so we decided to anchor instead. As we approached the mouth of the lagoon at Papeete, we were met by a small group of dolphins playing in the tidal waves, but they soon left us. We called out “Port control” on the radio to announce our arrival and ask for permission to pass the inlet. Since there is an airport next to the city, we also needed to get the go-ahead to cross the airport runway to reach the anchorage area. After a few minutes, we got permission to sail to the anchorage. There we then lay and prepared the boat for our arriving guests.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One evening we thought the moon looked strange with a cloud that stubbornly covered a small part of it. Finally, we understood that it was not a cloud and after a little googling we realized that we had just been honored to witness the beginning of a total lunar eclipse! With a blood moon and all! We just enjoyed watching the whole process with a completely clear sky. We got a little sore in the neck afterwards, but it was worth it! 😁</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On March 15, our son Isac finally arrived with his friend Joel and it was a happy reunion. The guys wanted to see the island of Tahiti before we sailed the short distance to the neighboring island of Moorea. We rented a car and drove around the island and visited one waterfall after another. We also visited an old cult site, marae, with a typical rectangular, large and high stone altar. There were also tikis (anthropomorphic statues of God-like persons) at the site. In addition to serving as a place of worship in ancient Polynesian culture, this marae had also been used for important meetings and events such as war councils, celebrating war victories or holding weddings. Tahiti's highest point is at the old volcano Mont Orohena at about 2,240 meters above sea level. We couldn't drive that high, but high enough to get a nice view of the ocean😉. We looked at beautiful nature and beaches with black sand and ate really good and generous hamburgers at a small restaurant. On the southeast side of the island we came to a small isthmus that divides the island into Tahiti-Nui (big Tahiti) and Tahiti-Iti (little Tahiti). The vast majority of the island's approximately 1,700 inhabitants live on Tahiti-Nui and we never visited Tahiti-Iti but continued around the main island.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The guys took the opportunity to snorkel around the reefs in the lagoon where we anchored and saw many different fish and other animals. Among them a reef shark! The visibility was so good that you could see at least 10 meters down to the bottom! One day they also managed to find the wrecks of an old airplane and a ship. It was a Catalina seaplane that used to fly between Tahiti and Bora Bora. The schooner was once a minesweeper. Both were sunk to the bottom of the lagoon in 1962 and 1976 respectively to provide a diving site for recreational divers. Today, lots of fish thrive at the wrecks.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Papeete is like any other small European city. There is an abundance of jewelry stores here, most of which sell pearl jewelry with black Polynesian pearls. The local market is large and sells jewelry and local crafts, soaps, wicker baskets as well as flowers, fruit and vegetables. We sometimes walked along the promenade to the large city park, Jardin de Paofai. There were often various activities and performances held there. In the evenings, you could smell the intense jasmine-like scent of the white flowers of the Gardenia taitensis (Tiare flower) shrub, the national flower of French Polynesia. These large bushes were planted early on the islands and have been incorporated into Polynesian culture. The flowers are used for wreaths and ornaments and their fragrant essence is used in soaps and perfumes, etc. The traditional way to prepare the flowers is to let them lie in coconut oil for a few days and then use the fragrant oil.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One day we witnessed a small farewell ceremony in the park, between students from different schools. A cultural exchange that takes place every year between students from Raiatea (one of the Society Islands) and Hawaii. The students from Hawaii had come to Tahiti and, among other things, learned more about navigation, sailing and canoe building. There were many tearful farewells where people thanked each other by hanging wreaths around their necks and touching their foreheads to each other. One of the teachers from Raiatea told us about the exchange that had been going on for several years.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After a few days in Tahiti, we sailed the short distance to the smaller island of Moorea, which lies northwest of Tahiti. Here too we anchored in the lagoon and had fantastic snorkeling water right next to the boat. Here, in addition to the usual colorful reef fish there are sea turtles, moray eels, rays, black-finned reef sharks and harlequin snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus), a harmless snake eel with distinctive black and white stripes across its body. As the icing on the cake, a small family of spinner dolphins passed by Anastacia. The youngest ones held their hooves and happily jumped into the air and did daring pirouettes before landing with a splash! They played and showed off until one of the adults flicked his tail so that the water splattered and then they all swam out of the lagoon in a group.Unfortunately we didn't have time to film much of all the beauty we saw😒</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Moorea we spent a day taking a car ride around the small island and looking around. Like on Tahiti, the nature is incredibly beautiful and varied with lots of different flowering trees and bushes. We visited the small eco-museum and research station Te Fare Natura with a well-made exhibition that, among other things, described the geological processes behind the formation of the Polynesian islands and how the reefs with their protected lagoons have slowly emerged by large pieces of coral reef being broken off and blown towards the islands when the cyclones ravaged. These enormous pieces of coral have, over the years, been "cemented" around the islands through various chemical processes and further growth of corals. Here we could also learn more about the ecosystems in the different environments around the coral reefs. It was definitely worth the visit!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After three days in Moorea, it was time to return to Tahiti and Papeete. We could no longer stay at the anchorage at Moorea as a large canoe competition with traditional Polynesian canoes (vaka, or va'a) with outriggers was to take place between the islands. Unfortunately, we never had time to see any of the competition. It was certainly worth seeing with many different women's, youth and men's classes competing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In Papeete, we had managed to get a berth at the marina and the last few days before the guys' departure were spent shopping for some souvenirs and visiting the ethnographic museum Te Fare Manaha. The museum is about early Polynesian culture and is not large but extremely informative and the archaeological collections were interesting to look at. We were particularly impressed by the art of boat building where the Polynesians, long before the Europeans arrived, could build beautiful ships of all sizes with simple tools. Everything from small canoes with outriggers to large catamarans. Each type of canoe and ship had its function. The smallest ones were for sailing inland, the slightly larger ones for waging war against other kingdoms on other Polynesian islands and the largest catamarans for exploration and colonization of new places hundreds and sometimes over a thousand nautical miles away! Here we could also learn more about how they could navigate using the position of celestial objects, tidal currents, the flight of birds and cloud formations. We also learned that they applied so-called dead reckoning which we still use today as an extra security to be able to calculate the boat's new position. The museum also explained how the different islands were slowly populated. The Polynesians lived in a hierarchical structure in small kingdoms. The kings were considered more or less divine and power was inherited so it was important to keep bloodlines and kinship in order. When resources began to run out on an island, a group of younger Polynesians set off to find new islands/country to settle on. Originally, the Polynesians came from Asia where Samoa and Tonga were populated around 3000 BC. Then additional flows of people came from (probably) the Philippines and slowly the Polynesians spread south, north and east. Tahiti, for example, is believed to have been populated around 200 BC. Today we speak of the so-called Polynesian Triangle which connects New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island where French Polynesia forms a large geographical part with its five archipelagos. The entire area shares roughly the same culture with variations depending on how long people have lived isolated, as a group, in the same place.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">An archaeological artifact at the museum that also caught our attention was the remains of several small strings of braided coconut fiber tied together with small knots. These strings are believed to have been used to help remember important lineages. Since all history and knowledge was based on oral stories, it seems that this type of object could be used as a form of memory hooks to help remember long sequences.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the museum visit, we were so saturated with information and impressions that it had to be enough for a while
 We hope and believe that the guys got most of what they had on their wish list for the trip, checked off. Now they are back in Sweden and in the marina we brought back Anastacia to its original condition 😁 In the last few days we took the opportunity to fill the tanks with drinking water, service the engine and change the filter on the watermaker. We also had to spray the anchor chain again as the experiment with cotton stripes every ten meters did not prove to be so successful. All the stripes had worn away so we had to return to red spray paint. We will anchor in many places in the future and need to know how much chain we will put out. We filled up the food supplies and also bought a good sewing machine to take with us on the boat. After a long wait and many repairs carried out by hand sewing, we can now finally get started on some bigger projects. Among other things, the zipper on the almost 6-meter-long lazy bag (enclosing the sail on the boom) needs to be replaced. On the last evening, we were visited by our British friends on the Ocean Dream 2. We met in Nuku Hiva and have been in touch ever since. We exchanged itineraries and arranged with the Harbor master to take our place in the harbor. Then we set off for Raiatea, the last island we wanted to visit before leaving French Polynesia.</p> <div> <p class="MsoNormal">Here on Raiatea (formerly called Havaii) we are waiting for better winds that can take us further west to the Cook Islands. In the meantime, we have visited another historical cult site, Taputapuatea. This site is said to have been founded when the first Polynesians arrived on the island (around the same time as Tahiti). The site has several marae, probably the first of their kind, and has had particular importance as a religious and political center and is considered to be the historical and cultural cradle of Polynesia. The site has had a renaissance as Polynesians become more interested and aware of their culture, and Taputapuatea has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. We made the mistake of walking on the stones of a marae at the site and were soon reprimanded by a guide. “As a non-native, you are welcome to visit and take photos but not enter the cult site itself”, she said. We excused ourselves and took a closer look at the information brochures about the area that we had just acquired and on the first page there was a clear information box with the text: “Do not walk on the marae except for cultural ceremonies”. We are great at reading instructions
 -not! 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The following days we had only bad weather so Christer immersed himself in reading Ancient Tahitian Society by anthropologist Douglas L. Oliver (University of Hawaii): <a href="https://manifold.uhpress.hawaii.edu/projects/ancient-tahitian-society">https://manifold.uhpress.hawaii.edu/projects/ancient-tahitian-society</a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is over 1400 pages of very interesting reading and takes some time to go through but on the other hand we had many days with rain 😊. It is highly recommended reading even though it of course does not give the whole picture of early Polynesian culture. Oral traditions have not been preserved and it is “only” the observations of Europeans that are treated and the Europeans’ contact with the Polynesians also contributed to the transformation of the culture, which the author himself also problematizes. However, it is an honest attempt to give as objective a picture as possible, which we appreciated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Raiatea is known for its vanilla plantations and when the weather permitted, we took the dinghy to the neighboring island of Tahaa and met Alice who works at the small vanilla plantation, Fare Vanira. Alice is originally from France and is married to a Polynesian man. The small family has lived in Tahaa for many years. We were the only visitors at that time so she had lots of time and talked to us for over two hours! We learned that the vanilla plant belongs to the orchid family and needs a small tree to cling to as it grows. She explained how the flowers are pollinated by hand and showed several plants with vanilla pods in different stages. She said herself that vanilla is her passion and it was clearly noticeable! She showed us different finished vanilla products and how to dry and process the long pods into finished vanilla pods. A process that is repeated every day and takes several months! She gave tips on how the vanilla can be stored over time and also managed to share some food recipes. Among other things, how to get rid of the sour taste in tomato sauce with the help of a little vanilla! Something we tried in the tomato sauce for the pasta that same evening, with successful results although I doubt my Italian relatives would appreciate the venture😊.<br>Alice had great respect for the knowledge that existed earlier in Polynesia about cultivation methods and medicinal plants. On the plantation, pesticides are avoided as much as possible and they try to find other ways to combat pests. One example was getting rid of certain insect pests with the help of ladybugs, which in turn like to live on acacia trees, which were consequently seen everywhere in the plantation. She grew salvia nearby as it has proven to be fantastic against small insects that could damage the vanilla plants. One of many tricks Alicia learned from her Polynesian in-laws. In addition to talking about vanilla, we had time to discuss Polynesian society in general and how people live here today. There were a lot of aha-moments for us
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our impressions of the little we got to experience of French Polynesia during the two months we spent on different islands are that even though the country is today strongly shaped by French influence, the Polynesian identity has not been completely lost. From the beginning, it was forbidden to speak Polynesian in schools, give newborn children Polynesian names or practice Polynesian religion. The restrictions have now eased considerably. Today, there is a greater awareness of one's own history and a desire to learn more about one's own, to some extent forgotten, culture. Unlike the Caribbean, where the indigenous population no longer remains on the various islands after colonization and it is mainly the descendants of slaves and the colonizers who live on the islands today, Polynesia still has its indigenous population. The culture has been shaped and changed over time The changes became more noticeable after Captain Cook's expeditions in the 18th century and through visits by other Europeans such as the crew of the ship Bounty as well as various whaling boats where some crew members (including some Swedes from the ship Matilda) chose to stay, until the French took over. The Polynesians we met and talked to have not seemed to worry too much about various historical events and even though several injustices have been committed in contact with Europeans that have contributed to sadness and disappointment, they have wanted to look forward. We do not know if this applies more generally or if it is just something that we, as tourists, experience. We have been met with a lot of kindness and helpfulness and also straightforwardness. Here, people do not wrap things up in cotton wool and can, without hesitation, say that "now, I don’t have have time for you" or "you can't do this, it is not showing respect" without any hard feelings. A bit liberating, we think...</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We experienced that the food was expensive on all the islands we visited. Not so surprising since a lot has to be imported and shipped to the islands. Fruit and vegetables can always be obtained but the prices vary depending on whether it is imported or domestic. The same applies to fish and meat. Here you do not pay income tax but goods are taxed all the more. To address the public health problems that the increasing proportion of overweight people in the country has, food products are therefore taxed differently. Alcoholic beverages are taxed at between 100-200%, as are many products with a high sugar content, while basic goods are taxed low. For example, if you want to buy bread, of course baguettes are the way to go, and the simplest ones cost around 6 SEK (60 Polynesian francs), which is affordable for most people.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before we came to the islands, we had read that Polynesians on the more remote islands, where cargo ships do not come so often, are happy to exchange goods for, for example, fruit and vegetables. We also experienced this, but perhaps not to the extent we had expected. However, we got a strong feeling that people here are generally generous, but also that many things are easier to solve with the help of services and reciprocal services. Which, incidentally, seems to apply to bluewater-sailors too 😊. Hiti, the retired captain we met on the small atoll Kauehi, was very generous and hospitable to us, but he also had a wish. To get a better internet connection than the one available on the island. There are restrictions in French Polynesia regarding which operators are allowed to operate in the country - for economic and understandable reasons. However, we think that sometimes it must be possible to make exceptions when you live in such an isolated place. Hiti did not want us to feel obliged to solve his little problem, but we still promised to see what was possible. Via one of our sailing friends from Viking Explorer who is soon on his way to French Polynesia, it now seems that everything is going to be resolved. Another example is the parcel we brought with us from Galapagos that was addressed to a crew member on a sailboat heading to Tahiti, who had to leave before the package arrived. In addition to traveling on our boat across the Pacific Ocean, the package had to travel with another contact, via air and is now with its very grateful owner who has disembarked in Papeete. The events would not have been possible without the awareness from everyone involved that "next time it could be my turn to need help...".</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We have seen that there are definitely class differences in Polynesian society and, mainly in Papeete, have encountered beggars but certainly not to the extent that we have seen in the Caribbean or Colombia. There is also a much greater acceptance of LGBTQ people here and even though the Christian religion has reduced tolerance in general, we have never met so many people (usually guys) who are, so to speak, members of the third gender and who are so openly and obviously part of society. The closest description from our Western eyes would be that we have met an unusually large number of transgender people. However, this is not a completely accurate description, since the third gender includes many roles and responsibilities in older Polynesian culture.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a few days we will be leaving on a four-day sailing to the Cook Islands and will be celebrating Easter there. The next stop will probably be Niue and then we will sail on to Tonga and then Fiji. All are Polynesian islands but different countries!