We have Christian’s sister visiting at the moment and like usually with guests we enjoy doing the holiday program with hiking, snorkeling and exploring along with her. We wish everybody who’s reading along with us a happy, interesting, healthy and satisfying year 2015!
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2014
31
Dec
2014
22
Dec
Flat to rent in Graz
Unfortunately our tenants are leaving our flat for a bigger one, so we hope to find new tenants soon. If you know somebody looking for a gorgeous garden flat in Graz, let us know
2014
22
Dec
2014
17
Dec
Sticky mess
We now have 4 service batteries instead of 3 (we kept the car battery we bought in Makemo) and as they are slightly smaller than the old ones they even fit into the battery compartment, but only without their separate boxes. Christian therefore decided to make a new shared box out of plywood and fibreglass directly in the locker. We had neither enough fibreglass for… Continue reading »
2014
10
Dec
Battery adventures
While we were in Makemo, our 6-year-old batteries suddenly died of old age (not surprising really, we should have changed them when we had the chance in Tahiti, but there was so much else to do, we somehow couldn’t get around to do it…). We had no mobile phone connection in the protected eastern corner of Makemo where we spent most of the time and… Continue reading »
2014
10
Dec
Another cyclone season in the Gambier
Protected anchorages, golden palm-fringed beaches, pine-clad mountains in the background, pristine waters and remote motus–yes, we’re happy to be back in our favourite corner of Fr. Polynesia!
2014
08
Dec
Rushing along
It seems Pitufa’s having a great time rushing along and ploughing the deep azure of the Pacific with her bow. With just the main in the second reef, the tiny inner foresail and a piece of yankee we’ve still had a daily run of 130 miles. We can’t wait to reach our favourite islands in French Polynesia, just 160 miles to go, no worries about… Continue reading »
2014
07
Dec
Sailing close-hauled
This trip’s not exactly fun, but then we didn’t expect it to be. We’re sailing as close to the wind as possible which sometimes shifts more easterly and then more northerly again, so we manage to stay on course. It’s steadily blowing between 15 and 20 knots (doesn’t sound like much, but feels like more when it’s on the nose) and the waves are high… Continue reading »
2014
05
Dec
Never start a passage with a hangover
Usually an ocean passage resembles a journey through a more or less hilly blue desert, but this time our course goes right trough the Tuamotus, just last night we passed 3 of them within a few miles, so we have to constantly adjust the course. The passage started quite rough yesterday with changing winds and high, confused waves. We soon had a huge mahi-mahi (dorade)… Continue reading »
2014
03
Dec
Ready to go!
At last the weather forecast looks okay to head for the Gambier, Pitufa’s all shipshape, Leeloo has got her seasickness drops (we’ve taken some too, it looks like a bit of a rough ride) and in two hours we can go out through the village pass of Makemo. It’s a bit more than 600 nm, so we’ll hopefully get there in about 6 days.
2014
22
Nov
Projects
Yesterday we moved further south into the ‘duck’s breast’ and found a pretty anchorage in front of two uninhabited motus. This morning we were contemplating the weather predictions, trying to decide whether the predicted easterly winds would be strong enough and last long enough to take us the 175 miles to Amanu. In the end we decided to stay here and do a boat project… Continue reading »
2014
20
Nov
In the duck’s beak
We were first eager to get away from Makemo after we’d done all the shopping, as the village anchorage lacks protection and privacy, the water inside the lagoon’s a bit murky and navigation’s really tricky with tons of little bastard-bommies that are hardly visible (no turquoise sand to mark them, just dark coral coming up). But the north-easterlies obviously haven’t looked up the wind statistics… Continue reading »
2014
17
Nov
Shopping Frenzy
We reached the village of Makemo the day before yesterday, unfortunately we had to motor all the 25 nm over the reef-dotted lagoon (much worse than Tahanea) as the wind was southeasterly all the time, so just where we had to go. The anchorage in front of the village is a bit of a witches cauldron with cross seas and funny effects from the pass.… Continue reading »
2014
16
Nov
2014
13
Nov
Makemo
Surprise, suprise, after postponing the departure from Tahanea (or should I say Smurf Island?) so often, that we didn’t really believe anymore we’d actually leave at some point , we used a perfect looking weather window (light breeze from the southeast with calm seas) to sail out yesterday. Of course the passage wasn’t as easy as expected, instead of gliding majestically under full sails on… Continue reading »