Along the Way
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From California to Mexico to French Polynesia, we have met some beautiful people and seen some beautiful places.
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Last Paradise
We hid out in Bora Bora waiting for good weather to head West. Many other cruisers were doing the same and I. Fact we heard there were some who over-stayed their visas. But what can you do? Sail off into bad weather? We were happy to get going although we loved our time there.
Tulia guiding me through the 30-ft wide pass at Maupihaa (En Pointe is 19-ft wide). The GPS was way off and showed us on the reef when on fact we were lined up for the pass visually. The problem was you could t really see if there was in fact a pass as the reef is aubmerged on either side. Well, we made it! The outgoing current was only about 3-knots although it can be as much as 6. We can make 6-knots with some wind n the mainsail when we are motoring so the benign current was a blessing.
Maupihaa is a atoll with a population of about 7 so we were surprised to see any vehicles at all as evidenced by this two-wheel rutted road all g the inside of the island.
We soon found the family our friends told us about including the imperiious, inquisitive five-year old Anna. She was visiting her aunties there as she lives on nearby Maupiti.
Tulia was hijacked by Anna who enjoyed the attention
Tulia andKarina watch Hio turn his copra crop. Hio bought a homestead on the island from his uncle and makes money harvesting copra, dried coconut meat which is shipped off to make oil and other products.
Polynesian dogs eat the local fare like these puppies weaning on coconut milk.
Tulia and Faimanu head out for some fishing on the reef. The reef is all that makes the island as the depths go instantly from several miles deep to the coral you can see here a meter or so above the surface. It’s kind of like standing on a rock in the middle of the ocean, waves breaking around you.
Our Maupihaa hosts were gracious enough to allow us to pose with some fish we hadn’t actually caught ourselves. Well. I had caught a fish something like the one I am holding but it jumped out of the bucket–honest–and I had to choose between saving myself or the fish. Self-preservation won out.
We were pulling out one fish after another from the reef at Maupohaa where our friends took us. Then they prepared the fish and we had a feast.
Our Maupihaa hosts graciously stopped what they were doing to not only show us how to fish, but how to clean and cook them. We had a great time siting around watching Adrienne, at eight, cook while Tulia spoke with a Fench cruiser named Martine.
Our hosts opened their home to us for a mlatenight dinner by lantern light.
Two Fench boats brought members of the family from Maupiti to Maupihaa, a distance of 110-miles, and so we were treated along with them to hospitality on the beach. Here we are all relaxing aspfter a big meal
Jacque is an architecture professor from Oaris who sketches wherever he travels. He’s also a good storyteller.
Tulia signed the guest book which has. Ay yachts and sailors grateful for their time in Maupihaa
Anna was intrigued with Jacque who was sketching the family compound. He eater colors the sketches on a bound book, each page another perfect scene from his travels.
Some of our French friends posed with us the day we left -
From “Outrageous” to “En Pointe”
En Pointe as “Outrageous” in Marina Bay Harbor, Richmond, California 2009.
“Outrageous” hauls out at Gravelle’s Boatyard in Moss Landing
Naval architect John Marples pronounces “Outrageous” worthy of rebuild
A little surgery
Putting it back together with new wood and epoxy
Big Sur artist Micah Curtis surveys the early stages of rebuilding
“Tall Paul” sets to work removing the old paint
Stripped down, replanked, ready for re-glassing
New centerboard takes shape
New spruce spreaders with machined shims bedded in epoxy
All the rigging removed and renewed or replaced
New beefier chainplates by David Jablonski of Sanctuary Stainless in Moss Landing
All new hatches, cockpit grates, steering box
New or renewed floorboards, hatch boards, cabinetry
Sled for outboard made of marine plywood frame, foam, epoxy
Steven Cunningham, master tradesman and painter
Steve applying the bottom paint
Tom Feeney, longtime Moss Landing fisherman and noted artist
Working late to get En Pointe ready to launch
Floating way high after launch
When he wasn’t practicing mandolin or riding his cruiser on a warm winter’s day, professional marine electrician Larry Scroggins wired the boat from scratch and installed all the electronics, lights and many other utilities
David Hopton builds high-tech boats for a living and made a vacuum-bagged, carbon fiber reinforced hardtop for En Pointe in his Watsonville shop
David Jablonski of Sanctuary Stainless took some very vague ideas I had and crafted just the right angles for aluminum struts to secure the new hardtop
En Pointe’s new refrigerator under construction
Last minute surprise found some problems in the stem
“That’s the way we should have designed it” said John Marples of En Pointe’s new stem
Outboard sled ready to mount
Re-launched and completed after a one and a-half year’s rebuild
En Pointe at her new berth in Santa Cruz Harbor
Happy to be done with the rebuild (Photo by Karen T. Borchers)
Time to enjoy the lines of the boat in Santa Cruz Harbor
En Pointe in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas after crossing from Mexico
En Pointe in Cooks Bay (Photo by Peter Van Dyke)
Opunohu Bay, Moorea
Opunohu Bay, Moorea -
California to Mexico
First stop in Monterey, California
Nick was fascinating company in Monterey. He’s single-handing his Danish-built 55-ft Sparkman Stevens design
Santa Cruz Island near Santa Barbara
Multi-hull enthusiast Natalie Boerger joined me from Santa Barbara to San Diego
Dock party in Santa Barbara
Lovely Oxnard marina (Photo by David Eli Vaughn)
A keen rock climber, Natalie had a good time showing me how to properly use a safety harness for climbing.