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal">Tahiti Ă€r den största av de totalt 14 öarna i ögruppen SĂ€llskapsöarna och hĂ€r ligger ocksĂ„ Papeete som Ă€r huvudstaden för hela Franska Polynesien. Tahiti, liksom de mĂ„nga av öarna i arkipelagen, Ă€r omgĂ€rdade av laguner skyddade av stora rev som omringar öarna och fungerar som effektiva vĂ„gbrytare. Lite som en kombination av ö och atoll! Vi kom till Tahiti den 10 mars, tvĂ„ dygn efter att vi lĂ€mnat Fakarava. Förutom nĂ„gra rejĂ€la squalls bjöd seglingen inte pĂ„ nĂ„gra överraskningar. Ingen av marinorna pĂ„ Tahiti hade svarat pĂ„ vĂ„ra förfrĂ„gningar om boj- eller hamnplats sĂ„ vi bestĂ€mde oss för att ligga för ankar istĂ€llet. NĂ€r vi nĂ€rmade oss mynningen till lagunen vid Papeete möttes vi av en liten grupp delfiner som lekte i tidvattenvĂ„gorna men de lĂ€mnade oss snart. Vi ropade upp ”Port control” pĂ„ radion för att anmĂ€la vĂ„r ankomst och be om tillstĂ„nd att fĂ„ passera inloppet. Eftersom det ligger en flygplats intill staden behövde vi Ă€ven fĂ„ klartecken för att passera flygplatsens start- och landningsbana för att nĂ„ ankringsomrĂ„det. Efter nĂ„gra minuter fick vi klartecken att segla till ankringsplatsen. DĂ€r lĂ„g vi sedan och förberedde bĂ„ten för vĂ„ra ankommande gĂ€ster.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">En kvĂ€ll tyckte vi att mĂ„nen sĂ„g mĂ€rklig ut med ett moln som envist tĂ€ckte en liten del av den. Till slut förstod vi att det inte var ett moln och efter lite googlande insĂ„g vi att vi just fĂ„tt Ă€ran att bevittna början av en total mĂ„nförmörkelse! Med blodmĂ„ne och allt! Vi bara njöt och tittade pĂ„ hela förloppet med en fullstĂ€ndigt klar himmel. Lite ont i nacken fick vi efterĂ„t, men det var det vĂ€rt! 😁</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Den 15 mars kom Ă€ntligen sonen Isac med kompisen Joel och det blev ett glatt Ă„terseende. Killarna hade önskemĂ„l om att fĂ„ se ön Tahiti innan vi skulle segla den korta biten till grannön Moorea. Vi hyrde bil och körde runt ön och besökte det ena vattenfallet efter det andra. Vi besökte ocksĂ„ en gammal kultplats, marae, med typiskt stensatt rektangulĂ€rt, stort och högt altare. PĂ„ platsen fanns ocksĂ„ tikis (antropomorfa statyer av gudaliknande mĂ€nniskor). Förutom att fungera som en plats för tillbedjan i den antika polynesiska kulturen, hade denna marae ocksĂ„ anvĂ€nts för viktiga möten och hĂ€ndelser som krigsrĂ„d, fira krigssegrar eller hĂ„lla bröllop. Tahitis högsta punkt Ă€r vid den gamla vulkanen Mont Orohena pĂ„ cirka 2 240 meter över havet. SĂ„ högt upp kunde vi inte köra men tillrĂ€ckligt högt för att fĂ„ en fin utsikt över havet😉. Vi tittade pĂ„ vacker natur och strĂ€nder med svart sand samt Ă„t riktigt goda och vĂ€l tilltagna hamburgare pĂ„ liten restaurang. PĂ„ öns sydostsida kom vi till ett litet nĂ€s som delar ön i Tahiti-Nui (stora Tahiti) och Tahiti-Iti (lilla Tahiti). De allra flesta av öns ca 1700 invĂ„nare bor pĂ„ Tahiti-Nui och vi i besökte aldrig Tahiti-Iti utan fortsatte runt huvudön.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Killarna passade pĂ„ att snorkla runt reven i lagunen dĂ€r vi ankrat och fick se mĂ„nga olika fiskar och andra djur. Bl a revhaj! Sikten var sĂ„ god att man kunde se minst 10 meter ner mot botten! En dag lyckades de ocksĂ„ hitta vraken frĂ„n ett gammalt flygplan och ett skepp. Det var ett Catalina sjöflygplan som brukade flyga mellan Tahiti och Bora Bora. Skonaren var en gĂ„ng en minsvepare. BĂ„da sĂ€nktes pĂ„ botten av lagunen under 1962 respektive 1976 för att just utgöra en dykplats för fritidsdykare. Idag trivs massor av fiskar vid vraken. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Papeete Ă€r som vilken mindre europeisk stad som helst. HĂ€r finns ett överflöd av juvelerarbutiker som till största delen sĂ€ljer pĂ€rlsmycken med svarta polynesiska pĂ€rlor. Den lokala marknaden Ă€r stor och hĂ€r sĂ€ljs smycken och lokalt hantverk, tvĂ„lar, flĂ€tade korgar liksom blommor, frukt och grönt. Vi gick ibland strandpromenaden till den stora stadsparken Jardin de Paofai. DĂ€r hölls ofta olika aktiviteter och förestĂ€llningar. PĂ„ kvĂ€llarna kunde man kĂ€nna den intensiva jasminliknande doften frĂ„n de vita blommorna pĂ„ busken Gardenia taitensis (Tiare flower), Franska Polynesiens nationalblomma. Dessa stora buskar inplanterats tidigt till öarna och har införlivats i den polynesiska kulturen. Blommorna anvĂ€nds till kransar och prydnader och dess doftessens anvĂ€nds i tvĂ„lar och parfymer etc. Det traditionella sĂ€ttet att bereda blommorna Ă€r att lĂ„ta dem ligga i kokosolja i nĂ„gra dygn och sedan anvĂ€nda den vĂ€ldoftande oljan.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">En dag fick vi bevittna en liten avskedsceremoni parken mellan elever frĂ„n olika skolor. Ett kulturutbyte som sker varje Ă„r mellan elever frĂ„n i Raiatea (en av sĂ€llskapsöarna) och Hawaii. Eleverna frĂ„n Hawaii hade kommit till Tahiti och bl a fĂ„tt lĂ€ra sig mer om navigation, segling och kanotbygge. Det blev mĂ„nga tĂ„rfyllda avsked dĂ€r man tackade varandra genom att hĂ€nga blomkransar runt halsen och nudda pannorna mot varandra. En av lĂ€rarna frĂ„n Raiatea berĂ€ttade för oss om utbytet som pĂ„gĂ„tt i flera Ă„r.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Efter nĂ„gra dygn i Tahiti seglade vi den korta biten till den mindre ön Moorea som ligger nordvĂ€st om Tahiti. Även hĂ€r ankrade vi i lagunen och hade fantastiska snorkelvatten precis intill bĂ„ten. HĂ€r fanns, förutom de vanliga fĂ€rgglada revfiskarna Ă€ven vattensköldpaddor, murĂ€nor, rockor, svartfenad revhaj och Harlequin snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus), en ofarlig ormĂ„l med distinkta svartvita band tvĂ€rsöver kroppen. Som grĂ€dde pĂ„ moset kom en liten familj spinndelfiner och passerade Anastacia. De yngsta höll hov och hoppade glatt upp i luften och gjorde halsbrytande piruetter innan de landade med ett plask! De lekte och visade upp sig tills en av de vuxna snĂ€rtade till med stjĂ€rten sĂ„ det small till i vattnet och sĂ„ simmade de alla ut ur lagunen i samlad tropp. TyvĂ€rr hann vi inte filma sĂ„ mycket av allt vackert vi sĂ„g😒</p> <p class="MsoNormal">PĂ„ Moorea Ă€gnade vi en dag Ă„t att ta en biltur runt den lilla ön och se oss omkring. Liksom pĂ„ Tahiti Ă€r naturen fantastiskt vacker och varierad med massor av olika blommande trĂ€d och buskar. Vi besökte det lilla ekomuseet och forskningsstationen Te Fare Natura med en vĂ€lgjord utstĂ€llning som bland annat beskrev de geologiska processer som ligger bakom tillkomsten av Polynesiens öar och hur reven med sina skyddade laguner sakta har uppstĂ„tt genom att stora bitar av korallrev brutits loss och blĂ„st in mot öarna nĂ€r cyklonerna hĂ€rjat. Dessa enorma korallbitar har, under Ă„rens lopp, ”cementerats fast” runt öarna genom olika kemiska processer och ytterligare tillvĂ€xt av koraller. HĂ€r kunde vi ocksĂ„ lĂ€ra oss mer om ekosystemen pĂ„ de olika miljöerna runt korallreven. Det var helt klart vĂ€rt besöket!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Efter tre dygn i Moorea var det dags att Ă„tervĂ€nda till Tahiti och Papeete. Vi kunde inte lĂ€ngre ligga kvar vid ankarplatsen vid Moorea dĂ„ en stor kanottĂ€vling med traditionella polynesiska kanoter (vaka, eller va'a) med utriggare skulle gĂ„ av stapeln mellan öarna. TyvĂ€rr hann vi aldrig se nĂ„got av tĂ€vlingen. Den var sĂ€kert sevĂ€rd med mĂ„nga olika dam- ungdoms- och herrklasser som tĂ€vlade. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I Papeete hade vi lyckats fĂ„ en hamnplats och de sista dagarna innan killarnas avfĂ€rd gick till att handla lite souvenirer och besöka etnografiska museet Te Fare Manaha. Museet handlar om den tidiga polynesiska kulturen och Ă€r inte stort men oerhört informativt och de arkeologiska samlingarna var intressanta att se pĂ„. Vi blev sĂ€rskilt imponerade av bĂ„tbyggarkonsten dĂ€r polynesierna, lĂ„ngt innan europĂ©erna kom, med enkla verktyg kunde bygga vackra skepp i alla storlekar. Allt frĂ„n smĂ„ kanoter med utriggare till stora katamaraner. Varje kanot- och skeppstyp hade sin funktion. De minsta för att segla inomskĂ€rs, de lite större för krigsföring mot andra kungadömen pĂ„ andra polynesiska öar och de största katamaranerna för upptĂ€cktsfĂ€rder och kolonisering av nya platser hundratals och ibland över tusen sjömil bort! HĂ€r kunde vi ocksĂ„ lĂ€ra oss mer om hur de kunde navigera med hjĂ€lp av himlakroppars position, tidvattenströmmar, fĂ„glars flykt och molnformationer. Vi har ocksĂ„ lĂ€st oss till att man tillĂ€mpade s k död rĂ€kning som vi sjĂ€lva anvĂ€nder Ă€n idag som en extra sĂ€kerhet för att kunna berĂ€kna bĂ„ten nya position. PĂ„ museet förklarades ocksĂ„ hur de olika öarna sakta befolkats. Polynesierna levde i en hierarkisk struktur i smĂ„ kungadömen. Kungarna ansĂ„gs vara mer eller mindre gudomliga och makten Ă€rvdes sĂ„ det var viktigt att hĂ„lla ordning pĂ„ blodslinjer och slĂ€ktskap. NĂ€r resurserna började tryta pĂ„ en ö gav sig en grupp yngre polynesier sig av för att hitta nya öar/land att bosĂ€tta sig pĂ„. Ursprungligen kom polynesierna frĂ„n Asien dĂ€r Samoa och Tonga befolkades runt 3000 f kr. Sedan kom ytterligare folkströmmar frĂ„n (troligen) Filippinerna och sakta spred sig polynesierna söderut, norrut och österut. Tahiti tror man exempelvis befolkades runt 200 f kr. Idag talar man om den s k Polynesiska Triangeln som binder samman Nya Zeeland, Hawaii och PĂ„skön dĂ€r Franska Polynesien utgör en stor geografisk del med sina fem arkipelager. Hela omrĂ„det delar ungefĂ€r samma kultur med variationer beroende pĂ„ hur lĂ€nge man levt isolerad, som grupp, pĂ„ samma plats.<br> En arkeologisk artefakt pĂ„ musĂ©et, som ocksĂ„ fĂ„ngade vĂ„r uppmĂ€rksamhet, var resterna av flera sammanbundna smĂ„ snören i flĂ€tad kokosfiber med smĂ„ knutar pĂ„. Dessa snören tror man anvĂ€ndes för att lĂ€ttare komma ihĂ„g viktiga slĂ€ktled. Eftersom all historia och kunskap byggde pĂ„ muntliga berĂ€ttelser verkar det som att denna typ av föremĂ„l kunde anvĂ€ndas som en form av minneskrokar för att lĂ€ttare komma ihĂ„g lĂ„nga sekvenser.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Efter museibesöket var vi sĂ„ fulla av information och intryck sĂ„ det fick rĂ€cka för ett tag
 Vi hoppas och tror att killarna fick bockat av det mesta de hade pĂ„ sin önskelista inför resan. Nu Ă€r de Ă„ter i Sverige och i hamnen Ă„terstĂ€llde Anastacia till ursprungligt skick 😁De sista dagarna passade vi pĂ„ att fylla pĂ„ med dricksvatten i tankarna, serva motorn och byta filter pĂ„ watermakern. Dessutom fick vi spraya ankarkĂ€ttingen igen dĂ„ experimentet med bomullsband var tionde meter inte visat sig vara sĂ„ lyckat. Alla band hade nötts bort sĂ„ vi fick Ă„tergĂ„ till röd sprayfĂ€rg. Vi kommer att ankra pĂ„ mĂ„nga stĂ€llen framöver och behöver veta hur mycket kĂ€tting vi lĂ€gger ut. Vi fyllde pĂ„ matförrĂ„den och köpte ocksĂ„ en bra symaskin att ta med oss pĂ„ bĂ„ten. Efter lĂ„ng vĂ€ntan och mĂ„nga lagningar som genomförts genom handsömnad kan vi nu Ă€ntligen ge oss pĂ„ lite större projekt. Bl a behöver dragkedjan pĂ„ den nĂ€stan 6 meter lĂ„nga lazybagen (omsluter seglet pĂ„ bommen) bytas ut. Sista kvĂ€llen fick vi besök av vĂ„ra brittiska vĂ€nner pĂ„ Ocean Dream 2. Vi trĂ€ffades i Nuku Hiva och har haft kontakt sedan dess. Vi utbytte fĂ€rdplaner och ordnade med hamnkaptenen sĂ„ de kunde överta vĂ„r plats i hamnen. Sedan gav vi oss ivĂ€g till Raiatea, den sista ön vi ville besöka innan vi lĂ€mnar Franska Polynesien.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">HĂ€r pĂ„ Raiatea (hette tidigare Havaii) vĂ€ntar vi pĂ„ vind som kan ta oss vidare vĂ€sterut till Cook Island. Under tiden har vi besökt ytterligare en historisk kultplats, Taputapuatea. Denna plats sĂ€gs ha grundats nĂ€r de första polynesierna kom till ön runt (ungefĂ€r samtidigt som till Tahiti). Platsen har flera marae, troligen de första i sitt slag, och har haft sĂ€rskilt stor betydelse som religiöst och politiskt centrum och anses utgöra Polynesiens historiska och kulturella vagga. Platsen har fĂ„tt en renĂ€ssans i takt med att polynesierna blir mer intresserade och medvetna om sin kultur och Taputapuatea Ă€r sedan 2017 en del av UNESCOs vĂ€rldsarv. Vi begick misstaget att gĂ„ pĂ„ stenarna pĂ„ en marae pĂ„ platsen och blev snart tillrĂ€ttavisade av en guide. Som icke-infödd fĂ„r man gĂ€rna besöka och ta kort men inte betrĂ€da sjĂ€lva kultplatsen, sa hon. Vi ursĂ€ktade oss och kikade lite extra i informationsbroschyrerna om omrĂ„det som vi just skaffat och pĂ„ första sidan stod en tydlig informationsruta med texten: ”Do not walk on the marae except for cultural ceremonies”. JĂ€ttebra pĂ„ att lĂ€sa anvisningar Ă€r vi
 -inte! 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Efterföljande dagar hade vi bara ruskvĂ€der sĂ„ Christer försjönk i lĂ€sning av Ancient Tahitian Society av antropologen Douglas L. Oliver (University of Hawaii): <a href="https://manifold.uhpress.hawaii.edu/projects/ancient-tahitian-society">https://manifold.uhpress.hawaii.edu/projects/ancient-tahitian-society</a><br> Det Ă€r över 1400 sidor mycket intressant lĂ€sning och tar lite tid att gĂ„ igenom men Ă„ andra sidan hade vi mĂ„nga dagar med regn 😊 Den rekommenderas varmt Ă€ven om det sĂ„klart inte ger hela bilden av den tidiga polynesiska kulturen. Muntliga traditioner finns inte bevarade och det Ă€r ”bara” europĂ©ernas iakttagelser som behandlas och europĂ©ernas kontakt med polynesierna bidrog ocksĂ„ till omformandet av kulturen, vilket författaren ocksĂ„ sjĂ€lv problematiserar. Det Ă€r dock ett Ă€rligt försök att ge en sĂ„ objektiv bild av som möjligt som vi uppskattade.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Raiatea Ă€r kĂ€nt för sina vaniljodlingar och nĂ€r vĂ€dret tillĂ€t tog vi dingen till grannön Tahaa och trĂ€ffade Alice som jobbar pĂ„ den lilla vaniljplantagen Fare Vanira. Alice kommer ursprungligen frĂ„n Frankrike och Ă€r gift med en polynesisk man och den lilla familjen bor i Tahaa sedan mĂ„nga Ă„r tillbaka. Vi var de enda besökarna just dĂ„ sĂ„ hon hade tid och pratade med oss i över tvĂ„ timmar! Vi fick lĂ€ra oss att vaniljplantan tillhör orkidĂ©slĂ€ktet och behöver ett litet trĂ€d att klamra sig fast runt nĂ€r det vĂ€xer. Hon förklarade hur blommorna pollineras för hand och visade flera plantor med vaniljfröskidor i olika stadier. Hon sa sjĂ€lv att vanilj Ă€r hennes passion och det mĂ€rktes tydligt! Hon visade oss olika fĂ€rdiga vaniljprodukter samt hur man torkar och behandlar de lĂ„nga fröskidorna till fĂ€rdiga vaniljstĂ€nger. En process som upprepas varje dag och tar flera mĂ„nader! Hon gav tips pĂ„ hur vaniljen kan lagras över tid och hann ocksĂ„ med nĂ„gra matrecept. Bland annat hur man kunde bli av med den syrliga smaken i tomatsĂ„s med hjĂ€lp av lite vanilj! NĂ„got vi provade i tomatsĂ„sen till pastan redan samma kvĂ€ll, med lyckat resultat Ă€ven om jag tvivlar pĂ„ att mina italienska slĂ€ktingar skulle upskatta tilltaget 😊.<br> Alice hyste stor respekt för de kunskaper som fanns tidigare i Polynesien kring odlingsmetoder och medicinalvĂ€xter. PĂ„ odlingen undviker man bekĂ€mpningsmedel sĂ„ lĂ„ngt det gĂ„r och försöker hitta andra sĂ€tt att bekĂ€mpa skadedjur. Ett exempel var att bli av med vissa skadeinsekter med hjĂ€lp av nyckelpigor som i sin tur gĂ€rna vill leva pĂ„ akacietrĂ€d vilka följaktligen syntes lite varstans i odlingen. Salvia odlade hon i nĂ€rheten dĂ„ den visat sig vara fantastiskt bra mot smĂ„ kryp som kunde skada vaniljplantorna. Ett av mĂ„nga knep Alicia lĂ€rt av sina polynesiska svĂ€rförĂ€ldrar. Förutom vaniljprat sĂ„ hann vi med att diskutera polynesiska samhĂ€llet i stort och hur mĂ€nniskor lever hĂ€r idag. Det blev en hel del aha-upplevelser för vĂ„r del
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">VĂ„ra intryck av det lilla vi fĂ„tt uppleva av Franska Polynesien under de tvĂ„ mĂ„nader vi vistats pĂ„ olika öar Ă€r att trots att landet idag Ă€r starkt format av det franska inflytandet sĂ„ har den polynesiska identiteten inte gĂ„tt helt förlorad. FrĂ„n att det frĂ„n början var förbjudet att prata polynesiska i skolorna, ge nyfödda barn polynesiska namn eller utöva polynesisk religion har restriktionerna lĂ€ttat betydligt. Idag finns en större medvetenhet om den egna historien och en önskan om att lĂ€ra sig mer om sin egen, till viss del bortglömda, kultur. Till skillnad frĂ„n Karibien, dĂ€r ursprungsbefolkningen inte lĂ€ngre finns kvar pĂ„ de olika öarna efter koloniseringen och det Ă€r slavĂ€ttlingar och Ă€ttlingar av kolonisatörerna som idag lever pĂ„ öarna, sĂ„ har trots allt Polynesien sin ursprungsbefolkning kvar. Kulturen har formats över tid och förĂ€ndrats. FörĂ€ndringarna blev mer pĂ„tagliga efter Kapten Cooks expeditioner pĂ„ 1700-talet och genom besök av andra europĂ©er som exempelvis besĂ€ttningen pĂ„ skeppet Bounty liksom olika valfĂ„ngarbĂ„tar dĂ€r Ă€ven vissa besĂ€ttningsmedlemmar (dĂ€ribland nĂ„gra svenskar frĂ„n fartyget Matilda) valt att stanna kvar, fram till fransmĂ€nnens övertagande. De polynesier vi trĂ€ffat och pratat med har inte verkat oroa sig alltför mycket över olika historiska hĂ€ndelser och Ă€ven om flera oförrĂ€tter har begĂ„tts i kontakten med europĂ©er som bidragit till sorg och besvikelse sĂ„ har man velat se framĂ„t. Vi vet inte om det gĂ€ller mer generellt eller om det bara Ă€r nĂ„got som vi, som turister upplever. Vi har mötts av mycket vĂ€nlighet och hjĂ€lpsamhet och ocksĂ„ rĂ€ttframhet. HĂ€r lindar man inte in orden sĂ„ mycket utan kan, utan omsvep, sĂ€ga att ”nu har jag inte lĂ€ngre tid med er” eller ”sĂ„ hĂ€r fĂ„r ni inte göra, det Ă€r inte att visa respekt” utan att det ligger nĂ„gon mer vĂ€rdering i det. Lite befriande, tycker vi
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi upplevde vi att maten var dyr pĂ„ alla öar vi besökt. Inte sĂ„ konstigt dĂ„ mycket mĂ„ste importeras och fraktas till öarna. Frukt och grönt gĂ„r alltid att fĂ„ tag i men priserna varierar beroende pĂ„ om det Ă€r importerat eller inhemskt. Detsamma gĂ€ller fisk och kött. HĂ€r betalar man ingen inkomstskatt men varor beskattas desto mer. För att möta de folkhĂ€lsoproblem som den ökade andelen överviktiga i landet har, beskattas dĂ€rför matvaror olika. Alkoholhaltiga drycker beskattas till mellan 100-200% liksom mĂ„nga produkter med högt sockerinnehĂ„ll medan basvaror beskattas lĂ„gt. Om man exempelvis vill köpa bröd sĂ„ Ă€r det sĂ„klart baguetter som gĂ€ller och de enklaste kostar runt 6 kr (60 polynesiska franc) vilket Ă€r överkomligt för de flesta.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Innan vi kom till öarna hade vi lĂ€st att polynesier pĂ„ de mer avlĂ€gsna öarna, dit fraktfartygen inte kommer sĂ„ ofta, gĂ€rna byter till sig varor mot t ex frukt och grönsaker. Det fick vi ocksĂ„ uppleva men kanske inte i den omfattning vi hade förvĂ€ntat oss. Dock fick vi en stark kĂ€nsla av att mĂ€nniskor generellt hĂ€r Ă€r givmilda men ocksĂ„ att mĂ„nga saker lĂ€ttare löses med hjĂ€lp av tjĂ€nster och gentjĂ€nster. Vilket för övrigt verkar gĂ€lla för lĂ„ngseglare ocksĂ„ 😊. Hiti, den pensionerade kaptenen vi trĂ€ffade pĂ„ den lilla atollen Kauehi var mycket givmild och gĂ€stvĂ€nlig mot oss men hade ocksĂ„ en önskan. Att fĂ„ bĂ€ttre en internetuppkoppling Ă€n den som fanns tillgĂ€nglig pĂ„ ön. Det finns restriktioner i Franska Polynesien vad gĂ€ller vilka operatörer som fĂ„r verka i landet -av ekonomiska och förstĂ„eliga skĂ€l. Dock tycker vi att det ibland mĂ„ste kunna gĂ„ att göra undantag nĂ€r man lever pĂ„ en sĂ„ isolerad plats. Hiti ville inte att vi skulle kĂ€nna oss tvungna att lösa hans lilla problem men vi lovade Ă€ndĂ„ att se vad som var möjligt. Via en av vĂ„ra seglarvĂ€nner frĂ„n Viking Explorer som snart Ă€r pĂ„ vĂ€g till Franska Polynesien verkar nu det hela lösa sig. Ett annat exempel Ă€r paketet vi tog med oss frĂ„n Galapagos som var adresserat till en besĂ€ttningsman, pĂ„ en segelbĂ„t pĂ„ vĂ€g till Tahiti, som blev tvungen att ge sig av innan paketet hunnit fram. Förutom att fĂ€rdas pĂ„ vĂ„r bĂ„t över Stilla havet har paketet fĂ„tt Ă„ka med ytterligare en kontakt, via flyg och Ă€r nu hos sin mycket tacksamme Ă€gare som mönstrat av i Papeete. HĂ€ndelserna hade inte varit möjliga utan alla involverades kĂ€nsla för att ”nĂ€sta gĂ„ng kan det vara min tur att behöva hjĂ€lp
