South Pacifc Posse '23

 

“Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again..”

– Captain James Cook FRS


SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE
FLEET UPDATE

2023-06-11

13 Ensigns

63 Yachts from 13 ensigns are part of a forward scouting fleet looking for opportunities and looking out for threats.

To join follow this link >>

Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre Noumea designe by Renzo Piana Noumea New Caledonai

Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre Noumea designed by Renzo Piano 🇳🇨 NEW CALEDONIA

TOP NEWS

  • L’ÎLOT AMÉDÉE 🇳🇨 NEW CALEDONIA
  • PICTURES OF THE WEEK
  • GET YOUR BURGEE
  • MONSOON’S TAKE
  • SAVE THE DATE
  • OCEAN TACTICS 🌪🌀
  • CYCLONE HOLES 🇫🇯 FIJI
  • RIVERGATE MARINA & SHIPYARD 🇦🇺
  • MANUAL TRACKING WITH PREDICT WIND SWITCH OVER
  • BOLO ALERT
  • HISTORIC PORTSVAVA’U KINGDOM OF 🇹🇴 TONGA

1) L’ÎLOT AMÉDÉE
🇳🇨 NEW CALEDONIA

 Amedee Lighthouse

The Amedee Lighthouse, located near Noumea, New Caledonia has some fascinating facts.

Construction: The Amedee Lighthouse was constructed in France in the late 1860s and was shipped in pieces to New Caledonia. It was designed by French engineer, Henri Becquerel, and stands as a testament to 19th-century engineering.

Tower Height: The lighthouse stands at a height of 56 meters (184 feet). It is one of the tallest lighthouses in the Southern Hemisphere and offers panoramic views of the surrounding ocean and islands surrounded by white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters with sea turtles nearby.

The lighthouse is made of cast iron plates, which were riveted together to form the cylindrical tower. It features a spiral staircase with 247 steps leading to the lantern room at the top. The lighthouse’s distinctive red and white stripes make it easily recognizable.

The Amédée Lighthouse

The Amedee Lighthouse is not just a historical , it is still an active lighthouse. It serves as an essential navigational aid, guiding ships through the coral reefs and marking the entrance to the Noumea harbor.

The lens, the original one fitted, is made up of a series of prismatic segments and known as a Fresnel lens. It was made in Paris in 1862 by the Société des Etablissements Henry-Lepaute. It was brought, dismantled, to New Caledonia and reassembled on top of the Amédée lighthouse in 1865. It was removed in 1985 when the lighthouse was automated, and replaced by a more modern lens.

The original lense was made up of a series of prismatic segments and known as a Fresnel lens. It was made in Paris in 1862 by the Société des Etablissements Henry-Lepaute and was replaced in 1985.

Conservation

Conservation Efforts: Due to its ecological importance, Amedee Island and its surrounding waters have been designated a marine protected area. This designation aims to preserve the diverse marine ecosystem and promote sustainable tourism practices

 Ilot Amadee

⚓ Good Anchorage & Mooring Balls @ 22° 28.55 S 166° 27.93 E Ilot Amadee 🇳🇨 NEW CALEDONIA

2) PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Suwarrow

@ anchor with sharks

At anchor

very good visibility * location withheld 😉

At Anchor

SY GLADAN 🇵🇱 Giancarlo & Paola – Lagoon 44′

Gladan PaolaGladan Giancarlo
Mt Yasur

Mt Yasur Volcano in Vanuatu with David in all it’s glory

On the edge of hell

On the edge of the caldron – phet phet phet is the sound of 2000 degree lava rocks landing all around you as they are launched at 1,000°C / 1,800°F. Estimated to erupt 10-20 times every hour as the volcano is constantly rumbling and causing the ground to shake.

MT YASUR

SY DREAMER 🇺🇸 David & Gerne – Caliber 40lrv’

DREAMER CrewDREAMER GerneDREAMER David
 

Experience in 30 seconds what a volcanic eruption looks like up close !

VANUATU IS IN GOOD NAUTICAL

VANUATU IS IN GOOD NAUTICAL ⚓

Rolling Stones

SY ROLLING STONES 🇺🇸 Geoff, Meghan & crew Leopard 45′

Rolling Stones Rolling Stones Rolling Stones Rolling Stones Rolling Stones
FIRST LIGHT

SKY LIGHT

 A coral bombie off a motu in Tahanea atoll

A coral bommie off a motu in Tahanea atoll FP

UNderwater

The sailing duo of Don Atwood and Julie Dunne will be chronicling their adventures, both land and sea with pictures and stories as they journey across the South Pacific aboard the sailboat First Light.

Coral
At Peace

More shots of the beautiful atolls of French Polynesia.

Floating the anchor chain to avoid coral damage and avoiding getting tangled up our bommies

FIRST LIGHT

SY FIRST LIGHT Don & Julie – Hallberg Rassy 39′

FIRST LIGHT DonFIRST LIGHT Julie
 

Marquesas
Marquesas
NANAI

SY NANAI 🇺🇸 Chris, Kay, Kevin & Mark – Tashing,Taswell 49′

3) GET YOUR BURGEE FROM KEVIN
@ NUKU HIVA YACHT SERVICES

Burgee Back

South Pacific Posse '23 BUrgee Front

Yacht Services Nuku Hiva 🇵🇫 Sponsors the South Pacific Posse

Yacht Services Nuku Hiva 🇵🇫 Sponsors the South Pacific Posse

I look forward to meeting and helping the participants

Cheers, Kevin

BP 301 Taiohae, 98742 Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia

+689 87 22 68 72, YSNukuHiva@hotmail.com

VHF 72, Monday – Friday 0800-1400

4) INTRODUCING THE LATEST
SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE MARINA

MUSKET COVE MARINA 🇫🇯 SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE

MUSKET COVE FIJI

We welcome any of the South Pacific Posse to Musket Cove at any time.

We’re pleased to offer a Free Berthing Day for 5 Paid Days to all South Pacific Posse Members.

Wayne Deed Musket ove Fiji

Wayne Deed
Musket Cove Fiji

Musket COve Fiji

Musket Cove in Fiji is a renowned destination that holds a special allure for yachts from all around the world.

Musket Cove is located in the idyllic Mamanuca Islands of Fiji, surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise waters, pristine beaches, and lush tropical landscapes. The natural beauty is breathtaking and provides a perfect backdrop for hanging out a season in the tropics.

Fiji offers excellent sailing conditions and service oriented staff and vendors with consistent trade winds, calm waters, and numerous sheltered anchorages and amazing surf breaks. Musket Cove, in particular, benefits from its strategic location within the Mamanuca Islands, providing easy access to nearby islands, reefs, and marine parks with an easy ferry to get you and your crew and guest back to and from the main island and Nandi airport.

The marina offers a range of services, including berthing, fueling, making it a convenient and well-equipped base for yachts to dock, moor and refuel.

Musket Cove has developed a vibrant yachting community hosting various events, races, regattas, and social gatherings, fostering a sense of camaraderie among cruisers. These events provide opportunities for networking, sharing experiences, and celebrating the joy of exploring via yacht.

It also offers a range of amenities and services that appeal beyond sailors. The Musket Cove Island Resort provides luxurious accommodation, restaurant options spa facilities, and additional recreational activities, allowing you to unwind and indulge in a relaxed setting.

MUSKET COVE MARINA 🇫🇯 SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE

5) MORE PICTURES OF THE WEEK

BRAVO ZULU

enjoying some dolphins in the distance, or maybe to get some alone time

Mary Caraway Ewing enjoying some dolphins in the distance, or maybe to get some alone time

More exploration of the dramatic Marquesas. These islands were once the home of tens of thousands of Polynesians

We sail where the coconuts grow

We sail where the coconuts grow and … FALL!

