At the moment there’s still southwesterly swell coming up (but that should become less frequent and violent as summer comes to the southern hemisphere), at the same time northerly swell comes down (and will become more with winter setting in up there) and in combination with predominant wind plus windseas from the east, finding a calm spot in the open bays of the Marquesas is quite a tricky business… Even in bays that look quite protected on the chart, swell and waves that get reflected from the rocky shores can turn the anchorage into a witches cauldron of confused cross seas and standing waves–in that case even a stern anchor can’t help the situation.
We’re reasonably comfy anchored (of course with a stern anchor that keeps Pitufa’s bow to the swell…) in the giant bay of Taiohae off the main town of the Marquesas on the southern side of Nuku Hiva. Due to the cyclone panic more yachts than in a regular year are anchored here (about 40) and we enjoy the company of a surprisingly international crowd.
