Following Moondance

Reconnected, really?

2012-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

It is very strange, after 9 months of sailing around, we have settled into the Ko Olina Marina on the island of Oahu - at least for awhile. It is quite a place.

Home sweet home - for awhile

We have been here almost two weeks and amazed how "reconnected" we are.

We have electricity, phones, internet, and even cable TV.

Now, we are shopping for a used car - oh my!

Biking to town

The town of Kapolei has great shopping (Costco, Target, Safeway, etc.), but it is ~2 miles along the railroad track.

The bus stop is over a mile away, plus getting to Honolulu takes over a hour.

So we decided to look for some cheap (junker) transportation - oh my!

Sunset at Ko Olina

We have also been applying for jobs - all kinds of jobs - too funny. I haven't had any luck, but Doug and Dennis are working for a yacht broker.

They are re-wiring a boat nearby and on-call. They seem to enjoy the work and even got their 1st paychecks. Yeah!

Hope the work continues.

Harp concert by Karen - amazing

We have really enjoyed being at the marina. Everyone is very helpful and made us feel right at home.

They are also a very social group and we joined the "Grumpy Old Men's Club" that meets nightly for Happy Hour. We fit right in!

A special treat was having Karen play her harp for us. We thoroughly enjoyed the concert.

Northern Red Cardinal

Ko Olina is wonderful place to stroll around - beautiful walking trails along the lagoons, resorts, and golf courses.

And bird watching... the Northern Red Cardinal is my latest spot. Beautiful!

Black swans (and babies) guarding the golf course

Plus, we found a great Happy Hour - $4 Mai Tai's at the Beach Club - just a short walk away.

We will be here for awhile (TBD).

Hope you can come for a visit - we would love to have!

Did I mention...

2012-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

That the DAY we were flying to Texas for the Christmas holidays, we had an EMERGENCY haul out? Well we did!

Not our fish

We were packing and stashing in preparation for leaving Moondance. Things were going well until Doug tried to close a thru-hull fitting and it wouldn't close and water was flowing into the boat. That's not good!

Doug reacted quickly and called Gentry's Marina to see if they could haul us out. They could and within an hour we were at their dock dismantling the wind generator (and other items). All this time, water is still coming in - good thing the bilge pump is working.

Next, need to find a crew to replace the thru-hull, plus paint the bottom while we have it out of the water.

Thru-hull

All this time, I was thinking we weren't going to be able to make our trip to Texas and trying not to cry...

Well, we got Moondance prepped, paperwork completed, found the crew and are just waiting for the stands to be put in place so that we can get back on the boat. Then it rained - buckets of rain. All of our hatches are open and our luggage (and Christmas presents) are in the cockpit getting soaked and all we could do was watch. That's when I had my meltdown!

Nope, we didn't catch this one either

But, after lots of stress and lots of rushing around, it all worked out and we made it to the airport in plenty of time to catch our flight - whew.

Doug did an excellent job of preparing Moondance, getting the crew and work lined up, plus dealing with me.

We were fortunate that Tim and Jane on Midnight Blue were there to watch over Moondance when she was put back in the water - secured the lines, adjust the packing, and fixed the bilge pump. Don't know what we would have done without you guys, Thanks!

So, it all worked out, but it was stressful and expensive.

Lesson learned - we should have replaced all thru-hulls while we were in Mexico!

Was that an explosion?

2012-01-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

No, it wasn't, but that was what I was thinking at 5 o'clock this morning! We were sailing across Penguin Bank on the approach to Honolulu, Oahu. The depth shallows up to 150 feet and the electronic charts are marked: explosives dumping area, unexploded ordnance, submarine buoys, etc. So, I am nervous all ready. When off the starboard side, I see HUGE splashes. I scream thinking - bombs exploding - yikes. Well, it wasn't, it was humpback whales breaching. Very impressive, busy still scary that close to the boat.

But, we are safe and sound tucked into the Ko Olina Resort Marina. It is very nice and has all of the amenities - docks, showers, laundry, etc. Plus, besides our friends on Evergreen, we had a line of people helping us dock and welcoming us. Even got invited to a neighbors boat to watch the Steelers game (lost - sorry to say). Plus the nightly happy hour on the dock, which is being called the "Piers End Yacht Club meeting" - I like it. I think this will be a very nice place for us to spend the next 4 months.

Our 25 hour crossing from the Big Island was interesting. Crossing 20 miles off the Alenuihaha channel (between the Big Island and Maui) was challenging on an extremely calm day. I can't imagine what it is like when the trade winds are roaring. Doug's words "that was ugly" as he is trying to keep things from flying around the cabin. But, after the ugly phase, we had some great sailing, which turned into calm motoring. So, we did all right.

Now, it is time to focus on finding work and getting busy on Moondance projects. We aren't sure who will hire us (we think we are unemployable), but we are going to give it a try.

Wish us luck!

PS: No fish were harmed during the crossing. Sorry to say.

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Holidays with the Warren's

2012-01-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Boy, this family knows how to have a good time!

Family fun at the Heard museum

We were in Texas for 2 1/2 weeks and loved every minute of it, but we are still recuperating.

Dad and Mom - looking good!

No trip to Texas is complete unless you visit Mom and Dad in Granbury.

Lots of wonderful food and drink, plus a visit to the American Legion for some shuffleboard.

Christmas in Texas

Mom's always the big winner of course, but we keep trying.

Love that Texas BBQ

Plus, you have to visit the RibShack in Acton - great Texas BBQ. Just be sure to pack your own cooler.

The guys enjoying the Cowboy Stadium tour

The guys all had a special treat - a tour of the Dallas Cowboy stadium. They all loved it and would go again - even Doug the Steelers fan.

Gavin and Doug - Starfighter pilots

You gotta check out Dave and Busters arcade - so many wonderful games, plus you win tickets for fabulous (not) prizes.

And, they serve food and drinks - perfect for the whole family.

Ryan looking for a ride to Hawaii

We also had fun playing games, singing, and lots and lots of exciting 42 matches.

A special treat was listening to Dave and Ryan jamming on their guitars - beautiful music.

Enjoying the brewery tour!

11 am seems like a strange time to join in on the Franconia brewery tour, but not for our family.

$5 and all of the beer you can drink. Why not?

Then off to the Oklahoma casino for a night of gambling. Sorry, no big winners in the house.

Celebrating Anessa's Birthday

Besides Christmas, we had lots of birthdays to celebrate: Anessa, Dad, Conner, and Gavin's.

Ryan and Becky - love this picture

So fun to be together for the celebrations, plus all of the wonderful homemade desserts - yum.

Besides having fun, this family can eat!

Gavin taming the dino

Gavin was the youngest family member at the party and he had a great time being spoiled by all of the relatives.

Seems like we took turns sneaking him treats. What's family for anyway?

Conner and Phil - a couple of Cowboys

Hard to believe that Conner (next youngest) is 17 now and driving - watch out.

Just kidding - he is driving well and doing excellent in school.

We are proud of you Conner!

Danette and Phil relaxing

Danette, Phil, and Conner had to leave first and we sure missed them. Really happy that they were able to join us though.

Hopefully, they will visit us in French Poly. We would love to show them all of the wonderful islands!

Becky and Dave - true love...

Becky and Dave were excellent hosts and made sure we all had a wonderful holiday. Thanks for opening up your beautiful home to our crazy family.

It was a Christmas to remember for sure. Love you guys!

Now, we are back on Moondance and it is time to get busy. We are leaving in the morning for Oahu. We will be hitting the streets looking for employment, plus we have a big list of boat projects to work on.

Our vacation is over (for now).

Merry Christmas...

2011-12-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

From the crazy Warren clan in Texas!

Hope you and your families are having this much fun too. Happy Holidays!

Love Carla and Doug

Life at the fuel dock...

2011-12-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

You know us, we can make our home anywhere - even at the fuel dock!

Turtle crossing

There is lots of sea life around us - leopard rays, beautiful coral fish, lots of turtles, and a big Tiger shark named Laverne.

We haven't seen Laverne yet, but keep feeding her scraps.

Sunset at the fuel dock

During the day, the fuel dock has boats coming and going, but not too many. At night, we have the place to ourselves - almost.

A couple of times, we have divers surprise us around 11pm. Bubbles against the hull are a little disconcerting when you aren't expecting them.

Our transportation

Since we don't have a dock, we decided to launch the dinghy to go to shore, plus adjust our mooring lines.

Much easier than trying to jump from the bow - at least for me. Doug is an excellent rower and even sings to me!

Christmas in Hawaii

We have been doing a little bit of boat work and lots of goofing off - of course.

We toured the village of Holualoa with Joe and Leah - lots of unique art galleries and one great restaurant. A very nice day trip.

It is great to be in Hawaii during the holidays - lots of decorations, events, and warm, wonderful weather.

I know, quit rubbing it in!

We joined in the fun and attended the 27th annual Christmas parade - it was a hoot! All of the local charities, organizations, etc. had an entry.

Quinn's set up a table outside so we got to see it all - comfortably with a Mai Tai in hand.

We leave Tuesday for Texas to celebrate the holidays with the Family - YIPPEE!

It will be strange to be so far from Moondance. It has been a long time. New friends here in Kona will keep an eye on her for us, so we know she is in good hands.

In our explorations of Kailua-Kona, here are some of our "Best Finds". We promise to keep up the search!

Hamburger - Splashers on Alii
Homemade onion rings - Splashers on Alii
Fish and chips - Quinns on Alii
Mai Tai's (especially during happy hour 2 - 5) - Canoe Club on Alii
Seared Ahi tuna - Bite Me at Honokohau Harbor
Pizza - Kona Brewing Company on Kuakini Hwy
Sports Bar - Oceans on Alii

Enjoying the Land of Plenty!

2011-12-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe, we have been in Hawaii for over a week - time is flying by!

Home sweet home!

We are still moored at the fuel dock, but have been very comfortable.

The only tricky part - getting off the boat (especially for me). I am stuck on the boat unless Doug helps me off - it is a big step!

The locals have been very helpful and given us great tips for getting around the island, plus very friendly. Love it!

Touring the island with Joe and Leah!

What a wonderful treat... Joe and Leah (best friends from Albuquerque) are here. We have really enjoyed exploring Hawaii with them - thanks for hauling us around!


Place of Refuge

A highlight, visiting the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. Translated, the "Place of Refuge at Honaunau" - the most complete restoration of an ancient Hawaiian religious sanctuary in Hawaii.

Plus, lots of green sea turtles.

Hitchhiking around the island

We have been hitchhiking a lot and have met some very nice folks. A great way to get around.

Unfortunately, we had a ton of laundry to do, plus provisioning, so we decided to rent a car for the week. Good choice - love that fast transportation!

Our neighbors - research vessel Machias

We were very lucky to be at the fuel dock when the research vessel Machias moored right next to us. Wonderful people that are working on some very interesting projects.

Kind of strange - side tying to them so they could fuel up. They are much bigger than Moondance!

Being in the "Land of Plenty" is strange after being so remote in French Poly. We have been shopping at all of the stores - even if we don't buy anything. What a treat to find everything you need or want.

Crossing the equator and toasting with Neptune

Our current plans are to stay on the Big Island until January and then sail over to Oahu.

We are flying to Texas to join the family for the holidays - very excited about seeing everyone!

Doug on his daily walkabout

We "think" we will be in Oahu until April or May and then will head back to French Poly (all subject to change of course).

Chatting with Evergreen

Our trip from French Poly to Hawaii we rated a "C Minus". Winds were inconsistent, plus big waves and currents made it very uncomfortable and unsettled.

So grateful to Jamie (s/v Totem) for doing the weather routing for us!

Captain Doug - healing a bit...

In comparison, our trip from Mexico to French Poly we rated a "B Plus", much better.

Cruisers tell us that heading back south is tougher - I am not sure I even want to think about that now.

As we crossed the Equator, we raised a toast to Neptune, plus spread some of our best friend Steve around. I know he would have enjoyed our adventure - no matter how crazy.

ITCZ - so this is what they were talking about

For now, we will just enjoy Hawaii. We have lots of projects to keep us busy (and out of trouble), plus lots of beautiful places to explore.

Come and see us sometime - we would love to have you!

Made it to Hawaii!

2011-11-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

We are safely moored at the Honokohau Marina - of course it is the transient fuel dock, but we are happy to be here! Water is supplied, but no electricity, plus the bathrooms (no showers) are a very long way down the road. Oh well - we will be just fine here until they find us a slip in the Inner Harbor - hopefully next week.

Everyone has been so friendly. New friends Ralph and Glenda on s/v Our Country Home met us at the dock. Thank goodness - we needed lots of help. This med-mooring thing is very tricky! Plus, they arranged for Customs to be here and clear us back in the States. Customs took a lot of our good food - like our bacon, sausages, grapefruit, potatoes, etc. They did leave our zucchini and flank steak, so we won't starve!

Ralph and Glenda also took us to the Harbormaster and helped us get us checked in and then drove us to town - Kailua-Kona. We enjoyed wandering around and shopping, plus found a good hamburger/beer joint - Quinns Almost by the Sea - our kind of place. We actually got to watch some sports on TV - we didn't care what they were showing, we were watching it. TV Tubbies!

It's official, we are back in the States - we now have cell phones and are connected. Next step, internet. Too strange!

Our trip from French Poly to Hawaii - just a little shy of 17 days. We will write up a summary once we get our energy back.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - we will be thinking of you all as we devour our Turkey Day goodies!

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Day 16: Not yet...

2011-11-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 18-17.62N; LONGITUDE: 155-25.65W
COURSE: 313T; SPEED: 6.5
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2192m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 99m
24 HOUR RUN: 145m

We are approximately 35 miles from the south end of the Big Island of Hawaii, but we can't see it yet. Too many clouds in the way. But, we know it is there and that our adventure is almost over. Yeah! We have had winds of 25 - 33 knots pushing us in the right direction since about 6:00 this morning. We wish they would ease up a bit, but don't think that is going to happen until we pass the south point and get some protection from the island. Oh well!

Evergreen is about a day ahead of us and experiencing no wind - go figure. They are heading directly to Oahu, which is an additional day. We have been buddy boating with them since April and are going to miss them. Hopefully, we can catch up to them in January.

The marina and custom folks are ready for us - thanks to Ralph and Glenda (s/v Our Country Home). Hopefully, everything will go smoothly and quickly.

By noon tomorrow (if all goes well), we should be docked at the marina - relaxing and enjoying an ice cold beer - on tap we hear!

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Day 15: Now, that's more like it!

2011-11-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 16-45.60N; LONGITUDE: 153-29.33W
COURSE: 302T; SPEED: 6.7
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2047m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 240m
24 HOUR RUN: 131m

The wind and seas calmed down last night - just in time for us to get a good nights sleep! We are still seeing 30 knot winds once in awhile and will get a strange series of waves, but nothing we can't handle, plus we are making good time.

One little whine - it is colder here than we are used to. You should see us all bundled up in the cockpit for night watches. I think I had 4 layers on last night. Plus, we miss that sunshine. What whimps we are! We hear of snow storms hitting the states all ready and just get a shiver. Hope you are all staying warm and dry!

We are really getting excited about making landfall! We should start seeing land tomorrow (if the weather cooperates) and should be at the Honokohau marina in Kona early morning on Wednesday. It is all coming together - almost like we planned it. Just hope the marina has a slip for us. Details, details...

The crew is definitely ready to get off the boat and stretch our legs. We are thinking of hitchhiking or walking to town (Kailua-Kona) to check it out and do some shopping - only 3 - 4 miles away (we think). Anything that doesn't involve a rock'n roll'n boat!

Hawaii - here we come!

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Day 14: Are we there yet?

2011-11-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 15-11.27N; LONGITUDE: 151-59.28W
COURSE: 315T; SPEED: 6.1
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1916m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 362m
24 HOUR RUN: 153m

I know, I should quit whining, but we are ready to be there - especially after the last 24 hours! Last night at sunset, the winds kicked up between 20 - 34 knots and stayed that way till sunrise, plus add some big waves and some light rain showers. We thought things would improve, instead they got worse. 30 - 35 knots of wind gusting to 40+, and don't forget the bigger waves - oh my. We were hoping all this was being generated by a passing storm, but we think it might just be kicked up trade winds and will be with us for a few days. Oh well - we have a double-reefed main with just our staysail out and we are still making 6+ knots and are semi-comfortable. The winds and seas have calmed quit a bit, so we will be just fine.