Local Fruits

Legendary Pampelmousse and local fruits grow among breadfruit plant or ‘uru, the coconut, the dozens of varieties of bananas including the incomparable orange plantain banana or fe’i, various root vegetables such as the taro, the tarua, the ufi, and the ‘umara make up the basis of island cuisine

 Tiki: Anthropomorphic Sculptures, Sacred Structures and Powerful Places in Marquesas Islands Tiki : Sculptures anthropomorphiques, structures et localités sacrées des îles Marquises Sidsel Millerstrom p. 1828-1846 Abstract Index Text Bibliography Notes AuthorIllustrations Abstract English Français The ancient Marquesan anthropomorphic stone and wood sculptures or tiki have received wide attention since they were first noted in 1595. However, they have not been systematically and scientifically studied until the Marquesas Rock Art Project was created in 1984. Over several years eighty‑four anthropomorphic sculptures were located through intensive field survey and interviews with local Marquesan. Information gathered at each site included metric data, archaeological, social, architectural and environmental context. Stylistically the Marquesan stone tiki are remarkably similar and followed certain social rules. The similar characteristics also seen in Marquesan rock art, tattoo, and material objects suggest that the fundamental principles regarding the symbolic order remained unchanged for a long time. Moreover, the homogeneous decorative system demonstrates that the Marquesan adhered to a common ideology and belief system. Index terms Mots clés : Océanie, Polynésie française, Îles Marquises, Tiki, pierres anthropomorphiques, archéologie, sculpture sur bois, art rupestre, lieux sacrés, tatouage Keywords : Oceania, Marquesas Island, Tiki, anthropomorphic stone, archaeology, wood Sculptures, rock art, sacred place, tattoo Full text Acknowledgement The Marquesan Rock Art Project was a team effort and several archaeologists and local volunteers worked with us. While they are too numerous to mention here I am grateful for their enthusiasm, help and their friendship. I wish to acknowledge Maeva Navarro, former director of C.P.S.H., Tahiti, for initiating the Marquesan Rock Art Project, and for allowing my team and me to conduct research in the Marquesas. I thank her for her support and encouragement. Thank you to Edmundo Edwards, with whom I was fortunate to be able to work; he headed the project and became my working partner from the beginning. His knowledge of Polynesia and his overwhelming generosity and kindness touched everybody. Heidy Baumgartner Lesage, a long‑time friend and team mate, and I spent much time together in the Marquesas surveying, recording the petroglyphs, tiki, and associated architecture. I will always be indebted to Heidy for her sound advice and companionship. I thank the government of French Polynesia for allowing me to do archaeological research in the islands and for the many Marquesan that housed and fed us, showed us archaeological sites and became our friends. Introduction 1 A publication about a tiki exhibit in 2016, Tahiti, just become available. Tik (...) 1Since the 1590s, with the arrival of the first Europeans to the Marquesan Archipelago, stone and wood sculptures have been described, exhibited, photographed, sketched, painted and admired. However, the sculptures have never been systematically surveyed, documented and analysed. I present here a summary of metric information and empirical observation generated from data collected on the stone sculptures during several archaeological field seasons to the Marquesas Islands.1 2In 1984, Maeva Navarro, then Director of Département d’Archéologie, Centre Polynésien des Sciences Humaines, Te Anavaharau, Tahiti (C.P.S.H), initiated the Marquesas Island Rock Art Project. This government organization is presently known as Service de la Culture et du Patrimoine (S.C.P). Edmundo Edwards, then chief archaeologist with the department, directed the project. I was part of the venture from the beginning. During the Marquesan Rock Art Project, from 1984 to 1989, eighty‑four stone statues or tiki were documented in seventeen valleys on the presently six inhabited islands. Figure 1. The Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia Figure 1. The Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia Zoom in Original (png, 48k) © Map courtesy Melinda Allen 2016 2 Their work was published in 2007 by Service de la Culture et du Patrimoine, Mi (...) 3Since 1998, additional sculptures have been found and documented by others. For instance, the French couple Catherine Chavaillon and Eric Olivier, while living on Hiva Oa, recorded several previously undocumented statues2. 3 In the 1890s a large anthropomorphic head was taken from Me’ae Iipona, Puamau, Valley, (...) 4In 1997, the American archaeologist Barry Rolett, with University of Hawaii, Manoa, discovered four tiki heads on the surface of a shrine (me’ae) in Vaitahu, Tahuata. Several sculptures are located in Musée de Tahiti et des îles, Punaauia in numerous museums worldwide as well as in private collections. None of these anthropomorphic figures are included in this study. Some statues have been carried away by foreigners or they were hidden by Marquesan when Christianity became established in the archipelago.3 4 A stone monument in Vaitahu, Tahuata, raised in 1995 in commemoration of the discovery o (...) 5The first encounter between Europeans and Te Enana, as the Marquesan people now wish to be called, was brief and brutal.4 In July 1595, the Spanish commander Alvaro de Mendaña and his pilot Portuguese Pedro Fernández de Quiros came upon Fatu Hiva, Tahuata, Hiva Oa, and Montane islands in the southern group, on their way from Peru to form a colony in the Solomon Islands. Te Enana then became the first Polynesian island society to be discovered by the Europeans. During their visit to Vaitahu, Tahuata, Mendaña and his crew held a Mass, raised three wooden crosses, planted a few corn seeds, and took possession of the island in the name of Spain. Due to misunderstandings between Te Enana and the Spanish some two hundred islanders were massacred. Only Quiros left a record of what they saw during their sojourn in the islands. His account contained the first description of anthropomorphic sculptures and a sacred structure: 5 Markham, 1904, p. 27‑28. Apart from the village there was an oracle surrounded by palisades, with the entrance on the west side. Within there was a house, almost in the middle, in which were wooden figures badly carved; and here were offerings of food and a pig, which the soldiers took. When the Spanish soldiers attempted to take some of the objects, they were made to understand by the Enana that they had great respect for the place.5 6As far as the written record is concerned, no Europeans visited the islands during the following 179 years. Western influence first spread after Captain James Cook’s three‑day visit in 1774. Cook, commander of the Resolution and the Discovery, also anchored in Vaitahu Bay, Tahuata. 7He renamed it Resolution Bay. From then on numerous explorers, missionaries, traders and a few beachcombers arrived in the archipelago. Thus, the Marquesan social fabric dramatically changed forever. Anthropomorphic Sculptures (Tiki) Characteristics 8All representations of human like figures such as the statues, anthropomorphs seen in the petroglyphs, pictographs and tattoo repertoire, carved figures on bones, wood and shells are collectively referred to as tiki. This, however, does not mean that they represent the god Tiki, an important figure in Marquesan mythology. In general, the anthropomorphic statues represent deified ancestors such as important chiefs and priests, people that were considered sacred or tapu. For instance, Takai’i, at Me’ae Iipona, Puamu, Hiva Oa, the largest tiki in the Marquesas, was a powerful chief and warrior. Figure 2. Me'ae Iipona, Puamau, Hiva Oa. Takai’i and a sitting tiki Figure 2. Me'ae Iipona, Puamau, Hiva Oa. Takai’i and a sitting tiki Zoom in Original (jpeg, 1,1M) © Millerstrom Location 9Of the 84 stone anthropomorphic sculptures that we documented, the majority, 53 tiki (63,1 percent), were found on Hiva Oa (Table 1). At Me’ae Iipona, there are 18 tiki (5 statues, 10 heads, and three sculpture fragments), as well as numerous boulders with petroglyphs. Several of the heads were uncovered in 1991 when the French archaeologist Pierre Ottino and his crew restored the site for the Third Marquesas Islands Festival. The only sitting tiki recorded by us is located at this site (see figure 2). The sitting tiki, named Te aua ehu ehu or Fau poe, is believed to represent the wife of Takai’i, the tallest tiki in the Marquesas. Island Valley Frequency of tiki Percentage Hiva Oa Puamau 30 ‘Atu’ona 9 Hanaiapa 3 Eiaone 3 Ta’a Oa 2 Tahauku 2 Mutu Ua 2 Hanapa’ao’a 1 Punaei 1 Subtotal 53 63.1 Nuku Hiva Taipivai 12 Hatiheu 4 Anaho 1 Taiohae 4 Subtotal 21 25.0 Ua Huka Hane 4 Vaipaee 1 Hokatu 1 Subtotal 6 7.1 Tahuata Vaitahu 1 Subtotal 1 1.2 Ua Pu Hakamoui 1 Hakatehau 1 Subtotal 2 2.4 Fatu Hiva Omoa 1 Subtotal 1 1.2 Total 84 100 6 One of the “horizontally placed” tiki is located at Me’ae Iipona. In the 1 (...) 