Daily Logs

A Lady - Sailing around the world - Pt 2

Wednesday  2nd JUNE     PART 2 Could you believe that, I went to press save , and pressed send instead, and dont know how to adjust, or amend stuff sent to the out box, not to mention doing something simple like  " continue " Anyway, to continue   :- Skipper and Scotty shot into emergancy action and 10 minutes later, we had the Kite on deck   , Phew, what a relief ! The Kite at 2690 sq. feet is a big sail , to put it into perspective, that twice the size of the average house. Mistakes here can be dangerous and very unhealthy to humans,, we were lucky to escape so litely. We checked the kite for damage, but none seemed obvious, so we got busy , and put it up again. It really is a great sail , and keeps the boat so. read more...

Glamorous Galah - St Lucia

Saint LuciaHere is Bernie at the helm between Martinique and St Lucia. We are currently at the Rodney Bay marina. We've swapped over mainsails to the old one, which we plan to sacrifice on the passage home. Dave did a great job servicing our main sheet winch which decided to play up on the passage here. We have a few minor things to sort out before starting the westward journey home on 8th. Ted. read more...

Southern Princess - Ode to a Weatherman from Storyteller

Atuona, Hiva Oa       09:48S 139:02W A Good Rap for Bruce (To be recited while jumping up and down)There's a wizard in the west With a bag of wind. Going sailing? Email him!He's your man with a planFor your tack and your track He's your eye in the skyWind spy -- no lieThis cat is spruce, he's cool, he's loose.Going sailing? Email Bruce.Bruce, we're sailing east to west Just send winds that are the best.Trade winds, laid winds, squalls and blowsPlease Bruce, nothing on the nose!Keep up!  Head deeo! We're falling back!Wind now dropping, need to tack.Take up the slack!  Now wind is back!But 10 knots, Wind Guru, just won't do.Send a text, a prayer, a fax.Push some buttons and fix our tracks.Crystal gazing,playing ballThis sleek geek's crazy - knows it all.He's pumping numbers, grinding. read more...

Windflower III - Wir sind in der Suedsee oder im Paradies?

Nach einer schnellen und ruhigen Ueberfahrt fiel am Mittwoch 26.03.08 nach 17 Tagen 5 Std und 38 min unser Anker in der Bucht von Atouna auf der Insel Hiva Oa (Marquesas Archipel).Eine grossartige Kulisse,dichter gruener Regenwald,ein Dorf unter Palmen und die umliegenden hohen Berge versteckt hinter geheimnisvoll wabernden Regenschleiern und Wolken.Die 2970 sm lange Strecke war anfaenglich von etwas Flaute gepraegt,welche uns zwang 32 Std zu motoren,um weiter nach Sueden zu gelangen und damit die Passatwinde zu erreichen die mit ueberwiegend stetigen Winden aus hauptsaechlich ostwaertiger Richtung uns die restlichen 14 Tage Richtung Suedsee segeln liess.Am 6. Tag setzten wir unseren Parasailer(Spinnackersegel) und hatten das Glueck,dass wir mit diesem 9 Tage und Naechte ununterbrochen. read more...

A Lady - Sailing around the world - Pt 1

 WEDNESDAY  2nd JUNE  2010 (Presently at sea, between Nuie and Vava'u, Tonga)  05.00hrs, wake up quickly, the motion of the boat is different, a quick check outside and all is well, just a larger swell.06.00hrs We get up and prepare the boat to go to sea once again, start the engine and let it heat up, then lift the rib out of the water, and strap it on securely, close all port holes, etc,etc, 06.45hrs We slip the moorings and set a course of 278 degrees T for Vava'u, the north side of the Island. which we will leaveto port on our way round to the capitol ," Neiafu" or where we are to anchor. Total Distance.........................236  milesWeather, ................................poor, cloudyWind.......................................28 knots. read more...

Glamorous Galah - Isles de saintes

Isles des SaintesThis is a beautiful anchorage just south of Guadalupe. The photo was taken on our way up to Napoleans Fort (photo). GG is centred in the pic, note the large square rigger to right. Windsurfers and kite boarders reach back and forth across the small entrance to the bay. In the wide passage between here and Guadeloupe back in the late 1700s, Lord Rodney defeated the French fleet using radical new sea battle tactics. The French are still talking about it.Currently in Martinique at Fort de France after a boisterous nights sail down the west coast of Dominica.It's new years eve but we missed the fireworks which were last night! Ted. read more...

