Eastern Med 2015
Israel, Northern Cyprus, and Turkey
And then all of a sudden after a year of research and four months of travel across the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez, and the Canal… we were in the Mediterranean Sea!
Tag: sailing
Head to the Med 2015: Arabian and Red Seas
The Maldives to the Suez Canal
Piracy along the coast of Somalia prompted us to form a convoy of boats and hire a security team armed with big guns to protect us. It was an adventure for sure, but luckily a safe one!
Bay of Bengal 2015: Eastern Indian Ocean
Phuket to the Maldives via Sri Lanka and India
We decided back in March that we would remain in Thailand for the SW monsoon season to rest, work on boat projects, and travel, which we did. Still, it was a longer stay than we would have liked and we couldn’t have done it without the A/C. But we needed to time our next passage with the NE Monsoon so we stayed put on the north side of Phuket Island for 10 months. Roger spent much of this time working on a plan that would get us up to the Med with a convoy and security on board at a reasonable cost. Shipping the boat by sea was way too expensive, shipping by land was wrought with problems, with Saudi Arabian customs, and neither of us really wanted to sail around South Africa… notoriously and accurately called the “Cape of Storms”. Our “Plan B”, if we couldn’t sail up through the Red Sea, was to head back around Singapore and up through the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan and then Japan. We’d spend a season there and then sail to Alaska, down the west coast of the US, Mexico and then cross the South Pacific bound for New Zealand. Plan B eliminated the possibility of our completing a circumnavigation, which we’d both like to do. It also eliminated our dreams of sailing the Turkish coast for Roger, and in Greece, Malta and Italy for me. When it looked as if our “Head to the Med through the Red 2015” convoy wasn’t coming together cost-effectively, we were faced with making a choice… South Africa, Japan, or possibly head to Singapore to find work for a year or two and fill up the cruising kitty.
We discussed the pros and cons of each option… weighing costs, timelines, highlights and low lights of each. We just could not come to a decision. I was leaning towards heading west to complete our circumnavigation and was trying to work up a hearty enthusiasm for the lemurs of Madagascar and the ellies and wildlife parks of South Africa, but Roger wasn’t leaning at all… or would lean one way and then another. We missed two deadlines we set for our decision making and just when it really, REALLY came down to the wire, we had a breakthrough…
Roger found a website for an association of maritime security companies. They listed contact info and summaries for all their members (about 150 in all) and he painstakingly went through almost all (at least up to the P’s or S’s) and sent dozens of emails off in hopes of finding a workable solution. It paid off! We had 6 or 7 companies that were very interested in working with us, at more reasonable prices below our pain threshold. One of these turned out to be just the right solution. The company owners made a trip to Phuket to visit with us for a few days and to discuss the plans. The energy was great, the price was fair (relatively speaking) and the contract and details just needed to be sorted out. All of that still took another two months, but the Universe was telling us to hang in there and not give up. 🙂 We’ll be documenting our trip and post details for others who might be interested once we complete the journey and are up in the Med.
The NE monsoon this year was very late in coming. Roger was diligently watching the weather forecasts for a good window to leave Phuket and start our passage over to Sri Lanka. We had hoped to leave the Yacht Haven Marina by mid-December, but cyclones pounded through the Philippines one after another and kept the weather unsettled. WOW, are we glad we decided not to head up that way to Japan. We would have been smack in the middle of those cyclones and would have gotten hammered!
Phuket was bound and determined to hold us in its vortex, but we finally pulled ourselves out of the marina and sailed around to Ao Chalong to check out and then Nai Harn for a few last-minute tasks and provisions (Nai Harn grilled chicken… yeah baby!) We sold our A/C to a yacht spending another year in SE Asia and delivered it to them in the bay by dinghy. Then off we went, finally, destined for points west… new cultures, new cuisine, new landscape, and who knows what else!
Day 610 – 618 – 29 Dec – 6 Jan 2015 – Nai Harn bay, Phuket to Galle, Sri Lanka
We had decided to stay another week or so until the weather settled down a bit more, but as soon as we decided that, the next morning Roger was at the computer checking weather and thinking we should be on our way. So, as we often do, we changed our minds and within an hour we we pulling up the anchor and heading west.