Natalie shows how to climb the mast safely
En Pointe in San Diego getting ready for the Baja HaHa (Photo by Natalie Boerger)
The start of the HaHa in San Diego Bay. I’ve been waiting a long time for this!
Mike Gilman showed me how to clean the tune
Linda Gilman made sure we were fed well for the Haha
Linda Gilman’s fish tacos were fantasti
A little night sailing
Sailing the spinnaker through the night
These brothers from a HaHa boat entertained the crowd with a “Haka” from New Zealand. That’s Latitude 38 publisher Richard Spindler with the microphone in background mc’ing the first beach party for the 2012 HaHa in Turtle Bay, Baja California Sur
First 2012 Baja HaHa beach party in Turtle Bay, Baja California Sur
Rheinhardt is a world cruiser who brought out these 50-year old spectacles for the Turtle Bay party
High above Bahia Santa Maria, Baja California Sur
Sunrise near Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas is a rocky, rolly, noisy anchorage
Latitude 38’s “We Cheated Death Again” party at Squid Roe in Cabo San Lucas
Up early for a shot from the mast in Cabo
World traveller, sailor, film festival entrepreneur and hotelier Gina Colagiacomi flew in to grace En Pointe with her company in Cabo San Lucas
Bahia Los Frailes, Baja California Sur
Cabo Pulmo in background from the peak above Bahia Los Frailes, BCS
Gina on her way to the top of the hill at Los Frailes
Gina getting some much deserved rest after a long night watch crossing from Los Frailes to Mazatlan
En Pointe is easy to sail! Hardest thing is keeping enough reading material aboard. (photo by Gina Colagiacomi)
Life is good in Marina El Cid, Mazatlan
Gina and I enjoyed life poolside at El Cid marina
Security went up a notch when the president of Mexico arrived for a visit
Gabriel and Isabel from Cariba joined me for a kayak ride to nearby Isla Venados
Isabel and Gabriel were good company from Mazatlan to Tahiti
Mazatlan has a great music scene
This restaurant’s roof was missing but it was perfect for warm nights
Dawn sky near Isla Isabel
Sundown sky near Isla Isabel
Banderas Bay was the last stop in Mexico before crossing to the Marquesas.
Famil
Huichol dancer performs in Bucerias
Two months in Banderas Bay was perfect for relaxing, eating good food and getting ready for the crossing to the Marquesas
Plenty of time to enjoy reading in Banderas Bay -
The Crossing
After days of calm, finally the winds pick up a few hundred miles west of Puerto Vallarta
In a matter of a few hours we went through too many sail changes to remember including this brief chance to fly the storm staysail
Azure seas and skies merge at sundown
Beautiful yet violent weather moves towards us
When a rainstorm moves in, there is no land to quench, no trees to sway with the wind, only more water to add to the infinite ocean.
Squall somewhere near the equator
Another marvelous sunset
Landfall at Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands after 27-days. We landed at Nuku Hiva the next day.
iPad maps app gave some perspective at our journey’s end -
Tulia in Paradise
First time steering En Pointe across Banderas Bay, Tulia was very confident from the start
Late night provisioning for a crossing we estimated could take 30-days. We ate very well!
Determined to learn guitar, Tulia practices her first chords
Day after day, sailing with nothing but sky and water left plenty of time for contemplation
Landfall at Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands after 27-days. We landed at Nuku Hiva the next day.
