Welcome Visitors!!!

Free Counter

We are back in Canada for the ski season….

We decided to cut short our 2009 cruising season so that we could surprise our son Danny who qualified for the B.C. Rodeo Finals this past weekend in Quesnel. He is in contention for “Rookie of the Year” for Saddle Bronc riding…yes, that means riding bucking broncos – every mother’s dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was really hard for me to watch him do his four rides, but he loves it, so it was just great to see him and to support him by being there.

Our final week in Tahiti was spent getting the boat ready for the winter/cyclone season. We stripped off all the sails and everything on the decks. It is now “snug as a bug” for the season at the marina in Tahiti.

We did manage to have a spectacular final day by going out with our cruising friends to do some swimming with the dolphins and the humpback whales. We were literally swimming with two 30-foot whales that were breaching and showing off less than 100 feet away from us in the water.

We will be taking care of some business in Abbotsford for the next couple of weeks, then off to SunDance Guest Ranch for Thanksgiving – then out to Ontario for two weeks to visit with friends and family, before heading back to Silver Star for our winter season of skiing and our family Christmas get together. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!

We will be returning to QuickStar next April, so I won’t be updating the blog until then. Thanks for coming along for our adventures…next year will be Tahiti, Fiji and other South Pacific Islands. We look forward to having you join us once again for the 2010 cruising season.

Until April 2010…….live large, hug lots, love deeply, laugh often and go for the gusto!

Peter goes native!

We had the luxury of spending over a week anchored in Moorea and got to love the community even more as we got to know it better. Peter felt so much a part of it, that he decided to go native! The kids won’t believe it since they had to wait until they were 18 to “deface” themselves, as Peter called it. Now that he is a geezer though, he figures he is old enough to do whatever he feels like and he felt drawn to get a traditional South Polynesian tattoo. Plus, he can cross off one more item on the “1,000 things to do before I die” list.

The highlight of the week was going on an all-day hike to the top of the mountains. We had a 360-degree view and a variety of terrain. Only have two black toenails on my big toes and a couple of blisters, so all is good.

Another day, we had a spontaneous bonus and were treated to a “free” afternoon show, by one of the award-winning dance troupes. They had over 100 dancers performing at the local hotel, just a dinghy ride away.

Since Peter’s birthday dinner was pre-empted by the huge storm, we made up for it by going out to dinner to a fabulous over-the-water restaurant. From our romantic table on the ocean, we could watch about nine stingrays swimming around. Each evening the restaurant feeds them, which in addition to their incredible food, is what they are famous for. So very cool to take a dinghy to and from dinner.

After sadly leaving Moorea (still so much to see and do there) we headed to a windy anchorage at the Tahiti Yacht Club. It was blowing over 25 knots when we picked up a mooring ball. Only casualty was the boat hook that I used to grab the mooring ball with, which bent in half from the pressure. This anchorage gave us a new location to explore Tahiti from where we walked to the black beaches and Peter got his “museum” fix.

We are now back at the anchorage in Marina Taini, where there are significantly fewer boats than there have been. They have all left for New Zealand, to get out of the hurricane zone for the winter. We will be sailing around Tahiti and then leaving our boat here in the marina for the winter, when we return again for another season at Silver Star to ski, watch hockey and most importantly visit with the kids and friends. We so love the contrast between the sun/sea and the snow/mountains.

Until next time…..I won’t do the next blog update until Monday, September 21st as we will be heading out of range again.
P.S. It is with sadness that we take a moment to reflect on this day eight years ago. Hopefully we have all learned something from the tragic event that rocked the world and all make a special effort to be kinder to people and to ourselves and to live each day with joy and unlimited possibilities.

Snow Days in Moorea

We’ve had a rather exciting week here in Opunahu Bay, Moorea, following in the footsteps where Captain Cook anchored in 1777. We celebrated Peter’s 55th birthday by going for a long walk and ended at the exclusive Hilton Resort. We decided to return to the over-the-water outdoor bar for cocktails and the sunset before having a romantic dinner on the boat.

Once back on QuickStar, our plans quickly changed, as it started to pour and the wind began in earnest. (so a box of frozen lasagne for the birthday dinner) This was just the beginning of what has been an almost weeklong episode of the worst weather we have experienced since leaving Vancouver two years ago. We are not complaining though, and are actually loving it. We are like little kids who have been freed from school on “snow days”. We’ve tucked in, snug as bugs in a rug, and have been doing lots of reading in bed, playing cards, dancing in the galley, listening to great tunes, catching up with people on Facebook and email, laughing over the absolutely ghastly Gilligan Island reruns, and simply enjoying “being” instead of “doing”.

Just before going to sleep on Snow Day Three, the wind intensified yet again, so Peter went up on deck to ensure that everything was indeed secure, and to also add a few more lines to the strapped down inflatable kayaks. Within moments, the wind gusted to over 50 knots and developed into a major storm that was not forecasted. Our anchor started dragging (as did a few others in the anchorage). We were unable to get the anchor up to move locations as we were now too close to the boat behind us, and the reef beside us, and Peter was being cautious about my lack of storm experience to risk moving in zero visibility. For the next two hours, Peter drove the boat, while still at anchor to hold our position. With the wind howling and the rain pelting, we had one of our kayaks ripped off the deck and swept out to sea.

The wind finally abated somewhat, so we decided it was time to reset. I failed miserably at holding the boat into the wind – which means that with me at the helm when a blast struck we were being hit broadside and pushed down on the other boats. So, we switched places and I hauled myself to the bow, to bring up the anchor, while holding on for dear life, in the pelting rain. We did manage to get free and re-set the anchor further out in the bay, with lots of room for manoeuvring. A definite adrenalin-pumping night, but no injuries, other than me sporting an armful of bruises from being bashed around on the bow.

The next morning there was a sailboat that limped in to our anchorage, with a broken sailbag and looking rather beat up. The Captain borrowed our bolsun chair to make some repairs up the mast. On the morning radio net, we heard of many more tales during the storm, including three boats being dragged on to the rocks/beach in Papeete (where we were just anchored before coming to Moorea). One actually smashed in to an over-the-water bungalow at the Inter-Continental Hotel. Another boat in the Tuomotus got his propeller wrapped while dragging, sails slashed by the wind, and if not for assistance from another boat would have been up on the reef.

While all this was going on here in the Pacific, there was also Hurricane Jemini heading in the Sea of Cortez. This is where we spent seven fabulous months last year, and got to know a lot of the cruisers who spend each summer there. We were able to be in contact with them via Ham Radio email, and learned that nineteen boats were all hunkered down in the Hurricane Hole, all preparing for it. We’ve been following it all week, with our fingers crossed for everyone. The good news is that as of yesterday, it turned direction and doesn’t appear that it will reach them, although it did blast La Paz and surrounding areas. We haven’t heard from our land-based friends in that area to see if they were hit, so we are still on pins and needles awaiting the final word of what havoc Jemini has caused.

In this neck of the woods, the Pacific High is expected to last another 20 – 30 hours, with a day or two break, then followed once again by another high-pressure system, so our itinerary for the next week is flexible and dependent on the wind. This weather activity has reminded us, that while cruising is for the most part benign and safe, it does come with unexpected twists and turns and that’s what makes it such a grand adventure.

On a totally different note, we were pleased to hear about Luongo – the Canucks goalie, although it is a bit of a funny story how we found out. I was on Facebook and my niece Courtney put in her status line that she was glad that Luongo had resigned just moments before. I wasn’t sure why she was happy that our star goalie quit, but I told Peter right away, who was buried deep in the lazerette organizing things. He jumped right out, and got on NHL.com and actually discovered that he had re-signed! Same spelling – totally different meaning.

We are very grateful to be out here and happy to be growing older together, especially when we get to act like kids without a responsibility in the world. I’m also looking forward to getting back to B.C. and going out to dinner to White Spot where Peter will be a cheap date since he now qualifies for the senior discount! I’m married to a geezer!

Until next Friday….”a reed before the wind lives on while the mighty oaks fall”
Glad Kylie’s luggage finally arrived – Hope my niece Nadine enjoyed her 25th birthday and Peter’s sister Caroline enjoyed hers – it was great talking to you – Tahiti to Texas on a computer – how very cool is that!!!!

Farewell to Kylie & Happy Birthday Liz, Shelby , Charli and Peter

Our final week with Kylie was spent in two picturesque anchorages in Southern Tahiti. Our favourite was outside of the community of Puunui through the Havae Pass. This pass is world renowned for surfing, and since we were there over a weekend, we got to witness these wild and crazy guys and gals firsthand. We also discovered that it is a popular spot for visiting tiger sharks! The beachside park was alive with multi-generational families out for a picnic, with bocce ball tournaments going in full swing. While strolling through the village we enjoyed seeing most of the locals out and about having an old-fashioned Sunday visiting with family and friends and the kids playing pick up soccer games.

Kylie had a major essay to finish from her Philippine’s field study course, so she spent the better part of four days working hard on it. Peter & I went off kayaking, and exploring on land to give her the peace and quiet to concentrate, which is no easy task while in the middle of the South Pacific!