Day 1 – we had everything from no wind at the outset to 40 knots late in the afternoon. We had a dolphin escort for a bit and I took that as a good sign for our journey. We had a squall that stirred up the seas in the afternoon and left us both on the queasy side. We skipped dinner and simply had a few crackers with our Dramamine.
Day 2 – we are crossing the Andaman Sea and should reach the Nicobar islands in the morning. Although these islands are only two days off the coast of Thailand, and even closer to Indonesia, they belong to India. No foreign visitors are allowed to stop there without visas and permits, so we cruised on through.
Day 3 – we arrived at the Nicobars in the morning and enjoyed a nice sail through the passage with wind and current behind us. As we entered the channel between the islands we saw a beautiful rainbow and I knew my grandma and especially grandpa were smiling down at us. We continued on, dodging a few rainstorms, and the wind was mostly enough for sailing.
Day 4 – the winds lightened up and are almost on the nose… Unfortunately. So we are motoring with nice flat seas. We aren’t able to get the GRIBS (basic weather forecast chart over radio) as the Indian Ocean is lacking close-enough substations to transmit to/from. So we will deal with whatever we get.
Day 5 – we are about half way to Sri Lanka and continue motoring in a glassy calm ocean. Roger thinks the wind will switch to the NE later today…. And sure enough it has. We are still motor-sailing though as winds are light. Just before lunch we had a huge group of dolphins join us and give us a friendly escort for a while. They were riding the bow, frolicking and jumping for joy. Such beautiful creatures. I always think it is good luck when the dolphins come to play with us.
Just as I was heading down to the galley to start preparing a proper dinner meal, with the conditions so calm, we heard an awful banging of propeller and shaft. OMG! We immediately put the transmission in neutral and then shut off the engine. Roger checked the engine and the drive shaft but couldn’t find anything there, so thought the problem had to be in the prop. That meant getting in the water and under the boat for a look. We had to “heave to” to stop the boat as much as possible. The sun was setting and the thought of Roger off the boat and in the water in 12,000 feet in the middle of the Indian Ocean, even wearing a harness and tied on, made me queasy. Needless to say that whatever might be wrong with the prop would necessitate leaving the engine off and using sails only… problematic with the anticipated lack of wind forecast for days to come. We also had no way to contact anyone as no boats were within radio range. I was concerned, but felt so confident in Roger’s experience and capabilities as well as the sturdiness of the boat, that it didn’t escalate into real fear. I am so appreciative to have a solid partner and boat I can rely on. Everything looked fine with the prop and Roger was back on board within a few minutes. He checked the engine again and everything was okay, so we started it up and it was fine. The best we can speculate is that a bag or something underwater got tangled in the prop and took it out of balance for a few minutes and then it cleared when we took it out of gear. Everything has been fine since and we continue motor-sailing happily along.
Day 6 – the conditions have been benign, not much wind, very calm seas. It looks like we will have to continue to motor as there isn’t enough wind to keep the sails full. Roger hasn’t been sleeping much/well and is exhausted to the point of feeling a bit queasy. We had brekky early and he went into our cabin to sleep since the conditions are calm. With the help of a dramamine and his own comfy bed, hopefully he will be able to sleep until noon.
Day 7 – Finally we are able to sail. In fact we had to slow down a bit so we don’t arrive in the shipping lanes off the southern coast of Sri Lanka in the middle of the night. There are so many boats heading around that way, coming or going between the Malaca Straits and around Sri Lanka. Many are heading through the Red Sea, but others will head down and around South Africa. The wind picked up in the afternoon and the seas got a bit unsettled, but we were able to take showers on the back deck in sunshine, which is always a delight. No matter how luxurious a resort might be, it can’t compare with an outdoor shower on the back deck in the sunshine or under the moon and stars. Unfortunately, while Roger was showering he somehow tweaked his back and is not a very happy camper tonight.
