Fatu Hiva: a harbor, a store and a post office

Fatu Hiva Island:  Bay of Virgins 

(http://yachtpals.com/node/10213)

Alan called home today (May 4th) at about 3:30pm.   He was able to buy a phone card for use on a local pay phone on the Island of Fatu Hiva. The card only worked when he call land lines. He had to talk fast so as not to use up all his minutes.

He said Fatu Hiva has no Wi Fi,  has no Verizon coverage (so the blackberry does not work there), and the HF radio stations for WinLink / HAM radio are too far away.  

There is a store and a post office on Fatu Hiva --and that's all there is!

They will be sailing to a larger, more-densely populated, nearby island soon and expect to be able to buy some time on Wi Fi there.

I told Alan that some other boats that had just now arrived at Fatu Hiva are currently transmitting e-mail by WinLink / HAM    --I can tell because they have been updating their blogs saying "Land Ho!"   He said he would talk folks on other boats in the harbor and try to verify that his radio and antenna are working okay.

If necessary, he said they cold resort to subscribing to the SailMail Association which would give them access to the SailMail frequences and a radio station only 500 miles away.

From all accounts from other cruisers who post blogs,   there are three things you definitely want to do when you reach Fatu Hiva:   get a full night's sleep,    walk around on dry land,   and celebrate!

The crew has been "on" Fatu Hiva for two days   --most likely doing just those things.

Arrival at Fatu Hiva Island

The crew arrived at Fatu Hiva Island about mid-day on May 2, 2010,   according to their most recent "tweet" (http://www.eyeotw.org/).

SPOT Inc.'s coverage map is not very accurate, apparently.  It indicates that coverage would be non-existant during the middle part of the transit, but improve again as one reaches the Marquesas Islands and continutes west, south, or southwest. 

The actual experience was that coverage was not bad all the way across until within about 250 miles from Fatu Hiva Island. 

Speed was good all the way across

Here are the positions (from left to right) of Fatu Hiva Island, the most recent location sent by HF radio,  and the most recent SPOT location mesaag 

A few more days to go

Historical segments of the SPOT data for the "EYE of the World" expedition can be reviewed on the SPOT Adventures website.  Current SPOT data is also shown in real time.

  

SPOT Adventures: EYEsail

Speedy Progress

Speedy Progress

Nice Speed

Nice Speed !

Almost 1/4 of the way to Marquesas Islands

SPOT Coverage Map

Crew expects to travel through a No-Coverage Area

French Polynesia: Tahiti and Her Islands

Galapagos Islands to Fatu Hiva Island

The crew is sailing to Fatu Hiva Island which is the youngest of the volcanic Marquesas Islands (French: Îles Marquises, or Archipel des Marquises, or Marquises) at about 1.3 million years (wikipedia.)

maps provided by Tahiti Guide

maps provided by Tahiti Guide

maps provided by Tahiti Guide

Marguesas Islands according to wikipedia:

..... "Although French and Tahitian are the only official languages of French Polynesia, and therefore of the Marquesas Islands as well, the Marquesan languages, in their various forms, remain the primary means of communication within the archipelago."

..... "Unlike the majority of the islands of French Polynesia, the Marquesas are not surrounded by protective fringing reefs."

..... "The South Equatorial Current lashes the islands mercilessly, which has led to sea-caves dotting the islands' shores. Except for where the valleys empty into the small bays, the islands are remarkable for their mountain ridges, which end abruptly as cliffs where they meet the sea."

The Road to Fatu Hiva Island

The road: Galapagos to Fatu Hiva Island

in the Marquesas Archipelago of French Polynesia

2995 nautical miles (3447 miles)

Galapagos to Fatu Hiva


Fatu Hiva Island

(Google Earth)


Fatu Hiva Island: Harbor in Virgin Bay at Hanavave
(Google Earth)

The following photos are from Google Earth's Panoramio albums ...

Virgin Bay, Fatu Hiva Island



Virgin Bay, Fatu Hiva Islands



Virgin Bay, Fatu Hiva Island



Virgin Bay, Fatu Hiva Island