”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi har sett att det absolut finns klasskillnader i det polynesiska samhĂ€llet och, frĂ€mst i Papeete, trĂ€ffat pĂ„ tiggare men absolut inte i den omfattning som vi sett i Karibien eller Colombia. HĂ€r finns ocksĂ„ en mycket större acceptans för HBTQ-personer och Ă€ven om den kristna religionen gjort att toleransen minskat generellt sĂ„ har vi aldrig trĂ€ffat pĂ„ sĂ„ mĂ„nga mĂ€nniskor (oftast killar) som s a s tillhör det tredje könet och som sĂ„ öppet och sjĂ€lvklart Ă€r en del av samhĂ€llet. NĂ€rmaste beskrivningen utifrĂ„n vĂ„ra vĂ€sterlĂ€ndska ögon skulle vara att vi trĂ€ffat ovanligt mĂ„nga transpersoner. Det Ă€r dock inte en helt rĂ€ttvisande beskrivning, eftersom det tredje könet inbegriper mĂ„nga roller och ansvar i Ă€ldre polynesisk kultur.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Om nĂ„gra dagar ger vi oss av pĂ„ en fyradygns-seglats till Cook Islands och skall fira pĂ„sk dĂ€r. NĂ€sta anhalt blir troligen Niue och sedan seglar vi vidare till Tonga och dĂ€refter Fiji. Alla Ă€r polynesiska öar men olika lĂ€nder!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><iframe width="490px" height="240px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M4cXi_b-jz8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Tahiti and Papeete</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_123908.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123908.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123908.jpg?1744083794 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1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_115504.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_115504.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_115504.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_115504.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_152259.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_152259.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_152259.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_152259.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_152259.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_152259.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_123433.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_124851.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" 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480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_151750.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_151750.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_131825.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250324_102308.jpg?1744084448" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250324_102308.jpg?1744084448 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250324_102308.jpg?1744084448 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250324_102308.jpg?1744084448 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250324_102308.jpg?1744084448 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250324_102308.jpg?1744084448?1744084448" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322_100513.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250322Tahiti.png?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="902" data-original-height="886" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322Tahiti.png?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322Tahiti.png?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322Tahiti.png?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250322Tahiti.png?1744083794?1744083794" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Marae and the ethnographic museum (Tahiti)</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_114002.jpg?1744084448?1744084448" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250316_120848.jpg?1744084448?1744084448" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250323_122624.jpg?1744084448" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_122624.jpg?1744084448 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_122624.jpg?1744084448 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_122624.jpg?1744084448 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_122624.jpg?1744084448 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_122624.jpg?1744084448?1744084448" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250323_125805.jpg?1744084448" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_125805.jpg?1744084448 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_125805.jpg?1744084448 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_125805.jpg?1744084448 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_125805.jpg?1744084448 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_125805.jpg?1744084448?1744084448" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250323_130705.jpg?1744084448" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_130705.jpg?1744084448 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_130705.jpg?1744084448 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_130705.jpg?1744084448 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_130705.jpg?1744084448 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250323_130705.jpg?1744084448?1744084448" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Moorea</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250320_121525.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_121525.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_121525.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_121525.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_121525.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_121525.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_120554.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250320_100858.jpg?1744083794?1744083794" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Raiatea</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103542.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250403_103637.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Local Market at Raiatea (with music performance 😊)</em></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RPCVEwVLrqE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p class="MsoNormal"><em style="font-size: 11px;"><br></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em style="font-size: 11px;">We bought Avocados (Avozilla), Apples, Bananas, Pompelmus, Rambutan, Pineapple and Papaya</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250404_113917.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1816" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250404_113917.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250404_113917.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250404_113917.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250404_113917.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250404_113917.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Taputapuatea (Raiatea)</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_145109.jpg?1744085263?1744085263" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_152140.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_153203.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150738.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250330_150706.jpg?1744085263?1744085263" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Vanilla plantation (Tahaa)</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1816" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_154003.jpg?1744085263?1744085263" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134131.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_134240.jpg?1744085262?1744085262" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Society%20Isl/20250405_135445.jpg?1744085263?1744085263" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/april-2025/french-polynesia-and-the-society-islands /blog/april-2025/french-polynesia-and-the-society-islands French Polynesia and the Tuamotus Malin <p class="MsoNormal">The sail from Nuku Hiva to the small atoll Kauehi in Tuamotu took four days and started with a surprisingly large pod of dolphins with over 50 individuals that joined us for an hour or so. We believe they were bottlenose dolphins. Wonderful to see! 😍 During the sail we had good wind but very variable weather. During the day we had strong sunshine and at night one small storm replaced another with so-called squalls which mean a sudden increase in wind that lasts for 15-20 minutes with thunder and sometimes rain. Neither the windvane nor the autopilot is able to keep the course during stronger squalls so you have to steer manually, follow the wind, and then slowly bring the boat back in the right direction. It was certainly good training because you learn to handle the boat in tougher weather but also tiring in the long run because we are alone on the shifts at night, when the other person is sleeping. At one point it rained so heavily that you couldn't even see the other side of the cockpit when you were at the helm. You just had to try to keep up, and steer the boat as best you could until it was all over. We also saw large illuminated ships at night without any AIS turned on, moving slowly a few nautical miles away. We suspected large trawlers that didn't want to be discovered. Later we also received confirmation that Chinese and Japanese fishing vessels are fishing illegally in Polynesian waters.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The entire Tuamotus consists of 78 atolls spread over an area that is about 2,000 km long. The atolls are all former underwater volcanoes that are now coral reefs. Kauehi is a small atoll that is relatively easy to get into and was therefore our beginner's choice 😊 The only entrance is on the southwest side of the atoll. We had managed to adjust the sailing so that there was just over an hour left until high tide when we reached the inlet and the current was about two knots into the atoll. We had a light wind against us which did not pose any major problems but we sailed through the mouth with some areas with "overfalls" and smaller so-called standing waves which are the result of when the current and waves/wind go in opposite directions. It was very deep both just outside and just inside the inlet. Once inside the atoll we noticed that it was much larger than we had first thought. It took us just over an hour to reach the northwestern, inhabited part. The rest of the atoll consists of reefs that are either just below the water surface or are lined with coconut palms. A strange feeling to sail into an old volcanic crater! Once we arrived at the village of Tearavero which is located at a shallower part of the lagoon we were lucky enough that the only remaining buoy was free and in good condition, so we moored at it. Apart from another sailboat that was in the same lagoon, we were the only visitors. The other boat turned out to belong to a Frenchman who had been in the area for 15 years!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kauehi has around 200 inhabitants. The village has everything you could need, shops, church, cemetery, school, a mayor, a small health centre etc. The island has also had its own small airport for a few years now, with flights 1-2 times a week. The main source of income comes from the coconut plantations owned by the various families on the atoll. There used to be pearl farms here, but these have now been closed down. Old pearl farm buoys are ideal for holding up the anchor chain (i.e. floating anchor chain) when anchoring near corals. With these buoys, the chain is kept slightly above the seabed and there is no risk of damaging the corals or getting stuck around the coral heads (boomies) when the boat turns around. We were looking to get hold of some of these buoys and to our delight got a couple from some kind villagers who had them in their gardens 😊We wanted to pay or exchange them for something, but they didn't want to hear about it!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We stayed a few days at Tearavero and enjoyed looking at the turquoise water with small darker boomies with small colorful reef fish. We got to know the retired captain Hiti who was born and raised on the island. He told us about his life and how he did his military service in the French navy as a young man. Throughout his adult life he has been a captain of cargo ships and traveled to many distant places. He knew all the islands and atolls in French Polynesia well. He himself thought that he and his wife were doing well in their nice house and were happy with their pension. We asked him how he viewed the issue of independence from France and he replied that few Polynesians talk about it out loud and the younger generation do not want to hear about completely freeing themselves from France. After all, France contributes economically and with infrastructure, education systems, etc., but the older generation may have a different view.<br> -We are not free, he said. Then he looked at us seriously and continued.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">- You know. During our military service, we were ordered to Moruroa 24 hours after they dropped the bomb. 24 hours! “It was nothing dangerous”, they said. We wondered. If it's not dangerous. Why don't they detonate the bombs in France? Why here? I remember what it looked like! Destruction everywhere, dead fish floating in the water...<br>Then he turned away and fell silent. We understood that this was hard to talk about, and didn't ask any more questions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hati changed the subject and told us that he now takes care of the family's coconut plantation and showed us his land and how to harvest the coconuts. He offered us fresh coconut water from still green coconuts. Then he showed us some young coconut palms that were only a year old. My grandchild planted these, he said and smiled broadly! He proudly told us about his children and grandchildren. The children were all well-educated. Some lived in Tahiti, others in France. None of them lived on the island, which is slowly being depopulated. On Kauehi, as on many other smaller islands, children go to school until they are around 10 years old. To continue their education (secondary school), they must be accommodated with a family in Tahiti, for example. If you don't know of a family the children can stay with, the parents may also have to move there and look for accommodation and support. Young Polynesians also choose to continue their studies at universities in France and it can be difficult to motivate themselves to move back to the island where the livelihoods are worse.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the little sightseeing, Hiti gave us two young coconuts to take on the boat and urged us to drink the water from them within a week because otherwise they would have time to go bad from being shaken around on the boat. He gave us advice on how to navigate into Fakarava, our next destination. When we asked if he knew the times for high and low tide for the next 24 hours, he said that nowadays he just went by what he had learned from his grandfather. When the moon was at its highest in its orbit, it was high tide. Then you can calculate the rest
 We thanked him for his hospitality and everything he had taught us with a gift in return and the next day we set off for Fakarava. We had studied the moon’s path in the evening and, sure enough, when we looked at the tide tables for the area, the theory was relatively correct. The time for the highest point on the moon’s path is high tide. If you add 6 hours and 15 minutes, you get the time for the next low tide, after another 6 hours and 15 minutes the next high tide will come, etc. Then you just have to consult the moon again
 Not an exact science but enough for us to navigate by😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Afterwards, we also read more about the nuclear weapons tests that France carried out on the uninhabited atolls of Moruroa and adjacent Fangataufa. We also remembered how the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior had been sunk in connection with these and the protests that arose around the world. Between 1966 and 1996, over 190 nuclear weapons tests were carried out on the atolls, both above and below ground. It was later shown that this had devastating consequences for both animal and plant life and, not least, all residents of the islands and the military personnel who participated in various missions in connection with the blasts. Primarily, the number of cases of thyroid cancer has increased significantly, but the frequency of other forms of cancer has also increased, as have deformities in newborns, birth defects, etc. since the test blasts were carried out, and the whole of Polynesia has been affected in various ways because the winds and water currents have brought radioactive particles with them. It can still be difficult to obtain compensation from the French governement, even though the regulations have changed somewhat over the years as more evidence has been produced of damage linked to the blasts. France was by no means the only country to have carried out this type of blast. The USA, Great Britain, the Soviet Union/Russia and China have also carried out test blasts, to name a few. These have also almost always taken place in occupied areas where the indigenous population has been affected
.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The sail to Fakarava, where we are now, took almost six hours. The island is the second largest in the Tuamotu and is part of one of the UNESCO biosphere reserves. The atoll and has two inlets/outlets. We entered through the (enormous) northern inlet, completely without any problems. Even in this atoll, it is the northern part that is inhabited with the largest village, Rotoava. Just outside Rotoava, about fifty sailboats were anchored. When we arrived, we looked for a free place to anchor and tried, for the first time, to float the anchor chain with our buoys as not to damage or get stuck to the corals on the seabed. However, the depth was so great that no corals probably grew there, but we practiced anyway. We were a little worried that if the chain came off the seabed, the anchor might not set properly, but we have now been here for four days without dragging, so it seems to be working. 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fakarava turned out to be much more tourist-oriented than little Kauehi and reminded us more of Nuku Hiva with large cruise ships that come in and unload passengers ashore for a day's experiences before they re-board for the onward journey to the next island. Craft shops, grocery stores and restaurants are open and taxis arrange transport and small excursions. It is important to make the most of the hours that tourists are ashore!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The atoll is so large that there is a lot of life in the large lagoon such as different species of sharks, turtles, rays, mantas, etc. Even dolphins are said to be here! The atmosphere is calm and relaxed and we were warmly welcomed by the staff at the mayor's office when we went in to pay the tourist and garbage fee.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the shallower parts of the lagoon, the water is turquoise blue and the sand is chalk white. For those who like sun, swimming and white beaches, this is pure paradise! Small boomies can be seen here and there in the water that you can cross between when you go ashore with the dinghy. We took the time to snorkel around a reef that was close to the boat and saw lots of reef fish and beautiful corals. Unfortunately, most of the corals were in poor condition and completely gray. We have also seen blacktip reef sharks, nurse sharks and large water turtles. It also looks like we caught three suckerfish from Kauhei that probably hitchhiked with us by sitting under the Anastacia's hull. We had fed them small pieces of bread in Kauehi and were surprised when the same fish appeared again as soon as we anchored in Fakarava. They look funny with a big sucker plate on their heads
