THE MARQUISES- Hiva Oa

Hiva Oa

This is the first place we made landfall, home of Paul Gauguin and the city of Atuona. More like a village if you ask me, but then again it is the 2nd largest city of the Marquises. Wow, really? It’s tiny but very cute and at least it has ice cream cones! I had two straight away.
We spent 8 days here’s waiting for a crew member that would never show up, to replace Ali who decided to fly home to take care of his shoulder. Apparently it looked like he needed some surgery – ouch! Later we discovered that he had actually broken a bone in his shoulder. Wow.
I don’t know what I expected, maybe sandy beaches and light, turquoise water, but it was nothing like that. Our anchorage was crowded with many boats and the water was so murky that Brian could hardly see more than 1 foot when scuba diving the anchors. So I didn’t go swimming. The Marquises as I would find out are very dark - Dark green water color, dark dirt and rocks (well from the volcanoes that formed the islands), and dark foliage. That is when it was not completely dry, as in California dessert dry. The island seemed to be at opposites, as in either or, and there were not a whole lot of beaches. It was different.
However, the fruit was abundant and the people friendly. Actually, they would usually pick you up when making the 5 km trek to town from the anchorage, and force fruit on you – bags and bags of papaya, starfruit and pomplumuse (a delicious type of grapefruit). Hitching (as in hiking) was the only method of transportation other than walking. Did I mention this place is small? Anyway, there were no café’s and only 2 restaurants in town. One just outside of downtown and so expensive, and another just in town that was only open unusual hours of which we never really knew.
The one thing that is a must to mention is the internet tree. If you sat in this archeological park, in the center of town, by this tree, you could pick up unsecured wireless for free! This was huge. Other than that you had to pay an outrageous amount to use the computers at the post office and let’s just say everyone who tried this method never made it online. Internet tree it is! Just wish there was a power outletJ.

May 11th
Today I went to the Paul Gauguin museum. Although this place had no original artworks by Gauguin it was still a lovely experience & and very nicely done. Highly recommended as it is really the only thing in Altuona. Anyhow, I just wanted to share this quote by the artist in a letter to his wife:
“For I am an artist & you are right, you are not mad, I am an artist that I have endured so much suffering to pursue my quest otherwise I will consider myself a renegade, which I am for quite a few people. Anyway I do not mind. What worries me most is less poverty then constant impediments to my art which I cannot pursue as I feel it & that I manage to do it with out poverty tying my arms. You tell me that I am wrong to stay away from the artistic center (Paris). No I am right. I have known for a long time what I am doing and why I do it. My artistic center is my brain, nowhere else & I am strong because I am never deviated by others and that I do what is with in me…”
Yeah, that speaks volumes to me. I like him more now then ever.

May 14th – Random thoughts
Eating starfruit – pick, wash, & eat – so good, my favorite. They are so orange in color here, not like the states where they import them an unripe yellow/green color. It is so weird to be here. It feels like I lost an entire month of my life. Well not lost but misplaced, like I was in some sort of spatial anomaly where time didn’t exists, just water. Then you arrive in a place and life is normal all around you. It’s just a weird feeling.

ALL PICTURES @: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157624394270646/

Books I read on the Puddle Jump crossing

1. “Simply Divine” – fun and easy read
   
2. “How Starbucks Saved my Life” by Michael Gates Gill – this was a non-fiction book with a lot of good insight. I really enjoyed it.
   
3. “Goodnight Nobody” by Jennifer Wiener – Witty, modern romance / murder mystery book. Great read. I really liked the non cookie cutter ending.
   
4. “Dead as a Doornail (a Sookie Stackhouse novel) – The HBO series – true blood is based on this book series. It is non stop twists and turns with lots of romance and humor. I blazed through it and can’t wait to read some of the others in the series.
   
5. “Angels & Demons” by Dan Brown – 710 pages in 2 ½ days, that good! Need I say more?
   
6. “The Cat Who Could See Red” by Jilian Jackson Braun – okay so I picked up these really old books from the 80’s because it had cats in them. I’m a sucker. They are not as sophisticated or a fast read, and the cats didn’t talk and the author didn’t share their thoughts, but I still enjoyed them.
   
7. “The Cat Who Could Read Backwards” by Jillian Jackson Braun
   
8. “The Cat Who Turned On & Off” by Jillian Jackson Bruan – I actually like this one the best of the of 3.
9. “Monsoon” by Wilbur Smith – an epic saga about 4 brothers and their adventures in life, love, and sailing. It was 950 pages and took me only 4 or 5 days to read. It was so good.

