Highest Highs and Lowest Lows!

Highest Highs and Lowest Lows!

The emotions that come along with the life of cruising are a difficult thing at best to try to explain to others. The best way we have been able to explain it is by comparing it to a dysfunctional relationship. We have found that they both have more or less the same emotional repercussions. Some moments you find yourself ecstatic to be alive, so happy that your temples start aching from smiling so much. While other moments you are consumed and blinded by tears of exhaustion and frustration. The last month and a half has been more or less a merry go round of these two extremes at all time heightened level.

After leaving the picturesque and highly expensive islands of French Polynesia, we headed to sea for a week long journey that would turn us up at a completely secluded atoll in the Cook Islands. Being that the only way to visit this tiny seclude island surrounded with unexplored reef is by boat we were pretty excited to see what it had to offer. Once again the lure of the untouched, unspoiled and practically uninhabited areas of the world was sucking us in. What we seem to tend to forget is the other half of the magical fairytale that these places hold. The process of actually getting to these secluded places off the beaten track! The next week was spent miserably rocking back and forth while huge waves of white water crashed into our boat completely soaking everything. We were glued to our seats because the moment we stood up you were either slammed to the floor or thrown across the boat, adding to one of the millions of bruises that covered our bodies by the end of the trip. The ocean was defiantly testing us at level we hadn’t experienced in a long time. The crazy part was we knew that we could turn and take a different more comfortable angle and head for another land fall at any time but our stubbornness and the intrigue of tiny little Suwurrow posed to be stronger than even the fury the ocean was dishing out!
The first thing we saw after the sun rise, while pulling in through the pass at Suwurrow, was a mom and baby Humpback whale swimming out to sea and from that moment on there was nothing but smiles and diving for the rest of our stay. No matter how horrible, uncomfortable, dirty and obnoxious the passages can get. Within an hour or two of dropping the hook, all the bad memories seem to disappear and are quickly replaced with the feeling of accomplishment and excitement.
Suwarrow was everything we were looking for and more. Only one family lives on the island a few months out of the year to collect park fees and make sure the cruisers that do decide to visit protect the surrounding environment. The island itself is covered with palm tress and white sand beaches while the waters surrounding are even more spectacular. Every day was spent diving with our good friends that had also made the passage out to this unbelievable speck in the middle of the ocean. We felt like we were back in the Tuamotus with the abundance of sea life and crystal clear water. Being that there were no stores for hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction fish and coconuts became a nice supplement to our canned varieties. Brandon devoured every second of the time he got diving the pass. Spear fishing became his new found hobby being that the surf was pretty small. Although we did surf one night at sunset and got some really fun right handers. Between Brandon and our friends on Damojo, we were in no shortage of fresh delicious fish. Many hours were spent hunting down the prized catch TUNA!!!!!!!!! One night just before sunset we got quite a show as Brandon shot a Tuna that managed to swim off with the spear. Within seconds the sharks had caught the scent of the struck fish and just as Brandon was able to hop in the skiff a massive ball of about fifty sharks devoured the tuna before our eyes. It was a huge awakening and reminder to both of us to remember that we were diving off a reef in the middle of the Pacific with hundreds of hungry hungry SHARKs! That experience did not stop us from diving every day but it did seem to tone down the demand for fish! It was so unreal to be swimming along a reef covered with coral and teeming with sharks, fish and turtles. When we weren’t admiring the sea life we were staring mesmerized out into the middle of the Pacific where all we could see was nothing but blue for as far out and deep as your eyes could follow. The reef literally dropped off straight out into the middle of the BIG BLUE PACIFIC! Our days in Suwurrow were worth every minute of every agonizing hour spent getting there. After a week we knew we had to keep going for there were places to see and more Open Ocean to throw us around. So all too quickly we were off for another round of man vs. nature!

Our next stop was an even more secluded island than Suwurrow. Absolutely no one lived on the island. Only a colony of birds were the lucky inhabitants that had the privilege of calling Rose Island home. We only were able to spend one night at this island because of an intense high pressure system that was building bringing rowdy seas and winds with it. That day will never be forgotten though. Once again in the company of our friends Damojo, we were treated to a scuba dive in the pass the morning before we left. Although there was not as much sea life around as there was in Suwarrow we were blessed with the high pitched singing of a mama and baby humpback whale. There communication went on for almost an hour and they were so close to us that we could feel the vibration of there song in our chests. We did not come face to face with them under water but as we left sailing along the Southwest edge of the island we spotted four of them as they waved and splashed only a few yards from our boat. So BEAUTIFUL!!