The night before Kylie left, we returned to the marina in Tahiti where we were docked on “super-yacht” alley. There were approximately ten of these yachts ranging from the most humble 82 footer to 210 feet. It was really quite something to see that many sailing vessels, with only one mega power boat in the line up.

To celebrate Kylie’s finished masterpiece and to say farewell, we made reservations at the self-proclaimed “world-famous” Le Belvedere restaurant, which is the highest restaurant in South Polynesia, boasting the most magnificent sunset over Moorea. The only way to get there is by their van shuttle service and the hour long ride itself was almost worth the price of admission. We climbed further and further up a one-lane road that twisted and turned, with steep drop-offs on either side and a panoramic view overlooking Tahiti. We all needed a drink when we miraculously arrived safely! The set meal was overpriced and overrated at $73.00 per person, which at least included transportation. We ordered their house speciality, which was a beef fondue that simply consisted of raw cut-up meat and seven different bottled sauces, followed by ice cream for desert. Kylie joked that she was going to open a restaurant that didn’t need a chef! The view was magnificent though and the company couldn’t have been better. We are still shaking our head over the price of one of the worst dinners we have had (yes, Danny including some of my own home cooked ones), but it does make for a good story.

We saw Kylie off at the dock at 4:00 a.m. for her return flight. She arrived safe and sound in Canada at midnight, but her bags did not. No great surprise since she transited through the notorious L.A. airport. Hopefully they will be found and returned to her shortly.

After three months with company, QuickStar felt almost like a super-yacht herself with all that extra space. We spent the last two days, cleaning, re-organizing, provisioning, doing laundry, filling propane bottles and getting a transformer installed for the 220 voltage that they use here. Good news – we found our stash of flags, so we now have the French Polynesian flag flying proudly along with the French flag. (sorry, Halldo, no luck finding your recorder)

Provisioning over here is a bit of a chore. The prices are at least double what we would pay at home; it is about a mile walk to get to the major grocery store and then a mile back with a cart that steers as if possessed. Kylie explained that these are the carts in Australia as well, where they have four wheels all going in different directions. On my walk over, I almost jumped in to two lanes of traffic when one of the many roosters surprised me when he dropped out a tree over my head. As he strutted along crowing in front of me, I understood the saying “the cock of the walk”. On the return trip, I got a full body workout as I fought with the cart the whole way to prevent it from getting both of us run over.

While we were extremely fortunate and grateful that we had the best possible crew starting with Don and Martha for the initial crossing and the Galapagos, followed by Doug and Shelby for two months, and Kylie for two weeks, it is still a treat to be on our own, with no one else to think about and to simply be able to dance in the galley whenever we feel so inclined!

Where to next? We are heading over to Moorea again to celebrate Peter's birthday tomorrow and to do some hiking, relaxing and a return to our daily routine of Spanish lessons, Yoga, workouts, snorkelling and alternate alcohol-free days!

Until next Friday – sorry we couldn’t reach you Liz (my step-Mom) by phone on your birthday and just had to leave a message. Hope you had a good one. Glad that Danny’s 25th birthday weekend on a houseboat was a great success and that no one ended up in jail.

Doug and Shelby homeward bound

We enjoyed the shark and ray swimming so much that we went back again for another day on Sunday. This time Kylie and I kayaked the approximate 2 kilometres to the site, stopping enroute for a ringside view of the dolphin show. As we were entering the channel, the outgoing tide formed little standing waves and made it impossible for me to battle the current and make any headway in my smaller inflatable kayak, so Peter, Shelby and Doug towed me the rest of the way by dinghy. We topped off that day with a picnic on a secluded island, Doug kayaking for the return trip and once back at QuickStar Ky, Shelby and I went out snorkelling to view the rock tiki’s that are an interesting tourist attraction. (Peter had to work on the water maker again, but has it fixed now).

The wind shifted and intensified so we moved into a more protected anchorage on the other side of Opunohu Bay where we spent the next two nights, allowing us a full day to explore. Kylie was working on her essay with a deadline of August 25th, Doug went for a kayak ride, Peter went to the beach to read, Shelby stayed on the boat with Kylie (but was instructed to leave Kylie alone to get her work done) and I went for a 20 kilometre hike which included having stand-offs with a few of the many feral dogs and also getting hit by a car. They drive like maniacs here, and I was lucky that as a car passed a line of ATV tourists and sped onto my side of the road, (facing traffic) it only “glazed” me and didn’t run me down. A little too close for comfort!

On Tuesday we needed to return to Tahiti for Doug and Shelby’s upcoming flight home, allowing an extra day as cushioning in the event of bad weather. It was a rough motorboat slog; with Shelby feeling a little seasick and Kylie none too thrilled with the 10-foot swells. We dropped anchor again in the action-packed anchorage just off the Marina, which allows us to use their facilities. Wednesday we spent with Peter doing three loads of laundry (cost about $60.00 for coin operated) and Kylie and I doing grocery shopping. Interesting walking back with the grocery cart along the busy roadside the kilometre to the marina as Kylie was hooted at hollered at the whole time. The next day when Peter was with us he said, “how come no one is whistling now?” Duh!

The final day for Doug and Shelby in Tahiti they spent with packing up and going to town. Peter, Kylie and I had headed in to the city for the day to buy some more boat parts and to show her around. As it is Shelby’s 12th birthday coming up soon, we made a special “spaghetti dinner”, which is one of her favourites, baked her a cake, sang happy birthday and played our final games of Kings Cribbage and Double Solitaire together. They had to get up before 4:00 a.m. yesterday, have Peter take them over to the dock in the dinghy in the pitch black, and sprinkling rain to meet up with their taxi driver. I’m sure they are anxious to be home after two months away, as a 46 foot boat with four people aboard 24/7 doesn’t allow for much privacy or quiet time and they were also very much looking forward to seeing their family and friends.

After Kylie moved in to the newly vacated cabin, we motor-sailed in 25-30 knots winds against us, to make our way down the 20 kilometres to southern Tahiti. It was another rough ride, with agitated seas, but was worth it as we entered the pass to flat calm water and not another sailboat in sight. Oddly enough since Kylie has been aboard, we tend to attract outrigger canoeists who show off in our wake as they try to outdo one another, and we had this experience yet again as two young men escorted us for about 3 miles until we dropped anchor. This morning we are curious to see how long it will take for the first one to casually paddle by!

The past week was unique, since we spent it all in Moorea, with us staying 3 nights in each anchorage, the longest duration at one place since jumping off from the Galapagos. We also closed on our house, which was bittersweet, as we loved that house and neighbourhood and loved raising the kids there. It is the end of a chapter, but we are thrilled that another young family has moved in to enjoy the magic of Charlie Spruce Place. We said goodbye to our great crew and just the three of us moved on to spend this next week sailing in the remote areas of Tahiti before Kylie flies back to Canada on August 26th. I will upload pictures then as we will only be available via ham radio email contact until we return for Kylie’s flight.

Until next time…wishing Danny a fantastic 25th birthday this Saturday. Danny is the best man at an upcoming wedding for his buddies Dan and Emily, so he has organized the stag to be on a houseboat this weekend. As his brother Ryan, who is also going, told me – with both the wedding and the birthday to celebrate “it is going to be a gong-show”. You guys have fun – but stay safe. We love you.

Swimming with sharks and sting rays

Well, I hadn't planned on doing another update until next Friday, but we had such an incredible day yesterday, I had to share it. We motored out of Cook's Bay after breakfast and went to the next bay called Opunohu Bay, reputed to be the most photographed bay anywhere in the world. We anchored close to the outer reef, and after a lunch of home-made macaroni (one of Kylie's favourites) we took the dinghy to a small motu about a mile away.

This is where tour boats come to feed the sharks and rays, but we had the bonus of being on our own private "dinghy tour". It was incredible as we motored towards the area that the rays literally converged on us. Doug and Peter got in the water first, as we were a little leary of all the sting rays and there was noone else around us. It was clear, once they got in, that they were a friendly bunch, much accustomed to humans in the water with them.

We swam with them for about an hour. As if it couldn't get any better, we were then joined by about 10 black tipped sharks who swam around us and amongst the dozens of rays that were still there. At this point everyone was back in the dinghy but I couldn't seem to drag myself away. Reluctantly, after being water-logged, we went and checked out the old Club Med hotel site and the public beach.

We came back to the boat, had a gin and tonic and looked through our photos (unfortunately Kylie's camera has bit the dust and so has Doug's waterproof one).
We ended our "dinghy tour" with a great hamburger barbeque on QuickStar and we joked that we didn't even have to pay $70.00 a person (the retail price of the tour) plus our private excursion was even better. We will be going back out for another day with the sharks and rays this morning....Shelby was up to watch the sunrise with me and is bursting at the seams with excitement!

Until next time.....Have a great Sunday.

Kylie has joined us!