Ensemble - 29th & 30th December - House keeping at Tortola

Greetings from Ensemble!Well, the last two days have seen a miracle - we managed to empty out the forward guest cabin (which had become my defacto spares / tools / project / junk room). The boat is now pristine - and ready for our guests (my brother and his wife - and her sister and her husband). Role on New Years!The projects continue - playing with a bug in the Autohelm, fixing slack in the steering, outdoor light, forward seats etc...We are looking forward to a week of relaxing and getting into the Caribbean spirit - starting tonight with dinner at "Pussers" - famous for their rum.Cheers for now, and Happy New Years for everyone!Dave & Magali28Dec2011 037. read more...

A Lady - In the Cook Island News

This is a copy of a newspaper article published in Rarotonga, Some details are slightly inaccurate. Irish sailor raving about Rarotonga IRISH sailor Stephen Hyde, who was on Rarotonga for a short stop over while on around the world sailing trip, will promote Rarotonga through song, verse and dance after a magic time here. Coming to Rarotonga was actually not on the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers' course, organized by the world cruising club as the world's largest annual trans-ocean sailing event. National park Suwarrow is the port of call for the 27 sailing vessels in the current year long round the world cruise because of its larger berthing area compared to Avatiu harbour. And Hyde was on course for Suwarrow, but while he was in Bora Bora he met locals John and Anne Tierney. And as they. read more...

Asolare - in Marquesas

Tuesday 1st April 2008 Asolare is now in Fatu Hiva, the southernmost island in the Marquesas. We are with three other ARC yachts, Branec IV, Into the Blue and Chantelle. The anchorage is stunning as you can see in the attached photo.We are refilling diving bottles for ourselves and Into the Blue as the water is teeming with fish and very clear. Later this morning we are going to walk and climb with Into the Blue for about two hours to a waterfall and take a packed lunch to enjoy after a swim in the waterfall pool. Not sure if I can stand all this excitement! Just seen three of four very large Tuna leaping high out of the water with a ring of Dolphins all around them. This was right next to the yacht and the frenzy and foam was amazing! All went suddenly quiet so either the Tuna got away,. read more...

Kasuje - Daily Log Tuesday 1st April.

This will be our last log entry for some time as we are due to arrive in Tahiti in a few hours and if this landfall emulates most of the previous arrivals I will be unable to complete any joined up writing for some time.!!!As previously reported we arrived in Hiva Oa in the early hours of 28th March. We had to drop anchor and use the dingy to get ashore. First thing that morning (6 am) we headed for the Gendarmerie to clear immigration and have our passports stamped. They clearly do not have many visitors to the Island as it was a slow process and all our passports were photocopied and meticulously inspected. The island however was absolutely beautiful and when we stepped on land we were all warmly greeted by Mandy of World ARC who put a garland of highly scented flowers around our. read more...

Ariane - Nochmals zum Eco-Schiff Ariane

Liebe Segelfreunde Wir möchten einen Beitrag eines Elektro-Technikers zitieren, der uns sehr gefreut und auch ein wenig stolz gemacht hat: "Du weisst ja: PKZ heisst pensioniert, keine Zeit. Und an Land ist wegen der vielen sinnvollen und sinnlosen Ablenkungen der Zeitverschleiss hoeher als auf hoher See. So gratuliere ich Dir und allen Crewmember erst mit gehoeriger Verspaetung ganz herzlich zum Eco-Award!In meinen Augen sind es Leistungen wie die Eure, die bewundernswert sind; der Schnellste und Groesste zu sein mit beliebigem Ressourcen-Verbrauch ist nichts Besonderes. Eure Leistung zeugt von grossem physikalischem Verstaendnis und insbesondere energetischem Fingerspitzengefuehl." Im Moment sitzen wir in Neiafu fest, da unser. read more...

Ensemble - Dec 28: St Kitts to BVI

Seasons greetings from yacht Ensemble.We've certainly had a couple of full days sailing!Yesterday we sailed from Deshaies, Guadeloupe to Sandy Point, St Kitts, getting in just at sunset (6pm).This morning we had a 6am start and sailed all day, arriving in Whelk Bay, Peter Island (BVI)at 8pm. We arrived a couple of hours after dark - not for the faint hearted - as the charts all have a 'health warning' of "warning - uncharted coral head reported in this area".Both days the conditions have been good - with sunny skies, a following sea and winds of 15 to 20 knots... sailing heaven!Yesterday we sailed past Monsterrat and saw the volcano still issuing smoke and steam - and the smell of rotten eggs. (It's amazing people still live there!)We sailed all day to get to the northern-most point of. read more...