With weather being always in charge of our constantly changing itinerary, we swapped a landfall in Tonga for Western Samoa to avoid getting slammed by the 40 knot winds and 20 ft seas that were forecasted. Traveling to these remote places is amazing and unlike any experience we have ever had but it leaves you high and dry after a while. With only a few liters of water, no fresh fruits or vegetables and a boat full of dirty laundry, our spirits were lifted onto a pedestal as we motored in to Western Samoa to realize that they had a built a brand new marina. Within minutes we were tied up to the dock for the first time since Nicaragua and the water was flowing. Nothing can compare with the luxury of fresh water when you are cruising. Needless to say once again the discomfort of the passage was quickly washed away as the salt crystals disappeared off the boat and the water tanks began to overflow.

Samoa is unlike anywhere we had visited in the South Pacific. In fact it had more of a Central America feeling. With everything costing half the price instead of double, like in Tahiti, we decided to splurge and went on a road trip in search of waves with our good friends on Domojo. Although the predicted swell was defiantly rolling through, the waves were either too fickle or too treacherous. We did manage to paddle out and have some fun at a few spots though. We visited both of the Samoan Islands in our three day tour and even got to take our car on a ferry across to Savaii. The islands were lush and covered with waterfalls, caves and blowholes. One of the favorite pastimes of the trip became throwing coconuts into the blowholes and seeing how far Mother Nature could launch them up into the sky!

Back at the marina we took care of the small errands we had but spent the majority of our time eating ice cream, drinking the local beer and of course shopping. The fresh fruits and vegetable markets were the best we have seen since Mexico... Families were lined up selling everything from fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers to the biggest yummiest avocados and stalks of ripe bananas. Our mouths watered as we filled up bag after bag of the fresh delicacies we had gone without for so long. With shopping, eating and relaxing accomplished we realized it was time to keep on keeping on and make our way to Tonga. On our way to checkout of customs we were surrounded by the most colorful rambunctious parade we have ever been to. It was like the Solstice parade in Santa Barbara but instead of crazy colorful hippies dancing and singing on there homemade floats, it was 300+ pound Samoan men and women dancing and singing on their colorful homemade floats. It defiantly ended up being one of those afternoons when your temples ach from smiling so much. The parade went on for hours as we followed along and took pictures until it ended at the front of the main Government building. There the Samoan dancing, fire throwing and singing continued as the entire town gathered around. It was the most upbeat passionate crowd we have ever been surrounded by. Our favorite part of the whole parade was defiantly the 60 year old Samoan grandma who while getting down was using a spray bottle to cool off her 400 lb husband who was also doing a pretty good job at pulling the moves. It was a hilarious experience that summed up Samoan culture for us perfectly.

With the weather turning around, we took the window and left the marina early the next morning. Since the swell and wind had been so ferocious for the last week we knew that the conditions were going to be uncomfortable at best. But time is ticking and it is time to get to New Zealand. So here we sit once again glued to our bunk getting doused regularly by waves as we beat into it trying to make as much easting as we can in order to stay on our rumb line to Tonga. Once again we are consumed with feelings of exhaustion and frustration as the sea has its way with us. We know all to well by now that tomorrow morning we will be anchored up amongst the islands of Vava’u in Tonga and all these feeling will be erased. After a dive in the crystal clear waters only the good memories will remain and the rest will be the huge feeling of accomplishment. Because now we realize we only have one more passage left to make it to New Zealand where this crazy adventure will all too quickly come to an end.

Highest Highs and Lowest Lows!

The emotions that come along with the life of cruising are a difficult thing at best to try to explain to others. The best way we have been able to explain it is by comparing it to a dysfunctional relationship. We have found that they both have more or less the same emotional repercussions. Some moments you find yourself ecstatic to be alive, so happy that your temples start aching from smiling so much. While other moments you are consumed and blinded by tears of exhaustion and frustration. The last month and a half has been more or less a merry go round of these two extremes at all time heightened level.

