| Lat | Lon ▲ | Boat name | Note | Created at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19º 16.668' S | 176º 37.848' W | s/v Convivia | TNGFI Day 1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 18º 33.81' S | 176º 31.638' W | s/v Convivia | V2S Day 1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 58.488' S | 173º 46.02' W | s/v Convivia | S2T Day 2 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 32.316' S | 172º 40.896' W | s/v Convivia | S2T Day 1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 36.51' S | 169º 39.87' W | s/v Convivia | S2S Day 3 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 10.278' S | 167º 28.854' W | s/v Convivia | S2S Day 2 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 12º 24.24' S | 165º 21.234' W | s/v Convivia | S2S Day1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 14.706' S | 162º 52.89' W | s/v Convivia | BBS Day 5 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 12º 40.902' S | 160º 16.596' W | s/v Convivia | BBS Day 4 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 14º 1.248' S | 158º 5.85' W | s/v Convivia | BBS Day 3 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 46.68' S | 155º 54.978' W | s/v Convivia | BBS Day 2 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 23.538' S | 154º 8.208' W | s/v Convivia | BBS Day 1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 28.686' S | 151º 47.94' W | s/v Convivia | BBS Day 0 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 26.988' S | 147º 21.03' W | s/v Convivia | TT Day 1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 48.024' S | 146º 9.87' W | s/v Convivia | TT Day 0 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 24.648' S | 144º 39.276' W | s/v Convivia | TP Day 3 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 16.734' S | 143º 4.362' W | s/v Convivia | TP Day 2 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 11º 8.358' S | 141º 40.71' W | s/v Convivia | TP Day 1 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 9º 17.646' S | 138º 1.662' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 23 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 6º 25.11' S | 134º 1.236' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 21 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 4º 52.548' S | 132º 34.692' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 20 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 3º 12.042' S | 131º 23.082' W | s/v Convivia | PPJDay 19 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 1º 39.522' S | 130º 9.174' W | s/v Convivia | PPJDay 18 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 0º 30.54' N | 129º 28.782' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 17 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 2º 18.66' N | 128º 42.9' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 16 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 3º 43.164' N | 127º 53.766' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 15 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 5º 2.37' N | 127º 28.224' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 14 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 6º 48.162' N | 127º 2.802' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 13 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 6º 47.262' N | 124º 59.778' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 12 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 6º 47.538' N | 122º 42.45' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 11 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 7º 4.962' N | 120º 45.672' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 10 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 9º 19.458' N | 119º 58.194' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 9 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 11º 5.334' N | 118º 21.018' W | s/v Convivia | Ppj Day 8 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 11º 48.606' N | 115º 37.602' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 7 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 13º 51.15' N | 114º 41.46' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 6 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 14º 59.094' N | 112º 37.014' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 5 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 15º 48.24' N | 111º 17.178' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 4 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 16º 34.74' N | 110º 36.036' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day 3 | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 17º 29.892' N | 109º 25.902' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day two | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 18º 47.688' N | 107º 35.49' W | s/v Convivia | PPJ Day one | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 30º 19.368' N | 78º 15.642' W | s/v Convivia | Today's big excitement was the mid-passage potato cull. How such a bland vegetable can smell so bad when it rots, is beyond me. Other than that, we are glad to see that the Tropical Storm is going to pass well to the South of us (thanks Suzy and Dave for the ground support). We expect to enter the Gulf Stream tonight, and start rocketing our way north. The crew is getting super excited to see family and friends and eat at the Portland Flatbread Co.
All is well! | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 31º 59.958' N | 77º 33.072' W | s/v Convivia | Today was the rainy, squally day that we have been expecting (while still hoping against) since we left Georgetown. Its been a lot of motoring and a lot of staying out of the rain. We had some pretty epic nachos for dinner though, so...
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 28º 21.492' N | 76º 55.398' W | s/v Convivia | Day 2 things are going pretty smoothly. Ruby celebrated her 13th birthday by going 3/4 of the way up the mast to save our lazy jacks. What a hero.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 25º 38.28' N | 76º 8.718' W | s/v Convivia | The first twenty four hours of our prospective Triumphant Return Home Passage (prospective because, un-hatched chickens) was pretty delightful. We sailed up the Exuma Sound, protected from the Ocean swell, while still attended by its winds. What a great start. Today is a little more rolly (fully exposed again) but we have decent wind.
