Day 29: Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands … French Polynesia

Friday, 3 February 2017 (Part II)
At Sea — South Pacific Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 10:00p (MIT) … UTC 7:30a (4 February)
Temp: 82.4F (28C)
Position: 8.55.46S / 140.06.03W

A “country that no description could fit the beauty.”
~ Herman Melville … said of Nuku Hiva when he deserted the
whaler Acushnet in the Marquesas to live among the Typee for a while. ~

Our day started at sea.  A gorgeous day — just like the past two days, but the wind was still strong … and still slowing us down.  I didn’t even make it around deck 10 once before I threw in the towel and did my morning walk by going up and down the interior staircases and around the passenger decks.

Day 29: Scheduled Ports in French Polynesia … Fingers Crossed

Friday, 3 February 2017 (Part I)
At Sea — South Pacific Ocean

Assuming we have now properly appeased King Neptune, and he and Mother Nature are no longer conspiring against us, the next five days will see us calling on four ports in French Polynesia.  I thought I’d share this map I marked up to show where we will be stopping.

(1) Nuku Hiva; (2) Rangiroa; (3) Papeete (Tahiti); (4) Bora Bora.

OK, everyone … now cross your fingers that things go according to the plan … revised though it is for today.

© 2015-2017 — All rights reserved by Erin Erkun.

Day 28: We Are South of the Equator

Thursday, 2 February 2017 (Part II)
At Sea — South Pacific Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 2:30p (MIT) … UTC 12:30a (3 February)
Temp: 79.9F (26.6C)
Position: 2.40.00S / 144.45.96W

What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do — especially
in other people’s minds.  When you are traveling, you are what you are right there and
then.  People don’t have your past to hold against you.  No yesterdays on the road.
~ William Least Heat-Moon ~

Last night we set our clocks 30 minutes forward.  Yes, for the first time on our westbound voyage, we lost a bit of time.  Or more accurately, we gave back a half-hour of the five hours we have gained since leaving Miami.  This time change was made to put us in the same time zone as the Marquesas Islands, our next port of call.  However, it may turn out that the change was for naught.

Day 28: Light & Shadows South of the Equator

Thursday, 2 February 2017 (Part I)
At Sea — South Pacific Ocean

Play of light and shadow … a few images that caught my eye when I was walking on deck 10 this morning.

© 2015-2017 — All rights reserved by Erin Erkun.

Day 27: Keeping a Tidy Cabin Keeps My Mind Sane

Wednesday, 1 February 2017
At Sea — Pacific Ocean

Stats @ Ship’s Time 9:30p (HAST) … UTC 2:30a (2 February)
Temp: 81F (27C)
Position: 1.20.60S / 147.46.40W

To get away from one’s working environment is, in a sense, to get away from
one’s self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.
~ Charles Horton Cooley ~

Could it really be true that the Pacific calms down in February as some have said to me.  True or false, that’s what happened for us on this first day of February.  Now, I wouldn’t say that we had a flat-calm sea state, but the motion of the ocean was negligible in comparison to what we have been experiencing.  Though there was a stiff breeze, the sun was out, and except for some puffy clouds that added texture, the sky was blue.  All in all, a wonderful day at sea.

And yes, I spent most of my waking hours enjoying the day on the veranda.