Steen Rally

Follow us on our sailing adventure from France to Australia

30 December 2015 | Sydney
29 July 2015 | Sydney
15 January 2015 | Sydney
22 December 2014 | Sydney
21 November 2014 | Cairns, Australia
02 November 2014 | Cairns, Australia
21 October 2014 | Port Vila, Vanuatu
01 October 2014 | Fiji
20 September 2014 | Fiji
08 September 2014 | Fiji
24 July 2014 | Neiafu, Tonga
06 July 2014 | Tahaa. French Polynesia
23 June 2014 | Moorea
23 June 2014 | Moorea
15 June 2014 | Papeete, Tahiti
14 May 2014 | Marquesas, French Polynesia

French Polynesia, Marquesas - Part 1

23 June 2014 | Moorea
Voahangy
French Polynesia, Marquesas - May 1 - 20, 2014

Part 1: Making new friends in Fatu Hiva

The archipelago of the Marquesas is made of 12 mountainous islands and is as remote a destination as you get: 6000 klm west of the Galapagos and south of Hawaii, the closest neighbouring islands being the Tuamotus, 1000 klm to the west. Archaeologists trace back settlement as early as 340BC by tribes coming from western Polynesia (Tonga-Samoa). These are believed to be descendants of Austronesians who started their eastward migration from South East Asia about 7000 years ago, against currents and winds, bringing with them all they needed, fantastic navigators, warriors, cannibals,... They developed their own culture and presumably lived very happily (occasionally fighting and munching on each other), until the Europeans reached the archipelago in the 16th century. First the Spaniards, who landed in Hiva Oa in 1595, followed by British, French, Russian and Americans, as well as various whalers and traders. France took possession of the islands in 1842, but apparently the Marquesans, nearly decimated by diseases and fights , remained fierce warriors, resisting the rules and orders imposed by the occupant. In 1849, the French physically left the archipelago for Tahiti deciding it could not offer anything positive to the colony. France still owns the islands though, probably more for geopolitical reasons than anything else, and pour a fortune in what is an administrative subdivision of French Polynesia.

The population of 9000 is spread among the 6 larger islands, sharing 3 gendarmeries, 3 banks, 2 hospitals ( and countless small dispensaries in every village), 4 airfields, 5 post offices and a tourism office. Because the islands are elevated and lack coral reefs for protection, people live in the narrow valleys. The only signs of economic activity beside copra production seem to be public service (if you can call it an economic activity) and handicrafts. Tourism industry is rather small, with a handful of hotels scattered among the main islands of Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa, and a few pensions (small guest houses) everywhere else. As the islands are a popular stop over for crew sailing from Panama, cruising yachts provide a steady income. Some enterprising locals have set up small businesses providing marine services, internet and produce supplies. For most parts however, Marquesans grow their own fruits and vegetables, catch their own fish, hunt for pigs and goats (or keep a couple in their garden) and await the fortnightly arrival of the supply ship for everything else.

After 21 ½ days and 4000NM on our own, the arrival in Fatu Hiva felt great. Not only because the southernmost island of the Marquesas is breathtakingly beautiful, but also because this is where we reunited with old friends on REMI DE (last seen in Florida 18 months ago).

There is no better feeling than approaching a new anchorage and finding familiar crew coming alongside bearing gifts (in this case a packet of Tim-Tam!) Then we found out that REMI DE had been travelling with a group of family boats since the BVI, and all had planned to congregate in Fatu Hiva at the end of their crossing from the Galapagos. Indeed, 4 other boats trickled into the anchorage over the following 4 days and we acquired new cruising buddies on MOANA ROA (Australia), DAFNE (USA), LIL ENCOUNTERS (USA), and FIELD TRIPS (USA). By the week-end Hanavave Bay looked completely overrun with family boats: 15 kids jumped and swam from one yacht to the other, some shrieked while tube riding, others zoomed past while wake boarding, parents watched all the action from the back deck, took it in turns to drive dinghies and ferry the young ones backwards and forwards...If the other 10 childless boats anchored around us were bothered with the noise, they were gracious enough not to show it (and as Terry says, it's the sound of happy kids and happier parents!)

