Blue Marble Crew’s Bittersweet Goodbye

We’re happy to report some good news in the aftermath of the Fountaine-Pajot 46 Blue Marble‘s grounding on the remote South Pacific island of Niue last month. Well, at least semi-good news. 

After being stranded on the tiny island for three weeks, the young Norwegian owner, Eriend Hovland, finally received an insurance settlement to cover the cost of the extensive salvage operation. "It all came together in one day," he wrote on his Facebook page, "the insurance paid, the wreck was sold and we got a (hitch)hike on the 40-footer Red Sky Night with our friend Felice." No doubt the crew was left with bittersweet memories as they said goodbye to Blue Marble and the friendly islanders who had taken them in. 

Interestingly, we suspect that relatively few young sailors carry offshore insurance, but Hovland was wise enough to do so, and is undoubtedly elated that he did. Of course, in contrast to some boats sailed by young adventurers, his cat was new enough and nice enough to be insurable.

"We have been on Tonga for nearly a week," Hovland wrote on Friday. "It’s amazing. We have visited a psychedelic puppet show, eaten a Tongan feast and gone cave diving." He and his crew plan to hang out until next week and participate in the annual Regatta Vava’u, then hitch a ride to Australia via Fiji. Meanwhile, we expect that some enterprising islander will rebuild Blue Marble‘s badly damaged underbelly and eventually get her out sailing again.