April 25

We upped anchor this morning around 9am and went over to the fuel dock, which is really just a platform which you back up to - med style, no side tie. We fueled up, hauled up the dinghy and tied down a few things then left Atuona for Hana Moe Noe bay on Tahuata, only 6 miles away. Outside the bay it was blowing 20-25k from the SE and it had been raining periodically all morning.

Since we had planned to motorsail the whole 6 miles but with such strong wind we just left the mainsail alone and unrolled the genoa partway. We sailed on the genoa alone at 7 or 8 knots. When we rounded the southern tip of Hiva Oa we turned downwind on a course of about 245M and things got more comfortable. We arrived at Hana Moe Noe at about 12:45, an hour after we left Atuona. We are thrilled to report that Hana Moe Noe is everything a South Pacific anchorage should be (unlike Atuona). It is a well protected cove with a beautiful white sand beach at the head with the requisite strand of palm trees. We are very happy to have a nice flat calm anchorage after the rock and roll of Atuona. We will probably stay here a few days at least before moving on to Ua Pou, but perhaps we will visit another bay - Hana Tafua - about 5 miles down the coast of Tahuata first.