 Of course, they got some bread crumbs here too. Baguettes, naturally. These are French islands! 😁.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fakarava is perhaps best known for its pearl farms and that was something we wanted to learn more about. You can see the buoys of the farms floating in the water further out in the lagoon. We booked a small tour at Les Perles D'Havaiki. The guide showed the whole process, from surgically inserting a small mini-pearl made of seashells into the oyster's stomach to how to pick out a finished pearl after the oyster has grown for about two years. The finished pearl is then washed and classified by color, size, shape, etc. In Polynesia, mainly black pearls are cultivated, which have a special luster. The whole process requires clean water and a good environment for the oyster to thrive. An oyster can be allowed to produce several pearls one after the other until it is too old. In cases where the oyster can no longer be used, it is opened completely and the meat (muscle) is sold to restaurants. The shells are used to make jewelry and other works of art, as these also have a beautiful luster. To end the tour, we each got to choose an oyster that was ready to harvest and take home the pearl that had formed in it. Now we understand what a complicated process pearl farming is and involves many steps that require craftsmanship and several different professions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, we will soon set off again. There will be no more atolls for us, but we have a two-day sailing to Tahiti where we are also expecting a visit from our son and his friend.</p> <div> ~~~~~~~~~~~</div><p><br></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Seglingen frĂ„n Nuku Hiva till den lilla atollen Kauehi i Tuamotu tog fyra dygn och började med en överraskande stor flock delfiner med över 50 individer som slog följe med oss under nĂ„gon timme. Vi tror det var flasknosdelfiner. Underbart att se! 😍 Under seglatsen hade vi bra vind men mycket varierande vĂ€der. PĂ„ dagarna hade vi starkt solsken och pĂ„ nĂ€tterna avlöste det ena lilla ovĂ€dret det andra med s k squalls som innebĂ€r plötslig vindökning som varar i 15-20 minuter med Ă„ska och ibland regn. Vare sig vindroder eller autopilot klarar att hĂ„lla kursen vid kraftigare squalls sĂ„ man fĂ„r handstyra och s a s följa med vinden, för att sedan sakta föra bĂ„ten tillbaka i rĂ€tt riktning. Bra trĂ€ning var det visserligen eftersom man lĂ€r sig hantera bĂ„ten i tuffare vĂ€der men ocksĂ„ tröttsamt i lĂ€ngden eftersom vi Ă€r ensamma pĂ„ passen nattetid, dĂ„ den andre sover. Vid ett tillfĂ€lle regnade det sĂ„ kraftigt att det inte ens gick att se andra sidan av sittbrunnen nĂ€r man stod vid rodret. Det var bara att försöka hĂ€nga med, och styra bĂ„ten sĂ„ gott det gick tills det hela var över. Vi fick ocksĂ„ Ă„terigen se stora upplysta fartyg pĂ„ nĂ€tterna utan nĂ„gon AIS pĂ„slagen som sakta rörde sig pĂ„ nĂ„gra sjömils avstĂ„nd. Vi misstĂ€nkte stora trĂ„lare som helst inte ville bli upptĂ€ckta. Senare har vi ocksĂ„ fĂ„tt bekrĂ€ftat att kinesiska och japanska fiskefartyg fiskar olovandes i de polynesiska vattnen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hela Tuamotus bestĂ„r av 78 atoller utspridda pĂ„ ett omrĂ„de som Ă€r ca 2 000 km lĂ„ngt. Atollerna Ă€r alla före detta undervattensvulkaner som numera Ă€r korallrev. Kauehi Ă€r en liten atoll som Ă€r relativt enkel att ta sig in i och blev dĂ€rför vĂ„rt nybörjarval 😊 Det enda inloppet ligger pĂ„ atollens sydvĂ€stra sida. Vi hade lyckats anpassa seglingen sĂ„ det var drygt en timme kvar till högvatten nĂ€r vi nĂ„dde inloppet och strömmen var pĂ„ ca tvĂ„ knop in mot atollen. Vi hade svag vind emot oss som inte utgjorde nĂ„gra större problem utan vi seglade igenom mynningen med nĂ„gra omrĂ„den med ”overfalls” och mindre s k stĂ„ende vĂ„gor som Ă€r resultatet av nĂ€r ström och vĂ„gor/vind gĂ„r i motsatta riktningar. Det var brĂ„ddjupt bĂ„de strax utanför och strax innanför mynningen. VĂ€l inne i atollen konstaterade vi att den var mycket större Ă€n vi först hade trott. Det tog oss dryga timmen att nĂ„ den nordvĂ€stra, bebodda delen. Resten av atollen utgörs av rev som antingen ligger strax under vattenytan eller Ă€r beklĂ€dda med kokospalmer. En mĂ€rklig kĂ€nsla att segla in i en gammal vulkankrater! VĂ€l framme vid byn Tearavero som ligger vid en grundare del i lagunen hade vi sĂ„dan tur att den enda kvarvarande bojen var ledig och i gott skick, sĂ„ vi lade till vid den. Förutom en annan segelbĂ„t som lĂ„g i samma lagun var vi de enda besökarna. Den andra bĂ„ten visade sig tillhöra en fransman som vistats i omrĂ„det i 15 Ă„r!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">PĂ„ Kauehi bor runt 200 invĂ„nare. I byn finns det mesta som man kan behöva, affĂ€rer, kyrka, kyrkogĂ„rd, skola, en borgmĂ€stare, en liten vĂ„rdcentral etc. Ön har sedan nĂ„gra Ă„r tillbaka Ă€ven en egen mindre flygplats dĂ€r flygen gĂ„r 1-2 gĂ„nger i veckan. FrĂ€msta inkomstkĂ€llan kommer frĂ„n kokosplantagen som Ă€gs av de olika familjerna pĂ„ atollen. Tidigare fanns det Ă€ven pĂ€rlodlingar hĂ€r men dessa var nu nerlagda. Gamla pĂ€rlodlingsbojar Ă€r idealiska för att kunna hĂ„lla uppe ankarkĂ€ttingen (s k bojad kĂ€tting) nĂ€r man skall ankra i nĂ€rheten av koraller. Med dessa bojar hĂ„lls kĂ€ttingen lite ovanför botten och man riskerar inte att förstöra korallerna eller fastna runt korallhuvudena (boomies) nĂ€r bĂ„ten svĂ€nger runt. Vi var ute efter att fĂ„ tag i nĂ„gra sĂ„dana bojar och fick till vĂ„r förtjusning ett par av nĂ„gra snĂ€lla bybor som hade dem i sina trĂ€dgĂ„rdar 😊Vi ville betala eller byta med nĂ„got med det ville de inte höra talas om!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi stannade nĂ„gra dagar vid Tearavero och njöt av att titta pĂ„ det turkosa vattnet med smĂ„ mörkare boomies med smĂ„ fĂ€rgglada revfiskar. Vi lĂ€rde kĂ€nna den pensionerade kaptenen Hiti som Ă€r född och uppvuxen pĂ„ ön. Han berĂ€ttade om sitt liv och hur han gjort sin militĂ€rtjĂ€nst i den franska flottan som ung. Under hela sitt vuxna liv har han varit kapten pĂ„ fraktfartyg och rest till mĂ„nga avlĂ€gsna platser. Han kĂ€nde vĂ€l till alla öar och atoller i Franska Polynesien. Han tyckte sjĂ€lv att han och hans fru hade det bra i sitt fina hus och var nöjd med sin pension. Vi frĂ„gade om hur han sĂ„g pĂ„ frĂ„gan om sjĂ€lvstĂ€ndighet frĂ„n Frankrike. Han förklarade att fĂ„ polynesier pratar högt om det och de yngre vill inte höra talas om att helt frigöra sig frĂ„n Frankrike. Frankrike bidrar trots allt ekonomiskt och med infrastruktur, utbildningssystem m m men de Ă€ldre har kanske en annan syn, menade han.<br> -Vi Ă€r ju inte fria, sa han. Sedan sĂ„g han allvarligt pĂ„ oss och sa:<br> -Ni vet. Under militĂ€rtjĂ€nsten blev vi kommenderade till Moruroa 24 timmar efter att de slĂ€ppte bomben. 24 timmar! ”Det var inget farligt”, sa de. Vi undrade. Om det inte Ă€r farligt. Varför sprĂ€nger de dĂ„ inte bomberna i Frankrike? Varför hos oss? Jag minns hur det sĂ„g ut! Förstörelse överallt, döda fiskar flöt i vattnet
<br>Sedan vĂ€nde han sig bort och tystnade. Det hĂ€r var jobbigt att tala om, förstod vi och stĂ€llde inga fler frĂ„gor.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hati bytte samtalsĂ€mne och berĂ€ttade att han numera sköter om familjens kokosplantage och visade oss sina marker och hur man skördar kokosnötterna. Han bjöd pĂ„ fĂ€rskt kokosvatten frĂ„n Ă€nnu gröna kokosnötter. Sedan visade han oss nĂ„gra spĂ€da kokospalmer som bara var ett Ă„r gamla. De hĂ€r har mitt barnbarn planterat, sa han och log stort! Han berĂ€ttade stolt om sina barn och barnbarn. Barnen var alla vĂ€lutbildade. NĂ„gra bodde pĂ„ Tahiti, andra i Frankrike. Ingen av dem fanns kvar pĂ„ ön som sakta hĂ„ller pĂ„ att avfolkas. PĂ„ Kauehi liksom pĂ„ mĂ„nga andra mindre öar gĂ„r barnen i skola tills de Ă€r runt 10 Ă„r gamla. För att fortsĂ€tta sin utbildning (secondary school) mĂ„ste de inkvarteras hos nĂ„gon familj i exempelvis Tahiti. KĂ€nner man ingen familj barnen kan fĂ„ bo hos, mĂ„ste kanske förĂ€ldrarna ocksĂ„ flytta dit och söka bostad och försörjning. Unga polynesier vĂ€ljer ocksĂ„ att lĂ€sa vidare pĂ„ universitet i Frankrike och det kan vara svĂ„rt att motivera sig att flytta tillbaka till ön dĂ€r försörjningsmöjligheterna Ă€r sĂ€mre. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Efter den lilla sightseeingen gav Hiti oss tvĂ„ spĂ€da kokosnötter att ta med pĂ„ bĂ„ten och uppmanade oss att dricka vattnet frĂ„n dem inom en vecka eftersom de annars skulle hinna bli dĂ„liga av att skakas runt pĂ„ bĂ„ten. Han gav oss rĂ„d om hur vi skulle navigera in i Fakarava, vĂ„r nĂ€sta destination. NĂ€r vi frĂ„gade om han visste tiderna för hög- och lĂ„gvatten det nĂ€rmste dygnet sa han att han numera bara gick efter vad han lĂ€rt av sin morfar. NĂ€r mĂ„nen stod som högst pĂ„ sin bana sĂ„ var det högvatten. Sedan kan man rĂ€kna ut resten
Vi tackade för hans gĂ€stfrihet och allt han lĂ€rt oss med en gĂ„va tillbaka och dagen efter gav vi oss ivĂ€g till Fakarava. Vi hade studerat mĂ„nens bana pĂ„ kvĂ€llen och, mycket riktigt, nĂ€r vi tittade i tidvattentabeller för omrĂ„det sĂ„ stĂ€mde teorin relativt bra. Tiden för högsta punkten pĂ„ mĂ„nbanan rĂ„der högvatten. LĂ€gger man till 6 timmar och 15 minuter sĂ„ fĂ„r man tiden för nĂ€sta lĂ„gvatten, efter ytterligare 6 timmar och 15 minuter kommer nĂ€sta högvatten o s v. Sedan Ă€r det bara att konsultera mĂ„nen igen
 Ingen exakt vetenskap men tillrĂ€ckligt för oss att navigera efter😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">EfterĂ„t lĂ€ste vi ocksĂ„ pĂ„ mer om de kĂ€rnvapenprovsprĂ€ngningar som Frankrike gjorde pĂ„ de obebodda atollerna Moruroa och intilliggande Fangataufa. Vi mindes ocksĂ„ hur Greenpeacefartyget Rainbow Warrior hade sĂ€nkts i samband med dessa och protesterna som uppstod vĂ€rlden över. Mellan Ă„ren 1966 och 1996 genomfördes över 190 kĂ€rnvapenprov pĂ„ atollerna bĂ„de ovan och under mark. Det har senare visat sig att det fick förödande konsekvenser för bĂ„de djur och vĂ€xtliv och, inte minst, alla boende pĂ„ öarna och de militĂ€rer som deltog i olika uppdrag i samband med sprĂ€ngningarna. FrĂ€mst har fallen av sköldkörtelcancer blivit mĂ„nga fler men frekvensen av andra cancerformer har ocksĂ„ ökat liksom missbildningar hos nyfödda, fosterskador m m sedan provsprĂ€ngningarna genomfördes och hela Polynesien har drabbats pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt eftersom vindarna och vattenströmmar fört med sig radioaktiva partiklar. Fortfarande kan det vara svĂ„rt att fĂ„ ersĂ€ttning av franska staten Ă€ven om regelverket förĂ€ndrats nĂ„got genom Ă„ren i takt med att man kunnat ta fram fler bevis för skador knutna till sprĂ€ngningarna. Frankrike var ingalunda det enda land som genomfört den hĂ€r typen av sprĂ€ngningar. USA, Storbritannien, Sovjet/Ryssland och Kina har ocksĂ„ genomfört provsprĂ€ngningar, för att nĂ€mna nĂ„gra. Dessa har ocksĂ„ nĂ€stan alltid skett i ockuperade omrĂ„den dĂ€r ursprungsbefolkningen drabbats
.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Seglingen till Fakarava, dĂ€r vi nu befinner oss, tog nĂ€stan sex timmar. Ön Ă€r den nĂ€st största i Tuamotu och ingĂ„r i ett av UNESCO:s biosfĂ€romrĂ„den. Atollen och har tvĂ„ in-/utlopp. Vi kom in genom det (enormt stora) norra inloppet, helt oproblematiskt. Även i denna atoll Ă€r det den norra delen som Ă€r bebodd med den största byn Rotoava. Strax utanför Rotoava lĂ„g ett femtiotal segelbĂ„tar ankrade. NĂ€r vi kom fram letade vi upp en ledig plats att ankra pĂ„ och provade, för första gĂ„ngen, att kroka fast bojar lĂ€ngs ankarkĂ€ttingen för att inte skada eller fastna vid korallerna pĂ„ botten. Djupet var dock sĂ„ pass stort att det troligen inte vĂ€xte nĂ„gra koraller dĂ€r men vi övade Ă€ndĂ„. Vi var lite oroliga för att om kĂ€ttingen lĂ€ttar frĂ„n botten sĂ„ kanske ankaret inte skulle sĂ€tta sig ordentligt men vi har nu legat hĂ€r i fyra dygn utan att dragga sĂ„ det verkar fungera. 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fakarava visade sig vara mycket mer turistinriktat Ă€n lilla Kauehi och pĂ„minde oss mer om Nuku Hiva med stora kryssningsfartyg som kommer in och lastar av passagerare i land för en dags upplevelser innan de Ă„ter gĂ„r ombord för vidare fĂ€rd till nĂ€sta ö. Hantverksbutiker, mataffĂ€rer och restauranger hĂ„ller öppet och taxibilar ordnar med transporter och smĂ„ exkursioner. Det gĂ€ller att ta vara pĂ„ de timmar som turisterna Ă€r i land!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Atollen Ă€r sĂ„ stor att det ryms mycket liv i den stora lagunen som olika hajarter, sköldpaddor, rockor, mantor etc. T o m delfiner skall finnas hĂ€r! AtmosfĂ€ren Ă€r lugn och avslappnad och vi blev hjĂ€rtligt vĂ€lkomnade av personalen pĂ„ borgmĂ€starens kansli nĂ€r vi gick in för att betala turist- och sopavgiften.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I lagunens grundare delar Ă€r vattnet turkosblĂ„tt och sanden kritvit. För den som gillar sol, bad och vita strĂ€nder Ă€r detta rena paradiset! SmĂ„ boomies syns hĂ€r och var i vattnet som man fĂ„r kryssa emellan nĂ€r man Ă„ker in till land med dingen. Vi tog oss tid att snorkla runt ett rev som lĂ„g nĂ€ra bĂ„ten och fick se massor av revfiskar och vackra koraller. Dock var tyvĂ€rr merparten av korallerna i dĂ„ligt skick och alldeles grĂ„.  Vi har Ă€ven sett svartfenad revhaj, sköterskehaj och stora vattensköldpaddor. Dessutom ser det ut som att vi fĂ„tt med oss tre sugfiskar frĂ„n Kauhei som troligen liftat med oss genom att sitta under Anastacias skrov. Vi hade matat dem med smĂ„ brödbitar i Kauehi och blev förvĂ„nade nĂ€r samma fiskar dök upp igen sĂ„ fort vi ankrat i Fakarava. De ser lustiga ut med en stor sugplatta pĂ„ huvudet
 SjĂ€lvklart fick de nĂ„gra brödsmulor hĂ€r ocksĂ„. Baguetter, sĂ„klart. Det Ă€r ju franska öar! 😁.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fakarava Ă€r kanske mest kĂ€nt för sina pĂ€rlodlingar och det var nĂ„got vi gĂ€rna ville fĂ„ lĂ€ra oss mer om. Man kan se odlingarnas bojar flyta i vattnet lĂ€ngre ut i lagunen. Vi bokade en liten visning pĂ„ Les Perles D'Havaiki. Guiden visade hela processen, frĂ„n det att man kirurgiskt opererar in en liten minipĂ€rla av snĂ€ckskal i ostronets mage till hur man plockar ut en fĂ€rdig pĂ€rla efter att ostronet fĂ„tt vĂ€xa till sig i ungefĂ€r tvĂ„ Ă„r. Den fĂ€rdiga pĂ€rlan skall sedan tvĂ€ttas och klassificeras efter fĂ€rg storlek form etc. I Polynesien odlas frĂ€mst de svarta pĂ€rlorna som har en speciell lyster. Hela processen krĂ€ver rena vatten och bra miljö för att ostronen skall trivas. Man kan lĂ„ta ett ostron producera flera pĂ€rlor efter varandra tills det blivit för gammalt. I de fall ostronet inte kan anvĂ€ndas lĂ€ngre öppnas det helt och köttet (muskeln) sĂ€ljs till restauranger. Av skalen görs smycken och andra konstverk dĂ„ Ă€ven dessa har en vacker lyster. Som avslut pĂ„ visningen fick vi vĂ€lja ut varsitt ostron som s a s var fĂ€rdigt att skörda och ta med oss pĂ€rlan som bildats i djuret. Nu förstĂ„r vi vilken komplicerad process pĂ€rlodling innebĂ€r med mĂ„nga steg som krĂ€ver hantverksskicklighet och involverar flera olika yrkesgrupper.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nu skall vi strax ge oss av igen. Det blir inte fler atoller för vĂ„r del utan nu vĂ€ntar tvĂ„ dygns segling till Tahiti dĂ€r vi ocksĂ„ vĂ€ntar besök av son med kompis.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Kauehi</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Kauehi_GoogleMaps.png?1741418696" loading="lazy" data-original-width="728" data-original-height="695" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Kauehi_GoogleMaps.png?1741418696 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Kauehi_GoogleMaps.png?1741418696 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f/userfiles/Tuamotus/Kauehi_GoogleMaps.png?1741418696" width="150" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1458" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250302_095143.jpg?1741420108?1741420108" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1458" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250228_122719.jpg?1741420108?1741420108" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_114649.jpg?1741420107?1741420107" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250301_113836.jpg?1741420107?1741420107" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Fakarava</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Fakarava_GoogleMaps.png?1741419675" loading="lazy" data-original-width="761" data-original-height="778" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Fakarava_GoogleMaps.png?1741419675 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Fakarava_GoogleMaps.png?1741419675 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Fakarava_GoogleMaps.png?1741419675 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/Fakarava_GoogleMaps.png?1741419675?1741419675" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103033.jpg?1741420263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103033.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103033.jpg?1741420263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103033.jpg?1741420263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103033.jpg?1741420263?1741420263" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103212.jpg?1741420263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103212.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103212.jpg?1741420263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103212.jpg?1741420263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250306_103212.jpg?1741420263?1741420263" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_082144.jpg?1741420263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="2250" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_082144.jpg?1741420263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_082144.jpg?1741420263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_082144.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_082144.jpg?1741420263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_082144.jpg?1741420263 320w," 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2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250305_104039.jpg?1741420263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250305_104039.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250305_104039.jpg?1741420263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250305_104039.jpg?1741420263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250305_104039.jpg?1741420263?1741420263" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_083156.jpg?1741420263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3000" data-original-height="1458" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_083156.jpg?1741420263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_083156.jpg?1741420263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_083156.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_083156.jpg?1741420263 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srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_094058.jpg?1741420263 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_094058.jpg?1741420263 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_094058.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_094058.jpg?1741420263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_094058.jpg?1741420263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_094058.jpg?1741420263?1741420263" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_122644.jpg?1741420263" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_122644.jpg?1741420263 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_122644.jpg?1741420263 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_122644.jpg?1741420263 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Tuamotus/20250307_122644.jpg?1741420263?1741420263" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/march-2025/french-polynesia-and-the-tuamotus /blog/march-2025/french-polynesia-and-the-tuamotus French Polynesia, Nuku Hiva and the Marquesas Malin <div> <p class="MsoNormal">Polynesia (meaning roughly the many islands) is a large cultural and geographical region in the Pacific Ocean consisting of a variety of islands, archipelagos and nations where the people share the same origin and speak one of the many Polynesian languages. Polynesia is bordered by Hawaii (to the north), New Zealand (to the southwest) and Easter Island (to the southeast). The area is sometimes referred to as the Polynesian Triangle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">French Polynesia is part of Polynesia and is almost as large as Europe and consists of 118 islands and atolls, of which 67 are inhabited. The islands are divided into different archipelagos; Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Society Islands, Gambier Islands and Austral Islands. There are long distances between the archipelagos with the Gambier Islands and Austral Islands being the southernmost. We will probably not be able to visit these two southern archipelagos. Further north, from east to west lie the Marquesas, Tuamotu and Society Islands, where Tahiti with its capital Papeete is perhaps the best known. We plan to visit a few islands on each of these archipelagos before heading further west to other Polynesian islands/nations.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The islands in French Polynesia have all been formed from volcanoes and the youngest are about 1-5 million years old, such as the islands in the Marquesas. The oldest islands are in the Austral Islands and Tuamotu and are around 50 million years old. The oldest islands are no longer real islands, but millions of years of erosion have transformed them into atolls where only some parts protrude from the sea surface.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The islands in French Polynesia were first settled by Austronesian-speaking Polynesians, who probably originated from Southeast Asia (Taiwan-Philippines) and migrated east via Samoa and Tonga. This migration was part of the great Polynesian expansion across the Pacific. In French Polynesia, it began in the Marquesas a few hundred years BC and the last islands colonized by Polynesians are believed to have been the Gambier Islands, which also became the islands from which a group of inhabitants probably emigrated and continued the long journey to Easter Island and later Hawaii, which began to be populated around the 11th and 13th centuries AD. A prerequisite for this strong expansion, despite the great distances in the Pacific Ocean, was the sophisticated navigational skills that the Polynesians had developed. They navigated with the help of stars, ocean currents and bird migration patterns. They used the characteristic wooden canoes with an outrigger (additional hull) attached to one side of the canoe. These canoes were very stable and could be both paddled and sailed. Today, the same type of canoe is still used, but made of more modern materials.