A Week Aboard S/V Sabado: 1/05/2025 1/12/2025

Hi there! This week’s video was for our Crew & VIPs only: we took you along for a day in the life on anchor in Nuku Hiva. Join here to watch! We also posted a new recipe for our favorite banana bread! Did you see it? 

Despite everything being closed, we were able to score some salami and cheese ashore on Sunday morning. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the sunny, calm anchorage and tackling a few chores. While cleaning out our fridge, I found a half carton of cream I knew we wouldn’t use before it spoiled, so I decided to turn it into butter. I’ve never made butter before, but I delusionally believe I can figure out just about anything. I don’t have an electric mixer, so I plugged in my trusty immersion blender and got to work. In about 10 minutes, it began to separate. I saved the buttermilk, salted my butter, and set it in the fridge to firm up. Surprisingly, making it in the afternoon heat didn’t seem to cause any issues- once refrigerated, it became a normal block of butter! 

I used the buttermilk to make biscuits, and we ate them with sausage gravy and the rest of our eggs for dinner that night. We haven’t seen eggs at the shop in quite a while, but this meal was 100% worthy of our last few. I love breakfast for dinner! 

On Wednesday, we ventured to shore, hoping to get a closer look at the massive tiki statue overlooking our anchorage. We wandered uphill, shaded by bright red blossoming trees, until we reached the top. The views along the way were breathtaking! This is such a beautiful island. 

The female tiki stands 12m tall atop Tuhiva Hill and is known as the Guardian of Tradition and Knowledge. Behind her stands a smaller male tiki, representing a warrior imposing his power. 

When we first arrived, a group of local kids were playing games in the shadow of the sculptures. We attempted to fly our drone to get a better view of the bay, but the nearby helicopter pad made this a no-fly zone. 

We’d been watching the weather for nearly two weeks now for a window to sail to Tahuata, the home of our favorite anchorage in the Marquesas with clear water and a sandy beach. It finally looked like one was materializing on Saturday. So, we made a final stop at the grocery store and local produce market to reprovision before we left. Fruit is plentiful here, but vegetables can be challenging to find, so we were thrilled to pick up some tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, and the usual mangoes, pamplemousse, and pineapple. Ray made a batch of simple syrup and steeped the pineapple peel in water. He used both, plus some fresh pineapple, gin, and soda water, to make a delicious cocktail that evening. 

We had planned to depart Nuku Hiva on Saturday afternoon. So, our morning was peaceful. Between cups of coffee and breakfast, we slowly began our pre-departure inspections and got the boat ready to move again. With light winds and calm seas in the forecast, we knew we’d want to fly a big headsail, so we reshaped and reattached our rogue bobstay to the bowsprit- which is when Ray noticed the furler was out of whack, with one part of the guide bent inward, puncturing the line. 

We still have no idea how this happened, but seeing the damage to the furler leads us to believe it was something with a lot of force! Perhaps a FAD went right between our hulls, grabbing the bobstay on its way? We’d love to hear your theories… He brought the furler into the cockpit and bent it back into place, but the line had been compromised and needed to be trimmed and respliced. He worked on it for ages, but splicing old lines is tough- so tough that our splicing tool snapped in half. Without that tool, we were screwed. It was 12:45pm, and the chandlery closed at noon. We’re not sure they will have what we need, but we’d rather wait until they reopen on Monday than motor 100 miles. We were disappointed, but honestly, we’ve been in far worse situations. Ray made us a couple of gin and tonics, and we’ll make the most of our newly extended time in Nuku Hiva! 

I hope you had a great week. ❤️