Iolani
| Vessel Name: | Iolani |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Hughes 48 yawl |
| Hailing Port: | Sausalito, CA |
| Crew: | Barry and Sylvia Stompe |
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22 October 2016
Vancouver to Sausalito
Now that we are home, getting back into the rhythm of life ashore, I am compelled to chronicle the last days of our cruising adventure. We had a busy final few weeks in the Pacific Northwest; attending the Victoria Classic boat show and Blues festival and enjoying final visits with our cruising friends [...]
01 September 2016
Gulf Islands continued
The last post ended with a dash off to a beach party on Gabriola. It was a calm and sunny afternoon of swimming in a calm bay, then warming up by laying on the
19 August 2016
Gulf Islands fun
We have been in Canada for 4 weeks, in a whirlwind of social activity. We were greeted at the dock in Victoria, simultaneously, by our dear old friend Dave Reed and his lovely daughter Madeleine ( who was just about 6 years old when we saw her last, now a gorgeous and intelligent 16 yr old) , and our new friends from Maui, Doris and Gordon who were visiting Victoria for just two days. All before we had even taken our first real shower after three weeks at sea! Sylvia's parents flew in a couple days later for a fun and delicious week of enjoying the cultural and culinary attractions in Victoria. The BC museum was the highlight, followed by a day at the Butchart Gardens. We had no idea that the food scene was so hopping here with the farm to table and artisan food ethos firmly established. Jean and Charlie, aka Mom and Dad, flew out on saturday the 30th, so we left the dock in Victoria to sail north to the Gulf Islands. We literally saw their plane take off as we sailed up Cordova channel to our anchorage at Saanichton Bay. We spent just one night there, anchored off an Indian Reserve where we had front row seats for the canoe races which reminded us of all the pirogue and outrigger racing we have seen since arriving in Polynesia. A gorgeous daysail past many little and some large forested islands brought us to secluded little Genoa Bay. It is secluded as far as onshore development, but very popular with boaters with folks coming and going, rafting up and partying on the dock. After the calmest night sleep on board, with not a ripple on the water or puff of breeze, we headed ashore in the morning to catch up with the world. We called our constant cruising pals from Lady Carolina with whom we had been sailing with and sharing meals for a shy year. " Oh , you are just a few miles away, we will see you in 10 minutes!" They fed us, took us hiking, let us do laundry, take showers, and just hang out at a house, all big treats for boat bound people. The social whirl continued with a visit by Sylvia's friend Sheila and her two kids, Taj and Kira. We visited Sidney on Vancouver Island, Saltspring, Prevost and Galiano islands. Having a couple of kids on board was such a fun change: Games, knot tying lessons, more time ashore and special menu planning which included Kira making raviolis. Sheila and the kids became adept at boat chores and habits; Taj and Kira mastered paddeboarding; Kira convinced Sheila and I to swim in the icy waters; they taught Barry and I to play disc golf; we had late night card games, knot tying lessons, and special dinners which included Kira making raviolis. I think we packed more crazy fun into one week than the previous month! We had a few days on North Pender, catching up with Dave, Anna And Madeleine. They showed us all their favorite spots on the island and Madeleine made some truly fabulous food. She is a very talented young chef! We are now on Gabriola island, hanging out with longtime cruising friends on the sailing vessels Desire, Adesso and Rose and Dave of Aussi Rules who now live here. Gotta run, off to a beach party. This cruising life is so fun! We are enjoying it as much as we can in our last few weeks of sailing life
15 June 2016
One day of sun.....
We are still at Hanalei Bay, Kauai, prepping the boat for passage to Vancouver. Frequent rain showers allow us time to enjoy reading our books without feeling guilty. Sylvia does more cooking while it is rainy; curries, soups and today, BLT and avo sandwiches, instead of big bowls of salad with a rainbow [...]
