SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip

Vessel Name: Panta Rhei
Vessel Make/Model: Able Apogee 50
Hailing Port: Seattle
Crew: Larry and Karen
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18 September 2017 | Seattle
23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert
15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory
19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK
17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK
03 June 2017 | Seward AK
03 June 2017 | Denali
25 April 2017 | Seward AK
23 March 2017 | Seward, AK
11 March 2017 | Seward, AK
23 January 2017 | Seward AK
06 December 2016 | Seward AK
12 November 2016 | Seward Alaska
14 October 2016 | Valdez, AK
21 September 2016
05 August 2016 | Seward, AK
26 July 2016 | Whittier, AK
19 July 2016 | Valdez, Alaska
05 July 2016 | Seward, Alaska
Recent Blog Posts
18 September 2017 | Seattle

We are back in Seattle

It feels like home. Of course we are not in Silshole. Maybe we will be, someday, but there is a list and we are on it. In the meantime we are at Bainbridge Island Marina.

23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert

The dinghy holds air again

It wasn't very nice of the bear to tear the fabric across a seam. We were worried that we couldn't patch it but tried anyway. The glue had a job to do and it did it!

15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory

A Grizzly Bear damaged our dinghy

We were visiting the Anan Bear Observatory south of Wrangell. It is one of the best places to visit in all of SE Alaska BECAUSE it has bears. But (as we learned) there is a dark side to this bear concentration. And of course, there is a story to tell.

19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK

Moving On

"No matter where you go, there you are" (unknown reference). By now we have been there and done that. Most recently that included Cannery Cove on Admiralty Island. The photo shows the quiet grandeur of the setting with Ron and Suzie's boat SV Tango in the foreground. It has been like that for the last [...]

17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK

We are in Hoonah, SE Alaska now

We got something resembling a high pressure ridge so we moved expeditously across the Gulf of Alaska. The crossing took three days and weather stayed as forecast. That was a very good thing. The weather changes in the far north far more rapidly and dramatically than we ever experienced in the more southern [...]

03 June 2017 | Seward AK

Crossing the Gulf of Alaska

We are still in Seward, AK. Now that spring has come, why not start south?

Sailing through an ant storm

07 September 2012 | At a dock in Apia Western Samoa
Larry Nelson
We made the passage from American Samoa to Western Samoa overnight, leaving Pago Pago at about 6 pm and arriving in Apia at 9:00 am. It is about 79 nm, ...about like going from Seattle to Victoria. As it turns out we crossed the international date line that night. We needed to get into Apia while it was not a weekend so as to avoid overtime charges at customs and immigration. 5 other boats in Pago Pago were doing the same thing. Imagine our situation: we are a relatively tight formation of sailboats making a crossing in light winds and easy seas. All was peaceful and secure. Its dark and most of the crews are sleeping. What could go wrong?

As we turned around the southwest corner of American Samoa we were assaulted by flying ants. Thousands of them. Of course it is dark so no one saw anything just all of a sudden we are crawling in ants on us and on the boat. All the boats experienced this. SV Gypsea Heart threw all their fresh fruits and vegetables overboard thinking that somehow their recent purchases were at fault. Karen came and woke me up to defend the boat against those "termites". Karen always imagines the very very worst possible interpretation of the events! About a can of Raid later and with at least hundreds of squished ants I finally was released back to bed. We sailed on into the night alone in our thoughts. What was going to happen when we checked in? Dead ants everywhere has got to be a red flag to the quarantine people.

As we learned after we arrived, all the boats have the same situation and they have ants here too. We were welcomed as tourists, not as lepers. Geez, someone could have told us.... Rats and mice? We were asked if any (rats or mice) we had on board were sick? Do you think they have that problem, too? These are the sorts of things you get to discover during foreign travel. (Just to be clear we don't have rats or mice yet).

We got a slip in the marina. Whooppee. Now we have power (230v 50 Hz). We are safe. As it turned out we were at the end of the BIG festival. We were invited to go to the beauty pagent. That turned out to be pretty interesting. They don't do skimpy swim suits in Samoa, just historical clothing and lots of singing and dancing.

Like American Samoa, they have McDonalds here. But the money is funny (not USD). Taxis are way cheaper. Busses are much rarer. Internet costs more and is slower.

We have two big islands to explore and there are some places that sound like a lot of fun. We may rent a car, although they drive on the left side of the road and that may take a little getting used to.

The picture is of the contestants in the Miss Samoa 2012 contest that we watched.
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