The Kat Log - Part III, the final chapter

Day 15 – Friday April 30th
It’s the last day of the month. Rainy day start and just wanted to curl up and watch movies. Days are blending together now. The big event of the day is dinner. No cooking for me tonight-yeah. I just laid around reading, sunning, napping, and riding on the bow sprit watching the water.
I don’t know what I expected but not this – weather has been cool & overcast mostly. Everyone said I’d be so bloody hot that I would welcome any rain or wind. Hmmmmmmm. I’m cold.
Tonight’s Dinner: Breaded fresh Ahi and potatoes by Ben & Brian

Day 16 – Saturday May 1st
Well I thought we’d be in Tahiti by this time when we left for s/v Imagine in La Paz on March 5th! Well at least we are doing better than our Med average – we are only 1 month behind in leaving. Oh, and we are not on Imagine. No surprise there as you have to be flexible when boat hitch hiking.
It’s May – WTF!!!
Other WTF moments running through my head:
I’m going to be 40 in a month- yikes!
We are over half way to the Marquises
It’s pouring down rain. (It started last night and has not let up. Thank goodness for icing glass and an enclosed cockpit.)
How much chess can 2 people play? (In reference to Ali and Don’s marathon sessions lasting 4 -5 hours a day, sometimes twice a day.)
Tonight’s Dinner: Beet and parsley fettuccini pasta by Kat

Sidebar: Our daily routine
Night watch
Sleep
Eat
Chess / Read (for everyone else)
Listen to the SSB radio
Watch
Cook Dinner
Dishes
Sleep / Nap
Cards
This routine varies when we:
Run the generator
Run the watermaker
Do laundry
Tack sails
Catch a fish
Watch a movie
Listen to music

Day 17 – Sunday May 2nd
We are getting close to the equator and talks of a Neptune party run wild. Rumors of wearing a tie, lipstick, and a ceremony ensue. “What you brought a tie”, asked Don. “No, a sail tie”, said Ali. You get the picture.
It’s another rainy and grey day today but Brian has stepped up to make bread for us. This is our first attempt.
We watched 3 movies today: Waterworld, Sex in the City, and Beverly Hills Cop (the original). It was super fun and I almost felt normal.
Tonight’s Dinner: Spilt pea soup with homemade wheat bread by Kat & Brian

Day18 – Monday May 3rd
Motoring, wind on the nose but out of the doldrums & rain, I think. We are almost to the equator now – 1*54’.495N 129*04’.12W, 902 nm to go to the Marquises and Paul Gauguin’s playground. I should have been an art history major.
Tonight’s Dinner: Steak & Potatoes with veggies: cabbage, carrots, peas by Don
Day 19 – Tuesday May 4th

EQUATOR DAY!
During my watch 2 – 4pm, eta to the celebration was 3:30pm. We were on track to the Marquesas at a heading of 227 degrees.
I’m going to wear my high heals, white dress and pirate booty swim trunks with gold jewelry. I think that would be an appropriate attire for such an event!
Their will be speeches made and presentations given. I am looking forward to it – s/b fun.

Afterwards: It was super fun but that’s all I can tell you, wogs.

Day 20 – Wednesday May 5th
Stars out. I saw the Southern Cross – looks like a kite.
Tonight’s Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese by Kat

Day 21 – Thursday May 6th
We are 3 weeks out to sea, and are making great time now with the trade winds finally in our favor.
I am so burnt out on reading. We are going so fast and heeling so much it is hard to really do anything. Fishing is out since we are flying, like 7.7 kts. It is hard to sleep and I am ready for Land Ho!
Four more days maybe?
Tonight’s Dinner: Chicken, rice and bean salad by Brian & Ben

Day 22 – Friday May 7th
Really bored. Burnt out.
Tonight’s Dinner: Breakfast for dinner – Pancakes, eggs & bacon by Ben & Brian

Day 23 – Saturday May 8th
I got a shower today and so needed it. Then I immediately got showered by salt water when a huge wave came through the port side portal and douched me – ugh! So much for trying to be clean. What’s the point?
Tonight’s Dinner: Veggie Couscous and chicken by Kat

Day 24 – Sunday May 9th
Today is our expected day of arrival and we are certainly close. We hope to make landfall by this evening. We have 70.3 nm to go, and our SOG is 6.0 kts so 12 hours to go – keep your fingers crossed.
It’s Don’s Birthday today. I’m making him some cookies to celebrate.
Land Ho @ 5:15pm!
We are now staling for daybreak with 30nm to go. We want to anchor in the daylight.
Ben picks up the VHF radio – “Hello, is anybody out there?” So funny, well at least it was to us. We’ve been away too long.
Tonight’s Dinner: Steak, garlic smashed potatoes, carrots & peas by Brian

