Adventures of North Star
Follow the Adventures of Kim and Steve aboard their yacht North Star!
09 July 2019
08 July 2019
04 July 2019
02 July 2019
31 May 2019 | Copra Shed, Savusavu, Fiji
05 May 2019 | RDM
04 January 2019
28 April 2018
28 March 2018
05 March 2018 | Queenstown view from the top of the gondola.
11 October 2016 | Marina Taina, Tahiti
21 May 2016 | Tahiti, French Polynesia
14 September 2015
12 September 2015 | In Maupiti
17 August 2015 | Huahine, French Polynesia
13 July 2015 | Anyse Amyot-North End of Taou
20 June 2015 | Fakarava-South Pass
18 June 2015 | Fakarava-South Pass
11 June 2015 | Fakarava-South, Harifa
06 June 2015 | Fakarava, North Pass
Galapagos to the Marquesas
27 June 2014
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Passage from Galapagos to the Marquesas
We left Isabella mid morning with hopes of a fast and safe passages rom the Galapagos to Hiva Oa. We would be happy if we arrived in less than twenty days. One of our friends was at sea for more than forty days from Panama to the Marquesas. They encountered low winds and counter currents.
We did a brief post about our crew member Gaya while we were in the Galapagos. We met Gaya in an internet cafe in the Galapagos. She introduced herself and asked if we were on a boat. After some more exchanges and a coincidental lunch with the crew of the boat she was currently on, we asked her to come aboard. Gaya is a good cook with an outgoing and cheerful personality. She was very helpful in the passage, eager to do whatever she could and great company for the time at sea. She is of Indian descent but lived most of her life in Sweden. It was really fun getting to know her and learn about her past and her future plans.
The passage was not exactly what we expected and the sea conditions were not the large 16 second swells we were so excited to see on the Pacific side. There were some large swells but there were confused large seas and the rhythm of the swells never really got into a steady pattern. There was a lot of banging and clattering as these giant waves came from different directions at times and knocked all of the wind out if the sails and slowed the boat speed. The winds were mostly gentle. We only had a few episodes of greater than 22 knots and they, thankfully, did not last long. We had rain only two times on the passage. Once we had a sprinkle which didn't produce enough water to was off the dead commocozi squid and flying fish we encountered and the other was a squall with high winds we encountered once we were in sight of Hiva Oa.
Before leaving Isabella we set up radio communications with several boats that were leaving within a few days of each other. Cetacea, Elysium, Even Star, Deesee and Anthem. The guys got together and kept everyone's latitude and longitude. A few days into the trip the girls decided they needed their own net, so a net for the girls was set up at an earlier time. It sure was nice to hear from the other girls. We only saw two boats on the entire passage, one large ship and Deesee. We were so excited to see one of our friends. We could only see the tricolor lights on the top of their mast off in the blackness one night but we did speak for a few minutes in the VHF radio. On this particular night we could see the largest shooting stars we've ever seen. They were the size of flares and there were several. Most of the nights were very dark with little to no moon and the stars blanketed the sky and seemed to almost touch each other. We really did not see much marine life beside the squid and flying fish. We did see dolphin on several occasions but no whales like we had hoped. Steve did catch a nice mahi-mahi and a wahoo. Gaya promptly made us some delicious macadamia nut encrusted mahi. We only had two problems on the passage. Our halyard broke that we were flying the cruising spinnaker from. One day the entire sail just came falling down into the ocean. It took,about two hours in the rolling seas to drag this huge sail back in deck and get it packed back into the bag. The other problem was about 500 miles from the Marquesas the mainsail had a problem with the leech line and would not furl properly. We decided to sail without it because in bad weather we would have to pull it on deck by hand and tie it up with ropes. Not what you want to do when a squall is on top of you. The loss of the mainsail did slow us down quite a bit but we arrived in Hiva Oa in 17 days. Three days under what we ad hoped for when we left the Galapagos.
Passage from Galapagos to the Marquesas
We left Isabella mid morning with hopes of a fast and safe passages rom the Galapagos to Hiva Oa. We would be happy if we arrived in less than twenty days. One of our friends was at sea for more than forty days from Panama to the Marquesas. They encountered low winds and counter currents.
