06/11/2011, Maui!!!

Good surf & great friends. Does it surprise you that our planned weekend stop here lasted over 2 weeks? We are having so much fun, we find it hard to leave. It turns out that 3 good surf friends from the Pedro high school days live here and shared with us so much Aloha Spirit we just can't move on. We've had day after day of fun waves and we've been BBQing up a storm each evening with our good friends from Pedro: Pete Sebastian, Theo Murphy, & Kevin Garnier. Its like old times, dawn patrolling the surf, big meals with friends, late nights, songs, music & lots of laughs.

For the first time in two years, we're in a marina slip with shore power & running water, what a luxury!Even better, there are four fun surf spots within paddling or walking distance from the boat. Waters are so warm and one area is perfect for beginners, so Kelita has been sharpening her surfing skills and shredding the waves everyday, as you can see in the photo above. To her right is our new crew member, Raymond Fowler, who is also mastering his surf skills. Ray sailed with Rob for years before setting out from CA and will be crewing with us back to California when we cross the Pacific in July.

So, up next is a quiet little harbor on Molokai where we'll spend a few days relaxing and surfing the waves just outside. Then, we're off to the big city, Waikiki, Oahu to prep for our crossing. We'll check in from there next. Hugs, Kelita & Robert.

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05/19/2011, Hilo Bay, Big Island Hawaii

WOW, where has the time gone! The weeks & months have flown by as we've thoroughly enjoyed our times here on the Big Island.

But one the greatest things about our stay here is that we have been able to share our adventures with family members. Both our Moms and even Rob's Dad have come out to participate in the fun with us. We attended the Merrie Monarch Festival (legendary Hawaiian hula competition) 3 out of 4 nights. And along the way, we've made so many great friends. So much kindness has been showered upon us we can't even begin to explain it all.

We've also used this time to give svFreedom some much needed love, repairs & improvements. All the standing rigging has been replaced, we've added roller furling for the headsail, installed an AIS system and more. But, between boat projects, activities, surfing & get-togethers, we've been busy pretty much everyday.

But now we're pulling up anchor sailing to the other islands. Maui is up next as we work our way to Oahu, where we'll prep the boat for our return to CA. Miss you all, hugs from Hawaii. R&K.

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12/23/2010, Hilo, Hawaii

Wow, where to begin. Our days in Hawaii have been a delight, to say the least. The kindness of friends, both new and old, have made for incredible times here. Our long time friend, John Gibbons in picture with us above, has put us up in a spare jungle house, just up the road from the beach. He's even set us up with a car so we are mobile to explore and adventure as we wish. We've also been working with John to harvest the fresh fruits on the orchards he maintains. The bounty of the land has been so remarkably generous, we almost don't need to visit the supermarket. We've pretty much have an all you can eat supply of avocados, oranges, lemons, passion fruit, rambutan, tangerines, bananas, grapefruit, and more... This gorilla farming is fun stuff.

Also making our time here special is the fact that family has been able to fly in and visit us. Being able to explore and experience this island with them has been treat. Together, we've trek'ed the lava fields to see it flow into the ocean, we've soaked in oceanside warm ponds, we enjoyed Thanksgiving on the beach, we taught Kelita's mom how to swim in the ocean and even boogie board, we've hike botanical gardens, and have enjoyed every day here in Hawaii. We wish we could do more to share these adventures with those who are not here, other than by blogging & posting pics.

Looking back, it's hard to believe this adventurous year is about over. We left Ecuador in February for the Galapagos, then a completed a 3,000 mile run to the Marquesas, followed by hopping thru the Tuomotu atolls, then an extended stay in the Society Islands of Tahiti, and finally a 2,000 mile run north here to Hawaii. It's been more than 2 years now since we set off into the Pacific from our sleepy little home town in San Pedro, CA. Just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2011.

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11/11/2010, arrived in Hilo, the Big Island

What a challenging run this turned out to be. It took us 31 days to cover 2,300 miles, sailing almost due north from latitude 16.5South (Raiatea, Tahiti) to 19.5North (Hawaii). What really slowed us down was some rigging repair that kept us hove to for two days. Following that, we proceeded cautiously with reefed sails and crawled our way up to Hawaii. However, we did eat well, having caught two 20lb Mahi Mahi along the way. And for the first time, we had a pet onboard that kept us well entertained. Before we left Bora Bora, a gecko climbed aboard and lived in our aloe plant, eating little fruit flys during the entire crossing.

Now were snugly tied to the quay in Hilo, the big island, in awe of the beauty, fresh fruits, and modern conveniences of Hawaii. Its been 2 years since our boat has been in an American port and it is an interesting delight to be in familiar territory. We'll be based here for the Winter and Spring to enjoy these islands during the non-hurricane season.

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09/18/2010, Bora Bora

Some places are just too nice to move on quickly from. So, we've been lingering here, enjoying the tropical island lifestyle and swimming with the locals: turtles, rays, fishys & sharks. We're heading North for Hawaii soon, will post again when we arrive. R&K!

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09/02/2010, French Poly

Our words were swept away with the wind as we reached the summit peak of Bora Bora, and the 360 degree view of the lagoon and island opened before us. Looking down, the turquoise blue and green waters shimmered in front of us like a dream, and the arduous, near vertical hike/climb up the muddy path over rocks, roots, branches was quickly forgotten. Bora Bora lives up to it's legendary and tranquil beauty. It is hard to believe 2 weeks have passed since our arrival here, and that it is soon time to move on again. We've been blessed to spend this time with such good friends, as we've had great company to enjoy all the outdoor island activities here, and throughout French Polynesia in general.

But departure from Bora Bora is the end of French Polynesia which is a sad event for us, in that we are parting ways with many of our boater friends, some we've sailed with all year, as they continue westward, and we begin our trek north toward Hawaii. The bonds of friendship grow strong and fast among the boating community, as many friends have become our family away from home. Our upcoming route will be to the westward islands of Maupiti & Mopelia, from where we'll turn north for Penhryn, Malden and Christmas Island before we reach Hilo, Hawaii. This will be our last post until we make landfall in Hawaii, as Internet is not available at the upcoming island stops. So, keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we traverse the open oceans again.

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