Life on Board

Living on a sailboat for 29 days while crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia is quite different than living in a house, a travel trailer, or travelling by car on a road. First, there is essentially no place to stop. The first land that we came to was an island in the Marquesas but boats are not permitted to check in there so we travelled for another day or so until we arrived in Nuku Hiva. The feeling of arrival there was exceptionally good at least in part because we would be able to take real showers and eat some of the food that we had been missing while sailing. For the First Mate, sushi was high on the list of shoreside activities after a hot shower. For the captain and crew, showers followed by a cheeseburger and fries were eagerly anticipated. Sadly, none of these things were readily available in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of life on board prior to, during and after crossing to Nuku Hiva.

A Glassy Pond – San Jose del Cabo. Waiting for insurance and wind.
Sunrises were as wonderful as sunsets – a daily highlight most days
Stuff needing to be stored prior to departure
Cool temperatures in the cockpit at first.
Always tethered when outside the cabin
Still tethered but using a harness rather than a PFD because of high ambient temperatures in tropical water.
Wanda the Wondervane did most of the steering for 29 days
Cockpit showers are very refreshing despite tropical temperatures.
Sometimes cold during a night watch
Med mooring in Papeete.
Being on watch does not always mean having to steer the boat
Crossing the Equator
Tribute to Neptune

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Sailing a small yacht from Vancouver to Mexico in 2009 and beyond