Our first two days in Tahiti we spoiled ourselves and stayed at the marina, so that it would be easy for Doug and Shelby to get on and off at leisure. Peter & I spent most of the time doing repairs, re-provisioning and generally getting organized for Kylie’s much anticipated arrival. We took advantage of the facilities with Doug and Shelby giving the boat a much-needed wash down, since we haven’t been in a marina for over two months.

The highlight of the week has been Kylie’s arrival. It is so wonderful to have her here.
The first morning the two of us went for a coffee to catch up on her last five months of adventures, which has included a few months in Australia, followed by a field study course in the Philippines. It seems she has brought some of the unsettled weather with her (she was flooded out and evacuated in Australia, and had two typhoons while in the Philippines). It has rained almost every night so she is unable to sleep on the deck and instead has been sleeping on the settee inside.

We motor-sailed over to Moorea (10 miles away) and got all geared up for a threatening squall, but our “QuickStar weather bubble” once again avoided it. Instead, we had a great entry as we were treated to two whales in a display of jumping, breeching and all kinds of activity. There was a tour boat that rushed out to the scene and we took great delight in being able to view it all from the comfort of QuickStar. We anchored for lunch just inside the lagoon and did some snorkelling before heading into Cook’s Bay for a couple of overnights.

Yesterday it rained off and on, so we bundled up for the dinghy ride to shore in gusts of up to 35 knots to explore the area. Peter, Kylie and I went back out in the dark, rainy, windy night to go out for dinner (Doug and Shelby were tired out from touring through the town all day). We had a great time, being welcomed by a gregarious gay owner and served by an entertaining Polynesian transvestite. The main attraction was a local singer who did covers on songs that everyone knew. The food was great and the three of us shared lots of laughs. So very great to have Kylie here!

The reason that this Friday blog is being posted later than normal is that we had a full day today with all of us renting scooters to circumnavigate the 62 miles around the island. It was a typical “Clampit Family” outing with Kylie managing to dump her bike while manoeuvring a corner enroute to the mountain lookout. The good news is that she wasn’t hurt, just a scuffed knee (luckily not the one she just dislocated) and some scrapes on her hand. The scooter was a little banged up but all in all it makes for a good story. Kylie’s not looking forward to her brother Danny teasing her about it when he finds out though!

We will move to another gorgeous bay tomorrow and then we will spend a few nights at a serene anchorage outside of the old Club Med location. The highlight here is the best snorkelling on the island and the added bonus of “dinghy crashing” the local boat tours that bring guests to feed the sharks and the giant mantra rays. We’ll also be close to the hotel that has the Dolphin Centre. We spent an hour there today with front row seats watching bottle-nosed dolphins perform and entertain the people in the water with them.

By next weeks’ blog, Doug and Shelby will already be on their way home. These two months have flown by. We are looking forward to cramming in as much as we can before they head off.

Until next time……Read 10,000 books – travel 10,000 miles – Japanese proverb
P.S. I'll upload some photos from this week over coffee tomorrow morning. Life is good.

WE MADE IT!

With all hands on deck to witness the sunset, we made a dramatic entrance through the narrow pass to the anchorage/marina in Tahiti. We were escorted by one whale and a small pod of dolphins. We are now securely anchored for the next two nights. As I write this Doug and Peter are putting up the Sunshade and then we’ll be all set. For our stay here. We have all day today and tomorrow to do errands, while Doug and Shelby will go off exploring. Shelby is leafing through the tourist brochures right here beside me.

Peter & I are so excited to see Kylie tomorrow night when her plane arrives at 9:15 p.m. We will spend the night at the marina and then the following morning will set sail for Moorea and the anchorages on that island. I will update the blog again next Friday, August 14th.

Until then…..Happy, happy birthday to Shorry tomorrow. We’ll have a few gin and tonics and will be thinking of you.

Tahiti Bound

Bonjour. We are currently underway from the Tuamotu Islands to Tahiti. Total travel time - 2 nights. Seems like a piece of cake now. This is our final crossing with Doug and Shelby as our able crew. It's also the least exciting, since we have motor sailed for almost 24 hours. We have virtually zero wind, flat calm seas with just a hint of a gentle and soothing two foot swell.

The moon is just beginning to wane, so it is still almost full to bursting and provided lots of brightness on the night crossing. After dinner in the cockpit last night, which we ate during sunset, we were treated to a brilliant moonrise less than a half an hour later. I've always said that I could live outside, and now I'm so immensely grateful that I do!

We expect to motorsail the rest of the way, using our autopilot to get us to Tahiti. The good thing about it though is that it is nice and calm, so we've managed to get some of our boat chores out of the way rather than having to wait until we make landfall. We also turned off the engine to go for a mid-ocean swim in this beautiful 85 degree weather.

We will be arriving at the marina just after sunrise tomorrow and will spend two nights there - only two more sleeps till Kylie flies in. We can't wait!

I'll do a blog update tomorrow once we are settled in so that you know we arrived safe and sound. If all goes well, I'll also be able to hook in to the internet and upload some photos from the past 10 days or so.

Until next time...have a joyful weekend.

Happy Birthday Glenda

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLENDA..we are all thinking of you (especially your fiancé) and will celebrate South Pacific style!

We have now been in the Tuomotus for almost a week, and each day just keeps getting better. These remote atolls have crystal clear blue water, with the best snorkeling we've ever had!

On our first day, after making phone calls and picking up some more supplies, we did boat chores following the crossing while Doug and Shelby went snorkeling and were excited to be joined by five black tip reefed sharks. Shelby was bubbling over with enthusiasm when she was telling us of their adventure.

On Monday after finding the last four baguettes that the island had left, we set sail for a famous snorkeling location that we learned about from the dive shop. It was so incredible here, that we swam for longer than we had planned to so couldn't reach our original destination, but since cruising is all about flexibility we simply sailed about 20 miles to the next atoll called Tuao. This was quite exciting, as each atoll requires access by going through a narrow pass. During slack tide, it is usually a non-event, but we caught it as it was ebbing and we didn't have much choice as it was almost dark. We entered during huge standing waves and we felt like we were in a washing machine in the midst of it all. Our motoring speed was 7.5 knots but with the current fighting us we were only moving forward at just under 3 knots. Shelby hunkered down below as we were inched our way through the pass, with waves breaking over the stern. Quite the excitement, but no danger (honest, honest!!!)

We spent a night in this idyllic anchorage and the following morning after swimming we moved on to enter the only other pass on Tuao (a walk in the park). We met up with some fellow cruisers onboard their 66-foot Oyster "Elvis the Gecko". (yes, Halldo, Shorry, Murray, John and David, I know you can are salivating) The family consists of the mom/dad and three kids, including one girl named Ruby who is Shelby's age. They also have two full time crew members. They are from England and it was nice to meet them. Doug went out kayaking and Peter and I went exploring with the dinghy so we went over to their boat and brought Ruby back for a private visit with Shelby. They got on well and enjoyed some time without adults. We look forward to meeting up with them along the way for the girls to get together again.

Peter & I met up with David (the father) and Gloria (6) and Bruce (8) at the dock, while the only family that lived there was sorting through their fish catch. They were throwing back into the sea the smaller fish that they wouldn't be able to sell, so we were treated to a shark frenzy as five sharks fought over the bounty. As an added bonus, we saw two huge stingrays, gliding back and forth as we watched them from just a foot off the water on the dock. Tres cool, as my Kylie would say!

The day before yesterday we motorsailed to another atoll called Apataki. We entered the southern pass, which was wide and deep and during slack tide. The lagoon within the atoll is like a different world. We anchored off a motu (little island off the reef) and promptly went for another snorkel - this time we got a shot of a shark that came to check us out. In the evening we taught Shelby how to play euchre and she loved it, so the four of us have played each night.

Yesterday, Peter and I got up at 5:00a.m., and although it was still dark, the full moon was shining like a beacon on this piece of paradise. We hopped in the kayaks and paddled in and out of smaller lagoons, where we had a front row seat to watch the sun rise. Even grumpy old Peter was moved by it.

This morning, on Glenda's birthday, we will be making our way along the atoll, stopping to snorkel and then heading out the pass just before sunset to begin our final 2-night crossing to Tahiti. If possible, I'll update the blog tomorrow during the transit and also Sunday once we arrive.

We are looking forward to seeing Kylie on Monday.
P.S. We were sorry to hear about the violent storm at Doug's parents farm. Can't believe you were without power for 36 hours and had hail - plus losing your gazebo and having a barbeque fly off the deck!!! Glad it has subsided now.

Until next time...have yourselves a fabulous weekend and Happy Birthday again Glenda.

Bonjour from the Tuomotus

comment-ca va? We made landfall again, in an amazing atoll exactly 3 days 10 hours from anchor to anchor. We did need to motor sail on the final day to arrive in the daylight. As we were heading in to the pass, we were greeted and escorted by about 10 very large bottle-nosed dolphins. They danced in our bow wake and even managed to splash Shelby. Quite the welcome to the Tuomotus.

We came in at pretty close to slack tide, but still had 4 knots of current going against us, amidst standing waves of about 2 feet. Very impressive entry and even prettier than we would have thought. After a swim in the crystal blue water, we had a celebratory gin and tonic, an early dinner and an early night. Odd to walk on the boat without it being heeled over and we all slept like a baby in this very serene anchorage.