We skipped Fatu Hiva during our last trip, as it was out of the way. This time we made a point of stopping there, having heard of the beauty of its western bays. Hanavave Bay is the main anchorage for yachts, and is absolutely stunning: at the mouth of a mountainous circular valley, it is surrounded by steep hills covered with palm trees and high pillars of rock sculpted by thousands of years of erosion The volcanic spires are so high that they are often lost in the clouds, bringing rain every morning we were there. With no airport and the supply ship visiting every 2 weeks, the island is very isolated. Communication is done via satellite antennas and internet is quasi non-existent (we heard it could be accessed at the school, which was closed for the long week end). This isolation seems to explain why the locals are so keen to welcome visitors, cruisers in particular. No sooner had we stepped foot ashore that we were asked if we wanted to attend a dinner and a dance show organised just for us. Being the only French speaking person in our group, I was somehow assigned the job of translating , asking around the anchorage and report back to the mayor's secretary with numbers of guests (customers really, it was not free). I managed to round up 25 people who came along to the village's communal house for a Polynesian feast. The ladies (Marie-Christine, Angela, Ludmilla, and a few others) had cooked traditional dishes like poisson cru, coconut chicken, grilled chicken, breadfruit chips, boiled breadfruit, green papaya and watercress salad, and boiled bananas, which we all washed down with our own drinks. The dance show was provided by another team and performed shortly after dinner: drums, songs, hips swinging, good times was had by all. It was fun though not cheap and I must say that for 2500FCP (A$30) you could have had better value. But we had a blast mixing up with the locals and meeting other cruisers. The next day was craft demonstration and hike to the local waterfall. I tried to talk the kids into the 2 hour walk but to no avail. So after translating another session between the English speaking ladies and the locals, ensuring Anne was safe on DAFNE and Marc on our boat, I decided to set off after Terry and his group who had given up on the ladies tapas demonstration and walked up the path ahead of me. I am not sure it was such a good idea: the paved road stopped after 2 miles, luckily I passed an American crew who remembered " a group of 8 or 10 walking up" and mentioned cows and rock cairns to follow along the walkway. Without these clues I would have been lost, and it was with relief that I found Terry and the crews of REMI DE and MOANA ROA happily picking chilies and basil on their way back...I, myself, had my own garden tied up in my hair courtesy of the village ladies. One of the earlier craft demonstrations was the making of "le bouquet d'amour " or love bunch, an assortment of wild plants and flowers all tied together and worn as an everyday hair accessory by the ladies of Fatu Hiva. It is said that the heady scent of the bunch attracts men. It didn't work on Terry, who questioned why I (or anyone) would want to wear a nest in their hair. I wonder what a professional "nose" would have thought of the combination of basil, tiare, pandanus, chervil, vetiver, frangipani, pineapple and sandalwood...it perfumed my hair all day, and our cabin for a long time afterwards.

Beside tourism income, the villagers welcome cruisers for trading. Money isn't that important to the inhabitants of Fatu Hiva: there is little to buy, and it's expensive. So they trade: fresh produce for whatever cruisers have available. Currently, ladies requests are for perfume and accessories, while men ask for ropes and sunglasses. It does not have to be new (though they prefer it). Working out how much to exchange is a challenge though: what is worth $5 or $10 to you could be worth $50 to the locals (alcohol), reversely, a bag of fresh fruits may be a dream come true for yachties after days at sea, but superfluous to the villagers. In our case, we traded make up items, sample size perfumes , one of Anne's pair of thongs (too small for her) and a little bit of rope for an entire wheelbarrow of grapefruits, papayas, coconuts, limes, green beans and a giant bunch of bananas! And that's what I asked for. I then found out that eggs, fresh herbs, ginger, turmeric, capsicums and avocados were also available, had I requested them!

After 4 days, freshly provisioned, we set off for the island of TAHUATA, 35NM to the north. The anchorage of Hanamoenoa Bay has the only white sandy beach in the whole of the Marquesas and brought back sweet memories of our encounter with a French cruising family back in 2008 . We met the SAFRAN crew (as the Bouan family will always be known to us) there and ended up sailing together for 4 months, parting ways in Tonga. This time we had REMI DE for company, to enjoy the beach and dinner on board. The place is still as beautiful as we remembered it, unfortunately the nonos (sandflies) are also still there and in an effort to escape their bites, I discovered the resident jelly fish while swimming back to the boat. Wearing multiple welts across my face was not how I planned to greet my dinner guests, who tactfully remarked that I looked " as if I came out of a Botox operation" ! Warm water, vinegar dousing, anti-histamine, aloe vera and a large glass of wine numbed the initial pain while I am hoping for minimum scarring.