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first time Europeans came into contact with the islands was in the 16th century when the Portuguese and Spaniards noted that the islands existed but they probably had little contact with the inhabitants. In 1767, the British Samuel Wallis landed on Tahiti and declared the island British. Protestantism was then introduced to the island. The French eventually took over Tahiti after disputes and battles with the British and the population of the islands under the then Polynesian regent Queen Pomare IV. In the early 20th century, all five island groups belonged to France and Catholicism became the official religion. Today, French Polynesia has more autonomy but is still considered one of France's so-called overseas collectivity where France retains control over defense, foreign policy, justice and law enforcement and currency/economy (the CFP franc is tied to the euro). French Polynesia now controls its own laws, economy, budget, health, education (partially) and internal security. From what we understand, there no longer seems to be majority support among the population on the islands for complete independence from France, but instead they are trying to make better use of their own old culture and have, with the help of historians and archaeologists, begun to rediscover and embrace parts of it, such as dances, crafts and food traditions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Polynesian indigenous culture and its traditions vary between the islands but have a common core. Before European colonization, the population was organized into hierarchical chiefdoms ruled by<em> Ari’i</em> (chiefs). Below the chiefs there were several different social classes and the lowest were the slaves who were often convicted criminals or captured enemies. The Polynesians could build impressive structures such as <em>marae </em> which were sacred temples for religious and social purposes. They lived on what the sea could provide and cultivated and planted many different crops such as breadfruit and fruit trees of various kinds which were harvested and stored in various ways to last longer than the harvest season. Fermentation was used as a method. For example, <em>mahi </em>or <em>pƍpoi </em>as it is also called was made. It is breadfruit that has been mashed and left to lie in a low-oxygen environment in a leaf-lined pit where it eventually fermented (by lactic acid bacteria). Mahi could be stored for several years and is said to be both nutritious and healthy. When the Polynesians colonized new islands, they brought with them many of the important fruits and seeds and some domesticated animals such as pigs and dogs that they needed to survive on the previously uninhabited islands.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Polynesians were very trade-oriented but were also warlike and fights between the islands/kingdoms occurred. They practiced a complex polytheistic religion that was intertwined with daily life and social structure. Their spiritual beliefs revolved around <em>atua </em> (gods), ancestors, <em>mana </em>(spiritual power) and <em>tapu </em>(sacred restrictions). The word taboo comes from the Polynesian word tapu.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mana was a supernatural force that existed not only in all living things but also inanimate things such as objects and places. Chiefs and priests had strong mana, which gave them divine authority. Women's mana was usually greater than men's because they could give bearth (give life). Losing mana, through defeat in battle or breaking a tapu, resulted in dishonor and loss of status. For example, it was tapu for a woman to step in a canoe because her mana was much more powerful than that of the canoe and the canoe would lose its power. This was especially important to consider when the canoes were to be used in battle. Similarly, it could be tapu to step over a chief's shadow if one was lower in rank. Serious violations of a tapu could sometimes be punished by death.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Polynesians believed in a balance of masculine and feminine energies, rather than fixed gender roles based on physical appearance, and some myths describe gods or spirits who change sex or are androgynous. Mana was therefore not strictly tied to biological sex, but rather one's role in society. French Polynesia, like other parts of Polynesia, had a recognized "third sex" known as <em>māhĆ«</em>. These were people who embodied both male and female characteristics. They were biological males who took on female gender roles, including clothing, speech, and occupations. In some cases, there were also female māhĆ« who took on male roles. MāhĆ« had several important roles in society. They could often be priests, healers, teachers or artists, specialized in oral traditions, dance forms and were responsible for the care of children and the elderly. They were seen as guardians of knowledge, and were a kind of cultural bearer of information about different lineages, old stories and religious customs that they passed on between generations. Chiefs could turn to a māhĆ« for advice before important decisions. After European colonization and the introduction of Christianity, māhĆ« were seen as an abomination and Western gender roles were introduced and many māhĆ« were subjected to social oppression and avoided showing their identity. Today, however, māhĆ« are still present in Polynesian and Hawaiian culture and are more accepted, although their role has evolved and adapted to today's way of life. Many today work in various service professions, for example.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Polynesians were also known for their <em>tikis</em>, human-like anthropomorphic figures carved from stone, wood or bone. According to Polynesian mythology, the tiki is sometimes considered to be the first human created by the gods, but interpretations vary between the different island groups. In the Marquesas, tikis primarily represent ancestors and protective spirits. They were often designed as half human and half animal or God with enlarged heads and eyes. One interpretation of the large eyes (which almost look like glasses) is that through the eyes one comes into contact with the spirit world. Tikis are also often connected to spiritual protection, strength and guidance.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We have now been anchored for just over two weeks outside the capital Taiohae on the island of Nuku Hiva, which is also the main island of the Marquesas. As soon as the hurricane season (cyclone season) ends in April, the actual tourist season begins and many boats and tourists come to the islands. We are early in the season so there is plenty of space in the bay and few tourists on the island, except when the cruise ships dock, when Taiohae is packed with people for a day. The lady in the tourist office next to the port has all the information of when the cruise ships arrive and makes sure to book the local ensemble of dancers and drummers who have their shows for the fascinated cruise tourists. The trade in crafts, fruit and vegetables is flourishing and the small local cafes are full. It is understandable that tourists are an important source of income for the islands.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The clearance process was painless. We rang the doorbell of the French gendarmes and even though we arrived outside office hours, they received us and the procedure was completed in 10 minutes. We had prepared ourselves by filling in our details digitally in a system used on the islands and had our passports and boat papers with us. As EU citizens, the rules for visiting and staying in French Polynesia are incredibly favorable.” This is how easy it should be to get to France. Welcome!”, one of the gendarmes said in broken English. Or, to be more precise. The guy started speaking in English but as soon as he noticed that we knew a little French he switched to his native language. 😊After customs we took out some cash, got ourselves a local SIM card and topped up with data. Finally connected again!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nuku Hiva is a very beautiful island with high mountain peaks and steep cliffs towards the sea with fantastic views. There are several bays with good anchorages around the island. The second highest (longest?) waterfall in the world is also said to be here. We rented a car and drove on the few roads that exist. First, we went east and came to some smaller towns with small fishing ports, shops and restaurants. The mango trees along the road were full of half-ripe fruits and we took the liberty of picking some. The island is lushly green and along the roadsides you can see pigs, horses and goats and the occasional cow wandering around freely. Roosters and chickens can be seen running around everywhere. Some horses are kept tethered and you can see fenced areas, but there are just as many animals outside as inside the enclosures.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the small town of Hatiheu we had a fantastic meal. A stew made from goat meat and coconut milk served with cassava, fried breadfruit and rice. What we couldn't finish we then had to throw into a small stream, right next to the restaurant where two large eels appeared and feasted on the leftovers. The eels were "regulars" at the restaurant and part of the experience the restaurant is known for.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Outside Hatiheu is one of several historical remains from the time before European colonization. The place we visited is called Kamuihei and is one of the largest archaeological excavations on the island. Here there are sacred places, rebuilt houses and areas for various social purposes and we saw tikis, sacrificial pits and small pits carved into rocks similar to those we can see in rock carvings in Sweden. In addition, there were several petroglyphs on large stone slabs with depictions of animals, gods, people and symbols that are also found in the many tattoos of the Polynesians. Since the Polynesian culture was a culture that was carried by oral stories and lacked written language, interpretations are difficult to make and the meanings are said to vary somewhat between the island groups, but archaeologists believe that they almost always involve representations of gods, ancestors, travel, celestial bodies and protective symbols. There was also a gigantic banyan tree at the site that is said to be 600 years old!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The last part of our drive went west towards the airport. Now we came to higher mountain areas, deep valleys and in the distance, we could see a very long and very narrow waterfall. Instead of palm trees and fruit trees, the road was lined with pine plantations with a species of pine that originally comes from the Caribbean. The pines have been planted mainly for the sake of the wood but have, of course, also changed the conditions for the native species that lived there before.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the beach in Taiohae almost every day we saw young guys riding back and forth on their horses. Sometimes they competed along a given distance to be first. It was impressive to see because they were riding bareback (without a saddle) at a fast gallop with only a blanket to sit on. They looked mighty proud when we wanted to take pictures. However, we never saw a girl riding. Horses now seem to be an integral part of Polynesian life but the origin of horses is somewhat unclear. The most likely is that the Europeans introduced different animals like horses, goats and cows to the islands.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The waters around the Marquesas Islands are rich in life. The local fishermen come into the harbor almost every day with fine catches of fish that they sell directly on site. The leftover fish after cleaning is thrown into the harbor to the delight of the sharks. The sharks are of the species (greater) blacktip reef shark. Not all residents in the area are delighted with the spectacle in the water when the sharks fight over the leftovers, but it is a good tourist magnet
 😊 In addition to the sharks, which are not particularly dangerous to humans, we have also seen many manta rays swimming around our boat. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get any good pictures of them and when we snorkeled in the bay and tried to film, the visibility was too poor. Hopefully there will be more opportunities. One morning we heard a terrible splash behind the boat and when we ran out onto the deck to see what had happened, we saw a sea turtle trying to free itself from the dinghy's mooring line that it had managed to wrap around its neck. After a few fruitless attempts to untie the rope, we were forced to cut it. As soon as the turtle felt it was free, it took a big, loud breath before diving into the water and disappearing. How it managed to get tangled up so strangely, we could never figure out
</p><p class="MsoNormal">On Valentine's Day we took the opportunity to have a three-course dinner at a restaurant in Taiohae where local musicians performed languid ballads. The next day we were also able to take part in a Valentine's Day party where both locals and tourists were welcome. The meal was accompanied by a show that was over an hour long and was more like a long danced story. We showed up later in the evening but still saw parts of the show. Later we were able to dance a little ourselves to deafening Polynesian popular music 😁</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In recent days, we have been stocking up on supplies at the local store and buying a souvenir in the form of a mini-tiki made of wood made by a local artist on the island.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now we are waiting out some rough weather before we can set off for the Tuamotu atolls. Since these are shallow reefs with few entrances or exits and where the currents are strong, we have to adjust to the tides so that we enter when it is slack water. We hope to be able to practice on a simpler atoll with more room for the boat to enter, before we set off to reach the Fakarava atoll where we hope to see pearl farms!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal">Polynesien (betyder ungefĂ€r de mĂ„nga öarna) Ă€r en stor kulturell och geografisk region i Stilla havet bestĂ„ende av en mĂ„ngfald av öar, ögrupper och nationer dĂ€r mĂ€nniskorna delar samma ursprung och pratar nĂ„got av de mĂ„nga polynesiska sprĂ„ken. Polynesien avgrĂ€nsas av Hawaii (i norr), Nya Zeeland (i sydvĂ€st) och PĂ„skön (i sydöst). OmrĂ„det benĂ€mns ibland som den polynesiska triangeln.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Franska Polynesien Ă€r en del av Polynesien och Ă€r till ytan nĂ€stan lika stort som Europa och bestĂ„r av 118 öar och atoller varav 67 Ă€r bebodda. Öarna Ă€r indelade i olika ögrupper; Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Society Islands (SĂ€llskapsöarna), Gambier Islands och Austral Islands. Det Ă€r lĂ„nga avstĂ„nd mellan ögrupperna dĂ€r Gambieröarna och Australöarna ligger lĂ€ngst söderut. Dessa sydligare ögrupper kommer vi troligen inte att besöka. LĂ€ngre norrut, frĂ„n öst till vĂ€st ligger Marquesas, Tuamotu och SĂ€llskapsöarna dĂ€r Tahiti med huvudstaden Papeete kanske Ă€r den mest kĂ€nda. NĂ„gon ö pĂ„ var och en av dessa ögrupper har vi tĂ€nkt besöka innan vi ger oss av lĂ€ngre vĂ€sterut till andra Polynesiska öar/nationer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Öarna i Franska Polynesien har alla bildats frĂ„n vulkaner och de yngsta Ă€r ungefĂ€r 1-5 miljoner Ă„r gamla, som t ex öarna pĂ„ Marquesas, De Ă€ldsta öarna ligger i Australöarna och Tuamotu och Ă€r runt 50 miljoner Ă„r gamla. De Ă€ldsta öarna Ă€r inga egentliga öar lĂ€ngre utan Ă„rmiljonernas erodering har förvandlat dem till atoller dĂ€r bara vissa delar sticker upp ur havsytan.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Öarna i Franska Polynesien bosattes först av austronesisktalande polynesier, som troligen hĂ€rstammade frĂ„n Sydostasien (Taiwan-Filippinerna) och migrerade österut via Samoa och Tonga. Denna migration var en del av den stora polynesiska expansionen över Stilla havet. I Franska Polynesien började den vid Marquesas nĂ„gra hundra Ă„r f Kr och de sista öarna som koloniserades av polynesier tror man var Gambieröarna som ocksĂ„ blev de öar dĂ€r en grupp invĂ„nare förmodligen emigrerade och fortsatte den lĂ„nga fĂ€rden till PĂ„skön och senare Hawaii som började befolkas runt 1000 respektive 1200-talet e Kr. En förutsĂ€ttning till den starka expansionen, trots de stora avstĂ„nden i Stilla havet, var de sofistikerade navigeringsfĂ€rdigheter som Polynesierna hade utvecklat. De navigerade med hjĂ€lp av stjĂ€rnor, havsströmmar och fĂ„glars migrationsmönster. De anvĂ€nde sig av de karakteristiska trĂ€kanoterna med en utriggare (extra skrov) fĂ€st pĂ„ ena sidan av kanoten. Dessa kanoter var mycket stabila och kunde bĂ„de paddlas och seglas. Idag anvĂ€nds fortfarande samma typ av kanoter men tillverkade av modernare material.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Första gĂ„ngen europĂ©er kom i kontakt med öarna var pĂ„ 1500-talet dĂ„ portugiser och spanjorer noterade att öarna fanns men de hade troligen ingen större kontakt med invĂ„narna. 1767 landsteg britten Samuel Wallis pĂ„ Tahiti och deklarerade ön som brittisk. Protestantism infördes sedan pĂ„ ön. FransmĂ€n tog sĂ„ smĂ„ningom över Tahiti efter dispyter och strider med britter och befolkningen pĂ„ öarna under den dĂ„varande polynesiska regenten Drottning Pomare IV.  I början av 1900-talet tillhörde alla fem ögrupperna Frankrike och katolicismen blev den officiella religionen. Idag har Franska Polynesien mer sjĂ€lvstyre men rĂ€knas fortfarande som ett av Frankrikes sĂ„ kallade utomeuropeiska förvaltningsomrĂ„den dĂ€r Frankrike behĂ„ller kontrollen över försvar, utrikespolitik, rĂ€ttsvĂ€sende och valuta (CFP-francen Ă€r knuten till euron). Franska Polynesien kontrollerar numera sina egna lagar, ekonomi, budget, hĂ€lsa, utbildning (delvis) och inre sĂ€kerhet. Vad vi förstĂ„tt verkar det inte lĂ€ngre finnas majoritetsstöd hos befolkningen pĂ„ öarna för fullstĂ€ndig sjĂ€lvstĂ€ndighet frĂ„n Frankrike men man försöker istĂ€llet ta vara pĂ„ den egna gamla kulturen bĂ€ttre och har, med historikers och arkeologers hjĂ€lp, börjat Ă„terupptĂ€cka och omfamna delar av den som exempelvis danser, hantverk och mattraditioner.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Den Polynesiska ursprungskulturen och dess traditioner varierar mellan öarna men har en gemensam kĂ€rna. Innan den europeiska koloniseringen var befolkningen organiserad i hierarkiska hövdingadömen styrda av <em>Ari’i </em>(hövdingar). Under hövdingarna fanns flera olika samhĂ€llsskikt och lĂ€gst stĂ„ende var slavarna som ofta var dömda brottslingar eller tillfĂ„ngatagna fiender. Polynesierna kunde bygga imponerande strukturer som <em>marae </em>som var heliga tempel för religiösa och sociala Ă€ndamĂ„l. Man levde pĂ„ vad havet kunde ge samt odlade och planterade mĂ„nga olika grödor som exempelvis brödfrukt och frukttrĂ€d av olika slag som man skördade och lagrade pĂ„ olika sĂ€tt för att vara lĂ€ngre Ă€n skördesĂ€songen. Bl a anvĂ€ndes fermentering som en metod. T ex gjorde man <em>mahi </em>eller <em>pƍpoi </em>som det ocksĂ„ kallas. Det Ă€r brödfrukt som mosats och fĂ„tt ligga syrefattigt i en lövbeklĂ€dd grop dĂ€r den sĂ„ smĂ„ningom fermenterade (genom mjölksyrabakterier). Mahin kunde lagras i flera Ă„r och sĂ€gs vara bĂ„de nĂ€ringsrik och nyttig. NĂ€r polynesierna koloniserade nya öar hade de med sig mĂ„nga av de viktiga frukter och frön och vissa tamdjur som grisar och hundar som de behövde för att överleva pĂ„ de tidigare obebodda öarna.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Polynesierna idkade mycket handel men var ocksĂ„ stridslystna och krig mellan öarna/kungadömen förekom. De utövade en komplex polyteistisk religion som var sammanflĂ€tad med det dagliga livet och den sociala strukturen. Deras andliga övertygelser kretsade kring <em>atua </em>(gudar), förfĂ€der, <em>mana </em> (andlig kraft) och <em>tapu </em>(heliga begrĂ€nsningar). Ordet tabu kommer just frĂ„n polynesiskans tapu.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mana var en övernaturlig kraft som inte bara fanns i alla levande varelser utan Ă€ven döda ting som föremĂ„l och platser. Hövdingar och prĂ€ster hade stark mana, vilket gav dem gudomlig auktoritet. Kvinnors mana var vanligen större Ă€n mĂ€nnens pĂ„ grund av att de kunde föda barn (ge liv). Att förlora mana, genom nederlag i strid eller bryta en tapu, resulterade i vanĂ€ra och förlust av status. T ex var det tapu för en kvinna att kliva pĂ„ en kanot dĂ„ hennes mana var mycket mĂ€ktigare Ă€n kanotens och kanoten s a s förlorade sin kraft. Detta var sĂ€rskilt viktigt att ta hĂ€nsyn till nĂ€r kanoterna skulle anvĂ€ndas i strider. LikasĂ„ kunde det vara tapu att kliva över en hövdings skugga om man stod lĂ€gre i rang. Att allvarligt bryta mot en tapu kunde ibland bestraffas med döden.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Polynesier trodde pĂ„ en balans mellan maskulina och feminina energier, snarare Ă€n bestĂ€mda könsroller beroende pĂ„ hur man sĂ„g ut fysiskt och vissa myter beskriver gudar eller andar som byter kön eller Ă€r androgyna. Manan var dĂ€rför inte strikt knuten till biologiskt kön, utan snarare ens roll i samhĂ€llet. Franska Polynesien, liksom andra delar av Polynesien, hade ett erkĂ€nt "tredje kön" kĂ€nt som <em>māhĆ«</em>. Dessa var mĂ€nniskor som förkroppsligade bĂ„de manliga och kvinnliga egenskaper. De var biologiska mĂ€n som tog pĂ„ sig kvinnliga könsroller, inklusive klĂ€der, tal och yrken. I vissa fall fanns det Ă€ven kvinnliga māhĆ« som tog pĂ„ sig manliga roller. <a name="_Hlk191066362">MāhĆ« </a>hade flera viktiga roller i samhĂ€llet. Ofta kunde de vara prĂ€ster, helare, lĂ€rare eller konstnĂ€rer, specialiserade pĂ„ muntliga traditioner, dansformer och ansvarade för omsorg av barn och Ă€ldre. De sĂ„gs som kunskapens vĂ€ktare, och var en slags kulturbĂ€rare av informationen om olika slĂ€ktled, gamla berĂ€ttelser och religiösa sedvĂ€njor som de förde vidare mellan generationer. Hövdingar kunde vĂ€nda sig till en māhĆ« för att fĂ„ rĂ„d inför viktiga beslut. Efter den europeiska koloniseringen och införandet av kristendom sĂ„gs MāhĆ« som en styggelse och vĂ€sterlĂ€ndska könsroller infördes och mĂ„nga māhĆ« utsattes för socialt förtryck och undvek att visa sin identitet. Idag Ă€r dock māhĆ« fortfarande nĂ€rvarande i den polynesiska och hawaiianska kulturen och Ă€r mer accepterade, Ă€ven om deras roll har utvecklats och anpassats till dagens levnadssĂ€tt. MĂ„nga arbetar idag exempelvis inom olika serviceyrken.