A Lady - Sailing around the World

Tuesday 1st June 2010    (presently in NUIE South Pacific)We got an email from Raratonga's newest member of the Cook Islands Tatoo Club (Fats). A short message to say that he was 85 / 90 %  and well on the way to a full recovery. He was also well on the way to Vava'u to meet us on arrival.  Aileen and Margaret will also be there. 07.30hrs Skipper brought John the Scot ashore as he was off Diving for the morning, skipper decided to skip the diving this time, as it took him so bleeding long to recover from his prized " Paddy " experience in Rangiroa,  The Tuamotu Islands. 09.30hrs Skipper, with his golf clubs,  got a lift to the Golf club a few miles down the road where he met Ian Hupa. Ian is originally from NZ, but now lives in. read more...

Glamorous Galah - Nelson's dockyard

Nelson's DockyardGlamorous Galah is anchored at the sheltered corner to the right of this photo which is an overview of Nelson's dockyard in English harbour, Antigua. We had a wonderful day trekking around the coast to Falmouth harbour, lunched at Antigua yacht club, walked the Marina docks and drooled over the super yachts! Strolling through Nelson's dockyard, which is the only working Georgian one in the world, was a wonderful experience.We intend to sail to Guadeloupe tomorrow, motor down the centre and anchor at Poit a Pitte, head to Dominica the following day then Martinique and on to st Lucia by the 3rd january. We've partly provisioned and will get some fresh food for the first leg of the World ARC to San Blas and Panama canal. Tedphoto  . read more...

Graptolite - E aha te huru?

09:48.22S 139:01.88W at anchor Atuona Port, Hiva-OaWe arrived in the Marquesas yesterday morning and we given flower leis on the dockside. Hiva-Oa is not disappointing. There are towering green mountains with clouds around their summits; tropical flowers everywhere and very few signs of tourism.Yesterday we stretched our legs and paid respects at the grave of Paul Gauguin and Heike got us all pareos to wear so we could go native in suitable style.We rented a 4WD jeep today and bounced all over the island along scrapings on the sides of the near-vertical mountains that they laughably call roads. Fantastic scenery and nice black sand beaches but we were mainly on a hunt for 'tiki' archaeological sites. We found one on the northwest coast with the help of our very own 'tiki' - the handheld. read more...

Ensemble - Boxing Day - Deshaies, Quadaloupe

Greetings from yacht Ensemble.We had a bit of a lazy start and only got away at 9:30am.Winds, weather and sea were all cooperating - a sunny day with 15knot winds and slight seas. Our aim is to dop between 60 and 70 nm each day so we can comfortably arrive in St Thomas in time to meet my brother and his wife on the 30th of December.The sailing was comfortable - and Magali used the time to do some domestic chores - and make some more banana bread!We arrived in Desharies (pronounced 'Day Ay') mid afternoon. The bay looks well sheltered - but does funnel the shore breeze. We set the anchor and paid careful attention to set the anchor drift alarm and make sure we were held fast. After a quick swim we went ashore to explore. The town is small and charming, and seems a lot more affluent than. read more...

Crazy Horse - June 2

Yesterday we had a rather bumpy sail toward our destination of Tonga. There was enough wind however, to carry our A sail which is a small spinnaker. We did about 7kts and the bumps eased while we were able to sail with the spinnaker. The sailmaker did a good job in repair of that sail and we are hoping that it makes it through the trip. It is a good sail in close reaching and even a beam reach. The good ole' Joshua spinnaker is better for the downwind sailing that is so famous for these South Seas.Right now my shift is over and I am catching up with email. We had a wonderful dinner last night thanks to the fishing abilities of Bob on Ocean Jasper. Our first day out of Raratonga Bob caught a tuna, filleted it, then caught up with us, and heaved it over to Crazy Horse via air mail. I. read more...

