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01/05/2019

Maria Concordia - Log Day -4 - Safety inspection

Another busy day at Nanny Cay: the safety inspection in the morning was benign, friendly, supportive. I do have to obtain a Dan-Buoy, special device to mark the position of a Man-Over-Board victim and an emergency antenna for the VHF radio - another 440 USD that I would not have invested necessarily myself but which are contributing to the high safety standards of the ARC. In the afternoon a diver put my lovely Brunton propeller back on the port engine after repairs completed on Martinique. The safety lines on deck are in place and the grab-bag used in case of evacuation is getting filled with emergency food, water and pyrotechnics to alert any rescuers. The gas bottle for the stove in the galley has been filled today. Looking forward to great food during the voyage.. read more...


30/04/2019

Limitless - 4-30-19 Log Entry

We are making final preparations for our passage.. read more...


29/04/2019

Maria Concordia - Log Day -5 - We are on and the countdown is running!

So we are also joining ARC Europe, Dan and Skipper Bernhard on Maria Concordia! A guest cabin is still free and we might find another crew member to come along. Preparations in Tortola, safety checks, leaking hatches getting fixed, the starboard engine has been smoking white and needs new injector nozzles, myriads of small things still to do in the days to come. But now off to the first social event with Rum Punch and Canapees on the beach..... read more...


29/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 104 April 27, 2019

Woohoo! Finally, chores aredone, boat is provisioned and we are off to Moorea! Ah Moorea! The favourite Island in the South Pacific! We've brought Neil from Chao Lay along with us to share this paradise with. The hook is down, there are only three boats in the bay, we are enjoying WiFi at the used to be Bali hai hotel....now the Aimee Lodge. So happy to be out of the marina and out enjoying the beauty of the islands. The journey here from Marina Taina was not boring. Starting out of the pass we had a nice slow 60 degree port tack sail....after an hour the wind came round to the nose, we had a gnarly beam to wave pattern as we motored straight into the wind. What a wild rolling ride. As we came round the northeast point of Moorea the wind flipped to 120 degrees starboard...back to. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 104 April 27, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 104 April 27, 2019
27/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 103 April 26, 2019

Early morning we caught the bus to the Paofai clinic. Captain and I had our sun drenched skin looked over. So impressive! We were out of there by 09:30, and had a lovely walk to the watermaker store where we stocked up on filters, picked up cleaning chemicals, and invested in a simple carbon filter to take chlorine out of dock water when filling from a hose. Walking by the park we saw a playbill for Jack Johnson. Tonight! Here in Papeete! We began to discuss the possibility of going. Dropping into the tourist center we enquired of the helpful young man at the desk as to where we could procure tickets. He directed us to the Carrefour supermarket at Pacific plaza. Oh joy! We had another urban hike, admiring street art along the way, came to the mall, decided we were hungry, stopped for. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 103 April 26, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 103 April 26, 2019
Tintin - Makatea Caves
Tintin - Makatea Caves
27/04/2019

Tintin - Maketea

Between Rangiroa and Tahiti, we stopped at the island of Makatea.Unlike the other Tuamotos there is no airstrip or lagoon- the onlyoption is to use one of the 3 mooring buoys anchored in about 60m ofwater on the edge of the pacific abyss.If the wind is in the wrongdirection, there would be no landing possibility.We had a quiet overnight passage and arrived as the sun was rising,picking up one of these buoys alarmingly close to the breakers on thereef.We waited until a decent time and then called Mayor Julien toconfirm our arrangement for a tour of the island and lunch starting at9:30amThere were the remains of a large port facilities, but it was all brokenup and the entrance to the tiny harbour was narrow (5m) between crashingwaves.Our tender, Snowy, has a couple of leaks and this tested. read more...


Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
Tintin - Maketea
27/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 102 April 25, 2019

Day two of the water palaver. The office had coins forthright laundry machines! The sky poured rain for hours, everything cleaned off, laundry caught up, watermaker finished! Fresh water system reworked by Captain, our house is almost back in order. We’re making plans to go to Moorea and have fun!image1.. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 102 April 25, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 102 April 25, 2019
27/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 101 April 24, 2019

O! Happy day! The guys arrived at 07:45 to install the new watermaker ! Laura scoped out riding the bus and wandered around in Papeete for a few hours. Enjoyed the familiar sights....not much has changed in four years. That’s a good thing! Strolled along the waterfront and visited the Papeete marina. Spent a long time enjoying the city market which was in full swing with a big cruise ship in town, stopped at La retro for a small lunch snack, then caught the bus back “home” to the boat. Guys still labouring on the water maker, so the afternoon was spent catching up WiFi projects. Water maker was not finished at 16:30, so we grabbed a pizza, chilled out in the perfect evening and resigned ourselves to another day of being worked on. image1.. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 101 April 24, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 101 April 24, 2019
27/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 100 April 23, 2019

Lars and Mike left at07:00. They hitched a ride into town with a friendly local. Found the Soflex Sompom store that Wolfgang on Taurus had recommenced to us. Voila! Watermaker found! Our lucky day! After lunch, when captain returned the Air condioning of Carrefour beckoned....we walked all over the store, bought a few fresh items, indulged in a frozen coke from McDonalds, traipsed home happy and content. image1.. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 100 April 23, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 100 April 23, 2019
26/04/2019

Tintin - Makatea bound

Planning our journey on from the Tuamotus to Tahiti, one little island on the chart caught our attention. Makatea, 4 miles across: not a coral atoll like the Tuamotus, nor a volcanic peak like the Marquesas, but a flat topped ancient atoll which was lifted out of the sea 60 million years ago when Tahiti's volcano erupted.Makatea stands alone, 60 miles away from the Tuamotus and 150 miles from Tahiti, and not far off our route between the two. The sea shelves very steeply just off its shore to 400m deep and more.From our pilotage information about French Polynesia we learnt that there are 3 mooring buoys on the leeward side of the island, in 50m depth, just as the reef shelves up steeply. We also found a phone number for Julien, the mayor of the village who is willing to show people. read more...


Tintin - Makatea bound
Tintin - Makatea bound
24/04/2019

Charm - Tuamotos

I’ve adjusted to the feeling of sweat rolling down my back during any part of the day when I am not motionless in the shade or swimming.If that’s the price I have to pay for being in this land of heartbreaking gorgeousness, I’m willing to pay it.Photos are in Fakarava - one of Sam Kellogg waiting for an endless internet session to be over, another of the kids watching the sharks eat scraps from the kitchen at Tetamanu Lodge, in the south, and another out my porthole window somewhere along the way.The Tuamotos aren’t for everyone, which is obvious based on the small number of tourists that we see.Like the Marquesas, the places we are visiting don’t have much in the way of traditional tourist services and therefore don’t have many people visiting that want air conditioning, restaurants,. read more...


Charm - Tuamotos
Charm - Tuamotos
Charm - Tuamotos
Charm - Tuamotos
Charm - Tuamotos
Charm - Tuamotos
24/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 99 April 22, 2019

Captain scrubbed the beard off the waterline. I did small indoor chores and caught up on correspondence. After lunch, we kayaked out to Mabrouka, and paid our friend, Roy a visit. We met another couple from the Netherlands anchored near Roy on Selene. They started last year with the WARC and will be picking up this year with us. Very small world, in that they are friends with Hans and Astrid on Zwerver, which happens to be moored next to Chao Lay! The Zwerver folks are at home right now welcoming a new grand baby, but will be back in the beginning of May. Captain did a lot of research about water makers, and tomorrow will begin the hunt for a replacement watermaker for our 14 year old dead one. Woohoo! Living the Sweet Dream!image1.. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 99 April 22, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 99 April 22, 2019
23/04/2019

Cassiopée W - Log for Thursday April 18th 2019, Makemo - Fakarava

La croyance dicte que le succès vient à celui qui sera au bon endroit au bon moment. Depuis les derniers jours, nous naviguons dans un milieu tout à fait différent. Nous sommes entourés d’atolls formés de millions de palmiers sur des milliers de kilomètres de plage en plein milieu du Pacifique. Makemo était notre première destination dans le groupe des Tuamotu. Afin de pouvoir être le seul bateau au mouillage (oui, nous étions vraiment les seuls à ce moment), mon capitaine a dû travailler avec un programme qui calcule mathématiquement le meilleur moment de l’entré àl’intérieur de l’atoll. Le courant étant parfois plus fort que la vitesse du bateau, les marins non avertis peuvent se retrouver dans un joli pétrin. Les variables à considérer dans l’équation sont la marée, le courant et le. read more...


