Off to Explore

After hanging in Tarawa for a while, we're now motivated to see a nearby island. Tomorrow (Sunday), we'll move on to Abaiang - a small atoll a short day sail north of Tarawa. We'll leave in the morning, and expect we'll have our anchor set by mid-afternoon. We're looking forward to returning to pristine waters and the traditional Kiribati lifestyle.

Thank You Kanton

Wow...After five weeks, we'll finally be moving on. Without a doubt, Kanton
has been the warmest place that we've been privileged to visit on this
voyage. The people have welcomed us into their homes and hearts. We've never
been without an interpreter, fish for dinner, some rusty relic to explore,
or a companion for tea. What an amazing place.

Tomorrow, we'll head to the beach one last time, to say goodbye to our new
friends. It won't be easy.

Takarei and her family

And most difficult of all...we'll also be saying goodbye to Eric, whom we've
been travelling with, on and off, for 5 months. In a few days he will also
weigh anchor, but his destination is south to Tonga. After spending every
day with him here, we're sad at the thought of parting ways.
We're already scheming about ways to return here in the future. Maybe our
next cruise? Maybe by air? There is talk of re-opening the massive runway.

A few of the vases we received

Next stop...Abemama. 900 miles to the north west - a downwind run. We expect
the passage to take 8-10 days. The island atoll is in the Gilberts - a group
of islands that also belong to the Republic of Kiribati. We hear that there
are two MP's on the island, therefore, it must have at least 1000 people. We
have an older cruising guide that says over 2000! Hurray. Do you know what
that means?? A STORE! We'll be able to re-stock on supplies. We've been
eating fish everyday, so most of our supplies are fine, but we are in
desperate need of eggs, flour and pringles.

Moving On

We're ready. The boat is full of food, fuel and water, and we're ready to go. We went for a test sail yesterday, and Renova was at her finest. We tacked through the lagoon with ease, racing and winning against a much
faster catamaran (s/he may not have been racing...but that hardly matters)! Although, Eric, and his grinding skills were likely a key component of our success.

Tomorrow, we'll set off to explore a bit more around here, and after a day or two we'll head to Bora Bora. Which will likely be our last stop with decent internet.

If you have photos for us...send them now!

Quiz Time

Our courtesy flags arrived in the mail today. Just in time! I challenge you to see how many of these countries and/or territories you can name!

Ok, I'll give you one hint. The blue and white triangle is our yacht club ensign. You're on your own for the rest.

Anxious to be in the tropics

After a several month hiatus...we're excited to return to the boat, and the warmth of the tropics. Here is a glimpse of our life:

 

 

I know...the pic doesn't look much the Pacific Northwest, does it?!? Sunny AND snowy?? Crazy. Feels a bit like we're in Edmonton....well, except for the ocean. Hmmmm.....

Oh yeah...here's a close up of the top of the flag pole (whose flag was long ago shredded in one of our chaotic winter storms):

I'm also looking forward to blogging again!! Stay tuned for more updates, as we get ready to cruise once more!

Visa Denied - We're Coming Home

We were counting on being able to stay here for the standard 90 days, plus receive an etra 60 day extension. After all, that is what the yachtsman guide indicates...and it is published by the local authorities. But...we've been told that unless you have a veritable medical emergency or boat breakdown, there is no way to have your visa extended. So sad.

So we're coming home. At the end of the month.

We were looking forward to coming home in the fall to work for a few months, and returning to the boat here in polynesia in the new year. Now...we'll be coming home sooner, and staying longer. The upside is that we'll get to be home for some of the summer season, and hopefully get some time at the lake to windsurf, and maybe some camping.

We've got three weeks of cruising left. We'll have time to cruise to Moorea, maybe Huahine, before heading to Raiatea to put the boat in the yard, and prepare her for the season out of the water.

Adios Mexico!