As it looks now, we should be in Kona on Wednesday morning very early - yeah! We are fortunate to have some wonderful cruising buddies that are all ready sending us information on Hawaii:
- Shawn and Chris (s/v Tao) have sent us information on getting around Hawaii and the amenities at the Honokohau marina. We are happy to hear that there is a restaurant/bar close by!
- Ralph and Glenda - whom we haven't met yet (s/v Our Country Home) have sent us lots of information on Hawaii and the marina, plus is helping us with clearing Customs. We have also been invited to a cruisers Thanksgiving potluck. Can't beat that.
- Behan (s/v Totem) has family living on the Big Island and has sent us lots of info on touring the island and where to eat - like the locals.

Thanks everyone - we all ready feel welcome and can't wait to experience Hawaii for ourselves. We just need to get there and get started!

A funny: During our period of high winds this morning, Doug needed to pee. Not wanting to leave his station, he kneeled and pee'd in the cockpit scuppers (drains). Foul weather gear is definitely not user friendly, but it was very entertaining to watch. We both had a good laugh while the winds and waves were rocking us about!

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Day 13: Good sailing!

2011-11-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 13-15.97N; LONGITUDE: 150-18.43W
COURSE: 318T; SPEED: 6.8
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1763m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 551m
24 HOUR RUN: 146m

And it has been for the last 24 hours - yeah! The wind has been fairly constant between 20 - 25 knots. The seas are still a little confused, but much improved. Doug and I both got a really good sleep and are rested today. We have been making good time too - even with a double reefed main and a furled mainsail. Hope these conditions last all the way to Hawaii!

As we get closer to Hawaii, we have been thinking about all of the things we are going to do. First, take a break. We are thinking of renting a car and doing some exploring, plus we need to do a huge amount of stinky laundry, grocery shopping, checking out the marine stores, etc. But, we are also thinking of things we haven't had to do for a very long time - like buy cell phones. It will be so strange to be connected again, but so nice just to be able to pick up the phone and call someone. What a treat!

Bacon and eggs for breakfast, pizza for dinner, and sourdough bread baking in the oven. Things are definitely looking up on Moondance and the crew is in high spirits!

PS: We have been fishing since Day 1 - no luck! We don't think there are any fish out here - except the ones committing suicide and landing on our boat as we sail by.

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Day 12: Jane! Get me off this crazy thing!!!

2011-11-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 11-15.79N; LONGITUDE: 148-54.00W
COURSE: 343T; SPEED: 7.8
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1617m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 682m
24 HOUR RUN: 140m

Anyone recognize this line from the Jetsons. But, the line really applies to the ITCZ - we have had enough fun, thank you very much. We survived the day of squalls all right, but last night was tougher. The winds kicked up between 20 and 30 knots, which is okay. But, the seas have been very very confused and we have been bouncing around all over the place, which meant neither one of us got much sleep. Oh well, we made good time - always the silver lining...

Today (so far) has been better. The seas are still confused, but have settled down some and we still have good wind. Hopefully, things will continue to improve and we will have a great sail tonight.

At about 11pm tonight, we will take a small left turn that should take us right to Kona, Hawaii. We are hoping that everything goes well and that we actually make landfall on Wednesday - YAHOO! Which means Thanksgiving dinner and football in the good ol' USA!

We are hoping that the Honokohau Harbor Marina in Kona will have a slip for us - they said they will to their best. I have got my fingers (and toes) crossed for sure! It will be strange to be in a marina (with all of the amenities) again - it has been a very long time.

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Day 11: Wet and wetter!

2011-11-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 09-02.94N; LONGITUDE: 148-19.46W
COURSE: 001T; SPEED: 5.4
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1477m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 816m
24 HOUR RUN: 135m

Well, we definitely know we are in the ITCZ - it has been stormy and raining buckets. Fortunately, no thunder and lightening - sailboats don't like lightening. Moondance (and crew) have received several fresh water rinses - good thing it is warm water!

We are still running our stink pot (engine). We keep trying to turn it off and raise the sails, but then the wind dies. Plus, the current is still an issue - we aren't making as good as time as we should be.

Only 56 miles to go before we reach 10 degrees north. By then, we should be out of the ITCZ and able to start on our last leg to Hawaii - approximately 700 miles - yeah! From what we hear, it sounds like it should be a good, fast sail. Hope so!

Starting to think about mai tai's...

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Day 10: Poof!

2011-11-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 06-51.64N; LONGITUDE: 148-17.33W
COURSE: 004T; SPEED: 6.0
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1342m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 934m
24 HOUR RUN: 128m

Dropped a few sails, flipped a switch, and Poof - we are now a stink pot, but we are making much better time! Not that we like being a stink pot, but sometimes you just have to give in (see below for Excuse List). We will probably motor for 2 days, which will take us through the ITCZ. We don't carry enough fuel to get us all the way to Hawaii, so once we hit 10 degrees North, the northern trade winds should take us the rest of the way - yeah!

Excuse List: Meet our best buddies Joe and Leah from Albuquerque, Thanksgiving feast, NFL football, winds are too light, currents pushing us towards Mexico, only enough Coke Zero and Hinano beers to last 6-7 more days, excited about being on land, better to clear Customs on Wednesday so we don't have to pay overtime for the holiday, there was a mutiny afoot, and lots more.

As you can see, it was an easy decision to become a stink pot. Captain and Crew are very happy!

PS: Finished Harry Potter 1 and 2 - only 5 more to go (I think)...

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Day 9 - Problem on the foredeck!

2011-11-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 04-48.50N; LONGITUDE: 148-40.89W
COURSE: 015T; SPEED: 5.8
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1214m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1035m
24 HOUR RUN: 134m

That was Doug hollering at me to come and help. He had noticed that the shackle had come off the tack of the head sail - not good! Doug gathered up his gear and slowly crawled to the bow of the boat and quickly made repairs. Doug is very safety conscious so made sure he was tethered to the boat at all times. But it is still spooky - especially since we are getting some pretty big rollers this afternoon. But, repairs have been made and Doug is back in the cockpit waiting for his well-deserved beer.

We have had an excellent sail for the last 20+ hours. The wind has been 18 - 25 knots and the seas fairly flat (until now). We are caught in the Equatorial currents (big currents), so we aren't making as good as time as we had hoped. That is supposed to change soon. We are expecting a big push - hope so!

Finally - we have passed the 1/2 way mark to Hawaii - yahoo! We are almost to the ITCZ, which will complete the 2nd leg of our journey. The 3rd leg is through the ITCZ, which is about 120 miles. The 4th and final leg is from the ITCZ to Kona, Hawaii - about 700 miles.

We still don't know where we are going to "park" Moondance once we make landfall, but are working on that. We have all ready been in contact with marinas and other cruisers to determine our options. It is kind of strange, Hawaii doesn't have a lot of options for cruisers - go figure!

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Day 8 - Hard to believe...

2011-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 02-38.45N; LONGITUDE: 148-59.31W
COURSE: 002T; SPEED: 4.7
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 1080m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1154m
24 HOUR RUN: 120m (not good)

We have been sailing for over a week and we aren't there yet - we aren't even at the half way point. Almost though - we should be on the downhill slope tomorrow - yeah! But, we are both doing well and enjoying the adventure, plus still like each other - amazing. Our fresh food supplies are limited, but we have lots of canned goods (can you say Yum?), plus we still have Coke Zero and our daily rations of beer. Who could ask for more?

There is a big weather system that is surrounding us now - so we go between beautiful sunshine to complete cloud cover - quickly. Also, the winds are erratic - ranging from 8 - 25 knots. We prefer the 25 knots so that we can cover some ground, plus practice our sailing skills. Our storm preparedness routines are becoming finely tuned. So far, Doug has only got soaked once today. I (the smart one) know how to duck out of the rain when necessary!

We are hearing nasty rumors that there are big storms up north that will be affecting our trip. A favor? Please keep your storms to yourself for a little while longer. We don't want to make this too big of adventure. But, we are also hoping the the weather isn't too rough on you either.

Just want everyone to be happy and safe!

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Day 7 - Crossed the Equator!

2011-11-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 00-39.03N; LONGITUDE: 148-59.82W
COURSE: 001T; SPEED: 4.6
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 960m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1354m
24 HOUR RUN: 129m

Yup, we did! At 05:28 am (15:28 Zulu) this morning we crossed the Equator at longitude 149.00.55. No fireworks or bands playing, but we did celebrate with a glass of grog. We drank the very good 7-year old Cuban rum (had to - can't take it to the States); Neptune got a big shot of Tahiti rum - not very good, but expensive! It is nice to be back in the Northern Hemisphere.

Our weather has been good, but our winds are lightening up some. Hopefully, Neptune appreciated the rum and will give the wind a boost for us. We figure we need to make more than 130 miles a day so that we can be in Hawaii by Thanksgiving. Better get moving!

The next big leg of our trip is to the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is about 480 miles from the Equator. The ITCZ is where the southern and northern trade winds converge and can have extensive clouds and rain squalls - the doldrums. We are hoping for a quick easy trip through the ITCZ - just like on our trip south.

Today, we are having a very nice relaxing day. We have been at sea for 7 days and are both doing very well - so is Moondance.

Except... we discovered an installation feature/flaw, which surprised both of us. Doug did such an an excellent job on all of the integrations and installations on Moondance, we were shocked to find something that didn't work as expected. We cannot run our generator (which needs to run to make water and charge the batteries) on a starboard tack when the seas are big. The exhaust submerges and the generator has to work too hard and overheats. So, we are having to run the big engine to charge our batteries. Our solar panels and wind generator are doing a great job, so we haven't had to run the engine very often. To make water, we need flat seas or to head south for a couple of hours. Hopefully, that won't be necessary - we have lots of water on board. Doug says it will be an easy fix while we are in Hawaii - put it on the list.

Hope we don't find any more features or flaws along the way - hah!

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Day 6 - Caution: items may have shifted

2011-11-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Moondance stats:
LATITUDE: 01-26.12S; LONGITUDE: 148-56.87W
COURSE: 001T; SPEED: 5.0
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 831m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1403m
24 HOUR RUN: 128m

That's an understatement for sure. With the confused seas that we have had, plus heeling on a starboard tack, opening our food lockers can be dangerous! There are things just waiting to jump out at you. We have learned to open the lockers slowly and peek in. If you are lucky, the item you are looking for is easy to grab, but that doesn't happen often. Oh well, it keeps us on our toes.

The last two days have been beautiful sailing - light to medium winds during the day with plenty of sunshine. At night, the winds are averaging 20 mph and gusting to 30+. So, we make sure we trim the sails accordingly before night falls and try to make up some time. Just like we requested, the winds changed from the ENE to ESE so that we can head due north. The seas swells have changed from confused to only slightly confused, so much more comfortable. Our complaint - it is getting cold at night. We might even have to get our blankets out tonight!

Early Sunday morning we should cross the Equator and enter the Northern Hemisphere. We have promised Neptune a grog of rum and, based on the good weather we are seeing, he seems to be happy with it. We just won't tell him he isn't getting the good stuff!

Things are definitely improving on Moondance daily. Last night Doug made chicken simmered in pasilla pepper sauce; tonight Cajun meat loaf with mashed potatoes - can't wait. Plus, today was a "shower day" and we are feeling (and smelling) so much better.

All is well on board!

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Day 5 - Pooped!

2011-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 03-28.66S; LONGITUDE: 148-47.31W
COURSE: 343T; SPEED: 5.1
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 703M
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1589m
24 HOUR RUN: 146m

Not pooped - pooped on! At least I think that's what the sailors call it when waves crash over your boat and soak you. We have been getting pooped a bunch on this trip. You know it is coming when you hear a big "whack" against the hull, you turn your head, your eyes get big, you duck --- too late. You got pooped! Oh well, we dry quickly and are also learning to spend more time on the port side of the cockpit - the dry side!

All is well on board. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing 18 - 26 knots, and the sea is still confused. Oh well - can't have it all. We are comfortable and about ready to celebrate with a cold Beck's beer!

On my 3am watch last night, a big school of fish were swimming around us (looked like tuna). I finally figured out that they were chasing some small fish - must have been a big school of them. One of the small fish actually jumped up right in front of me - close enough to make me jump and scream. Could have been a piranha you know - hah! Unfortunately, none of the big fish jumped on our lure.

Found a leak in the toilet paper locker this morning. That's not good. It is 1589 miles to the nearest grocery store! Hopefully, the roles will dry out and still be useable.

We are thinking of the Vets and their families today. Doug's Dad, Jay, was a SeaBee (sp) stationed at Papua New Guinea in WWII. Miss you Jay. My Dad, was in the Navy on a destroyer in the Korean War. Love you Pops!

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Day 4 - Moonlight ride

2011-11-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 05-50.92S; LONGITUDE: 148-11.45W
COURSE: 349T; SPEED: 6.0
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 557m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1712m
24 HOUR RUN: 155m

All is well on board.

The "almost" full moon was beautiful last night, wasn't it? I was on watch and about 12:30 the winds kicked up to 25 - 30 mph (our average has been 15 - 20 mph). I hollered for Doug to come and join me - just in case the winds kept escalating. They didn't. Instead we enjoyed a 2 hour moonlight ride cruising between 7 - 8 knots. The seas even cooperated. That really doesn't happen very often in the cruising world!

Plus, we both got caught up on our sleep - yeah! Our sleeping arrangements have been interesting. Besides not sleeping together, we are sleeping at the opposite end of the bed because of the starboard tack. We have also squeezed ourselves into the bottom of the bunk pushed up against the bulkhead - just so we don't slide around too much. It sure is hard to keep the sheets on the bed - that is Doug's job!

We are enjoying a nice, sunny sail today. The ENE winds are pushing us off course a little, but it sure has smoothed out our ride. We are hoping that the ESE winds will return soon so that we can get back on course for crossing the Equator. We think that will happen on Saturday - we shall see.

Miss you all!

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Day 3 - Enough squalls all ready!

2011-11-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 08-23.71S; LONGITUDE: 147-40.57W
COURSE: 352T; SPEED: 4.2
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 402m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1858m (approximate)
24 HOUR RUN: 121m

And all is well on board.

Well, I shouldn't complain, we had a beautiful sail yesterday - just wish it had lasted longer. About 4 am this morning, we got pelted with squalls - lots of them in all shapes, sizes, intensity, and duration. And they didn't quit until 9 am. So we spent 5 hours taking sails down, putting sails back up, adjusting and trimming, and not sleeping much. But, all is better now. The seas are still confused and lumpy, but the sun is shining and our clothes are drying out.

Hopefully, we will have a nice quiet sail this evening. We need to catch up on our sleep and dishes - hah! Plus, make up some miles. Those squalls really slowed us down!

PS: Last night, we passed our 5,000 mile mark - the distance we have traveled since leaving Mexico and heading to French Polynesia. Pretty amazing!

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Day 2 - Stomy Monday

2011-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 10-32.74S; LONGITUDE: 147-36.98W
COURSE: 004T; SPEED: 5.1
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 281m
DISTANCE TO KONA OR HILO, HAWAII: 1855m (approximate)
24 HOUR RUN: 139m

And all is well on board.

Stormy Monday - that it was! We had a lots of squalls pass by us over the last 24 hours. Two that dropped a lot of rain; one had big winds (30 - 35), but the rest just spit at us and kicked up some winds. We are always prepared though - just in case. We are 400 miles west of the Marquesa Islands, so we think they are generated a lot of the squall activity, but could be wrong. The seas were a little confused too, so we didn't get lots of sleep, but managed okay.

Today, is a beautiful sunny day with good winds and moderate seas. So we have had a busy day napping and relaxing - hah! Hope the good weather pattern holds for a long time...

We were surprised this morning to see a small freighter off our port beam - fairly close. Doug called them and they adjusted their course and even called us back. Very neighborly of them. We don't think we will see many boats between here and Hawaii until we get close to making landfall.

So far, Moondance is performing well and we haven't had any issues - that is good news. Crew is doing well too and had only a few issues - Doug bonked his head hard on a port; I smashed my pinky in a door. Nothing major though!

Sorry to say - no fish have been caught... We will keep trying.

The good news - the generator is running so we will have hot water for showers. Can't beat that with a stick!

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Day 1 - getting our sea legs!

