So I now get why sailors say ”sail to Fatu Iva first, then work your way north”…
For those who are doing the puddle jump in the near future, aim for Fatu Iva once you get into the ITCZ. Fatu Iva is a less inhabited island and I don’t think you can actually clear in there. However, many sailors go there first, relax and recover and then head to hiva Oa to check in. No one seems to care! This would have been a great option for us, as I now may not get there at all. Oh well, paradise seems to be all around me!
So…… We got up at 05.00 to head to Fatu Iva but once we cleared land, we hit big winds and big swell. ”Hmmm, this is not going to be a relaxing sail for the next 8 hours”. So we turned around and headed north instead! Since Fatu Iva is south east of us we would be bucking the wind and swell! Not for me today!
On another note, however, relates to checking in…. Checking into French Polynesia! Since I’m out of Mexico and checked into FP, I can now share this.
When I went to the port captains office in Guaymas, I was told that I should send in all my papers to their office via my marina where I was hauled up. I did write in my blog about my experiences going to Guaymas port authority trying to check out and it all seemed great. Well, what I didn’t share was that when I got back to my marina, and once I had sent my paperwork in, the owner of the marina contacted me, and said that the paperwork were incorrect, but never said what exactly I needed. In addition, they wanted 16 000 Mex Pesos which is 800 USA dollars … I knew this was total BS as another fellow sailor a week before checked out of Guaymas and it cost 400 Mexican Pesos. The owner of the marina was great and said that they are just trying to make money and I should just leave…So, I thought with my new Swedish passport (EU) with NO Mexican stamp in it I would be good to clear into French Polynesia. I also double checked with a few sailors who had recently checked into FP and they told me that the French government do not want to see Mexican paperwork. They do ask where you came from but don’t seem to care to see any paperwork. They are more interested in how many days you’re staying for and where you’re going after. I think it’s so they can trace you in case of emergency!
A few minutes after we dropped the anchor a Hallberg Rassy Ketch pulled in. And of course with a Swedish flag flying. This is the fourth Hallberg Rassy sailing vessel owned by Swedes I’ve ran into here in French Polynesia… 🤢
I quickly put my dinghy in and fired up the engine to head over to S/V Angelina and to say ”Hej Hej, vart är ni på väg?”
A bit later we got invited over for a visit. Turns out they, Eva o Mats have been cruising around the for the past 8 years and are heading same direction as I am… west and more west!
Sailaway Sarantium 