The water tanks are full, we've provisioned the boat (multiple times), sea berths are made, cookie dough is in the ice box, the decks are clear, and we're clean. We're ready!

After many failed attempts and delays...we're finally leaving lovely La Cruz, and heading for the Galapagos Islands. A dream come true for me.

Although our stay here has been tumultuous...we've really come to enjoy La Cruz. We've been able to meet incredible new friends here, enjoyed a vist from my parents, get work done on the boat and have gotten into the groove of the cruising life. Morning yoga and afternoon swims at the beach are really easy to get used to!!

We'll be updating the blog more frequently, and our spot link on the right will show our progress. We expect the journey from here to take 2-3 weeks.

Leaving America

We're about to release the dock lines, and head off in the afternoon breeze towards Mexico. It is a short trip and we should be in Ensenada by tomorrow morning.

I'll try to sort out our photos from yesterday's adventure, stay tuned! Hopefully, we'll find an internet connection!!

Our First Night Sail!

After spending a day in Schooner Cove to install a secondary mast track for our storm sail, we started heading south again on Thursday. Upon arrival in Victoria at Oak Bay, Pat and Noah popped by to join us for dinner, and supply us with a few critical lures for our tuna fishing adventures. And, Jo came down to the boat to send us off.

Following a restful night, on Friday we took off again, but this time for the USA border. We arrived in Port Angeles to check in with customs and were issued a one-year cruising permit. We then headed out the Juan de Fuca Straight, towards open ocean. We stopped for the night in a small bay where the constant rolling ensured a terrible sleep. Saturday, we continued to Neah Bay - the last point of shelter before heading around the corner to the outside, unprotected waters. Neah Bay is a small first nations community with few services, but we were able to buy a few extra groceries, and finish the preparations for heading offshore.

On Sunday morning, we started up ol' Perk (our engine), and spent most of the day motoring away from land. We've chosen to take the express route (a few stops along the way) as opposed to the bluewater route (no stops between here and San fran). This makes it easier for us to run into port if we have any trouble, or if the weather changes. Here is Cape Flattery - the last point of land, before heading out towards the open ocean:

Our first overnight was fabulous. We set the sails just before dinner, and sailed all through the night. We took turns being on watch for 3-4 hour periods. During my watch, the sky was clear, and the stars were stunning. And surprisingly, it wasn't nearly as freaky as I had imagined. In fact, after about 15 minutes, I was able to relax, and enjoy the ride.

By morning, we were just outside Grays Harbour, so we decided to duck in, get some internet tasks done, and get a full nights rest before pushing on. We've finally found wi-fi (which has been much more difficult than I expected). Although I'm sitting in the Mermaid Cafe, and I suspect they want their table back for new customers. And...the lovely staff at the marina drove me into town so i could dropoff a couple packages at the post office. Is that great or what?? And moorage is only $12. A far cry for the almost $50 we paid at Schooner Cove.

I even had a chance to do some sewing - sail ties, winch covers, and John's jeans.

Be sure to click on the link at the top right of the page to see our current position.

Bon Voyage

Today, the families threw us a great send-off party at the beach. I was surprised, thrilled, and humbled at all the people that took time out of a summer Saturday to come out and say good-bye! Thank you all so much. We love you all...and are looking forward to seeing you as you join us in far away ports!

A Sad Day

Yesterday, John came home with some bad news from our diesel engine mechanic. Following our third re-build this year, he is now convinced that the motor itself is fine. There seems to be other problems. The backing plate between the transmission and the engine seems to be warped, perhaps indicating alignment problems. George is hesitant to work on a fix. In addition, he is wary of our exhaust system. The multiple 90 degree elbows and convoluted routing system could also be causing problems. Although these seem to me like fixable problems, he and John are both convinced that we'd be throwing good money after bad. So...we're finally considering re-powering. The bad news is that a new engine is not in the budget, and would require us to delay our departure by another year, in order to save enough money for the engine. The disappointment is overwhelming.