We were sailing along beautifully towards Aitutaki, with light following breeze and seas. That’s when our new halyard chafed through. Fortunately, the knot caught the block and kept the whole thing from falling into the water in front of us. The halyard comes out of the mast, drops down through … Read More
Bora Sharks
We stayed in Bora Bora a little longer than we first thought we would. We had friends in the bay with us, the kids were having fun swimming and playing Fortnite together, and we were feeling pretty content just sitting here enjoying the view. Every day there is a group … Read More
Bora Bora
Sailing into Bora Bora is amazing, really. It’s just another one of those iconic places. The kind of place a well-heeled tourist can fly into, but to sail here in your own home is a vastly different experience. My mom and brother were two of those well-heeled tourists twenty years … Read More
Last Minute Tahiti
We walked past the Presidential Palace last week and were welcomed inside the gates by the security guard. We inquired about a tour and they gave us a request form to fill out. A week later we were being led around by a very friendly guy who is absolutely in … Read More
Tahiti To-Do
Most people don’t come to Tahiti with the idea of doing a bunch of work, but that’s sort of what has happened to us. Admittedly, we could have done more to prepare our boat for sailing around the world. We’ve got a list of excuses for why we didn’t, but … Read More
Papeete Boat Prep
We came to Tahiti with a long list of things to do, starting with simply giving the boat a thorough cleaning, and washing everything onboard. The Papeete lunch of choice seems to be shoving a bunch of Chinese food into a baguette. Solid choice that I won’t argue with. It’s … Read More
On to Tahiti
Our weather window to leave Fakarava and head to Tahiti dragged out a few days later than we thought it would. We don’t have long stay visas, which means we’re on the clock here and will need to be leaving French Polynesia by the end of the month. We figured … Read More
All Around Fakarava
Headed to the bar. Well, it’s a dive resort that half-heartedly sells warmish beers to the cruisers that show up to hang out. This week there were a number of well-known Youtubers there, so it could have easily been mistaken for a movie set, complete with autograph seekers and small … Read More
Fakarava Grouper Spawn
We sailed a few miles from the Hirifa anchorage to the Fakarava South Pass anchorage. All anyone had been talking about was the Marbled Grouper spawning which happens once a year on the full moon in July. Tens of thousands of Grouper fill this pass, which is sort of cool … Read More
Fakarava Atoll
We woke up with a nice forecast for a quick overnight passage from Tahanea to our next stop, Fakarava. Fakarava Atoll is about thirty miles long, and we could have made the south pass in just a few hours, but by this point we were out of food, fuel, and … Read More
Drifting in Tahanea
Drift diving is the one and only activity on Tahanea. We watch the tide table, wait until a little bit after the incoming tide begins, dinghy just outside the pass into deep water, and jump in for the ride. No work required. Just float at a couple of knots while … Read More