En-route to Nuku Hiva

We left Hana Moe Noa bay yesterday morning with the intent to head to the north side of Hiva Oa for a night or two. The winds between Tahuata and Hva OA gave us a great push and we were reaching at 7 knots. We had a great sail. We got almost to cape Kuikui on the NW corner of Hiva OA when the winds died then turned to the NW. Odd direction but we realized it was due to the island bending the easterly trades. The wind blew up more and more and we were motor sailing hard to weather, barley making 2 knots. I looked again at the chart, then the winds, then realized that the anchorage would be basically horrible, with the winds screaming directly into it and blowing us onto a lee shore. A quick decision was made and we turned to the NW and headed for Taiohae Bay on Nuku Hiva, 80 miles away! The wind came onto the beam and with mizzen and headsail we have been sailing at 5-5.5 knots with the wind steering in control. The repair to the wind vane has made the system better than new and we have been holding a course within 5 degrees all day and night. We are 25 miles away just now and will get there by around 02:30 which means heaving-to until sunrise befire we head into the anchorage. Cathy and I plan to spend a couple of weeks around Nuku Hiva before we head south to the Tuamotu’s