Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

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June 1, 2002 - Fatu Iva, Marquesas, French Polynesia
The most beautiful anchorage in the world says a friend of mine on the boat Catalpa, who has seen many.  This is the anchorage called Hanavave. Huge pinnacles of volcanic rock surround palm studded beaches.  White goats dot the steep green hillsides.  Baie de Vierges which means bay of virgins but history tells that it's previous name was Baie de Verges which means bay of penis but the early missionaries were not thrilled with this apt description and added an I, therefore satisfying their need for prudence.

Our first day here we spent wandering with friends seeing the local tapa cloth and wood carving artisans.  Tapa is a cloth, which for years has been beaten from the bark of local trees into a flat stiff paper.  This paper is then delicately painted with symbols similar to the tattoos on the local men as well as figures of warriors and Polynesian women.  The carvings consist of intricately carved tikis as well as war clubs and spears.

Our second day was spent dinghying to the main village 5 miles down the coastline.  It is very similar to this village with out the spectacular pinnacles.  Our objective was to hike across the pauli (steep hills) back to the village where our boat is anchored.  After traversing up hillsides for 4 hours eating fresh mangos and coconuts on the way, we finally arrived at the highest peak of the trail.  Approximately 2200 feet.  Next was the steep trail down. The hike was spectacular even though my shins and calves have been telling me different for the past two days.

Yesterday was spent trading with the locals.  Nick traded two squirt guns for a hand carved necklace, Chris one of my dresses for a 9-inch ticki.  I bargained with the master carver Temo of the island for a traditional lance which he is carving for Jim for fathers day-a steep price of several t-shirts, an old spear gun, mask and snorkel as well as a large dry bag and lemon smelling soap.  I also traded chiropractic adjustments for chickens, which since HMOs and PPOs has been a career goal!

Tomorrow after church, I have several patients meeting me at Serges home.  Fish move over in the freezer for the chicken!

Our friends on the boat Kela came in yesterday and they have two children so time was spent with them drinking fine wine and eating seared tuna.  The kids joined us for a sleep over and this morning after waffles they all were blessed to snorkel with a large pod of dolphins in the anchorage.  A quick shower and we dropped them on shore for the day to practice their French while the adults chill on the boats and get things prepared for the next anchorage.

June 3, 2002
Well as it turned out we didn't leave-I began adjusting people and before I knew it, we had hoards of people with back, neck and knee problems giving us tough chickens, carved tikis and fruit.  Friends say I should open up another branch of Chandler Chiropractic here!  They are extremely grateful but it is now time to move on so tomorrow we will pull anchor.  First, I have one more appointment.

June 4, 2002
Last eve my one appointment turned into a marathon.  Fifteen people later including a little girl with scoliosis we returned to the boat at 11pm laden with enough papaya, bananas, tuna and woodcarvings to share with most of the anchorage!  We figure we adjusted close to 50 people in the past two days and made many friends along the way.  Limited French or not we were able to help many who had been in pain for years. We even learned a bit of Polynesian!  There is nothing like having that gift to give.  Off to Tahuata.

June 5, 2002 - Hana Moe Noe Baie, Tahuata, Marquises
After a quick sail from Fatu Iva we find ourselves in the beautiful bay of Hana Moe Noa.

When we arrived, we were impressed with the beauty of the beach and palm trees, which cover the valleys of this island.  Anchoring was a thrill as when we went to drop the hook a mobula ray was skimming the water under our bow in crystal clear water of 19 feet.  Today after cleaning the boat and doing a bit of laundry, we went with Rob and Dee of Ventana for a beautiful dive off the southern tip of this anchorage.  Crown of thorns, eagle rays, grouper, dart fish as well as many other species unknown to us were enjoyed. When arriving back to the boat the mobula ray was there to great us.  Life doesn't get much better. But then I keep saying that!!

June 7, 2002-Hanaiapa Baie- Hiva Oa, Marquises
After another day of diving and a trip on our good friend's boat Ventana into the main village of, Vaitahu, where we visited an exquisite stone and wood church, we decided to move on.  We left this morning for the north end of the island, as it will give us a running start on the sail to Ua Pou where we will finally check in.  As we entered the anchorage, we were greeted with views of spectacular plateaus covered in green as well as sheer cliffs descending into the ocean. A waterfall plummets 400 foot into the surf with winds blowing its mist along a fern covered wall.  Spectacular - one could get too used to this scenery! Then to top it off we caught a 40lb wahoo on the way in to the anchorage-yummmm.

Chris and Jim made a dive today where they enjoyed swimming with lion fish and several moray eels.

June 8th, 2002-Nicholas' 12th birthday
After the great report from Chris and Jim, they as well as Rob and Dee on Ventana and Nick and I decided to go diving.  Fantastic!  Huge lion fish, octopus with heads the size of softballs who seemed to enjoy our gentle rubbing of there head, as well as moray eels with multicolored cleaner shrimp as well as schools of anchovy, snapper and so many different types of angel and butterfly fish swimming in pairs I lost track of all the different types  A great birthday dive for Nick.  When we returned preparations for Nick's birthday needed to be finished.  18 pizza dough's were rolled out as well as a double sized lemon cake made which Nick and I decorated as we had never decorated a cake before.  It had water, a cliff, a beach, a green slope with trees and a huge volcano erupting!  Enough frosting used for ten cakes but you only turn 12 once!