10A total of 48 tiki were documented in situ; the remaining 36 sculptures had been relocated, and their exact original location and archaeological contexts are uncertain. Based on morphology, five main categories are distinguished: 1) statue carved in the round; 2) modified boulder; 3) rectangular block with tiki figure in deep bas‑relief; 4) double figure; and 5) exotic figure. The last category includes two separate horizontally placed tiki resting on blocks and one seated figure (mentioned above).6 The most common visual characteristics are large circular eyes, wide nose, mouth, slightly flexed legs, and arms placed on a protruding stomach. It may include intricate facial features, tattoos, and headbands, while the rest of the body is only roughly outlined. 7 Millerstrom, 2003a, p. 103‑110. 11Tiki are associated with shrines (me’ae), chief’s household units, or ritual places located within the tribal communal complexes (tohua). Tiki may also be linked to fishing shrines (Figure 3). We found a small tiki on the surface of a fishing shrine in Anaho, Nuku Hiva.7 At Paepae Paeke, Nuku Hiva, another site with several tiki, the statues are fully carved and placed on or in the walls of platforms. Figure 3. Anaho, Nuku Hiva. Tioka Puhetini with a tiki discovered on Me’ae Atatai, a fisherman's shrine (331ANA T‑1) Figure 3. Anaho, Nuku Hiva. Tioka Puhetini with a tiki discovered on Me’ae Atatai, a fisherman's shrine (331ANA T‑1) Zoom in Original (jpeg, 408k) ©Millerstrom 12Regarding the Paepae Paeke site, when German ethnographer von den Steinen visited in the 1890s, he was told that each of the 12 tiki present at the site was named after a district in Taipi Valley. The name of one of the tiki was Puamamau Etua. Furthermore, the Paepae Paeke was protected by a tapu (a spiritual protection). The sacredness of the place, the location on top of a peak, and the name of one tiki indicate that this was a me’ae and that one tiki may represent a deified inspirational priest. When the American archaeologist Ralph Linton examined the site in 1920, his guide claimed that the site was neither sacred nor a shrine and the people of Taipi did not know of any names. 13Sometimes statues are directly associated with a chief’s domestic complex. A chief’s house is sometimes referred to as a me’ae in the historic literature. It is possible that an important chief’s house became so infused with supernatural power after his death that the site became sacred and thus became become a shrine as. This is what might have taken place at Paepae Paeke. Structure 14Typically, the size of the head is one third or more of the body’s height. Because the head was considered sacred and the seat of supernatural power (mana), it was the most important part of the statue. Thus, it was carved with careful attention to the smallest details. It is usually resting directly on square shoulders lacking a neck. A tiki at Me’ae Iipona is unusual because of the small size of the head in relation to the body (Figure 4). It is possible that the original head broke off, and the statue and the head were re‑carved to fit into a smooth groove in the upper torso. Round, large, and bulging eyes are usually encircled with a 1‑2‑cm‑wide raised rim under high‑arched eyebrows. Sometimes the eyes have a raised or incised curved line that bisects them from the outer part of the eye to the inner corner of each eye. Some tiki have circular indented pits indicating the pupils. Figure 4. Me'ae Iipona, Puamau, Hiva Oa Figure 4. Me'ae Iipona, Puamau, Hiva Oa Zoom in Original (jpeg, 418k) © Millerstrom 15A broad nose with wide nostrils fills out most of the centre of the face. The outline of the nose goes upward and connects with the eyebrow. High eyebrows reach down on the outer side of the head and link with the ears, resembling the stems of eyeglasses. A long, wide mouth, sometimes with a protruding tongue or even teeth with great canines, covers the lower part of the face. When tattoo occur, they depict anthropomorphic figures, dogs, and geometric motifs. Tattoo are usually placed on the side of the mouth chest or on the thighs. 8 Linton, 1925, p. 74. 16Carved headdresses (hei) are the most common form of decoration, but wreath around the neck, tattoo, short mantles, and hair‑knots on each side of the head occur. Some tiki have drilled circular perforation in the earlobes for placement of earplugs. Takai’i at Me’ae Iipona, has tattoo on the chest and legs, what appears to be a hair knot at the back, and we noted several vertical grooves in each eye, perhaps this was to emphasize their size and the direction of the gaze. The American archaeologist Ralph Linton8 mentions ornamental grooves, circles and chevron patterns on the abdomen and buttocks on some images, but these tattoo design are no longer visible on the tiki we recorded. We do not know if the neck ornaments represent plants or marine material. Perforated shell tabs, pearl pendants, fish, porpoise and whale teeth are found in archaeological deposits. In fact, whale teeth were so treasured that towards the beginning of the Classical Period (1600‑1790) and onwards imitation whale teeth were carved from the lips of Cassi shell. Wreaths of perishable plant material are difficult to ascertain archaeologically. Paul Pétard (1912‑1980), a French ethnobotanist, reported that garlands were strung from the keys of Pandanus (Pandanus tectorius), also referred to as Screw Pine, to decorate the body during feasts. Several varieties of the Pandanus were recognized by the Polynesian according to the various parts of the tree, and the changing colour of the ripening fruit. Garlands strung from the Pandanus keys, especially the red type (ha’a kua), was reserved for garlands to decorate the tiki during feasts and hence tapu or forbidden to commoners. 17Wide, rounded hips and short, stubby extend legs rest on a pedestal. Some tiki have a peg base to secure them in the ground. Legs were considered less important and many images have the legs only indicated, while other sculptures are cut off below the waist. Ankles may be indicated by raised circular knobs. Only a few images depict toes. The back is often carved with spines and buttocks even when the statues are fitted into a stone platform. The tiki recorded by our team vary in height from 32.7 to 250 cm above the ground. The majority of the statues measure between 50 and 100 cm. 18During some ceremonies, the tiki was girdled in tapa or bark clothes. While tapa beating was usually done by women, the loincloth for the tiki were ceremonially beaten by the priest. Early explorers describe old inspirational priests (tuhuna/tuhuka) beating loincloth for the gods. The act was so sacred that the priest could only eat in the evening. Offerings of human victims, animals, fruit, and vegetables were placed in front of the statue or hung in nearby trees. Contributions were placed near the tiki and priest were seen presenting food to the mouth of the statues. Robarts, an English beachcomber that lived eight years in the islands noted that during the memorial feast, food was always sent to the priests at the me’ae. A small portion of the food was placed on the head of the image. Edward Robarts wrote: “This no one eats, being held sacred” (1974). Several of the images we documented have a flat surface on top of the head which may have been a space to place decoration such as a crown of shell, teeth, bones, or plant material as well as offerings to the ancestors. 9 Quoted from E. S. Handy (1923, p. 224) in The Native Culture in the Marquesas: Bernice (...) 