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Captain Kip's Log |
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October 28th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
I can't believe a year has past since we left Channel Islands Harbor Oct 22, 2006. We have had a tremendous amount of wonderful experiences and made a lot good friends. Now we look forward to spending time with our family and friends in the next few months then returning to New Zealand and do some land and coastal touring. We are happy to take a break especially since the last passage was the toughest one to date. We will keep Adelia in the Whangarei Marina New Zealand until the end of June 2008.
October 29th. 2007: Departure Port: Whangaruru 07:30 Oct. 30th, 2007
Port O'call: Riverside Dr. Marina Whangarei, 14:30 Oct 30th, 2007
Trip: 18nm/ Wind speeds 10 - 15kts / Temp 68 / Water 65
After a quiet night, we pulled up anchor and motored towards our last destination for the year, Whangarei. We arrived at the entrance of the Bay one hour after high tide and decided to make our way up the river to the Riverside Dr. Marina about 10 miles in where Adelia will be docked until next year. We managed to get there with not much spare time before the tide dropped too low.
October 29th. 2007: Departure Port: Opua 10:00 Oct. 29th, 2007
Port O'call: , Whangaruru 15:30 Oct 29th, 2007
Trip: 15nm/ Wind speeds 10 - 15kts / Temp 68 / Water 65
We checked out, fueled up and headed towards the end of the Bay of Islands which is very long and round the Hole In The Rock and Cape Brett heading towards Whangaruru where we dropped anchor in what seem to be the middle of the bay with only 14' of water.
October 15th. 2007: Departure Port: Nuku'alofa 10:00 Oct. 15th, 2007
Port O'call: Opua, New Zealand 0:300 Oct 24th, 2007
Trip: 1050 nm/ Wind speeds 6-10kts / Temp 68 / Water 65
After studying the weather for a few days, I decided to set off on a straight course to Whangarei, New Zealand. Our first few days the sailing was great, 400 miles out the wind changed direction and started bowing from the south. The auto pilot failed along with the generator, we made the best of it and once the wind changed to southwest we made excellent progress. After 8 days out it was nice to pull up to the quarantine doc in Opua.
October 11th. 2007: Departure Port: Mamuka iki 06:00 Oct. 11th, 2007
Port O'call: Nuku'alofa 15:30 , Tonga Oct 11th, 2007
Trip: 55 nm/ Wind speeds 6-10kts / Temp 80 / Water 80
Picked up the anchor with no problem out of a sandy spot amongst coral head. We motored for lack of wind, set out the fishing line, caught a big fish lost it and the hook, put out another line and caught a 12 lb yellow fin tuna. We pulled into the Nuku'alofa Marina and Med moored next to Sora.
October 13th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
I can't believe we've arrive at the last group of islands Tongatapu Nuka'alofa awaiting our crossing to New Zealand. We will leave for New Zealand on Monday Oct 15th and hope to be there by the 21rst. We've seen and learned a million new things, made a whole lot of new friends and look forward to staying put in New Zealand for the next six to seven months. I must admit the change will be nice and I am looking forward to getting back to the U.S. and Canada. Our trip has been amazing for the most part although the weather has put a damper on quite a few of our plans. We were told by sailors who have done this trip many times that this years weather has been the worst for constant rains and high wind.
October 8th. 2007: Departure Port: Ha'afeva Bay 09:30 Oct. 9th, 2007
Port O'call: 13:00 Mamuka iki Bay Ha'apai Group, Tonga Oct 9th, 2007
Trip: 20 nm/ Wind speeds 10-20kts / Temp 80 / Water 80
The anchor came up with no problems as Denise had carefully dropped it in sand surrounded by big coral heads. She sure has become quite the anchor lady. We were happy to leave the anchorage after spending an uncomfortable night which was due to the cape effect coming around the north corner of the atoll. A nice sail towards another anchorage, we hooked a big fish in a shallow spot with less than forty feet of water and he went down and took the lure with him. Not 5 minutes after dropping another lure we hooked a nice 10lb yellow fin tuna which made great sushimi for lunch. (Eat your heart out Paul & Howard.) We pulled into the bay and dropped anchor and within minutes we were drenched with a large squall and strong winds and lightning which lasted throughout the night. We didn't get much sleep at all and spent the rest of the day inside as the seas were pretty rough for a digny ride.