It was probably a sign that after our first few days in the Marquesas in relative isolation, it was time to stop playing Robinson Crusoe and rejoin civilisation. In that part of the world, that meant a day sail north to Nuku Hiva and the town of Taiohae.

Polynésie Française, Marquises - Du 1er au 20 Mai, 2014

1ere Partie : Nouvelles rencontres a Fatu Hiva

L'archipel des Marquises est constitué de 12 iles montagneuses et on ne peut pas trouver un endroit plus isole : a 6000 klm a l'ouest des Galápagos et au sud de Hawaii, les iles avoisinantes les plus proches sont les Tuamotus a 1000 klm a l'ouest. Les archeologistes estiment l'arrivée des premiers arrivants à 340 avant JC, venant de la Polynésie occidentale (Tonga-Samoa). Ceux-ci sont supposées descendre d'austronésiens qui ont commencé leur migration vers l'Est depuis l'Asie du SE il y a environ 7000 ans, contre vents et marées, emportant avec eux tout ce dont ils avaient besoin, des navigateurs fantastiques, des guerriers et cannibales. Les Marquisiens ont développés une culture bien à eux et de toute évidence menaient une vie tranquille (en se faisant la guerre et se dévorant entre eux a l'occasion) jusqu'à l'arrivée des Européens au 16e siècle. Ce furent d'abord les Espagnols qui ont débarqué à Hiva Oa en 1595, suivis par les anglais, français, russes et américains, ainsi que plusieurs baleiniers et négociants. La France prit possession des iles en 1842, mais apparemment les Marquisiens, bien que décimés par les maladies, l'alcool et les guerres internes, restèrent de féroces guerriers, réfractaires aux règles et aux ordres des occupants. En 1849, les français abandonnèrent physiquement l'archipel pour Tahiti, décrétant que les Marquises ne pouvaient rien produire de bon pour la colonie. Les iles sont toujours françaises, sans doute pour des raisons géopolitiques plus qu'autre chose, et reçoivent des contributions financières colossales de la métropole en tant que subdivision administrative de la Polynésie Française.

La Population de 9000 habitants est répandue parmi les 6 iles principales, partageant 3 gendarmeries, 3 banques, 2 hôpitaux (et de multiples dispensaires dans chaque village), 4 aéroports, 5 bureaux de poste et un office du tourisme. Du a l'élévation des iles et l'absence de récifs coralliens, pour protection, la plupart des gens vivent dans les vallées étroites. La vie économique de l'archipel se résume à l'exploitation du coprah, le service publique (si on peut appeler cela un secteur économique) et l'artisanat. L'industrie touristique est plutôt modeste, se résumant à un poignée d'hôtels repartis entre les iles de Nuku Hiva et Hiva Oa, et quelques pensions. Les iles étant une escale favourite des navigateurs venant de Panama, les voiliers sont une source de revenus reguliers. Quelques locaux entrepreneurs ont fondé des petits business proposant des services nautiques, internet et produit frais. Ceci dit, la majorité des marquisiens cultivent fruits et légumes dans leurs jardins, pêchent, chassent le sanglier et la chèvre (ou en élèvent dans leur cour !) et attendent patiemment l'arrivée du bateau d'approvisionnement pour le reste.