We have started to talk about stoping in Nantucket on the way. It seems too suitably salty to miss, right? All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 30.654' N | 75º 45.726' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia is rafted up to Eva in Georgetown. We did our checkin yesterday and then had a wonderful birthday celebration. We should be here for a week. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 35º 10.98' N | 74º 38.358' W | s/v Convivia | We rounded Cape Hatteras (aka The Graveyard of the Atlantic) this evening. This seems momentous, our next waypoint is Cape Cod, then it's West one last time to Portland.
If you had been a fly on the wall around dinner time, you might have heard us all belting out "Rolling home, rolling home, rolling home across the sea. Rolling home to old New England. Rolling home, dear land to thee." All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 20.778' N | 74º 33.282' W | s/v Convivia | Arrived at Long Island (Bahamas). we will spend the night here with Totem and then head to Georgetown in the morning to celebrate my birthday with Eva and crew.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 23º 6.6' N | 74º 3.012' W | s/v Convivia | Last night out. The conditions continue to be dreamy. A bit of a lingering counter current have slowed us down a bit, but it is hard to complain when we have had 6 days that feel like catamaran sailing.
Tomorrow we will hopefully intersect with Friends We Haven't Met Yet on Totem. We think that we have been in communication for 8 years now, so it may be the record for longest lead up. Should be a regular old hoot! The fact that we are meeting in the Bahamas when both Convivia and Totem are West coast boats is a bit of a trip. Life is good and... All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 42.768' N | 74º 0.36' W | s/v Convivia | This is our last week at anchor (for the season). On the 15th we will be heading in to dock at Dimillo's Marina for the winter. Hopefully, our heater will arrive before then. It's getting chilly. All is well. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 37º 46.848' N | 73º 4.098' W | s/v Convivia | I love me a good gale, which is a good thing because that's what we will get tonight. 12-24 hrs of gale and 11' swell. Convivia is managing the conditions like a champion, holding her course like she's on rails, and yawning at the occasional side swell as only an Indian ocean veteran could. The side benefit of this weather is that it should extend our amazing Gulf Stream mileage for another 24 hrs.
So we might not be eating anything too exotic or complicated tomorrow, but we sure will go like stink towards the finish line. Woot woot. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 38º 25.482' N | 71º 59.202' W | s/v Convivia | Well that was fun. Our little gale blew right on time, and gave us a post-Gulf Stream daily average speed of 7 knots. It is a strange thing to be sad to see such powerful weather evaporate, but now, as I look at our paltry 5.4 knot avg, and our (delayed) ETA, I find myself doing just that.
Picture a man, wrinkled and greying, standing, head above the dodger, ducking to avoid the sheets of spray shooting over the weather decks. A giant wave (12-15') crests behind him as he turns, smiling. The vessel under his feet has carried him and his family more than 25,000 nautical miles, in safety and relative comfort. He knows that she can handle the monster that is bearing down, now about to crash over the afterdeck. His boat lifts, and then takes off. An exhilaratingly fast (15.5 knots) surf on a 43' long board. At the trough, the boat turns out gracefully and her skipper smiles again, bidding goodbye to the swell. It is not a bad way to close out an epic adventure. The weather forecast shows light air from here on out. That was likely the last hurrah for Convivia and crew, on this leg anyway. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.612' N | 70º 15.102' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia at anchor in Casco Bay | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.318' N | 70º 14.988' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia is at the dock for the first time since Cape Town. We are snugged in next to Eva, who is also at dock for the first time since Cape Town. All is well. | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.6' N | 70º 14.982' W | s/v Convivia | This is our _actual_ location. Hey, and how about that pretty map on the FB and Twitter posts :) | about 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.492' N | 70º 14.88' W | s/v Convivia | Eva has cleared Customs and is about to shove off. Next stop, Grenada. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.492' N | 70º 14.862' W | s/v Convivia | WE DID IT!
