Cheapest Wedding Anniversary Dinner Around

Today, June 28th, is our 3rd year wedding anniversary. Wow, how time flies. To celebrate, we had ladder baths off the stern of the boat, holding onto the ladder while the boat has slowed to a knot or so. The water has cooled off to 25.6 C now - chilly in comparison to the 29 C we found in the Marquesas! But, ohhhh, so refreshing! And nice to be clean.

Our Wedding Anniversary dinner used some of the "money items" from our on-board pantry. Long-life tofu, canned corn (Lo loves corn) and a Home Gourmet packet of Indian Curry paste. Mix in some basmati rice and VOILA! Tasty! We figure that this might be one of our cheapest anniversary dinners ever, but who knows what else we'll get up to over the years...

Finally....A Fish!

Lo was just waking up from her afternoon nap when she heard knocking on the hull. From outside. Not any of the usual noises. As she looked out the companionway, she saw Gary out in the cockpit wrestling with a metre long Mahi Mahi (we still find it difficult to land fish this size with the boat traveling at 6 knots). "You caught a fish!", she yelled leaping up from the sea berth to help, but he couldn't hear her with all the wind and the excitement of trying to get the fish under control. It had seemed like an eternity since anything showed up on our hook. Lots of chomps on our lure, that took all the arms off of a number of our squid hoochies, with no fish to show for it. One time, we pulled in the line to find the lure completely ripped off! Something BIG ripped right through the double crimp in the steel leader.

With such a drought in fish bites, we were starting to wonder whether there were any fish left in this ocean! Or perhaps we're just not so good at catching them... A dip in a bowl of sesame seeds and into some olive oil in the frying pan, and our 1.5" thick fillets were Heavenly bliss! We felt like Royalty! That can of tuna that was on the menu for tonight can wait!

On Finding the Doldrums

June 24th - The ITCZ that we mentioned in our last update, the band around the equator with light and variable winds, confused seas... we found it. We had hoped that we'd found a clear pocket through it, as our 15 kt easterlies were surprisingly keeping up, but they died down and we've thus been either becalmed, drifting with a northerly current or motoring for the last two days. Luckily though - very luckily - we have had few squalls and little lightning. At over 8 degrees N now, we're hoping to exit this area and pick up the NE'ly trades soon.

Meanwhile, we've caught up on some baking and swimming with the calm weather. Still waiting for the big one to snag our lure!

The Big Four Oh; The Line; The UFO; The Solstice; The ITCZ

Demelza has been heading due N from the Marquesas since June 14th. We have been having excellent winds, particularly the 15kts on the beam that we've had for the last three days. The first week of the passage has been action packed (as far as passages go), with a number of milestones reached:

THE BIG FOUR OH - Demelza was ROCKIN' for Gary's 4 - 0 bash. Unfortunately, most of the movement was Gary bouncing off the walls on his sugar buzz after devouring the chocolate frosted banana cake. He installed NHL2004 onto the laptop and played for his whole watch...and then some. Some kids will never grow up (Lo can't complain since she got a much longer sleep).

THE LINE - Always a treat and never a line up! The equator doesn't disappoint as an attraction. We sat mesmerized by all the zeros on the GPS...kind of like ushering in the New Year with the countdown on a TV special. A little nip for Neptune and some dancing and we were through. Maybe we'll shave Gary's head for the Tropic of Capricorn!

THE UFO - Unbelievable! Lo was on watch when this alien craft appeared in the southern sky, just over the equator that we had passed earlier in the day. Eeeks! Gary, GARY!! Gary jolts up out of bed and is in the cockpit staring up at the light...a huge ship about to run us down?...a UFO (play theme from Close Encounters here; will all Gary's training at zapping aliens in computer games finally pay off?)?...an asteroid? The object lit up the sky, with a golden green tail extending back towards the Southern Cross constellation. The colours changed to yellow-orange, then orange-red as it crossed the sky to the E, breaking up into a hundred or so flaming hunks of alien matter before presumably splashing down into the ocean. Based on the apparent size of this beast in the sky, the landing zone would not have been a good place to catch the show.