23 May 2016
Lovely Kauai
We arrived at our final island in the Hawaiian chain, Kauai, after a relaxed overnight sail from Oahu, which was nice because getting our final chores done and departing the Ala Wai Marina in time to get to the fuel dock before it closed, in gusty winds and passing sprinkles, was a challenge. We headed off to the west, skirting the restricted Naval operations area around Pearl Harbor under jib and mizzen, ensuring we would have moderate speed and not arrive at our destination before morning light. At 8 am, we actually hooked a small yellowfin tuna, after many months of not even a nibble on our lines. We entered Nawiliwili harbor midmorning, and dropped our anchor on the edge of the channel, just barely within the crowded mooring field. After some welcome napping, we readied the boat for guests. Barry's college friend John Takakawa is from Oahu, but has settled here where his grandparents had emigrated from Japan, working at the plantation store.. Sylvia's friend Andre, from way back when she lived in Napa was also here on the island catsitting, and had brought our winter clothes from California with him on the plane. To round out the festivities, Andres friend Robin, who we had met years back when she came for a tuesday night race, had gotten badly slapped by the mainsheet, and actually trusted us enough to set foot on our boat again. Barry ferried them all aboard between rainshowers. Dinner was ahi tuna poke sushi rolls. What a nice first day on Kauai! In the days following, John and Andre both took us around the island in their cars, to see the beaches and bays on the South shore, and gorgeous Waimea Canyon. We took Iolani out for daysails and trolling for fish twice, with no success but nice scenery. We had several cook outs with Dan and Mary, more college friends, taking part in the universal Hawaiian culture of beach barbecueing. People have been so nice and helpful, inviting us over and even taking us out to dinner, loaning cars, and even their sewing machines. Sylvia spent a day at Charlie's Upholstery shop, squeezed in amongst piles of cushions with Charlie, a Phillipino immigrant, who had no time to sew our weathercloths ( panels of canvas attached to lifelines to hopefully keep out waves and spray) , but allowed me to use his awesome professional machine. These things mean so much to us cruisers! After about ten days at Nawiliwil, on Barry's birthday, we sailed up north to Hanalei Bay, a place that we had been hearing was the most beautiful in all of Hawaii. It certainly is, and is also full of fun things to do. We have dinghied up a river, paddleboarded, swam, walked along the beach and through town. Now we will borrow a car to access the sights and hikes that are further afield. We have less than two weeks or so to enjoy this island and also get Iolani ready for the upcoming ocean passage, which will be as long as the Mexico to Marquesas passage. While the rhumb line distance is around 2400 miles, we will probably sail about 2800 miles to skirt the edge of the Pacific High, the area of light winds that sit between Hawaii and the mainland in summer.
09 May 2016
Molokai and Oahu visits
Our time in Hawaii has flown by; here's some highlights of our adventures after the 10 weeks spent on Maui. We had a quick 4 day stop on Molokai, and spent 2 busy weeks at the Ala Wai Marina in Waikiki.
A week in the life of a cruising boat
Diving the boat bottom in murky Taiohae Bay, after having spent 2-3 hours scrubbing away, then when Barry was finally out and toweling off, saw a big grey shark zipping around about 2 boat lengths from us, chasing something it seems to have caught and eaten. Good thing we saw that after we were in the water! Our encounters with sea life are always the high points of our days.
Went to cathedral last Sunday morning, because I had heard how beautiful the singing is. It was beautiful, and I enjoyed watching the people and even listening to the sermon in French. The cathedral here in Taiohae is spectacular with carved wood and stone work and open air views of the mountains and sea.
We got up early on Saturday morning and went to the dock where there was a locals event in full swing. The tuna tournament had started the afternoon before. We just missed the weighing of the catch, at 7 am, but there was live music, and a feast. We purchased meals for $10 each, all you can eat buffet with: goat in coconut milk, roast goat, roast pig, bananas cooked in Palm leaves, yams, Poisson Cru and raw crabs with salt and lime or grated coconut sauce. There were also platters of beignets, which are rather yucky fried dough bits in various shapes, which the locals love. Then there was a dance performance in the parking lot next to the food tent, with alternating groups of sexy young dancers, then traditionally dressed women doing more subtle dancing to ballads. Finally, the fishermen received their prizes, each one doing " the happy dance" with the dancing girl that presented the envelope. One fisherman got to dance with al the girls at once!
We are also having a really good time with friends in our posse of Hawaii bound boats, snorkeling together, fishing derbies in our dinghies, and of course happy hours, dinghy raft ups and dinners together. We are all planning to continue on to Vancouver at around the same time too.
