Land hoooooo.... And what a way to finish!!!!! We dropped anchor at 8 am on Saturday April 12 in Taioha'e Bay, Nuka Hiva. That's 23 days at sea since we left Mexico. We spent the last 12 hours of our passage battling a thunderstorm to get to our harbor. We were expecting a nice 10-15 knot breeze sailing the south easterly trades, but there was an un-forecasted thunderstorm that hit us in the afternoon of the 11th. We saw up to 32 knots of wind and 8-10 ft seas at 12 seconds. Uncomfortable to say the least....
But we made it! We had a beautiful sunrise that illuminated a horizon dotted with the islands of the Marquesas peeking out from behind squalls. I am writing this blog with beer in hand staring out at the 1000 ft cliffside that drop into this picturesque harbor. We spent the morning wandering around town in the light rainfall and marveling at the tropical green nature all around us. (Huge difference from the endless blue that is the Pacific Ocean). I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are very much looking forward to a full nights sleep.
While not the final destination, this marks a big milestone for me personally. I remember doing this passage 11 years ago and have spent a lot of time planning for it over the past years. A large portion of my life has been dedicated to this trip. I am very proud and appreciative of my crew for making this happen and helping me to realize such a dream of mine. Now we sit at the gateway of the South Pacific and have literal hundreds of islands to explore over the coming months. As we approach this exciting turning point in the journey, I can't help but be reminded of a conversation I had with my boss after I left my job to go sailing the first time. She asked me "How can you put your life on pause for months to go do something like this?" At the time, I didn't have a good answer for her other than that I felt it was what I needed to do. Now, I have had time to think through the question and my answer would be this: "My life has never been on pause when I am out here. In fact, I think this is when I am truly "living" and why I have chased this goal so relentlessly for a decade." My work has always been a means to an end and an interlude between adventures. I would have it no other way. I fully expect to spend my life chasing distant horizons and am so glad that my partner wants to do it with me.

So for everyone reading this... I encourage you... take the leap, go on an adventure, see what is waiting for you over that horizon, wherever that may be.

We will continue posting blogs of our adventures across the South Pacific on this site, so continue reading and enjoy! I hope that they may inspire you to pursue your own goals and dreams.

Pura Vida
-G