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Polynesierna var ocksĂ„ kĂ€nda för sina <em>tikis</em>, mĂ€nniskoliknande antropomorfiska figurer, uthuggna ur sten, trĂ€ eller ben. Enligt polynesisk mytologi anses tiki ibland vara den första mĂ€nniskan som skapats av gudarna men tolkningarna varierar pĂ„ de olika ögrupperna. PĂ„ Marquesas representerar tikis frĂ€mst förfĂ€der och skyddande andar. Ofta utformades de som hĂ€lften mĂ€nniska och hĂ€lften djur eller gud med förstorade huvuden och ögon. En tolkning av de stora ögonen (som nĂ€stan ser ut som glasögon) Ă€r att genom ögonen kommer man i kontakt med andevĂ€rlden. Tikis Ă€r ofta ocksĂ„ kopplade till andligt skydd, styrka och vĂ€gledning.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi har nu legat för ankar i drygt tvĂ„ veckor utanför huvudorten Taiohae pĂ„ ön Nuku Hiva som ocksĂ„ Ă€r huvudön i Marquesas. SĂ„ fort orkansĂ€songen (cyklonsĂ€songen) Ă€r avslutad i april börjar den egentliga turistsĂ€songen och dĂ„ kommer mĂ„nga bĂ„tar och turister till öarna. Vi Ă€r tidigt ute pĂ„ sĂ€songen sĂ„ det Ă€r gott om plats i viken och fĂ„ turister pĂ„ ön, förutom nĂ€r kryssningsfartygen lĂ€gger till för dĂ„ kryllar det av folk Taiohae under en dag. Damen i turistbyrĂ„n intill hamnen har full koll pĂ„ nĂ€r kryssningsfartygen kommer och ser till att boka den lokala ensemblen av dansare och trumslagare som har sina uppvisningar inför hĂ€nförda kryssningsturister. Kommersen med hantverk, frukt och grönt blommar upp och de smĂ„ lokala cafĂ©erna fylls. Man förstĂ„r att turisterna utgör en viktig inkomstkĂ€lla för öarna.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Inklareringen gick smĂ€rtfritt. Vi ringde pĂ„ dörren hos de franska gendarmerna och fast vi kom utanför kontorstid tog de emot oss och proceduren var klar pĂ„ 10 minuter. Vi hade förberett oss genom att fylla i vĂ„ra uppgifter digitalt i ett system som anvĂ€nds pĂ„ öarna och hade passen och bĂ„tpapprena med oss. Som EU-medborgare Ă€r reglerna för att besöka och stanna i Franska Polynesien otroligt förmĂ„nliga.” SĂ„ hĂ€r enkelt skall det vara att komma till Frankrike. VĂ€lkomna!”, sa en av gendarmerna pĂ„ knagglig engelska. Eller, rĂ€ttare sagt. Killen började prata pĂ„ engelska men sĂ„ fort han konstaterade att vi kunde lite franska gick han över till sitt modersmĂ„l. 😊Efter inklareringen tog vi ut lite kontanter, skaffade oss ett lokalt sim-kort och fyllde pĂ„ med data. Äntligen uppkopplade igen!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nuku Hiva Ă€r en vĂ€ldigt vacker ö med höga bergstoppar och branta stup mot havet med fantastiska vyer. Det finns flera vikar med bra ankringsplatser runt ön. HĂ€r lĂ€r ocksĂ„ den nĂ€st högsta (lĂ€ngsta?) vattenfallet i vĂ€rlden finnas. Vi hyrde en bil och körde pĂ„ de fĂ„ vĂ€garna som finns. Först Ă„kte vi österut och kom till nĂ„gra mindre orter med smĂ„ fiskehamnar, affĂ€rer och restauranger. MangotrĂ€den lĂ€ngs vĂ€gen dignade av halvmogna frukter och vi tog oss friheten att plocka nĂ„gra. Ön Ă€r frodigt grön och vid vĂ€gkanterna kan man se grisar, hĂ€star och getter och en och annan ko vandra runt fritt. Tuppar och hönor syns sprĂ€tta överallt. Vissa hĂ€star hĂ„lls tjudrade och man ser inhĂ€gnade omrĂ„den men det gĂ„r lika mĂ„nga djur utanför som innanför hĂ€gnen.</p><p class="MsoNormal">PĂ„ den lilla orten Hatiheu Ă„t vi en fantastiskt god mĂ„ltid. En gryta gjord pĂ„ getkött och kokosmjölk serverat med kassava, friterad brödfrukt samt ris. Det vi inte orkade Ă€ta upp fick vi sedan slĂ€nga i en liten bĂ€ck, precis intill restaurangen dĂ€r det dök upp tvĂ„ stora Ă„lar som kalasade pĂ„ resterna. Ålarna var ”stammisar” pĂ„ restaurangen och en del av upplevelsen restaurangen Ă€r kĂ€nd för.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Utanför Hatiheu finns en av flera historiska lĂ€mningar frĂ„n tiden innan europĂ©ernas kolonisering. Platsen vi besökte heter Kamuihei och Ă€r en av de största arkeologiska utgrĂ€vningarna pĂ„ ön. HĂ€r finns heliga platser, Ă„teruppbyggda hus och ytor för olika sociala Ă€ndamĂ„l och vi sĂ„g tikis, offergropar och skĂ„lgropar uthuggna i stenar liknande dem vi kan se pĂ„ hĂ€llristningar i Sverige. Dessutom fanns flera petroglyfer pĂ„ stora stenhĂ€llar med avbildningar av djur, gudar, mĂ€nniskor och symboler som ocksĂ„ Ă„terfinns i polynesiernas mĂ„nga tatueringar. Eftersom den polynesiska kulturen var en kultur som bars av muntliga berĂ€ttelser och saknade skriftsprĂ„k Ă€r tolkningar svĂ„ra att göra och betydelserna sĂ€gs variera nĂ„got mellan ögrupperna men arkeologerna menar att det nĂ€stan alltid handlar om representationer av gudar, förfĂ€der, resor, himlakroppar och skyddssymboler. PĂ„ platsen fanns ocksĂ„ ett gigantiskt banjantrĂ€d som pĂ„stĂ„s vara 600 Ă„r gammalt!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sista delen av vĂ„r bilfĂ€rd gick vĂ€sterut mot flygplatsen. Nu kom vi till högre bergsomrĂ„den, djupa dalgĂ„ngar och pĂ„ hĂ„ll kunde vi se en mycket lĂ„ngt och vĂ€ldigt smalt vattenfall. IstĂ€llet för palmer och frukttrĂ€d kantades vĂ€gen av tallplanteringar med en art av tall som ursprungligen kommer frĂ„n Karibien. Tallarna har frĂ€mst planterats för virkets skull men har, sĂ„klart, ocksĂ„ förĂ€ndrat villkoren för de inhemska arterna som levde dĂ€r tidigare.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">PĂ„ stranden i Taiohae sĂ„g vi nĂ€stan varje dag unga killar som red fram och tillbaka pĂ„ sina hĂ€star. Ibland tĂ€vlade de lĂ€ngs en given strĂ€cka om att komma först. Det var imponerande att se eftersom de red barbacka (utan sadel) i snabb galopp med endast en filt att sitta pĂ„. De sĂ„g mĂ€kta stolta ut nĂ€r vi ville ta kort. Vi sĂ„g dock aldrig nĂ„gon tjej rida. HĂ€starna verkar numera vara en integrerad del av polynesiernas liv men hĂ€starnas ursprung Ă€r nĂ„got oklart. Det troligaste Ă€r att europĂ©erna införde flera djur som hĂ€star, getter och kor till öarna.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vattnen kring öarna i Marquesas Ă€r rika pĂ„ liv. De lokala fiskarna kommer in till hamnen nĂ€stan varje dag med fina fiskfĂ„ngster som de sĂ€ljer direkt pĂ„ plats. Fiskresterna efter rensningen kastas i hamnen till hajarnas förtjusning. Hajarna Ă€r av arten större svartfenad revhaj. Inte alla boende i omrĂ„det Ă€r förtjusta över spektaklet i vattnet nĂ€r hajarna slĂ„ss om resterna men det utgör en bra turistmagnet
 😊 Förutom hajarna, som trots allt inte Ă€r sĂ€rskilt farliga för mĂ€nniskor, har vi ocksĂ„ sett mĂ„nga mantor simma runt vĂ„r bĂ„t. TyvĂ€rr har det inte gĂ„tt att fĂ„ nĂ„gra bra bilder pĂ„ dem och nĂ€r vi snorklade i viken och försökte filma var sikten för dĂ„lig. Förhoppningsvis kommer fler tillfĂ€llen. En morgon hörde vi ett fasligt plaskade bakom bĂ„ten och nĂ€r vi sprang ut pĂ„ dĂ€ck ut för att se vad som hĂ€nt sĂ„g vi en havssköldpadda som försökte komma loss frĂ„n dingens förtöjningslina som den lyckats linda runt halsen. Efter nĂ„gra fruktlösa försök att vrida loss linan blev vi tvungna att kapa den. SĂ„ fort sköldpaddan kĂ€nde att den var fri tog den ett stort och ljudligt andetag innan den dök ner i vattnet och försvann. Hur den lyckats trassla in sig sĂ„ konstigt kunde vi dock aldrig lista ut
</p><p class="MsoNormal">PĂ„ alla hjĂ€rtans dag passade vi pĂ„ att Ă€ta en trerĂ€tters middag pĂ„ en restaurang i Taiohae dĂ€r lokala musiker framförde smĂ€ktande ballader. Dagen efter kunde vi ocksĂ„ ta del av en alla hjĂ€rtans dag-fest dĂ€r bĂ„de lokalbor och turister var vĂ€lkomna. Till maten framfördes en show som var över en timme lĂ„ng och var mer som en dansad lĂ„ng berĂ€ttelse. Vi dök upp senare pĂ„ kvĂ€llen men sĂ„g Ă€ndĂ„ delar av uppvisningen. senare kunde vi sjĂ€lva dansa lite till öronbedövande polyneisisk populĂ€rmusik 😁 </p> <p class="MsoNormal">De senaste dagarna har vi provianterat lite i den lokala affĂ€ren och köpt en souvenir i form av en mini-tiki i trĂ€ gjord av en lokal konstnĂ€r pĂ„ ön.</p> <p>Nu vĂ€ntar vi ut lite oroligt vĂ€der innan vi kan ge oss av till atollerna i Tuamotu. Eftersom det rör sig om grunda rev med fĂ„ in- eller utgĂ„ngar och dĂ€r strömmarna Ă€r starka mĂ„ste vi passa tidvattentiderna sĂ„ att vi kommer in nĂ€r det Ă€r slack. Vi hoppas kunna trĂ€na pĂ„ en enklare atoll med större utrymme för bĂ„ten att komma in, innan vi ger oss pĂ„ att nĂ„ atollen Fakarava dĂ€r vi hoppas kunna fĂ„ se pĂ€rlodlingar!</p><p><br></p><p><em>Show for tourists</em></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ezxgysC0OJI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><br></p><p><em>Different tikis. Some old and some new</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250205_153642.jpg?1740271342" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153642.jpg?1740271342 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153642.jpg?1740271342 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153642.jpg?1740271342 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153642.jpg?1740271342 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153642.jpg?1740271342?1740271342" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153918.jpg?1740271343?1740271343" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_152953.jpg?1740271342?1740271342" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250205_153734.jpg?1740271342" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153734.jpg?1740271342 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153734.jpg?1740271342 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153734.jpg?1740271342 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153734.jpg?1740271342 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250205_153734.jpg?1740271342?1740271342" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_094639.jpg?1740271343" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094639.jpg?1740271343 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094639.jpg?1740271343 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094639.jpg?1740271343 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094639.jpg?1740271343 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094639.jpg?1740271343?1740271343" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_094725.jpg?1740271343?1740271343" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_095118.jpg?1740271342" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095118.jpg?1740271342 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095118.jpg?1740271342 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095118.jpg?1740271342 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095118.jpg?1740271342 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095118.jpg?1740271342?1740271342" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_095443.jpg?1740271342" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095443.jpg?1740271342 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095443.jpg?1740271342 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095443.jpg?1740271342 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095443.jpg?1740271342 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_095443.jpg?1740271342?1740271342" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_111618.jpg?1740271343" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111618.jpg?1740271343 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111618.jpg?1740271343 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111618.jpg?1740271343 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111618.jpg?1740271343 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111618.jpg?1740271343?1740271343" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_111947.jpg?1740271342" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111947.jpg?1740271342 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111947.jpg?1740271342 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111947.jpg?1740271342 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111947.jpg?1740271342 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_111947.jpg?1740271342?1740271342" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Views from land</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_093308.jpg?1740271599?1740271599" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_111212.jpg?1740271599?1740271599" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_102837.jpg?1740271599?1740271599" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Animals pasturing freely</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_154500.jpg?1740271748?1740271748" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WYwB6cWdUCQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p><br></p><p><em>Hatiheu. eels feasting on leftovers</em></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7jH2Oq1laO4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br><p><br></p><p><em>Kamuihei arheological site</em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114849.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120000.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_114332.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114332.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114332.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114332.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114332.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114332.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_114640.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114640.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114640.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114640.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114640.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_114640.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_120127.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120127.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120127.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120127.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120127.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120127.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120009.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_120143.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120143.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120143.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120143.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120143.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120143.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> </p><p> <br></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="3024" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121701.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_120942.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_121804.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123052.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250212_123207.jpg?1740271996?1740271996" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Horse riding</em></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WBR_pHo89Bw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br><p><br></p><p><em>Sharks at the harbour</em></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQW7ruvLkCk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br><p><br></p><p><em>Polynesian Traditional Canoes </em></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250206_164107.jpg?1740290992?1740290992" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250221_163610.jpg?1740290992?1740290992" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250220_171206.jpg?1740290992?1740290992" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992" loading="lazy" data-original-width="4032" data-original-height="1960" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250210_100248.jpg?1740290992?1740290992" width="350" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><br></p><p><em>Valentine's Day (Malin WAS happy!)</em></p><p> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250214_192021.jpg?1740291240" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192021.jpg?1740291240 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192021.jpg?1740291240 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192021.jpg?1740291240 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192021.jpg?1740291240 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192021.jpg?1740291240?1740291240" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240" loading="lazy" data-original-width="3024" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_194632.jpg?1740291240?1740291240" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku Hiva/20250214_192014.jpg?1740291240" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1960" data-original-height="4032" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192014.jpg?1740291240 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192014.jpg?1740291240 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192014.jpg?1740291240 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192014.jpg?1740291240 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Nuku%20Hiva/20250214_192014.jpg?1740291240?1740291240" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ez_m9Hdbaeg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br> Sat, 22 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/february-2025/french-polynesia-nuku-hiva-and-the-marquesas /blog/february-2025/french-polynesia-nuku-hiva-and-the-marquesas Pacific crossing Malin <div> <p class="MsoNormal">The entire 3100 nautical miles crossing from Galapagos to French Polynesia took us just under 22 days to complete. We had favorable winds for most of the crossing as well as a westerly current of about 1 knot. Despite the fact that the weather files we downloaded every day recommended other routes, we were able to maintain a fairly straight course towards our destination, the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago. The average speed we maintained was almost 6 knots, which can be considered a good average speed for Anastacia.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On all longer crossings, we write down our position every few hours and plot it on a paper chart as part of “dead reckoning”. The data we obtained showed that on some days we maintained a good speed and covered 170 nautical miles/day with an average speed of over 7 knots. One day we had almost no wind at all and did 75 nautical miles in a whole day. Then we took the opportunity to swim holding on to a rope behind the boat. A wonderful experience to get a proper clean! 😊. Then we also discovered how much growth Anastacia had on her hull. A lot of gooseneck barnacles had gotten stuck under her
 That means more hull cleaning in the future for us
😒</p> <p class="MsoNormal">During most of the sailing we were able to use our downwind sail (Blue water runner) either fully on both sides of the boat (goose wing) or double-folded as a large gennaker. The experience from the Atlantic crossing, where the halyard was chafed in the mast, had taught us the importance of sewing in extra chafing protection in the halyard where the wear was the greatest and also being careful to, at regular intervals, change the positions of both halyard and sheet to avoid too much chafing at the same spot. It paid off and despite the hundreds of hours the sail was up, nothing serious happened. The only thing that occurred was that a small line in the halyard fastening broke one night, but we were able to quickly fix that by hauling down the sail and securing it with a new piece of rope. Our third crew member, the wind rudder, had to work non-stop and had done its job brilliantly. We are still amazed by this mechanical marvel that steers the boat after the wind with such elegance. The autopilot has been allowed to rest during the entire trip, which also contributed to low power consumption. We are also a little proud that we have not had to use the engine for anything other than sporadically charging the boat's batteries and running the water maker. We have really been able to sail the whole time! 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We have also taken the opportunity to practice the so called heave to, which we have never done before with Anastacia. It required a little trimming of the sail and rudder until we could reduce the speed from 7 to 0.8 knots in relatively high waves. Now we have agreed that we will practice heave to until both of us can solve it on our own. It can be important to slow down the boat in rough weather or emergencies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At regular intervals, we have had text contact with family via Iridium Go (satellite phone) and the crew of the Swedish boat S/Y Kerpa who also sailed to the Marquesas but started the crossing from Panama. Being without internet for so long was a challenge for us at the beginning but something we also got used to relatively quickly and eventually didn't miss at all