19Hands with fingers are most often resting on a protruding abdomen. As ritual knowledge, genealogy and oral tradition were believed to be held in the stomach, hands placed on a protruding belly may have been a way to protect these memories. A tiki, part of Tohua Pehe Kua, Puamau, have the left hand touching the mouth (Figure 5). The reason for this is unknown. At Me’ae Iipona, a headless tiki placed on a terrace below Takai’i has 6 fingers on each hand also resting on a protruding stomach. A circular tattoo on the left ankle indicates that it is a high raking person. A tribal inspirational priest or shaman was called tau’a. Sometimes they would also be called atua (called etua in the Southern group), which means literally god. A shaman could be a male or female. He or she was thought to be persons who could be possessed by spirits or gods and their position were demonstrated by some type of phenomenon or “distinguished by remarkable physical deformity of some kind”.9 This statue is the only one we recorded that showed deformity, although a tiki located at Paepae Paeke, Nuku Hiva, has two heads. However, double‑headed tiki or the Janus figure phenomena seen elsewhere in Polynesian carvings may have different connotations. Figure 5. Tohua Pehe Kua, Puamau, Hiva Oa. The tiki, one of a pair, is presently located at chief Te Hau Moe’s tomb Figure 5. Tohua Pehe Kua, Puamau, Hiva Oa. The tiki, one of a pair, is presently located at chief Te Hau Moe’s tomb Zoom in Original (jpeg, 40M) © Millerstrom 20It is generally assumed that all the tiki represented men. This may not be the case. Leaving out sculptured heads from the calculation, there are 61 torsos and fully carved tiki. Of these 39 sculptures (64.0 percent) have no sex depicted. While 16 sculptures (26.2 percent) represent males, 6 tiki (9.8 percent) represent females. At Paepae Paeke, Taipivai (Nuku Hiva), 4 of the 12 tiki represent females and 4 are males (Figure 6). In the past all tiki had a name, but most of them are forgotten today. According to legends and local informants the tiki with 6 fingers on with both hands at Me’ae Iipona carries names that are both male and female; Te torae e nohu ua, or Maiauto, or Pete ta mu imui are masculine and feminine names. Thus, the male/female distinctions in carved ancestral figures may or may not have been meaningful to the Marquesan in the past. Figure 6. Paepae Paeke, Taipivai, Nuku Hiva. A female tiki carved in red volcanic tuff Figure 6. Paepae Paeke, Taipivai, Nuku Hiva. A female tiki carved in red volcanic tuff Zoom in Original (jpeg, 2,5M) © Millerstrom Material 10 Millerstrom & Edwards, 1998. 11 Linton, 1925, p. 162. 21A total of 31 tiki (37.0 percent) were carved from sacred red volcanic tuff, but some basaltic tiki were once painted red10. When we used artificial light at night to checked on an image at Me’ae Utukua, Punaei Valley, Hiva Oa, we discovered traces of red pigment around the eyes (Figure 7). Ralph Linton11 saw traces of red pigment in protected parts of a statue at Me’ae Iipona, Hiva Oa. Some of the sculptures, 16 (19.0 percent) in total, were carved in a gray or yellow tuff. The remaining 37 sculptures (44.0 percent) were crafted in basalt. Figure 7. Me’ae Utukua, Punaei Valley, Hiva Oa. Figure 7. Me’ae Utukua, Punaei Valley, Hiva Oa. Zoom in Original (jpeg, 433k) ©Photo courtesy C. Chavaillon and E. Oliver 12 Ibid., p. 8‑9, 164‑165. 13 Ibid., p. 8. 22There are numerous quarries in the Marquesas, but none of them have been investigated. Ralph Linton12 writes that all the “great tiki” at Me’ae Iipona were sculptures with material from the quarry of Teohopuapu, located in a small valley in the stream bed on the south‑western side of Teohovevau, Puamau Valley. Both red and gray tuff are found in the quarry. In the same area there is a 10 feet stratum of gray tuff deposit. The outline of a large block, also called ke’etu, has been removed and an unfinished tiki head is still visible. Linton13 mentioned another quarry in Puamau that were quarried for stones for secular structures and a quarry at Hakahetau, Ua Pou. None of these quarries have been visited by our team. 14 Ibid., p. 74‑75. 23Ralph Linton14 claims that the tuff on Nuku Hiva is coarser than the tuff elsewhere and that the sculptures are “technically inferior to those of Hiva Oa”. This has yet to be confirmed. On the beach of the isolated Ha’ata’ive’a Valley, located on the north coast of Nuku Hiva, there are two quarries one on each side of the bay. On the east side, a 2‑3 m wide, red tuff band is exposed in a cliff, and a cave is situated above. In the cave, approximately 5 m above the ground, two anthropomorphic faces are pecked on the floor (Figure 8ab). Rectangular outlines, the results of removing blocks of red tuff, are visible on the north side of the 2‑3 m tuff deposit. At high tide the area is partly submerged, a rough outlined tiki is still in place. A basalt adze quarry with the remains of a white beach rock pavement is situated across the bay. Figure 8. Ha’atai’ve’a, Nuku Hiva. Two petroglyph faces placed on the floor of a rock shelter (331haa 1) Figure 8. Ha’atai’ve’a, Nuku Hiva. Two petroglyph faces placed on the floor of a rock shelter (331haa 1) Zoom in Original (jpeg, 9,2M) © Millerstrom 15 Linton, 1925, p. 165. 24Numerous rituals took place before cutting trees for canoes or quarry stones for tiki. Most of these are now forgotten. In the Polynesian past, all boulders and stones were embodied with supernatural power, but some were thought to be more powerful or sacred than others. Boulders, like all things in nature, were believed to grow in the same manner as people and plants. Te Enana believed that ke’etu “grows slowly but constantly ‑a quality peculiar to it”.15 In fact, carving of stone was so important that certain rituals were observed while quarrying. Workers had to render themselves tapu and has to avoid women prior to working with stones or their tools would break. Conservation Issues 25The stone sculptures, especially those carved in the coarse and soft red and yellow volcanic tuff, are friable. Deterioration of the sculptures due to the exposure of the environment continuous to be a serious threat to the Marquesan cultural remains. Over the years many discussions considering the best way to preserve the sculptures have taken place, e.g., chemical treatment, replace the original with copies, or cover them with roofs. In 2016, conservation efforts have been implemented at Me’ae Iipona, Puamau, a site that receives a relatively large number of tourists. Thatched roofs have been built over each of the most fragile tiki. This certainly will help to slow the deterioration, but in many respects, it may be too late. Since the early 1980s my team and I have noticed slow deterioration of the tiki especially at Me’ae Iipona and Paepae Paeke. In the 1920‑21, Ralph Linton noticed tattoo patterns on the upper and lower legs of Takai’i, such as herringbone patters on the thigh and horizontal grooves on the lower legs. These figures are no longer visible. When our team recorded Takai’i in 1985, we noted 4 vertical grooves in his right eye and 27 vertical grooves in his left eye. These grooves are now difficult to distinguish. 16 Heyerdahl & Ferdon, 1965, p. 127, plate 40c. 26When the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition excavated at Me’ae Iipona in 1956, they made a complete plaster mold, a total of fifty‑nine parts, of Takai’i16. An identical copy was then made for the Kon‑Tiki Museum, Oslo, Norway. In the 1990s, I contacted Arne Sjølsvold at the Kon‑Tiki Museum and asked him if they still had the plaster mold. The plaster cast was made by archaeologists Sjølsvold and Figueroa, members of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition. Sjølsvold also excavated Me’ae Iipona. While they searched the museum, no mold was found. Sjølsvold speculated that the pieces were thrown away after the copy for the museum was completed. Discussions Age Determination 17 Heyerdahl, 1965, p. 123‑150. 18 Ferdon, 1965, p. 117‑121. 19 The radio carbon age determination for Paeke is 1516 plus or minus 80 year (...) 