2011-11-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Moondance Stats:
LATITUDE: 12-42.36S; LONGITUDE: 147-33.97W
COURSE: 358T; SPEED: 5.5
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 142m
DISTANCE TO KONA, HAWAII: 1994m
24 HOUR RUN: 142m

All is well on board!

We left Rangiroa, Tuamotu yesterday, at 02:00 pm our time (00:00 Zulu time). We started with light winds that quickly built up to 15 - 20 mph, which is great. Our seas are a little confused, but not too bad. We were actually able to get some sleep last night. There was one big squall that passed through this morning and we are expecting more. But, we are prepared!

A couple of pods of dolphins have come and visited us, but that is about it. We can see Evergreen's light occasionally, but no other boats in site. We did enjoy the beautiful moon last night - great to sail by.

We are going to be on a starboard tack the whole way to Hawaii, so it is a constant shuffle trying to keep everything on the starboard side of the boat from shifting to the port side, but we are keeping up with it - so far!

I have started listening to the Harry Potter series on tape - it is a great way to pass the time during my watches. I am 1/2 way done with my first book - only 6 or 7 more to go (I forget). Good thing I have lots of time!

Hope you are all well - we miss you...

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Au revoir French Polynesia!

2011-11-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe, but we have been in French Polynesia almost 6 months. It is an amazing place and we have met so many wonderful people. We are going to miss it and promise to return next year.

Rangiroa anchorage

Today, we are starting our sail to Hawaii - 2136 miles due north.

We hope to be anchored off the island of Hawaii in approximately 18 days.

Our good buddies on Evergreen are traveling with us, so we will have daily radio contact. Plus, we will be communicating with the Pacific Seafarers Ham net daily to report our position.

Enjoying the lagoon

We are fortunate to have two friends helping us with our weather routing - Thanks Jamie and Brad! It is definitely going to make our passage much easier.

I will be updating our blog daily so that you can track our progress and follow our adventure.

It is going to be strange being in Hawaii for 6 months, but we are looking forward to all of the luxuries - ESPN, microbrew beers, cheap and fast internet, California Zin's, and all of that other good stuff.

Plus, we will be able to visit our family and friends - we have missed you!

Can't believe...

2011-11-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

That we have been in Rangiroa over a week all ready - we have been busy - well busy for us!

Sunset dinghy ride

We are anchored off the Tiputa Pass. It is a beautiful bay surrounded by the Kia Ora resort, dive shops, and a great public beach and wharf, plus there is little grocery store and some gift shops. Perfect for cruisers.

Tiputa Pass

As you can see, getting through Tiputa pass is a challenge and you want to make sure to hit it at slack tide. It can still be an exciting ride - so be alert.

Relaxing at the beach snack shop

Rangiroa also has some great snack shops. The public beach snack shop is our favorite - great double cheeseburgers and french fries, plus big Hinano beers at a fair price (for French Polynesia).

Local kids playing bocci ball

We decided to play some bocci ball after lunch - the local kids were much better than we were. They really enjoyed showing us how to play.

Relaxing on the water taxi

There is a water taxi that runs from the wharf, across the pass, to the Tiputa Village. The village is very small, but we enjoyed the excursion and the exercise, plus the water taxi stopped by Moondance to pick us up. Can't beat that.

Rangiroa lagoon - beautiful

The Rangiroa Lagoon is huge - about 40 miles long and 17 miles wide and fairly easy to sail around. Rangiroa is a popular destination for divers - lots of coral and fish.

Carol hanging at the Kia Ora resort

The Kia Ora resort is beautiful and we treated ourselves to drinks one evening (sorry no happy hour), but we enjoyed ourselves. They let the cruisers tie up to their dinghy dock, plus have helped us get taxis and provided lots of good information.

Taking a break

We have been doing big time provisioning in Rangiroa - getting ready for our long trip to Hawaii. It isn't real easy to provision here, but we have figured it out. We hitchhike or catch a cab ($400 Cfp pp) to the Avatoru village, which is about 8 miles away.

Doug's happy - hamburgers and Hinanos

There is 1 gas station, 3 grocery stores, and 2 snack shops in Avatoru, and we have visited them all - several times. Unfortunately, they aren't close together and we aren't very organized, so we do lots of walking and hauling our purchases around the village.

Provision run - almost done

Our favorite grocery store is Chez Daniel. The manager, Elisa, and her team have taken very good care of us. They even haul us and all of our goodies back to the boats (for free), plus stop at the gas station and the liquor store, plus wait on the beach while we grab our returnable Hinano beer bottles from the boat. We couldn't ask for better service!

Cruising kids enjoying the roulette

We met another cruising family on Big Fish - very nice people that have a ski resort in the French Alps. We all splurged and went to dinner at a nearby roulette. Good food and prices, big portions, and just a short walk from the public beach. We will definitely go back.

Crew of Evergreen having a good time

So, as you can see, we are enjoying Rangiroa. Besides lots of eating and provisioning, we have done some snorkeling, checked out all of the gift shops, done some beachcombing, worked on projects, and lots of relaxing.

Enjoying the rain

Our weather has been a little unsettled since we arrived (lots of rain!), which the locals are grateful for. We are waiting for a weather window so that we can start our trip to Hawaii, but it is slow coming. It looks like, we will be in Rangiroa until around November 6. Oh well, we like it here, plus we have more exploring to do!

PS: Happy Halloween! The locals are celebrating Halloween for the first time - hard to imagine, huh? Wish we could join in the festivities, but we aren't sure what the taxi runs are after dark. Oh well! We made popcorn balls (our first time) and watched a scary movie with Evergreen. Too fun!

Fun Facts

2011-10-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

After spending 6 months in French Polynesia and visiting so many of the islands, we have learned how different the island groups are - the people, the culture, the history, and the geology. Here, you thought we were just goofing off all this time - hah!

Here's what we have learned from talking to the locals, our personal experiences, plus doing our homework:

Makemo, Tuamotu Islands

The Tuamotu Archipelago has 78 islands - all but 2 of the islands are coral atolls. For sailors, they are considered the "low and dangerous" islands and difficult to spot - even with radar. These islands were avoided in the past, but new technology has made sailing through the atolls much safer. But, you still have to be alert - especially through the passes.

The Tuamotu's are the the "oldest" of the island groups. The island mass has sank completely leaving a beautiful lagoon surrounded by a coral reef. The coral reef is made up of many motus/islands.

We visited 5 of the atolls in the Tuamotu's - hope to see more next year.

Bora Bora, Society Islands

There are 14 islands in the Society islands and they are the most famous in French Polynesia - Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, etc.. They are high-steep volcanic mountains and are very striking.

The Societies are the "middle-aged" islands. The islands are sinking, plus the coral reefs and lagoons have formed. It is estimated that Tahiti is sinking 4 inches a year - oh my.

We spent lots of time in the Societies and toured 6 of the islands.

Nuku Hiva, Marquesa Islands

The Marquesa islands are made up of 10 islands. Like the Societies, they are high-steep volcanic mountains that can been seen for 20 miles. A great place for sailors to make landfall.

The Marquesas are the "youngest" of the 3 island groups. The coral reef and lagoons have not formed yet, but will - eventually.

We only visited 2 of the Marquesa islands, but would have loved to have seen more.

All of the islands in French Polynesia have been wonderfully different - hope you get to visit them one of these days!

Pictures from Toau - finally!

2011-10-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

As you can see, we had a great time in Toau. Gaston and Valentine were excellent hosts and we really appreciated them sharing their beautiful island with us. We hope to visit them again next year. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

PS: Thanks again Carol for sharing.

Valentine, Gaston, and the rest of the gang!

Dinghy caravan through the lagoon

The fish trap - what a variety

Gaston spearing lunch

BBQ fish - very tasty

Baby frigate keeping an eye on us

A day at the beach

Valentine and Carol preparing dinner

Lobsters on the barbie

Carla dressed in a pareo - oh my!

Visiting the Pink Sand motu

Doug and the shark chasing dog

Gaston and Valentine - our hosts

Dennis and Carol at the Pink Sand Motu

Lots of fish

Potluck and Trashing Burning party

Sunset in Toao

Crew of Evergreen exploring

Doug setting the whisker pole

Carol cleaning up the beach

Dinghy ride through the coral

Made it to Rangiroa!

2011-10-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, we had good winds pushing us to Rangiroa and had a nice downwind sail. We were rock'n and roll'n for the 1st half the trip, but the 2nd half smoothed out and was very comfortable. Working with Evergreen, we are getting very good at timing our trips to hit the passes at slack tide. The Tiputa pass is definitely one we wouldn't want to enter any other time - it was a crazy washing machine later in the day.

The Rangiroa atoll is huge - the largest atoll in the Tuamotu. We are safely anchored in the lagoon west of the Tiputa pass. The weather is still unsettled - gusty winds and occasional rains, but we are comfortable.

We found a small store (magasin) and bought a few provisions, but now we need to do some major shopping. Unfortunately, the large grocery stores and banks are about 8 miles away in the Avatoru village. We are going to try and hitchhike down there today and hopefully sweet talk the store owners into bringing us back. If not, maybe a taxi ride. Another option is to move our boats down to Avatoru, but we read that the anchorage isn't very good. Oh well, it will all work out.

Besides the provisioning, we hope to do some exploring while we are here. The lagoon of Rangiroa is beautiful and famous for the Blue Lagoon atoll inside the lagoon. Hope we get to see it.

Next, we wait for a weather window to sail us to Hawaii. November 1 ends the official hurricane season in the northern hemisphere. We want to wait for that for sure!

PS: We have internet now, so I will be posting some pictures soon - promise.

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Stuck between a high and a low...

2011-10-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

High and low pressure system that is - four days of lots of wind and rain - so we are still in Toau. We have been hunkered down on the boat with only a few excursions to shore. It sure felt good to get off the boat and stretch our legs!

Unfortunately, due to the weather system, we didn't make it to Fakarava - so now we are officially out of everything fresh and almost everything drinkable. Good thing we have lots and lots of dried beans, rice, and canned goods. We won't got hungry for sure - just thirsty. Plus, we can get fresh fish any time. Gaston taught Doug how to fish the "local" way. For bait, grab a hermit crab, pull him out of his shell, and then pluck a hunk off of the crab's back end. I know, it sounds terrible, but Gaston says it works. We will have to give it a try.

Our current plan is to leave Toau tomorrow and sail directly to Rangiroa (an overnighter), which will be our last atoll/island to visit before we leave for Hawaii. It sounds like Rangiroa has all the modern facilities - grocery stores, banks, post office, and internet. It will be a good place for us to provision and prepare for our big trip north, plus the lagoon is supposed to be beautiful.

We have been working on a few projects this week. Doug wanted to restitch some of the Sunbrella on the jib (head sail). Sounded easy... but the screws on the furler were loose and we couldn't get the jib down. So, my trapeze artist husband, had to climb up the staysail, swing over to the jib, and slide down - tightening screws along the way. Good thing we found the loose screws now versus at sea!

Doug and Josh (Evergreen) got the hooka gear out and scrubbed our bottom. The hooka really makes this project easier, plus it is great for drift dives, checking your anchor, and lots more. A hooka is on our list to bring with us next year - we just need to find room for the gear.

We have had a wonderful time in Toau (even with the weather system), but it is time to get moving again!

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Out of everything (almost)!

2011-10-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

We have loved our time here in Toau, but it is time to find a grocery store (magasin) - our fridge and food lockers are bare! Our plans are to motor/sail to Fakarava on Monday, if the weather settles.

We have been "boat potatoes" for two days. A series of squalls have been passing through with winds 20 - 25 knots and lots of rain. We are hooked to a mooring ball and are hoping it is a good one. We keep our anchor alarm set just in case...

Before the squalls hit, we were able to do some more exploring. Carol and Dennis (Evergreen) organized a trip out to the "pink sand beach" motu. Along the way, the gang hooka'd around a big coral head with lots of reef fish and coral, plus a lemon shark - oh my. Valentine and Gaston met us at the motu for a picnic (fresh fish of course). It was an 11 mile dinghy ride (round trip) to the motu, but it was beautiful with lots of soft pink sand and zillions of birds!

Again, Gaston and Valentine invited the cruisers to their place for a trash burning/potluck. They know what the cruises like for sure. What an assortment of food - even got to experience salted fish - the Finnish way. All very tasty.

So the good times continue - just need the weather to cooperate. Hopefully, in Fakarava, we will be able to post some pictures so you can experience Toau with us!

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Still relaxing in Toau

2011-10-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

We have decided that Toau is just the place we have been searching for, so why leave? We have been here almost a week and are having a wonderful time exploring the motu's and the lagoon, plus visiting with our hosts and neighbors. Of course, we are running low on the staples: coke zero, wine, beer, eggs, gasoline, and all of the fresh stuff. But, we are making do, plus it sounds like we might be able to do some trading.

One morning, Gaston and Valentine stopped by and asked if we wanted some fresh tuna - YES! Doug quickly seared it in olive oil, sesame seeds, and sesame oil - only a couple of minutes per side. It was perfectly yummy!

Last night, we got dressed up and went to Gaston and Valentine's house/restaurant for dinner. We dined under the stars eating lobster, Poisson Cru, grilled tuna, tuna sushimi (with olive oil and ginger), plus fresh coconut cake and coconut bread. All very good, plus good company. There are a total of 4 boats in the bay and we all attended. 2 American boats, 1 Finnish, 1 French, plus our 2 Polynesian hosts - very continental - hah!

What a treat - we were relaxing in the cockpit (again) and had a wonderful whale show - humpbacks breaching and tale slapping just outside the pass. They didn't stay long so we hope they come back.

We have also started to explore the motu's/islands that make up the Toau atoll - there are lots of them. One of them is supposed to have a beautiful pink beach - looking forward to seeing that. Plus, the lagoon has some big coral heads that we plan on snorkeling.

Dinner tonight - fresh grouper - thanks to Josh (Evergreen). He has had a wonderful time spearfishing in the bay. Our hosts even said it was all right to catch fish out of their trap. Now, that is easy pickins for sure.

Lots more to see and do...

Poisson Cru recipe

1 pound fresh tuna (mahi mahi works but not as good)
Juice of one lime (maybe two)
salt
1 cup fresh coconut milk
1 tsp oregano
1 sliced green pepper or minced jalapeno or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 chopped tomato or cucumber
2 cloves minced garlic

Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces and place them in a non-corrosive dish with the lime juice. Sprinkle the fish lightly with the salt and marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the pieces occasionally. The fish will whiten as the acid from the lime juice cooks the flesh. Stir in the coconut milk, oregano, chilies, onion, tomato or cucumber, and garlic. Marinate for 1 hour more.

Serve over rice.

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Toau - what a place!

2011-10-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

The cruisers are right - Toau is a very special place and Gaston and Valentine are excellent hosts and have been sharing their island with us.

Friday nights Trash Burning party turned out to be a cruisers potluck hosted by Gaston and Valentine. Besides Moondance and Evergreen, there are two other boats moored in the pass (Elan and Kindred Spirit) and we all joined in on the fun. Lots of good food and wine were consumed and lots of storytelling (in 4 different languages) and lots of laughter.

Saturday, we all got in our dinghy's and followed our hosts through the lagoon to the motu/island where they have their pearl farm. We helped them clean up the island; they provided fresh fish for the picnic. We know the fish were fresh, we watched Gaston spear them in the fish trap - quite a show. Besides the pearl farm, the motu is a nesting place for the boobies, frigates, and other birds. The motu is also a good place to snorkel and cool off after working so hard - hah!

Sunday, we spent the day snorkeling in the pass where we are anchored. We have to say, Toau has the best snorkeling and the most fish we have seen in French Polynesia - by far - just incredible. Lots of big fish - over 4 footers, plus lots of little guys (my kind) - snappers, big Napolean wrasse, grouper, parrot fish, and lots of moray eels and wonderful coral.

Gaston and Valentine's fish trap is an amazing site - like looking into a big aquarium - sharks and all. The fish swim in, but can't get out - perfect. There are too many fish to count and too many different types to identify - just mesmerizing.

Josh and Dennis on Evergreen did some spear fishing and stabbed a parrot fish and a grouper - very tasty. Spear fishing is a challenge here. After you spear a fish, you have to get it out of the water immediately because the sharks start circling. Spooky! Doug wants to try it today. I would prefer to just do some fishing.