After leaving the picturesque and highly expensive islands of French Polynesia, we headed to sea for a week long journey that would turn us up at a completely secluded atoll in the Cook Islands. Being that the only way to visit this tiny seclude island surrounded with unexplored reef is by boat we were pretty excited to see what it had to offer. Once again the lure of the untouched, unspoiled and practically uninhabited areas of the world was sucking us in. What we seem to tend to forget is the other half of the magical fairytale that these places hold. The process of actually getting to these secluded places off the beaten track! The next week was spent miserably rocking back and forth while huge waves of white water crashed into our boat completely soaking everything. We were glued to our seats because the moment we stood up you were either slammed to the floor or thrown across the boat, adding to one of the millions of bruises that covered our bodies by the end of the trip. The ocean was defiantly testing us at level we hadn’t experienced in a long time. The crazy part was we knew that we could turn and take a different more comfortable angle and head for another land fall at any time but our stubbornness and the intrigue of tiny little Suwurrow posed to be stronger than even the fury the ocean was dishing out!
The first thing we saw after the sun rise, while pulling in through the pass at Suwurrow, was a mom and baby Humpback whale swimming out to sea and from that moment on there was nothing but smiles and diving for the rest of our stay. No matter how horrible, uncomfortable, dirty and obnoxious the passages can get. Within an hour or two of dropping the hook, all the bad memories seem to disappear and are quickly replaced with the feeling of accomplishment and excitement.
Suwarrow was everything we were looking for and more. Only one family lives on the island a few months out of the year to collect park fees and make sure the cruisers that do decide to visit protect the surrounding environment. The island itself is covered with palm tress and white sand beaches while the waters surrounding are even more spectacular. Every day was spent diving with our good friends that had also made the passage out to this unbelievable speck in the middle of the ocean. We felt like we were back in the Tuamotus with the abundance of sea life and crystal clear water. Being that there were no stores for hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction fish and coconuts became a nice supplement to our canned varieties. Brandon devoured every second of the time he got diving the pass. Spear fishing became his new found hobby being that the surf was pretty small. Although we did surf one night at sunset and got some really fun right handers. Between Brandon and our friends on Damojo, we were in no shortage of fresh delicious fish. Many hours were spent hunting down the prized catch TUNA!!!!!!!!! One night just before sunset we got quite a show as Brandon shot a Tuna that managed to swim off with the spear. Within seconds the sharks had caught the scent of the struck fish and just as Brandon was able to hop in the skiff a massive ball of about fifty sharks devoured the tuna before our eyes. It was a huge awakening and reminder to both of us to remember that we were diving off a reef in the middle of the Pacific with hundreds of hungry hungry SHARKs! That experience did not stop us from diving every day but it did seem to tone down the demand for fish! It was so unreal to be swimming along a reef covered with coral and teeming with sharks, fish and turtles. When we weren’t admiring the sea life we were staring mesmerized out into the middle of the Pacific where all we could see was nothing but blue for as far out and deep as your eyes could follow. The reef literally dropped off straight out into the middle of the BIG BLUE PACIFIC! Our days in Suwurrow were worth every minute of every agonizing hour spent getting there. After a week we knew we had to keep going for there were places to see and more Open Ocean to throw us around. So all too quickly we were off for another round of man vs. nature!

Our next stop was an even more secluded island than Suwurrow. Absolutely no one lived on the island. Only a colony of birds were the lucky inhabitants that had the privilege of calling Rose Island home. We only were able to spend one night at this island because of an intense high pressure system that was building bringing rowdy seas and winds with it. That day will never be forgotten though. Once again in the company of our friends Damojo, we were treated to a scuba dive in the pass the morning before we left. Although there was not as much sea life around as there was in Suwarrow we were blessed with the high pitched singing of a mama and baby humpback whale. There communication went on for almost an hour and they were so close to us that we could feel the vibration of there song in our chests. We did not come face to face with them under water but as we left sailing along the Southwest edge of the island we spotted four of them as they waved and splashed only a few yards from our boat. So BEAUTIFUL!!