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The voyage has otherwise been quite uneventful. We created routines to be able to get through the days. We ate all meals together and made sure they ended up between our four-hour watch shifts. The waves were sometimes big and caused the boat to roll a lot. Sleeping was sometimes a challenge and we had to help each other give each other extra sleep time when possible. We have done daily inspection rounds of the boat to check the ropes, mast, boom and sails. We have devoted ourselves to cooking in a kitchenette, where just about everything is moving all the time and, at regular intervals, baked bread, made yogurt, etc. We have spent time on maintenance, such as renovating the chafing protections for the ropes and stays. We have read books, learned a little more about sea weather and navigation with a sextant. At night we could observe the starry sky of the southern hemisphere where only a few stars and constellations were familiar to us. The North Star had disappeared below the northern horizon and the guidance for the compass directions was replaced instead by the constellation of the Southern Cross to the south. The moon appeared to lie like a small smiley in the sky when it was new. We noted that at no time during the voyage did we see any airplanes in the sky, nor have we seen any other boats. We have seen storm-petrels, however, almost every day. It is incredible that these birds can fly out to sea when the nearest landmass is 1,500 nautical miles away! We have looked in vain for whales. However, we were able to see large schools of dolphins in the distance, a few days after we left the Galapagos. They jumped several meters into the air before landing with a thunderous splash! A real spectacle! Christer caught two tunas (Skipjack tuna). They were enough for a week's dinner for the two of us, but after that there was a fishing ban on Anastacia! Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing! 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, after the longest sailing we have ever done, we have finally reached land and are anchored outside the village of Taiohae on the main island of Nuku Hiva. We celebrated with a beer and some chips in the cockpit. A bit festive as there is an absolute ban on alcohol on the boat while sailing
 After an uncomplicated clearance at the French gendarmerie on the island, we went to bed and slept for over 12 hours! Now a few months of exploring the different island in Polynesia awaits 😊</p><p class="MsoNormal">~~~~~~~~~~~~</p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal">Hela överfarten pĂ„ 3100 sjömil frĂ„n Galapagos till Franska Polynesien tog oss knappt 22 dygn att genomföra. Vi hade gynnsamma vindar den största delen av överfarten liksom medström med ca 1 knops fart. Trots att vĂ€derfilerna vi laddade ner varje dag rekommenderade andra rutter kunde vi hĂ„lla en nĂ„gorlunda rak kurs mot mĂ„let, ön Nuku Hiva i ögruppen Marquesas. Snittfarten vi höll var nĂ€stan 6 knop vilket fĂ„r anses vara en bra medelfart för Anastacia.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vid alla lĂ€ngre överfarter skriver vi upp vĂ„r position med nĂ„gra timmars mellanrum och plottar ut pĂ„ ett papperssjökort som en del i ”dead reckoning”. Den data vi fick fram visade att vi vissa dygn höll god fart och tillryggalade 170 nautiska mil/dygn med en snittfart pĂ„ över 7 knop. En dag hade vi nĂ€stan ingen vind alls och gjorde 75 nautiska mil pĂ„ ett helt dygn. DĂ„ passade vi pĂ„ att bada hĂ„llandes i ett rep efter bĂ„ten. En underbar upplevelse att fĂ„ bli ordentligt ren! 😊. DĂ„ upptĂ€ckte vi ocksĂ„ sĂ„ mycket pĂ„vĂ€xt Anastacia hade fĂ„tt pĂ„ sin botten. En massa s k lĂ„nghalsar (Gooseneck barnacles) hade fastnat under henne
 Det innebĂ€r mer bottenskrapning framöver för vĂ„r del
😒</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Under större delen av seglingen kunde vi anvĂ€nda vĂ„rt medvindssegel (Blue water runner) Antingen fullt ut pĂ„ bĂ„da sidor om bĂ„ten (goose wing) eller dubbelvikt som en stor gennaker. Erfarenheterna frĂ„n Atlantöverfarten, dĂ€r fallet skavts sönder i masten, hade lĂ€rt oss vikten av att sy in extra skavskydd i fallet dĂ€r nötningen var som störst och dessutom vara noga med att, med jĂ€mna mellanrum, Ă€ndra pĂ„ positionerna för bĂ„de fall och skot för att undvika för stort skav pĂ„ samma punkt. Det betalade sig och trots de hundratals timmar seglet var uppe skedde inget allvarligt. Det enda som hĂ€nde var att en liten tamp i fĂ€stet mot fallet brast en natt men det kunde vi snabbt Ă„tgĂ€rda genom att hala ner seglet och fĂ€sta med en ny repstump. VĂ„r tredje besĂ€ttningsmedlem, vindrodret, har fĂ„tt arbeta oavbrutet och skötte sitt arbete med bravur. Vi Ă€r fortfarande förundrade över detta mekaniska underverk som styr bĂ„ten efter vinden med sĂ„dan elegans. Autopiloten har fĂ„tt vila under hela resan vilket ocksĂ„ bidragit till lĂ„g strömförbrukning. Lite stolta Ă€r vi ocksĂ„ över att inte ha behövt anvĂ€nda motorn till annat Ă€n att sporadiskt ladda bĂ„tens batterier och köra watermakern för att göra vatten. Vi har verkligen kunnat segla hela tiden! 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi har ocksĂ„ passat pĂ„ att öva pĂ„ att dreja bi, vilket vi aldrig gjort tidigare med Anastacia. Det krĂ€vde lite trimning av segel och roder tills vi kunde fĂ„ ner farten frĂ„n 7 till 0,8 knop i relativt höga vĂ„gor. Nu Ă€r vi överens om att vi skall trĂ€na pĂ„ att dreja bi tills bĂ„da kan lösa det pĂ„ egen hand. Det kan vara viktigt att fĂ„ ner bĂ„tens fart vid hĂ„rt vĂ€der eller nödsituationer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Med jĂ€mna mellanrum har vi haft sms-kontakt med familjen via Iridium Go (satellittelefon) samt besĂ€ttningen pĂ„ den svenska bĂ„ten S/Y Kerpa som ocksĂ„ seglade till Marquesas men startade överfarten frĂ„n Panama. Att vara utan internet sĂ„ lĂ€nge var en utmaning för oss i början men nĂ„got vi ocksĂ„ vande oss vid relativt snabbt och till slut inte saknade alls
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">FĂ€rden har i övrigt varit ganska hĂ€ndelsefattig. Vi skapade rutiner för att kunna fĂ„ dagarna att gĂ„. Alla mĂ„ltider Ă„t vi tillsammans och sĂ„g till att de hamnade mellan vĂ„ra fyratimars vaktpass. VĂ„gorna var tidvis stora och gjorde att bĂ„ten rullade en hel del. Att sova blev ibland en utmaning och vi fick hjĂ€lpas Ă„t att ge varandra extra sömntid nĂ€r det var möjligt. Vi har gĂ„tt dagliga kontrollrundor pĂ„ bĂ„ten för att se över tampar, mast, bom och segel. Vi har Ă€gnat oss Ă„t matlagning i ett pentry, dĂ€r precis allting rör sig hela tiden och, med jĂ€mna mellanrum, bakat bröd, gjort yoghurt mm. Vi har Ă€gnat tid Ă„t underhĂ„ll, som att renovera skavskydd till tampar och stag. Vi har lĂ€st böcker, lĂ€rt oss lite mer om sjövĂ€der och navigation med sextant. PĂ„ nĂ€tterna kunde vi betrakta södra halvklotets stjĂ€rnhimmel dĂ€r bara nĂ„gra fĂ„ stjĂ€rnor och stjĂ€rnbilder var bekanta för oss. PolstjĂ€rnan hade försvunnit under norra horisonten och vĂ€gledningen för vĂ€derstrecken ersattes istĂ€llet av stjĂ€rnbilden södra korset mot syd. MĂ„nen syntes liggandes som en liten smiley pĂ„ himlavalvet nĂ€r den var ny. Vi noterade att vi inte under nĂ„gon tidpunkt pĂ„ seglatsen sett nĂ„gra flygplan pĂ„ himlen inte heller har vi sett nĂ„gra andra bĂ„tar. Stormsvalor har vi dĂ€remot sett nĂ€stan varje dag. Otroligt att dessa fĂ„glar kan flyga ute till havs nĂ€r nĂ€rmaste landmassa ligger 1500 sjömil bort! Vi har förgĂ€ves spanat efter valar, utan att se nĂ„gra. Stora flockar med delfiner kunde vi dock beskĂ„da pĂ„ avstĂ„nd, nĂ„gra dygn efter att vi lĂ€mnat Galapagos. De hoppade flera meter upp i luften innan de landade med ett hejdundrande plask! Ett riktigt skĂ„despel! Christer fick upp tvĂ„ tonfiskar (Skipjack tuna). De rĂ€ckte till en veckas middagar för oss tvĂ„ men dĂ€refter rĂ„dde fiskeförbud pĂ„ Anastacia! Det kan ibland bli för mycket av det goda! 😊</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nu, efter den lĂ€ngsta seglats vi nĂ„gonsin gjort har vi Ă€ntligen nĂ„tt land och ligger för ankar utanför byn Taiohae pĂ„ huvudön Nuku Hiva. Vi firade med varsin öl och lite chips i sittbrunnen. Lite högtidslikt dĂ„ det rĂ„der absolut alkoholförbud pĂ„ bĂ„ten under fĂ€rd
 Efter en okomplicerad inklarering vid det franska gendarmeriet pĂ„ ön lade vi oss och sov i över 12 timmar! Nu vĂ€ntar nĂ„gra mĂ„naders utforskande av de olika ögrupperna i Polynesien 😊</p><p><br></p><p><em>A short video from the crossing</em></p><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X3kdFzUfXxc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>A happy fisherman</em> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250116_133014.jpg?1738988587" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250116_133014.jpg?1738988587 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250116_133014.jpg?1738988587 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250116_133014.jpg?1738988587 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250116_133014.jpg?1738988587?1738988587" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250122_155402.jpg?1738988587" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250122_155402.jpg?1738988587 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250122_155402.jpg?1738988587 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250122_155402.jpg?1738988587 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250122_155402.jpg?1738988587?1738988587" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Chafing protection. Before and after...</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141526.jpg?1738988762" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141526.jpg?1738988762 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141526.jpg?1738988762 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141526.jpg?1738988762 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141526.jpg?1738988762?1738988762" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141925.jpg?1738988762" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141925.jpg?1738988762 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141925.jpg?1738988762 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141925.jpg?1738988762 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Pacific/20250203_141925.jpg?1738988762?1738988762" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p> Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/february-2025/pacific-crossing /blog/february-2025/pacific-crossing Galapagos Malin <p class="MsoNormal">The entire Galapagos archipelago and its waters belong to Ecuador. The area is considered the world's second largest marine reserve with its 133,000 km2 and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a unique animal and plant life. The archipelago consists of 19 larger islands, 4 of which are inhabited, plus a further 110 uninhabited small islets and rocks. The islands are all volcanic islands and lie at the intersection of three continental plates. The islands belong to the northern part of the Nazca plate, on the border with the so-called Cocos plate in the north. To the west, it borders the South American continental plate. The Nazca plate is slowly drifting in a southeasterly direction towards the South American continental plate at a speed of about 5 cm per year. The movement causes new volcanoes to arise to the west and the most recent eruption on the Galapagos took place in March 2024 on the westernmost island of Fernandina. It is believed that the islands began to form five to ten million years ago and the difference in age between the islands varies, with the oldest, easternmost islands (San CristĂłbal and Española) being several million years older than the westernmost (Isabela and Fernandina). The islands are believed to have been uninhabited until the first Spaniards from Panama arrived there in the 16th century. When we spoke to residents of Santa Cruz, many referred to the “Pirate age”. It turned out to be a period in the 16th and 17th centuries when many pirate ships, who made plundering raids on the mainland, were able to escape to the archipelago and, among other things, feed on the large land tortoises that were on the islands. In fact, the name Galapagos means tortoise.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, the first visitors to the islands brought with them other animal species that caused damage to the islands. Perhaps the worst was the rats, which multiplied rapidly and fed on the animals that were already on the islands; baby turtles, lizards, small iguanas, etc. The lack of mammals and larger predators meant that the species that lived on the islands became easy prey as they were completely fearless. To solve the rat problem, cats were eventually introduced, but they found lizards, iguanas and fearless birds being easier prey than the cautious rats. On several islands, entire species got extinguished because of this. Goats and stray dogs have also been major problems. Dogs are now only kept as pets and under control. Feral cats are still found on some islands. We ourselves saw a small wild cat chasing a lizard when we walked to a beach on Santa Cruz. In recent years, it has been possible to remove all foreign species on some islands and several projects are underway to replant many of the animals and plants that have disappeared. However, it is also known that several species have unfortunately become completely extinct.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">During the 25 days we stayed in the Galapagos, we stayed anchored in Academy Bay near the town of Puerto Ayora on the main island of Santa Cruz. It is also allowed to sail to three more islands in the archipelago, but after just a few days, we didn't think it was worth the trouble with the permits that we had to arrange with our agent for each island. At each island you have to clear in and out and pay a small national park fee in addition to the fees we had already paid to be able to sail here at all. In addition, Puerto Ayora was the port with the best facilities and where it was easiest to refuel the boat and be able to clear out of the Galapagos when leaving. It is clear that the islanders focus on tourists who come to the islands by plane to be able to service them when they ask for accommodations, food, activities, etc. Leisure boat tourists, like us, requires more work with checks of the boat and crew and less income for the islands. To get to and from the island from the boat, we could call a taxi boat. It cost a dollar per person and was well worth the small fee. You can use your own dinghy if you want, but in reality, it is not possible as there is nowhere to dock on land. In addition, the sea lions could quickly take possession of the boat for their rest when they are not catching fish in the sea outside. When we stepped ashore on Santa Cruz, it was amazing to see how fearless all the animals we encountered were. Sea lions and iguanas lay calmly sunbathing in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city of Puerto Ayora and various birds sat completely fearlessly in the middle of visitors and preened their feathers. Tourism makes up more than 80% of the islands' economy and we quickly realized that here, as in many other places we have visited, they do everything they can to make a few pennies from visitors. The taxi boats were just one example. In Puerto Ayora, the streets were full of small travel agencies offering tickets for fast ferries between the islands, sightseeing tours on land as well as diving or snorkeling trips. Drivers hailed from their white pickup taxis and asked if we wanted a ride. There are very few areas on the islands where you can roam freely in nature or snorkel on your own. Basically, all places require you to have a guide with you. The lasting impression was like being in a gigantic zoo. However, it must be admitted that the guided tours were well organized and the guides were consistently very knowledgeable. We also made sure that they were kept busy, as inquisitive as we are
😊. Nowadays, all guides and park rangers in the Galapagos must be certified and continuously trained and also reside on one of the islands. Everyone we met was also really professional and concerned that we would have a good experience but also very clear about the rules that applied so as not to harm animals or plants in any way.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The first visit we made, was to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we were given a brief overview of Darwin's visit to the islands in 1835 and how his studies of life on the Galapagos played a role in his theory of natural selection. Among other things, he was able to see with his own eyes how finches had adapted over time on the different islands depending on what food they could mainly eat. The shape of the beaks had changed and looked different depending on which island the finches lived on. It was a somewhat reverent moment for us to visit places that have become so important for our understanding of how species developed on earth... The research center also breeds several of the 15 different species of large tortoises found on the different islands. They wait until the tortoises are 5 years old before they are released. Only then are the tortoises' shells hard enough to prevent them from falling victim to rats. 5 years may seem like a lot, but on the other hand, tortoises live around 150 years! The research center is very active in various educational projects for both residents and visitors. Scientists from all over the world come here to study animal and plant life on land and in the sea. Many projects are focused on the conservation of endangered species and restoration. Other projects aim to find more sustainable energy alternatives on the islands and how to tackle the problem of the enormous amount of plastic waste that flows ashore on the islands via ocean currents. Illegal fishing in the seas outside is another major problem that is being addressed, where unfortunately China stands out as being particularly active. Since the fishing boats turn off their transponders, AIS, etc., they become almost impossible to track for the few coast guard vessels that patrol the entire reserve. We ourselves have been surprised when we have sailed at night and suddenly seen lights from fishing boats appear just a few nautical miles away that we have not been able to track via our plotter (AIS). When we have sailed past them, they have turned off their lanterns again and thus made themselves completely invisible again. Now we understand what could have been the reason
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We also visited a reserve for land tortoises and saw them roaming around completely freely. They like to graze together with the cows that are kept on the island and the tortoises are so big that they sometimes force their way through the cow enclosures so that the cows also come out – much to the farmers’ annoyance. On the way there, we saw giant land tortoises crossing the roads in slow motion, where traffic had to stop to let them pass. The taxi driver told us that only park rangers are allowed to move tortoises that are on the road and drivers can be fined the equivalent of several months’ wages and even jail time if they hit a tortoise. It’s simply a matter of being patient
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We also booked a snorkeling trip to the small island of PinzĂłn to see more of the underwater life. Unfortunately, the visibility was poor but we managed to film some of it. In fact, where Anastacia was lying, there was also a lot of life, both in and on the water. Reef sharks, large sea turtles and iguanas swam around the boat. A lot of different seabirds, in addition to the more common frigate birds and pelicans, visited us. We saw several Blue Footed Boobys which have become a bit of a symbol of the Galapagos. Then we have a special relationship with a Galapagos heron which often returned and almost settled on the boat. We called the bird Sture but had no idea if it was a female or a male. Sture seemed to think the boat was a perfect place to stand to watch for fish. We also saw him catch a fish which turned out to be too big for him to swallow. After several failed attempts Sture released the fish into our cockpit and watched for more fish. The next day the fish was still there and had probably been desperately squirming around before it finally died so we had to clean up the entire cockpit. Christer threw the fish into the sea and Sture, who was still sitting on the railing, looked at him angrily. Apparently, he thought it was a shame to throw away the food he had spent so much energy catching
