CC BY 3.0, Sardon, Wikimedia CommonsAnchorage· Eiao· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Vaituha Bay Anchorage (Eiao)
7° 59.6′ S · 140° 42.7′ W
The one good anchorage of Eiao, an uninhabited, wind-scoured nature-reserve island 60 nm north of Nuku Hiva: a dark sand beach, a fishermen's shack and mantas in the bay, with almost certainly no other boat in sight.
Practical
Boundless (fall 2024) anchored with the boat lying at 7°59.56'S / 140°42.66'W in about 42 ft on sand, inside a rocky band further out; steady SE breeze, very little swell, three quiet nights. Approach: from Haahopu Bay, about 58 nm, a reach to the SW point, then light SW and strong northerly gusts entering the bay. Landing by paddleboard near low tide; the large shack on the north shore has a kitchen and a water hose that was dry. No trails; the rocky stream bed is a bushwhack. The island is a nature reserve (see Eiao and Hatutu Nature Reserves): leave no trace and don't land animals. SHOM publishes tide predictions for Eiao. Return to Nuku Hiva is close-hauled in big seas around the SW corner.
Best for
An expedition stop for self-sufficient crews
Season
Settled E-SE trades; check for N swell
Nearby
- Eiao Stone-Adze QuarriesRight here
- Eiao and Hatutu Nature Reserves0.7 NM away
- Eiao and Hatutu Reserve Access Rules0.7 NM away
- Hatutu Seabird Island9.5 NM away
- Nuku Ataha Airport (NHV)56.1 NM away
- Bay Moutee (Nuku Hiva North)56.9 NM away
- Haahopu Bay (Nuku Hiva West)57 NM away
- Hakaehu Bay (Pua, Nuku Hiva)57.2 NM away