Day 25 – Monday May 10th
Arrived at 8:15am into the harbor ~ Hiva Oa, Marquises

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

SEE ALL THE PPJ PHOTOS @: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katnbrian/sets/72157624269685171/

Love you

The Kat Log - Part II

Day 8, 9 & 10 – April 23rd – 25th
Sailing speed picked up. Felt sea sick.
The 8th Dinner: Grilled fresh caught fish, rice and a bean, corn, salsa salad by Ben & Kat
The 9th Dinner: Fish taco’s and rice by Brian
The 10th Dinner: Garlic and Herb pasta by Kat

Day 11 – Monday April 26th
The view has not changed for days. I look out to an ocean of blue – nothing but water all around and it is not going to change anytime soon!
We caught 2 more fish today, bringing our total count to 6. Fishy for dinner, mmmmmmmm good. Or Mahi Mahi, that is “fish, fish” in the Persian language.
Well we are at the half way point in time but not in distance. I was hoping we’d be near the equator but the 3 days of no wind in the beginning of the trip mucked that up.
Hold onto your hat, it’s going to be a long ride. So far no one has lost it, really. They don’t seem insane but how do you tell when present company are all crazy?
Lot’s of time for reflection and to contemplate what & where I want to go in life. I guess I should start to take advantage of this.
Tonight’s Dinner: Polenta bread fresh fish and homestyle chips by Ben & Brian

Day 12 – Tuesday April 27th
3pm - Caught another fish today. Yellow fin and it was huge! Fish on. Carrot crop took a sh*t. Now I am making carrot cabbage coleslaw, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, for dinner tomorrow we’ll be having carrot ginger soup and carrot cilantro Asian noodle salad. For snacks we’ll be eating carrot sticks….. :)
7:15pm – Yeah, I made cake, well attempted too. It was a disaster – start to finish with me spilling 3 eggs and 1 cup of oil all over the place for starters, and ending with cutting off ¼” of the burnt bottom. It was delicious no matter how it appeared. Definitely worth all the kitty expletives & the melt down that occurred. Poor kitty….
We just got 3 hits on all 3 fishing lines at once! - Very exciting indeed. What do you know, we hooked a shark! However, in all the chaos I ended up losing my Tuna. Kitty sad :(
What a thrilling day – we also had a helicopter fly by. What? Where did they come from? Nobody knows! They did a lap around the boat, thoroughly checking us out, then waved and disappeared into the abyss.
Tonight’s Dinner: Cedar plank teriyaki fresh fish, leftover garlic smashed potatoes, and carrot coleslaw by Brian & Kat

Day 13 - Wednesday April 28th
Hump day – both time and distance. I tried painting my toes today. What was I thinking! I am definitely losing it. I baked a cake yesterday with disastrous effects and today I did this. I guess I am just trying to be normal but I have to realize that I am not. And this is not a normal life. What an epiphany!
Painting toes in a pitching boat put that down in the record books. However, I did have some success and they do look pretty dam good. Nothing a little polish remover couldn’t fix.
It only took 2 hours of lying down to re-cover from feeling sick. I’ve acclimated but it is never going to be 100% for me. I just have to realize that. Not sure if this life is really for me. Jury is still out on this case …………
Tonight’s Dinner: Grilled fresh cedar plank Ahi with an Asian noodle salad by Brian & Kat

Day 14 - Thursday April 29th
9pm – Fishing boat traffic. Got close and everyone freaked out – like we have never dealt with night traffic before! It was crazy but they were showing the wrong mast colors denoting that the vessel was not under command. Then they cut us off and didn’t respond to our radio hails. We eventually had to start up our engines to maneuver but all was over in about 45min.
It was funny that we all panicked but that was only the 2nd boat we have come across so far in the pacific.
Tonight’s Dinner: Curry fish and rice by Kat & Ben

Better late than never - the Kat Log

Okay, so this is long overdue and I have been promising forever, but here are the stories from the beginning.
Pacific Puddle Jump Log
Day 1 – Friday April 16th
Good wind, a good start. We sailed 124 nm. I hope it lasts!
Tonight’s Dinner: Tomato, garlic & basil pasta by Kat

Day 2 – Saturday April 17th
Wind died today, of course. We also had a tomato crop disaster and lost over half of our fresh tomatoes we provisioned with. Whatz up with that! They only lasted a week and were green when we bought them.
Tonight’s Dinner: Pasta Primavera in Alfred sauce with chicken by Brian