THE SOLSTICE - We left NZ as winter was rapidly approaching, with the days ever shortening towards the heart of winter. Passing through the tropics, with the more balanced 12-hr days throughout the year, we forgot about winter. Now, with Demelza gaining N every day, we are starting to see the sunshine last a little longer with each degree N we make. While the 21st brings us the longest day of the year, our days will continue to lengthen as we head towards the 49th parallel and Canada's summer...the perfect time to arrive back home!

THE ITCZ - The inter-tropical convergence zone is the boundary between N and S hemisphere weather patterns. Often called the doldrums, this area is typically plagued with light, variable winds and confused seas. The unsettled weather here is a breeding ground for squalls, which pack high winds and lots of rain. In short, it's a zone where you want to spend as little time as possible. This circum-tropical band (i.e., usually N of the equator but S of 10 deg N in the E Pacific) can oscillate relative to the equator and varies in width (i.e., from virtually non-existent to more than 5 deg); we hit it about 3 degrees N and it should be relatively narrow (i.e., two degrees of latitude wide), so hopefully we'll be out of it in a day or so. When we came across this zone last year (around 125 W), we encountered it at 8 deg N and it essentially followed us back down towards the equator, making our stay much longer than we would have liked. We'll keep our fingers crossed for a quick transit this year. UPDATE - We were pummeled by squalls last night...lots of wind and rain!

Marquesas Update

We are safe and sound in Nuku Hiva, having had a difficult upwind passage from the Tuamotus. Fortunately, we were able to hook up with the same family we met last year and have been having a total blast. They have been looking after us and making sure we have enough fruit to do a complete circumnavigation! We also met up with an amazing couple who are skippering Beagle V, a megayacht (115 ft); they treated us on board to a wonderful evening where we felt like billionaires! We are very happy to have made the effort to get here.

We've added photos to the recent text updates (i.e., since arriving at Raivavae), so check out those postings again.

Next stop is either Hawaii or, if the wind permits, Canada! We'll keep you posted!

Return to Raraka (May 27 - June 1)

Raraka...our siren. We stopped in there last year, but were chased out by a storm that whipped up 1 m waves in the lagoon that threatened to send us up onto the reef (1-m is small at sea, but can be dangerous at anchor due to shock-loading of the system). During our brief stay, we had met a nice family (Daniel and Leoni Tama) and wanted to go back and see more of this seldom-visited atoll. So, with adverse winds for sailing N, we headed east on an overnight passage and made it through the pass with perfect timing. Anchored in front of the Tama's house, we went ashore and found that they were away at their copra plantation (islet full of coconut palms...just like every islet around here) at the other side of the atoll. We were a bit bummed, but cheered up when we snorkeled the pass on the flooding tide...crystal clear water and great coral formations. We stopped at one of the fish traps (passive cages that use the currents and a funnel entrance to guide fish inside, where they are essentially trapped inside a big holding cage) and were amazed at the variety of fish inside. The traps owner sells the fish (3 large fish for about $7) to other residents of the atoll. We were whisked all the way back to the boat in the current!

Daniel and Leoni came back the next day, which also happened to be Mother's Day in French Polynesia. Leoni is 35 and has had 8 kids, two of which were given away to be adopted (one to Daniel's mother, the other to a french couple). Based on our experiences, the practice of giving up kids to friends and relatives is common in this culture. So...with all these kids around, Mother's Day is a big holiday here! We went ashore and celebrated with them, having a great feast of fish, shellfish and chicken. Apart from coconuts, their diet doesn't really consist of much in the way of veggies or fruits. They cooked up a coconut crab for us to take back to the boat for supper. These people, while living in a "shack" by our standards and possessing relatively little in the way of material goods, again made an impression with their generosity and hospitality.