Today is Sunday and after a few clean up chores we headed over to shore at 8:00a.m. and Peter & I went to the local church service while Shelby and Doug meandered the one and only street. The service was excellent, as everyone puts on their Sunday best and greets each and every person. Why I enjoy going is to see the locals all together and experience their culture. I definitely have been to church more often during these past few cruising years than I ever have in my entire life. It's so interesting to see the different traditions and to feel a part of the islands.

We are having a bit of an issue with our watermaker, so Peter is holed up in our work room to try to fix it. I managed to get in two loads of laundry before it went kaput. Doug and Shelby have gone off on a dinghy/snorkel trip while we do some work around here - including this blog update (tough life I know!).

We will spend the week here exploring a few atolls and then we have one final crossing (only 2 nights) to Tahiti where we will plan to arrive on Sunday, August 9th. I will do the next update on my regular Friday routine, which is Friday, August 6th if I'm able to get a connection. No luck today with the internet, so it all depends on whether we can hook up through the ham radio.

Anyway, we are safe and happy with another memorable crossing under our belt.

Have a great week. Aurevoir.

Until next time.......take time to smell the roses.

Two squalls before breakfast

Day 3, Friday, July 31, 2009

We had another postcard perfect day yesterday, covering about 160 miles since we yesterday morning. Shelby beat me for the first time at Kings Cribbage, so she is on a roll. We are also out of the Easy and Medium crossword puzzles (thanks again Don for bringing them) so we are being humbled by the hard ones. We caught four fish - three we released back and the other one chomped off half the lure and swam away. Perhaps we'll have better luck today.

Doug and Shelby are working diligently on celestial navigation - shooting the sun at high noon and stars/moon in the evening. Since most of us cruisers have a number of different GPS's, and paper charts, celestial navigation is really a hobby as opposed to the old days, when it was the only means of determining where you were in the ocean and where you should be heading. Both Doug and Peter have had courses in this, so they are very knowledgeable - so if we should lose all our navigational software and our charts flew overboard - we'd still be good to go!

We have had some disturbing news about the amount of cases of dengue fever this year. This is caused by mosquitos that are carrying it. We already know of three of our personal cruising buddies that have been struck with this since arriving in French Polynesia this year. (one as recently as a week ago in the Tuamotus, where we are headed). There is really nothing to be done if you get it. It basically takes you out of commission for two weeks with severe muscle aches/pains and apparently you sleep all the time. We have found Vitamin B to be a great natural mosquito repellent, so Peter and I take this regularly and don't seem to be bothered by bugs of any kind - although who knows? Poor Shelby can't choke down a Vitamin B if her life depended on it. She is also more susceptible to bug bites, so Doug will make sure she is covered with repellent whenever we are ashore or away from sea breezes.

We have had two squalls this morning before breakfast, requiring all hands on deck (with Shelby comfortably and safely hunkered down below). The good thing about it (yes, Krys I said that for your benefit) is that it happened after daybreak and also the boat needed a good fresh water dousing. As I write this, we are expecting another one to hit in about 6 miles (according to our visual evaluation of the sky and the big blurp on radar). It's nice and warm, so a little rain will be dried from the cockpit in no time.

If all goes according to plan we should arrive tomorrow evening just before sunset.

Will check in again tomorrow morning. Until then.....enjoy the magic and the miracle of the new day.

No land in sight

Day Two - Thursday, July 30, 2009

With our consistent winds, we managed to sail 175 miles in the last 24 hours. We are able to maintain this speed with a reefed main and a reefed jenny. Shelby is glad we aren't flying the chute, as it involves hand-steering and more vigilance (plus often some added adventure). She would much rather beat her Dad at Boggle, which she did a few times yesterday afternoon.

The first day back out at sea, is always a day for everyone to find their sea legs again. Shelby was feeling a little less perky than usual, but other than that, all was well. She woke early to join me on my watch this morning and we experienced a great sunrise together.

We have been out of sight of land for quite a while and anticipate seeing our first atoll when we are within 10 miles - which will hopefully be in a couple of days. No whales, sharks or dolphins, spotted - just lots of flying fish. All in all, a perfectly lazy and relaxing first day.

Until tomorrow....spread some joy.

On the road again. . .

Good morning. We are currently underway to the Tuamotus. ETA 3 days, 10 hours at our current sailing speed of about 7 knots. Our course is 210 degrees with fair winds and a following sea. How great is that? When we sailed over to Huka Hiva we had a very confused sea and I made another donation to King Neptune. Doug, Shelby and I are all armed with seasickness medication, so hopefully all will be well on this crossing.

We had a crazy couple of days in Huka Hiva, arriving on Sunday. We all did our internet work, phone calls and went for a long walk in the village. Monday was a full out business day, with checking in, getting fuel permits, refilling propane tanks, going to a few grocery stores and farmers market to provision, doing banking, etc., etc. Shelby was a great help restocking the shelves and cubbyholes with me, itemizing where everything was put away, and composing and printing off the list to hang on the pantry door. Almost like a regular "working day", ha,ha. Yesterday, we continued to get ready for our crossing. Doug and Peter took the dinghy and the jerry cans over to fill up with fuel. Enroute in the dinghy Doug spotted two sharks swimming around them. Needless to say we didn't swim in that bay!

After finishing off the surprising amount of things on our "to do" list, we hoisted the anchor and sailed over to Daniel's Bay. Made us miss our Danny even more (who luckily isn't doing as many rodeos, since he is working 7 days a week in Oysossos - but he is working on the big, high power lines, so not sure which is more dangerous!) Got a nice email from Kylie who is living in the bush in the Philippines with a local nomadic family for a few weeks for her anthropology course. She says she is living on a diet of eggs and rice, since she can't bring herself to eat their staple of snails and snake. We can't wait to see her when she joins us in Tahiti on August 11th (she might even think my cooking isn't so bad after all).

Once anchored in the picturesque Daniels Bay, Doug and Shelby went in the dinghy to do some beach exploration and shell hunting. Peter and I paddled off in the kayaks and I had a great experience. While dipping my left paddle in the water, on the right hand side a massive manta ray jumped up a few feet in the air, skimming the kayak, went back down, splashing me totally and rocking the kayak almost capsizing it. Doug and Shelby heard my scream all the way on the beach. Tres cool! From QuickStar we saw a couple of big manta rays swimming around. The water isn't as clear as we had hoped, due to the agitation, but we are anticipating the clarity and visibility will improve as we get to the atolls in the Tuamotu archipeligo.

Will check in again tomorrow, if we are able to get a connection. Until then...wishing you a day with delightful surprises.

From a place far, far, far away

We made it across the sea!!!!! Di hoisting the French flag after 3,000 miles.



We arrived in Nuka Hiva (I love these places that I can neither spell nor pronounce) a few hours ago. It has internet access out here in the harbour - albeit slower than dial up. We are so spoiled rotten in Canada, so I'm just immensely grateful we have any connection at all. I am uploading pictures from the crossing primarily on the right hand side (sidebar) of this blog, since I've already written from our ham radio about our adventures, so all that was missing is photos.

Sorry to hear about all the forest fires in the Okanagan. We are hoping the severe lightening storms from last night (thanks Charli for putting up some photos on Facebook) didn't effect Kurt's Silver Star wedding. We are thinking of you and wish we could be there to share your special day - especially since it is all happening in our home village. Joe and Fatima - hope you are cozy in our little condo.

Our first sighting of land.....very exciting!!!!



Map of the Marquessas

note....we made landfall in Fata Hiva the most southern island...then went to Hiva Oa to do all our check in - then backtracked a little to Tahuata...then the last two nights in Ua Pou and now today in Nuku Hiva.




Arriving in to Fata Hiva




Saturday at the town dock





Graveyard up the hillside







Doug - our coconut carver



Local Tapa art made from bark




Buying bananas from the locals

South Pacific sunset




The "pirate" rocks in Fata Hiva anchorage



In our second Marquessa Island anchorage....Tahuata...a South Seas paradise

Getting the new kayaks blown up.






We are planning on leaving tomorrow afternoon if we get everything done and then spend one night in Daniel's Bay where we will "jump off" to the Tuatomotos (about a 4 day passage). I'll update the blog daily during the crossing. Thanks for hanging out with us.

Until next time.....Happy Sunday!

Happy Friday from the South Pacific

All is well aboard QuickStar. We have spent a nice week in the Marquesas, with ideal temperatures. As noted in the earlier blog we made landfall in Fata Hiva. While in Fata Hiva there was only one other boat which came in just before we left. Steve aboard Uliad (sp?) very generously gave us two huge servings of Marlin, which they caught sailing over. It was over five feet and apparently was quite fun to bring in. It was a bonus for us as we had two great dinners out of it!