27To determine the age of the sculptures is challenging. It appears that the conventional image face was first developed in the petroglyphs system and later became part of the tiki face in the sculptures (Figure 9). According to informants in 1890s who could recite approximately 25 generations, Karl von den Steinen, calculated that Me’ae Iipona was constructed circa 1700‑1750. Excavation in 1956 by members of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific, financed and directed by Thor Heyerdahl, yielded three significantly earlier radiocarbon dated from about 1300 to 1700 (uncalibrated) for the site17. At Paepae Paeke, Taipivai, Edwin Ferdon18, also a member of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition, collected an early radiocarbon date, approximately from 1500‑1600. While these dates indicate the occupation of the sites, it is uncertain if the age determinations reflect the age of the associated sculptures19. Suggs (1961), based on his excavations on Nuku Hiva, suggests that the sculptures were first made around 1600‑1700. Rolett noted that the tiki uncovered in Vaitahu (Tahuata) probably dated to the late prehistoric or early historic period, 1700‑1850. Figure 9: Vaitahu, Taipivai, Nuku Hiva. Two mata or tiki faces (333vai 1) Figure 9: Vaitahu, Taipivai, Nuku Hiva. Two mata or tiki faces (333vai 1) Zoom in Original (png, 30k) © Millerstrom 20 Linton, 1925, p. 167. 28The statues at Paepae Poevau, Puamau Valley, were, according to Ralph Linton20 “among the last products of the Marquesan sculptures tradition and prove conclusively that the art of stone carvings was alive and vigorous at the time of the French conquest”. A pervasive art system 21 Linton, 1923, p. 269. 22 It is assumed that human figures are the most numerous Marquesan design element. This (...) 29Polynesian decorative systems e.g., tiki, petroglyphs, pictographs and tattoo, are pervasive. Ralph Linton21 stated that the Marquesan material culture was homogeneous. For example, human images were more often depicted on all Marquesan media (e.g., houses, canoes, implements, and ornaments) than on the same media in the other Polynesian islands or island groups22. Ruth Greiner (1923) numerically demonstrated that the distributions of design elements and motifs used in carving occurred in more Marquesan media than in the islands on Hawaii, Tahiti, Austral, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, the Cooks, and New Zealand. Unfortunately, Greiner did not have the opportunity to examine Karl von den Steinen’s (1969(I), 1969(II), 1969(III)) seminal work on Marquesan material art. Von den Steinen’s work would have bolstered Greiner’s argument. 23 Walsh & Biggs, 1966. 24 Millerstrom & Allen, 2006. 25 DeBoer, 1991, p. 157. 26 Crook William, 2007 [1797‑1799]. 30A great number of petroglyph faces, stylistically similar to the faces of the sculptures, are often referred to mata both by the local people and in the literature. Mata is also a word linked to numerous tattoo motifs given to von den Steinen in 1897. Mata, a Proto‑Polynesian taxeme refers to eye and face.23 The word has the same meaning in Tonga, Samoa, the Cooks, Easter Islands and among the Maori. Maka is a Hawaiian cognate. Other glosses for mata include genealogy, clan, tribe, or status lineage. This word is still retained in Polynesian dialects indicate that the face motif is connected with important concepts that go far back in Oceanic history. The pervasive mata motif seen in tiki and petroglyphs is also expressed on the surface of, for instance, stilt holders, calabashes, ear plugs, hair ornaments, bark cloth masks, wooden clubs ivory fan handles and so on, collected in the early historic period. There is also a connection between the decoration on tiki, petroglyphs and tattoo.24 They all show remarkable similarities in their decorative systems. This homogeneous decorative system probably identified and intensified the ideology of a group of people. A pervasive art system, furthermore, promotes and reinforces social solidarity in order to maintain belief systems that bolster the political position of the hereditary chief, priests or warriors. Pervasive decorative organization experience much less rate of change that for example an opposing partitive art system.25 These theoretical perspectives have important implications regarding changes in the Marquesan art system and how these changes reflect social transformation. The emphasis on the mata may also have been a way to memorialize, honour, and venerate ancestors. Concern with genealogy was strong in Polynesia. Genealogy linked people with their ancestors and defined their social position to their chiefs. Genealogies were chanted in rites of adoption, birth of a firstborn, marriages, funerals, and so on. Because the head was considered the seat of mana, ancestral skulls were frequently removed from burials and treated as sacred relics. The similarity of much of the archaeological art may be, in part, because the craft specialist (tohuna), despite unrest and warfare, could safely travel between islands.26 Conclusion 27 A version of this essay was presented at the Fourth International Conference on Easter I (...) 31This brief essay on the Marquesan statues presents metric data and some discussion on the statues linked to sacred structures.27 The similarities seen in Marquesan rock art, tattoo, and material objects suggest that the fundamental principles regarding the symbolic order remained unchanged for a long time. Moreover, the homogeneous decorative system demonstrates that the Marquesan adhered to a common ideology and belief system. Stylistically the Marquesan stone tiki are remarkably similar, obviously following certain social rules. However, numerous variations exist suggesting that each tiki not only symbolized important deceased ancestor but in fact represented a specific ancestor. 32The research discussed above is but a small part of the potential wealth of information still to be gleamed from investigating the tiki. Several issues remain to be examined. For example, although the Marquesan tiki are remarkably homogeneous, attribute variations occur. While I speculate that these variations reflect the individual deified ancestor, the stylistic variations could be due to the individual craft‑person, regional or chronological differences, or perhaps associated with the type of material used. Furthermore, is it possible to identify the sex of the 72.8 percent genderless statues by isolating specific male and female characteristics? Futures tiki studies may involve the examination of quarries, as well as to investigate the source of the tiki. To be able to link the source of the statues to the various quarries may reveal information on, for instance, exchange systems, the distance the statues were transported across a challenging landscape, time and efforts of both manufacturing and transportation, division of labour, the limitation of natural resources, social structure or status involved in the quarrying and the carving of the statues, technology and quality of the material, and, in general, social context. Future projects may, furthermore, include the documentation of the anthropomorphic sculptures in museums worldwide and those that are accessible in private collections. Together with the 84 sculptures recorded by my team it will further our knowledge of the Marquesan cultural heritage. Without a doubt, additional tiki will be discovered in the future during archaeological survey, excavation as well as during road and house constructions. Bibliography Books Crook William P., 2007 [1797‑1799], An Account of the Marquesas Islands 1797‑1799, Haere Po, Tahiti, 215 p. Markham Clements, 1904, The Voyages of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, 1595 to 1606, 2 vol., The Hakluyt Society, London. Millerstrom Sidsel, 2017, Te Henua Enana; Images and Settlement Patterns in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, 67, Contributions of the Archaeological Research Facility, University of California, Berkeley eScholarship, DOI: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9v38f0zt. [97809890022-5-7] Robart Edward, 1974, The Marquesan Journal of Edward Robarts 1797‑1824, edited by Dening Greg, University Press of Hawai'I, Honolulu, 360 p. [0708106358] Walsh D. S. & Biggs Bruce, 1966, Proto‑Polynesian Word List i, Linguistic Society of New Zealand, Auckland, 133 p. Papers and contributions to books DeBoer Waren R., 1991, “The Decorative Burden: Design, Medium, and Change”, in Longacre William A. (ed.), 2016, Ceramic Ethnoarchaeology, The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 318 p. [9780816534791] Ferdon Edwin N., 