Day 8 – Our last full day of this passage. This is my first ocean crossing, although we’ve only come across half of it so far. We ran into some very surprising contrary current off the coast of Sri Lanka. We were getting set south with about 4 knots of current while the wind was coming from the northwest… When it should have come from the northeast. We were crabbing along trying not to get pushed south into the shipping lanes, which were a major thoroughfare of cargo ships, freighters and tankers. It was very tense for a while and Roger was stressed with concern and exhaustion. Luckily we were able to motor-sail a few hours through it, making slow progress, then the wind began to shift to the beam and we eased off the engine, eventually able to sail.
Day 618 – 631 – 6 – 19 Jan 2015 – Galle, Sri Lanka
Arriving in Galle Harbor – We arrived at Galle at 5am and anchored just outside the harbor, behind a point of land, sleeping a few hours and waiting until daylight to call our agent and enter the harbor for check-in. Two navy officers motored out to meet us, checking passports and boat papers. We then motored in and tied up to what amounted to a floating plastic Lego pier… not the best conditions for tying up the boat, and no electricity available, which means we won’t be able to leave the boat for more than a day or two to travel inland. The check-in procedure involved many forms and signatures and stamps, immigration, customs, and port clearance. Good we had had an agent, Windsor Reef, to assist us. After finishing the process, we got a tuk-tuk into town, changed money, got a SIM card and then enjoyed our first Sri Lankan lunch, which we ate with our hands. Chicken curry, Dal, jack fruit baked with turmeric and other stuff, soy something-or-other, poppadom, coconut, salad and rice. It was spicy for us even though we ordered it “not spicy”. I am feeling happy, uplifted energy here and am looking forward to exploring the country, as best we can. Tomorrow or the following day we will head to Colombo so Roger can apply for his Indian tourist visa. I was curious as to whether the famous Indian head “waggling” would also be present in Sri Lanka and was delighted to find that there was, indeed, some waggling here. I’m sure it isn’t quite as prevalent as in India, but we got a chance to practice and it is a delightful part of the culture. 🙂 (smile, waggle waggle, repeat)
Southern Thailand 2014: Phuket
Phuket and surrounds
Sailing north and out of the Malacca Straits of Malaysia into Thailand, we encounter two sides of Phuket and surrounds… a full-on hectic international tourist destination as well as spectacular and dramatic islands and beaches.
Indonesia/Malaysia 2013: Orangutans
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore
We make our way through Western Indonesia and north to Singapore. Then up the Malacca Straits of Malaysia to Penang.
Indonesia 2013: SE Sulawesi
Wakatobi to Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
Continuing on our Sail Indonesia rally adventures along the northern route with 13 other boats, we head west towards Southeast Sulawesi and surrounds…
Day 105 – 107 – 17 – 19 August, 2013 – Wakatobi to Hoga Island and Hoga Island
We anchored off this little island with a research station to get some rest and do some diving. We did three dives in two days and enjoyed some easy-going socializing as well… we went to join Neal and Ruthie on their boat with folks from other boats the first night, then had Kia, John, and little Braca, on board for brekky the following day and the Neal and Ruthie back on board for pizza dinner with us. We bought some strange-looking “lobsters” from a local who came over in his boat… don’t think Maine Lobster by any means. Still, they were tasty if a bit difficult to get into and not very meaty.
Day 108 – 111 – 20 – 23, 2013 – Hoga Island to Buton and Pasar Wajo
Wow, what an extravaganza! This stop was totally over the top in so many ways! The welcome and hospitality surpassed anything we could have expected, hoped for, or even dreamed up. We were taken to a tent where we were outfitted with traditional local clothing. We thought they were just for the opening ceremony where government officials were presenting… just to make sure we were all attired appropriately. But when we went to take them off at the end of the ceremony and festivities, they insisted that we keep the costumes as a souvenir of our stay.
We missed the “Doli Doli” ceremony because we had to wait for the officials to arrive (and they were late). This ceremony is intended to strengthen the immune system of babies. There were about 1000 babies – I kid you not – under a tent for this ceremony. They rub the babies in some sort of oil (coconut?) and then roll them around on banana leaves. I was told by someone there that all the babies are crying and making a fuss… perhaps better to have been waiting for the officials at another location instead, lol!
