Small Island, Crusty Bottom
Sunrise. That’s what Tahuata means in Marquesan. A fitting name for this charming, tiny, and remote twenty-four square mile island.
In the bay where we’re anchored, there’s no road, no village, no cell phone towers or internet distractions. Just us sailors and a few coconut lined beaches. It’s one of those places you drop the hook and really sink into.
After a few days of being drunk on coconut water, salt and sun, we decided to venture around to civilization. The main village of Vaitahu is only a three-mile dinghy ride down the coast.
Join us as we explore one of the most remote islands in the Marquesas and take advantage of the clear, calm anchorage to tackle the last of our post passage clean up. It’s a quintessential look at a sailor’s life.
What a darling sleepy paradise! It’s the kind of place where a writer might go to finish a novel, the stressed-out retreat to feed their soul, or a group of sailors congregate to recharge after a long passage.
If I ever have a midlife crisis and need to hit the reset button, I think I might come back to this quiet place. It may be a tiny island, but it feels huge. So much room to breathe, think and stretch the imagination.
The Village of Vaitahu
The charming little village is only accessible by sea and there are no banks or ATMs. There is a small store with the basics, a post office and a small infirmary. Plus, there’s a water taxi that runs between Hiva Oa and Vaitahu if you needed an island with a little more or wanted to catch a puddle jumper to another island.
A couple bars of cell phone reception can be found in town and we were told there is intermittently working, very slow satellite internet at the two-family run pensions (your two options for accommodations should you want to stay).
The day we visited most everything was closed, including the church (which is a main attraction, built by the Vatican no less). But, it wasn’t a Sunday and I have a feeling that might be the case unless there is a cruise ship in for the day. We knew we wouldn’t be returning so we didn’t ask when the town hall would be open. (The town hall is where one would go to visit the little museum, book a sightseeing guide, horseback riding or fishing adventure.) We were happy taking it slow and soaking it all in.
Why Such A Crusty Bottom?
Well, some waters are just super healthy and can breed a whole seafood buffet, even while sailing. We had cleaned the bottom literally as we were leaving Ecuador. So all that growth happened while on passage (at a moving average of 6 knots mind you!) and the ten days we spent anchored at Hiva Oa.
But…it’s also because we’re due for new bottom paint. Ours is at the end of its life. We tried to haul out for new bottom paint in Ecuador but there are only a few haul-out facilities in the country. Sadly, none of the lifts were wide enough for our catamaran. So, we will have to haul-out here in French Polynesia. Luckily, there are a few different options throughout the islands…but we have to get the cats approved to come ashore first!
Crusty Bottom Cleaning Tools
- Neoprene hood, because tiny crabs love ears but ears don’t love tiny crabs: https://amzn.to/2CYYKt3
- Gloves, good for removing soft growth: https://amzn.to/2R7zdku
- Scrubber pads, for when the gloves aren’t enough: https://amzn.to/2S0ZL8d
- Plastic Scraper, good for the light growth and small barnacles: https://amzn.to/2S8WJyS
- Metal Scraper. For the hard, working on becoming permanent residents, barnacles: https://amzn.to/2R5xXOB
OTHER GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO
- In The Galley: Grill, induction cooktop and more all under the Kitchen Faves tab here: gonewiththewynns.com/store
- Camera Gear: All Our Camera/Computer Gear is Listed Here: gonewiththewynns.com/camera-gear-review-2017
AWESOME tunes for vids: http://bit.ly/artlist-gwtw
Artists Used In This Video: Giants & Pilgrims, Michael Shynes, Assaf Ayalon
SAILING REPORT
- Dates: June 1 – 3, 2018
- Nautical Miles Sailed: 0
- Island: Tahuata, Marquesas, French Polynesia
- Anchorage: Baie Hanamoenoa
Thanks for joining us!!!