We also did some bartering with Valentine for black pearls and jewelry: tomato juice, champagne, wine, TP, soap, engine oil, etc. Gaston and Valentine live approximately 2 hours (by boat) from the nearest village that has a store so they are always needing provisions. It was a very successful trade for all.

Tonight, we are invited to their restaurant for dinner - we think we are having lobster. Yum! Plus, we want to do some walking around some of the islands. Busy day!

Can't wait for you to see the pictures - as soon as we have internet!

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Back in the Tuamotu Islands!

2011-10-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

We finally left Moorea. We loved it there, but it was time to get moving east.

It was a 2-day sail from Moorea to the Tuamotu atolls/islands. We were fortunate that we were able to sail most of the way, but it was a lumpy, noisy trip because the seas were a little confused and Moondance was rocking around. So, not much sleep!

We are now moored in the Toau atoll in the Anse Amyot pass - between the deep waters of the Pacific and the crystal blue waters of the lagoon - it is beautiful.

There is one family that lives here - Gaston and Valentine. They run a small restaurant, pearl farm, fish traps, and all of the cruisers love them. They have installed mooring balls where we can moor for free as long as we have dinner at their restaurant one night. It is supposed to be an excellent fish dinner. We are looking forward to it, plus learning more about their atoll.

You know you are in a wonderful place when...
-- you motor into a bay and one cruiser leaves early so you can grab their mooring ball
-- another cruiser helps you grab the mooring ball
-- and another cruiser dinghy's over to tell you about the great snorkeling

Plus, we get invited to a trash burning party tonight. Cruisers are great!

We will stay in Toau for awhile and do some exploring, plus the snorkeling and diving are supposed to be excellent.

Hopefully, we will be able to visit a few more atolls before starting our big sail to Hawaii around the 1st of November. Oh my!

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Enjoying Moorea (again)

2011-10-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

This is our 3rd visit to the island of Moorea and we are loving it more each time. We keep finding more treasures as we expand our explorations.

Happy Birthday Doug - you look marvelous!

Moorea was a wonderful place to celebrate Doug's 58th birthday too. His present - kite surfing lessons. He might be the oldest one out there, but I am proud of him for trying!

Expert Kite Surfer!

As you can see, he has got some serious competition. I hope to post some good pictures of my surfer dude soon - we are waiting for some wind so that Doug can take his 2nd lesson. Too fun.

Moondance is the small boat!

We are anchored in the beautiful Opunohu bay again in 20 feet of water with an amazing view of the spire of Mt. Mouaroa behind us. Cruise ships show up once in awhile - they seem a bit big for our bay. Good thing they don't stay long.

What a bike ride!

We decided to unpack our bikes and tour some of the island. We had heard of a shortcut to Cook's bay over the ridge. It was not a short cut, mostly dirt road, and had a steep grade, but we made it and loved the view.

Church in Cook's Bay

We decided not to take the shortcut back (go figure), but continued along the main road. We had hope to find a place to watch some football, but there is nothing open on Sundays - nothing except Church! Oh well, we got some good exercise and enjoyed the ride.

Distillery - why not?

There is a pineapple (ananas) plantation along the shortcut - lots of pineapple. So, we were happy to find that there was also a distillery: Jus de Fruits de Moorea. Open every day and free tastings. We loved the coconut (coco) liqueur and just had to buy some.

Sailing school

These guys are so entertaining! There is a sailing school off the beach and most mornings you can see these boats racing around and the kids laughing (love those belly laughs) and screaming. Keeps the owner busy for sure!

Shrimp farming

Carol and Doug decided to check out the shrimp (crevettes) farm, which is open to the public on Wednesday from 10 - 2. It was quite a process to see them rounding up the shrimp. The shrimp were good, but not as good as the shrimp in Mazatlan. Miss those!

Moondance surrounded by palm trees

We are have finally figured out Moorea's public transportation. The buses only run when the ferry from Tahiti runs - you just have to know the ferry schedule. The bus is $300 francs and, as far as we can tell, it only goes part way around the island.

Hitchhiking also works well on Moorea and we have met some very nice folks - nice enough to take us past their destination just to please us. Love it.

Short cut?

We will be leaving Moorea in the next couple of days. We are waiting for a weather window to motor/sail to the Tuamotu islands. We "think" we will visit the island of Toau - all the cruisers tell us it is wonderful. We shall see!

Thanks for sharing your photos, Carol.

Still in Tahiti...

2011-09-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

But, we are just about finished with all of our provisioning and projects. Plus, our formal checkout from the Society Islands has been completed. We just have one more French formality to go through in the Tuamotu and that's it until next year.

Laundry Day

It might not seem like a treat to folks with washing machines, but finding a good laundromat that is affordable has been a luxury that we taken advantage of here in Tahiti. These machines hold two loads of clothes and give everything a great spin. We still hang everything on the boat to dry, but this sure beats hand washing!

Polynesian fishing boat

The fishing boats are definitely unique to Polynesia and they zoom around the islands. The boat is steered by using a joystick that goes side-to-side versus a wheel. Plus, the pilot is on a raised platform so that he can see the reefs better - makes sense.

Waiting for the fishermen

Since we haven't been able to catch a fish for awhile, we decided to try a different approach. We dinghied down to an area with a lot of fishing boats and waited... No boats came in with any fish while we waited so we gave up. Doug and Carol tried again the next day - still nothing. We aren't sure if there are any fish left, but we will keep trying!

Beautiful Tahitian girls

As we wander around town, it is always a treat to meet some of the young people. Just like kids everywhere, they love to ham it up for the camera.

Tourists!

Hopefully, we will be able to leave Tahiti on Friday and sail over to Moorea. We are waiting on a weather window for our crossing to the Tuamotu. We love Moorea and figured that would be a great place to wait and enjoy some water sports and clean the bottom of the boat and dinghy - it is starting to collect some pond scum. Always some fun to be had somewhere!

PS: We highly recommend using the Papeete Agency that was organized through the Pacific Puddle Jump. It costs us $188 (for two people) for the service, which included clearance into French Poly, bond exemption, and duty free fuel. Plus, the agents in Nuku Hiva and Papeete were so helpful and gave us lots of free advice and drove us around. Very nice people. We figured that the amount of money we saved on fuel alone more than paid for the fees. Next year, the cost will go up a little, but it should still be a great deal.

Shopping and Eating in Tahiti

2011-09-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the bus

It is definitely an adventure and we all love going to check out a new store or a new restaurant. Prices in French Polynesia are more expensive than Mexico, but we are learning how to survive on our budgets (almost) - just like the locals.

Fine dining at Taua King

Our favorite Chinese restaurant is Taua King, just down the street from Marina Taina. They make the best fried Nems, (egg rolls) and Cantonese Rice, plus wonderful chow mein. We love watching the flames from the butane burners cooking our food - you know it is coming out hot.

Dining at the Roulettes

Besides Chinese food, French Polynesia is famous for their "roulettes". In the States, we would probably call them "roach coaches", but they do serve great food. They usually setup in the evenings and serve everything - a variety of Chinese dishes, dinner and dessert crepes, roasted veal, hamburgers, french fries, pizza, etc. You just stroll around until you find a good one and have a seat. Remember to bring your own bottle of wine!

Rows of pate's

We have two favorite grocery stores close by. Super Marina has almost everything we need and it is small - perfect for our daily baguette and soda runs, plus it has a great meat selection. Carrefour is a wonderful supermarket and has everything from household items to an extensive selection of French cheeses, pates, salamis, meats, and more - yum.

Fancy French cheeses

Since everything is usually in French (with a few exceptions), it takes us awhile to figure out what we are buying. Some things are easy because they are similar to the Mexican version. Others, not so easy even when we have our French books handy.

Salami's and other good stuff

Sometimes you just don't know what you are buying until you get it back to the boat and taste it. Good thing we love an adventure!

Hauling groceries

One thing that really makes shopping in Tahiti easy - we are allowed to bring our shopping carts back to the Marina. Someone else returns the carts for us. All we have to do is load everything into the dinghy, motor out to the anchorage, and load our goodies onto Moondance. Whew - shopping is definitely a workout and takes up most of the day.

Oh well, what else do we have to do?

If you are interested, below is a sample of the prices that we are paying at the grocery stores. Not too different from California - go figure. Hope you get to check it out yourselves one of these days!

Dozen eggs: $4.17
Hinano beer: $2.40 for a 1/2 liter
Fresh baguette: $.65
Rum: $16.00 a fifth for the Tahitian brand
New Zealand ribeye steak: $11.00 lb for boneless
Fresh green beans: $3.80 lb
Coke Zero: $1.07 per can (tastes better than Diet Coke here)
Roquefort cheese: $19.00 lb (excellent)

Back in Tahiti

2011-09-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

We were really sad to leave Huahine - it was a wonderful island. Hope we see it again next year!

Going to miss Huahine

Our overnight passage to Tahiti was nice and easy. Not much wind, but at least it was in our favor and the seas were calm.

There were several sailboats, freighters, and ferries cruising between the islands, so we had to stay alert, but nothing came too close - thank goodness!

Sunset over Moorea from our anchorage

Now, we are back in Tahiti anchored by Marina Taina. We have to go through a formal process to check out of Tahiti.

Also, we need to provision, work on projects, fill up with fuel and propane, and a bunch of laundry - yuck!

We hope to find a weather window next week and start sailing back to the Tuamotu. We aren't sure which islands we are going to visit this time - all depends on the wind.

Our time in French Polynesia is going way too fast!

Too much fun in Huahine!

2011-09-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it back to the island of Huahine and we are having a great time - can you tell?

Evergreen motoring thru the Huahine lagoon

Huahine is our favorite island in the Societies Archipelago. It is beautiful, peaceful, and a wonderful place to explore. Very few tourists visit Huahine, but the cruisers love it.

Snorkeling with Sharks!

Found a great snorkeling spot - just off the town of Fare. Unfortunately, there is a Shark Feeding tour that ties up here, so as soon as the gang hopped in the water, all the fishes (including sharks) started circling. It was pretty amazing - just don't tie up to the boat that is anchored there. We got chased off!

Fishing - not catching

We motored through the lagoon to the big bay of Port Bourayne for a night and tried to catch some fish - no luck. We did get some tips from the locals and are going to keep trying.

Avea Bay - beautiful

Next stop, Avea Bay, which is at the southern end of Huahine. There were 12 boats here when we arrived - now there are only 2 of us left. So quiet... we are really having a relaxing day.

Enjoying the beach

We joined Evergreen in a dinghy tour around Point Tiva to check out the village of Perea and watch the surfers.

Carol modeling

There is a wonderful artisan shop in Perea owned by Miri and Frank. They hand-paint all of their pareos and they are beautiful - as you can see - Carol too!

Marea Anini

We checked out Marea Anini (sacred Polynesian site). This marea had petroglyphs and was recently restored - using only original stones. Very interesting. Miri tells us that in each corner of the Marea, a body was buried alive - yikes!

Pareo fashion show

Miri and Frank invited us to their Pareo show at one of the Pensions. They used the crowd as models to demonstrate all the ways to tie a parea. Doesn't Doug look handsome!

Too much fun!

It was wonderful to hang out with the locals - we learned lots of Polynesian history, plus had a wonderful time. We invited them over to our boats the next night so they can see how the crazy cruisers live.

Tomorrow, we travel back to Tahiti. We have had a wonderful time, but we need to get moving East. Our time in French Polynesia has gone by way too fast!

** Thanks for sharing your pictures, Carol!

Tahaa - Vanilla Farm excursion

2011-09-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Next anchorage, Haamene Bay, free mooring balls if you visit the Hibiscus restaurant - which we did. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they have a great Happy Hour from 5 - 7. We had fun playing Liar's dice with Evergreen - always nice to get off the boats!

Enjoying the Vanilla Farm

Plus, the restaurant will arrange free transportation to the Vanilla Farm. Free too, unless you buy something...

Goodies!

Tahaa is called the "Vanilla Island" and we had to check it out. The farm was a beautiful place and offered a buffett of bananas, fresh coconut, and fruit juice - what a treat.

Vanilla plant growing on a tree

The Vanilla Farm has been in Moeata's family for 3 generations. Moeata and Brian commercialized it and now ship most of their vanilla harvest to Denmark and have been very successful. Their vanilla is organic and the vanilla plant grows around a host tree - all natural. Most vanilla farms are grown in green houses grown in pots, which requires fertlizer and chemicals.

Vanilla flower

Brian explained some facts about the vanilla plants:

Vanilla is part of the orchid family
There are 30,000 species of orchids
The vanilla plant is the only one that produces food

Vanilla beans drying

Each vanilla flower is hand-pollinated to ensure it produces a vanilla bean. It takes 3 years before a plant produces a bean and requires that they trim the host trees to provide 60% sunlight; 40% of shade.

Then the beans are hand-picked and dried to remove all but 20% of the moisture. During the last 15 days of the drying process, they are massaged daily to bring out the vanilla smell.

It's a lot of work, but worth it. The vanilla smelled wonderful. Can't wait to make some vanilla pancakes, or vanilla sugar, or vanilla extract - whatever!

PS: We are now anchored in Huahini off the town of Fare. We will be sailing the lagoon south to Avea Bay in the next day or so to do some more exploring!

Tahaa - trip to the Pearl Farm

2011-09-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Bay of Apu, on the southern end of Tahaa, has free mooring balls to tie up to if... you rent a buggy, go diving, or visit the Pearl Farm. We chose the pearl farm and we are glad we did - we learned a lot.

Pearl Factory

The oysters are actually stored in nets along the reef, but the Pearl Factory (named by me) is where the work is done. We actually got to watch the pro's in action. They gently open the oyster, remove the pearl, and insert a "nucleus", which is the same size as the pearl and made out of shells from the Mississippi River. Kind of strange, but it works.

Oyster that didn't pass the test!

If an oyster produces an inferior pearl, its life is over and someone is eating it for dinner. The shells are sold to make buttons, jewelry, etc. All of the parts are used up!

Pearl Farm

Some interesting facts about a pearl farm:

The process for culturing pearls was created in Japan by Mikimoto
This pearl farms maintains 100,000 oysters
There is a 5-year investment before any pearls are harvested
It is 18 months (always) after the nucleus is inserted into the oyster and the pearl is harvested
Pearls have 3 grades depending on the shape, luster, and number of defects - A, B, and C

Pretty pearls

And the long process and investment are worth it. Tahitian black pearls are beautiful (and expensive) and come in all different colors - peacock, copper, eggplant, black, and more. They are named "black pearls" because they come from the black-lipped oysters. You never know what size of pearl or color you are going to find. Always a surprise when you open the oyster.

If you get a chance, check out a Pearl Farm!

PS: We actually splurged and bought two of the copper pearls (C grade of course) that are only grown in Raiatea and Tahaa. They are beautiful!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2011-09-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hope you have a wonderful celebration - we will be sure to toast a Hinano (Tahiti beer) in your honor!

Looking good!

Love you guys and wish you were here with us sailing the South Pacific!

Carla and Doug

Rewind, Baby!

2011-09-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

This line always makes me laugh. It was from a surfing couple on a sailboat we met in Oxnard, CA. Instead of "Reverse" it was "Rewind, Baby" and that's what we are doing now!

Moondance anchored in Bora Bora

We finally left Bora Bora after almost a month (hard to believe).

After sailing over 4100 miles, it is time to start our trip East back through the Society islands and then Tuamotus and maybe the Marquesas. Our plans are to leave either the Tuamotus or the Marquesas around the 1st of November - depending on the weather - heading to Hawaii.

Enjoying a day at the beach

Bora Bora was a wonderful place to hang out, relax, explore, and shop. It is a beautiful island surrounded by an amazing lagoon and reef and we got to see some amazing sites, plus the locals were very warm and friendly.

Love watching the canoes

One of our favorite past times is sitting in the cockpit at sunset watching the canoer's paddle past us. The canoes are much more high-tech now, but it makes you think about island transportation long ago. Plus, it keeps these canoer's in shape - Buff!

Nina arrives in Bora Bora

We were fortunate that our friends on Nina caught up to us. Nina is a classic wooden boat built in the 1920's and is famous for winning races along the East coast and she is beautiful. Rosemary, Daniel, and crew had us over for dinner and it was fun catching up.

More snorkeling

Of course, we had to take them snorkeling with the Stingrays - more squealing! Nina is on her way to New Zealand. Hopefully, we will see them again somewhere in the South Pacific next year.