Apres 21 jours ½ et 4000 miles nautiques en solo, l'arrivée à Fatu Hiva était la bienvenue. Non seulement parce que cette ile, la plus au sud de l'archipel des Marquises est magnifique, mais aussi car cela signifie les retrouvailles avec nos vieux amis sur REMI DE (vu la dernière fois en Floride il y a 18 mois).
Il n'y a pas de meilleure sensation que d'approcher un nouveau mouillage et être accueillis par un équipage familier porteur de cadeaux (en l'occurrence un paquet de Tim-Tam). On a découvert que REMI DE naviguait avec un groupe de bateaux-familles depuis les Iles Vierges, et tous s'étaient donnes rendez-vous à Fatu Hiva a la fin de leur traversée depuis les Galápagos. De fait, 4 autres voiliers sont arrivés les jours suivants et nous avons ainsi acquis de nouveaux copains de croisiere sur MOANA ROA (Australie), DAFNE (USA), LIL ENCOUNTERS (USA) et FIELD TRIP (USA). D'ici le week-end, Hanavave Bay débordait de bateaux-familles : 15 gamins plongeaient et nageaient d'un voilier a l'autre, certains hurlaient de joie en faisant du tubing, d'autres passaient à toute vitesse sur leur wake board, les parents observaient toute cette activité depuis le pont, prenant leurs tours pour les trajets en annexes et transportant les plus petits ici et là...Si les 10 autres bateaux sans enfants étaient embêtés, ils ont été assez sympas pour ne rien dire (et comme dit Terry, c'est le son d'enfants heureux et de parents encore plus combles !)

On avait délaissé Fatu Hiva pendant notre dernière croisière car trop éloignée. Cette fois nous avons tenu à y faire escale, après avoir entendu des éloges sur la beauté des baies occidentales. Hanavave Bay est le mouillage principal pour les voiliers, et est absolument magnifique : à l'embouchure d'une vallée montagneuse, elle est entourée de collines escarpées couvertes des palmiers et de pics rocheux sculptes par des milliers d'années d'érosion. Ces pics volcaniques sont tellement hauts qu'ils sont perdus dans les nuages la plupart du temps, précurseurs d'averses tous les matins. Sans aéroport, et un bateau de ravitaillement qui ne passe que tous les 15 jours, l'ile est extrêmement isolée. Toute communication se fait par antenne satellite et internet n'existe quasiment pas (apparemment on peut se connecter à l'école, qui était fermée ce long week-end). Cette isolement explique sans doute pourquoi les habitants sont tellement accueillants, surtout envers les plaisanciers. On avait à peine mis les pieds à terre que nous étions invites à assister à un dinner-specxtacle organise juste pour nous. Etant la seule personne de notre groupe parlant français, je me suis retrouvée assignée le rôle de traductrice, parcourant le mouillage et revenant vers la secrétaire de la mairie avec le nombre d'invites (ou plutôt clients, puisque ce n'était pas gratuit). Apres avoir rassemblé 25 personnes, nous nous sommes rendus à la salle commune du village pour un buffet polynésien. Les dames (Marie-Christine, Angela, Ludmilla et quelques autres) nous ont cuisines les plats traditionnels de poisson cru, poulet au coco, poulet grille, frites de fruits à pain, fruit à pain bouilli, salade de cresson et papaye verte, accompagnes de bananes bouillies, qu'on a tous arrose avec nos boissons à nous. A suivi le spectacle de danse, organise par une autre équipe : tambours, chants, déhanchements, on a eu droit à tout. C'était très divertissant, quoique pas donne et je dois dire que pour 2500CFP (A$30) ça aurait pu être mieux. Mais nous avons beaucoup apprécié notre rencontre avec les villageois ainsi que d'autres plaisanciers. Le lendemain fut une démonstration d'artisanat et randonnée vers la cascade locale. J'ai essayé de convaincre les enfants de venir marcher pour 2h avec nous, sans succès. Donc après une autre séance de traduction entre les anglophones et les iliens, j'ai laissé Anne sur DAFNE et Marc sur notre bateau, et je me suis lance à la poursuite de Terry et tout un groupe de voileux qui avaient laissé tomber la démonstration de tapas et étaient déjà partis en avant. Je ne suis pas sure que ce fut une bonne idée : après 4 kilomètres la route s'est arrêtée, j'ai croisé un équipage américain qui s'est rappelé croiser un groupe de 8 ou 10 et a mentionné des vaches et des signaux de pierre à suivre le long du chemin. Sans ces indices je me serais perdue, et c'est avec soulagement que j'ai finalement trouve Terry et les équipages de REMI DE et MOANA ROA, récoltant des piments et du basilic sauvage sur le chemin du retour. J'avais moi-même mon propre jardin tropical épinglé dans ma chevelure, grâce aux femmes du village. Une des démonstrations artisanales ce matin était la fabrication du bouquet d'amour, un assortiment de plantes et de fleurs portées en chignon tous le jours par les dames de Fatu Hiva. Les hommes sont censés être attirés par le parfum du bouquet. Ce ne fut pas le cas de Terry qui s'est demande pourquoi quelqu'un voudrait porter un nid d'oiseau sur la tête. Je me demande ce qu'un nez professionnel penserait de ce mélange de basilic, tiare, pandanus, cerfeuil, vétiver, frangipani, fleur d'ananas et bois de santal...le parfum est reste dans mes cheveux toute la journée et encore plus longtemps dans notre cabine.

