Logs from Lille Ø

2026-05-18 - Pacific Ocean, 279NM S of Anaho

Tue, 19 May 2026 03:35:58 +0000

After the night, it was time to hoist the main fully up. It has been a while since we have had the full main and genoa out. The conditions at sea are absolute bliss! The waves are small, the swell calm and the wind on the beam keeps the boat steady. We are edging closer to the calm patch but it should fill in over the night giving us nice steady conditions for the whole way.

Distance today: 120NM
Lunch: tofu curry
Engine hours: 0

2026-05-17 - Pacific Ocean, 159NM SSW of Anaho

Mon, 18 May 2026 03:20:42 +0000

As we got out of Nuku Hiva’s shadow, the wind filled in and we could start sailing on a brisk beam reach. Windvane was set, and since we’ve only had to roll the genoa out or in a bit to adjust to the wind speed.

The night was dark and without a moon. Milky Way stood visible above, and the Southern Cross and Orion guided our way.

After some light morning rain, the wind settled into a steady 13-15kn, allowing for fast and relatively easy progress aided by a favourable current. We hope not to sail too fast, as there is a calm to the south of us that should vanish around the time we get there.

Distance today: 133NM
Lunch: spaghetti aglio e olio
Engine hours: 0

2026-05-16 - Pacific Ocean, 26NM SW of Anaho

Sun, 17 May 2026 03:14:49 +0000

Exploring the islands of Marquesas has been fun. But it is time to go find something new, the atolls. We are heading to the next island group called Tuamotus. At noon we had the boat ready to go. Every nook and cranny full of vegetables and fruits bought from a local who sells the surplus of his garden to us cruisers.

After anchor was stowed away, we readied the staysail and hoisted the main. Seeing a squall behind the peninsula, we set 1st reef and motored until it passed. Then we enjoyed a fast downwind run on the north side of the island. Soon after gybing we found the wind shadow and turned the engine on again. At sundown we were greeted by a pod of dolphins and hope for the wind to find us soon.

Distance today: 26.5NM
Lunch: lentil sweet potato soup
Engine hours: 2.3

2026-05-10 - Taiohae - Anaho

Mon, 11 May 2026 04:00:24 +0000

The main bay of Nuku Hiva is convenient for logistics, but quite rolly. So having done our shopping, we decided to seek better anchorages and find Plan B again.

Getting past Cape Tikapo required some tacking. Big seas with light winds makes for slow and quite uncomfortable going, especially as we hadn’t packed the anchor away.

After passing the cape we could loosen the sheets, and things got more comfortable. We enjoyed a pomelo, and then soon gybed into the protected bay at Anaho. Books have it that this is the best anchorage in the Marquesas. So I think we’ll stay a while.

Distance today: 26.2NM
Lunch: cashew tomato pasta
Engine hours: 1.4

2026-05-08 - Hanamoenoa - Taiohae

Fri, 08 May 2026 18:38:47 +0000

Few hours before sunset we hoisted the anchor and left the beautiful, but crowded anchorage. The distance to Nuku Hiva is enough that you can’t do it during the daylight hours, so we opted for a night sail. The sound between Hiva Oa and Tahuata gave us a fllying start. We had dolphins playing in our bow wave untill we reached the windstill behind Hiva Oa. We motored through it and continued under sail power. The sea was lumpy and wing on wing guaranteed we were thoroughly stirred and shaken.

At sunrise we could see all the leeward islands of Marquesas as we sailed towards our destination, the town of Taiohae. Here we are going to buy groceries before continuing to the more remote anchorages of Nuku Hiva.

Distance today: 87.6NM
Lunch: morning coffee
Engine hours: 2.8

2026-04-30 - Hanavave - Hanamoenoa

Fri, 01 May 2026 03:03:41 +0000

We woke up again before the sunrise to prepare the boat. We packed away the dinghy and replaced the hydrogenerator fastening washer. Then it was time to fight the anchor up. Hoisting anchor by hand from 12m is never easy, but the gale-force katabatics of previous night had truly dug the anchor in. But with enough patience, it came up.

As Havis Amanda had receiced her hat by the time we were underway, Suski also wore her Vappu gear for the sail. Manta rays escorted us out of the bay. Mantas, without a hat.

We hoisted the main in 1st reef and motorsailed until we got out of the wind shadow of Fatu Hiva. Then we unrolled the genoa and continued on a brisk but nice broad reach.

At the south end of Tahuata the conditions got quite gusty. We entered the scenic bay of Hanatefau, but just as we got the hook down, a katabatic wind swept through the anchorage. We saw a dinghy with a large outboard fly up, flip, and fall back into the water. With that, we decided to seek a calmer anchorage. And so we continued to Hanamoenoa. Mantas again escorted us into the bay.