1965, “Surface Architecture of the Site of Paeke, Taipi Valley, Nuku Hiva”, in Heyerdahl Thor & Ferdon Edwin N. (eds.), Reports of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific, vol. ii, School of American Research and Kon‑Tiki Museum, Monograph 24, part. 2. Santa Fe, p. 117‑122. Greiner Ruth H., 1923, Polynesian Decorative Designs, B. P. Bishop Museum, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Bulletin 7, Honolulu, 358 p. Heyerdahl Thor, 1965, “The Statues of the Oipona Me’ae, with a Comparative Analysis of Possibly Related Stone Monuments”, in Heyerdahl Thor & Ferdon Edwin N. (eds.), Reports of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific, School of American Research and Kon‑Tiki Museum, Monograph 24, Vol. ii, part. 2, Santa Fe, p. 123‑151. Linton Ralph, 1925, Archaeology of the Marquesas Islands, B. P. Bishop Museum, Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 23, Honolulu. Millerstrom Sidsel, 1997, “Carved and painted rock images in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia”, Archaeology of Oceania, vol. 32, no 3, p. 181‑196. Millerstrom Sidsel & Edwards Edmundo, 1998, “Stone Sculptures of the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia)”, in Stevenson Christopher M., Lee Georgia & Morin F. J. (eds.), Easter Island in Pacific Context, South Seas Symposium, University of New Mexico, Easter Island Foundation, Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Easter Island and East Polynesia, Albuquerque, p. 55‑62, 402 p. [1880636131] Millerstrom Sidsel, 2006, “Ritual and Domestic Architecture, Sacred Places, and Images in the Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia”, in Lilley Ian (ed.), Archaeology of Oceania: Australia and the Pacific Islands, Blackwell Publishing, Malden (Mass.), p. 284‑301, 416 p. [9780631230823] Millerstrom Sidsel & Allen Tricia., 2006, “Carved Images and Punctured Skins: Rock Carvings and Tattoos in the Marquesas Islands”, American Indian Rock Art, IRAC Proceedings, Rock Art World Heritage, American Rock Art Association, vol. 21, p. 131‑138. Notes 1 A publication about a tiki exhibit in 2016, Tahiti, just become available. Tiki. Co‑édition Musée de Tahiti et des Iles et Éditions Au Vent des iles. Polynésie Française, 2017. I did not have an opportunity to examine this publication. 2 Their work was published in 2007 by Service de la Culture et du Patrimoine, Ministère de la Cuture de Polynésie Française, Tahiti, called Le patrimoine archéologique de l’île de Hiva Oa (archipel des Marquises). 3 In the 1890s a large anthropomorphic head was taken from Me’ae Iipona, Puamau, Valley, Hiva Oa, by von den Steinen and his crew. It was brought to Germany and is housed in the Ethnographic Museum, Dahlem. The collection will eventually be relocated to the center of Berlin. In 2019, the Ethnographic Museum and Museum of Asian Art are scheduled to reopen in the Humboldt Forum in the reconstructed Berlin City Palace (Berliner Stadtschloss). 4 A stone monument in Vaitahu, Tahuata, raised in 1995 in commemoration of the discovery of the Marquesas Islands by Europeans has the following inscriptions: “FENUA ENATA TERRES DES HOMMES. En 1595, elle fut appelée Îles Marquises, nom qui la fit connaître au reste du monde. Qu’aujourd’hui le monde connaisse son nom d’origine. VATAHU, Le 29 Juillet 1995”. (Fenua Enata, the land of men. In 1595 she was called the Marquesas Islands, a name that become known to the rest of the world. Today the world knows the original name. Vaitahu, July 29, 1995). Because most of my archaeological field research took place in Nuku Hiva, I use the term Te Enana, the men/people rather than Te Enata, the term used in the southern group. 5 Markham, 1904, p. 27‑28. 6 One of the “horizontally placed” tiki is located at Me’ae Iipona. In the 1990s, to everybody’s surprise, a smaller but similar tiki was found below the site Meaiaute. Meaiaute is a small me’ae located on a peak in Hane Valley, Ua Huka. Three tiki and one slab with petroglyph are placed at the edge of a pavement. It is unknown where on the site the “horizontally placed” tiki was originally placed. 7 Millerstrom, 2003a, p. 103‑110. 8 Linton, 1925, p. 74. 9 Quoted from E. S. Handy (1923, p. 224) in The Native Culture in the Marquesas: Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 9. Honolulu. 10 Millerstrom & Edwards, 1998. 11 Linton, 1925, p. 162. 12 Ibid., p. 8‑9, 164‑165. 13 Ibid., p. 8. 14 Ibid., p. 74‑75. 15 Linton, 1925, p. 165. 16 Heyerdahl & Ferdon, 1965, p. 127, plate 40c. 17 Heyerdahl, 1965, p. 123‑150. 18 Ferdon, 1965, p. 117‑121. 19 The radio carbon age determination for Paeke is 1516 plus or minus 80 years. The following three dates from Me’ae Iipona are: 1) 1316 plus or minus 100 years; 2) 1497 plus or minus 200 years; 3) 1487 plus or minus 150 years. It should be noted that these dates are uncalibrated and the charcoal samples has not been identified. Furthermore, the dates do not necessary represent the first use of the site nor can we be sure that the dates correspond to the time the tiki were made. 20 Linton, 1925, p. 167. 21 Linton, 1923, p. 269. 22 It is assumed that human figures are the most numerous Marquesan design element. This may be solely due to the fact that human figures are more recognizable. Quantitative analysis of the 3 379 petroglyphs recorded in Hatiheu Valley, Nuku Hiva, demonstrates that abstract geometric figures prevail. As a whole, 998 anthropomorphic figures account for 29,5 percent whereas 2121 petroglyphs or 62,8 percent depict abstract geometric motifs. The situation in the western section, the research area of Hatiheu Valley, show a similar pattern, Millerstrom, 2017. In the painted rock shelters of Eiaone Valley, Hiva Oa, anthropomorphs are represented by 20 figures (18,2 percent), while 50 (45.5 percent) are geometric figures. 23 Walsh & Biggs, 1966. 24 Millerstrom & Allen, 2006. 25 DeBoer, 1991, p. 157. 26 Crook William, 2007 [1797‑1799]. 27 A version of this essay was presented at the Fourth International Conference on Easter Island and East Polynesia. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA, 5‑10 August 1997. It was subsequently published with my colleague Edmundo Edwards in 1998. Millerstrom & Edwards, 1998. List of illustrations Title Figure 1. The Marquesas Archipelago, French Polynesia Credits © Map courtesy Melinda Allen 2016 URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-1.png File image/png, 48k Title Figure 2. Me'ae Iipona, Puamau, Hiva Oa. Takai’i and a sitting tiki Credits © Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-2.jpg File image/jpeg, 1,1M Title Figure 3. Anaho, Nuku Hiva. Tioka Puhetini with a tiki discovered on Me’ae Atatai, a fisherman's shrine (331ANA T‑1) Credits ©Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-3.jpg File image/jpeg, 408k Title Figure 4. Me'ae Iipona, Puamau, Hiva Oa Credits © Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-4.jpg File image/jpeg, 418k Title Figure 5. Tohua Pehe Kua, Puamau, Hiva Oa. The tiki, one of a pair, is presently located at chief Te Hau Moe’s tomb Credits © Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-5.jpg File image/jpeg, 40M Title Figure 6. Paepae Paeke, Taipivai, Nuku Hiva. A female tiki carved in red volcanic tuff Credits © Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-6.jpg File image/jpeg, 2,5M Title Figure 7. Me’ae Utukua, Punaei Valley, Hiva Oa. Credits ©Photo courtesy C. Chavaillon and E. Oliver URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-7.jpg File image/jpeg, 433k Title Figure 8. Ha’atai’ve’a, Nuku Hiva. Two petroglyph faces placed on the floor of a rock shelter (331haa 1) Credits © Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-8.jpg File image/jpeg, 9,2M Title Figure 9: Vaitahu, Taipivai, Nuku Hiva. Two mata or tiki faces (333vai 1) Credits © Millerstrom URL http://books.openedition.org/pressesinalco/docannexe/image/33727/img-9.png File image/png, 30k Author Sidsel Millerstrom University of California, Berkeley, Oceanic Archaeology Lab, Archaeological Research Facilities (ARF) By the same author Petroglyphs of the Society Islands within the Polynesian Rock Art Repertoire in Encyclopédie des historiographies : Afriques, Amériques, Asies, Presses de l’Inalco, 2020 © Presses de l’Inalco, 2020 OpenEdition Books License Textes de stèles de grands moines (Corée) Titres Primordiaux (Amérique latine post‑colombienne)