With weather being always in charge of our constantly changing itinerary, we swapped a landfall in Tonga for Western Samoa to avoid getting slammed by the 40 knot winds and 20 ft seas that were forecasted. Traveling to these remote places is amazing and unlike any experience we have ever had but it leaves you high and dry after a while. With only a few liters of water, no fresh fruits or vegetables and a boat full of dirty laundry, our spirits were lifted onto a pedestal as we motored in to Western Samoa to realize that they had a built a brand new marina. Within minutes we were tied up to the dock for the first time since Nicaragua and the water was flowing. Nothing can compare with the luxury of fresh water when you are cruising. Needless to say once again the discomfort of the passage was quickly washed away as the salt crystals disappeared off the boat and the water tanks began to overflow.

Samoa is unlike anywhere we had visited in the South Pacific. In fact it had more of a Central America feeling. With everything costing half the price instead of double, like in Tahiti, we decided to splurge and went on a road trip in search of waves with our good friends on Domojo. Although the predicted swell was defiantly rolling through, the waves were either too fickle or too treacherous. We did manage to paddle out and have some fun at a few spots though. We visited both of the Samoan Islands in our three day tour and even got to take our car on a ferry across to Savaii. The islands were lush and covered with waterfalls, caves and blowholes. One of the favorite pastimes of the trip became throwing coconuts into the blowholes and seeing how far Mother Nature could launch them up into the sky!

Back at the marina we took care of the small errands we had but spent the majority of our time eating ice cream, drinking the local beer and of course shopping. The fresh fruits and vegetable markets were the best we have seen since Mexico... Families were lined up selling everything from fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers to the biggest yummiest avocados and stalks of ripe bananas. Our mouths watered as we filled up bag after bag of the fresh delicacies we had gone without for so long. With shopping, eating and relaxing accomplished we realized it was time to keep on keeping on and make our way to Tonga. On our way to checkout of customs we were surrounded by the most colorful rambunctious parade we have ever been to. It was like the Solstice parade in Santa Barbara but instead of crazy colorful hippies dancing and singing on there homemade floats, it was 300+ pound Samoan men and women dancing and singing on their colorful homemade floats. It defiantly ended up being one of those afternoons when your temples ach from smiling so much. The parade went on for hours as we followed along and took pictures until it ended at the front of the main Government building. There the Samoan dancing, fire throwing and singing continued as the entire town gathered around. It was the most upbeat passionate crowd we have ever been surrounded by. Our favorite part of the whole parade was defiantly the 60 year old Samoan grandma who while getting down was using a spray bottle to cool off her 400 lb husband who was also doing a pretty good job at pulling the moves. It was a hilarious experience that summed up Samoan culture for us perfectly.

With the weather turning around, we took the window and left the marina early the next morning. Since the swell and wind had been so ferocious for the last week we knew that the conditions were going to be uncomfortable at best. But time is ticking and it is time to get to New Zealand. So here we sit once again glued to our bunk getting doused regularly by waves as we beat into it trying to make as much easting as we can in order to stay on our rumb line to Tonga. Once again we are consumed with feelings of exhaustion and frustration as the sea has its way with us. We know all to well by now that tomorrow morning we will be anchored up amongst the islands of Vava’u in Tonga and all these feeling will be erased. After a dive in the crystal clear waters only the good memories will remain and the rest will be the huge feeling of accomplishment. Because now we realize we only have one more passage left to make it to New Zealand where this crazy adventure will all too quickly come to an end.

Rewards!
Twenty years from know when we are looking back on this time in our life what will it be that we remember? What will we miss and what will hope to never experience again? The last few months in French Polynesia will definitely remain tattooed in our minds and hearts as the reason we chose sailing as our way to see the world. French Polynesia is constantly referred to as a “Cruisers Paradise” and it could not be a more accurate label. Leave Raiatea we both knew that realistically we would never have an experience like sailing through the Societies again . The perspective you get on these islands when anchored in the crystal clear lagoons is incomparable to what you can see from land. You are able to sit in only a few feet of crystal clear water, sitting as still as can be because you are completely protected from all the seas fury with a panoramic view of the lush islands behind . The atolls that encircle these islands have protected us from the open ocean for the last few months becoming not only home but our playground. The only entrance into these lagoons has been where we have spent 90% of the our time in French Polynesia. These perfectly constructed passes contain some of the most unreal diving and perfect waves in the universe.

