Tropical Sailing Adventures

Vessel Name: Maestro
Vessel Make/Model: 72' Custum Irwin Ketch
Hailing Port: Dover, Delaware
About:
"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and wihtout borders, where life is lived in the present. [...]
18 February 2016 | Mexico - Puerto Vallarta
08 February 2014
23 October 2013 | Phuket, Thailand
02 October 2013
22 August 2013 | Raiatea, French Polynesia
22 July 2013 | Island of Huahine - least commercial island in French Poly
26 June 2013 | French Polynesia
01 June 2013
25 May 2013
13 May 2013
11 April 2013 | Marquesas
02 April 2013
30 March 2013
21 March 2013
19 March 2013
15 March 2013 | Galapagos
03 March 2013 | Galapagos
24 February 2013 | Galapagos Islands
07 February 2013 | Ecuador
Recent Blog Posts
18 February 2016 | Mexico - Puerto Vallarta

19 months & counting

Trenten Reef Paul turned 19 months yesterday and I can hardly believe how quickly the time has past since his birth in Papeete, Tahiti. We have been on quite an adventure, as always.

08 February 2014

Thailand/Malaysia

Severely behind in my blog update but we've been busy!

23 October 2013 | Phuket, Thailand

Up on dry land

(Above photo flying into Sydney, AUS on our way to Phuket, Thailand)

02 October 2013

Bora Bora

10/2/13

22 August 2013 | Raiatea, French Polynesia

GOOD FORTUNE IN RAIATEA

8/22/13

22 July 2013 | Island of Huahine - least commercial island in French Poly

Huahine

7/18/13

26 June 2013 | French Polynesia

Moorea

We have, (sadly), just dropped Christina and Nicola off at the airport in Tahiti after a week out anchored off the island of Moorea. What a wonderful week full of fun. The ladies hit the spa!, hiking and swimming with Sting Rays and Sharks. The water in Moorea is really clear blue hues. We had a [...]

01 June 2013

Surfs Up Tahiti

http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/8812-big-wave-madness-continues-in-teahupoo (10 days ago we had another big southern swell)

25 May 2013

Papeete, Tahiti

We are anchored off marina Taina in Papeete, the main city on the island of Tahiti. This is the only 'big city' (250,000) we have seen in several months. It is a mix of European French & casual islander. The large verdant island soars into the sky and is mostly surrounded by a coral barrier reef. [...]

Santa Cruz

24 February 2013 | Galapagos Islands
We have arrived in the beautiful Galapagos Islands! Our anchorage in Academy Bay is a joy after 9 months tied to the dock. We've put out a stern anchor to keep us pointed into the large swell rolling through the bay. We slept like babes last night!

Upon arrival we were greeted by one of Darwin's Finches. It landed on Lens shoulder - obviously a good omen! In the 24 hours that we have been here we have seen two marine iguanas swim by the boat, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, sharks and we went straight to see the giant tortoises today at the research center.

Passage over from Salinas was decent. The first night out (at 4am of course) we ran over a fish net. Here's the story: (short version) no traffic on the horizon all night until about 3:30am where I spotted a faint blip on the radar. Knowing that the fishermen run from the mainland to Galapagos we kept a close watch. Their boats can be very small and without light. Several more faint blips started to appear and then we spotted several strobe lights. All good - they were 3.5 miles to our starboard but we continued to check port vigorously as unmarked fishing lines are a pain in the you know what! Suddenly Len spots a string of floating white buoys at our bow and quickly throttles back and into neutral. Keep in mind that the moon had set, it was pitch black and we were about 150 miles off shore. We then flipped the mizzen spreader and underwater lights to check the situation - we were surrounded in a 500 ft circle of floating white buoys. (this sucks) I looked over the side to check the rudder and the net seemed to hang down 20 ft deep into the water! Now... There is a decent swell and a 2 knot current so the boat is tossing a little - Len heads into the water to cut the net. It took a good 45 minutes to get her free because when we cut the first bit the 2nd half of the circle came around and Len had to do the process again! To say the least it wasn't what we had in mind for our first night out!

Speaking of the current...wow..we blasted over here at over 9 knots. We had to slow the boat down to enter port at daybreak. We were barely over idle and kept hitting 8 knots!

Anyway...we are excited to be here. Somebody pinch me -

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