We made it !
Sint Maarten to Australia, home.... well not Perth but the Queensland coast (little did we know that this was soon going to be home)
And a big thank you for the support and guidance from the beginning............. way back in the Caribbean - Geoff & Merel and Greg
Read MoreWe left Vanuatu with light winds and a moderate sea…it did not stay that way for long. By day two we had 20 kts on the beam and four meter waves coming from the same direction. We had waves smashing into the side of the boat and a few making it into the cockpit. We even had water cascade into the saloon…who forgot to close the hatch??? By day three things had started to lighten up with the wind and waves behind us so we poled out wing and wing…very nice. We put the fishing line out and caught a big male dorado.
Read MoreThe passage from Fiji was hard work and it seems as though the days of champagne sailing are behind us. Unfortunately Si caught a cold the day after leaving Fiji so he was miserable for two days. During the four day passage we were constantly looking over our shoulder for the dark clouds associated with the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ). We thought we had got away but sure enough on day four, the heavens opened and stayed that way for the next 24 hours.
Read MoreI rate a passage by three important elements; what percentage of time do we spend outside in the cockpit, the number of bruisers I acquire through constantly knocking myself and lastly, how much sleep I get per night (can range from 2 hrs to 7hrs). So the overall passage rating from Tonga to Fiji was “HORRIBLE”. It was overcast and cold, by the time we reached Fiji, my butt was one complete bruise and I was a walking zombie. We also got hit by our first real tropical storm that came out of nowhere.
Read MoreWe arrived in Tonga, the Vava’u island group to blue skies and lush green islands. The topography was different to what we both expected but not disappointing. We docked next to the main wharf and watched the procession of local bureaucrats…quarantine, customs, immigration and health come on board for us to fill out their paper work and a chat. They where all very sweet as Si had sustained a burn (cup of hot coffee) on route and needed to get it checked by the doctor. The health guy drove us to the hospital
Read MorePalmerston in the Cook Islands is a tiny isolated atoll 600nm West of Bora Bora and 500nm from Tonga. There is no airstrip and it is only accessible by sea. There are approx 70 people residing on Palmerston including 25 children. Most of them are descendants from the William Marsters and his three wives. There is a bit of inbreeding but when you are that isolated…..
Read MoreWe had a wonderful time in the Society Islands. The islands are stunning. They are a mix between the Marquesas with tall lush volcanic mountains and the Tuamotus with lovely coral reefs and turquoise water. Add plenty of blue sky, four of our closest friends from Perth, and you have the ingredients for an amazing 11 days.
After another windless passage from the Tuamotus to Papeete (Tahiti), we arrived with barely enough fuel to spare.
The passage to the Tuamatu’s was fairly uneventful. Once again, we ran out of wind after the first day and had to motor for the remaining three. If we had of left two days earlier, we would have had too much wind…seems to be a reoccurring theme.
The Tuamatu’s are a group of 78 coral atolls that generally enclose a lagoon. The pass into the atolls are to be navigated with care as they are relatively narrow and have strong currents running depending on the time (high and low tide). Best time to attempt the passes is during slack water, though we never quiet sure when this was, so we went with the flow…literally.
Read MoreOnce upon a time, in a land far, far away, Sailing Yacht Woodsia arrived in the mysterious land of Marquesas. The people spoke a strange tongue but they all looked like Kiwis. It is a tropical island with tall volcanic mountains that jut sharply into the deep deep sea (1,185m high and 40 - 100m deep). It was warm and the hills were lush and green, a magnet to clouds that had never seen land (it rained a lot).
Read MoreClose your eyes and imagine for three weeks you and one other (recommend that it is someone you get along with rather than someone you fantasise about), are confined to your lounge room, kitchen and bathroom, now divide that space into one third. With the exception of email, you have no contact with the outside world, no television, no newspapers and no internet. You are only able to prepare meals with food that you currently have available to you and the alcohol has been confiscated. By the way you are unable to use the microwave, bread maker, freezer, food processor or toaster. To top it off, at any one time, one of you has to be awake. Having fun yet????