Our first stop in the Societies after leaving the solitude of the wild Tuamotus was Tahiti. We were a little overwhelmed at first but quickly settled into the Polynesian culture and soaked up the fast pace city life of Papaette. Although most days were consumed with mainly errands since it had been months since we had access to markets, laundry, water and internet we always managed to fit in a surf or at least a good adventure. Once we had more or less gotten the boat back to normal we took a trip down to check out the “Oh so talked about” Teahupoo. The monster wave was pretty small and blown out the day we were there but it was a pretty magical little spot and easy to see its potential . After surfing and socializing with friends, that had finally come together after being scattered across the Pacific and a full dose of city life we escaped for better surf and clearer water in Moorea.

Moorea Moorea Moorea! The waves rolled through showing their perfect face day after day after day for a week straight. The time we spent on Moorea allowed us to finally take a deep breath and feel like we weren’t so crazy for deciding to sail halfway across the world to surf a few amazing waves. As the wind died down and the swell increased Gaviota sat still as could be in her protective bubble. While only a few hundred yards away we were able to surf some of the best waves of the trip, if not our life. After the first few days it got too big and the prospects of me ending up looking like hamburger meat on the reef became too great so Brandon took to conquering them alone. He managed to escape with only a few reef cuts and one broken board which was a small price to pay for the epic week that nature had presented us with. The days of surfing and walking along the quiet sleepy roads of Moorea quickly came to an end, as we had stayed until the last possible moment before having to leave for Huahine to pick up our first guest of the trip, Brandon’s sister.
The next few weeks with Christina became in a way like a vacation for us also. We indulged in good food and wine and enjoyed some of the more touristy activities that we don’t usually allow ourselves to splurge on. One of her first days in Huahine we were lucky enough to meet some locals and were able to share some freshly husked coconuts, pomplemous, star fruit and bananas. After seeing the abundance of fruit that the island had to offer we were determined to go be the resourceful trio we were and find our own supply. After a day of riding scooters around the island we came across the “jackpot.” With a handy machete and some savage tree climbing techniques we were able to make off completely loaded down with a stock of bananas, huge pomplemous and more star fruit than we could eat. We only had a few days in Huihine before we had to quickly move on to Raiatea and then Bora Bora where she was flying out of. The days were mainly filled with attempted hikes on some pretty rugged trails and some awesome shark dives. We even managed to reel in a fresh Mahi Mahi during her quick visit. Although the ten days she spent with us kind of turned into a power tour of the Societies we managed to fit in some pretty amazing experiences that we hope will leave her with the same magical feelings we have for French Polynesia.
After saying our goodbyes in Bora Bora we had a new mission to complete. One that we had attempted numerous times but always managed to fail. Our friend Liz who also left from Santa Barbara to sail the world a year before us was only a few miles away on her boat Swell and it was time to find her. After fumbled radio attempts and being anchored only miles away with out ever meeting up we decided with only a few weeks left it was time to get serious and at least get back to the same island she was on. We hightailed it back to Raiatea. Well, actually it was more of a miserable five hour beat back in slop before anchoring off a little motu that became more or less our home for the next two weeks. We finally met up with Liz and her friend Katie and spent the next week surfing and swapping sea stories. It was refreshing and exciting to finally meet up with someone that had chosen this lifestyle for similar reasons as us. We have met and hung out with so many people out here all with different stories and different ideas of what sailing and traveling means to them. To finally connect with someone who is out here to surf and to have the same experiences we are brought back the level of spice and excitement that we had originally left with. Over the next few weeks we spent our days surfing some awesome waves, climbing a few coconut trees, watching local Polynesian dancing, sharing good stories and eating a ton of cookies! It was a perfect place to meet up at the perfect time. We will never forget Raiatea or how lucky we were to have actually run into each other out on this huge ocean! Smooth Sailing Liz!
With time now running out we sit here hanging out with good friends on Bora Bora preparing to leave this enchanting wonderland. All of our time socializing, surfing, diving and exploring for the last two months has clouded our heads of the reality of what lye ahead. This time we won’t be leaving Bora Bora for a day sail to the next island . We are actually in for a rather rude awakening for next time we pull up the anchor it will be for a seven day passage to Swurrovw. As soon as life starts getting comfortable the wind steadily increases, the seas pick up and poof it is time to leave! The ups and downs that life throws at you out here seem to be intensified a million times over. But, it is what keeps us moving. curious and most of all humble.