A couple of interesting side notes. The first is that Daniel claims to have linkages going back to Tahitian royalty. Apparently, the entire royal family (except for one child) was murdered a couple hundred years ago and their land taken. He is a descendent of that one child. A British academic supposedly wrote a book about this aspect of Tahitian history. According to Daniel, they have been participating in a number of court cases regarding land to which they think they have title. If it pans out, this poor guy will be very rich. The second is treasure ....ARRGGGGHHH, me maties! What tropical island isn't complete without its own treasure legends. Tales of rubies and gold found and Spanish treasure ships wandering off course through this "dangerous archipelago." Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

This was a special time of year for the atoll....breeding season for the marbled grouper. Fish from all over the HUGE lagoon (you can't even see across it) congregate at the pass to spawn. Being one of the few atolls where ciguatera (a natural compound [potentially lethal to humans at high doses] that accumulates in fish tissue [accumulation can be enhanced by human or natural disturbances]) is less prevalent, this fishery is quite lucrative for the locals, who sell their fillets for about $6/kg to the hotel and restaurant trade in Tahiti. The fishing is all done with handlines. Over an eight hour period, a single fisher may catch a hundred fish, which are then filleted over the next few hours. An okay day is 20kg (about 40 fish), a good day is 40kg (80+ fish) and a stellar day is 100kg!! Needless to say, the action is amazing and Gary had to get right into it. He was invited to go with one of the locals (Daniel's boat was broken, or he would have taken Gary). Everyone is "the boss" and fishes for themselves, so Gary could have kept all his fish, processed them, then sold them to one of the two brokers (i.e., people owning large freezers that in turn sell the the large supply boat that comes every couple of weeks)...but he just gave them all to the guy who took him. Filling over half a 200-L drum, they got 35 kg of fillets for the day, which was only about 5 hours long for us. It was really fun for a day, but hard work as a job every day for the month to 6-week season as they do.

We wanted to reciprocate the great hospitality by giving the Tamas some gifts. We gave the kids (the two youngest attend elementary school on the atoll, the four older boys go the school at a neighbouring atoll for months at a time) some cards (and accompanying magic tricks) and a goofy watch...they loved them. An old set of snorkeling gear is gold here, as are music CDs and lemons. Like last year, they showered us with shells, necklaces and some black pearls in return. Some people have to get the last word in...others the last gift! They are amazing people and Lo is already talking about coming back some time and renting a house for a month. Treasure, treasure, where are you?????

Friends at Fakarava and Toau (May 20 - 25)

We arrived in Fakarava the day before our friends, Francois and Annick, were scheduled to arrive from Papeete.

These two pulled off a Herculean effort to meet up with us (Annick actually flew from Vancouver to Quebec to drop off their young daughter at the grandparents prior to meeting up with Francois in LA!), including bringing 5 boxes of produce from Papeete so that we'd have some fresh items to eat during their stay. Never accused of "underdoing" anything, they brought enough to last the week plus get us off to a good start on our way to the Marquesas!

With exotic destinations to explore, we wasted little time and departed the main village for Garuae Pass, which is considered by some as the best dive location in French Polynesia. The wind was blowing across the lagoon, so it was a bit bouncy in the exposed anchorage. With the pass ebbing strongly and none of us wanting to be swept out to sea, we decided that a land-based mission might be best for the afternoon.

The next morning we snorkeled around a nice reef in front of the boat and dived the pass with a flooding tide, adding a couple of new shark species to Francois' check list. Then it was back to the boat to get ready to make the passage to Toau, an atoll about 15 miles to the NW.

Annick took us through Garuae Pass, the largest in the Tuamotus, then tag-teamed with Francois at the helm for the 3-hr crossing. With gentle winds (8 to 10 kts) and a slight swell (1 to 1.5 metres), conditions were perfect for the passage.

We got to Toau just before sunset, so had to hurry into the lagoon and anchor while we could still see. Otugi Pass was ebbing directly into the prevailing winds, which meant that there were some large, confused seas (large enough to break into the cockpit!) to navigate before reaching the calm, protected waters of the lagoon. Drop the hook, enjoy a beautiful sunset and relax (that was an action-packed day)! We made up for it the next day with slow-paced beachcombing and snorkeling.

