Nick frequently crews aboard Raven when a long passage requires an extra hand. The cool thing is that he takes video and posts it on YouTube so even if we aren’t aboard, we get a taste of the adventure. First is his video of Raven’s passage from La Paz, Mexico, to Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia – 2650 nautical miles completed in 13 1/2 days. And following is a video of a provisioning run, stocking up on groceries in Papeete. Lots of liquid refreshments (mostly red wine) – but keep in mind the majority is intended to last four people from mid-April until November in parts of the world where a well-stocked grocery store is just a fantasy.
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We’ve had a couple of busy days – a swim or a snorkel every day is the best way to take a shower. Swim first, then shampoo and a fresh water shower on Raven’s swim step – towel dry and repeat whenever it gets a little hot. The kite surfing expedition was a bust; got all the gear together and dinghied off to the beach, but ultimately determined that it wasn’t an ideal location for starters so gave up on that plan. Tried some water skiing and skurfing, but we need a more powerful outboard motor to give provide sufficient oomph.
After just a few days of catching up on sleep, refueling, provisioning, misc repair jobs, etc., Raven and crew set sail for Rangiroa some 600 miles away. Rangiroa is located in an archipelago of atolls called the Tuamotus, very different from the steep rugged scenery of the Marquesas.
Raven made landfall around midnight (French Polynesia time) last night! I’m sure the crew is already anticipating a well-deserved big celebration and some nice shore time in one of the most beautiful places on earth! This Google Earth image shows Raven’s approximately 3200 mile track (in yellow) from La Paz, Mexico, to the Marquesas (marked in green). The next green marker some 900 miles further on is Bora Bora where Mike and I plan to meet up with the boat mid-April, and the three red place markers are Penrhyn and Suwarrow in the Cook Islands, and Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga, where we plan to cruise in April-May. That massive expanse of blue water looks much better in person!