Cassiopée W - Log for Thursday April 18th 2019, Makemo - Fakarava
Cassiopée W - Log for Thursday April 18th 2019,   Makemo - Fakarava
Cassiopée W - Log for Thursday April 18th 2019, Makemo - Fakarava
Cassiopée W - Log for Thursday April 18th 2019,   Makemo - Fakarava
22/04/2019

Tintin - Tuamotos

We've been touring around the amazing Tuamotos for 10days.Sadly thechildren have to leave to return to the UK, but we had an incredibletime.These islands are straight out of a magazine - crystal clearazure water with palm fringed beaches stretching out to the horizon oneither side.After arriving in the north of Fakarava, we headed to the south passfor the diving....which was extraordinary.We (Rob, Lizzie & Bridget)we dropped at the ocean end of the pass and drifted in with the tide.The coral was built up into wonderful towers but the main 'attraction'was the sharks who congregated there to feed - thankfully not onhumans.As we held on coral to hold us still in the stream, we gazedout into the deeper part of the channel where there must have been over50 sharks - mainly black-finned. read more...


Tintin - Tuamotos
Tintin - Tuamotos
Tintin - Tuamotos
Tintin - Tuamotos
Tintin - Tuamotos
Tintin - Tuamotos
22/04/2019

Tintin - Easter Weekend in Rangiroa

Rangiroa is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, with a population ofabout 3000 spread out among the islands that sit on the coral reef.We waved off Lizzie, James , Bridget and Paddy at theairstrip on Thursday after a memorable and wonderful time together onTintin.We have cycled around the motu and spent time watching the dolphinsleap from the waves in the pass. A pod of about 60 dolphins live here,together with the sharks, manta rays, moray eels, barracudas andmillions of amazing fish. Each time we go snorkeling I see anotherincredible colourful fish that I am sure I have never seen before. Andmore different vivid corals. Or am I the goldfish forgetting it allafter one lap? On Friday and Saturday there was an outrigger canoe regatta across theanchorage - the first race went out through. read more...


Tintin - Easter Weekend in Rangiroa
Tintin - Easter Weekend in Rangiroa
22/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 98 April 21, 2019

Hoppy Easter! We cleaned the inside of the boat, cooked a big feast, and enjoyed the fellowship of Mike and Neil from Chao Lay, and an old friend from our Seattle days, Roy, from S/V Mabrouka. Hard to believe that four years ago we met Roy when we were joining the Co Ho Ho Ho, a really that goes from Seattle to San Diego( as a precursor to the Ba ha haha, the famous San Diego to Cabo San Lucas rally...hence the silly name..a Coho is a Pacific salmon.) What good times, catching up! We all swapped sea stories, boat naming stories..Mabrouka is Arabic for Blessed Lady and Chao Layis Sea Gypsy in Thailand. Great Fun! After all the hard work of the past three days it was lovely to sit back, sip wine, eat too much food, and spin yarns with our friends. Enjoying the Sweet Dream in Tahiti!image1.. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 98 April 21, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 98 April 21, 2019
22/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 97 April 20, 2019

Project day! Captain worked on all the water systems, flushing lines, replacing valves. Laura cleaned out the refrigerators. Now in the heat of the tropics, we have opted for forego having a freezer in leu of two refrigerators. Once again, the Market was patronised, supper was served on delicious French puff pastries, and live music beckoned us from Casablanca Bianca. We went dancing! This is living the Sweet Dream!image1.. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 97 April 20, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 97 April 20, 2019
22/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 96 April 19, 2019