 We were also soon visited by a sea lion who parked on Anastacia’s small swimming platform. We had thought that the platform was too small for sea lions, but this individual didn’t think so and stayed there all night. Unfortunately, the sea lion left a big business card behind on the platform that smelled really bad and we had to spend a good while washing everything off. After that, we placed two large ball fenders in the stern and avoided further visits.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Christmas was celebrated with traditional Christmas porridge made from plain rice and other improvised food for our small Christmas table on the boat. Of course, we had made sure to bring the obligatory Italian Panettone, bought in Panama, which we enjoyed with our coffee. New Year's Eve, which was also Christer's birthday, was first celebrated with breakfast on the boat with cream cake and a little later in the day, homemade birthday panna cotta garnished with toasted, candied coconut flakes was served, followed by gift-giving and beautiful singing performed by the lady on the boat. In the evening, we had a delicious sea-inspired dinner at a nice restaurant where we got a table on a balcony overlooking the water. Then we celebrated the old year with thousands of other Galapagos residents from both Santa Cruz and other islands + a lot of tourists who strolled the streets and bought something from the street vendors who crowded along the main street in Puerto Ayora. A small funfair with a train track for the youngest visitors had been set up at one end of the street. To our surprise, we saw that the staff, with young, enthusiastic helpers, were helping to push the train with all the carriages around the track. The children rode and screamed with delight and had fun and the parents watched. Just like at any other funfair, although this one was operated by hand without motors or electricity 😊. The city had also arranged entertainment throughout the evening and night in the square, with artists from Colombia, among others. At midnight, the cheers broke out. No fireworks or light shows but a thunderous roar from the stage and cheering people everywhere. At two o'clock we took a boat taxi back to Anastacia and heard the music from the harbor well into the morning. When we, on January 2nd, went ashore again to buy some vegetables, we were surprised that so few shops were open. Now we found out that the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, had declared a national holiday from New Year's until after the Epiphany! We had to wait with the vegetables
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The only disappointment during our visit was that we had a cold last week, which meant we had to cancel a diving trip to the island Isla Seymour Norte, just north of Santa Cruz. There we could have seen more species, including reef sharks and hammerhead sharks! However, we hope to have that chance later on in our sailing. Now we are preparing the boat for the longest crossing we will make. We have just over 3000 nautical miles to sail to the island of Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas archipelago, French Polynesia. After a few administrative procedures, we will set off tomorrow and expect to arrive in 25-30 days. We also operate a postal service, albeit on a very small scale. On the way here, we delivered a small oil pump that the agent here had ordered from Panama. We will bring a package to Polynesia for a sailor who had to leave the Galapagos before the package from his parents arrived here. To be safe, we check the contents before we set off 😊 If we had visited the island of Floreana here in the Galapagos, we could have visited Post Office Bay founded in 1793 where former whalers could leave letters and at the same time see if there were letters addressed to the destination they were sailing to... This unofficial post office is said to still be used today by sailors.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p> <div> <p class="MsoNormal">Hela Galapagos-arkipelagen med tillhörande vatten tillhör Ecuador. OmrĂ„det rĂ€knas som vĂ€rldens nĂ€st största marina reservat med sina 133,000 km2 och Ă€r klassat som ett UNESCO vĂ€rldsarv med ett unikt djur- och vĂ€xtliv. Arkipelagen utgörs av 19 större öar varav 4 Ă€r bebodda plus ytterligare ca 110 obebodda smĂ„ holmar och klippor. Öarna Ă€r alla vulkanöar och ligger i skĂ€rningspunkten mellan tre kontinentalplattor. Öarna hör till den norra delen av Nazca-plattan, pĂ„ grĂ€nsen till den sĂ„ kallade Cocosplattan i norr. VĂ€sterut grĂ€nsar den till den sydamerikanska kontinentalplattan. Nazcaplattan driver lĂ„ngsamt i sydostlig riktning mot den sydamerikanska kontinentalplattan med en hastighet av cirka 5 cm per Ă„r. Rörelsen gör att nya vulkaner uppstĂ„r vĂ€sterut och det senaste utbrottet pĂ„ Galapagos skedde i mars 2024 pĂ„ den vĂ€stligaste ön Fernandina. Man tror att öarna började bildas fem till tio miljoner Ă„r sedan och skillnaden i Ă„lder mellan öarna varierar, dĂ€r de Ă€ldsta, östligaste öarna (San CristĂłbal and Española) Ă€r flera miljoner Ă„r Ă€ldre Ă€n de vĂ€stliga (Isabela och Fernandina). Öarna tros ha varit obebodda varit fram till att de första spanjorerna frĂ„n Panama kom dit pĂ„ 1500-talet. NĂ€r vi talade med invĂ„nare pĂ„ Santa Cruz sĂ„ var det mĂ„nga som hĂ€nvisade till ”Pirate age”. Det visade sig vara en period pĂ„ 1500 och 1600-talet dĂ„ mĂ„nga piratbĂ„tar, som gjorde plundringsrĂ€der pĂ„ fastlandet, kunde fly till ögruppen och bl a livnĂ€ra sig pĂ„ de stora landsköldpaddorna som fanns pĂ„ öarna. Namnet Galapagos betyder just sköldpadda. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">De första besökarna till öarna förde tyvĂ€rr med sig andra djurarter som stĂ€llt till skada pĂ„ öarna. VĂ€rst var kanske rĂ„ttorna som förökade sig snabbt och livnĂ€rde sig pĂ„ de djur som redan fanns pĂ„ öarna; sköldpaddsungar, ödlor, smĂ„ leguaner etc. Avsaknaden av dĂ€ggdjur och större rovdjur gjorde att de arter som levde pĂ„ öarna blev lĂ€tta byten dĂ„ de var helt orĂ€dda. För att lösa rĂ„ttproblemet infördes sĂ„ smĂ„ningom katter som dock tyckte att ödlor, leguaner och orĂ€dda fĂ„glar var enklare byten Ă€n de skygga rĂ„ttorna. PĂ„ flera öar dog hela arter ut p g av detta. Getter och lösspringande hundar har ocksĂ„ utgjort stora problem. Hundar hĂ„lls nu endast som sĂ€llskapsdjur och under kontroll. Förvildade katter finns fortfarande pĂ„ vissa öar. Vi sĂ„g sjĂ€lva en liten vildkatt jaga en ödla nĂ€r vi promenerade till en strand pĂ„ Santa Cruz. PĂ„ senare Ă„r har man kunnat fĂ„ bort alla frĂ€mmande arter pĂ„ vissa öar och flera Ă„terplanteringsprojekt pĂ„gĂ„r för att kunna Ă„terinplantera mĂ„nga av de djur och vĂ€xter som försvunnit. Dock vet man ocksĂ„ att flera arter tyvĂ€rr dött ut helt.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Under de 25 dagar vi stannat pĂ„ Galapagos sĂ„ har vi hela tiden legat för ankar i Academy Bay vid staden Puerto Ayora pĂ„ huvudön Santa Cruz. Det Ă€r tillĂ„tet att ocksĂ„ segla till ytterligare tre öar i arkipelagen men redan efter nĂ„gra dagars vistelse tyckte vi inte att det var vĂ€rt besvĂ€ret med de tillstĂ„nd som vi hade behövt ordna med vĂ„r agent för respektive ö. Vid varje ö mĂ„ste man nĂ€mligen klarera in respektive ut och betala en liten nationalparksavgift förutom de avgifter vi redan betalat för att över huvud taget fĂ„ segla hit. Dessutom var Puerto Ayora den hamn med bĂ€st faciliteter och dĂ€r det enklast gick att fĂ„ tanka bĂ„ten och kunna klarera ut ur Galapagos vid avfĂ€rd. Det Ă€r tydligt att man fokuserar pĂ„ turister som kommer via flyg till öarna och service till dem dĂ„ de efterfrĂ„gar övernattningsmöjligheter, mat, aktiviteter o s v. FritidsbĂ„tturister, som vi, innebĂ€r mer jobb med kontroller av bĂ„t och besĂ€ttning och mindre intĂ€kter till öarna.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">För att ta oss till och frĂ„n ön frĂ„n bĂ„ten kunde vi kalla pĂ„ en taxibĂ„t. Det kostade en dollar per person och var vĂ€l vĂ€rt den lilla avgiften. Man fĂ„r anvĂ€nda den egna dingen om man vill men i praktiken gĂ„r det inte dĂ„ det inte finns nĂ„gonstans att lĂ€gga till pĂ„ land. Dessutom kunde sjölejonen snabbt ta gummibĂ„ten i besittning för sina vilopauser nĂ€r de inte fĂ„ngar fisk i havet utanför.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">NĂ€r vi steg iland pĂ„ Santa Cruz var det fantastiskt att se hur orĂ€dda alla djur var som vi stötte pĂ„. Sjölejon och leguaner lĂ„g lugnt och solade mitt i stadsvimlet i Puerto Ayora och olika fĂ„glar satte sig helt orĂ€dda mitt bland besökare och putsade fjĂ€drarna. Turismen utgör mer Ă€n 80% av öarnas ekonomi och vi insĂ„g snabbt att hĂ€r, liksom pĂ„ mĂ„nga andra stĂ€llen vi besökt, gör man allt för att kunna tjĂ€na nĂ„gra slantar av besökarna. TaxibĂ„tarna var bara ett exempel. I Puerto Ayora var gatorna fulla av smĂ„ resebyrĂ„er som erbjöd biljetter till snabbfĂ€rjor mellan öarna, sightseeingturer pĂ„ land liksom dyk- eller snorkelturer. Chaufförer hojtade frĂ„n sina vita pickup-taxis och frĂ„gade om vi ville ha skjuts. Det finns vĂ€ldigt fĂ„ omrĂ„den pĂ„ öarna dĂ€r man kan fĂ„ ströva fritt i naturen eller snorkla pĂ„ egen hand. I princip alla stĂ€llen krĂ€ver att man har med sig en guide. Det bestĂ„ende intrycket var som att befinna sig pĂ„ en gigantisk djurpark. Det mĂ„ste dock erkĂ€nnas att de guidade turerna var vĂ€lorganiserade och guiderna var genomgĂ„ende mycket kunniga. Vi sĂ„g ocksĂ„ till att de fick fullt upp att göra, sĂ„ frĂ„gvisa som vi Ă€r
😊. Numera skall alla guider och parkvakter pĂ„ Galapagos vara certifierade och vidareutbildas kontinuerligt och dessutom vara bosatta pĂ„ nĂ„gon av öarna. Alla vi mötte var ocksĂ„ verkligen seriösa och mĂ„na om att vi skulle fĂ„ en bra upplevelse men ocksĂ„ mycket tydliga med vilka regler som gĂ€llde för att inte pĂ„ nĂ„got sĂ€tt skada djur eller vĂ€xter. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Första besöket blev pĂ„ Charles Darwin Research Station, HĂ€r fick vi en kort genomgĂ„ng av Darwins besök pĂ„ öarna 1835 och hur hans studier av livet Galapagos spelat en roll för hans teori om det naturliga urvalet. Bl a kunde han med egna ögon se hur en finkar med tiden hade anpassat sig pĂ„ de olika öarna beroende pĂ„ vilken föda de frĂ€mst kunde Ă€ta. NĂ€bbarnas form hade Ă€ndrats och sĂ„g olika ut beroende pĂ„ vilken ö finkarna levde pĂ„. Det blev en lite andĂ€ktig stund för oss att fĂ„ besöka platser som fĂ„tt sĂ„dan betydelse för vĂ„r förstĂ„else av hur arter uppkommit pĂ„ jorden
 PĂ„ forskningscentret bedrivs Ă€ven uppfödning av flera av de totalt 15 olika arter av stora landsköldpaddor som finns pĂ„ de olika öarna. Man vĂ€ntar tills sköldpaddorna Ă€r 5 Ă„r gamla innan de slĂ€pps ut. Först dĂ„ Ă€r sköldpaddornas skal tillrĂ€ckligt hĂ„rda för att de inte skall falla offer för bl a rĂ„ttor. 5 Ă„r kan verka mycket men Ă„ andra sidan blir landsköldpaddor runt 150 Ă„r gamla! Forskningscentret Ă€r vĂ€ldigt aktivt bl a i olika utbildningsprojekt för bĂ„de invĂ„nare och besökare. Forskare frĂ„n hela vĂ€rlden kommer hit för att studera djur och vĂ€xtliv pĂ„ land och i havet. MĂ„nga projekt Ă€r inriktade pĂ„ bevarandet av hotade arter och restaurering. Andra projekt syftar till att hitta mer hĂ„llbara energialternativ pĂ„ öarna och hur man skall angripa problemet med den enorma mĂ€ngd plastskrĂ€p som via havsströmmar flyter i land pĂ„ öarna. Olovligt fiske i haven utanför Ă€r ett annat stort problem man försöker adressera dĂ€r tyvĂ€rr Kina sticker ut som sĂ€rskilt aktiva. Eftersom fiskebĂ„tarna stĂ€nger av sina transpondrar, AIS etc. blir de nĂ€stan omöjliga att spĂ„ra för de fĂ„ kustbevakningsfartyg som patrullerar hela reservatet. Vi har sjĂ€lva varit förvĂ„nade nĂ€r vi seglat nattetid och plötsligt sett ljus frĂ„n fiskebĂ„tar dyka upp pĂ„ bara nĂ„gon sjömils avstĂ„nd som vi inte kunnat spĂ„ra via vĂ„r plotter (AIS). NĂ€r vi seglat förbi dem har de Ă„ter slĂ€ckt lanternorna och pĂ„ sĂ„ sĂ€tt gjort sig helt osynliga igen. Nu förstĂ„r vi vad det kan ha berott pÄ </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi besökte Ă€ven ett reservat för landsköldpaddor och fick se dem strosa runt helt fritt. De betar gĂ€rna tillsammans med de kor som hĂ„lls pĂ„ ön och sködpaddorna Ă€r sĂ„ stora att de ibland forcerar igenom inhĂ€gnaderna till korna sĂ„ Ă€ven korna kommer ut – till böndernas förtret. PĂ„ vĂ€gen dit sĂ„g vi gigantiska landsköldpaddor korsa vĂ€garna i sakta mak, dĂ€r trafiken fick stanna för att lĂ„ta dem passera. Taxichauffören berĂ€ttade att det bara Ă€r parkvakter som fĂ„r flytta sköldpaddor som ligger i vĂ€gen och förare kan fĂ„ böter motsvarande flera mĂ„nadslöner och t o m fĂ€ngelsestraff om de skulle köra pĂ„ en sköldpadda. Det gĂ€ller helt enkelt att ha tĂ„lamod
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Vi bokade ocksĂ„ en snorkeltur till den lilla ön PinzĂłn för att fĂ„ se mer av livet under vattnet. TyvĂ€rr var sikten dĂ„lig men vi fick filmat en del. Faktum Ă€r att dĂ€r Anastacia lĂ„g vimlade det ocksĂ„ av liv, bĂ„de i och pĂ„ vattnet. Revhajar, stora vattensköldpaddor och leguaner simmade runt bĂ„ten. En massa olika sjöfĂ„glar, förutom de mer vanliga fregattfĂ„glarna och pelikanerna, besökte oss. Vi sĂ„g flera blĂ„fotade sulor (Blue Footed Booby) som blivit lite av Galapagos symbol. Sedan har vi ett sĂ€rskilt förhĂ„llande till en GalapagoshĂ€ger som ofta Ă„terkom och nĂ€stan bosatte sig pĂ„ bĂ„ten. Vi kallade fĂ„geln för Sture men hade egentligen ingen aning om det var en hona eller hane. Sture verkade tycka bĂ„ten var en perfekt plats att stĂ„ pĂ„ för att spana pĂ„ fisk. Vi sĂ„g honom ocksĂ„ fĂ„nga en fisk som visade sig vara för stor för honom att svĂ€lja. Efter flera misslyckade försök slĂ€ppte Sture fisken i vĂ„r sittbrunn och spanade efter fler fiskar. Dagen efter lĂ„g fisken kvar och hade antagligen förtvivlat sprattlat runt innan den slutligen dog sĂ„ vi fick sanera hela sittbrunnen. Christer kastade i fisken i havet och Sture, som fortfarande satt pĂ„ relingen, tittade surt pĂ„ honom. Tydligen tyckte han att det var synd att kasta maten som han lagt sĂ„ mycket energi pĂ„ att fĂ„nga
 Vi fick ocksĂ„ snart besök av ett sjölejon som parkerade pĂ„ Anastacias lilla badplattform. Vi hade trott att plattformen var för liten för sjölejon men det tyckte inte den hĂ€r individen som lĂ„g kvar en hel natt. TyvĂ€rr lĂ€mnade sjölejonet ett rejĂ€lt visitkort efter sig pĂ„ badplattformen som luktade riktigt illa och vi fick lĂ€gga en bra stund pĂ„ att tvĂ€tta bort allt. DĂ€refter placerade vi tvĂ„ stora kulfendrar i akterna och slapp vidare besök.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Julen firades med julgröt gjord pĂ„ vanligt ris och annan improviserad mat till vĂ„rt lilla julbord pĂ„ bĂ„ten. SĂ„klart hade vi sett till att fĂ„ med den obligatoriska italienska Panettonen, inköpt i Panama, som vi avnjöt till kaffet. NyĂ„r tillika Christers födelsedag firades först med frukost pĂ„ bĂ„ten med grĂ€ddtĂ„rta och lite senare pĂ„ dagen serverades hemgjord födelsedags-pannacotta garnerad med rostade, kanderade kokosflarn följd av presentutdelning och skönsĂ„ng framförd av frun pĂ„ bĂ„ten. PĂ„ kvĂ€llen Ă„t vi en god havsinspirerad middag pĂ„ en trevlig restaurang dĂ€r vi fick ett bord pĂ„ en balkong med utsikt över vattnet. Sedan firade vi ut det gamla Ă„ret med tusentals andra Galapagosbor frĂ„n bĂ„de Santa Cruz och andra öar + en massa turister som flanerade pĂ„ gatorna och köpte nĂ„got frĂ„n gatuförsĂ€ljarna som trĂ€ngdes lĂ€ngs huvudgatan i Puerto Ayora. Ett litet tivoli med en tĂ„gbana för de minsta besökarna hade satts upp vid ena Ă€nden av gatan. Till vĂ„r förvĂ„ning sĂ„g vi att personalen med unga, entusiastiska medhjĂ€lpare, hjĂ€lptes Ă„t att putta tĂ„get med alla vagnarna runt pĂ„ banan. Barnen Ă„kte och skrek förtjust och hade roligt och förĂ€ldrarna tittade pĂ„. Precis som pĂ„ vilket annat tivoli som helst fast detta drevs för hand utan motorer eller elektricitet 😊. Staden hade ocksĂ„ ordnat med underhĂ„llning under hela kvĂ€llen och natten pĂ„ torget, med artister frĂ„n bl a Colombia. Vid tolvslaget sĂ„ bröt jublet ut. Inga fyrverkerier eller ljusshower men ett hejdundrande hĂ„lligĂ„ng frĂ„n scenen och jublande mĂ€nniskor överallt. Vid tvĂ„tiden tog vi en bĂ„ttaxi tillbaks till Anastacia och hörde musiken frĂ„n hamnen lĂ„ngt in pĂ„ morgonen. NĂ€r vi, den 2:e januari, Ă„ter gick i land för att köpa lite grönsaker blev vi förvĂ„nade över att sĂ„ fĂ„ butiker hade öppet. Nu fick vi reda pĂ„ att den ecuadorianske presidenten, Daniel Noboa, hade utlyst nationell helg frĂ„n nyĂ„r till efter trettonhelgen! Vi fick vĂ€nta med grönsakerna
</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Enda smolket i glĂ€djebĂ€garen under vĂ„rt besök var att vi sista veckan legat förkylda vilket gjort att vi fĂ„tt avboka en dyktur till ön Isla Seymour Norte, strax norr om Santa Cruz. DĂ€r hade vi kunnat fĂ„ se fler arter av bl a revhaj och hammarhaj! Vi hoppas dock kunna fĂ„ den chansen senare pĂ„ vĂ„r seglats. Nu förbereder vi bĂ„ten för den lĂ€ngsta överfarten vi kommer att göra. Vi har lite drygt 3000 sjömil att segla till ön Nuku Hiva, i ögruppen Marquesas, franska Polynesien. Efter lite administrativa procedurer, ger vi oss ivĂ€g imorgon och rĂ€knar med att vara framme om 25-30 dagar. Vi agerar dessutom postservice om Ă€n i mycket liten skala. PĂ„ vĂ€gen hit levererade vi en liten oljepump som agenten hĂ€r hade bestĂ€llt frĂ„n Panama. Till Polynesien kommer vi att ta med ett paket till en seglare som hann lĂ€mna Galapagos innan paketet frĂ„n hans förĂ€ldrar hann fram hit. För sĂ€kerhets skull kontrollerar vi innehĂ„llet innan vi ger oss ivĂ€g 😊 Hade vi besökt ön Floreana hĂ€r pĂ„ Galapagos hade vi kunnat besöka Post Office Bay, grundad 1793, dĂ€r tidigare valfĂ„ngare kunde lĂ€mna brev och samtidigt se om det finns brev som var adresserade till den destination de skulle segla till
 Detta inofficiella postkontor sĂ€gs anvĂ€ndas Ă€n idag av sjöfarare.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>A heartwarming Christmas carol performed to us by youngsters from the Molas club. Molas Club promotes ecological and biodiversity conservation projects for young people in Galapagos . The performance was part of a competition and we really hope these four won the competition! ❀</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sN4DUsKg5M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>Animal encounters at Puerto Ayora and the fish market in Santa Cruz</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241221_121712.jpg?1736821098" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241221_121712.jpg?1736821098 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241221_121712.jpg?1736821098 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241221_121712.jpg?1736821098 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241221_121712.jpg?1736821098?1736821098" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105001.jpg?1736820950?1736820950" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20250111_110415.jpg?1736821610?1736821610" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_110302.jpg?1736820036?1736820036" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105335.jpg?1736820036?1736820036" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241223_105708.jpg?1736820036?1736820036" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u>Giant Tortoises</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_115049.jpg?1736820036?1736820036" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241226_124424.jpg?1736820036?1736820036" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143102.jpg?1736821447" loading="lazy" data-original-width="1458" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143102.jpg?1736821447 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143102.jpg?1736821447 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143102.jpg?1736821447 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143102.jpg?1736821447?1736821447" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"> <img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241222_143132.jpg?1736821447?1736821447" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">At the beach. Santa Cruz<iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WLQlL9-BFUc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p class="MsoNormal">Under water videos. Galapagos islands<iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uFhLVkZGBDc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p class="MsoNormal"><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kWNwCqRPqzc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em>At our boat</em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img class="sbfancy" data-fancybox="gallery" rel="gallery" href="/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447" loading="lazy" data-original-width="2250" data-original-height="3000" srcset="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_2100/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447 2100w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_1500/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447 1500w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447 760w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_480/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447 480w,https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_320/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447 320w," src="https://www.skipperblogs.com/media/cache/resolve/content_th_760/content/b7bb0d43-7467-5cb2-9c84-56809f9e648f//userfiles/Galapagos/20241227_221953.jpg?1736821447?1736821447" width="250" sizes="(max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><iframe width="490" height="240" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nrCMGxZyFp4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> </div> Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 /blog/january-2025/galapagos /blog/january-2025/galapagos