October 8th. 2007: Departure Port: Ha'ano Bay 08:30 Oct. 8th, 2007
Port O'call: 14:30 Ha'afeva Bay Ha'apai Group, Tonga Oct 8th, 2007
Trip: 30 nm/ Wind speeds 17-27kts / Temp 80 / Water 80
We said good bye to our friends and headed out of the anchorage. We had a brisk sail with strong winds. It's always nerve racking sailing around motus and reefs, it's very important to keep a close eye on the water color, coral heads seem to appear at the strangest places and our charts can be off by a tenth of a mile which can make a big difference in these waters. We anchored on the north side of the island in 25' of water. Our overnight stay was not very comfortable, the wind was howling and we were rock & rolling as the bay is not very sheltered.
October 7th. 2007: Departure Port: Vava'u Maurelle Bay 04:45 Oct. 7th, 2007
Port O'call: 14:30 Ha'ano Bay Ha'apai Group, Tonga Oct 7th, 2007
Trip: 59 nm/ Wind speeds 6-15kts / Temp 85 / Water 80
Leaving in the dark is always difficult, we navigated out of the bay with the radar and before long we were clear of the islands. With variable winds we sail most of the way at a low speed. We caught our largest mahi mahi ever, I was sure he would get away. After an hour of struggling the 4'+ - 40lbs + mahi mahi was on board. Denise filleted it (her first big fish) good eating and shared some with other cruisers. We anchored in 40' of clear water
October 1rst, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We'll leave for the next group of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga (The Hapai Group) located about 65 miles south in a few days. Our visit in the Vava"u group is definitely another unforgettable experience. The snorkeling was great and the swimming with the whales was unforgettable. Other than the weather being fairly unsettled our stay here was wonderful. We enjoyed reuniting with cruisers we had lost along the way and catching up on all their experiences. We hiked one of the islands with some friends making our way through thick brush, no compass, saw some very interesting vegetation and nearly got lost. With the help of the sun we found our way back to the trail we had left way behind. Lesson learned never leave home without a compass and a map of the island.
September 24th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We spent 5 days in Niuatoputapu anchored in crystal clear waters. We visited with other boaters and ate great lobster which the locals had brought to the boat the morning after we arrived. Sia and her family organized a lunch on the beach for all the boaters where we ate cooked taro leaves stuffed with tuna. Her only request was that we bring a chocolate desert of some kind. The family sure loved their deserts.
September 20th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
Our stay in Pago Pago was a little to long and we were happy to get Adelia out of the harbors dirty waters and into the clean sea. We had a great time, met some people who have been living there for a long time who gave us a lot of info about the island. Tutuila Island is very beautiful except around the harbor where there is a lot of trash, beaten up boats and dirty water. We found all the pretty beaches and coastline on our tour of the island. It was great to see all the American flags and to use U.S. currency again, we felt quite at home. The local people are very friendly and the kids love to have their picture taken. We loaded up the boat with supplies which some of the locals sent to their families who live on Niuatoputapu which is the northern most island in Tonga and also the Island closet to the International Date Line who celebrates the new year first. We enjoyed our stay on the island and were rewarded by the families who received their supplies with fruits and vegetables.