We invited the whole anchorage, which meant 15 for dinner!  Pizza was enjoyed by all until no one could move!  Creativity was at its peek and Nick voted it the best pizza party yet!

June 9th, 2002
Time for land!  About two when the boat was finally cleaned up after the great party last eve, I called up Dee from Ventana and Sarah from Djarka and we took a long hike in the hills.  Along the way, we meet William who has been greeting boats for the past 30 years and has the sign in book to prove it.  We were able to see the log from 1977 where friend had signed in on their last circumnavigation.  Then after we were privileged to sign his book (3-volumes) he filled our backpacks with fresh grapefruit, limes, breadfruit, papaya and squash.  The people continue to amaze us.  So giving all while having nothing when judged by western standards.  When you really look however you realize who the wise ones are-here solitude, children freely running in the streets with fresh fruit galore for snacks and everyone considered a segregate mother, father or sibling.  The elderly are in great shape from the diet and exercise they enjoy and there is plenty of food to go around.  The woman from Belgium who moved here 20 years ago summed it up-the land provides all and the people respect this fact.

June 12-Ua Pou-Hakahau Bay
The names of these places are getting to me-I can't ever remember where I am-all of the Polynesian names run together-mix that with high school French and we have a mess!!

Man, oh man is this place spectacular.  Huge spires thousands of feet into the air and lush green plains below-mangoes literally dripping off the trees free for the taking-and if you don't take them the locals will package them up and give them to you in home made palm frond baskets!  The generosity is unbelievable!! They can bake a mean baguette too! However, the prices of everything beyond bread and fruit are literally out of this world!  $4.85 for a dozen eggs! $9 for a cabbage!! In addition, carrots I didn't dare ask! Good thing I loaded up in Panama cuz we would be sailing on if I had to feed this crew here for long as the kids unfortunately don't like mangoes!

The anchorage is full of our friends but it is time to escape for some family time-nice thing is when we need space we pull up the hook!! We will head to Ua Huka tomorrow where we hear there is a plentiful supply of lobster!!  Anything but fish PLEASE!!

June 14th - Baie du Controleur, Nuka Hiva - central bay
As we left Ua Pou fishing lines went out and with in two minuets we had "fish on"!  Turns out it was a 45 pound Wahoo - they keep getting bigger!  After all the excitement, as in order to land him our head sail needed to be pulled in and the boat slowed to a crawl while we drifted away from the island into open ocean, we quickly realized that heading up into the wind dead on for Ua Huka was not for us (we knew it was a marginal sail when we left port as there were 25 knot winds and high sea) so, we quickly regrouped and headed for Nuka Hiva instead.  We are not sorry.  As Mangoes dripped off the branches in Ua Pou, the guavas drip here.  Locals again have filled our baskets with limes, bananas, guava, mangoes and grapefruit.  We also were taken to ancient ruins studded with several stone tikis above the village of Tai Paii Vaii Village.  Jim split a coconut close to the ancient ceremonial temple and we enjoyed the fruits of nature.  Wild basil was also picked and the children enjoyed exploring.  This was the setting for Herman Melville's book TYPEE.  On our way down from the ruins we enjoyed speaking with the local children in French and came close to having five extras on board before I figured my mistake!  The anchorage was extremely rough with gusty winds and swell coming in from the open ocean so we moved after our exploration.  Our new anchorage finds us at the foot of the ruins of Anse Haka Poa and there is no swell but water clarity is minimal.  The large amount of plankton in the water supports the many giant pacific manta rays that carouse about our boat.  Jim and I dove with three of them today who were inquisitive and gave up feeding for 45 min while they played with us.

June 15th - far left bay in Controller Bay
Above us stand the pou pous of many years ago.  We hiked up the mountainside the evidence of a long ago culture was ever present.  Rocks carefully placed to form large platforms were staggered up the hill. Several had huge banyan trees growing from their center attesting to their age.  Nothing I have found tells about this particular village but history attests to a massive population in this entire bay before the Europeans landed bringing with them small pox as well as venereal disease, which in short order, wiped out entire populations.

Goats also abound on these steep hillsides.  Jim and I decided hunting would be a good afternoon outing for the boys.  Out came the shotgun (AKA line thrower for the customs men) and into the dinghy we went.  Good pickings were obvious on the other side of the bay.  Shots fired and she was hit, she staggered and then fell to the rocks below four feet from us.  Neck broken, she was gutted and skinned and brought back to the boat to hang for the eve.  The next eve our friends anchored near us and 10 of us feasted on marinated goat and Wahoo caught on the passage.  You may think killing a goat is brutal etc. but you would have second thoughts if you saw the destruction these feral animals are doing to the landscape - but enough of that for now.  The rest of our time was spent swimming with the mantas and hiking in the hills collecting red seeds which seemed to be dipped in black paint on one end.  The locals use them for weaving beautiful necklaces so Nick and I decided to use them in our jewelry.

June 22nd
We decided to explore the far right bay and were ecstatic to find a wonderful carver across the street from a quaint old stone church that was willing to trade intricately carved swords for my jewelry.  The boys used their limited French and Isabel, our crewmember, helped with the rest.