Feel free to drop us a line in the comment box below or find us on Instagram if you want to see what we’re up to in real-time. If you’re really diggin’ what you see and don’t want to miss what’s next, drop us your email address and we’ll send you a quick note each time we hit the publish button or host a meetup.
Until next time…
Michelle Nolting
What snorkel gear are you guys using? I would love suggestions on good quality snorkel masks in particular!
Roger B
I love your video introduction to your videos.
Adrian pringle
Hi Jason and Nikki .
Great Videos , thanks .
I did notice on one , you have a Mantus SS anchor . This concerns me about your safety .
When you fitted it a way back , you mentioned sleeping soundly at night , that’s what we want , to be able to trust our ground tackle .
A few years ago I wrote a few articles regarding SS and salt water , the two do not mix .
316 , even the very best 316 should not be used submersed in salt water , especially covered in sand or mud , starved of oxygen.
Google Adrian Pringle stainless steel anchor chain, one article will come up . This was published by the OCC .
Since then the last batch of chain , number two batch , badly corroded , crevice corrosion.
The German Manufacturer , then advised me that 316 was not now recommended for anchoring .
And that they now would only supply SS chain made from 318 LN duplex , a highly corrosive resistant SS. But extremely expensive.
They did ship me 300 ft of this stuff free of charge .
So you will see your Mantus anchor is held together by 4 bolts , a prime starting point for crevice corrosion. Out of sight , then sunk deep into warm mud . The same goes for the swivel . These have no use on a boat . It is only a matter of time before people lose their lives using this gear .
Sean G in SF
Nikki and Jason,
Wow! I barely found your channel a month ago. Today, I finally finished watching all your videos. As a long-time watcher of youtube, I agree with many other subscribers/patrons regarding your gift at filmmaking. From my perspective, I believe your videos are a wonderful gift to all of us. The combination of your fantastic storytelling, the high-quality production (yes, please do not sell yourself short), and the glorious cinematography is appreciated by all of us. What makes your channel excel beyond the other sailing channels comes down to you two. You both bring to your channel your innate nature as genuine, wonderfully kind, joyous, loving, and adventurous individuals. In the world today, we are all rushing around focused on nonstop activities and never-ending pressures without considering the journey. Your video provides a little perspective on the crucial things in our lives. Maybe, we can’t all travel the world on a catamaran or a motorhome, but it’s important to recognize the value of enjoying, pursuing and appreciating our best life. Happy voyages and I hope you have a fantastic time in French Polynesia. Please stay safe. All the Best.
Nikki Wynn
Binge watching…our favorite kind! Thanks so much for the kind words, they are food for our creative souls. “it’s important to recognize the value of enjoying, pursuing and appreciating our best life.” You nailed it. Even we have to remind ourselves of this all the time. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the things that don’t matter and ignore the ones that do. Welcome aboard, stoked to have you here!
David Burnett
Another great video. You two put so much into the production – not just the video, but the information surrounding it, right down to the galley appliances you use! Excellent work.
Regarding your hulls, it is not the right time where you are, but at some stage think about going away from antifouling paint, and changing to Coppercoat. We have it on ours and seven years on, it’s still going strong. We generally just have a bit of slime that comes off with a scrub, and that’s it. Just a thought.
Karen and I love your passion and dedication – you so deserve great success.
By for now,
David & Karen
SV Te Anau
FB Sharing Life
Nikki Wynn
Thanks for the suggestion David. We’ve had a few other people say the same. Always good to hear about what is working for others!
cr0ft
So there I was, wasting time by watching old episodes of RV related TV series I hadn’t seen yet.
“… Meet Nikki and Jason, a young couple uprooting their lives…”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4256360/
Just thought it was fun to see you shopping for an RV on TV.
Nikki Wynn
Oh yes, gotta love the reruns. 😉 Funny thing is, they got so much of our story wrong…or just decided to make up their own version. But that is TV for you. Still fun to go back to the early days though. That RV, the Monaco Vesta was still hands down our fave RV.