En plus des raisons touristiques, les plaisanciers sont source d'échange pour les villageois. L'argent importe peu aux habitants de Fatu Hiva : il y a peu à acheter, et tout est cher. Donc ils échangent : des produits frais contre ce que les équipages ont de disponible. Actuellement, les dames veulent des parfums et des accessoires, alors que les hommes demandent des cordages et des lunettes de soleil. Il ne faut pas forcement que ce soit neuf (même si ils préfèrent). Etablir la valeur de l'échange est difficile parfois : ce qui nous vaut $5 ou $10 peut valoir $50 aux iliens (de l'alcool par exemple), et inversement, un panier de fruits dont l'équipage rêve après des semaines en mer n'est que du superflu pour les villageois. En ce qui nous concerne, nous avons échangé des articles de maquillage, échantillons de parfums, une paire de claquettes trop petites pour Anne et un bout de cordage pour une brouette remplie de pamplemousses, papayes, noix de coco, citrons verts, haricots verts et un énorme régime de bananes ! Et ce n'est que ce que j'avais commande. J'ai découvert par la suite que j'aurais pu aussi demander des œufs, des herbes fraiches, du gingembre, du curcuma, des poivrons et des avocats !

4 jours après, fraichement approvisionnés, nous sommes partis pour TAHUATA, a 35MN plus au nord. Le mouillage de Hanamoena Bay est doté de la seule plage de sable blanc dans toutes les Marquises et nous rappelé bien des souvenirs car c'est là que nous avons fait la connaissance d'une famille française navigant comme nous en 2008. Nous y avons rencontré l'équipage de SAFRAN (comme la famille Bouan reste pour nous) et avons fait un bout de chemin ensemble pendant 4 mois, nous séparant a Tonga. Cette fois, c'est REMI DE qui nous a tenu compagnie, entre une virée à la plage et diner à bord. L'endroit est aussi magnifique qu'auparavant, malheureusement les nonos (minuscules moustiques) y sévissent toujours autant et en essayant de leur échapper, j'ai découvert la méduse de service en nageant vers le bateau. Aie, aie, aie...le port de zébrures multiples sur le visage n'était pas prévu pour accueillir mes invites, qui ont remarqué avec tact que je ressemblais « a une patiente sortant d'une opération Botox » ! Bon, beaucoup d'eau chaude, du vinaigre, un anti-histamine, de l'aloe-vera et un grand verre de vin ont contribué à atténuer la douleur, espérons que les cicatrices soient minimes.