High above Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva
Surprised at how lush the island was, we enjoyed a great hike after being on a boat for almost a month
We took to hitchhiking very easily. Islanders are friendly and offered us rides with our asking
Our friend Pootu brought us to her home and her mother showed Tulia their garden
Pootu and Mama adopted Tulia
Tulia loves horses and Frederic was in the right place at the right time to oblige
Frederic, Tulia, momma and baby horse in Typee Bay
Monoi oil massage at Typee Bay
Pootu brought us to her church several times
Josephine shows Tulia the garden she designed
Tulia gets a lesson in Marquesan language from Pootu’s family
A day hike from Daniel’s Bay to the waterfalls
Nearing the waterfalls by Daniel’s Bay, Nuku Hiva
Sacred space in the marae on Nuku Hiva
Banyan tree near where prisoners were kept before being sacraficed
Pootu explains the feeling she gets being on sacred ground at the marae
Tulia still smiling at the end of a long day’s tour around the island
Friends from Cariba joined us for a hike to Anaho Bay
Pootu advising Tulia on what to wear to a party we were invited
Pootu made sure we had plenty of fruit when we left
Pootu’s family showered us with gifts when we left
Tulia reeled in two tuna soon after we left the Marquesas
Having fun with a “4-non blondes” tune Tulia learned from Gabriel on Cariba
The atoll of Fakarava was a complete change from the Marquesas
Adjusting to life on Fakarava was easy. This hat was a gift from Maui, a woman from the village of Rotoava
Fakarava was stunningly beautiful
Our friend Maui, behind Tulia, and her family in the village of Rotoava
Fakarava sunset
Sundown at Fakara
Jamming with Pootu’s family on the island of Tahiti
Moorea offered us a great hike high above Cook’s Bay and a chance to feed the wild chickens (Photo by Peter Van Dyke)
Tulia never missed a chance to practice like here in Opunohu Bay, Moorea
Getting some late-night guitar instruction from our friend Dane Jyhrr on Raiatea
Hitchhiking to the marae on Raiatea
The people of Raiatea were very friendly and we had no trouble getting rides to and from the marae
Tulia joining the party on our friend Jerry’s boat at the Chantier Naval des L’Iles Sous Vent (CNI) Marina on Raiatea
Our friend Laurent joined us on Jerry’s boat at the CNI yard
Up the Faaroa River on Raiatea -
Along the way
My son Peter flew out from Arizona for a visit and went snorkeling with us in Moorea (Photo by Tulia Gonzalez)
Daniel’s Bay, Nuku Hiva, where the first season of “Survivor” was filmed. We survived. (Photo by Tulia Gonzalez)
Fakarava was so lovely we really felt we were in paradise (photo by Tulia Gonzalez)
Meanwhile, back in Idaho, Mom is finding me on the globe
A nice shower whilst inflating the dinghy after arriving in the Marquesas
Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands
This “tiki” adorns the waterfront in a park near where the first Europeans landed on Nuku Hiva, Marquesas and brought ruin to the friendly people who welcomed them their
Sacred stones provide relief on a hot and muggy day in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva
A crowded dinghy dock attests the Marquesas are the landfall of choice for mariners who’ve crossed from North and Central America
Nuku Hiva is a beautiful island even under artificial light
Our friend Kathy from Lightspeed shows us the Koeva marae
Election day pomp along the Taiohae Bay waterfront
A hike in Moorea (Photo by Peter Van Dyke)
Pootu’s beautiful family
Pootu negotiates her way around the livestock during a tour of Nuku Hiva she gave us
Some friendly banter with her god-father
Pootu’s cousin runs a garden farm on the other side of Nuku Hiva
A kiss from uncle Emile
Party at the Catholic school
The village of Typee Bay
Pootu tours us around the island
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Pootu directed us to plant a flower in her garden and said we’d be welcome to the flowers on our return (photo by Tulia Gonzalez)
Pootu’s garden
Pootu finding some delicious mangoes at a nearby property of hers
Flower from Pootu’s garden
Where Robert Louis Stevenson enjoyed himself
Daniel’s Bay, Nuku Hiva
Pootu’s garden
“Billabong Beach” surf competition
Sacred offerings at the Raiatea marae
Belly flop or swan dive, risk takers jump first
Subsistence living on Faaroa River, Raiatea
This mountain was begging to be climbed. Mt. Pahia as seen from onboard En Pointe on a windy night with a full moon as we lay tied up waiting for calmer seas to head west from Bora Bora.
The last bit of the climb caused a little vertigo. Most of the hike was a hand over hand climb up steep terrain but this was akin to rock climbing. (photo by Tulia Gonzalez)
Tulia and I felt good about making it to the top high above the lagoons of Bora Bora.
The trip down was a bit easier but still required a firm grip to keep from falling.
The simple beauty of the view atop Mt. Pahia reminded me of loved ones who aren’t with us anymore but for in our hearts.