Morning Star - Michael Blog 1

Log 1 Sat Nov 12Michael Tar It is finally confirmed. Tha trip is on. We start after many delays Fri Nov 11 at 1030 from Hampton Virginia to Nanny Cay ,Tortola, BVI. It has been an interesting week between getting used to each other and the boat. The boat is a Kelly Petersen 46 made in Taiwan in 1983. She is a well built boat with a long cruising record that includes 2 Atlantic crossings, so we know she will do fine on this adventure. We spent the Last 4 days while waiting for the right weather window going over the boat, the rigging, the sails, all the safety equipment and drills, and putting everything in its place for the trip. We had eaten out every night at quite good restaurants in Hampton including Brets, Conch and Basket and Java Junkies. Karen The Admiral (owner Carl's. read more...

Strega - Pacific Crossing

Pacific Crossing16 Lange Tage und Nächte für diese schnelle Reise von den Galapagos Inseln zu den Marquesas... und am Ende waren wir nach 2 Multihulls und einer 72 Fuß Yacht 4. Und da die Tri- und Katamarane eine eigene Klasse bilden also 2.! Das freute nicht nur uns, sondern brachte uns auch einige Beachtung der anderen Yachten ein :-)Hiva Oa erreicheten wir am 25.3. gegen 18:00 Galapagos Zeit (nach der wir währed der Überfahrt lebten) Marquesas Time ist UTC -9,5 Stunden, also -11,5 deutsche Sommerzeit.Nachdem wir einige Tage auf Hiva Oa verbrachten (mussten) - die Gendarmerie, dort mussten wir zum Einklarieren, sollte bis 11:00 geöffnet sein und wir versuchten es um 10:30, 9:00 und 8:00, es war immer geschlossen bis es dann schließlich klappte...Die Zeit haben wir genutzt, ein Auto. read more...

Lady Kay - arrival at Hiva Oa

We arrived at Atuona on Hiva Oa yesterday afternoon and were given leis of fresh flowers, which smell gorgeous.  The scenery is spectacular, with lush, flowery valleys and high volcanic ridges.  Met up with some fellow travellers last night and had a meal out.  We were served by a Mahu.  Mahu are  males raised as girls and continue to live their lives as women.  They are part of the culture in Polynesia, and usually serve food in restaurants or work in hotels or boutiques.  We were able to buy French bread and fresh lychees, avocado and mango from a little hut by the dock this morning - a rare treat.   We have also found Sandra, who does laundry, so we are pretty sorted.  Everything is very expensive here, as in French Polynesia as a whole. We are sightseeing tomorrow, as rather. read more...

Asolare - Return to Suwarrow

Suwarrow is an uninhabited Atoll in the middle of nowhere. Group two of the World ARC fleet arrived to find the anchorage empty but we were soon joined by 4 other cruising yachts.  We made the most of our three days there with a dinghy trip across the lagoon to visit Bird Island and pick up rubbish as we did two years ago,  a beach party attended by the whole population (22 yachties) and lots of snorkelling  and diving undeterred by the reef sharks that circled the anchorage. For our last night in Suwarrow we moved to the eastern anchorage where Peter introduced Mandy to night diving with a truly magical experience. We drifted among cathedral like 14 meter high towers of honeycomb coral lit by the full moon; it was like flying in a snow capped forest populated by. read more...

Ensemble - Christmas Day - Dominica

Seasons greetings from Ensemble.We spent Christmas Day at Portsmouth. Dominica.It is a great natural harbour - and the welcome from the locals was certainly friendly - with small boats coming up along-side to sell everything from eggs to mango and guided tours. The local co-op provides security for the anchorage - and does a good job!We had Marina and James over from 'Happy Cat' NZ for a prolonged Christmas lunch. It was a nice cultural mix - with pina coladas and foi gras for starters - followed by veal roast wrapped in iberico ham for main - and sabayon with bananas for dessert... washed down with suitable quantities of Oz and NZ white and red wine.It was a lovely day with good food, wine and company - even in Dominica - Christmas is a universal constant!Merry Christmas. read more...

Ensemble - Merry Christmas - Dominica

To all our friends and family, Merry Christmas all from Dominica!We are currently moored at Portsmouth, Dominica enjoying a nice calm anchorage.There has been an unseasonal amount of rain around - usually coming through in squalls. The upsides are good wind, a freshwater wash down for the boat, and beautiful rainbows!After a day sail from St Pierre, Martinique in reasonably rough conditions (25knots and 2m swells)we were happy to arrive. During the passage we passed another Salina - you can see from the photo what the conditions were like!On arrival we met our NZ friends: Marina and James from "Happy Cat" and celebrated our arrival with a lobster dinner at a local cafe (life's tough!).For Christmas Day we're planning more of the same...a swim ... good food and plenty of festive. read more...