We did a brief post about our crew member Gaya while we were in the Galapagos. We met Gaya in an internet cafe in the Galapagos. She introduced herself and asked if we were on a boat. After some more exchanges and a coincidental lunch with the crew of the boat she was currently on, we asked her to come aboard. Gaya is a good cook with an outgoing and cheerful personality. She was very helpful in the passage, eager to do whatever she could and great company for the time at sea. She is of Indian descent but lived most of her life in Sweden. It was really fun getting to know her and learn about her past and her future plans.
The passage was not exactly what we expected and the sea conditions were not the large 16 second swells we were so excited to see on the Pacific side. There were some large swells but there were confused large seas and the rhythm of the swells never really got into a steady pattern. There was a lot of banging and clattering as these giant waves came from different directions at times and knocked all of the wind out if the sails and slowed the boat speed. The winds were mostly gentle. We only had a few episodes of greater than 22 knots and they, thankfully, did not last long. We had rain only two times on the passage. Once we had a sprinkle which didn't produce enough water to was off the dead commocozi squid and flying fish we encountered and the other was a squall with high winds we encountered once we were in sight of Hiva Oa.
Before leaving Isabella we set up radio communications with several boats that were leaving within a few days of each other. Cetacea, Elysium, Even Star, Deesee and Anthem. The guys got together and kept everyone's latitude and longitude. A few days into the trip the girls decided they needed their own net, so a net for the girls was set up at an earlier time. It sure was nice to hear from the other girls. We only saw two boats on the entire passage, one large ship and Deesee. We were so excited to see one of our friends. We could only see the tricolor lights on the top of their mast off in the blackness one night but we did speak for a few minutes in the VHF radio. On this particular night we could see the largest shooting stars we've ever seen. They were the size of flares and there were several. Most of the nights were very dark with little to no moon and the stars blanketed the sky and seemed to almost touch each other. We really did not see much marine life beside the squid and flying fish. We did see dolphin on several occasions but no whales like we had hoped. Steve did catch a nice mahi-mahi and a wahoo. Gaya promptly made us some delicious macadamia nut encrusted mahi. We only had two problems on the passage. Our halyard broke that we were flying the cruising spinnaker from. One day the entire sail just came falling down into the ocean. It took,about two hours in the rolling seas to drag this huge sail back in deck and get it packed back into the bag. The other problem was about 500 miles from the Marquesas the mainsail had a problem with the leech line and would not furl properly. We decided to sail without it because in bad weather we would have to pull it on deck by hand and tie it up with ropes. Not what you want to do when a squall is on top of you. The loss of the mainsail did slow us down quite a bit but we arrived in Hiva Oa in 17 days. Three days under what we ad hoped for when we left the Galapagos.
Comments
| Vessel Name: | North Star |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Tayana 52, Center Cockpit |
| Hailing Port: | Clearwater, Florida |
| Crew: | Steve and Kim |
| About: | |
| Extra: | North Star is a 1988 Tayana 52, center cockpit, a Robert Perry design. |
| Social: |
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North Star's Photos - Main
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Dive Sites Eagle Rock, The Zoo and the Great White Wall
52 Photos
Created 2 July 2019
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39 Photos
Created 29 March 2018
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Curio Bay and Yellow eyed penguins.
60 Photos
Created 18 March 2018
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O'nou Tahiti Graffiti Contest, Michael tattoo, roulottes
26 Photos
Created 2 June 2015
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Panama Canal Crossing and Shelter Bay Marina
31 Photos
Created 1 January 2013
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Back to the marina we go. The damage done by the lightning strike.
14 Photos
Created 7 May 2012
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Caouan, Tobago Cayes, Union Island, Mayreau
39 Photos
Created 25 May 2010
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Trip from Jolly Harbour north to Deep Bay
25 Photos
Created 16 March 2010
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old photos from Virginia to USVI'S
65 Photos
Created 12 March 2010
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additional photos from earlier in trip some of BVI's to St Kitts
120 Photos
Created 7 March 2010
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About Us
Who: Steve and Kim
Port: Clearwater, Florida
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