Land Ho! Papeete, Tahiti! We sailed toward Tahiti in the rosy glow of sunrise. She appeared slowly, shaking off her cloud pajamas in a suggestive way, until finally, at full daylight, all her glorious colours shone. Listening to Jason Mraz song, “Hello, you beautiful thing” and dancing for joy on the aft deck between pulling out fenders and lines. Ahhhhhh. Moorea appeared ahead, just gorgeous! With many thanks to Laurent, our agent through the WARC, Marina Taina welcomed us with open arms. Captain backed us into the med mooring berth between Stray Cat, a big Catamaran, and Felitia 2, a lovely local monohull ,with complete aplomb, and ta da! We were here! It was good Friday, so things were uber relaxed. Coins were obtained for the laundry machines, and Laura happily commenced using modern. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 96 April 19, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 96 April 19, 2019
22/04/2019

Carolina - Preparation in Nanny Cay

We sail all the way from Chile, Puerto Montt to Tortola. 5,400 NM. From the 40s latitudeSouth to the 18 North. The most hard part was the Caribbean Sea from Panama to Tortola against the Trade winds against the current and against big and short waves...but we did it..!! Thanks our incredible seaworthy boat, a X-Yacht Xc-50...now we are enjoying the BVIs very relaxed while we prepare the boat for the Rally...Juan Pablo. read more...


19/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 95 April 18, 2019

Four a.m. brought a 120 degree wind shift from ESE to W of N! We had been sailing along quite comfortably for several hours when we encountered a squall line twelve miles long and two miles wide. Captain was just about to come off his watch, as I was coming up and he had the sails in lickety-split as the crazy wind veered quickly, then the rain hit. It poured rain for 90 minutes, then the wind came round on the nose from the south west and just died altogether. Quite a start to an otherwise very uneventful, calm and beautiful day at sea. Late in the afternoon we watched yet another squall line march across five miles in front of us, once again causing a 180 degree flip in the wind. This one missed us, and we came out on the other side to a golden Pasech moon rising in the clear sky to. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 95 April 18, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 95 April 18, 2019
18/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 94 April 17, 2019

A perfect day in paradise. Captain was up early and in the water scraping the boot stripe on the boat. He had a colourful entourage of fish accompanying his efforts, and three large black tip sharks watched from below with mild curiosity! When the morning chores were done, we packed a lunch and kayaked across the lagoon to another motu.We found a sweet little empty beach where we set up camp and amused ourselves watching small black tip sharks squirm through the shallow water along the shore. We wondered if they were scratching stuff off their tummies, as they scraped along in the ankle deep water where we had just landed our kayaks. After lunch and a brave relaxation in the water off the beach, we kayaked back across the purple coral to the big boat, had a nice shower in the warm rain,. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 94 April 17, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 94 April 17, 2019
18/04/2019

Sweet Dream - Day 93 April 16, 2019

Up at 04:00.....anchor free at 04:52, lovely sailing day in company of Chao Lay out through the north pass of Fakarava with perfect timing, thanks to Mike’s excellent grasp of the Shom tide tables,and up to Tuoa, a very pretty atoll on the way to Tahiti. Hats off to DJ of Skye, for helping us hook up to a mooring ball. Lars dove on it and met a large unconcerned black tip shark. Well, we had been told this was great for snorkelling. It is very beautiful, if a wee bit gallopy on the mooring, as there is zero protection from the 20 knot wind. We learned that the mooring ball is free if you purchase a meal, but meals must be booked at least two days in advance. We are only staying one night, so we just paid for our mooring. No problem....we have plenty to eat on the boat! There are six. read more...


Sweet Dream - Day 93 April 16, 2019
Sweet Dream - Day 93 April 16, 2019
18/04/2019

Tintin - Tuamotos

We've been touring around the amazing Tuamotos for 10days.Sadly thechildren have to leave to return to the UK, but we had an incredibletime.These islands are straight out of a magazine - crystal clearazure water with palm fringed beaches stretching out to the horizon oneither side.After arriving in the north of Fakarava, we headed to the south passfor the diving....which was extraordinary.We (Rob, Lizzie & Bridget)we dropped at the ocean end of the pass and drifted in with the tide.The coral was built up into wonderful towers but the main 'attraction'was the sharks who congregated there to feed - thankfully not onhumans.As we held on coral to hold us still in the stream, we gazedout into the deeper part of the channel where there must have been over50 sharks - mainly black-finned sharks. read more...