Asolare - Marquesas Cruising

st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }Sunday 30th March 2008 Now in a beautiful bay on the Island of Tahuata along with Jus’Do It 3, Storyteller, Southern Princess, Branec IV, Harmonie and Into the  Blue. The gorgeous beach is fringed with coconut palms with coconuts galore! The attached photo shows Yachts Jus’Do It 3 and Into the Blue. Notice the colour of the water and the white soft sand beach. We invited Southern Princess for sundowners last night but by the time the session was over it was two dark to put out our Lobster Pot, so we will have to wait another day for my speciality of Lobster Thermadore!Capt..Peterwww.asolare.co.ukP3290075_edited-1. read more...

Asolare - A visitor at sea

On the way to Suworrow we were visited by a bird (a Shearwater?) who ignoring much more suitable perches attempted to land on a blade of a stationary wind generator, the resulting spin must have given us a couple of watts and caused us much amusement, before settling on the spinnaker pole uphaul. Why we wondered did it not choose the pole itself or even better the redundant main boom which was lying unused, a prefect resting spot for a weary flyer. The sail was five days of classic trade wind sailing with the spinnaker up punctuated by a couple of exhilarating  rides through squalls.. read more...

Asolare - Leaving Bora Bora

After rejoining the World ARC folks we left Bora Bora on Wednesday after a quick couple of days in the Bora Bora Yacht Club where the hosts Teava and Jessica gave both Peter and Mandy a great welcome and membership of the club as returning guests. We were both there two years ago when Teava and Jessica had only just taken over the club and it was great to see the results of the hard work they have done since then. A dive just outside the Bora Bora pass was another good one; each mooring buoy seemed to be manned by a big friendly Grey Shark waiting at the bottom of the line for the food that the local dive operators always take.  Luckily ours allowed us to pass without a “ticket” and obliged us by circling menacingly allowing Peter to try to spook Mandy by grabbing her leg as. read more...

Glamorous Galah - St Maarten

Here is the ubiquitous local runway shot taken from the sunset bar. The big thing is to hang onto the fence and get the jet blast as they take off, or get blown into the sea by it. While we were watching the landings we saw two people on the roof of the apartment block to the left. They scoped out the drop (say 20 meters) and the leap and took a running jump off the top. Absolutely crazy! We met up with them later. The woman was a moto cross rider from Florida and the guy was a local who's dad owns a big hotel here. Caribbean craziness!! Tedphoto. read more...

Jus'Do It 3 - Hiva Oa & Tahuata

st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }Sunday 30th March. 11am Marquesas timeWe’re just getting over our wave of euphoria at having crossed another big pond. Thankfully it’s been another thoroughly enjoyable experience and we‘re also grateful that this vast expanse of water has lived up to it’s name as “the peaceful ocean”.Our first night ashore – Wednesday – we join several other boats (Tallulah Ruby,Kealoha 8, Southern Princess, Strega, Asolare) at the Pearl Harbour Lodge to eat, drink and share tales of our crossings. It’s reassuring to hear that several other boats also lost their fishing gear and caught few fish! Kealoha 8 saw orcas but for the rest of us there was a distinct lack of large mammals! It’s been a smooth crossing for everyone so. read more...

Destiny - Rally control

Kanal 77:Rally Control, Rally Control this is Destiny, Destiny, please come inHier hat immer einer ein offenes Ohr für Sorgen und Nöte, sei es dass man Kurs- oder Wettervorhersage benötigt, wo man tanken kann, wo günstig einkaufen, wo man die Wäsche lassen kann oder ob es wie gestern Abend - nur zum Austauschen der Rezepte für das geplanten Dinner geht. Sie planen und organisieren.Paul und Suzana begleiten uns. Einer von beiden oder beide sind immer schon ein wenig vor den Regattaschiffen vor Ort und treffen alle Vorbereitungen zum Einklarieren und für den Aufenthalt an den Treffpunkten, damit sich die World ARC-Teilnehmer wohl fühlen und ihre Reise rund um die Welt genießen können. Sie arbeiten, während wir schwimmen, schnorcheln oder tauchen. Sie vertreten die World ARC bei. read more...

