Due to the impending demise of Apple’s MobileMe service, I am going back in time and reposting all the early blogs (2004-2007) to the current WordPress site. This is going to cause a flood of posts on Facebook and in … Continue reading →
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Malekula and the Maskelyne Islands
We sailed for about six hours to reach the Maskelyne Islands in pleasant downwind conditions. I had my usual 6 a.m. dawn watch and got caught up photographing distant islands on … Continue reading →
Havannah Harbor to the Maskelynes
By Monday night we had accomplished all we needed in Port Vila and Rod was scouting out cruising destinations. The weather is not cooperating – instead of the normal trades, the wind is coming from an unusual direction which makes … Continue reading →
Port Vila
The first order of business when we arrived in Port Vila was all the paperwork to clear into the country, requiring visits to the boat by quarantine, immigration and customs officials – … Continue reading →
Guest For A Week
May/June is hot and dry in Tucson and supposedly the best season for glider pilots. Last year Mike missed out on most of the good flying weather; this year he opted to stay home and try for a few … Continue reading →
Night Passage
May 31 It’s midnight and we are en route sailing westward from Fiji to Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu. We slipped quietly out of Port Denarau Marina at 5 a.m. … Continue reading →
Weather Challenged!
We’ve actually been aboard AVATAR for nearly a month and our visit to New Zealand is at an end. This trip has probably offered the worst overall weather since we started cruising in 2004! Apparently La Nina has had an … Continue reading →
Not An Easy Trip!
AVATAR is safe and sound in Whangarei, New Zealand, and scheduled to be hauled out for her refit on November 1. The 1,100 mile passage from Fiji to New Zealand is notoriously unpleasant as yachts depart tropical waters and head south into New Zealand’s stormy winter weather. Adding insult to injury, the wind direction is […]
Passage Day 1
AVATAR is headed to New Zealand for R&R and a bit of a facelift. Also it is nearly the official end of cruising season in Fiji. Cyclone season starts up soon and there will be a mass exodus of cruising yachts, many of them also heading to New Zealand to lay over for the season. […]
Denarau
Our last day in Fiji. The past several days have been gray and drizzly, encouraging us to view Fiji dry and cozy through the windows of AVATAR’s air conditioned great room. Mike and I have the boat to ourselves at the moment. Rod and Mayflor have taken a rental car and are off to the […]