Bananas anyone?

It is amazing the amount of fruit along the roads - mangos, breadfruit, pamplemousse, and lots and lots of bananas. Wish we could just help ourselves, but the trees usually have an owner. But we don't mind asking!

Looking at Mt Otemanu

We are now island hopping between Raiatea and Tahaa. You know you are surrounded by nice people when you don't even have to hitchhike to get a ride and we appreciated it - we were sweaty and they had A/C. The ladies were very sweet and their English was much better than our French (of course).

Anchored in Tahaa looking over at Raiatea

Free moorings in Apu Bay on Tahaa - you just have to visit the Pearl Farm, go diving, or rent a buggy. We chose the Peal Farm and it was very interesting to learn how the famous black pearls are cultured. We couldn't afford to buy any pearls, but it was worth the visit. I will have to write a separate blog about that.

Just watch out for the crazy fish around the boat. We are surrounded by millions of little tiny fish. The bigger fish wait underneath Moondance and suddenly jump out (splashing alot) and gobble up the little guys. Fun to watch!

Taking inventory

We plan to sail to Huahine in the next couple of days and then on to Tahiti, where we will do some major provisioning, round up some boat parts, and visit our favorite Chinese restaurant - yum!

So, I decided to inventory our pantries. I was amazed at how much food we still have on board from Mexico! French Polynesia has so much wonderful fresh food, our canned and dried goods haven't been needed. Oh well, maybe we will eat them on the way to Hawaii. Chili anyone?

Stuck in Bora Bora!

2011-08-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

Well, come to think of it, Bora Bora is a wonderful place to be stuck, so we can't complain!

Stingray giving Doug a kiss...

We have been here for 3 weeks all ready - sure doesn't seem like it. There is a storm system blowing through now, so we are waiting for it to pass before sailing back to Raiatea.

Sunrise

Raiatea is only about 25 miles away, but there is no reason to bash in rough weather if we don't have to. Nothing wrong with staying in beautiful Bora Bora a couple more days.

We climbed there? Oh my!

Doug just had to brag about his hike one more time. "We went all the way up there - never again!"

Island transportation

We spent a week on the East side of Bora Bora, which is definitely challenging but worth the trip. There are lots of reefs to maneuver around and the water is very shallow. So we stuck to following the channel and went very very slow. No worries - we never hit the bottom and missed all of the coral heads - yeah!

Hop into our pool?

Because of the challenges, not all cruisers get to see the East side. But, there are lots of hotels and lots of tourists running around on jet ski's, diving, snorkeling, and all the rest of the water sports. Lots of activity during the day, but very quiet at night.

Poor folks enjoying the resort

Doug and I decided to check out the Saint Regis Resort - just for fun. So we showered and shaved, put on our best (cleanest) outfits and dinghied over - they didn't kick us out! It was a beautiful resort and we enjoyed wandering around. We even splurged and had one fancy, very expensive, cocktail - $60 for 2 drinks. Ouch!

Carol sailing away

The rest of the week we spent exploring the beaches, snorkeling, kayaking, touring the islands, and hanging out with the crew from Evergreen.

Moonrise

Now, we are anchored in our favorite spot on the West side of Bora Bora tucked in from the storm and baking cookies (oatmeal raisin), watching movies, and playing a mean game of Hollywood Rummy. A nice way to wait out the storm.

Fruits and goodies for sell

It's about a 20-minute dinghy ride to town, but we are going to try to make a run between showers to do some provisioning - we are low on lots of staples (Coke Zero, wine, beer, meats, fruits, veggies, etc.).

Nice place for a picnic

If we time it right, we will treat ourselves to lunch at the Snack shop. Wonderful panini's, hamburgers, and french fries. Walk next door to the grocery store, buy 2 Hinano beers, and find a place in the shade to eat. A great picnic and it is affordable.

Taking a break from chores

Doug checked the weather - it looks like we will be here until Monday or Tuesday. Lots more chances to get my butt kicked in rummy again!

Hike from Hell!

2011-08-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

Or as Josh (Evergreen) said - it was "terrifying" and I didn't think kids were afraid of anything!

Made it to the top!

Well, as you can see, the view from the top of Mt. Hue was amazing. But, I know that these guys will never hike to the top again. They were exhausted.

Mt. Hue - pretty impressive

Mt. Hue is only 2031 feet high, but it was a tough hike that took about 6 hours - it didn't even start off easy.

Josh climbing down

It was such a steep grade, that the guys were hanging on to roots and rocks for support. In some spots, rope climbing was necessary. Yikes!

The Guide

When we started up the mountain, a local man joined the group - didn't say a word - just start following us. He was carrying a machete and wearing flip flops.

An interesting combination, but he turned out to be an excellent guide. We are so glad that he led our guys to the top (for a tip).

View from the top

From the top looking southeast, you can see the town of Vaitape (bottom), anchorage at Bloody Mary's restaurant (left), and the island of Toopua (top) where Moondance is anchored. Just beautiful!

The Professionals

These local kids were impressive - they ran past our guys on the way to the other peak - one of them was barefoot!

Mt. Pahia is only 2169 feet, but to get there you had to travel along a path that is less than 2 feet wide. Not recommended for rookies!

Spectacular!

So, if you want an adventure and some really good exercise, give it a try. We definitely recommend getting a guide!

Starting to get steep...

PS: Carol and I pooped out after a short distance and went shopping - good choice.

Bora Bora - the other side of the island

2011-08-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got moving again and finally made it to the East side of Bora Bora. We only went about 7 miles, but it was an "exciting" trip. A lot of cruisers never see this side of the island and I can see why - it is shallow and you have to traverse through the reefs. At one point, we had less and 3 feet of water underneath the boat - yikes! But, we went slow following Evergreen and all watching out for coral heads.

It was worth it! We are anchored in a beautiful sandy bay surrounded by expensive Tiki Hut hotels. Le Meridian - over $800 a night; the Saint Regis is over a $1000 a night. Our view - priceless and free! Well, unless you count all of the money we spent on Moondance, but that's another story!

We are going to spend a couple of days here exploring the beaches and doing some snorkeling. As soon as we get an internet connection, I will post some pictures. You are going to love them.

PS: Wait to you see the next post about the "Hike from Hell" - what an adventure!

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Bora Bora - the "Pearl of the Pacific"

2011-08-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe, but we have been in Bora Bora for over a week - all ready!

Enjoying Bora Bora

The first 3 nights, we grabbed a free mooring ball off of the famous Bloody Mary's restaurant and had to check it out!

Bloody Mary's

The restaurant has been around over 30 years and lots of famous folks have eaten here. Their wall of fame includes Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Phil Jackson, Cameron Diaz, and hundreds more. I know you will never see our names on the wall, but we enjoyed ourselves.

Cheese Burgers in Paradise!

For cruisers, the best value is lunch time (cruisers are cheap!). We had the best bacon cheeseburger (and fries) that we have had for a very long time. Crews from Loose Pointer and Evergreen joined us - no leftovers to be found for sure.

A different Tiki!

We have been exploring the town of Vaitape - it is a small town, but lots of good shopping. Of course, the tourist shops are much more expensive than Tahiti. Still fun to browse...

Our anchorage - Toopua

Next, we motored over to the west side of the island of Toopua and settled in. Toopua is part of the old volcano of Bora Bora. The crater now forms the bay between Toopua and the main island of Bora Bora. What a beautiful anchorage - we have been here 5 nights and might stay a few more!

Ahhhh!

As you can see, the water is amazingly clear and warm. Just feels wonderful to jump in! We tried to catch some fish around the anchorage - no luck, but we will keep trying.

Bora Bora Nui Hotel

We ran into some of our Puddle Jump friends on Hadar while exploring. They had kidnapped (just kidding) some honeymooners from Colorado who were nice enough to invite us to their Tiki Hut at the Bora Bora Nui hotel. What a place - I would have loved to jump in that big beautiful bathtub and soak for hours - luxury!

Dinghy ride

We have been doing some snorkeling, and swimming (PE Class), and lots of relaxing, plus have been puttering around with the dinghy checking out the sites. Bora Bora really is beautiful. There are several Tiki Hut type hotels, the Paul Gaugin cruise ship stops here, and there are lots of tourist activities, but it is still not crowded. Amazing!

Dennis sailing his dink

Today is my 54th birthday - what a wonderful place to celebrate. Lunch at Bloody Mary's and then Carol (Evergreen) is making me a German-chocolate cake (my absolute favorite).

All I am missing is You!

Maybe tomorrow... we will start sailing around the back side of Bora Bora. Looking forward to it.

Island hopping

2011-08-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

We spent 2 nights anchored off of Raiatea near the town of Uturoa (second-largest town in French Polynesia) and enjoyed exploring and shopping.

Anchored in Raiatea

The first night, we anchored in deep waters. The second night, a very nice gentleman at Dream Yacht Charters let us tie up to their mooring ball in exchange for a 6-pack of beer. A heck of a deal and we had a wonderful night's sleep. Thanks!

Relaxing in Uturoa

The town of Uturoa isn't very big, but it has everything you want - you just have to time it when everything is open. We are still adjusting to "island time". You would have thought we would have the hang of it by now!

Doug checking out the shopping

They have a central market (marche) like Papeete with fresh fruits and veggies, wonderful crepes, and beautiful artisan crafts (upstairs). Even though we didn't buy much, we loved looking at the all the black pearl and polished shell jewelry - what an art.

Evergreen with Bora Bora in the distance

We decided to explore more of Raiatea on our return route in a couple of weeks, so we took off for the island of Tahaa. I know, we are really moving now - 3 islands in a week!

Sailing in the lagoon

The islands of Tahaa and Raiatea are enclosed by the same barrier reef and it was an easy sail through beautiful colored waters of the lagoon and we had an excellent view of Bora Bora. These islands are amazing.

Fancy resort on Tahaa

We anchored off a private motu (island) on the western side of Tahaa and relaxed for a couple of days.

We snorkeled through the Coral Garden, which is between two motus. The coral wasn't spectacular, but we enjoyed swimming with all of the bright colored fish. You could tell they were used to being fed - one tried to bite Doug!

Butterflyfish

Time to get moving again! We sailed from Tahaa to Bora Bora yesterday - a pleasant 30 mile sail. We grabbed a mooring ball off of the famous Bloody Mary's restaurant, which we just had to check out last night plus going in for Cheeseburgers today - yum!

Bora Bora is our furthest destination west. We have sailed over 4000 miles since leaving Mexico in April - pretty amazing, huh?

Now, we are going to slow down our pace and meander back through all of the islands and places that we missed. Looking forward to it!

Next island, please!

2011-08-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

I know its not like us to leave a place too soon, but we left Huahine and sailed to Raiatea yesterday. It was only 16 miles across the channel and we had a great sail. What a treat after our last experience!

Moondance anchored in Huahine

We were just settling in and starting to explore Huahine when we decided to head to Raiatea to catchup with some of the other cruising boats. Most of the Puddle Jumpers are leaving French
Polynesia because their 3-month Visas are expiring. So glad that we spent the time (and money) to get our 6-month visas. We have 3 more months here - yeah!

Doug enjoying Happy Hour

The weather was a little unsettled while we were in Huahine, but we still managed to have a good time. Even finding the best Happy Hour in French Poly. Doug was a happy man! Cruisers are wonderful about passing on tips on provisioning, fuel, anchoring, and Happy Hours - this was a good tip.

Huahine anchorage

The anchorage in Huahine was beautiful - as you can see. We didn't spend much time in the water though, the weather system was causing 1+ knot of current to flow through, which made it a tough swim. One kid (unknowingly) jumped in and couldn't get back to his boat. Fortunately, another cruiser saved him after Doug made the annoucement on the radio. Good thing we were watching!

Carol in Le Truck

We were hoping to hitchhike to the north end of the island to explore the marae site (sacred temple). No luck, but we did get some good exercise, plus our first ride in a Le Truck (free island transportation).

At the beach

We found a great beach (with some great people watching) for our picnic lunch. Turned out to be a very nice day after all!

Josh skurfing in Huahine

We are currently anchored off the town of Uturoa on Raiatea in 110 feet of water surrounded on 3 sides by reefs - yikes! Apparently, Raiatea isn't known for its great anchorages, but we seem to be
hooked in.

We have a wonderful view of Huahini, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Bora Bora and I saw the "Big Green Flash" last night - amazing! Today, we are going into town do some exploring and shopping (of course). Always love checking out new places.

We promise to visit Huahine again after Tahaa and Bora Bora - there is still so much to see and we don't want to miss it!

Huahine finally!

2011-07-28T23:31:00.001-07:00

Well, it was a hell of a trip, but we made it and are safely anchored off of the village of Fare on the island of Huahine Nui.

It was only a 90 mile sail from Moorea to Huahine - a short overnighter - no worries mate. But it definitely turned out to be more challenging than expected - especially the last half of the trip:

-- lots of boat traffic (we aren't used to that)
-- winds gusting over 30
-- confused seas and large swells
-- rain, rain, and more rain
-- and a crazy freighter that came way too close (Thanks Carol for the tip)!

We dropped our anchor, had lunch, and went down for a 2-hour nap. We were pooped.

Tomorrow, we will start exploring Huahine, which is supposed to have the best beaches in the country. Can't wait!

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Heiva i Tahiti 2011

2011-07-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well, if we gotta be stuck in Tahiti, we couldn't have picked a better time - Heiva i Tahiti 2011!

Heiva Dance Competition - Toakura Dance Group

Heiva is the largest festival of the year and spans four weeks and reaches a high point around Bastille Day (start of the French Revolution).

Bastille Day Parade

The Bastille Day Parade was very short, but included the civil defense groups, fireman, policeman, marines, etc.

That's it and there weren't many spectators. Kind of strange, but we enjoyed it.

Carol and Dennis enjoying the show

Heiva is a month long celebration that includes competions in dance and chant, plus lots of sportings events like canoe races, javelin throwing, stone-lifting, fruit races, and more.

Winners of the Tahiti-Moorea Relay Race

"Va'a" is Polynesian for canoe. The 6-man canoes left Tahiti at 8am, rowed to Moorea and back again (about 24 miles over open ocean) crossing the finish line around 2:30pm. It was a relay race, and we aren't sure how often they changed crews. No matter - it was very impressive and the fans stuck with them for the distance. It was fun to watch the finish.

16-Woman Canoe Races

Well, these women didn't win their race, but they were very colorful. There was also a children's race plus more men's races, so lots of canoes and other boats in the water. These races were shorter, in the Papeete lagoon, but it was still a long way - we would never have survived.

Coconut Huskers

Polynesian title for the following 2 events "pa'aro ha'ari". The male event (1-man teams) removed the husks off of the coconut using a sharp stick. First man to finish his pile won. There was some serious muscle flashing around!

Coconut Cleaners

The female event (3-women teams) came next. 1 woman split the coconut with an axe; 2 women shelled the meat from the coconut. The first team to finish their pile of coconuts wins. Women with axes - pretty exciting and very competitive!

Javelin Throwing

In Polynesian, this event is called "patia fa" et "patia ai" - Javelin is easier for us to say! This was a great event to watch.

Javelin target - a coconut

Several teams lined up throwing hundreds of javelins (in several heats) at a coconut - way up on a very tall pole. The winning team had the most javelins stuck into the coconut. These guys had a great time - competition is always fun to watch.

Stone-Lifting event

The Polynesian title "amora'a ofai" or Stone-Lifting. Lifting the stone from the ground to the shoulder with heats starting at 55kg up to 120kg (120lb - 265lb). It is definitely an art - those are some big rocks.

Fruit Races

Fruit Races or "timau ra'au" in Polynesian. There were several men's races carrying sticks full of fruit weighing from 20kg (44lb) all the way to 50kg (110lb) and running around a very long track - twice! There was also one female heat carrying 15kg - they only had to run the track once.

Doug tried a short/lighter version of this event - it is a lot harder than it looks.

Our Hero

We loved this guy! Part of his fruit fell off during the first lap of the 50kg (110lb) race. To complete the race, he had to carry the fruit weighing about 50lb which meant changing arms often. It took him almost twice as long, but he finished. We were very impressed.

Enjoying the festivities!