After the official presentations, we were taken to a huge tent where women had platters of scrumptious food prepared. They fed us samples of anything and everything… you aren’t allowed to feed yourself, it’s part of the ceremony. Everything was wonderful… totally yummy. It is called “1000 Trays”, and it sure looked like there were that many!
After we finished the feast, we headed over to other tents which highlighted the handcrafts of the area… weaving cloth and baskets as well as mats. They insisted I get in front of one of the weaving looms and learn how it is done. Once strapped in, there were about 75 people all trying to give me instructions (in Indonesian) and showing me by example. I don’t think I did very well with that and hope I didn’t mess up the sarong the woman had on the loom!
The following day was the “Colossal Dance”… 12,500 dancers performing on a cleared hilltop across the bay from where we were anchored. We still can’t imagine the enormity of this event, but it was certainly impressive… sort of like half-time on Superbowl Sunday, but in a small community in rural Indonesia?… simply astounding!!!
The relatively small village of Pasar Wago put on the “Colossal Dance” performance, an amazing feat and months of preparation. They also provided the wonderful ceremonies, dinners, a personal guide/translator for each person, as well as transportation, a diving trip to see the Mandarin fish, etc. etc. and that was only the “planned” activities. Then there were all the little things… the friendly fisherman everywhere, the boys that paddle out to visit with you to practice their English, the yummy food, the beautifully designed fishing boats and homes, the diverse culture from island to island, even the mosque loud-speaker chanting (calls to prayer) at 4:10 in the morning… this along with the mountains, jungle-clad tropical islands themselves being so beautiful with the crystal clear seas in all shades of blue and turquoise. Indonesians like to tell stories through dance… there’s a dance for everything. One particular one was performed in Buton. This is the main story about Butan and one which every Butonese persons knows… the story of the mermaid. The short version is that the children were misbehaving, playing in the water where they weren’t supposed to be, and they got into trouble. They were swallowed up by the sea and became fish. Their mother, heartsick, jumped into the sea after them and became a mermaid, forever searching for her children. And so it goes, moral of the story is to always obey your mother! 🙂
The next day (Friday), we were taken by car to Baubau, a town on Buton about an hour away. We toured the Fortress there, which is supposed to be one of the largest in the world. We enjoyed a welcome ceremony and had more photos with the Sultans and the King…
We walked the perimeter of the Fortress (2.7K) and along the way we met two local university students playing tour guide. They accompanied us and adopted us as “parents”. They thought us very cute for holding hands and being romantic… we had great fun with them. Pipian and Inang… our adopted kids. We love you guys! 🙂
After the Fortress, we all piled into cars and headed off to either the local farmers market, the handicraft market, or back to a hotel to rest up before the dinner with the Mayor in the evening. Dinner was lovely, outside and overlooking the harbor. At 9:30 they whisked us away to head back to Pasar Wajo, where our boats were anchored (an hour drive). We were exhausted and ready to climb into bed only to find that the mayor of the local town had ALSO planned a dinner and music. So, at 10:45PM we had a second dinner with more singing and dancing. At midnight, we slipped away and headed back to the dinghy and to our boat. We were planning to leave at first light. Yawn.
Day 112 – 113 – 24 – 25 August, 2013 – Buton to Sagori Island
Saturday was nice day sailing and then we tucked into a spot at the bottom of a small island, coral, white beach, little local fishing boat next to us and quiet! We enjoyed having a stir-fry at home rather than another heavy feast. As good as the Indonesian food is, it isn’t the way we normally eat and I always wind up eating too much because I want to try everything!!!
Day 114 – 115 – 26 – 27 August, 2013 – Sagori Island
We tried picking up one of the moorings that were placed for us at Sagoi Island… cement in buckets, but we wound up dragging it off the reef. The other side was rough with swell and wind, so we decided to head up to a little inlet in front of a village where it was more protected. Sagori is a tiny island with 260 inhabitants and no fresh water of its own. For the official ceremony with Sail Indonesia, they had the ribbon-cutting for the new solar panels which will give them electricity on the island now. Everyone has a cell phone, so where have they been charging them until now… generators?