Day 3 – Sunday April 18th
I decided that I’d write a book either based on “the litterbox” or the “Kat log” (and no I am not talking about poo here people), to fund my brainchild idea – the Church of Kat. To be expanded, maybe, to the House of the dog. Anyhow, I have some thumbnail designs for it, and it’s gonna be the cats meow :)
Oh, as for sailing, it was a quiet day, literally, like in no wind. So, the guys decided to go for a swim and Ali injured himself when he drove in. Bummer, down another crew member, well ½ a crew as he is still able to stand watch.
No wind = no sailing = no fish :(
I attempted to do La Paz Annie’s Yoga today. I only made it through the floor exercises before I was totally and completely sea sick. It gives new dimension to downward facing dog in a pitching sailboat! I can’t imagine attempting any standing balancing poses like Warrior, but hey, I’m game.
More tomato dishes today. Sad really, that we have to eat all our fresh tomato’s in one shot.
Tonight’s Dinner: Chili con carne / Veggie chili by Ben & Kat

Day 4 – Monday April 19th
4am – It’s early but I actually like this time to myself, alone, on watch. It’s ultra quiet except for the rustling of the rig. My time to contemplate life, love, and what matters. What will be my legacy? So far, I feel I have been like an unmanned sailboat, just adrift, lucky enough to escape major storms or hitting the rocks so far, but aimless none the less.
In these wee hours, I have devised a plan – something great, well to me at least, and that is one of life’s great lessons – follow your heart. Your head tends to over think such ambitions, even to dismiss them as foolish. Not this time.
Art & architecture – creation really are the lasting legacies to mankind. Museums, churches, monuments, works of beauty and awe, these are the things people visit, worship, and covet. They are everlasting, and if they are not, we dig them up and restore them.
Step one, write a book, maybe a children’s book? Step two, advertise & collect donations via the blog, and save book royalties. Also, produce a line of kitty cat products to sell on my website. Then finish the artistic renderings of my designs, and post to a website. Build it and they will come!
2pm the same day – Something to note the days have all been mostly overcast and I am really looking forward to the sun. Go figure - I sent a bunch of pants back to the states (one can only carry so much stuff).
Our little ambassador’s of the sea made an appearance today (dolphins), and they were not so little, huge actually. It never gets old watching them play in the bow wake and watching them watching you. Them so curious of us and us of them, just fantastic!
9pm – Another ultra slow day. I’d be surprised if we did 40 nm – ugh! Still no fish - meow. I’m watching a movie….
I’m going to lose my mind fast at this rate, and only 21 more days to go! I started to write my children’s book. Oh, I got a shower today, ahhhhhhh…….
Tonight’s Dinner: Falafel, Hummus wraps with cucumber, salsa relish by Kat

Side note: Hand Washing
Why do (a lot of, but not all) men feel it is not necessary to wash their hands after taking a leak (especial when peeing overboard)? Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before – “well I don’t pee on my hands!” Note to guys – us women, we don’t pee on our hands either! Oh, let’s use that same logic with going super potty, shall we. Do you poop on you hands? You still wash them though don’t you?
You touch all the same stuff – the door, handle, seat, flusher. Even if you pee outside, you still have to whip it out & touch your privates directly. And then, let’s talk about the “shake” off. That action can accidentally hit an unintended target – like your clothing, hands, etc. So why do most men not wash their hands? Really. You know who you are, stop kidding yourselves.
Women don’t handle themselves with direct contact, drip, shake – they use a tissue. Plus all the women I know wash their hands after using the potty, even taking a leak. Just think about it.

Day 5 – Tuesday April 20th
Very uneventful day except we actual sailed, woowho! Avg 4 kts with 7-9 kts of breeze. Okay but it will be nice when we get some good, consistent wind over 10kts. I did a lot of reading today. Started another book and got through the first 100 pages.
Sea sickness is at bay, not talking anything but not feeling all that great either. It is very intermittent though. For the most part I think I am doing really, really well. It helps to be on such a big boat.
Tonight’s Dinner: Pork chops and chili leftovers by Ben & Brian

Day 6 – Wednesday April 21st
Read and slept a lot today. I finished my book “Goodnight Nobody” – great read.
We actually held a good pace sailing. Poled out.
Tonight’s Dinner: Curry chicken / Curry vegetables by Ali (supervisiory role only) & Brian

Day 7 – Thursday April 22nd
One full week of sailing, only did 450 nm total, so we are a little behind. Oh well, what are you going to do? Nothing. Wait for the wind, nothing but time. We are still poled out and now holding an average of 5.5 kts.
I am not feeling so good. I didn’t really sleep last night. It was a rough dinner, or shall I say a rough time cooking. I flipped over the pot of smashed potatoes onto the ground but they stuck to the sides and came out okay. Then I attempted to make biscuits for hamburger buns, wow that was difficult. Everything was flying all over the place, I needed 5 more hands!
Tonight’s Dinner: Hamburgers on homemade rosemary biscuits, smashed potatoes, and zucchini by Kat