September 18th. 2007: Departure Port:Niuatoputapu Island 08:30 Sept 18th, 2007
Port O'call: 07:30 Vava'u, Tonga Sept 19th, 2007
Trip: 160 nm/ Wind speeds 15-23 / Temp 85 / Water 87
We pulled up anchor with no problems and headed out the anchorage over some spots as shallow as 10 feet and mixed high swells. With the wind gusting to 25 kts we kept our sails reefed in all day and into the night. The seas calmed and we sailed a close reach until reaching Vava'u. We don't get much rest on overnight passages as it's hard to get into a routine.
September 10th. 2007: Departure Port: Pago Pago American Samoa 16:00 Sept 10th, 2007
Port O'call: 07:30 Niuatoputapu Island, Tonga Sept 12th, 2007
Trip: 205 nm/ Wind speeds 17 / Temp 85 / Water 87
We managed to pick up the anchors out of the muddy bottom of the bay in Pago Pago Harbor and were under sail immediately. Our first night out was rough with mixed seas and strong winds. Adelia was making good time so we had to reduce sail to slow her down in order not to arrive at the island before day light. We arrived closed to the island at 01:00 and hove to for four hours. We entered the well marked channel in daylight and it was great to drop anchor in less than 30 feet on a sandy bottom in clear water. Crossing the international date line we lost Sept 11th.
August 16th. 2007: Departure Port: Suwarrow 14:00 August 12th, 2007
Port O'call: Pago Pago Tutuila Island American Samoa 08:30 Aug 16th, 2007
Trip: 430 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 85 / Water 87
We said goodbye to our new friends and left Suwarrow along with the S/V Pinta. Immediately after leaving the pass we were under sail. After taking a few pictures of Pinta under sail we set sail in separate directions. Pinta heading to the Tonga Islands and us to American Samoa. After a few days out the winds picked up and the storms started coming in. With winds over 30kts and Adelia sailing too fast directly into an electrical storm directly in our path we decided to heave-to and waited for the storm to pass. With the storm staysail backed and the wheel lashed we stayed pretty well in the same spot for four hours and were able to rest. Back on course we approached Pago Pago in the dark and were hailed by the US Coast Guard out on patrol. We made our way into the harbor and following instructions from the Harbor Master, we tied up to a tug boat to clear in. After formalities, we proceeded to the anchorage and set out two bow anchors in 40 ft. as the wind blows a lot and the bottom is not very good holding.
August 12th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
WOW, Suwarrow, what a dream place. This beautiful untouched gem in the middle of the pacific is a National Park protected by Park Ranger John and his family. There were only three boats in the anchorage when we arrived, the water is super clear with small black tip sharks coming to say hi. We checked in with John & Veronica who gave us fresh fish they caught earlier and a taste of coconut juice. Learning it was our 13th wedding anniversary they planned a beach party that evening. Check out the Suwarrow web page, photos and slide show for details of our stay and see why Suwarrow and its family are truly a gem.
August 6th. 2007: Departure Port: Ile Bora Bora 12:00 July 31rst, 2007
Port O'call: Suwarrow (Suvarov) Northern Cook Islands 10:00 Aug 6th, 2007
Trip: 680 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 85 / Water 87
We motored out of the pass and were under sail after leaving the lee of the island. Wing on wing was the most effective with uncomfortable sailing in mixed seas. As the wind was shifting into different directions, the sails needed to be adjusted a lot. The Island of Suwarrow is the most remote Island we have visited thus far, an easy entry into the lagoon and well worth the visit. We anchored in 50 feet of water where we could see the bottom and had no problems with coral.
August 1rst, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We are leaving beautiful French Polynesia today for the Northern Cook Island Suwarrow which is bout 700 miles from Bora Bora. We really enjoyed our visit throughout French Polynesia and it was great for me to have the opportunity to speak French. I hope everyone enjoyed it with us and we look forward to presenting you the Cook Islands.