Et voilà, c'était sans doute un signe qu'après ces premiers jours aux Marquises en relatif isolement, il était temps d'arrêter de jouer aux Robinson Crusoé et rejoindre la civilisation. Ce qui ici, signifie une journée de navigation vers Nuku Hiva et le village de Taiohae.
Comments
Vessel Name: VOAHANGY
Vessel Make/Model: Lagoon 560
Hailing Port: Sydney
Crew: Terry, Voahangy, Marc, Anne Steen
About:
Terry, 71, skipper, ex-pilot, surfer, aerobatics champion, can fix anything, never sea sick, loves a beer, hates the cold, is happiest anchored off a deserted beach. [...]
VOAHANGY's Photos - Main
84 Photos
Created 20 November 2014
2 glorious months, cruising various parts of Fiji. So many different experiences in one country: lush rainforests, colourful indian towns, blue lagoons, traditional villages, great fishing, fancy resorts... And the best part was sharing the cruising with family and friends. Can't beat Fiji with company! Here is a collection of our favourite moments (and there are a few!!!)
1 Photo | 8 Sub-Albums
Created 12 October 2014
Some of the whales actions we witnessed in Tonga, to read with the Whales action post by Anne!
7 Photos
Created 1 October 2014
Whale watching, snorkelling, bonfires, making new friends...One of the most remote and austere destination, far away from big tourism, with friendly people holding on to their traditions. Weather a bit chilly, but who cares???
46 Photos
Created 10 September 2014
49 Photos
Created 25 July 2014
15 Photos
Created 25 July 2014
9 Photos
Created 25 July 2014
38 Photos
Created 30 June 2014
20 Photos
Created 30 June 2014
72 Photos
Created 28 June 2014
55 Photos
Created 23 June 2014
27 Photos
Created 15 May 2014
37 Photos
Created 11 May 2014
40 Photos
Created 30 March 2014
1 Photo | 3 Sub-Albums
Created 15 March 2014
The time finally came to leave...a month of celebrations and sadness!
30 Photos
Created 5 March 2014
Another holiday within the holiday! Spent 13 fantastic days in Whistler, British Columbia joined by Aussie friends David and Denise. First time on skis for them, perfecting camps for Marc and Anne, loads of fun for everyone.
70 Photos
Created 8 February 2014
Nothing like having family and friends coming for a visit in the sun. Lots of eating, drinking, swimming, laughing...showing everyone our small paradise.
99 Photos
Created 30 January 2014
End of school year in Puerto, many get togethers before flying off to Paris for a family Christmas.
25 Photos
Created 23 January 2014
Day of the Dead festival, a friend visiting from Australia, Anne participating in her first martial arts tournament,...As usual a lot of eating and socialising!
40 Photos
Created 2 December 2013
68 Photos
Created 6 November 2013
Having visitors means putting on our tour guide hat "Voahangy & Co in Mexico", much exploring and eating: ruins, cenotes, beaches, villages, markets,... . I shared Mexican cooking lessons and was repaid with Dutch baking classes from our French guest. We ate a lot of cakes this month! So much sugar, no candies needed for Halloween this year, just parties...
74 Photos
Created 1 November 2013
This is the slowest month of the year in Mexico: hurricane threats, hot and humid weather, torrential rains drive the tourists away and confine the rest of us indoors. It poured for 22 days non stop! We still managed a dive (in the rain) for Father's Day, a day of all you can eat and drink at the local resort for Terry's birthday, and as usual lots of cooking and eating. Just on cue, the weather cleared at the end of the month for the arrival of Marie Suzanne, a French girlfriend. So lots of touring and catching up. Celebrated Mexican Independence Day all month long (it seems), eating black beans and pork verde!
47 Photos
Created 10 October 2013
No excursions this month. Just hanging around Puerto Aventuras, school, friends, ...Sat thru a couple of storms, torrential rains, big winds...Nowhere to go so more time spent in the galley and writing about it!!!
33 Photos
Created 12 September 2013
Holiday month for everyone: visitors from the USA, kids in and out, parties, US National Day celebration, French National Day celebration, Tulum for a night (bliss...) The start of a new food blog meant a month spent in the galley experimenting. Not much in terms of local food, mostly home cooked French. Chocolate cake anyone?
41 Photos
Created 24 August 2013
Holiday Seasons with old and new friends, provisioning and preparing to leave the USA...
54 Photos
Created 16 July 2013
End of school year performances, lots of baking/cooking for school festivities, Marc hospitalised, first tropical storms testing our nerves, road trip to Belize... Eat ceviche, my latest food addiction!!!
15 Photos | 1 Sub-Album