After departing, we sailed over to Hiva Oa, which was primarily a "business" stop. We needed to officially check in, re-provision, make phone calls, connect to the internet, etc. I was very saddened with the news that my Dad's best friend Corky is in the hospital with pnemonia and also that my Uncle Eric had passed away during our crossing. Got the great news though that my niece Courtney is expecting and also Chelsea (a former Ambassador employee and also my good friend Les's daughter). The circle of life continues.

When we arrived in Hiva Oa there was an unusual surge activity that had been forecasted and we experienced 5 - 6 foot waves in the harbour, which made for a very rolly anchorage, which was also surrounded by construction. This meant the water was too dirty to swim in. We had to stay two nights to accomplish the check in, since the office is only open 3 days a week, but we left as soon as we got everything done.

We sailed out in the afternoon and arrived at the blissful island of Tahuata. A true South Pacific anchorage surrounded by palm trees and a white sandy beach. There were three other cruising boats...one from Sweden, one from Brazil and one from France. As soon as we arrived we opened our new inflatable kayaks. They are ideal. After a very peaceful sleep, Doug and Shelby went off on a three hour kayak trip to the next bay. We had just started to get worried about them, so had put the engine on the dinghy and were just about off to find them, when they came around the corner. They were just having so much fun - except for Shelby flipping over in the surf near the beach. She shook that off like a trooper and they paddled back to QuickStar. We spent a lovely afternoon snorkeling and it was great fun with the surge. Doug gathered a huge bag of limes off the beach to make lime concentrate with.

We left at daybreak this morning and are currently enroute over to Ua Pou (about 75 miles) for two nights. We have a very confused sea, with the wind directly behind us - too much wind to fly the chute with anticipated gusts throughout the day of 25 - 35 knots, so we are motor sailing and flopping along (not complaining though - we are in the South Pacific!!!!) Whenever possible we will stay two nights at each anchorage so that we have a full day without sailing to enjoy the destination. From Ua Pou we will head to our final Marquessan anchorage of Niku Hiva (26 miles away). Here we will do our final provisioning for the next two weeks, check in/check out, do some internet work (if I get a chance I'll upload some pictures to the blog) and get fuel and propane. So our tentative schedule is to leave on Monday or Tuesday next week for the Tuamotu archipelago, which will be about a 4 day open ocean crossing.

As we promised to keep daily contact during crossings, I will once again commence a daily update on the blog as soon as we begin the crossing. Keep in mind that we can't guarantee daily connections, so don't worry if you don't hear from us. Until next time.....have a great weekend.

In the Marquessa's

We made it.....We dropped the hook exactly 17 days and 22 hours after leaving the Galapagos, which means our average travel time was 6.6 knots. Since the average time to get here is between 23 and 25 days, we are certainly happy to arrive so far ahead of schedule. We were lucky to be able to sail the entire way - what a treat!

Once here in Fata Hiva we immediately jumped in the water, then got organized, pumped up the dinghy and headed for shore. Shelby was our awesome translator as we wandered through town. We had a bit of an eye-opener with our minor purchase of flour, eggs, two pops and a bag of chips for about $28.00 U.S. dollars. We were hoping to get bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, but they only get a delivery once a week on Monday's when we will be gone. The good news is that we were able to pick fresh limes off one of the zillion lime trees and also pick up a couple of coconuts along the roadside. There was one little store that sold hand-made carvings, at a cost of about $240 U.S., although they only accept French francs. That got us off the hook, but then they asked if we would trade some shotgun bullets for one of the carvings. We explained as Canadians that we didn't have a gun on board. While walking back we were also asked to "trade" for alcohol and a couple of kids asked us for "bon-bons" (candy). Since it was Saturday the whole town was out at the waterside cleaning the fish that they caught today. Shelby was a little grossed out with the dogs gnawing on the discarded fish heads.

We are looking forward to a full night sleep tonight and then we'll get up early to get to church at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. I"m really looking forward to this as the whole community attends and the kids play the ukuleles and sing. We will then carry on for a hike to the 300 foot waterfall which takes about an hour and a half each way.

We'll have another relaxing afternoon and then head out on Monday at dawn to Hiva Oua (about 8 hours sail), which is the major island here in the Marquessa's.

We are so grateful and excited to be here in the South Pacific!!!!!!

Will update the blog again next Friday......Hugs to everyone.
P.S. It is now Monday and we are an hour outside of Hiva Oao. We enjoyed the church service..lots of singing and cheerful. We spent 4 hours wandering in the mountains, but never found the waterfall. Great views anyway. We were unable to send emails while at anchor and unable to use the phone, since it required a phone card which we couldn't buy on the weekend. We will head in to town tomorrow on this main island and Doug and Shelby will make their phone calls from there.

Mission Accomplished

Jour 18, Saturday, July 18, 2009

On our final full day at sea we travelled 145 miles, our second slowest day. The wind is definitely diminishing so we are happy to be here. Yesterday in the afternoon Shelby beat me for the first time in Boggle. We were all rewarded for this milestone as we were welcomed to the French Polynesia by a large pool of dolphins who played around the boat for about 45 minutes. We have not seen dolphins like this before, so we are looking forward to discovering what kind they are.

After a great steak dinner, we all settled in the cockpit to experience the final sunset of the crossing. Shelby (and the rest of us) were buzzing with excitement about our upcoming landfall. This morning on my watch, well before the sun came up, Shelby was up on deck. We could just make out Fata Hiva under the sliver of the moon and the dimming of the stars. Peter was sleeping in the cockpit, but woke up to our chatter. Two minutes later we had a squall hit us, so it was all hands on deck and all cushions, etc. got stowed below. It blew out almost as quickly as it blew in.

The sunrise was a little less dramatic because of the cloud cover, but what a wonderful gift to see the large, volcanic island less than 10 miles away. We have sailed the whole way here, which has been a great bonus. Total travel distance time is 17 days and 19 hours and 11 minutes to the bottom of Fata Hiva, which we will be rounding soon. I'm doing the blog now rather than waiting for us to anchor, since we will be jumping in the water right away, then inflating the dinghy and heading in to town. Will be a change to put on sandals and walk on solid ground. We have one excited young lady anxious to call her Mom from the only phone booth on the Island.

What a great crossing we have had. As many of you know, I was very nervous (okay understatement) about the trip. I did visualize each evening a safe and peaceful crossing for many months prior to departure, so perhaps there is much to be said for "manifestations". We are all very fulfilled, happy and content and thank our Captain Peter for bringing us safely across 3,000 miles of open ocean. We feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment (and huge relief!).

Thanks again for following us along and sending us your positive vibes. Since we are now safe and sound, I will update the blog, as per usual, on a weekly basis each Friday.
Until next Friday.....have a great weekend and hug someone special.

We are flying the French Polynesian flag

Jour 17, Friday, July 17, 2009

Having travelled 166 miles in the last 24 hours, we are now less than 150 miles away from the Marquessa's. We expect to be anchored in the early morning - we may even have to slow down so that we arrive there in the daylight. We are all pretty excited. We have even seen new birds out here as we get closer. We have just hoisted the French Polynesian flag, after setting the gennaker for our final push to the Islands.

We are extremely grateful for the wonderful weather we have had...fair winds and following seas. Every sailors dream. We also have a great crew onboard...Doug is an able sailor and all-round great guy. Shelby has learned lots of new skills and is a valuable crew member. She is enthusiastic, helpful and a delight to beat at Boggle, ha,ha. I think between Scrabble, Crosswords, Double Solitaire, Boggle, Hangman, etc, etc. she and I have probably played over 200 games. They have both been ideal companions for this long journey. It is not easy for four people to live 24/7 in a 46 foot boat - but we have all managed well - especially once Doug and Shelby got over the first week of not feeling themselves.

We are betting on who will see land first and who will dive in the water first once we set the anchor. We are so very close now.

Thanks for coming along with us on our journey. I'll write tomorrow..hopefully to let you all know that we made it safe and sound.

Today is Trisha's memorial and we will be thinking of her, her family and friends. Our hearts will be there with all of you. Happy Trails dear friend and thanks for enriching all of us. We will remember you.

Less than 300 miles to go

Jour 16, Thursday, July 16, 2009

We sailed 162 miles in the last 24 hours while flying the chute (sorry I spelt it shoot yesterday, but was very distraught over the news of Trisha). The weather continues to shine on us, with steady seas of about 10 foot swells every 10 seconds.

While we have been doing this crossing, we have created our own QuickStar world. We've moved the clocks ahead one hour at a time on three occasions. We decide when to make a time change based on the sunset and sunrise hours. Once we reach the Marquessa's we'll only have to adjust by 1/2 hour.

This morning, Doug and Peter put in 100 litres of fuel while I was at the helm. Pretty interesting to be doing a high seas fuel transfer. If Peter wasn't tethered in with Doug holding on to him for dear life, he would have gone off the swim platform. (Next time, I'll try harder!)

We have not had to use engine power once for the whole crossing. We are using fuel to feed the generator which powers our washing machine, coffee machine and charges the batteries. We usually run the generator for about an hour in the morning and the same at night. The solar panels are a huge help during the day. The wind generator remains off as it is so incredibly noisy that you feel like you are beneath a jet taking off. It's the one thing I would gladly throw overboard.

