Dreaming or Realizing the Dream

September 22, 2023

Dreaming or Realizing the Dream - A Perspective

“Consider what it means to be drawn from a moment to that which we dream only to realize that dream and find ourselves returned to a new moment. Are we prepared for such transitions? To be in the present and yearn for something other is a common human condition. When that something other is realized, do we embrace its reality and find solace? Or rather yearn for the dream that urged our perseverance? Are we more at peace with the dream that draws us to another place or the place we arrive when such dreams are realized? Joy in life can be found in the dream as much as in the moment. As in the diurnal cycle of the sun and the moon, we oscillate to create a balance that satisfies our sense of joy. To pause too long in the moment or to languish too long in the dream may steal the sense of joy we ultimately desire.” – JG Fetkenhour, July 2023

Since we last posted in May, we have been settling into our cruising life in French Polynesia; finding time to philosophize and trying to reenergize after so many years of pushing so hard. You may wonder why this feels different to us from the 16 months we spent cruising Mexico. Even though we left the Pacific NW in June of ’21, we still had roots firmly planted there. We were close enough to see family and were able to return home in the summer of ’22. All of that changed when we rented our house, sold almost all of our possessions, distilled our lives into a 10’x20’ storage unit, and again hoisted anchor – this time to sail west-southwest 3,000 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean. There have been moments when we have been hopelessly homesick for family and miss the conveniences of home. Other times we have relished the solitude we’ve found in some of the most remote places on planet earth. We are constantly “checking in” with ourselves and speaking honestly with each other about whether we still embrace the realized dreamed reality. It is a conversation we didn’t realize we would have while the dream was still in its infancy.

When we last wrote, we were leaving the island of Tahuata for Fatu Hiva, the southernmost island in the Marquesas - accessible only by boat. We had a delightful sail and arrived in Hanavave Bay (also known as the Bay of Virgins and, before the missionaries arrived, the Bay of Penises) on the NW side of the island. Upon entering the bay, we felt as if we had been transported into a Jurassic Park movie. The bay was surrounded by tall, rugged cliffs cloaked in lush green. The juxtaposition of the white goats navigating craggy cliffs with green grass and plants against the blue backdrop of the sky and ocean was simply stunning. It is difficult to describe the beauty we saw here: ferns, grass, trees, and flowering plants blanketed the hillsides accented with a sweet floral aroma. We dropped the hook in 70 feet and let 275 feet of chain follow. Some of the highlights in Fatu Hiva included dinner ashore at a local’s house with our friends on s/v Sea Bella and new friends on s/v Wadura, hiking to the waterfall, buying a turtle tapa print, visiting the village of Omoa, and seeing spinner dolphins. In Omoa, we met a lovely, older local villager named Agnes while we were searching for baguettes. There were no baguettes, but Agnes invited us all to her home. There she gifted us with her own frozen baguettes, pastries, juice, and “cancer-prevention” jam (an acquired taste perhaps)! Agnes spoke no English and we spoke virtually no French, but with hand signals, smiles, and Kathy’s Google Translate, we were able to visit for over 2 hours! It was completely unexpected and supremely satisfying to spend time with someone so incredibly generous and charming. The other unexpected highlight was attending the church service where we witnessed such beautiful singing that it brought us to tears. The service was conducted in Marquesan with a little snippet of French so we didn’t understand a word but we were absolutely moved by the sweet sounds of the Marquesan language and the singing.

Waterfall hike - Fatu Hiva

Not hard to see why this bay was called "Bay of Penises" - before the missionaries arrived!

At Agnes' home

Our lovely hostess, Agnes

After just 6 days in Fatu Hiva, we set sail for Amanu in the Tuamotus Archipelago. Amanu is one of the southernmost atolls in the Tuamotus and is a favorite of friends Bruce and Alene on s/v Migration. We arrived in the morning on April 29^th and sat patiently outside the pass while we watched the swells roll in. This was our first atoll and adrenaline was pumping through our veins as we waited for the right time to slip between the breaking waves and enter the pass. Atolls are formed when coral reefs develop around a volcanic island which then collapses in the center leaving a lagoon. Some atolls do not have passes (navigable cuts in the coral reef) to enter the lagoon, others have narrow passes, yet others have mile-wide passes. The tricky part of entering a lagoon is timing the entry with ocean swells and tides. It can be dangerous to enter when there are strong currents pushing against the boat or large standing waves. Years ago, before the advent of reliable navigation programs, satellite images, and navigational aids, the Tuamotus were largely unvisited because of the dangerous reefs. We are fortunate to be witness to their beauty. The other danger of atolls lies within the lagoon where coral “bommies” (large coral heads) stretch from the bottom of the lagoon to the surface or, worse yet, just below the surface where they are difficult to see. We call them keel-rakers and they are to be avoided at all cost!

Amanu has a narrow pass with a “right-hand turn” just inside. It is also shallow. But we steadied our nerves and with Michelle as lookout on the bow, Jeff guided us into the lagoon. We made our way across the lagoon to an anchorage that we named “postcard” because it looked exactly like that. We spent time in Amanu with friends on Sea Bella, Migration, and Breakaway (new friends). While in Amanu, we visited the village and watched the children perform for the Linblad Cruiselines Orion, snorkeled, shucked lots of coconuts, waited out a storm with winds over 45kt behind a Motu we named “black tip”, and simply relaxed in the isolation and grandeur of the South Pacific.