passage - mexico to marquesas

At last we are ready to puddle jump to the Marquesas. The generator is installed and working, Joel has arrived, and final provisioning is complete. We have our Zarpe (Mexico exit papers) in hand.

The boom truck picks up the new genset.

And gently drops it into Baraka.

Final provisioning is done. Here's the beer and wine to stow! Looks like a lot, but we hear anything imported to French Polynesia will be pricey.

Final provisioning in Puerto Vallarta.

We soon lose sight of land. This is the view for 22 days.

On the way we see only 4 ships.

Joel on watch, spinaker working, Joel reading.

Laundry day underway.

As we approach the equator, between 7 and 4 degrees north, we are hammered by squalls at night. Each is preceded by gusty winds, then the deluge begins. Finally we punch through the ITCZ and reach the equator.

The latitude starts reading SOUTH!!!.

We toast our transtion from pollywog to shellback with Uncle Dan's Cold Duck, saved from our Bon Voyage party for this moment.

Dave's ponytail.

Joel does the honors.

Dave and Joel siphon 50 liters of diesel into the main tank after motoring through the doldrums.

Opal hopes Jan is cooking fish.

Land HO!!! After 22 days of blue water.

We arrive at midnight and nose our way in. Baraka lies safely at anchor, and our passage is done.

Beautiful Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva.

First priority after setting the anchor: raising the wi-fi antenna. Is there internet here?

Mexico journal entries.

And more Mexico journal entries.

Last summer's Peru trip.

And Chile, too.