The original plan was to head to the NW to Takaroa to drop them off at an airport that was on our general path through the islands. The winds, however, had other ideas, and we were pinned inside the lagoon by rough seas at the pass. There are certainly worse places to be stuck….more snorkeling and beachcombing for all!

We went over all our options and decided it best to return to Fakarava rather than risking another passage in increasingly adverse winds (they could not miss their flight…Annick's motherly instincts had been suppressed for far too long already after nearly three weeks in French Polynesia…what a trooper!). We made it to the village with just enough time to confirm a seat on the next day's flight to Papeete.

Australs to Tuamotus (May 13 to 19)

We are back in sea mode again, but feeling like we have a bit of a hangover (getting back to 4 hour sleep cycles is hard after getting 8 on land for 3 nights).

We nabbed a nice little tuna yesterday...sesame encrusted tuna fillets for dinner and fish soup today (and tomorrow).

The weather and water are finally getting warmer, and the sailing AWESOME!

We're really looking forward to hanging out with Francois and Annick, friends from Vancouver meeting us for a week in the Tuamotus. Seems like we've spent a lifetime at sea since NZ and we're only a third of the way home! Eeks!

The Australs (May 10 - 13)

After 27 days at sea from NZ...our first landfall was at Raivavae Island in the Austral Group of French Polynesia (about 500 miles S of Tahiti)...we'd finally made it!!!

Our brief stopover was wonderful...a very undeveloped (except for the new airport built right on the lagoon), mountainous and reef-fringed island inhabited by friendly people. Its sheer beauty definitely rivals Bora Bora, which is often touted as the most beautiful island in the world.

We were the only sailboat at the island, so the whole town of 150 knew who we were. Les voiliers! The second boat of the season. There are only 1500 total inhabitants on the island, 900 of which are permanent. We signed their guest book at the Gendarmerie that's ALMOST half filled now and dates back to 1959! Talk about off the beaten track!

We had some repairs to do on the boat, so that took the first two of three days. However, we did manage a tour around the island (20 km in perimeter) with some young local Jehovah's Witnesses (made for interesting conversation in French!), who were particularly nice and amazingly outgoing. They helped us do our laundry with their semi-automatic machine and huge covered area to hang it out of the rain. Very kind, they consisted of two brothers who had married two sisters! They live together while doing their work, which consisted largely of going door-to-door and Bible readings. Timona, the eldest brother and head witness, should have been a politician. He has a magnetic personality coupled with sharp wit and the gift of the gab. Everyone is laughing within moments of his arrival anywhere. If anyone can be successful recruiting door-to-door, Timona is the man.

Unfortunately, a front was passing through on our tour day, so we got soaked, but did manage to see the whole island. They also helped us procure some fruit for our next leg to the Tuamotus...we got about 25 pomelos (HUGE grapefruit-like fruit they call pamplemousse here), two stalks (yes, the whole stalks) of bananas and a grocery bag full of the pungent tropical lemons (key limes)...all given to us!

Back to the boat in the afternoon to start readying for departure...SO SOON!!! We took a brief excursion in the zodiac out to a barrier motu (small islet) that had an amazing sand beach.

The next day we got up early again (everyday at 6 am) and went to the wharf to wait for the "camion avec le pain", which delivers baguettes dockside for 60 cents each! Now that's civilization! Edmond, a french "ex-pat", came to the boat for a brief tour. He has constructed a small sailboat on the island and wants to sail around Cape Horn. He is also the local green grocer, growing veggies that he sells to the locals (and to the handful of cruisers who make it there each year).

We then went on a short walk to find the famous tiki. Quite anti-climatic, as it's located in someone's backyard and looks small (although it's over a metre tall) in it's dull surrounding. Quite the contrast to the amazingly HUGE archeological sites we saw in the Marquesas.

An anomaly in French Polynesia, the Australs are predominantly Protestant thanks to English missionaries beating the French priests to the punch. One side effect, however, is that in their zealous desire to stop the locals from worshipping false idols, they incited the destruction of many local historical artifacts (e.g., many of the stone and clay tikis and the stone maraes where their ancestors congregated for spiritual sustenance).