The island Hiva Oa, with the main village of Atuona was never on our list to be visited.
But a westerly swell rolled into the open-to-the-west bays in Tahuata. We stuck it out for a few days in the hope it would subside. The local taxi-boats had a hard time getting the passengers on and off their boats.
The big swell runs for minutes, then sometimes there is a lull, to board a couple passengers before the next big waves hit.
The taxi boat maneuvers in and out with each lull and yanks in a few passengers at the time.
In similar fashion, Dirk unloaded / loaded Silvie for some minimal shopping, and picking up our laundry otherwise we stayed on board for days on end. Other cruisers came from the other bays in their dinghies, unloaded crew, but one had to either stay in the dinghy and wait, or tie the dinghy to one of the mooring floats and swim in/out.
After enough of above, we decided to head for Atuona, known for swell in the anchorage, but from the east. Since we currently have very little wind, no trade-winds to speak of, the hope was that it would be better there than on the west-side of Tahuata. It is only 11nm after all, and we could turn around if anchoring there was worse than in Tahuata.