Life in the Tuamotus!

Pictures have been added for the Marquesas also!

Life on an atoll!
Where one world ends and another begins! We never could have imagined that the tiny slivers of coral reef that separated and protected us from the open ocean could teach us what they have. The daily rythms that life takes here in the midst of such solitude and beauty are like nothing we have ever experienced. No matter how many times we have escaped to different remote cornors of the world, fleeing civilization, we have never experienced what we did in the last month. There is no way to emphasize how alone these atolls truly are. The weather patterns, crystal clear water, solitude, sea life and most of all emotions that engulfed us constantly, opened are eyes and minds while challenging us in ways that the rest of the world has yet to attempt. The lifestyle that we were quickly to adapt to forced us to slow down significantly in not only our actions but in our thoughts. These last weeks have for the first time allowed us to find a way to feel comfortable with a lifestyle we have always dreamed of but never been close enough to understand. The Tuamotus showed us not only a way of life but a way of thinking that can never be matched.
Adjusting to the slower pace of day to day life took us some time to understand and get accustomed to. Once our bodies and mind slowed we were able to truly submerge ourselves in a way that allowed us to enjoy our surroundings for all there simplicity and beauty. Leaving here today our boat is slowly being escorted by the outgoing tide back to the unprotected expansive Pacific Ocean. As we get pushed along we are reminded of how something as simple as the current, like so many patterns we came to trust and count on here has become our friend, our time keeper and our sense of security in a place so exposed and vulnerable to all of the seas glory!
The first time ashore this tiny coral outcropping in the middle of the Pacific is humerous to look back on. Prepared to conquer what ever the land and people may throw at us, we left to explore with a fully packed back pack, camera, shoes, pocket knife and expectations that no one cloud! As the days or in some cases the hours unfolded the back pack became to heavy and never needed, the pictures had been taken or could never be captured , the shoes became a hassle and we were taught the proper way to shuck a coconut so there was no longer a need for a pocket knife. So there we stood day after day in the clearest water we have ever seen with nothing but a bathing suit holding a snorkel in our water pruned hands.
We got used to the daily squalls that more often than not turned into full blown downpours, drenching our boat and everything on it. Somehow we never seemed to mind them because they were always accompanied by a full arched rainbow that was able to dry out our annoyance before it began. We awoke each morning having no plans and no expectations because they had all been met in ways that we have yet to understand. The ocean become our playground, our home, our life. The days spent spear fishing, scuba diving, surfing, wandering the deserted motus and eating more coconuts than we could stomach have left us salty, sunburned, tired and more content than ever!
This solitude that we came to know so well that was initially something hard to confront is now much harder to leave. As we skip along the ocean back in the big blue ocean we are no longer protectected by the atoll we came to know and love. We can’t stop staring at the tops of the palms as they disappear into the distance wondering if we will ever experience anything like this again. Physically nothing has changed since we arrived on this desolate island. There are still dozens of coral motus littered with coconuts and lined with Palm trees. The water is still as clear as glass teaming with sharks and tropical fish. We are leaveing our surroundings just as we found them and the daily routine of the people, animals and ocean continues on its repetitive cycle. The life that we entered moves along the same as it has been for as long as one can remember but it all feels, smells and looks so different to us. Our stay here has opened our eyes and our hearts to the true meaning of island life and even when submersed back into civilization we will never forget the way we felt so at home in such desolation.

Pacific Crossing - Done!

