37. French Polynesia—Back to the Marquesas! March-April 2023

March 2023, SV JAN anchored in the Bay of the Virgins, Fatu Hiva, Marquesas French Polynesia.

In March 2020, we arrived in the Marquesas after crossing the Pacific from the Galapagos with the boats from the World ARC 2020. Our crossing took place during the developing Covid-19 pandemic and by the time we arrived in Nuku Hiva, all the arriving boats to French Polynesia were quarantined in Taiohae Bay or Tahiti. Eventually, we made the decision to head north to Hawaii and the US, after the World ARC was suspended.

FATU HIVA

It was wonderful to be back in FP! We made landfall in Fatu Hiva in March 2023, surrounded by the famous tall pinnacle rocks and mountain spires, enjoying a few days of rest in this quiet little village lined with tidy houses, flowers and fruit trees, and hiking to the waterfall up the lush green valley. We anchored in Hanavave Bay, originally known as the “Bay of Penises” (Baie des Verges in French), but the name was changed by the French missionaries to the Baie des Vierges, or in English, the “Bay of Virgins.”

Tiki sculpture and flowers in the port of Hanavave Bay.

Hiking to the waterfall was one of the highlights of our stay in Fatu Hiva.

Copra, or flesh of the coconut, is central to the economy. Farming, fishing, native handicrafts and the sale of shells are also important.

A shed for drying the copra, or coconut.

Fruit and vegetables are plentiful in the Marquesas.

The Marquesas islands are tall, ranging in height between 1,300 and 4,000 feet and covered with a layer of deep and very fertile soil. These islands are mountainous and cut into deep valleys and are not protected by a coral barrier reef, making the anchorages very rolly.

HIVA OA

Giorgio hoisting the French, and the French Polynesia Courtesy Flags

Paul Gaugin, the French Post-Impressionist artist, was not appreciated until after his death. He spent ten years in French Polynesia, and lived in Hiva Oa for the last two years of his life, painting local people and landscapes with rich, bold colors.

He was buried in the cemetery on the hill above Atuona with a beautiful view of the bay. His grave is a short walk up the hill from where the Gaugin museum is located today. A visit to his tomb was something that Giorgio and I wanted to do for many years.

NUKU HIVA

First of all, being back in Taiohae Bay was symbolic for us. We had enjoyed Hawaii, Alaska, and the US west coast, all because of Covid. Now we were back here to rejoin the World ARC 2023 for a few months.

Taiohae Bay in 2020, the most important and protected commercial port in the Marquesas Islands.

Busy fishermen working in the port.

A large amount of fish is cleaned and sold every day.

The Notre Dame Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Taiohae is located near the center of the town. The original cathedral was started in the 1850s on ground considered sacred to the Marquesans, and the new cathedral was completed in 1975. The two bell towers and a section of the wall from the old cathedral are preserved at the entrance to the grounds. The stonework and the elaborate wood carvings inside the cathedral are very nice.