These events were scheduled all around Papeete on different days, so part of our adventure was getting to the events. Buses don't always run when you need them, so we improvised:

Hitchhiked with a travel service for a nominal fee
Flagged down an older gent driving a Mercedes (very fast - yikes)
Museum security flagged down a car and made him take us home - hah! We invited our driver to the boat for happy hour, so it all worked out!

People are wonderful whereever you are, aren't they?

Not sure, but I liked this statue!

We were fortunate to see the Toakura Dance Group perform. They won the dance competition last year. We can see why - they were fabulous and we hope they win again this year. Too bad we couldn't take pictures and wish we understood more Polynesian.

All very amazing, so glad that we got to experience Heiva!

Road Trip - Tahiti

2011-07-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Carol (Evergreen) for sharing her photos!

Since we are still in Tahiti working on projects, we partnered with the crew of Evergreen and rented a car to do some exploring.

Doug and Carla and the Big Tiki

Tahiti is beautiful - not great beaches, but beautiful anyway!

It is actually 2 islands: Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, which are connected by the isthmus. We drove almost all around Tahiti Nui, which is only 114k.

Mystery Flowers

The first day, we drove north. Our first stop was visiting a replica of James Norman Hall's house (co-writer of Mutiny of the Bounty). Lots of memorabilia and photos of Tahiti's past.

Lighthouse on Point Venus

Then we stopped at Point Venus, which used to be the site of Cook's observatory. Now, there is a lighthouse on a black sand beach, with several memorials to the Mutiny crew, historical events, and the missionaries.

Doug walking to the waterfall

We visited the Arahoho Blowhole - impressive but my pictures didn't do it justice.

Faarumai Waterfalls

There are actually 3 waterfalls within walking distance, but it was raining and we were soaked so we wimped out and just went to the nearest waterfall. It was a big one - very loud and very wet!

Surfing

Surfing, boogie boarding, and paddle boarding - all very popular in Tahiti. It was wonderful to watch the show and the sunset.

Resting at the museum

The next day, we drove south. Our first stop, was the Musee de Tahiti et des Iles. We really enjoyed the museum and learned a lot about the Polynesian islands geology and history. We highly recommend it!

Doug and Dennis checking out the Grotto

We had to visit the Grottos (caverns) and wander through the park tucked along the roadside. A great place to cool off, plus explore.

Carol wading thru the Grotto

The Grottos are supposed to go back quite a ways, but we decided just to peek in. Carol at least got her feet wet!

Marae Arahurahu

This marae (traditional temple) was in excellent condition and we could imagine the ceremonies and rituals that were performed here long ago. Very few women were allowed in the temples - not sure why...

Bird of Paradise?

We did some more exploring, but these were the highlights.

If you ever get to Tahiti, be sure to check out the island and all that it has to offer!

Maeva - Bienvenu - Welcome!

2011-07-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

The languages of Tahiti - Tahitian, French, English, plus Dutch, German, and lots more. There are visitors from everywhere here. We really need to learn a few of the languages (at least)!

Land Ho - Tahiti

Our first site of Tahiti - beautiful, huh? We have been anchored at Marina Taina (near Papeete) twice now for a total of 3 weeks and we haven't got tired of the view. One of our favorite past times is sitting in the cockpit in the evenings - with the island of Tahiti behind us, listening to the waves crash onto the reef, and watching the sun set over Moorea - hard to describe.

Our view - sunset over Moorea

Oh, and we love checking out all of the other boats - and there are a lot of them - the anchorage is full! All shapes, sizes, makes, and models and the bay is in constant motion. We always have something entertaining to watch - better than TV!

The Big Boats

The Big Boats, and they are big. 100 - 150 footers with full-time crews just to maintain them. It would be fun to sail on one of them - just to see how fast they go and pretend to be rich - just for a day.

Tiki Hut Party Barges

Well, that's what they look like to us - Tiki Hut Party Barges. On weekends, they are loaded with guests and they anchor along the reef for a day or partying and water activities. Watch out for the jet skis too!

Relaxing...

It doesn't take us long to settle in and check out all of the amenities - restaurants, laundry, internet, and shopping. What else do you need?

Cruising kids and pizza!

There are lots of Puddle Jumpers here so it has been very social and going out for pizza is always a treat, plus a chance to tell our tales and discuss our plans. We are always hoping our paths will cross again one of these days.

Now, that is a beer!

Hinano - the beer of Tahiti. Definitely not cheap like Mexican beers, but it is better and you can find it on tap and it is usually ice cold. And Chinese food is everywhere - chow mein, fried wontons, and spring rolls have become favorites. Go figure!

Busing it

Tahiti has a good bus system during the day (and cheap) and we are getting the hang of it. At night, only 1 bus an hour runs but the driver will take you almost anywhere you want to go. Can't beat that.

Sunday morning at the Marche

The Marche (market) is open daily, but on Sunday morning at 7am it really is something to see. Fruits, vegetables, fish, chopped meats, flowers, etc., stuffed inside and surrounding the building. We actully think the best selection was outside the market. Crowded, but worth it. Go early though - it starts wrapping up around 9am.

Doug scoring points!

And, the best chocolate croissants ever. But, buy them quick because they won't be around long. We went back for seconds and were too late!

Tahitian War Dance

We splurged and went to the Inter-Continental Hotel to watch a traditional Tahitian dance. It was wonderful! The drinks were very expensive, but if you sit in the bar the show is free. It was definitely worth it.

Papeete Cathedral

So, we have been busy! Lots of walking and exploring. We have really enjoyed our stay in Tahiti, but are anxious to get back to the relaxing island life that we love. We are pooped. Our projects are almost completed, so hopefully next week we will sail to Huahine and then Bora Bora - yeah!

Moorea adventures!

2011-07-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

We loved Baie d'Opunhohu on Moorea! We stayed there several days after all of the Puddle Jump activities were finished and did some exploring.

Sting Rays

Some cruisers had told us about a spot where you were could snorkel with Sting Rays (marked by a couple of buoys).

My first instinct was - NO - you are supposed to avoid those creatures! And what about their dangerous barbs? But, we had to check it out anyway.

Dennis petting the Rays

Even though I was nervous, I was glad we went.

It was pretty amazing - these big rays swimming all around you (and sharks close by!).

Lots of Rays

Someone had brought goodies to feed the rays and they were excited and fluttering all around us.

Me swimming with the rays - yikes!

Everyone said they were soft to touch and if you fed them, they would gently suck on your fingers.

Not for me for sure!

Sunken Tiki

Another snorkel spot (marked by a couple of buoys) was a wonderful place to snorkel with some sunken Tiki's.

We aren't sure who sunk them, but they were fun to snorkel around. Plus, there was this strange fish swimming along the bottom - wish we knew what it was!

More Tiki's

And the water was so clear - my kind of snorkeling!

Resting after snorkeling

Afterwards, we did some touring around in our dinghies and ended up at the Inter-Continental Hotel for drinks where we were politely told NOT to get into the pool.

Riffraff!

Easy part of the hike!

We decided to get some excercise and hike to the Belvedere - which has an excellent view of Opunohu and Cooks Bays. We had a great time and a great workout, but it was worth it.

At the top - pooped!

Most of the Puddle Jumpers left Moorea before we did, so we had a chance to really relax and enjoy the beautiful bay and we loved it.

Hope we get back to Moorea again soon.

Now, we are back in Tahiti working on projects, provisioning, and exploring. Hopefully, we will be heading to Bora Bora and the rest of the Society islands this week. Yeah!

Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendevzous

2011-06-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry that we have been out of touch - we have been busy.

The Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous started on Friday and it has been a whirlwind of activities and socializing. We are pooped!

Relaxing in Moorea - beautiful

We are anchored in Baie d' Opunhohu and as you can tell, it really is beautiful. If it looks familiar, it is because they filmed South Pacific and Mutiny on the Bounty here. I can see why.

The weekend started off with a reception at Papeete's Town Hall, which included a welcome by the Mayor's office and lots of other folks, plus a blessing by a Tahitian Chief.

Enjoying the Mayor's reception

Channel crossing

Saturday, the Puddle Jumpers get going early and traversed the long channel to start the rally - just outside the harbor. The good news: We didn't run out of fuel in the channel this time. Whew!

Start of the Rally

Unfortunately, there wasn't much wind for the rally, so most boats motor/sailed to Moorea. 9 of the boats sailed all the way - very impressive!

Wonderful Polynesian welcome

Once we arrived in Baie d' Opunhohu, we all headed to the beach for the reception, which included amazing music and dancing, plus cocktails. Lots of fun was had by all!

Making lei's

The next day was filled with lots of activities and events. The Polynesiasns spent the day teaching us some of their culture - making lei's, climbing trees, dancing, tying parea's, and much much more.

Canoe races - lots of fun

The six-person outrigger canoe races were definitely the highlight. 2 natives and 4 cruisers racing across the finish line and those canoes go fast! Our team finished 2nd in our heat, but should have been first. We were just getting the hang of it!

Resting after the canoe race

There were 25 teams racing in 6 heats and it was very competitive. The final was between 2 boats - as they crossed the finish line, one canoe tipped over. A very dramatic finish!

Fruit Race - Doug lost

The Fruit Race was very interesting. You picked up your stick with bananas on each end and ran around the grounds. Definitely harder than it looked and Doug was ready for a break.

Cracking coconuts

Carol and I learned how to remove the husk from the coconut, crack it, and shred the coconut meat.

We will definitely be able to apply these skills - coconuts are everywhere and very tasty.

Kissed!

All the boats received a gift for being in the Rendezvous, plus a lei and a kiss. Doug enjoyed every minute of it!

Closing ceremony

More Polynesian music and dancing to end the Rendezvous. We have fallen in love with the sound of the yukelelis and mesmerized by the dances. We just wish we knew their meaning. The War dance - we figured that one out - it is very intense!

Colorful lei's

We have enjoyed being anchored in Moorea and there is plenty to do. Yesterday, we snorkeled with large stingrays and sunken Tiki's - amazing. Today, we will do the Belvedere hike, which is supposed to have a spectacular view of the bays.

We will be here a few more days and then will sail back to Tahiti to work on a couple of boat projects and provision. Then Huahine and Bora Bora - here we come!

Pictures from the Tuamotus - finally!

2011-06-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

I know, it took awhile, but I am finally posting some pictures of Tahanea and Fakarava! This is just a glimpse of these beautiful islands/atolls. The clear blue waters (every shade you can imagine) really do take your breath away. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventures in the Tuamtous and we will be sailing through them again in a couple of months. Looking forward to it.

Leaving some of Steve in Tahanea

Steve, our best friend who passed away in March, has been a crew member on Moondance since we left Mexico. We are spreading Steve's ashes as we cruise the South Pacific. We know how much he loved these islands and how much he wanted to visit them again. We miss you Steve!

Ah, Tahanea...

We enjoyed our time in Tahanea, which we spent snorkeling, beach combing, and socializing with the other cruisers. We missed the lobster hunt, but we did get to enjoy the catch - yummy.

Amazing snorkeling

No village here, just a few cruising boats - our kind of place. There was a big coral head close to our boat, so we had to check it out. Lots of fishes of all different shapes, sizes, and colors and only 1 shark. Pretty cool stuff.

Dennis and on the Hooka

Doug and Dennis used the Hooka to snorkel through the pass while Carol and I paddled the dinghy trying to keep up with them. Their words "amazing"! So far, that has been the best snorkeling we found.

BBQ in Tahanea

All of the cruisers decided to throw a BBQ on the beach to celebrate a birthday, catching lobsters, and generally just being together in French Polynesia. 3 languages spoken, but we were able to communicate. Mostly due to the Italians and French speaking English so well - thank goodness!

Kids enjoying BBQ and S'mores

The kids had a blast and especially enjoyed their first tastes of S'mores. Not quite the American version, but they were pretty darn good.

Anchor Boy cooling off

Since there is so much coral in the atolls, Doug (Anchor Boy) has to snorkel and make sure that the anchor doesn't wrap around the coral, plus it is a great way to cool off. So clear...

Motu - southern end of Fakarava

Next, we sailed to the southern end of Fakarava. It took a couple of days. Not that it is very far, it is just challenging timing it to hit slack tide. We did good and going through the pass was a piece of cake!

Carol - enjoying the beautiful reef

There is a small village with a hotel/pension, a restaurant, and 2 dive shops. What a place - the restaurant is over the water and surrounded by beautiful coral and lots and lots of sharks.

Shark

Fakarava is well-known for all of the sharks in the lagoon and through the pass. Many different kinds of sharks (big and little) and people pay lots of money to dive with them. How crazy is that?

Trash Burning party

We were invited to join the other cruisers in a Trash Burning party on the beach, which turned into a great social event. We even went hunting for coconut crabs with out flashlights. Didn't find any, but it was quite the adventure. We hope to find one eventually. They are supposed to be very tasty.

Bocci Ball competion

Our own private island - beautiful and a great place for a round of Bocci Ball. We spread some of Steve around here too - knew he would like it.

Biking in Fakarava

We motor/sailed through the lagoon about 30 miles to the nortern end of Fakarava. Even though we were in the channel you had to be on watch for big coral heads, but we enjoyed the ride and the view.

Resting at Hotel Fakarava

The Rotoava Village at the northern end of Fakarava was very nice - grocery stores and everything. We enjoyed exploring the village, plus a 12 mile bike ride along the island - good thing it was flat.

We have been in Tahiti a week all ready. Can't believe how fast time is flying by. There are lots of cruisers here and it is very social. We have been exploring the big city of Papeete (by bus) and provisioning, laundry (lots), projects, etc.

Tomorrow starts the Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous. Can't wait!

Tahiti - at last!

2011-06-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

Of course, we had to make it a little more challenging than necessary, but we are now safely anchored in Papeete, Tahiti!

The passage was fine, we had to dodge some squalls but we are getting used to that. There was no wind, so we had to motor most of the way. Doug had 3 fishing lines in the water, but only caught a big bonita (yuck) and lost several lures. We were really hoping for fresh fish - oh well!

Approaching the island, now that's where we had some issues. Tahiti is surrounded by a coral barrier reef that you have to pass through to get to the anchorages.

Challenge #1 - We chose the wrong passage through the reef the first time (whoops) and ended in a very industrial area of Papeete. Missing channel markers, no anchorages, and a bridge blocking our route - not the right passage for sure. We did a Crazy Ivan and got out of there.

Challenge #2 - The channel into Papeete is very long and curvy and crosses both ends of the airport runway. Before you cross the runaway, you have to call Port Control to get clearance so that the planes don't hit you - that would be bad thing. We were just approaching the last part of the runway, when our engine died and wouldn't start again! Doug should have been a Boy Scout - he was prepared and jumped into action while I was preparing to panic. Doug had all ready prepped the anchor so he quickly dropped it (in 75 feet of water) to hold us in place while he worked on the engine. He changed the fuel filter thinking it was clogged - the engine still didn't start. More troubleshooting and discovered that our new fuel tank had issues - it was empty. Lots of details here, but the short version is that it hadn't been properly field tested (lesson learned here). We quickly grabbed the jerry jug and added fuel to the main tank, bled the lines, and the engine started - finally!

Challenge #3 - Finding a spot to anchor. There are lots of boats here and it took us some time to find a spot to squeeze into. Besides all of the Puddle Jumpers, there are lots of local boats and some HUGE mega yachts. Can't even imagine being on a boat that big, plus having a crew (in matching outfits). Hah!

But we made it and are very happy to be in Papeete. We have a wonderful view of Tahiti behind us, Moorea across the channel, and big waves crashing into the reef around us. Looks like a postcard picture for sure. These volcanic islands are amazing - lush and green with huge peaks. The tallest mountain in Tahiti is 7321 feet. Quite a site - especially after being in the coral islands of the Tuamotus.

We spent the today exploring - checking out the downtown, getting the hang of the buses, and some provisioning. Tomorrow, off to the Saturday market (Marche) downtown. I think we are going to like it here!

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Motoring to Tahiti!

2011-06-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yup, no wind out here, so we have been motoring for the last 24 hours. Based on the weather reports, that's what we are expecting the rest of the way. Doug swears we have plenty of fuel - hope so. What a amazing moon last night!

We are over half way there - less than 100 miles to go. We should be there first thing tomorrow morning. First things we have to do - find a place to dock/anchor and check in with the High Commissioner to get approval on our 6-month Visas. Wish us luck on both!