The ancient Marquesan anthropomorphic sculptures or tiki have received wide attention since they were first noted in 1595. However, they have not been systematically and scientifically studied until 1984. Stylistically the Marquesan stone tiki followed certain social rules with similar characteristics to tattoos and material objects.

More exploration of the dramatic Marquesas. These islands were once the home of tens of thousands of Polynesians, with stone temples and a vibrant culture. Now one finds small, well kempt villages with friendly

SY PISCES 🇺🇸 Mary & Kevin – Antares 44e’

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SY CATWEAZLE 🇬🇧 Harriet & Russell – Allures 45′

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SY SEAGLUB Chris – Hylas 46′

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Jackiron

Jackiron at anchor in Atuona, Marquesas, French Polynesia

CONGRATULATIONS

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SY JACK IRON Kent & Michele –Valiant 42′

JACK IRON KentJACK IRON Michelle
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5) MONSOON’S TAKE

sandspit and sky

palmfringe and beach

palm fringe and beach

walk about

walkabout

Sunset

SY MONSOON Travis, Yeen Yee, Rowan , Everyn – Fuji 32′

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6) SAVE THE DATE

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8) CYCLONE HOLES 🇫🇯 FIJI

Tied up in Mangrroves

From sailingtoday.co.uk

“Winston, a category 5 storm traveling with winds at its center of 163 knots was closer than we wanted, but once communications were lost we didn’t know how close.

By 1800hrs the wind was 40 knots and rising steadily. The sound from the exposed top half of the rigging intensified to a piercing shriek. The dull groan from the hull swelled to a pulsing throb as the gale ripped over us at 100 knots. Il Silenzio was being thrown about in the dark like a drunken cork, but we trusted her steel hull and the preparations we had made.

ZAZOO

Zazoo’s João up on the mast in the cyclone hole

Then we waited. More anchor checking. More rope adjustments.

More was to come in the form of an onslaught of rain in dense sheets, with flashes of lightning and crashing thunder. The initial wind direction created a tide surge and this surge, combined with the low spring tide, drained the river. Il Silenzio touched the bottom in the early hours of the morning and at low water was lying on her hull at about 40˚ on a cushion of mud. Even less windage in this position meant greater stability. Sleep was impossible at this angle, so we sat and listened to the drama playing out above us.

As the storm eased towards morning, the tide came in and Il Silenzio popped up. Our fitful dozing drifted into a restless sleep, difficult in 34-degree heat, but possible after a sleepless night. With the worst winds abated by late morning we assessed the damage. No boats had broken free and damage was minimal. Il Silenzio was in good shape, apart from a lawn of shredded mangrove leaves enveloping the deck. Our bolthole had been a good one.”

A matrix of ropes reminiscent of spaghetti was the result. With a muddy bottom for good anchoring and a small catchment with not too much runoff, this was an excellent refuge. We filled the dinghy with water for stabilising weight, everything was taken off the deck, the headsail was removed and the mainsail tightly lashed. Then we waited. More anchor checking. More rope adjustments.

A matrix of ropes reminiscent of spaghetti was the result. With a muddy bottom for good anchoring and a small catchment with not too much runoff, this was an excellent refuge. We filled the dinghy with water for stabilising weight, everything was taken off the deck, the headsail was removed and the mainsail tightly lashed.

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11) MANUAL TRACKING WITH PREDICT WIND

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DEADLINE JULY 1 2023

How to use GPS Manual Tracking in the Offshore App.

GPS Manual Tracking using the Offshore App can be achieved on PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices. The screenshots below are taken using a PC computer, the general principle is the same across all devices, but the look of the App may differ slightly to the screenshots below if you are using Mac, iOS or Android

NOTE ; If you have automated GPS tracking set up via a satellite device you cannot manual track as well. You will need to contact our Support Team if you would like to switch from automated to manual tracking.

Predict WInd

Log in to your Offshore App and go to the GPS tracking tab on the left. It should look like this.

green

2. Select the Green Download button on the left. Make sure you have selected GPS tracking. Nothing else needs to be ticked for now.

DOWNLOAD ALL

3. Click through to Next > Download All

DOWNLOAD

4. You should now see yourself off the coast of Africa at 0lat0long in the Default position set for tracking pages. However, you will now be able to see this icon that lets you add a manual GPS location.

 5. Click on it to add your current GPS coordinates and time. Select NOW for the current time. Then select Save Point.

5. Click on it to add your current GPS coordinates and time. Select NOW for the current time. Then select Save Point.

Manual position

6. It will then notify that you have a Tracking Point pending upload/download.

DOWNLOAD

7. Do another Download the same as last time, and your Tracking point will be uploaded and synchronized with the server. Your tracking page will now reflect your updated position for friends, family and fleet to see.

TRACKING

12) SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE
FLEET TRACKING

Tracking

13) BOLO ALERT
⚠️

BOLO NE of Marquesas, French Polynesia:

BOLO NE of Marquesas, French Polynesia:

Vessel: “SMILES ROWBOAT”, MMSI 338399051, U.S. flag

Aaron Carotta on “Smiles* has lost all power and charging capability. He has no comms nor functional navigation equipment. He is also low on food. He therefore set off his PLB on May 28 at 05°15S 119°00W. It pinged only briefly. There was a second ping received on May 31 with new coordinates of 5° 30.00′ S 122° 00.00′ W.

The coordinates of the two beacons showed movement of 180 miles @ 266°.

Based on the assumption that Aaron is still rowing, his estimated location could be as far out, on June 7, 2023, 20:56 UTC, as

5° 45.360′ S

126° 37.547′ W

Aaron’s destination is the Marquesas. At the time of last social media update, Aaron communicated his desire to make more southerly and was being hindered by wind and ocean conditions. The bearing from the second ping to the northernmost Marquesas anchorage is 259°. He has a compass to steer by, but no way to know his position.

Please be on the lookout when approaching that area and report any sightings. Anybody who can help search or BOLO for Aaron should FIRST be in touch with JRCC Tahiti AND ALSO with our FB group to ensure good communication/coordination.

Contact info for Tahiti JRCC:

Email: contact@jrcc.pf

Phone: 0068 940 541 616

FB Group to contact: In Search of Adventure Aaron Carotta

https://www.facebook.com/groups/186285441048310/

If you have means to contact other vessels which may be in the area, please send them the above info, or post on the Facebook page above so one of Aaron’s team can try to reach them.

