Happy Anniversary to us!!
29 April 2015 | Thinadhoo Atoll
Sunny and hot--again
It's been seven years now since we moved on board Zephyr back on April 29, 2008 in Newport, Oregon. A lot has been learned and many miles have passed under out keel. We are currently in Thinadhoo, Maldives(00 32.079N:073 00.224E) after another trip of 17 miles. We are currently at anchor along with Yolo right next to a big town, at least by Maldive standards. By far, the biggest since we left Male three weeks ago. Tomorrow, we will be going ashore to see what it has to offer.
In the last 7 years, we've covered about 28,000 miles and traveled from Port Townsend, Washington up to Alaska, back down the west coast of the US and into Mexico for a while. We left there in April of 2011 for the Marquesas islands. On to the Tuomotus and Tahiti. Next jump was to Suwarrow in the Cook Islands and then on to Tonga. Not to be stopped, we wanted to be in Fiji before the Cyclone Season started in December so we got there in late October of 2011. In all, we stayed in Fiji close to a year before heading back to a regatta in Tonga and then North to American Samoa. A few weeks there and on to Tuvalu where we had engine problems. Once fixed(so we thought) we continued on to Pohnpei, having blown our engine when we got salt water up our exhaust pipe. Thanks to Kumer and Antonia Panuelo that own the small marina there, they helped us get our engine all taken care of and welcomed us almost as family. We will always be indebted to them.
Next, on to Palau and the Philippines to join a rally to Indonesia. After Indonesia, on to Malaysia on Borneo and around the top to Brunei(home of the cheap diesel fuel--under a dollar a gallon!). Over through the shipping channel to mainland Malaysia and Singapore(lots of trips to Singapore spending tons of money for a minnie refit). Up the Malacca Strait to Langkawi and on to Thailand to join our son and his fiance Szonic for a short visit. Back to Malaysia and Johor Bahru and the marina there till September of 2014 when we again made our way up to Thailand for a few months.
The next jump was for the Maldives by passing Sri Lanka where we have spent most of the last two months. Next trip is over to the Seychelles and Madagascar and South Africa.
As you can see, we have covered a bunch of miles since we moved on board and learned a lot since our last boat(still have in Colorado) was just 26 feet long with a 10hp outboard on the stern. It's had it high points as well as it's low. The low was primarily during the first year on board. Fixing, fixing and fixing what we had already fixed. High points are many and far out way the lows(or we wouldn't be still out here). Meeting people of different lands and cultures and learning about their customs, trying their food and learning about the good people on the world that we have met. Not yet sure when we will make it back to the US but figure about another two years or so. It's a big world with lots of see and experience. Stay tuned there is more coming.
The picture today is of us clear back in Port Townsend at the beginning of our adventure.