Arriving in the Marquesas has defiantly been one of the most rewarding and meaningful moments in our lives. The excitement that we greet each day with is partly due to the amazing experiences we have had while exploring these hidden gems and partly from what it took to successfully arrive here. The last few months back on Gaviota have left us with not only the realization of how much we have invested to reach this point but more importantly has reminded us of our purpose for initiating this journey in the first place. After over four years of owning, working on and traveling with Gaviota we finally remember and feel reconnected with what sparked our curiosity for this dream of sailing the world... All of the hard work, sacrifices and time that we have put in, in order to get this far has in some ways clouded our perspective of this life adventure we were so excited for. Whether it was taking time to go home and reflect for a few months or being out in the middle of the Pacific for nearly a month, we are approaching every day with the attitude and clarity we had back when all of this was just a dream!

Crossing the Pacific Ocean has been an anticipated moment since the beginning. After months of preparing for the crossing the day before we left was defiantly not spent as planned but considering our track record it seems pretty fitting! Anchored in Isla Isabella, Galapagos Islands, we did not spend our last day resting, checking the engine, rigging or securing any other loose ends for Gaviota’s month at sea because that would have made to much sense! Instead we spontaneously decided it was time to leave after a day of hiking a volcano and sharing beers and fried plantains with friends. Well, it was half spontaneity and half escaping from the port captain before we would have to check in a pay way to much once again. After making a few last minute stops at the local carneceria, bakery, and fruit and vegetable market we loaded up our skiff and headed out to our boat for what would be the next 23 days. By 8:00 at night we had everything packed up as we crawled into our bed for our last full night of sleep for the next few weeks.

The passage went really smoothly and we fell into our daily routine much quicker than expected. Reading, fishing, baking, stretching and showering became the normal past times as the hours turned into days and the days began to blur together. Our main fear, of becoming stir crazy, with no way to get out extra energy never posed as a problem. Between the rolly seas, heat and lack of sleep we cherished and reserved every ounce of energy we had. With the intense sun gone the nights became our most treasured time of the passage. We will forever treasure the nights spent staring off at the waves illuminated by the moon and the numerous constellations as gaviota sailed along at a consistent 6-7 knots. This passage more than any other we have done allowed us to truly appreciate the solitude that the sea and sky have to offer.

The first Land Ho! Was shouted just before sunrise on our 23rd morning at sea. As we got closer to land and the sun got higher in the sky, the lush cliffs of Fatu Hiva showed their face as the jetted straight out of the ocean. It was overwhelming to look at the lush green cliffs after weeks of staring at nothing but blue ocean and sky for as we could see. We were greeted by a light rain shower and an amazing rainbow as we turned the corner to anchor up in Hanavave bay. Words and pictures can not begin to explain how absolutely gorgeous this anchorage is. Besides just sitting on our boat try to soak in the spectacular island lying in the middle of the Pacific, we spent our time exploring the town and inland terrain as much as possible. We quickly found that the friendly French Polynesians were much more interested in trading for items than they were for us paying for them. A local Polynesian boy, Jon Pierre quickly greeted us and began the bargaining for fruit. They were really interested in trading for perfume and bullets, neither of which we had aboard but we managed to trade some pens and marine supplies. In return we ended up with stalks of bananas, lemons, limes, mangos and our new favorite pomplemuse which are the biggest sweetest grapefruits we have ever tasted! Hiking, attending a local church service, snorkeling, trading with locals and attending our first pig roast are just some of the memories that we will take with us from our first magical anchorage of the South Pacific.

On our way to Tahuata, another island in the Marquesas we were pleasantly surprised when we caught our first fish since Costa Rica. About three miles from the anchorage Brandon reeled in a 4 foot 35 lb Wahoo! It was definitely the biggest fish we have ever pulled up on Gaviota and one of the best. For the next five days we ate fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with managing to feed the entire anchorage. It was delicious and so appreciated after quite a while without any meat. After a few days of snorkeling in crystal clear water with 50-60 ft of visibility and a few hikes we took off and decided it was probably time to officially check in to French Polynesia. We are currently at Nuka Hiva checking in and provisioning with the few items that we can afford. Everything is extremely expensive here but we are in heaven with the fresh baked French baguettes that are cheap, warm and delicious. I have never seen Brandon consume so much bread in my life! We are planning on a couple more weeks in the Marquesas and then it is off for the diving and surfing of the Tuamotus! The South Pacific is so full of amazing islands and atolls that we don’t know how we are going to manage to see it all in one season!