BOLO

Those are all the boats in the area, their registration names and radio IDs and which direction and speed they are heading etc. if they all worked together and honed into a predicted location, they could find SMILES hopefully. Difficulty is knowing if he’s rowing or not. Personally Id conserve energy and water and just float as this also means he would be closer to his last known position

BOLO

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New Caledonia 🇳🇨 in Good Nautical

15) HISTORIC PORTS ⚓ OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC

VAVA’U 🇹🇴 TONGA

VAVUA

When Captain James Cook arrived in Tonga in 1773, the local king, or Tu’i Tonga, did not intentionally lie to him. However, there might be some confusion or miscommunication that led to misunderstandings between the two parties.

During Cook’s visit, he encountered Fatafehi Paulaho, who claimed to be the Tu’i Tonga, the ruling chief of Tonga. However, Fatafehi Paulaho was not the legitimate Tu’i Tonga but rather a local chief who assumed the title. It is believed that he used the opportunity of Cook’s visit to elevate his status and gain recognition.

It’s important to note that Tonga had a complex social and political structure at the time, with multiple chiefs and sub-chiefs. The concept of a single, central ruler, like the Tu’i Tonga, held different meanings and roles depending on the period and context.

So, while Fatafehi Paulaho may have presented himself as the Tu’i Tonga and Cook might have believed him initially, it wasn’t a deliberate act of deception by the king. It was more likely a result of the complexities of Tonga’s social structure and the differences in understanding between the two cultures.

Double-hulled canoes, Tonga

Tonga’s ability to resist colonization can be attributed to several factors:

Geographic Isolation
Tonga is located in the South Pacific, which made it relatively isolated from major colonial powers during the era of European colonization. The distance and lack of easily accessible resources reduced the incentive for colonizers to establish a permanent presence in Tonga.

Strong Monarch
Tonga had a well-established and centralized monarchy, with a long history of rule by the Tu’i Tonga and later the Tu’i Kanokupolu. The monarchy provided a source of stability and authority, allowing the Tongans to maintain a unified front against potential colonizers.

Skilled Navigators
Tongans had a strong tradition of navigation and seafaring. They were adept sailors and had developed sophisticated navigation techniques, allowing them to explore and interact with other Pacific islands. This expertise and knowledge of the seas might have made potential colonizers wary of engaging with Tonga.

Diplomacy & Negotiation
Tonga had a tradition of diplomatic relationships with foreign powers. Tongan leaders, such as King George Tupou I, engaged in diplomatic negotiations with European powers, establishing treaties that recognized Tonga’s independence and sovereignty. These treaties, along with Tonga’s diplomatic efforts, helped protect the kingdom from colonization.

Internal Unity & Resistance
The Tongan people had a strong sense of cultural identity and unity, which contributed to their ability to resist colonization. There were instances where Tongans actively resisted attempts at colonization, demonstrating their commitment to preserving their way of life and sovereignty.

Tonga was never formally colonized
it did enter into a treaty relationship with Britain in 1900, known as the Treaty of Friendship. Under this treaty, Tonga maintained its independence but recognized Britain’s influence in matters of foreign policy and defense. Tonga remains the only Pacific island nation to never have been fully colonized.

Tonga Sailing

Captain Cook and the ‘Friendly Islands’?

Captain Cook first landed in the Tongan islands on 2 October 1773, during his second Pacific voyage. In 1774 he returned for four days and received such a warm welcome that he named Tonga the “Friendly Islands”. However, it is now widely thought that the Tongan chiefs had planned to attack Cook and his crew and seize the Resolution and Adventure.

CAPTAIN COOK

The first account of the supposed plot against the Resolution was given by William Mariner, a young man serving on the British privateer Port au Prince when it was attacked in Lifuka in 1806. Twenty-six of the crew survived. Mariner was adopted by the chief Finau ‘Ulukalala-‘i-Ma‘ofanga and lived in Tonga for four years. |

Finau told Mariner that the “Feenow” Cook had known was his father, who had been instrumental in planning an attack on Cook. The plan was called off when the chiefs disagreed about whether to attack under cover of darkness or during the day.

Fīnau ʻUlukālala I (or his brother) on Vavaʻu in 1793, in Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardiere, Voyage in Search of La Perous

Fīnau ʻUlukālala I (or his brother) on Vavaʻu in 1793, in Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardiere,

When Mariner returned to London, he was contacted by John Martin, an ethnographically-minded doctor. Together they authored An Account of the Natives of the Tonga Islands (1817), one of the most accurate accounts of Tongan life in the early 19th century. In the opinion of most scholars, Mariner’s account is accurate. So was the plot to kill Cook in Tonga real, and was Cook so naïve as to be oblivious to the danger? There are some factors to take into account.

When the Port au Prince was attacked in 1806, Tonga had been in the grip of civil war for seven years. The prosperous and scattered people Cook had observed were corralled inside guarded fortresses and slowly starving as harvest after harvest was destroyed by neglect and attacking armies. The different island groups were controlled by warring chiefs, each aware of the advantage which possession of European firearms and iron goods would afford them in their political and economic struggles.

The outbreak of the civil war had very little to do with European arrivals. Tensions between the three chiefly lineages holding spiritual, administrative and political authority had been mounting for nearly two decades, and came to a head with the assassination of chief Tuku‘aho in 1799. By the time Mariner was living with Finau ‘Ulukalala-‘i-Ma‘ofanga, it was deemed expedient to have a European or two to assist in battles, and as a kind of status symbol.

Tonga. Natche, Ceremony in Honour of King's Son. Cook c1784 by Cook, Captain James The Natche, a Ceremony in Honour of the King's Son, in Tongataboo - a grand and reverent ceremony.

Original copperplate engraving after the drawing by the Admiralty-appointed official artist on the voyage, John Webber (1751-1793). This engraving is part of a series of 78 plates, based on Webber’s drawings to include indigenous people, artifacts and views. It was published for Anderson’s “Complete History of Captain Cook’s First, Second and Third Voyages” published in London published by Alexander Hogg circa 1784.

HIS MAJESTY KING TUPOU VI OF TONGA Born ‘Aho‘eitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho, on 12 July 1959 in Nuku’alofa, he is the 3rd son and youngest of four children of Their late Majesties King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho.

HIS MAJESTY KING TUPOU VI OF TONGA

Born ‘Aho‘eitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho, on 12 July 1959 in Nuku’alofa, he is the 3rd son and youngest of four children of Their late Majesties King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho.

‘Aho’eitu ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Tuku’aho received three chiefly titles as is customary in the Tongan tradition, He commonly used these titles Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, until he became Crown Prince.

Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata was educated at The Leys School, Cambridge then attended the University of East Anglia in 1980 where he graduated with a degree in Development Studies.

Upon returning to Tonga in 1982, the young prince joined the Navy at the Tonga Defence Services and gaining promotion to Lieutenant-Commander in 1987.

He graduated from the US Naval War College in 1988 and from 1990 to 1995 he took command of the Pacific-class patrol boat VOEA Pangai and led peace keeping missions in Bougainville.

In 1997, he graduated with a Masters in Defence Studies from the University of New South Wales and in 1999 he earned a MA in International Relations from Bond University, Australia.

Prince ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata joined the civil service in 1998 occupying two portfolios, Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs. He was appointed Prime Minister from January 2000 to February 2006. Later that year he received the title Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka when his elder brother became King George Tupou V.

In 2008, the Crown Prince was appointed Tonga’s first High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to Japan until his succession to the Throne in 2012, when his brother King George Tupou V passed away and immediately became King and Head of State.

His Majesty Tupou VI was formally crowned King in July 2015 in a series of ancient private and public ceremonies and religious services attended by both regional and global leaders who travelled to Tonga for this special occasion.

His Majesty married Nanasipauʻu Vaea on 11 December 1982 who his accession to the Throne became Her Majesty Queen Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho of Tonga.

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