Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Boat #4 - Terrapin Flyer

Name(s): Alexander and Valerie
Boat Name: Terrapin Flyer
Home Port: Mammoth Lakes, California (USA)
Date of Acceptance: May 18, 2010
Place of Acceptance: French Polynesia

We purchased our girl in September 2009, a Hylas 49 built in 1998. After a couple of very busy months getting her ready to cruise, we set out of San Diego for Cabo San Lucas in mid-November (after the "HaHa"). Even after years of bareboat chartering, this was our first offshore overnight sailing. I can now say we waited way too long to enjoy those serene starry nights - it's just incredible. This was truly the beginning of our adventure. It seemed too perfect and meant to be.

So it was Cabo that started our five months of cruising Mexico, beautiful Mexico. Terrapin Flyer enjoyed her first voyage with us through calm winds and waves. There were many days and nights where she glided through what appeared to be a lake out there without another boat in sight. We like to think she enjoyed the solitude in those days and nights, because it wasn't long before we experienced the Disneyland-like sound of Puerto Vallarta, namely, Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta.

Our stops before there were plenty though; La Paz, Mazatlan, Yelapa, La Cruz, Isla Isabela, San Blas, Melaque, La Manzanilla, Barra de Navidad, and the beautiful and coveted anchorage Tenacatita.

Of all the wonderful things Mexico has to offer, their sunsets have yet to be beat. They are beyond stunning and have every shade of orange, red, and yellow you can imagine - usually leaving you with a post-setting perfectly pink sky that illuminates any given anchorage long after your sundowner. So yeah, a margarita and a Mexican sunset hits the top of the list of highlights for Terrapin Flyer so far. Along with fish tacos.

A few fix-its here and there during our Mexico cruising just showed how amazing the Mexican people can be! Always willing to help and very resourceful. We encountered countless smiles and firm handshakes throughout our stops in their beautiful country. They are already missed, but we have to move onward.

And we did. It was on or around April 26th that Terrapin Flyer and crew made its way across the Pacific into the French Polynesia. The crossing was done in 22 days without much to complain about except for repetitious meals of fried vegetables and ramen noodles. Quick stop in the beautiful island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas and then on to the Tuamotus - only hitting Rangiroa and Ahe before making the multi-day sail to Tahiti.

By then, we were ready for a real restaurant with air conditioning. We Americans, how spoiled are we? Being the fish-only eaters we are, we were more than thrilled to see tuna (thon) prepared just about every way imaginable on every menu we looked at. Poison Cru (with coconut milk) being our very favourite. That and a baguette is all you need.

A few days at the great Marina Taina to fix a couple of things, we were ready for the Society Islands and ready to see if the hype is for real...yep! They are all equally stunning. Save your pennies and treat yourself to a great meal on Moorea (The Mayflower) or at Také (at the St. Regis on Bora Bora). You deserve it if you've come this far!

Alex had found diving the different passes really exciting and Top Dive continues to be the best operator out there.

A serious cough and head cold kept us boat bound for about a week, but hey, what a place to be sick. A little Vitamin D everyday in the cockpit staring at the peak of Bora Bora was the best medicine.

After getting well, we headed off to Raiatea, Taha'a, and also Huahine. They each offer their own slice of paradise in different ways. Diving on Raiatea, snorkelling at Motu Tau Tau on Taha'a - their coral garden is INCREDIBLE, and then renting a scooter on Huahine and seeing the island in half of an afternoon (or morning for a much cooler ride).

Another side note - we usually aren't much for organized tours, but Vanilla Tours offers an incredible 5 to 6-hour tour of the Island - ethno-botanic oriented and Alain is an awesome guide. If there is room, pull up a mooring outside his place in the Bay if you've booked the tour. The excitement of the 4x4 off-roading gave us the best night of sleep we had in awhile.

On July 10th, we decided to bash back up to Moorea for a peek at the lunar eclipse on the 11th. Well worth the discomfort of 30 knots on the nose most of the night! Coffee in the cockpit that morning with a dozen other boats in Opunohu Bay was certainly memorable. Our cheap eclipse glasses off eBay did the trick, thank goodness.

From Moorea, we bashed on over to downtown Tahiti to the Quay di Yachts where we currently are. Terrapin Flyer is getting a good bath and a little rest while her Captain and his First Mate make a trip back to the States. Such is the life of a part-time cruiser. We have to take paradise in bits and pieces.

So thanks for the opportunity to share, Pea Green. Until next time, fair winds!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Boat #3 - Serenity

Name(s): Gordon and Sherry
Boat Name: Serenity
Home Port: Ventura, California (USA)
Date of Acceptance: Mid-March 2010
Place of Acceptance: Nuevo Vallarta, Baja California Sur (Mexico)

It was in Banderas Bay - Paradise Marina in Nuevo Vallarta - that Pea Green came into our possession and this is where our tale begins (N20°41' W105°17').

On a beautiful sunny Saturday at 08:00, SV Serenity left La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (N20°44' W105°22') and sailed SW on the big crossing to the Marquesas. She was met with great days of favourable winds, but also encountered some days of flat calm. There were squalls, some with winds gusting to as much as 30 knots and some squalls that brought no wind changes at all.

Like the weather, which could change at a moment's notice, the sunrises and sunsets appeared more majestic each day. The stars were so beautiful and so plentiful that night watches were looked forward to with anticipation. There were phases of the moon which you might never have known existed. It can’t be denied that these ever-changing views were anything less than dramatic.