Kevin
Hi to both of you , I always love your videos and wonder how you pick the tunes that go along with them . They always fit very well and often artist not widely known ?
Nikki Wynn
That is all Jason. He digs deep for those songs and spends hours on every video to match it all up just right. I too, don’t know how he does it. Maybe he likes having that little bit of mystery? However, he does list the artist in the YouTube description but we were just discussing how I need to add it to the blog posts here too. So…if you are curious, check up top again. I will add it in as soon as I hit submit on this comment. 🙂
Kevin
Thanks Nikki , well he does a great job of it and finds some really good artist …I still think you’ll both have an input . You really do put together fantastic videos
Yvan Dion
Stunning ! The images, landscapes, etc. – incredible; and that sunset !!!
What the song that was playing at the beginning?
PLEASE continue sharing…
Alan Solomon
I went back and watched the video a second time to see the faces one of your commenters mentioned. I saw one detailed face in the mountain on the hike. It was a totally natural, detailed face. Very cool and very Spiritual. Thank you for pointing it out.
Kind regards,
Nikki Wynn
We did the same, never noticed it until others pointed it out. Now we think, how did we ever miss it!
Alan Solomon
Beeeauuutiful Island. Great video, again.
Thanks,
Tom Wettlaufer
It was a surprise to have a video on a Tuesday instead of the usual Sunday. We appreciate the change! As always, please be careful and continue to share your adventures. For those of us that are ‘shore-bound’, your adventures are magnificent!!!
Babs
Hi Cuties! Loved the video! What was the song you played in the beginning while walking the island?
Nikki Wynn
Thanks! We’ve gotten so many questions about the music recently that I have added the artists to the posts (look above, under “gear used in this video”). I’ll make it a habit from now on. 😉
Steve Blanck
That looks horrible. Didn’t you haul and paint before you left Ecuador?
Curious Minion
They tried, but couldn’t find a marina with a lift wide enough for Curiosity. Nikki explains in the blog post for this vid.
Ellen Matthewson
I am so happy to see that you have a new video out! You do such interesting things and are visiting amazing places. Thanks for everything!
Linda
Nikki and Jason – Great video (I think I’ve read that several times already in these comments – seems like a trend y’all have set). We have been following you since the RV days when we found your website after we bought our RV a couple of years ago.
We love to rewatch your videos and would use the link at the bottom of your posts on the website to go from one post to the next. That is missing on the new website. Will you be adding that? If not, how do we find an archive list of your posts?
Be safe and happy adventures always!
Curious Minion
Hmmm, good question. I’ll bring it to Nikki’s attention. There are links to other videos below the comments but it doesn’t say which one is “next” or “previous”. I know they’re still working on the website and having some formatting issues, but I’m not sure if that’s the problem here. Thanks for pointing it out.
Curious Minion
Oops – forgot this part! If you click on the sailing tab on the blog, the posts show up in reverse chronological order, so newest video is first. I know that’s not as easy, but they are chronological that way.
Bridgett Key
We are living our dream in the Virgin Islands. If you ever find yourselves here we would love to show you our playground. Love your video’s!
Tim & Carol
Thanks for your informative and interesting videos; we have been following you for a long time and look forward to Sundays and your latest adventure!
A request please: when you include a new French noun, please include the article so we can determine the word’s gender.
Lisa Bee
“…Let’s make our own brand of freedom”. I love that lyric and that song! Who is that?
Nikki Wynn
We thought that song was just too good. Like it was written just for us! I just added the artists to the post. It will be under the Gear Used In This Video section.
Jackie
Hi guys! A couple months ago, my husband and I binge-watched all of your boat videos like a Netflix show and we are always excited to watch the new ones as they come up! We love that you take us along with you on your adventures. We find them calming after a long day at work. You inspire us to keep finding our own little adventures in our tiny corner of Ohio, and to dream of bigger adventures for the future. Thanks for being awesome!