Created 8 July 2013
Lots on! An interesting road trip to the Chiapas region, wonderful ruins of Palenque, green and lush Tabasco, Anne's birthday, Cozumel by boat, Kids sports graduation...Eat chilaquiles, breakfast with a difference.
26 Photos | 3 Sub-Albums
Created 2 July 2013
Settling down and mixing with the locals: kids are off to school, birthday parties, more of Tulum, unexpected reunion with fellow cruisers. Eat: black bean soup!
30 Photos
Created 2 July 2013
Not much tourism this month. We finally made the decision to stay for the rest of the year. So it's head down with school, get together with cruising friends ( they're passing thru while we stay behind) and switching to "landlubber's" mode. Resolved to eat at home more often, back to healthier diet.
19 Photos
Created 13 June 2013
Exploring the Yucatan peninsula by car, to Uxmal ruins and Merida. More of Tulum. Marc's Birthday. Try Flyboarding. Join in the local community of Puerto Aventuras. Xel-Ha. Discover Playa del Carmen. Eat nachos.
27 Photos | 2 Sub-Albums
Created 13 June 2013
Landfall in Isla Mujeres, find our way around our new home in Puerto Aventuras, excursion to Coba ruins, discover Tulum, swim with dolphins, eat tacos...
31 Photos | 2 Sub-Albums
Created 13 June 2013
Our last few weeks (even months) have been spent in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. Not much cruising for us, more like enjoying company of new friends, safety of a protected harbor, and relaxing for a while, knowing we don't have to go anywhere for a while...
25 Photos
Created 2 April 2013
2 weeks in an island where time has stood still for 50 years! Road trip La havana - Vinales- Cienfuegos - Trinidad - La Havana. Cruise down the west coast, beautiful beaches, good fishing, diving,... Warm waters at last!!!!
3 Sub-Albums
Created 5 February 2013
To be enjoyed while reading the post!
43 Photos
Created 31 December 2012
Exploring Charleston and Savannah
1 Photo | 2 Sub-Albums
Created 27 December 2012
2 weeks shore leave, driving to Shenandoah National Park: lots of hiking, eating "country style" food, looking for bears, avoiding bears...Long drive across to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to visit the Wrights brothers memorial and Cape Hatteras.
28 Photos
Created 25 December 2012
Caught up with friends, left the boat on display at the 2012 Boat Show, toured historic downtown and US Naval Academy, watched a football game...welcome to the US sailing capital!
51 Photos
Created 25 December 2012
Unforgetable summer cruising around Block island, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard.
1 Photo | 3 Sub-Albums
Created 16 December 2012
46 Photos
Created 17 October 2012
A leisurely cruise from New York to Newport. Quite anchorages, fresh ocean breeze, ...a million miles away from Big City living!
37 Photos
Created 5 September 2012
July and September in the Big Apple. Cruise, Eat, Shop, Walk,...Look at some of our best memories (work in progress, I am still sorting thru thousands fo photos!)
1 Photo | 4 Sub-Albums
Created 3 September 2012
Museums, memorials, parks, bike trails...the most photogenic city.
85 Photos
Created 15 August 2012
First voyage in July, on our way to Washington DC. Passing thru quaint and historical towns, sampling crabs and oysters in hot summer nights... Returned in September, enjoying all Annapolis has to offer (well, nearly), and the spectacle of autumn foliage.
20 Photos
Created 15 August 2012
Where there are some seriously clever people!
22 Photos
Created 15 August 2012
29 Photos
Created 20 July 2012
Shore leave: Make believe, dreams come true, thrills, fast food...Anything goes here!!!
42 Photos
Created 20 July 2012
Welcome to America! Our port of entry, last moments with friends, base for a mini-refit, and our first taste of the USA...
18 Photos
Created 30 June 2012
59 Photos
Created 31 May 2012
17 Photos
Created 25 May 2012
33 Photos
Created 25 May 2012
52 Photos
Created 25 April 2012
19 Photos
Created 14 April 2012
30 Photos
Created 14 April 2012
28 Photos
Created 30 March 2012
28 Photos
Created 5 March 2012
40 Photos
Created 12 February 2012
36 Photos
Created 12 February 2012
25 Photos
Created 28 January 2012
49 Photos
Created 8 January 2012
37 Photos
Created 4 January 2012
40 Photos
Created 28 December 2011
What happens during a transat?
40 Photos
Created 14 December 2011
44 Photos
Created 19 November 2011
22 Photos
Created 19 November 2011
40 Photos
Created 19 November 2011
13 Photos
Created 19 November 2011
18 Photos
Created 19 November 2011
30 Photos
Created 17 November 2011
21 Photos
Created 30 October 2011
18 Photos
Created 22 October 2011
24 Photos
Created 1 October 2011
21 Photos
Created 8 September 2011