Read MoreAs the sun rose on our 10th day at sea, you could see the Galapagos Islands. The swell dropped and looked like we would see blue sky for the first time in days. Already you could tell there was something special about the place.
Read MoreAfter finally leaving Panama, we headed for the Las Perlas island of Isla Pedro Gonzales for a rest before heading to the Galapagos. These islands are approx 35 nm from Panama City and have plenty of wild life and greenery. We anchored in a secluded bay north of the island to avoid the southerly swell. We had two nights of perfect weather. About 500m away there was another island that is a breeding colony for pelicans and other sea going birds. So there was no lack of bird watching to be had. We took the dingy across the reef & bay to the small village. Si wanted to replace the 10 liters of diesel we had used to get there. So after a couple of attempts (first attempt produced a black oily fuel) with an audience of about 20 we managed to get our fuel. Si also picked up a few more bottles of $6 rum……..(don’t ask how much wine, rum, vodka, tequila, whisky & gin we are carrying…for bartering so we say…).
Read MoreAfter finally leaving Panama, we headed for the Las Perlas island of Isla Pedro Gonzales for a rest before heading to the Galapagos. These islands are approx 35 nm from Panama City and have plenty of wild life and greenery. We anchored in a secluded bay north of the island to avoid the southerly swell. We had two nights of perfect weather. About 500m away there was another island that is a breeding colony for pelicans and other sea going birds. So there was no lack of bird watching to be had. We took the dingy across the reef & bay to the small village. Si wanted to replace the 10 liters of diesel we had used to get there. So after a couple of attempts (first attempt produced a black oily fuel) with an audience of about 20 we managed to get our fuel. Si also picked up a few more bottles of $6 rum……..(don’t ask how much wine, rum, vodka, tequila, whisky & gin we are carrying…for bartering so we say…).
Read MoreThe big day had finally arrived. No matter how much you read and speak to people about the Panama Canal transit, the whole thing still seemed like a daunting task.
Firstly you need one captain, four line handlers and an advisor (from the Canal Authority). Jen and Ulf from Sea Quill, who we met on the way back from San Blas, kindly assisted with the lines. We also hired Rudy as our fourth lines person. Whilst in Colon, Rudy was our personal assistant, taxi driver & general advisor. He is Panamanian with many years experience transiting the locks.
Read MoreAfter another night of watching big ships pass us by we arrived at Panama on Sunday 27th April. We passed through the breakwater into a very large harbour then made our way to “The Flats” near the Panama Yacht Club. It is the popular anchorage used by yachts waiting to transit the Canal. After a few celebratory drinks with Greg and Dan from Cadans, we went ashore to have a look around. Within the first 10 minutes of speaking to a few cruisers, a couple of themes started to emerge. Firstly, crime in Colon is rife. Apparently an Aussie guy had been shot
Read MoreThe remainder of our visit to the British Virgin Islands went by in a flash. A lot of lazy days snorkelling, eating and drinking.
Read MoreWe finally escaped St Martin. We had some good news. Our auto pilot could be fixed without having to wait for parts from the States. It is amazing what you can achieve when they want the dock space. After about 10 trips to the supermarket and a lot of hair pulling trying to work out where to put every thing, we were all provisioned ready to go.
Read MoreWe are still in St Maarten. It has just been over two weeks since we arrived back from Mexico and time has flown. It has been two weeks of hard work getting Woodsia in ship shape for her voyage. Our days start at 8am and are lucky to finish by 6pm. It has been hot sweaty work but we are slowly getting there.
Read MoreWe got in about 10.30pm to St Maarten. It was a long day. We got to out hotel at about 11 ish only to find no one at reception. Just as we had made other arrangements to stay at a hotel in Philipsburg, someone showed up (about 12.30am). The next day we got to Oyster Pond around 1pm. Woodsia was waiting for us.
Read MoreWe decided to head back to Isla Majures for a bit of rest and recreation before going back to St Maartin where things would be hectic getting the boat ready. We arrived to find some of the old crew had left but replaced by a group of Canadians that get together each year. We spent our days lying on the beach, drinking margaritas, tequila, and eating great Mexican food.
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