July 19th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We are still in Bora Bora anchored in a beautiful Baie De Povai surrounded by high peaks. It rained the last couple of days, a bit windy but warm. On Sunday we went snorkeling and then had a picnic on the beach. It's truly amazing how clear the water is here which you'll be able to see it when I upload the pictures I took with my camera over the water. Today Kip & I went diving with a local diving company, I decided I really wanted to try this out and the best way was to hire a dive company since we have no gear. I'm afraid I didn't do very well, I was down about 10 ft. when my ears clogged up and I couldn't clear them. I gave up after several attempts. Kip however had a great time he was under water for close to an hour. He got his diving certification years ago when he lived in Ventura so he had a blast and saw lots of beautiful sea life.
July 15th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
No matter where you are in life when a tragedy happens in a small community everyone comes together to help. Yesterday a young man of 23yrs went missing, everyone got in their dinghies and formed a search around the area where he supposedly had went diving and snorkeling. He had been gone for over four hours and his friends were very concerned. We were told the last time anyone saw him was when he went down to check the anchor. He was then going to go snorkeling around the area. No one noticed he never back up. He was found in 75 feet of water by the anchor. He was a very experienced diver so no one was concerned. We had a memorial service today and it was nice to see all the boaters from the anchorage who were there to pay their respects, give support to his friends and say goodbye to Tom with tropical flowers thrown into the sea.
July 13th. 2007: Departure Port: Ile Raiatea 8:15 July 13th, 2007
Port O'call: Ile Bora Bora 14:00 July13th, 2007
Trip: 20 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 88 / Water 87
We left the anchorage along with friends a the SV Oasis a Tayana 37 and decided it would be a great opportunity for both of us to take photos of each others vessels under sail as we headed to Bora Bora. We had a great day sail and we tried different sail combinations but with the wind on the quarter most of the time, the spinnaker did a great job. Entering the reef we motored to the anchorage in front of the Bloody Mary Yacht club in 75 feet of water. With the anchored settled in we went to shore for cocktails and a get together with some friends.
July 10th. 2007: Departure Port: Ile Moorea 13:30 July 10th, 2007
Port O'call: Ile Raiatea 10:30 July 10th, 2007
Trip: 120 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 85 / Water 87
A rough sea greeted us out of the reef which lasted throughout the crossing. We found we left Moorea too early and with strong winds we had to reef the sails in order to reach our next island in daylight. The generator failed just as I laid down for my nap which made for a very restless night. We were sailing nicely but had to start the engine regularly to keep the batteries charged. Our original plan was to stop on Ile Huahine which we reached during the night so I decided to continue on to Ile Raiatea which was only 30 miles further. These anchorages and passages through the reefs on these islands are very tricky so anchoring in daylight is a must for us.
July 10th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We're off to Ile Raiatea about 120 miles away. We should be there tomorrow mid day. We had a great time on Moorea it is very beautiful, we hiked to the Belvedere Mountain Top where we could see both Cooks Bay and Opunohu Bay. I will upload more pictures when I get to Raiatea. Make sure to check out the Moorea photos coming soon, I had an experience of a lifetime.
July 7th. 2007: Departure Port: Marina Taina 10:15 July 7th, 2007
Port O'call: Ile Moorea 12:15 July 7th, 2007
Trip: 10 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 87 / Water 87
We entered the 2007 Tahiti Tourisme Cup race to Moorea and because Denise speaks French we volunteered to take some local guests along . With our local guest Steve and Merik along with Brad from Special Blend aboard we were ready. Denise was at the helm and me at the bow ready to set the spinnaker. She yelled go, so I quickly set the sail then noticed nobody was following us. The countdown was for the last 10 min warning. We headed back to the start line as I dropped the spinnaker. We had a poor start but a great finish, second place overall! We were greeted by a fleet of canoes as we entered the reef and into the anchorage. There was a buffet waiting for us and afterwards we raced canoes in teams against other boaters. The local people entertained us with music and dance and they taught us how to play the popular games. It was a great event and we had a lot of fun as did our guests.
