Anchorage· Nuku Hiva· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs

Haahopu Bay (Nuku Hiva West)

8° 49.5′ S · 140° 14.9′ W

The 'airport anchorage' at the NW corner of Nuku Hiva: a dry, clear-water bay with a sand beach, an old concrete wharf and, often, the first rolling-free night in weeks.

TuamotusMarquesas

Practical

Soggy Paws (Sept 2010) anchored at 08°49.5'S / 140°14.94'W in good sand, bottom visible in 25 ft, room for 3-4 boats; Jacaranda (Oct 2015) went about 90 m further in to 17 ft LW on sand patches among rocks, with some swell but comfortable. Charlie's Charts: anchor inside the entrance for protection from easterlies. Hazards approaching from the north: a shallow spot NW of the rock off Motu Tauakakivi, western edge about 08°49.20'S / 140°15.08'W (sounder jumped from 100 ft to under 20 ft; not on C-Map or Navionics), and a charted rock awash 90 m NW of the motu. Afternoon sea breeze from the west, light easterly at night. Fishermen's moorings near the wharf; the Taporo supply ship lands aviation fuel here. You can land crew at the wharf but cars are few: take a taxi from Taiohae for flights. Clear water for scrubbing and snorkelling. Official brief (2023): room for only 1-2 boats; anchor about 200 m from the landing stage in 5-6 m; you can come alongside the landing stage in good weather or land on the beach, but surf in the bay is continuous so staying at anchor is preferable; a path from the landing leads to the airport. Sea-Seek (2024) agrees: anchor in the SW of the bay 200 m from the landing on the north side, good holding.

Best for

A calm, clear stop on a westabout circumnavigation or before Eiao

Season

Good in E-SE trades; open to the W and N

Nearby