Ensemble - 24 December - Farewell Rodney Bay - greetings Caribbean

Seasons greetings from yacht Ensemble!We had a great week in St Lucia unwinding and celebrating the completion of the ARC. Highlights included a visit to the Chocolate Hotel (an old cocoa plantation) - where lunch included chocolate in every dish.We then sailed down the coast and made a quick trip to Mustique (Granadines) where we stayed a couple of days. This included a visit to Basil's Bar and the Cotton House for dinner.We had a tough sail close to the wind and with 3m swells on the way back from Mustique to St Lucia. We anchored off the Pitons and then made our way to Rodney Bay.We then had an 'interesting' sail up to St Pierre, Martinique - 2m swells and 25knot winds! The bay was nice and sheltered - and we had a good time at the local market.So lots of sailing on the whistle stop. read more...

Juba - Vorbereitung auf die Weltumsegelung und Weihnachtsgrüße an Alle

.hmmessage P { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } BODY.hmmessage { FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma; FONT-SIZE: 10pt }Noch in Hamburg laufen die Vorbereitungen für einen Teil der Crew für den Start am 8. Jan. in St. Lucia. Die Juba ist mittlerweile mit der ARC gut in der sonnigen Karibik angekommen und das Skipperpaar Uwe und Birgit erwarten uns Anfang Januar um das Schiff gemeinsam für den ersten Schlag Richtung Panama klarzumachen.Ich bin aufgeregt und freu mich auf die kommende Zeit, auf Erfahrungen, Natur, Segeln und viele neue nette MitsgelerInnen around the world.   Allen wünsche ich von hier aus Frohe Weihnachten!!!   Dann demnächst hier mehr von den Erlebnissen direkt vom Schiff.......  . read more...

A Lady - Niue - the Rock

Monday, 31st May   2010      ( presently in Nuie, South Pacific)  Total distance 585 miles.04.00hrs A beautiful starrey night, with a full moon climbing high into the sky, ohhhh just magic! We could see the faint outline of Nuie on the horizon. 06.00hrs We could see the island clearly, it was now daylight, but progress was slow, as we weretravelling straight downwind, We had rolled up the headsail as it was slapping around too much, and skipper feels that it causes more damage to the sails than sailing in 30 knots of direct wind pressure on the sails.  08.00hrs We picked up a mooring bouy in the harbour, in ideal conditions, what was most interesting was the visability in the water, we were in 30m of water and could see the. read more...

A Lady - Sailing around the World, with World ARC 2010

Sunday, 39th May 2010           (presently at Sea,, between Rarotonga, The Cook Islands, and Nuie)  Total distance......................585 milesDistance traveled.................420 milesDistance remaining...............165 miles Wind...................................10 knots ESESea state.............................goodWeather...............................goodSOG....................................7 knots Another beautiful night, despite the fact that we are motor sailing, due to a lack of wind.02.15 hrs  The fishing rod starts to Rzzzzzz, oh, oh, have we eventually got lucky, now that we are on a very long line.Skipper grabs hold of the rod and its solid , bent like an S hoop under the pressure. Following 10. read more...

Glamorous Galah - GG heading "down island"

We are currently at St Martin getting some last bits and pieces covered before an island hop to St Lucia and joining our fellow WCC cruisers. Christmas greetings... more soon.Ted Bainbridge. read more...

Tucanon - Three rainbows at the same time

The deck window hatches of the crew cabins had been left open while we were flying the parasailor, which is bad news. The lines to adjust the parasailor run along the deck and jerk up and down as the sail moves with the wind shifts. A line caught under the handle of one of the windows and ripped it off, throwing it over the side. We have had to tape the window closed to avoid water getting inside the boat when it rains, or if a wave breaks over the deck. I guess we will have to replace the window when we reach Australia.I have only told Dick, about the foreign bodies, which I found in the last two packs of flour that I have opened. The thought of dead critters in their food might make the rest of the crew lose their appetite. What a nightmare! I put the packets of flour through the. read more...

Trompeta - In St Lucia with World ARC crew

We have sailed the boat down from the BVI and are now in St Lucia. The crew for the World ARC are David and Alison and they have now joined the boat ready for our big trip!! Christmas and New Year in the islands then we are off!. read more...

Samsara - Prep continues in Ft. Lauderdale

We got a lot done in St. Pete and the girls got to see Winter (the dolphin from "A Dolphin's Tale") - that was a major highlight for Sam and Sarah. We left St. Pete and have been in Ft. Lauderdale for the past 5 days - we had a tough beat up to Ft. Lauderdale but the girls love the big waves rolling under the boat - they say it's almost like a Disney ride and love for us to tell them when we see an especially large one coming.  Beating into the wind - not so much!  We are busy with installations of new watermaker, SSB, repair of autopilot, NAVTEC, injector rebuild.....there's a lot going on. We hope to leave on Monday for St. Lucia - which means we will be at sea for Christmas - hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!. read more...