Definitely getting excited about seeing the big city of Papeete and playing tourist, plus meeting up with all of our cruising buddies. Latitude 38 is hosting the Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous next weekend so all of the Puddle Jumpers are converging. The Rendezvous sounds wonderful with lots of native dancing, Polynesian sporting events, and even a cocktail party hosted by the Mayor of Papeete. Gotta to be a good time!

The current plans are to spend about 6 weeks touring Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and other islands in the Society Archipelago. After that, we will start heading back East - we just aren't sure of our path. It all depends on how the winds are blowing. We definitely will be passing through the Tuamotus again - we loved those beautiful coral islands. Wait till you see the pictures! Hopefully, I will be able to post some this week.

We are thinking of you all and hoping you are all well and happy!

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Sailing in the lagoon

2011-06-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

A very interesting experience! Yesterday, we sailed from the southern end to the northern end of Fakarava inside the lagoon. It was quite a trip - about 30 miles. There is a well-marked channel that you follow, but you still have to be alert for coral heads (bommies). There are some very big ones right in the middle of the channel!

It was a very nice motor/sail - calm seas and fair winds. Plus, looking at the beautiful homes and resorts along the way.

We are now anchored in the northern end of Fakarava. There is a very nice village - stores, post office, dive shops - but no pizza parlor. We were very disappointed!

Oh well, we decided to make our own pizzas tonight and celebrate Carol's birthday early. Good excuse to throw a party!

We leave Tuesday for Tahiti, which will be two overnighters - about 40 hours. Not bad at all. It will be so strange being in the big city of Papeete with all of the amenities - even internet and laundry. Wahoo!

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Anchored in Fakarava

2011-06-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but we have found another beautiful island/atoll!

Fakarava is the second largest atoll in the Tuamotus and the lagoon is filled with reefs and coral. We are anchored in the southern end with 3 other boats and the colors and sites we are seeing are just amazing. Lots of small islands (motus) filled with palms, white sandy beaches, and sparkling water of all different shades. We dinghied around yesterday taking pictures - hope they turn out half as good as the real thing.

There is a small village here that we had to check out. 2 dive shops, a pension/lodge, a church, and a restaurant. The restaurant is built over the water with an spectacular view of the "aquarium" below - lots of coral and fish - and about 30 sharks - Carol counted them. Of course, everyone says that they are only black tip reef sharks and not very big, but OH MY!

Last night, we were invited to a bonfire on the beach by our boat neighbors on Savannah and Sudden Stops Necessary. A great opportunity to mingle with other Puddle Jumpers and burn our trash. We had a great time swapping stories and hunting for coconut crabs. We didn't find any crabs, but enjoyed the hunt. Next time though - we heard they were yummy.

Sounds like everyone (maybe not me) will do the drift snorkel through the pass on the Hooka tomorrow. From what we have heard, the pass is amazing and that you even get used to all of the sharks. Yeah, right!

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On the move again...

2011-06-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we ended up staying in Tahanea a little longer than we anticipated. A big weather front came rolling in and kept us hunkered down on our boats for a couple of days. Nothing scary, just lots of rain and wind and the water in the lagoon was pretty choppy. Good thing we are getting used to those kind of conditions!

We finally got a weather window this morning and headed West. We sailed about 40 miles and had a pretty good sail. Of course, Doug (sailor boy) had to make it interesting and kept us on our toes changing sail configurations. Gotta go fast, ya know!

Moondance and Evergreen are currently anchored off the island of Faaite. Wish we had time to explore this beautiful island, but we leave at 5am heading to the southern end of Fakarava. The pass into the lagoon of Fakarava is supposed to be a little challenging, so we want to make sure we make slack tide, which is at 8am. Plus, we should have good light so that we can spot the coral heads. Oh my!

Fakarava has lots of amenities, so we will be able to provision, plus do some exploring. It is also famous with the cruisers for the drift dive/snorkel through the pass - it is supposed to be amazing. Doug is excited to try it. Me, well... we shall see!

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Still in Tahanea

2011-06-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

And still having a wonderful time!

Tahanea is a great place to be anchored - so much to see and do, surrounded by our friends, and no place to spend money - life is good! There are 6 boats here: 2) American boats; 2) French boats; 1) Italian boat; and 1) 1/2 American 1/2 French, and between them 9 kids. So there is lots of activity and lots of interesting conversations, plus it is a very social group. We have had a birthday party, happy hours, and a BBQ on the beach (s'mores where a big hit).

The last two days we have spent snorkeling. Yesterday, we snorkeled on the big coral heads (bommies) near our boat. Lots of fish - all different shapes and sizes - and the coral was beautiful. Trumpetfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, a big moral eel (oh my), and one lone shark (which was plenty) and lots more sea life that I can't even name. Hope our pictures turn out.

Today, Doug and Dennis hooked on to the Hooka and drifted through the pass at about 30' while Carol and I rowed the dinghy trying to catch up with them. They both said it was amazing. Dennis popped up once shocked/stunned by the 12' manta ray that was soaring by. They are thinking the girls should try it tomorrow. I am not sure I can muster the courage (pluck, pluck), but you never know.

We haven't done any spearfishing yet, even though we are surrounded by fish. Some of the atolls have fish poisoning (ciguatera), which affects some of the reef fish. Since there aren't any locals in Tahanea to ask, we decided not to take any chances. Of course, the cruisers love catching the spiny lobsters!

None of us are in a hurry to leave this place, plus we aren't sure where we are going next. Guess we need to come up with a plan - one of these days...

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Paradise found!

2011-06-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

We are anchored in Tahanea atoll and it is truly paradise. We are surrounded by crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, and no signs of civilization - just a few cruisers! Doug jumped into the water and said that the visibility is incredible. Looking forward to doing some snorkeling tomorrow. Lots of big coral heads and lots of fish. Hope we catch some dinner!

We had a rock-n-roll overnighter from Makemo, plus ran into some squalls. Nothing scary, just uncomfortable. So we didn't get much sleep, but the trip was worth it. Tahanea is just what we have been looking for.

This afternoon, we dinghy'd to shore with the crew from Evergreen. We decided that Tahanea was the perfect place to spread some of Steve's ashes and raise a toast - he would have loved it here. Miss you, Steve!

We aren't sure how long we will be here. We want to do some exploring, plus the guys want to use the Hooka to drift through the pass. The passes are always filled with an amazing amount of sea life (and big fish!). I am not sure I am up to it, but the guys are going to love it.

We will post pictures as soon as we find an internet connection...

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Leaving Makemo

2011-05-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Makemo has been a wonderful place to visit, but it is time to get going. Can't believe we have been here over a week all ready!

Doug and his helpers!

We thought about exploring some of the anchorages in the lagoon, but decided to head to the island of Tahanea instead.

Going to have to come back though, the snorkeling is supposed to be excellent.

Kids - very entertaining

We leave today around 4pm to catch slack tide through the pass and will do an overnighter to Tahanea - only 78 miles - so we will be there in the morning.

There is going to be a caravan of cruisers - 5 boats all leaving at the same time heading to the same place!

Relaxing on the beach

It has been nice getting to know our dock buddies and have enjoyed watching all of the cruising and local kids interact and entertain themselves. Love hearing the laughter!

Trying to sink the kayak

To celebrate Memorial Day, we organized a dock BBQ. Well, we didn't BBQ, but we did have a good time telling our stories and explaining the American holiday to our French friends. Plus, a good opportunity to practice our French.

Nice place to be

We don't have a lot of information about Tahanea, but sure it will be just as beautiful. Looking forward to doing some snorkeling and exploring while we are anchored in the next lagaoon.

Beautiful!

We won't have internet coverage again until possibly Tahiti. So no pictures for awhile, but I will be able to update the blog.

Hope you are all well - miss you!

Voila' - pictures!

2011-05-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, we made it and we are very happy to be in Makemo, Tuamotus!

Made it - Makemo

And what a wonderful place it is – a big lagoon surrounded by a coral reef. The coral reef is actually lots of small islands (motus).

The village of Pouheva is much bigger than we expected with stores, a restaurant, post office, and it is just a short walk away. Plus, the wharf – a free place to stay!

Land ho - Makemo

Our first view of Makemo – just like a postcard. The lighthouse, white beaches, and the beautiful water - an amazing site for cruisers who have been at sea for days.

Dennis and Carol enjoying the "aquarium"

The water around our boat is just like an aquarium – clear, colorful, warm water filled with lots of fish. And lots and lots of coral!

Relaxing in Makemo

As you can see, we settled right in. There is only room for 6 boats at the dock and we quickly met everyone. We had a very nice greeting and thoroughly enjoyed the free fish and bread that we received on our arrival.

Makemo kids

Most of the boats docked beside us are loaded with kids, which attracts all of the local kids. They are having a great time – as you can see. Plus, all of the cruisers are very generous with our goodies – fruits, candies, and tours of the boats. The dock is a great place to hang out!

Calou passing us and Ua Pou Island

We have been doing some exploring, plus working on a view projects. We are waiting for a slow-moving weather system to pass us. But, we don’t mind – Makemo is a very nice place to be stuck!

My view from Moondance

Tonight is movie night (with a dinner) at the local community center – can’t miss that.

Hopefully, Monday we will be able to move on. Our destination: one of the anchorages in the lagoon. We want to explore the beaches and do some snorkeling and fishing.

So we aren’t going very far, but are expecting wonderful things!

Dennis - Star fruit bounty

Below are some of the photos from our hike up to the Vaipo waterfall – an amazing place!

Resting after the hike

Vaipo Waterfall

Doug enjoying the waterfall

Tiki along the path

Carol - hiking to the waterfall

Beautiful surroundings

Docked at Makemo - yesterday...

2011-05-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I should have updated the blog yesterday, but we were busy having too much fun!

After a night of sailing around the atoll dodging rainstorms, we were able to motor through the pass into the Makemo lagoon. What a ride - I thought we were in the Bermuda triangle! We were a little early on our slack time estimate and the waters from the lagoon and the sea were churned up for sure. But, Doug did an excellent job of manning the wheel and guiding us through the pass (which was surrounded by coral!).

The lagoon is beautiful and huge - 40 miles long and 10 miles wide. If I didn't know better, I would think we were in the Bahamas. Amazing, but there is a dock here that we are allowed to tie up to for free and we had lots of help from other cruisers (thank goodness) parallel parking Moondance in very small spot. As always, Doug was calm and cool!

We spent the day catching up with our friends on Evergreen and Calou, plus meeting other cruisers. You know you are in a wonderful place, when one boat introduces themselves and hands you a bag of fresh Marlin and another gives you a fresh baquette. Gotta love cruisers!

Makemo is just what you picture when you think of a South Pacific island - clear turquoise waters, white sandy beaches lined with coconut palms, and lots of coral - the snorkeling should be excellent. We explored the village of Pouheva and were surprised to find a well-stocked grocery store, bakery, and the locals very helpful. The bakery even delivered our order this morning - fresh chocolate, apple, and plain croissants. Delicious!

We are going to be here for a few days - resting up, provisioning, and exploring. Plus, since we are docked, it is a good time to send Doug up the mast to see if we can rescue our spinnaker halyard.

I should be able to post pictures soon. There's internet here - who knew!

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Day 3 - Getting closer

2011-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah, and all is well on board!

We only have 59 miles to go - what a quick trip! Unfortunately, we won't get to Makemo early enough today to hit afternoon slack tide at 5 PM. So, we have slowed our pace and will spend the night looping around or hove-to (which just means backfilling the sails to stop the boat). Either way, we will definitely make the 11 AM slack tide on Monday.

Our friends on Evergreen and Calou are trying to reach Makemo this afternoon, so they will be able to give us lots of assistance when we enter tomorrow. There are advantages to being last place! We are going to have to get used to narrow passes in to the atoll lagoons and watching out for coral heads. It will be a challenge, but we will get the hang of it.

The trip has gone well so far - we haven't broken anything (yet) and the weather and wind have been good. We did get lots of rainstorms yesterday that kept us on our toes, but they were mild and Moondance got a good bath. There definitely has not been any gourmet cooking on this trip - the galley wench has been on vacation!

Hopefully, we will be able to post some pictures one of these days when we get internet access. Maybe Tahiti?

We just wanted to wish our brother-in-law, Eric, a very Happy 40th Birthday! Wish we were there to celebrate (and golf) with you today, plus chocolate cake - yum!

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Day 2 - Well, that will teach me...

2011-05-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

On my watch last night, I was thinking how nice our trip has been. Good winds, seas are flattening out, we haven't had to adjust our sails or change our course for hours, and we are making good time. What a treat!

Well, at 4 AM, a storm came through. Not a bad storm, but we had to make some adjustments to the sails and throw everything below that we didn't want to get wet. Since then, we have gone from no wind to a little wind. We had to turn on our motor for awhile, but now we are sailing again and hope that the wind continues to pick up.

So, as my nephew Ryan once said (when he was very young), don't count your chickens before they hatch!

But, all is still well on board Moondance! We sailed 140 miles in the last 24 hours and only have 204 miles to go. We definitely won't make Makemo early, but should hit the pass at slack tide on Monday.

Looking forward to it!

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Day 1 - Good winds

2011-05-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

All is well on board Moondance!

We have definitely had good winds for sailing. After 24 hours, we traveled 162 miles with 344 miles to go. We are happy with our progress so far. Of course, with the good winds comes the lumpy seas, so missed out on some sleep and were tired today. Oh well! The seas seem to be settling down some, but hope we don't lose our good wind. We would like to keep up this pace so that we reach Makemo a day early. The tricky part, the passes into the island can only be entered at slack tide so you have to have good timing or wait until the next day - wish us luck!

Other than that, nothing exciting to report. We spent the day getting organized, stashing our bounty of fruit, and napping. Fun, fun, fun!

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Tuamotus here we come!

2011-05-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Yup, we are finally leaving the Marquesas. We had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and wonderful people, but it is time to get moving.

We spent 2 days exploring and provisioning in Baie d' Hakahua on the island of Ua Pou. We met the nicest native lady there - she picked and picked and sent us on our way with bags of delicious fruit, but wouldn't except any money. We will be sure to visit her on our way north this fall and repay her kindness!

Our amigos on Evergreen and Calou are traveling with us - we are bringing up the rear - of course! We are all headed to Makemo in the Tuamotus. This archipelago consists of 78 islands, all but two of them are coral atolls. Everything we read talks about the beautiful water, white sandy beaches, and excellent snorkeling. Of course, they mention the sharks too, but I am ignoring that part. I am such a chicken!

Our trip to Makemo is almost 500 miles. We should get their Monday - which is just 4 overnighters. After our last trip, this should be a piece of cake! Of course, we will really miss having Brian on board with us. He was such great crew!

We plan to spend approximately 1 month exploring as many of the islands in the Tuamotus as we can and then off to Tahiti. Looking forward to it all!

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Baie de Taioa (or Daniel's Bay) Nuku Hiva

2011-05-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got moving! We only went 5 miles, but at least we are moving again. We spent two nights anchored in Baie de Taioa (Daniel's Bay) along with our buddies from Evergreen. The bay is surrounded by high steep mountains that are just amazing - what a view from our little boat.

We all decided to hike up to the Vaipo waterfall - the books say it is the 3rd highest waterfall in the world. It is a good walk, about 2.5 hours each way, but not very steep just very rocky. I don't know how many times we crossed the river, but it felt good. The ancient Marquesans that used to live up by the waterfall had quite a hike when they wanted fresh fish for dinner.

It was definitely worth the trip though. The waterfall cascades about 2,000 feet into a beautiful rocky pool. A great place to swim and cool off - we guessed the water was about 75 degrees which kept us cool all the way back to the bay. Being that close to the waterfall splashing around down on you was very impressive and loud!

The local folks along the path were very nice to us - offering bananas and helping us find the path. Wish we could have stayed longer, but we left yesterday for the island just south - Ua Pou - which was about a 25 mile motor/sail. We are sorry to report that no fish were caught! We are currently anchored in Baie d' Hakahua where we will spend a couple of days exploring. They have a pizza parlor that we just have to check out tonight - why not?

Next stop (we think) the Tuamotu atolls. Looking forward to seeing those crystal clear waters and white sandy beaches!

Hope everyone is well - we miss you.

PS: Pictures will follow as soon as we have an internet connection again.

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Road trip!

2011-05-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

We joined the Evergreen crew and rented a 4-wheel drive pickup for a jaunt around the island - and we needed the 4-wheel drive! These mountain roads/trails are pretty rough and steep, but we enjoyed ourselves.