The crossing was not all joy. There were the episodes of mal de mer (seasickness) and the almost unavoidable bruises, cuts, and burns. Those injuries are the real tattoos that go along with the rise in rank to shellback (one who crosses the equator).

It took 22 days to cross the Pacific from La Cruz to Atuona (S09°50' W139°01') at Hiva Oa. We chose a rum line from about N20° to N08° latitude, then at longitude W127°, we headed south to cross the ITCZ and the equator. Our crossing of the equator was in the dark, so our only celebration was to sacrifice a dram of Tequila overboard to Poseidon, God of the Seas, and to take a picture of our chart plotter. We were disappointed that we could not swim across, but the sea and winds would have made it too dangerous.

The Marquesas consists of several islands, part of French Polynesia. Tahauka Bay at Hiva Oa, one of the islands, was our first landfall. It was a great place to anchor (bow and stern) because in addition to the beauty and the amenities it was a port of entry. The gendarmes (French Police) were friendly and the check-in went smoothly.

Some hints: The gendarme’s office is closed for lunch and on weekends. Don’t miss the soft serve ice cream cones in one of the magasins (stores). The cheeseburgers at Snack Maki-Maki were good and a delightful touch of home.

Sherry and Gordon aboard SV Serenity

After leaving Tahauka Bay, we visited Hanamenu Bay (NW side of Hiva Oa - S09°45' W139°08') and later Henaiapa Bay. They were both beautiful to see, but they were rolly anchorages and we were happy to head off to Fatu Hiva's Hanavave, also known as the “Bay of Virgins” (S10°27' W138°40'), which was breath-taking (Fatu Hiva is the most southerly of the Marquesans). The spires, the greenery, and the 300' waterfall were intense and not to be missed. We had dinner at Serge’s house with five other couples. For $17.00 US/person, we had a great dinner of the traditional faire: poisson cru, roasted chicken, papaya salad (green papaya), rice, cooked bananas, and sweet pamplemousse for dessert.

Again on the move, we set sail for Tahuata, a smaller island between Hiva Oa and Fatu Hiva . It was here in Vaitahu “Resolution Bay” (S09°55' W139°08') that Gordon got a tattoo (his first). Fati is said to be the best tattoo artist in the Marquesas and he did a great job on Gordon’s upper left arm. I declined, content to settle for those scars left from the banging around I got on Serenity. Those are my true badges of courage, honour, and insanity for being at sea so long.

We bipped around the corner on Serenity to the most gorgeous anchorage with clear blue water. Just to prove it was so clear and pretty, Gordon and I got our first real sunburn - pain, itch, and peel (the works). It was hard to leave the water and outdoors. A large group of manta rays welcomed us one morning swimming through the bay. The name of the bay was Hana Moe Noa (S09°55' W139°06').

Our next stop of Ua Pou, NW of Hiva Oa, was a letdown. We were unable to spend more than one night on the hook at Hakahau Bay (S09°21' W140°02') because there were two barges and a tug boat taking up most the anchorage. They were very nice and told us where to lay our anchor for the night, just warning us we would have to leave early the next morning. I’m speaking of the crew of course.

We picked up our anchor at 07:00 the next morning and headed to Nuku Hiva, north of Ua Pou. Here is something not to miss in the town of Taiohae (S08°54'35" W140°06'05"): the homemade crepes and the homemade ice cream. Right near the dinghy dock there is a van where a young woman sets up shop most days at 11:30. And the brick oven pizza restaurant is also a must try with not only great pizza but also great salad. Dinner here is guaranteed to help you find your happy place.

Daniel’s Bay about five miles away was our next destination. Shortly after laying our anchor there and seeing that it was securely set, we headed off for a hike to the waterfall. Beyond the first pool at the “Cascade”, there is a second pool behind the rocks that is even better. The eels leave you alone and the crayfish are harmless! There’s a cave and a magnificent waterfall, quite worth the hike. We were extremely tired and sore from trekking over the rocks. After a good night's sleep and another day or two, we left the Marquesas behind and were off to the Tuamotus, another group of islands.

If anyone asked us, we’d say don’t miss the island of Manihi (S14°24' W145°56'). It is beautiful, and Xavier, who works the sailmail station there, and Fernando, who seems to do everything else, made our visit awesome.

Fernando gave us a very informative tour of his family’s pearl farm. Here we traded for black pearls. We even opened our own oysters that we plucked from the lines (with Fernando’s help of course). The next day we went diving and snorkelling with him along the pass and beyond. We had a great Sashimi lunch at his home and headed back to the boat.

When we planned to leave, it was raining, making it too dangerous to thread our way out through the coral heads. On a good and happy note, Fernando brought us two of the best tasting fresh and warm baguettes to the boat. He asked Gordon to go grouper fishing with him, but Gordon stayed to do chores.

We left Manihi heading for an overnight passage to Rangiroa atoll (S15°09' W147°35') where we ended up staying for 6 days - hiking, biking, swimming, snorkelling, and relaxing. Rangiroa was a bit more touristy than Manihi but it was a nice change.

Then we had to motorsail all the way to Pape'ete, Tahiti (S17°32'06" W149°34'11"). How exciting it was to see the tall spires of Tahiti rising over the horizon. As we approached Pape'ete harbour, we had to call the harbour control to get clearance to enter. We also had to get clearance to pass the two ends of the airport runway which was right at the water's edge. We med-moored to the cement quay and were in Tahiti - we made it!

We passed Pea Green on to Alex and Valerie on SV Terrapin Flyer in Pape'ete...

If you wish to follow Sherry and Gordon's continuing adventures, check out their blog:  www.sailblogs.com/member/serenity2009