Tucanon - Lisa with fouled anchor

Defrosting the fridge in the galley was awful. We had big rolling seas and it was almost impossible to stop the door from moving while it was open, despite jamming it with a box of snorkel gear on one side and a bucket of shoes on the other. We tend to keep our outdoor shoes in a bucket while we are on the boat and leave the bucket near the door to the salon so that the shoes are easily accessible when required.Moe took us off the anchorage when we left Suwarrow and managed to chop the rope holding Bob, our anchor buoy before getting it caught around our propellers. It was necessary therefore to get into the water and free the props. It was obvious there was a problem as the boat was shuddering.Meanwhile Lisa, a 42 foot Outremer catamaran had her anchor wrapped around several rocks, 25. read more...

Dreamcatcher - Congratulations on a great ARC

Congratulations on a great ARC Dear fellow cruisers,First of all congratulations to all the ARC participants that will join the World ARC 2012/2013. We followed you all during the ARC and noticed some great passage times. You are obviously all well prepared and ready to go for the great trip the World ARC is.We are back in New Zealand for the Pacific Cyclone Season while you will cross the Caribbean Sea, visit the beautiful San Blas Islands, experience the thrill of the Panama Canal, the Perlas Islands and the beautiful Galapagos. While you will be on the way from the Marquesas to Tahiti we will start our journey North again to join the fleet in Fiji.We sailed from New Zealand to Niue, be sure to go diving there if this is your thing, and back – some 3000 Nm – as a test run. read more...

Lady Ev.VI - Daily Log 30. Mai 2010, Lady Ev.VIund sind auf unserem Weg nach

Wir haben Niue verlassen und sind auf unserem Weg nach Vava´u, einer der noerdlichen Cook-Inseln.Wenn der Weg das Ziel ist, so haben wir vier unser persoehnliches Ziel schon erreicht:Wir haben das Schiff an der Mooring gedreht, haben die Mooring-Trosse von vorne nach achtern gebracht, so dass unser Schiffchen mit dem Heck im Wind lag und dann den Spinnacker gesetzt, natuerlich den Spinnacker mit den Oeffnungen, genannt Para-Sailor. Als alles schoen steht, werfen wir die Mooring los und unser Boot prescht los mit 7,8kn. Wir klatschen uns selbst Beifall, weil das Manoever wie ein Le-Mans-Start geklappt hat. Menner bleiben doch immer kleine Jungs mit verdammt teuren Spielzeugen!Der gestrige Abend wird uns noch lange in Erinnerung bleiben:In der "Buergerhalle" hatten sich die Segler und. read more...

Trompeta - Back in the BVI

We arrived here in the BVI last Tuesday having taken just over 3 weeks to cross the Atlantic from Tenerife in the Canaries travelling South West to the Cape Verde Islands then turning West about 200 miles off the CV. Our first really big ocean crossing of some 3000 miles but all went well and we had a lovely crossing. Now doing some work to the boat here in the BVI at our old Employers base (The Moorings) and catching up with all our friends here before sailing down to St Lucia in December to pick up our crew David & Alison for the World ARC itself. Looking forward to a good Christmas and New Year in the Windwards!!  Jane. read more...

Ariane - Niue, ein Zwergstaat ohne viel Perspektive

Liebe Seglerfreunde  Unsere Rundreise auf dieser Insel mit ca. 60 km Umfang hat uns sehr gefallen. Die Küste ist felsig oder von Riffen umgeben und zeigt eine beeindruckende Brandung. Etwas bedrückend ist die Feststellung, dass für jedes bewohnte Haus etwa 3 - 4 zerfallende kommen. Dies ist teilweise auf die Zerstörung durch Zyklone zurückzuführen. Gespräche vor allem mit jungen Leuten zeigten aber auch die Perspektivlosigkeit. Niue hat ca. 1400 Einwohner. Die Berufschancen sind sehr klein. Entweder man erwischt einen Staatsjob oder muss auswandern, meist nach Neuseeland oder Australien.  Ihr erinnert Euch betimmt: Auf der Präsentations-CD war ein bezauberndes Mädchen, das mit viel Charme die Insel vorgestellt hat. "Dieses Mädchen müssen wir kennenlernen", war die. read more...