July 6, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We have been in Tahiti for a month now and are finely ready to leave for Moorea. I hope you all enjoy the new front page on my web site. It has been a
nightmare trying to get it to work, the internet is very week. We have enjoyed Papeete, it was great to have large markets & stores again where you can get almost anything you want, although prices are very high. We found Bud Light along with the best cheeses, pates and french breads. We enjoyed the events we attended along with the inland tour we took and decided to stay for the Cup 2007 race from Marina Taina to Moorea which we will be participating in tomorrow. We will have four guest on board which we were told are celebrities. The race will start outside the Marina and will end on Moorea. We had a great get together earlier tonight with free beer, punch and appetizers followed by a great Polynesian dance show. We are looking forward to Moorea and what it has to offer and then we will be heading to Bora Bora for Bastille Day celebration July 14th. where the final dance competitions are to be held.
June 7th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
Our short stay on the Manihi Atoll in the Archipel des Tuamotu, was very nice, we did some snorkeling, met Mike and Barb on the Vessel Arabella who are from Oxnard and were members of CIYC our local yacht club. Jim & Martha on Special Blend joined us in the anchorage a few days later. We all went to shore and tried to find coconut crabs, instead we found a type of land crab which were not eatable. Kip climbed a coconut tree and managed to cut me a few coconuts. We spent six days on the atoll, visited the beautiful Pearl Resort, bought a black pearl from Jean Paul who came by and enjoyed spending time with Jim & Martha, their grand son Brad and son in law Travis. Lots more info on the Manihi page.
June 5th. 2007: Departure Port: Atoll Manihi Archipel des Tuamotu 07:00 June 5th, 2007
Port O'call: Papeete Ile Tahiti 10:00 June 7th, 2007
Trip: 280 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 87 / Water 90
As we attempted to pull up our anchor, we discovered it was caught in coral. on Monday two days later two local divers came and unwrapped us. Heading for the pass in perfect condition, slack high tide,
we came out followed by two other sail boats. We had good winds and sailed most of the passage to Papeete. The wind completely died about 35 miles out so we motored and pulled into La Rundel anchorage along the boulevard downtown Papeete where we tied stern to next to Gaia Su our friends fro PEI.
May 28th, 2007: Departure Port: Baie de Taiohae Ile Nuku Hiva 08:00 May 28th, 2007
Port O'call: Atoll Manihi Archipel des Tuamotu 15:30 May 31rst, 2007
Trip: 480 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 87 / Water 87
Leaving in the morning we had a great view of Nuku Hiva & Ua Pou. Getting back into our watch routine, we sailed most of the way in mixed seas accompanied by some squalls. Our original plan was to head to the Atoll Rangiroa which was another 100 miles further. I had been watching the tide and current charts during our passage so I was confident in our timing to stop here. As we approached the Atoll Manihi in daylight, the tide was going in which was the right time for us to enter. As we entered the channel, things got a little tense as it was getting very shallow. We came through ok and anchored with three other boats in 60 feet of water.
May 27th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
We enjoyed the four islands we visited in the Marquises, each had something different to offer. However the vegetation and landscapes are pretty well the same on all them, they all have rocky spears, dark green cloaked steep-sided mountains, beautiful tropical plants which bloom year round. All this is due to the great amount of rain the islands get as we discovered during our visit.
We will leave in the morning and head to the Rangiroa, an island in the Archipel des Tuamotu. It's located approximately 570 nm. which should take us 4 to 5 days to get there.
May 21rst, 2007: Departure Port: Baie D'hakahau Isle Ua Pou 08:00 May 21rst, 2007
Port O'call: Baie de Taiohae Ile Nuku Hiva Marquises 12:30 May 21rst, 2007
Trip: 27 nm/ Wind speeds 0 to 10/ Temp 87 / Water high 80's
As I was pulling up the stern anchor which was quite difficult as it was covered with thick mud the wind picked up and swung Adelia towards Amazing Grace. Luckily with the help of Tony and Linda on Amazing Grace both vessels were unharmed. With the bow anchor up we headed under power to our next bay on Iles Nuku Hiva. We dropped a single anchor in The Baie de Taiohae in 30' of water along with 20 plus vessels.