Since several boats followed us to the alternate location, we needed to get back to the island today. The local marine police speedboat provided our transportation service. They picked us up on our boats at 7:30am (at first, they said 6:30am… yikes!) and then after the festivities they brought us back. Their official schedule said we would be there until 10:30pm, so we were pleasantly surprised to be back on our boat by early afternoon. We were all so tired, but the welcome and the lovely lunch were great and much appreciated. We gave some pencils, balloons, and other supplies, to the island school.
Tuesday, we were taken by car for the jungle tour. First, we were taken over to another village for a welcome ceremony. Two long lines of kids that were dressed up and holding long poles welcomed us as we walked through. Then each group of kids (varying ages) did a dance with the sticks, where they moved them back and forth near the ground while the dancers stepped in-between… very nice. Then they fed us an assortment of sweets, which were all tasty and most contained coconut and palm sugar. I love coconut, but I’m definitely going to need to stop eating all of this stuff… I can feel the calories lodging and making themselves at home on my body! After the ceremony, they dressed me up (sacrificial lamb) in the local traditional costume… similar but somewhat different from Pasar Wajo. Everyone needed photos and you can tell by the one here that I was “glistening” mightily with the heat and humidity.
We then headed for the mountain top village. Along the way we stopped at a little shack which turned out to be a palm sugar “factory” (I use that word lightly) as it was just a little shack. We learned how they harvested and made palm sugar. Once atop the mountain at the village and after another welcome ceremony with the children playing reed instruments and some dancing, we were invited to a lovely lunch in what was the old school room (with a great view) and then took a walk to the old fortress. The walk did go through a few stretches of leafy cover, but I wouldn’t actually categorize that as rain forest or jungle of any sort. Still it was a very nice outing and a nice walk. We headed back to Sikeli, the village we anchored by, with a stop at the local market for some provisioning, then prepared to leave for a night sail to one of the trip’s highlights… Taka Bonerate. This is the world’s third largest atoll and I had never even heard about it before coming to Indonesia!
Day 116 – 28 August, 2013 – Sikeli village to Taka Bonerate
We had 90 miles to go and needed to arrive in daylight to navigate around the reefs, so a night passage was the plan. We left at about 5:30PM and I had expected calmer conditions than we experienced. We had left port-lights (windows) and hatches cracked open, which turned out to be a big mistake. We had some rough seas and took a few waves over the deck. One of those came in through a hatch and soaked some of the cushions and rugs. We try very hard to keep the saltwater on the outside of the boat because it will continue to attract more moisture to it… never drying and only turning moldy over time. So tired as we were when we arrived on the first day (didn’t sleep really on that passage), we still had to clean up the salt water mess and wash floors, table, cushions, etc. 🙁
Day 117 – 119 – 29 – 31 August, 2013 – Pulau Tinabo Besar (Big Tinabo Island)
The Tinabo National Park office is on this tiny island, along with a few folks who operate a basic dive boat and have a little “resort” (I use this word lightly) for a few guests. Two of the boats from our route had already found the island and had been diving for a few days.
We organized a dive trip (2 dives) and then another the following day. I thought they were lovely and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Since I’m such a new diver, I can’t really compare these dives to many others (just Great Barrier Reef and Banda Islands, which are both excellent locations), but Roger said these were some of the best dives he’s ever done, so Taka Bonerate apparently lives up to its claim of being one of the best dive locations in the world.