Quasar V of Lleyn - Log

We wanted to have a look at the Gauguin museum (Gauguin lived in Atuona, but died a year after his arrival in 1901 from a STD from his 14-year old mistress!), but it was closed at 4 pm when it was still supposed to be open!clip_image002. read more...

Cleone - Leg 4 Day 20 - We've Arrived!

The last few miles always take the longest. And ours did, particularly because the wind died, leaving us with the last dozen miles to do in a very fickle wind.  So we kept the spinnaker flying (and it had been flying non-stop for the last 3 days and nights) and hung on in there.  Gradually the miles crept by, and the finishing line got closer and closer.  Finally, and as usual, we suddenly noticed that the finish line was abeam on the starboard side.  Hastily we dowsed the spinnaker, gybed, and headed for the line.  Making all of 4 and a half knots, we "sped" towards the marks, the tip of an island and a point on the mainland.  Finally, and not far short of dusk, we had made it.  Engine on, anchor out, sails furled; it was all action.  The harbour was just close by, and soon we were. read more...

Ruby - Martinique

After spending 3 months in Trinidad during the cyclone season, Ruby is now in Martinique. Not far from Sainte Lucie!!! Boat is 99 percent ready, crew is 100 % ready!!Herve Sy ruby. read more...

Crazy Horse - May 30

We were going to leave today Sunday originally but decided to wait until Monday am. Well, it is a good thing. Someone upstairs must have been watching out for us. There was a fierce storm arriving just before dawn and it has just now at 1pm settled down. The day long hike was shortened due to the weather and only Matt and Bob are in attendance. It has been a while since we have seen such wind, thunder, and rain.Maggie, Bob and I were in St. Joseph's Church for the service while the storm was in its height. When the priest said something about "GOD"... and then there was the most supreme thunderbolt. It was a little erie and of course there was no electricity for the entire service. It really was very spiritual listening to the Maori singing in the dark. Even though the church was only. read more...

Samsara - First Step to St. Lucia

We made it to St. Pete. The girls were a bit seasick the first night as we were motoring directly into the wind and it was very rocky/rolly. After that they did great and enjoyed seeing the dolphins playing in the bow wake on the 2nd and 3rd mornings. We even had a mother/baby dolphin which was quite exciting.  We're busy installing solar panels, electronics, and have a new stove/oven on order too as we have been unable to get the oven to work.   Happy Thanksgiving everyone!. read more...

Graptolite - Summertime and the Living is Easy

09:47.86S 138:13.55W Sunday 30th March AM, 33 miles from landfall Hiva-OaIf we were in the frozen North we would now be luxuriating with an extra hour in bed as it is apparently the start of 'Summertime'. As we are actually in the Tropics, in a time warp all of our own, we get no such guilty pleasures. Ship time is still UTC-6 but when we land it will be UTC-9.5 or 10.5 hours behind the UK. So jetlag is still possible eventravelling at jogging speed.We've been tracking another yacht on radar for the past hour or two and can see its lights in the distance. This is the first yacht since leaving port so it's fairly exciting. She seems to be heading south so is possibly not one of 'ours' but if she's still around at daybreak I might call her up.The next blog should come to you from the port. read more...

Voyageur - Log day 100 - A broach for breakfast

30 May 2010I was in the galley preparing breakfast, David was in the sea berth. Suddenly all hell broke loose. My world went topsy turvy. "What on earth"! I raced to the companionway steps meeting David there at the same time and we clawed our way to the cockpit. The lee deck was awash with foaming water, the autopilot had lost the plot and the sails were flapping wildly having been driven up into the wind. No harm done, peace and order were soon restored as we reefed the mizzen and genoa. Three wind shifts covering 80 degrees during our final night at sea had us on deck changing the sail plan each time. As the sun burst over the horizon Voyageur was once more under full sail and averaging around 8.5knots. She wanted to get there as much as we did. It had been a really fast and exciting. read more...

Glamorous Galah - Up the mast

We have fitted most of the equipment we will need for our ocean passages. Here is David, up the mast fitting our back up navigation lights and anchor lights. Jeff from cay electronics, the local raymarine dealer here in Road Town BVI, has been helpful.Not long after this photo was taken we had a big rain cloud descend but dave worked on through it. "I actually started getting cold for the first time here in the caribbean!" he said. We are now waiting for a new fridge unit to be fitted which is the last of our major works.. read more...

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