May 18th, 2007: Departure Port: Baie Atuona Hiva Oa 15:30 May 18th, 2007
Port O'call: Baie D'hakahau Ile Ua Pou Marquises 08:30 May 19th, 2007
Trip: 79 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 85 to 90 / Water high 80's
We picked up anchors in the rainy and rolling harbor and made our way out under sail through the straight between Iles Hiva Oa and Iles Tahuata. Reaching the lee of Hiva Oa the wind died so we motored out of it. Around 04:00 the rain came down hard and we were engulfed in a large squall which followed us to Iles Ua Pou. With less than a one mile visibility we depended on our electronic chart and radar to find the entrance to the Baie D'Hakahau. Visibility got a lot better as we entered the bay and we dropped bow & stern anchors in 12' next to Amazing Grace with Tony and Linda on board we had met in the Galapagos.
May 16th, 2007: Departure Port: Baie Hanavave Fatu Hiva 07:30 May 16th, 2007
Port O'call: Baie Atuona Ile Hiva Oa Marquises 15:30 May 17th, 2007
Trip: 49 nm/ Wind speed 8 to 22 / Temp 85 / Water high 80's
After an early morning rain we decided to leave for Hiva Oa which we could see was under clear skies. The wind picked up and with the sails set we headed into a heavy rain storm which was not what we expected around these tropical islands. Pulling into a rolly silty lagoon behind the break water we anchored bow and stern in 15'. The anchorage was being dredged for larger yachts which left the water very muddy.
May 16th, 2007: Notes from the first mate:
After 21 days at sea we finally saw land, it's great to know that we can find land in the middle of the ocean with the help of our paper charts and electronics on board. Our crossing was dull, not much to report which is a good thing when you're out in the middle of the Pacific. We motor sailed the first 40 hours to catch the wind, which we caught and sailed for the next 19 days averaging 150 plus miles a day. It's amazing to think we traveled close to 3000 miles with only the wind as our source of power. We caught one fish and decided to not to put the rod in again as we had a lot of food to eat in our freezer. The days went by quickly, with our watch routine down we enjoyed the trip. I took advantage of the time and did some baking and prepared fabulous diners out of my cookbooks which had not been used much in the last few years. We kept in touch with other sailboats around us heading in the same direction via SSB Radio every night. We gave each other our positions and weather reports. Kip & I both looked forward to radio hour.
After 21 days of seeing only the ocean we couldn't imagine a more beautiful bay to pull into. With Adelia's anchor set we cracked a bottle of champagne we had saved from our bon voyage party and toasted to our success. Anxious to put our feet on land we dropped our digny in the water and headed to town. It was great to be on land again and the locals were as excited to see us as we were to be here. We enjoyed catching up with our sailing friends David and Juliet on Reflections, which we kept in touch with on the SSB radio throughout the crossing. They welcomed us to the baie with another great bottle of champagne.
May 13th, 2007: Departure Port: Isla Isabella Galapagos 08:00 April 22nd, 2007
Port O'call: Baie Hanavave Ile Fatu Hiva Marquises 12:00 May 13, 2007
Trip:2899.9 nm/ Wind speeds varied / Temp 85 to 90 / Water 85 to 89
Our crossing went well, however no two days seemed the same, the seas were mixed and stayed that way for most of the crossing. With winds usually in the 10 to 15kt range most days and rarely exceeding twenty kts, our average speed stayed over 6kts until the last 400 miles when it died off. In an effort to keep a decent speed and comfort we tried a variety of sail combinations, spinnaker, polled out genoa and wing on wing to keep in tune with the wind over our port quarter. Adelia did an excellent job of bringing us to our destination successfully.