July 3, 2007 - Ua Huka to Taiohae, Nuka Hiva

Today we set out to go to one of the other harbors on Ua Huka, but the swell was slamming into both of them, so we decided to continue onto Nuka Hiva. Along the south coast of Ua Huka, we saw people gathering sooty tern eggs, a local delicacy. We could also see the devastation caused by the huge herds of horses and goats - they outnumber people 10-1 on Ua Huka and have denuded the landscape. We also enjoyed having some very chatty birds swoop by to check us out. However, they were too interested in our fishing lures, so Sten had to haul them in before we caught a bird.

You would think that after crossing the Pacific these day trips would be a breeze. But we're both completely exhausted by the time we get into the next harbor. Today was particularly interminable. It is exhausting to listen to the mainsail slat and the rigging shudder as the boat rolls in light air and confused seas. Each time the boat rolls, we brace ourselves for the impending bang and snap. We both hate listening to the sails and rigging slowly wear themselves out. It stresses us out. We were so relieved today to have the anchor firmly set and to settle down in the cockpit for sundowners as we scanned the harbor, trying to figure out how many of the 3 dozen boats here we've crossed paths with before.