Shelby and I made up our last batch of pancakes for the crossing...no more eggs. We are averaging over 8 knots during the day with the chute, so we may even need to slow down tomorrow as we don't want to arrive in the middle of the night. Peter was able to connect this morning with the informal net in the Marquessa's. We can almost smell land now!

Got an email from Kylie yesterday and she told me that Trisha and the gals at Ambassador Travel had a reunion on Friday night - needless to say they are all devastated that she died the very next day. We are all still in shock and can't believe we have lost such a wonderful and loving person. My heart also goes out to her daughter Becky who is getting married in about a month.
Let's live large, be wild and crazy and go for it - just the way Trisha would want us all to.

Rest In Peace - Trisha Karlson

Jour 15, Wednesday, July 15, 2009

We received some tragic news this morning via email from our son Ryan. One of our valued employees at Ambassador Travel, Trisha Karlson was fatally killed in a car accident. Trisha was a wonderful person, who seized every day and made the most of life. She was considered a "Mom" to the younger team members and was well respected as a cheerful, optimistic and go-for-it woman. She was an inspiration and a great role model. Trisha recently became a Grandmother and this brought her tremendous joy. We are all heart-broken and saddened by this terrible loss. Trisha came into our lives as an excellent employee and left Peter and I as a dear friend. You will be missed Trisha.

Yesterday we travelled 165 miles and are currently less than 500 miles from our destination. We've had the first couples of wet weather days and as as I type this Peter and Doug are getting soaked, but having the time of their lives flying the shoot in the gusts of 20 - 25 knots. Shelby and I keep hearing a lot of "yahoos" down here.

After writing the blog yesterday, we caught a big dorado. It was the largest to date weighing in at about 20 pounds and three feet long . It put up a good fight, but alas became an excellent dinner made by Doug. Still enough left over for another full meal. Our email friends, Scott and Cindy aboard the multi-hull Beachhouse, made it to the Marquessa's in 17 days - which is quite an accomplishment since the average is about 23 or 24 days depending on which guide book you believe. We are on target for arriving in 18 days, but Peter wants Scott to know that we would have beat them if not for all the LARGE fish we've caught that have slowed us down, ha,ha.

Trisha's early death is a further reminder to all of us that we must plan for tomorrow but live for today. We won't ever forget you Trisha, nor will we forget the message, which you leave us all as your legacy. R.I.P.

Moonbows and Rainbows

Jour 15, Tuesday, July 14, 2009

We travelled 158 miles in the past 24 hours under sunny skies with the occasional rain shower. During the evening, we got our first serious rain - mostly on Peter's midnight shift. During this time Peter saw a moonbow. I thought he was making that up but Doug confirmed that there is such a thing. This morning after another downpour and total soaking of both Shelby and I with a random wave that poured into the cockpit, we got the gift of a magnificient rainbow. It was clear and bright and we saw the whole arc. I think the Marquessa's are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

While we were sailing at 8 knots under the gennaker we got a large strike on the fishing pole. It took both Peter and Doug almost a half an hour of fighting it. It looked to be about three - four feet. Sad ending though as some even larger fish stole it off the hook just minutes before we could land it. So, beans and weiners for dinner instead of fresh dorado.

Our fresh stores have been completely depleted, or the veggies and fresh fruit that didn't survive was thrown overboard. We are still have enough frozen meat to last until we arrive and lots of canned, packaged food (all of which is just fine by me).

As for my second attempt at making bread, I have to tell all those skeptics out there that it wasn't as bad as my first attempt. In fact, it turned out far worse! Peter couldn't even gnaw on it, so over it went. We will now wait for fresh bread when we get to our destination. I did make a banana loaf today (except with canned manderine slices) and it was a great success. So persistence does pay off!

Looks like today we'll be in and out of wet gear.....the good thing about it though...is most surely the rainbows!

Slow and steady she goes

Jour 14, Monday, July 13, 2009

Yesterday was our slowest day with QuickStar covering only 144 miles. The good thing about it though (yes, this is for you Krys and Shorry in case you think I've lost my PollyAnna touch!)is that it was also the smoothest day. We had a swell of about 8 feet every 8 seconds, but it was consistent with only about a one foot wave on top. We almost felt like we were coastal cruising instead of being out in the wild blue yonder. Speaking of which, we can't believe how blue the water truly is.

With the diminishing winds, it did make for a lumpy sleep. Doug had a bit of excitement on his watch as he was relaxing (letting Max - our self-steering unit do the work) and listening to the IPOD. He heard a "plop" in the cockpit, and sure enough a flying fish crash landed. Doug was able to save it by throwing it back to the sea once it tired itself out from flapping its' wings.

We have been so incredibly lucky with the weather. We've been able to have Max (referred to as she - Maxine by the guys and he - Maxwell by the gals) do the steering at night, so that our four hour watches have been pretty easy. I'm getting lots of knitting done and just finished listening to "The Secret", which I will never tire of hearing again and again. During the days, we usually hand-steer while flying the chute since the wind is behind us. We have an informal watch system during daylight hours with each of the three adults taking a turn on the helm every hour or so.

This morning Shelby and I made pancakes in a very big sea. It was quite comical, especially spilling half the batter, but we had lots of fun doing it. When I lit the pan on fire she asked if I had every burned any food before....so Danny, you can stop laughing anytime!

Have yourselves a great week.

Less than 1,000 miles to destination

Jour 13, Sunday, July 12, 2009

We past a significant milestone last night, as we are now beyond the 2/3 mark. The winds have slowed down though and our 24 hour distance of 162 is the second lowest of our 13 days out at sea. The winds are showing signs of diminishing, but we are working hard flying the gennaker as a spinnaker to maximize the wind. It's pretty cool to read on the GPS that our distance remaining to go is in the 3 digits.

We are all getting excited about landfall (although it is still probably at least a week off). We're pouring through the cruising guide books and Shelby is writing down all the highlights and what we will do in each anchorage. Her enthusiasm is contagious (and again reminds me so much of Kylie). She also is a fussy eater - sound familiar again Kylie????

I forgot to report that the night before last we actually saw another boat. It was a 500 foot freighter heading for Tahiti. It was the first time in almost 2 weeks that we saw any other sign of life and even that was 7 miles away. We are living in our own little bubble here on QuickStar with this being the longest time any of us have been in bare feet, been off solid ground, been in perpetual motion and also the longest time to "not" go to stores, spend money, watch T.V/DVD's, go on the internet, talk on a phone, etc., etc. Very, very cool!

Last night on the Ham Radio Peter made contact with Jay, aboard Malachi. Jay, Marg and their two daughters left Vancouver at the same time we did. Their trip was a scheduled two year trip and they are currently on their final leg. They are about 200 miles north of Hawaii heading back to Victoria and then Vancouver. Also, travelling with them is Orca II, another family that we met through the Blue Water Cruising Association and who all left at the same time. Both boats have thoroughly enjoyed their two year cruising hiatus - especially the kids (2 on Malachi) and 3 on Orca II. They planned their dream and then they lived it, not letting any of the many obstacles that everyone faces stop them.

Today we are optimistic that we will see a whale or shark. FYI...because we are so far away, we are unable to send this update in the morning, although I still write it then with a cup of coffee and the tunes blaring. The only propagation that works is early evening and even that is weakening, so please, please do NOT worry if you don't hear from us.

Enjoy a relaxing Sunday.

Past the point of no return

Day 10 - Thursday, July 9, 2009

Bonjour! Comment-ca va? Just as the almost full moon made it's way below the horizon, with the sun rising on the opposite horizon, we sailed across the half way mark and have reached the point of no return. Here we come South Pacific! We will also leave behind our Spanish from Mexico and South America and begin using our French as we approach the South Pacific. Lucky for us, Shelby is bilingual and is helping to tutor me with my totally inadequate grade school French.

Yesterday we achieved 167 nautical miles with the chute up and hand steering until the sunset. I am learning how to be on the helm with the gennaker (and yes Joe, I'm driving like a coyote). As our good friends Bucky and Juanita told me while I was learning how to horse back ride - I just need more TITS (time in the saddle). It was really exhilarating to be on the wheel as QuickStar went for a sleigh ride at 10.3 knots. Yeehaw!

In addition to our daily routines, of setting sails, making meals, doing dishes, playing games, reading, cleaning up, updating the blog, sending emails, monitoring our course, obtaining weather reports, etc., Peter also makes contact twice a day with his Ham contacts. Don Andersen is the weather guru that we contact, however, he is on holidays this week, so if all goes according to plan we'll be in the Marquessa's before he is back. Our ever faithful Ham contact is Peter from San Francisco (and whenever the propagation allows, Ron from Vancouver). Each night Peter prepares his report and checks in. We also try each evening to hear friends from B.C. who are doing various crossings on their boats. Doug has just recently aced his Ham radio exam, so he will be making his debut on the radio tonight by giving the report...Roger that....over, over.