Distance today: 47.7NM
Lunch: pomelo
Engine hours: 3.7

Video postcard: Lille Ø on the Pacific, part 2

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 06:03:32 +0000

2026-04-22 - Hanamoenoa - Hanavave

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:17:58 +0000

In the darkness we prepped the boat for leaving. Mentally we weren’t quite ready but this weather window was too good to pass. Most people arrive to Fatu Hiva after the passage without checking in to avoid the beating to the wind and waves that have the whole Pacific time to build up to arrive to an island they already passed. We being us did it the proper way. But instead of beating we had a nice beam reach sail with minimal swell after we were out of the shadow of Hiva Oa.

This was something you can call champagne sailing! Absolute bliss under full genoa and mainsail.

Anchoring proved to be complicated, as in Hanavave the anchoring spots are either good and deep or bad and shallow. We tried shallow and bad for few times before giving up and opting for good and deep. Now we have the full 50 meters out and for good measure also the rope is on deck in case we need to give more scope. The bottom of the anchor chain locker saw daylight for the first time since Scotland!

Distance today: 47.8NM
Lunch: vegetable wrapps
Engine hours: 3.6

2026-04-18 - Taha Uku - Hanamoenoa

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:04:33 +0000

We had a great week exploring Hiva Oa. However, the muddy river water wasn’t suitable for swimming or running the watermaker, and so we decided to move over to Tahuata. We still hadn’t had a chance to clean the hull, but the local crab population had done a great job eating away most of it.

We hoisted the main into first reef in the shelter of the breakwater, and sailed high into the wind. As the Haava Channel got closer, we could slowly lower the course, eventually to wing on wing.

We arrived to a beautiful bay with a palm beach. The anchorage is quite full, with many boats we know from various stages of our cruise.

Distance today: 9.4NM
Lunch: spaghetti with aubergines
Engine hours: 0.7

2026-04-11 - Taha Uku, 4180NM WSW of Catalinia

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:46:48 +0000

The night was dark and filled with squalls turning the wind. Our track was coming out like an plan for uneven stairs. The wind mostly stayed between 20 and 25kn and Lille Ø was behaving magnificiently even though the waves were tossing us around. Inside even sitting required 3 points of contact to ensure stability. We were fast. Even the barnacles agreed it is go time and streamlined themselves against the hull.

As the sun was slowly rising there hadn’t been any sight of land yet. As this promised to be the last day at sea the morning watch got served a cappuccino. Oh what a taste! And as if the caffeine had heightened my senses, soon after land was sighted! A dark shape between the clouds rising from the sea. The eastern most point of Hiva Oa. It seems we can find a needle in a haystack or a tiny island in the vastness of the ocean!

As the day grew older, more of the islands unveiled themselves from the clouds. The sheer rockfaces reaching up to the sky straight from the ocean. The terrain will be a proper bootcamp for our legs which haven’t taken more than a few hundred steps per day for the past 6 weeks!

As we got closer to shore, the wind dwindled but we were enjoying the slower pace that gave us time to take in the schenery. The various greens of the forest covering the island, the numerous birds zig-zagging between the waves in the quest for food and the blacks and browns of the cliffs plunging to the sea. Then depth sounder sprang alive! 100 meters to the bottom. We had found the foot of the island.

The entrance to the anchorage reveals itsel quite late. Just behind a small peninsula where waves were breaking with thunderous bangs we were greeted with a small swell and brown runoff water from the river. We made our way right to the mouth of the river where someone had left a Lille Ø sized hole. Only 3 meters deep here, but it is enough. Now we are again connected to both land and sea. The great sea voyage is now behind us and we open a new chapter of Pacific island hopping.

Distance today: 91NM
Lunch: not yet
Engine hours: 0.9

2026-04-10 - Pacific Ocean, 4089NM WSW of Catalinia

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:31:35 +0000

Boat number 17, sailboat number 3, was spotted behind us in the darkness. An Oyster Rally boat Alpenglow sailed past us at double speed. We had a small conversation over VHF and soon they had disappeared into the darkness.

The morning didn’t turn bright, it turned grey. Squalls and lulls woven to each other like a gray wool blanket. The winds were varied as if they already could sense the land, and ebb and flow up and down simulating the tall volcanic slopes of the Marquesas. Eventually one of the squalls came with gusts over 30kn, so out in to the rain we went to put in a 2nd reef. After a while as the wind kept dropping we put back the 1st reef. This passage was going to test us till the very end.

At 3pm we got to the magical 2 digit numbers on the plotter! If we can keep up average speed of 4kn, we shall be dropping anchor in Hiva Oa exactly 6 weeks after starting!

Distance today: 100NM
Lunch: lentil coconut soup
Engine hours: 0