Still, after a full-on schedule since Darwin and then two full days of diving, we are exhausted and ready for a little rest and solitude. We enjoy the boats we’re cruising with and like the socializing and “sun downers”, but we need to balance that with some down-time and rest. We were planning to head further south to Pulau Bonerate (Bonerate Island) the next day, since the wind is expected to kick up and there’s no real protection where we’re anchored, but decided to stay one more day to rest up. Boy this wonderful cruising, diving, touring, socializing, feasting, tropical, life is tiring! 🙂
Day 120 – 123 – 1 – 3 Sept, 2013 – Pulau Tinabo Besar to Pulau Tanajampea and anchored
We left Tinabo in relaxed fashion and headed south through the inside of the western side of the reef system. The winds turned southerly and so we abandoned our plan to go to Tenga Island at the bottom of Taka Bonerate atoll, since we’d have to motor into the wind, and fell off the wind heading more westward and towards our “plan B” destination on the south side of Tanajampea. Roger has the experience and a knack for finding nice little places to tuck into and anchor, and this is one of them. We were so tired that just sitting in the cockpit reading and relaxing was about all we wanted to do. A few boats meandered by, including one with the Polisi. We served coffee with cookies and fruit, communicating with sign language, a few words and our little phrase book… which did not make for a robust conversation. The village was very small and didn’t even have a little traditional market, so we didn’t take the dinghy down nor make our way in. The rest did us good, and after two good nights we were ready to cross the Flores Sea and head for Labuan Bajo. This next stop represents rejoining the fleet and a huge gaggle of boats. We had gotten used to just a dozen traveling with us and weren’t sure we were ready for the large group and more populated stops on the trip.
Day 124 – 128 – 4 – 7 Sept. 2013 – Across the Flores Sea to Labuan Bajo
We had the most magnificent overnight passage from Tanajampea to Labuan Bajo across the Flores Sea. 10 – 15 knot winds on our beam and calm seas along with a blanket of stars above and what looked like a mirror image of phosphorescence in our wake below. We arrived at the first outer islands just at daybreak and saw how different the terrain and vegetation was from just 100 miles to the north, dryer and much more sparse. After anchoring, we set out to take care of our first priority… getting our internet topped up. Then we went to check out dive options and discovered a real bakery… fresh bread for Roger, happy camper he is! We spoke with several dive operators and then headed back to the boat.
On Wednesday, we headed back into town and caught a local bus to the “Pasar Besar” (big market) on the hill. The buses are actually little mini-vans with benches along the sides and are painted with a variety of interesting patterns and colors. They also have a variety of stuffed animals on the front dashboard, often including a large rainbow-colored fuzzy stuffed caterpillar… not sure of the significance. But for about $1.50 we both were transported about 3 miles out to the market where we bought fruits, veggies, eggs, nuts and then went out on a limb and bought local tofu from a bucket and a chicken, likewise from a bucket. I can feel my Mom gasping at the thought of buying a raw chicken from a market the likes of this one, but I cooked it up and survive the experience to write about it. 🙂
After returning to the boat and puzzling all the purchases together into our fridge (always a challenging task) we went back into town to arrange diving and pick up the loaf of bread we ordered from the bakery. Along the way, we stopped by a little t-shirt shop and bought our must-have Komodo Dragon shirts for about $5 – 6 each. That evening we joined our friends for a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant called “Made in Italy” and it was superb! I wasn’t sure whether that was because we hadn’t had a fine dining experience in so long or if it was actually that good, but in the end, I decided it was great by any standards. We both ordered pizza and ate way too much of it (enjoying every bite!)
On Thursday we took a dive trip out to the northern Komodo Islands. We did three dives… Castle Rock, Crystal Rock, and one other. The dives were very nice… one of them was a fast-current dive which was a new experience for me. Roger said it was an advanced dive and that I did great! On the first dive we saw a pair of white-tip sharks (Mom doesn’t want to hear about sharks either and probably can’t decide whether the sharks or the market chickens pose the greater threat!) and one of them was very pregnant. That was cool to see. The dives were great and the boat trip to and from the sites (about 1 1/2 hours each way) were also very pleasant. So glad we did the dives although they weren’t as reasonably priced as Taka Bonerate.
Friday, we tried to get internet, but it was a challenge, even in town at a cafe. I did a little browsing and bought another dragon t-shirt. Saturday was the “gala” dinner, with buses transporting us and tons of people. I think we’ve had enough of the big group gala dinner thing for a while.
Stay tuned for further “Sail Indonesia” adventures, and bring on the dragons!