In addition to these awesome Ham volunteers, we also like to thank Scott and Cindy on BeachHouse, who are ahead of us in the Marquessa's. Although we have yet to meet personally, we have been in email communication for the past few months as they are three weeks ahead in this itinerary, and Scott has been very generous in his time to provide first hand tips and advice. We are looking forward to catching up with them somewhere in the Tuamotus or Society Islands.

Well I'll wrap this up as the homemade bread that Shelby and I have made this morning is just about ready to come out of the oven. (Okay kids, don't kill yourselves laughing - old dogs can learn new tricks!)

A Demain (bye till tomorrow)
Cheers...Peter, Diana, Doug and Shelby

181 nautical miles in the last 24 hours

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Happy Birthday to my "older" sister Dorothy. Go wild and crazy!

Hola. We continue to be very lucky with the weather and continue to exceed our daily average of 177 miles per day. After a peaceful overnight sail under the full moon, another clear, sunny day dawned and we've successfully put up the genneker without incident. Peter's got us all well organized and even Joe you would have been proud of how it went up like clockwork! Doug and Peter are in their element as they are hand-steering achieving 9 - 10 knots in 20 knots of wind from the Southeast. (As I write this, Peter just cheered that he went 12.6 as QuickStar surfed over a big swell

Since Shelby is completely at ease now on the boat, she's been a welcome whirlwind of activity. She has soundly beaten both her Dad and Peter in Boogle (no surprise to you right Kylie and yes, she had to twist his arm to play). I"m still holding my own with her and she's determined to step up her game. Charli, she now loves crosswords as well, so with her 12th birthday fast approaching, it may be an idea! As I write this, we are singing along to Mama Mia and she is patiently waiting for me to finish so that we can practice the phonetic alphabet and then play Double Solitaire.

We are all now fully into a comfortable and relaxed routine, which includes Peter & I making dinner one night and Team Roehrig making it the following night, while the alternating team does dishes. We usually eat at about 5:00 p.m. so that we can get the dishes done and then we gather in the cockpit to watch the sunset and reflect on the day (okay perhaps my Caveman Peter can't be that introspective as he has a can of beer, but there is hope that with another few centuries, he just might be). Three of us then hit the hay by 8:00 p.m. with either Peter or Doug taking the first 4-hour watch. They rotate alternating nights between this earlier night shift and the midnight - 4:00 a.m., with me taking the 4:00 - 8:00 a.m. watch (yes, I pulled the Princess shift which features stars/moon and the sunrise).

We have reached another milestone, besides being almost halfway there already. We are officially out of fresh vegetables and bread/buns. We had alot of our vegetables go bad, lots of eggs had to be thrown overboard, as well as the bread (Halldo, we didn't have the option of getting Bimbo bread that lasted you guys 9 days - still can't believe you ate that styrofoam stuff!) We still have about 3 days worth of fresh fruit left, although the bananas are just being used for banana bread, etc. Tomorrow morning Shelby and I will attempt our first loaf of bread (yes, Martha Stewart watch out!).

So have a great birthday Dorothy. Miss you and thinking of you!

The Wild Blue Yonder

Yesterday we travelled 177 miles, bringing our daily average to 176 per day. (Halldo, Peter wants to tell you that we did as many miles in 6 days as you two did enroute to the Galapagos in 9.5 days). Lest he becomes smug about it, the forecast is calling for an El Nino year, which means the winds are lighter than normal, the monsoons in India are a week late, and the magical islands of the Galapagos will take a beating with a severe loss of life predicted to the iguanas and bird population. As we still have almost 2,000 miles stretched out before us, it is likely that the wind will diminish and our daily average becomes greatly reduced.

In the afternoon yesterday while flying the gennaker, we had a couple of interesting incidents - three in the space of half an hour. The highlight during these strong winds and high swells, was that Shelby was a star! She didn't panic and was a much valued crew member to assist in getting the chute down. (note to Shelby's Mom and Oma - there was no danger, just lots of noise). What has been really inspiring is that she is very comfortable in the sea, no matter how much tilting (her words) it does. She now knows it is actually called heeling. She is full of life again and Doug is back to normal with them making another great dinner last night.

Throughout the watches last night we enjoyed a full moon, which didn't set until about 6:00 a.m., at which time the sun rise provided a great backdrop to Shelby and I's crossword puzzle game! We have clear skies today, the least cloud cover to date, with temperatures of 27 degrees, 20 knots of wind from the South East, with QuickStar humming along with a reefed jenny and mainsail. We haven't seen any dolphins, but see the occasional sea bird, which is amazing since we are over 1,000 miles from the nearest landmass. The depth of the water here is 2 kilometers and we sailed over section about 150 miles in diameter that was actually almost 6 kilometers deep. Certainly makes us seem like small specks in the scheme of things.

Shelby's Back!

Day Seven - Monday, July 6, 2009

Since yesterday morning we have travelled 159 miles, still trucking along nicely. We had some pretty large rollers yesterday in the range of 10 - 15 feet, but our point of sail was such that it made for a nice relaxed, comfortable voyage. Shelby was still feeling sea sick, but at 4:00p.m. when we were surrounded by a large pod of dolphins (Gray Striped Dolphins) who entertained us for over an hour, she felt better as she watched them at the bow. It was funny that she said "I wish I could touch one", when all of a sudden a flying fish smacked her in the forehead!

So we are all thinking that it just makes matters worse for Shelby to just sit like a lump in the cockpit, (as Doug says) so after Peter and I made dinner, Doug went below to do the dishes. I did my "tough love" routine and told Shelby that she would need to help her Dad and pull her weight and so she went below and Team Roehrig did an awesome job with the days' worth of dishes. The trick seems to be keeping her busy and she is doing just awesome now, with rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes and cheerful as always.

After dinner, Doug was on the first night shift, so when Peter & I went to bed she stayed in the cockpit with her Dad. It was a beautiful night with a brilliant, bright, almost full moon. They got an added bonus as a pod of Common Dolphins played around the boat for an hour. The seas were getting pretty messy at this point and we were unable to really sleep as it felt like we were in a washing machine.

When I came on for my shift we had already reefed (I get special treatment on my shifts as I don't have as much sailing experience, and we always take more precautions for sailing in the dark). The moon was still shining brightly, and I felt a glow of happiness with Peter sleeping in the cockpit beside me(way more comfortable than our forward cabin with the lumpy seas) while I listened to the wise and melodic voice of Sidney Poirter (An Immeasurable Life) and knit another square for Kylie's afghan. The moon disappeared at about 5:00a.m and around 5:30a.m. I saw a light off in the distance that looked like it might be a boat. I went forward a bit to get a better view of it, and it turned out to be an incredible moon setting. While I was mesmerized by this, a large pod of dolphins surrounded the boat and showed off for a whole hour as the sun came up. Far too magical for words!

We are having a great, sunny day and we've launched the genneker, without incident. All of us participated and Shelby also coiled all the lines and is happily on deck, chatting away in her delightful enthusiastic manner. It's great to have her back and I"m sure we'll be playing lots of games together again.

Doug is still under the weather, but it is definitely a stomach issue (and no Danny, Kylie and Ryan, it is NOT from my cooking!) He's toughing it out and pushing through it, so you'd never even know that he wasn't 100%.

We have almost reached the 1/3 way mark. Tonight is the full moon - how very lucky we are to be out here in the vast ocean to experience it. It will become more difficult each day to get the right propagation for the Ham Radio sending blog updates, so please DO NOT WORRY if you don't hear from us for a few days. Have yourself a great week.
P.S. Halldo has requested a daily "spotting update", so for yesterday, 5 flying fish on the deck, one squid, one floating plastic Seven Up bottle (it's a mystery), about 100 striped dolphins, 50 common dolphins in the evening and hundreds more this morning and a partridge in a pear tree (nix on the last one).

Spotted a Whale

Day Six - Sunday, July 5, 2009

Hola. Warm greetings from the wild blue yonder. Yesterday afternoon the winds continued to diminish with minor spurts of rain showers. Our distance for the 24 hours was a really respectable 168 miles. We expect this to be lower again today, but we are still really happy with our overall progress.

Before sunset we saw our first whale. Not entirely sure what kind it was, as we didn't get to see it close up, but the consensus seems to be a Sperm Whale, based on our whale sighting guide. The amount of squid are decreasing, while the flying fish found on the deck in the morning is increasing.

Doug seems to be getting better - he persisted and managed to make a great dinner last night. Shelby is still hanging out in the cockpit and this morning almost made another offering to King Neptune. I think at this rate, I'll simply report if and when they are both back to normal.

My night watch last night was awesome. Yes, hard to believe this is me saying this. Who would have thought? It was 100% cloud cover, without any moon or stars peeking out, so it was the darkest and most surreal I've ever seen. I treasure these peaceful hours by hooking up the IPOD and listening to non-fiction audio books. (Yes, Gillian I'm a geek and still love learning!) Quite the motivating environment to be sponging it all up in. I"m currently listening to Sidney Poirier's book that he wrote when he was 80 years old. (Dorothy - Doug's mother, not my sister - read it and Doug said she loved it. I do too and Doug will be listening to it on his watches as well!). While listening to the IPOD I'm also knitting Kylie's endless afghan. Murray and Shorry you may recall me starting it 4 years ago while you were onboard. I bought the wool and Peter said "I didn't know you knew how to knit" and then I produced the book I also bought "how to learn how to knit in one day". Anyway, the end result is that I'm knitting these squares as we travel and each square has a story. Yesterday I was in the middle of one, when Doug shouted "there's a whale". So, yes, the quilt will have my signature style which means holes, uneven, etc. but it is made with love and lots of stories. (Yes, Kylie I miss you lots xoxoxoxox).