Nikki Wynn
Awe, big love and thanks for taking in the whole journey, that is such a compliment! Glad to have you along but even happier to hear you are searching out your own adventures.
Sallie McKenna
Loved this video!! Thank you for sharing your adventures.
Valerie Coffey
Hey, another amazing video! I still love your new intro so much! And I’m so impressed that you guys cleaned that mess while *holding your breath*!
You should check with locals for the cruise ship port of call schedule, and go to the towns when the cruise ships are there, because the whole island takes the day off to greet visitors (and that is a sight to see with all the wailing), sell wares, and show off their native dances in costume. And obviously, the locals are the best. They will give you stuff so bring cash or something to trade with to thank them!
[And your editor is here. It’s Tahuata. Tah-hoo-AH-tah. I’m here for you. Mitch proposed to me the day we visited Tahuata! :)]
Nikki Wynn
Doh, thanks for noticing that! All fixed now. 😉 The cruise ships only come every three weeks, so it would have been a long wait. But, if there would have been internet, we may have never left! So crazy that is where Mitch proposed, what a great spot! I so love knowing that.
William "Trey" Scavone
Nikki and Jason- Great video as always. I wanted to share that I really appreciate the quality of your videos. I know the internet situation is tough but keep fighting the good fight.
This weeks music was also great. Can you share a list of music used. The acoustic song during your hike was great and I would love to check out other songs by that artist.
Thank so much! Happy Sailing!
Trey
Kim Vaught
You are a long way from Aurora, Nebraska where we met you. Have enjoyed following you over the years. Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures.
Doug
When are you going to put out a cookbook?
Rachel Sears
Doug, I think that is a great idea. Nikki appears to be an excellent chef.
Doug
Everything she cooks looks so delicous! And she is doing it on a sailboat in the middle of the ocean!
kevin
I think everyone would agree with that . All the food we see looks lovely !
Nikki Wynn
Hmmm…no pressure, right? 😉 Diving deeper into food is high on my ‘want to share list’. Good to know I will have at least a few hungry souls willing to join me.
Klancee Call
Another awesome serene video. While I watch you Nikki and Jason on your adventures , I am awestruck and a lot envious of the beauty and experiences you are having. I hate house work so I just don’t know how I would feel about doing it underwater. NO matter how warm the water is. I give you both great respect for what you have learned and what you have taught yourselves. These islands you make stops at are real life lessons, you embrace them with such respect and honor, the dignity you show the native people and the way you treat people and land and wild life is so respectful. Thank you for being ambassadors of America. Great examples. OH and great video and glad you got the trouble worked out.
Scott & Bre
Hey –
An exceptional video in terms of your style, and arrangement. The music is “spot-on” and the way you’ve styled the video is great. My favorite by far.
I’m really impressed!!!
You’ve “raised the bar” for anyone out there documenting their travels or activities.
Was just discussing your adventures to Dakota from “Traipsing About” while in Bend Oregon yesterday. We are both stoked for the two of you, and understand what it takes to tackle this steep adventure learning curve.
Keep pushing yourselves, you set a great example for all those “wishers, dreamers, and couch sitters” out there. Great to see you both “just do it” every single day.
Scott and Bre
Jerry C
As an older person, my wife and I are concerned about health care when we travel. Is this an issue for both of you as you travel in foreign lands and frequently in both remote areas and also extended periods of time without any contact in the event of emergencies?
Beth Ste
Thanks for sharing your experiences! I look forward to them each week!
Cindy knapp
Did you see the faces in the mountain behind you to on the hike?. The mountain had two faces very cool.
Sharon Perkins
You two are so interesting.
Laurence Phillips
Last 24 hours suspense equaled anything else. New website is wonderful, from a viewer’s perspective anyway, haha. But… is it too early to say… the Map is still not working?
Brian Henry
Awesome new video and website looks great!