At the top - ugh!

We wanted to drive all around the island, but we didn't make it very far.

Siteseeing

The view of the bays and the mountains were spectacular, so we made lots of stops.

Church - Hatiheu

We drove to the small town of Hatiheu - a beautiful little town (on a beautiful bay) on the north side of the island.

Taiohae Bay - what a view!

And then, our big hike over to Anaho Bay and what a hike it was. It took us over an hour (each way) to traverse all of the switchbacks and there was lots of stopping along the way - especially by me.

Anaho - beautiful beach

But, it was worth it. Anaho Bay has a white sandy beach, a coral reef, and was surrounded by steep mountains. Everything you would expect and want from a South Pacific island.

Josh and Carol resting...

The water visibility wasn't great, so Dennis was the only one to go snorkeling. He said that there was lots of coral and fish. Of course, he didn't see the small shark along the beach that we spotted. Those things are everywhere!

This will be a wonderful anchorage to visit as we start our journey north to Hawaii this Fall, plus we still need to see the rest of the island.

We are ready to leave Taiohae bay tomorrow. Daniel's Bay (Hakatea Bay) will be our first stop and another big hike up to see the waterfall (if I make it!). Then the island of Ua Pou and on to the Tuamotus. We probably won't have internet connection for awhile, but we will be able to update the blog (without pictures). So stay tuned!

We wanted to share this message from our crew, Brian: " I want to thank you again for the incredible opportunity and experience that the crossing was for me but as much fun as you 2 are my heart wasn't in it. Being home here with Fern I know my decision to leave early was the correct one. I love you both and will miss your company and if you're ever in La Paz you'll know where you can find me. To all you mariners out there....you rock. And for all you non-mariners out there, if you think it's an easy life, go get your head examined."

Nuku Hiva

2011-05-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe, we have been here almost two weeks. Time is going way too fast! But we are really enjoying the island, the people, plus catching up with all of our cruiser buddies. Tiki Land for sure! Besides working on projects and being social, we have been playing tourist.

Tiki Land

Pae Pae is on the water front and has sculptures and tiki's (sacred statues) made by local artists and artists from Easter Island.

Just wish we had some one to explain the history and the symbolism!

Notre-Dame Cathedral

The Notre-Dame Cathedral of the Marquess Islands was beautiful - just wish we could have seen the inside - next time.

The Cathedral was built using the stones from the other islands in the archipelago, plus amazing wood carvings.

What a place to attend church!

Beautiful Pearl Lodge

We have checking out the 2 restaurants in town - the Pearl Lodge is beautiful and has an amazing view of the bay.

There are also some diners around the dock, plus the roulotte's (roach coaches) serve great food. We are trying to eat like the locals!

tohua Koueva archaeological site

We had a good hike up to the tohua Koueva archaelogical site. A sacred place where the ancient Marquesans lived.

Amazing site surrounded by tikis, banyan trees, and lots of fruit trees.

Star fruit tree

Loved the Star fruit tree, plus the mangos, lime, pamplemousse (like grapefruit), and banana trees.

We are having a great time foraging for our fruit!

Fresh fish!

The local fisherman at work - now that is fresh! We bought ahi tuna fillets for less than $3 a pound. We think that is a pretty good deal.

Scary part - the fisherman throw the leftovers to the sharks. Oh my! They were thrashing around less than 5 feet from the dinghy. I was petrified!

Doug trekking

We have definitely enjoyed the wonderful town of Taiohae, but it is time to get moving. Projects and provisioning are almost done - yeah.

Next stop - Daniel's Bay and a hike up to the see the waterfall - if I make it!

PS: Our crew member, Brian, flew back to La Paz. We enjoyed the time we spent with him and appreciated all of his help during the cross. Miss you Brian!

Pictures - finally!

2011-05-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay, but we are just getting the hang of things around here. Internet is expensive, but we were able to find free access from the boat - it is very slow, but it will do. Don't tell anyone!

Puddle Jumpers celebrating!

There are several other Puddle Jumpers in Nuku Hiva, so we organized a Meet - n - Greet. It was fun listening to everyone tell their stories.

Anchored in Nuku Hiva

Some folks had an easy ride; some folks struggled.

So far, the longest trip declared was 35 days. I am so glad that wasn't us!

Hoisting our French flags - Land Ho!

This has been an excellent place to recover, work on projects, and provision.

It is a lovely town and very easy to walk around.

Getting closer (and warmer!)

Our only complaint, the fresh veggie market starts at 4AM on Saturdays; 6AM on Wednesdays.

Saving the evil spinnaker!

And if you don't get there on time, you won't get the goods. What's up with that?

But, if you do get up early, you can get a fresh chocolate croissant and fresh baguettes (which are delivered in crates everyday). Okay, not so bad!

Flying the evil spinnaker

We have checked in with the Gendarmes, cleared Customs, and gone to Medical for our free Elephantitis pills (don't ask).

Beautiful rainbows!

That should be the end of our "official" duties except for checking out when we leave Nuku Hiva.

We have checked out the 2 restaurants, 2 grocery stores, and the hardware store, plus have been doing some sightseeing.

Heading into a squall

Our projects are going well, but we did have quite a list. Doug was able to figure out why our generator was giving us grief - the fuel pump had failed and the generator wasn't getting enough fuel. It is fixed and running just fine.

My workspace!

The jib seams have been restitched - thanks to the local sail loft (Eric and Daphne).

Doug needs to go up the mast and re-run the spinnaker halyard and check the jib masthead and furler.

We will wait for a calm day before doing this project!

Fresh Yellowfin Tuna - yum

We hope to have everything ship-shape by the middle of next week.

We want to visit a couple of other bays on Nuku Hiva and then sail to the Tuamotos.

There are several other islands in the Marquesas that we want to see, but we will see them when we start sailing North to Hawaii later this year.

Doug and Brian bundled and tethered

I know, I have been chatting for a long time, but it has been a week and I guess I have lots to say!

Thanks for all of your support and wonderful comments along the way.

We just got to read them and loved them all.

Leaving Cabo San Lucas

We miss everyone and think of you all of the time.

Come and see us sometime!

PS: It's kind of a rainy day. You know what that means? No laundry today - Yahoo!

Relaxing in paradise!

2011-04-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

The island of Nuku Hivia is a beautiful place with steep mountains covered in lush vegetation. We get a couple of rain showers every day that keep Moondance clean and waters all those flowers and trees.

We are anchored in Taiohae Bay, which has population of approximately 1800 people. The bay lies in the remains of a volcanic crater with the caldera walls surrounding us. Can't wait to show you the pictures! There is about 20 boats anchored around us - most of them recently crossed the Pacific too. It has been fun catching up with everyone and telling are stories. The locals have been very nice to all of us cruisers and helping us find our way around, plus very forgiving of our terrible French! And fresh baquettes everywhere!

As mentioned, we have some projects to work on, so we think we will be here approximately 2 weeks. Plus, we are still catching up on our rest! Our main project, taking our jib down and over to the sail loft for some stitching. Doug's also been working on the generator, plus our dinghy sprang a leak (again) so more patches. Hope our dinghy makes it all the way to Hawaii. We are definitely going have to re-think having an inflatable dinghy - we have had lots of issues with it!

My big project - 3 weeks of laundry. Apparently, there isn't a laundrymat in town. There is a laundry service, but very expensive. So, I am going to be washing lots of clothes with my plunger!

We are still don't have access to the internet, but as soon as I do, I promise to upload some pictures!

Summary of our crossing: The Good, the Bad, and a little bit of the Ugly...

Overall, our crossing was just a longer version of our other sailing adventures - a lot longer. There is definitely a rhythm to living on a boat that is constantly moving and the days go very quickly. Because you are leaning and bouncing around, everything just takes longer - plus you get some pretty good bruises! On our best day, we sailed 168 miles; our worst day 96 miles. Having Brian aboard was a real asset - glad he is going to be with us for awhile.

We were all happy about completing our crossing in 22 days. The breakdown:

Good: We had some wonderful sailing days, beautiful sun and moon rises and sets, and caught some very tasty tuna, plus a great weight loss program.

Bad: Uncomfortable sailing conditions - mostly caused by waves crashing into us and lots of rockin' and rollin'. Makes it very difficult to sleep.

Ugly: Two bad weather nights where we converged in the cockpit trying to outrun or hide from big storms. We were fortunate there were only two of these.

We had a few things we could have done better and will improve on before our next crossing, but overall we did okay. Lots to celebrate for sure!

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Day 22 - Made it!

2011-04-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

We dropped anchored in Nuku Hiva at 1:30 pm local time and what a beautiful bay it is! I will give the details tomorrow and maybe even post some pictures this week. Today, we are relaxing and enjoying the wonderful view, plus visiting with our boat neighbors. We are pooped!

Happy 30th Birthday, Jenn - couldn't be more proud of you! Love Dad and Fern (and the crew of Moondance)

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Day 21 - Bring on da' funk!

2011-04-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Moondance stats:

LATITUDE: 07-23.92S; LONGITUDE: 138-02.19W
COURSE: 232T; SPEED: 6.1 KN
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2660m
DISTANCE TO NUKU HIVA, MARQUESAS: 144m (YAHOO!)
24 HOUR RUN: 151m

We are all good - dodging rain storms this afternoon - but all good.

Moondance is a different story though. It has been over 3 weeks since we left La Cruz, and Moondance is funky inside and out. Dead fish on the deck, a squid inked us, serious goobers in the cockpit, and everything is covered in salt (greasy) - and that is just the top sides. Plus, we have tons of stinky laundry building up - yuck! Not much we can do about it at sea though, but she needs a good cleaning and a visit to the laundry!

We still plan to be anchored in Taiohae Bay on Nuku Hiva tomorrow afternoon - about 24 hours from now. Even if the wind doesn't cooperate, we've all ready decided to turn the engine on - at least Brian and I have. Captain Doug might have a mutiny afoot if he doesn't go along with it! It is hard to believe we are almost there. After dropping our anchor, we plan to throw a party and do some serious R&R'ing for a couple of days, and then we will start on our projects. We definitely deserve a break!

Looks like we are having fresh Dorado for dinner tonight. We almost had two, but one didn't take the hook. May we have one more, please? Can't have too much fresh fish!

Biggest Loser - have you seen that show? Well, we haven't, but have heard about it. We think they should do a Pacific crossing. What a great way to lose weight and tone up. You should see how good Doug and Brian are looking. Hubba Hubba!

Next post - picture me anchored in a beautiful bay sipping a cocktail. Ahhhh....

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Day 20 - Zoom Zoom

2011-04-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Moondance Stats:

LATITUDE: 05-33.44S; LONGITUDE: 136-22.53W
COURSE: 221T; SPEED: 6.5KN
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2509m
DISTANCE TO NUKU HIVA, MARQUESAS: 301m (whoops - bad data reported yesterday)
24 HOUR RUN: 168m

We are doing much better today, thank you! We all slept well and have been covering some ground - our best 24 hour run so far - 168 miles. Yahoo! Even Moondance wants to see land and take a much deserved break. If all goes well, we should be in Nuku Hiva by Thursday afternoon. Starting to get excited!

The wind has been on our beam 15 - 20 knots and we have been on the same course for 3 days. Only minor tweaks needed to the rigging to keep us on course and no squalls to report - that's a good thing. We should be able to coast right into the harbor. It sure is a lot easier on the crew - everyone looks very relaxed and it is Shower Day - double bonus!

Finally, we are going to enjoy our Easter dinner tonight. A little late, but I am sure we are going to love it. Blueberry pancakes for breakfast and pork tenderloin for dinner - things are looking up for sure on Moondance.

We have been thumbing through all of our South Pacific cruising books thinking about all of the wonderful things we are going to see and do now that the passage is almost over. Also, thinking about where we want to go next. My vote, the Australs. There is an island there, Raivavae, that is supposed to be the most beautiful island in the South Pacific, but not many see it because it is off the beaten path. Now, that's quite a claim. We will let you know if it is true!

Still zooming along...

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Day 19 - Dodging storms

2011-04-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Moondance stats:

LATITUDE: 03-43.33S; LONGITUDE: 134-17.84W
COURSE: 235T;SPEED: 7.5
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2341m
DISTANCE TO NUKU HIVA, MARQUESAS: 46m
24 HOUR RUN: 113m

All's well aboard Moondance! We are little tired and cranky, but doing okay. We spent the last 24 hours dodging storms and were fairly successful - only got rained on once. Of course, all of these storms create lots of rough seas, so we didn't get much sleep either. Doug and I actually just slept in the cockpit and took turns on watch. Wasn't so bad - at least we had company.

Only one incident to report. Doug and I were in the cockpit talking. Doug looks over my shoulder and his eyes get very big. Next thing I know a big wave hit me on the back, knocked me off my seat, and onto the floor. No worries though - I was tethered in and wasn't going any where. Sure woke me up though!

Today, we have 15 - 20 knots of wind, so we are making up some time. It is definitely not a smooth ride though (picture me typing with a death grip on the Nav Station). Hopefully, the rough seas will start to flatten as the storms settle down. We have only had to dodge a couple today, so things are looking up.

Not much else to report - still haven't had our Easter dinner. Oh well!

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Day 18 - Got wind - lots f wind!

2011-04-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Moondance stats:

LATITUDE: 01-29.17S; LONGITUDE: 131-20.76W
COURSE: 231T; SPEED: 5.3
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2228m
DISTANCE TO NUKU HIVA, MARQUESAS: 567m
24 HOUR RUN: 115m

Moondance crew is doing well. Right after our post yesterday, the wind kicked up and we have been sailing since. Of course, now we have lots of wind, plus throw in some big clouds and some scattered rain showers. That's what our day looks like - dodging rain clouds. So far, we have been successful - hope it continues!

So, Easter dinner just might be sandwiches and not the beautiful pork tenderloin I have marinating. Oh well, it will keep. And, I was wrong, I was talked into making SPAM and Mac-n-Cheese for dinner last night. My review: Not Bad!

Funnies - Doug and I were sitting in the cockpit last night and something caught my eye as it fell to the cockpit floor. It was fluttering, so I asked Doug to pick it up. He reached down, grabbed it, and squealed - just like a girl! All over a little ol' flying fish. Doug quickly got it back in the water. It was pretty darn funny!

Well, better get back to Storm Watch with Doug and Brian.

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Day 17 - Still motoring along!

2011-04-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Moondance Stats:

LATITUDE: 01-28.61S; LONGITUDE: 131-20.08W
COURSE: 230T; SPEED: 5.4
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2113m
DISTANCE TO NUKU HIVA, MARQUESAS: 688m
24 HOUR RUN: 117m

Everyone is just fine on board Moondance. A little tired, but just fine. We have been motoring for over 24 hours and there just isn't any wind yet, but there are lots of rolly waves with a very unique rhythm. I actually woke up clutching the mattress just so I could stay in one spot - oh my! So none of us slept well last night. But, that's okay - we got lots of time to nap today because there isn't much happening around here!

We are still hoping that the winds kick up soon so that we can turn the engine off. We know we do not carry enough fuel to get us to Nuku Hiva - we have to sail. We need to reserve our fuel for entering the harbor, running the generator, making water, etc.. So if wind doesn't blow soon, we will be bobbing around like a cork - doesn't that sound like fun (not)!

All are anxious to make landfall, but the crew seems to be handling life at sea. We definitely have more room now that we have eaten and drank our way through some of our provisions. Moondance almost looks normal again - well if you don't count the 8 rolls of paper towels and 36 rolls of toilet paper on the settee/couch. Every home should have it so handy! We still have lots of fresh fruit and some veggies left, plus tons of canned stuff. Doug and Brian swear that SPAM is an excellent staple - I am not sure I will ever get that desperate.

Doug is all ready working on our repair list that we will work on in Nuku Hiva like...

- running a new halyard for the spinnaker
- repairing some minor tears on the jib/head sail
- re-attaching the vang (which controls the boom)

Not too bad considering how many miles we have put on this rig this year!

Of course, we are definitely going to have some much deserved R&R before any work starts. Nuku Hiva has 5 stores, 2 banks, a post office, an Inn, and a bar (yeah!). I think we are going to have to check them all out! Plus, there are supposed to be some wonderful hikes and waterfalls. Hope we are there long enough to explore and get our land legs back!

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