Today is mostly cloudy, swells are about 9 feet with 11 second intervals. Winds of about 10 knots. We'll stay on this tack the entire way as we have the benefit of the South East trade Winds. We simply trim the sails based on the wind and change the foresail when the weather warrants.

This morning Peter threw out the hook, and within a half an hour we had a 30 inch, 6 pound Dorado in the fridge for dinner. Both Doug and Peter were pretty happy campers bringing it in and Shelby watched with awe, seasickness forgotten in the thrill of the moment.

Wishing you all a great Sunday. I'll check in again tomorrow.
P.S. Fatima as I'm writing this I'm listening to Pancho & Sal - another great disc thanks!

188 miles in the last 24 hours - YIPEE!

Day Five, Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy Birthday Lesley - dear friend (Away Lime!) I'd have a drink to toast you, except I"m not drinking while underway, so will have to wait until landfall in the Marquessa's. Peter will have an extra beer!

We had another record breaking day (methinks it will be the last one for a little while since the wind has diminished). We made 188 miles with wind of 15 - 20 knots. We flew the Geneker (which is a bigger cruising sail that we use in place of the genoa). It was a bit of a gong show as we set it up for the first time, especially with an 8 foot swell, but we eventually mastered it in time to get in a few hours before we doused it at sunset (my prerequisite and not Doug or Peter's choice - but the motto on board is "Safety First").

I'm sending this a bit later in the day than normal, since we have put up the geneker again, after a rolly breakfast of French Toast and split teas/juices. Again we had some interesting moments, but we are getting better at communicating with one another and giving and understanding instructions clearly.

Yesterday was our first full day where everyone felt great - including Doug who is getting better minute by minute. Shelby has figured out if she stays above decks she is fine, but hopefully she'll be able to move around freely without feeling queasy.

During the day, we enjoyed the sunshine, doing crossword puzzles and games with Shelby, reading, relaxing and also Shelby and Doug practiced their knots in the afternoon. We took our first showers and have all added a few bruises. A special thanks to Fatima who gave me some DVD's as a goodbye present...while making a celebratory steak dinner I was rocking along with Alba, and it couldn't have been more appropriate as they belted out "I had a Dream!!!!". Then to cap off the great day the sea was kind as it flattened out for us to all enjoy dinner together sitting down and listening to Il Divo - Siempre. Just magical - thanks Fatima!

The night watches were a bit of a challenge, since the winds died down and the waves/swells increased forcing us to hand steer most of the night. We are still getting used to "Max", our self steering system, so we'll continue to tweak it and get to know the ins and outs to make it work well under all conditions. We also saw far off in the distance our first boat. We think it was a fishing boat, possibly from Japan, but never got close enough to even pick it up on radar.

So as I write this, we have just been hit with a squall - lots of rain and it looks like it will hang around for a bit. The wind has died down to about 10 knots, making the seas even lumpier. The swells are eight feet every 8 seconds. It is always more challenging having four people on a sailboat while in a downpour, especially since it is warm and humid (25 degrees - 80% humidity) which makes it too uncomfortable for sleeping or being down below (except since I've promised to do this every day - I'm hanging in here for a few minutes more). Doug and Shelby are both feeling a little queasy again, so it might be a long, long day for them.

Thanks for following us along and Happy Birthday again to Les!

Still breaking records

We had another 10/10 cruising day. Peter can't get the smile off his face - we broke our record with 185 miles covered in a nice steady sea. We went through about 3 minor squalls, all of which passed within 10 minutes. Good to get some of the squid ink wiped off the deck.
The other record broken is that three nights aboard is my longest time ever without stopping. I'm doing the 4:00 a.m. watches, and yes, I'll admit it - loving them. It is pitch black when I come on, with a sky dancing full of dazzling stars. By about 6:00 the stars start to disappear and get replaced with a fabulous sunrise. Shelby didn't make it up for it today, but that is a good sign because it means she is sleeping more soundly and longer. Doug is still not feeling perfect, but is definitely on an upswing. Shelby was great all day and just got a little queasy again this morning, but we suspect it was due to her intense concentration on her crossword puzzle (thanks again Don for bringing them - we've finished one book and are on to the second one).
Today is another partly cloudy, mostly sunny day. The seas are a bit sloppier, with swells of about 8 feet covered with a one foot wave. Still very comfortable for us as we are all getting our sea legs.
Peter says we are still on track for an 18 day crossing, but realistically any day that covers 120 miles is considered a GREAT day for cruising. We are all enjoying ourselves as we are getting in to the groove. So unbelievable not to have a huge "to-do" list or any firm plans. We even ate our first big meal yesterday at lunch - just because we felt like it and we could! So we have ahead of us, long peaceful days to fill as we choose. A real exercise in being a human being instead of a human doing!
(Charli - Shelby is doing really well - I really enjoy having her onboard. Thanks for sharing your daughter for the summer - she so reminds me of Kylie at that age).
P.S. Squid count is down today - only 3 - but a couple of flying fish. No other wildlife spotted.
Talk to you tomorrow.....

Are We There Yet?

Day Three, Thursday, July 2, 2009

We had a fabulous "record" day covering 172 nautical miles our first full 24 hours. We have been sailing the entire time, and it looks like the weather forecast is going to be very kind to us.

Everyone, with the exception of Peter, is still trying to find our sea legs. Peter is oblivious to the rolling sea and just walks around with a big smile on his face saying "isn't life great". Shelby made her offering to the sea yesterday, but is fine as a fiddle today and already busy with her Sudoko puzzles. She is planning on baking cookies later today, so she is in great spirits.

Doug may not be seasick, but rather he thinks he might have the flu, which has knocked him for a loop. I"m sure he'll be up and around soon. Fortunately, our self-steering wind vane, Max, has been doing all the work on the helm, so it has been pretty easy, breazy for us crew. We haven't really been eating much either, so we've only done one kitchen clean up this morning while heeled over at about 15 degrees. Managed to spill water all over the cabin and break our plastic salad dish when Max disengaged and the boat went rocking and rolling. Just added confirmation for not having anything glass on on the boat.

At sunset, Shelby saw her first group of about 7 dolphins, so she was pretty happy. All night long we were accompanied by a pair of night gulls. Shelby and I did deck clean up again this morning and offloaded 14 dead squid. No flying fish though. Shelby got up early to share the sunrise on my watch. Very magical out here. The day looks like it is going to be another beautiful, sunny day with the wind starting to come more from behind than abeam, so the heeling should be reduced. QuickStar continues to thrive in this weather and is rewarding us with 8 - 10 knots of speed. Halldo, Peter says you'll have to come back to enjoy this point of sail instead of the bashing over you did to get to the Galapagos.

We'll check in again tomorrow.

And we're off!

Day One, Tuesday,June 30, 2009

In the middle of a busy day in Academy Bay harbour in the Galapagos, we lifted our two anchors (bow and stern) and headed out to sea. We had said our farewells at the internet cafe, done our final provisioning and readied the boat in the morning, as well as saying farewell to all the water taxi drivers that we had come to know so well. Time of departure 2:42 p.m. Conditions were favourable - slightly cloudy, 25 degrees and about 14 knots of wind. As soon as we rounded the headland, we were able to set the sails - with a reefed main and a reefed jenny (meaning that we didn't use the full sails, as they weren't necessary). Our speed has averaged a perfect 7.5 - 8.5 knots. Shelby spied a couple of whales off in the distance - making for a great departure.

The sea was a little lumpy, and although Doug, Shelby and I all took some preventative sea sickness medication, I still managed to make my offering into the sea right around sun set.

We were unable to connect in last night, due to poor propogation, so that is why you didn't get this message then (also not sure that I could have managed to be belowdecks and writing this anyway).

Day Two, Wednesday, July 1st - HAPPY CANADA DAY

Peter took the first shift last night until we cleared the Islands and made our course change. We are now on the rhumb line (bearing 259) and have shaken out the reefs. This slight course change made for smoother seas, as we are now on a great reach doing about 8 knots. Peter has paid homage to the wind gods, as QuickStar is just humming along. It's pretty cool to see our position of 1 degree south - first time I've sailed in the Southern Hemisphere.

Shelby was up early with us this morning and she saw her first ever sunrise. She said "I've never been up early enough to see one before". Shelby and I then went on "squid" detail where we went around the boat and offloaded about 12 dead squids. Pretty gross, but I think she got a kick out of it. Everyone is feeling great and we are optimistic that on this bright, sunny day we will see some dolphins and whales.

Wishing everyone a terrific Canada Day.