Biae Vaitahu, Tahuata

9'56.2S 139'06W
Resolution Bay (Baie Vaitahu)

EARTHQUAKE DATA
PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE - 8.1
LOCATION - 19.9S 174.3W - TONGA ISLANDS
TIME - 0727 ADT 05/03/2006
0827 PDT 05/03/2006
1527 UTC 05/03/2006

THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER AT EWA BEACH HAWAII HAS ISSUED A TSUNAMI WARNING FOR AREAS OF THE PACIFIC OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA/ OREGON/ WASHINGTON/ BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA.

Greetings from Tahuata Island!. We left Hiva Oa at noon and sailed 10 miles across the Ha‘ava Channel to Resolution Bay (Vaitahu), where we are now anchored.

We got to wake up this morning to everyone in the anchorage talking about the 7.9 earthquake that had just happened in Tonga. But no one was really sure what the current tsunami warnings were, as the local news station is in French. Last night we heard a siren ashore, but no one had any idea what it meant, so we just went to bed. This morning everyone was told to wait on their boats, and that if there was a wave, that it would not be over 2 feet. So being 20 boats all crammed into the small anchorage, we all just sat on our boats and waited to see what was going to happen. One of the boats was emailing their son in the Netherlands who kept emailing current updates. He would then update everyone in the anchorage via the VFH radio.

We had been planning on leaving the anchorage with our friend Ken on Panache at noon anyway. So Amy and I went ashore to take our last showers for awhile. Then we pulled up anchor and motor sailed the 10 miles to Resolution Bay.

This bay was named by Captain Cook way back in 1774. The whole island has 600 people, so the town we are anchored off is very small. We dinghed ashore for a tour of town. While ashore all the local kids jumped up and down in our dinghy. There is a small Catholic church, and a post office with a small grocery store. Lucky for us the local tattoo guy was off the island. So no new ink for "Team Sandpiper".

Thanks to Ann Melton for the tsunami warning!!

Tom and Amy