Indonesia 2013: The Spice Islands
Darwin, Australia to Wakatobi, Indonesia
After a wonderful year and a half in Australia, down under in the “Land of Oz”, we finally sail out of Darwin’s Fannie Bay headed north for Indonesia and the next chapter of our journey. Join us as we sail Indonesia…
Australia 2013: Down Under
Manly to Darwin, Australia
We finally did it! After a year at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, working and living aboard, getting to know one another, and eventually making ready for our travels, we have started our journey! Join along as we sail up the Queensland coast in eastern Australia, up and over Cape York, and on to Darwin in the Northern Territory…
Alaska 2010: Prince William Sound
Sitka to Cordova and Prince William Sound
We started off 2010 in Alaska, celebrating the New Year with a huge blue moon over a tiny bay near Sitka, but worlds away from everything. We were in Sitka for the first half of the year and then sailed north.
The plan was to prepare to head south and to Hawaii early summer this year. But we had several conversations with people in Sitka, where we wintered, similar to those which had brought us to Alaska in the first place, and have kept us here since. It generally went like this, “You’re planning on heading south already? You really need to go to …. (fill in the blank) before you go. These are the best cruising areas in the world!”. And so, we venture farther afield into the beauty of Alaska and true enough, each place is spectacular and we’re glad to continue the trip.
We really loved Sitka and anchoring in the surrounding area. We spent time with our friends there and found it difficult to leave when we set sail for Prince William Sound in July. Before leaving, we went to the Raptor Center, which would likely have been more impressive had we not spent the year viewing tons of eagles up-close-and-personal at the harbor. There is a tree where dozens of eagles can be seen at any given time. Many sailors complain as the eagles like to perch on top of their masts and damage the equipment in the grasp of their strong talons, or simply by their weight sitting there. Still, they are amazing and beautiful and we never tired of seeing them.
We set off for points north on July 1st, with Prince William Sound as our destination. Along the way we visited beautiful Lituya Bay, then Yakutat, where I headed south to San Francisco for two weeks and Craig (inspired by lack of internet and cell service) headed solo up the coast to Cordova. Yep, we saw those grizzly/brown bear prints on the beach (and the bear too!)
We saw the most spectacular scenery and enjoyed hiking and kayaking when we were anchored out. We met new cruising friends, saw lots of dolphins, and explored the area on foot, picking up abundant berries on the way.
And we’re now true Alaskans, as we bought the requisite “Xtra Toughs” the ugly brown though indestructible boots that everyone wears for sailing and fishing and hiking and walking around town and dancing, and… (okay, maybe not dancing).
As we came to the end of the summer (September 6th in Alaska), we considered whether we wanted to sail from Alaska to San Diego and then on to Hawaii, or wait until spring and sail down the Aleutian Islands, past Kodiak and the Kenai Fiords, then set sail south from Dutch Harbor directly south to Hawaii. It wasn’t until the very last moment that we decided to stay and see more of Alaska. I’m so glad we did!
We explored more of the sound and then headed over to Seward (west) and took a slip at the harbor there. In addition to all the sailing, Craig decided to take helicopter lessons up in Alaska, and enjoyed several great sessions in the most awesome locations. I took an introductory flight, which I thought was supposed to be a “scenic ride” but turned out to be a very hands-on get-started lesson!
The fall was amazing in Seward, but then fall became winter rather abruptly…
The awesome Alaskan sailing adventures I shared with Craig ended here for me in Seward. We headed back to San Francisco for the winter, traveled (by plane) “down under” to Australia and New Zealand early the following year, but then spent much of the spring and summer apart… I was working and Craig was on the boat. In September, Craig sailed solo to Hawaii, where he is still sailing and living aboard. We shared Thanksgiving together in San Francisco, but before the start of the new year 2011 our paths diverged. I set my sails and have continued on my own course to cruise around the world.
Craig, many thanks and much gratitude for the time we spent together, for all the sailing (and other) adventures we shared, for the support and encouragement you gave me to start my own business, and for the personal growth that our relationship inspired.
Alaska 2009: Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay National Park and Beyond…
After a long cold winter in Hoonah Alaska, the snow began to thaw. And by the time we arrived there at the end of April, SE Alaska was experiencing the most beautiful weather, with temperatures in the 60’s and even warmer in the sunshine. Our adventures this trip would take us to the famous Glacier Bay National Park and beyond…