We arrived in Portland, ME with the sunrise this morning after an ideal 1400 nautical mile passage. By lunchtime, we will be with our parents again for the first time in 3 years. Convivia had one last treat for us. As we entered the inner harbor, the fuel filter clogged, leaving us engineless in the shipping lane. A little quick thinking, and diesel soaked hands later and we were back in business. Our final destination on this six year long adventure is still Round Pond, and we expect to arrive there on the first day of July (Vick's special, birthday month request). It's impossible to articulate what this landfall means to us... perhaps with time I will find the words. Portland Flatbread Co., here we come! All is sure enough well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.798' N | 70º 14.52' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia is once again dangling at the end of her chain. We are anchored out in front of the former PYS mooring field. In a few days (weeks?) We will move her to the hard and join forces with the mighty s/v Eva for another epic adventure. Stay tuned... | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.72' N | 70º 14.334' W | s/v Convivia | Conveva is at anchor at PYS for a few more days before heading to Grenada. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.702' N | 70º 14.298' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia is on the hard and the crew has moved onto Eva. Eva is now at anchor in front of our old 'home' in the PYS mooring field. The docks are back in. WOOT! | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 39.762' N | 70º 14.292' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia is back on Anchor in Portland. The adults are looking for jobs, and the kids are enjoying "summer break". All is well | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 43º 38.646' N | 70º 14.052' W | s/v Convivia | We decided to use our last weekend of freedom to check out Peaks Island. The kids have been enjoying tidepooling an beach combing. We even introduced them to the joys of flavor ice. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 41º 27.27' N | 69º 28.14' W | s/v Convivia | I had a conversation with a coworker just before I left about how fresh
the ocean air smells. I was recalling the S. Indian ocean and the rarefied, pristine lungfulls I consumed there. When the sun finally came out this morning, I opened the hatches and took a deep breath of that memory. It's good to be underway again. The first day out was a bit lumpy but we made good speed. Despite some seasickness, the younger crew delightedly leaped to the pilothouse when I sounded the whale alert this morning. We had a large pod (perhaps two dozen) humpbacks around us. They were enjoying what looked like a bountiful breakfast. At one point a juvenile swam right up to us and dove under Eva. We are off Cape Cod right now, and hope to be crossing the Gulf Stream in a lull, mid-day tomorrow. After that, we may be motoring for a while. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 43º 56.592' N | 69º 27.228' W | s/v Convivia | Zero miles to go. Convivia and crew have completed the Round the World trip that we set out on. October 1, 2011 to July 1, 2017. Convivia fits right in here. All is well! | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 21º 4.392' N | 69º 22.308' W | s/v Convivia | This passage had been so darn mellow, it seems like we must be cheating, or getting our due after some of the earlier passages this year.
Its hard to believe that we have crossed two oceans in the past year, and that we were just leaving Cocos Keeling, this time last year. With this adventure coming to a close, I have begun to shift my energy toward rentry. Thinking about jobs, where to live, and what to do next. It's exciting, overwhelming, and distracting. Perhaps i can postpone that for a few more days and make the most of these last beautiful moments of crystal clear water, blue skies, and clean living. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 40º 49.05' N | 69º 15.21' W | s/v Convivia | We lost our wind entirely today. It's been 12 hrs of motoring already, and we probably have a dozen more before the wind fills in. Match that with a 1.7 knot counter current, and you have some real slow going. We used the time to make power and water though. I should probably be glad we had so much time because, in these cold cold waters, the output is about half what it was in the tropics.
That said, we are smelling nostalgic scents on the breeze, and the fishing boats look normal for the first time in six years. all is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 39º 22.98' N | 68º 7.182' W | s/v Convivia | Our second day was fairly uneventful. The kids got their sea legs (a
mixed blessing to be sure) and we lost wind for a while. Today is my (Tucker's) birthday, so it's likely to be amazing, if for no other reason than the flourless chocolate cake that Vick is going to make for us! All is well | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.252' N | 67º 38.448' W | s/v Convivia | We have rerouted to Georgetown on the recommendation of every single person we have talked to about the Bahamas. We hope to arrive ahead of a nasty looking trough that is promising to dumps lots of water out of the sky, in conjunction with some big wind.
I think Georgetown will be an ideal place to turn forty someodd. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 36º 40.218' N | 67º 9.75' W | s/v Convivia | We crossed the Gulf Stream last night. I had delayed our departure,
specifically to avoid a wind against current situation, and as we progressed, I routed to the most advantageous angle of attack, but despite my best efforts, we ended up with 20+ knots against 3 knots of current. It was a bumpy 12 hours. That said, it was one of the best birthday's I have had, and we came out the other end, unscathed, if a bit fatigued. Today we've got 15-20 knots just aft of the beam and blue sky as we make our way toward Bermuda. With any luck we won't have to motor more than 12 more hours between here and Grenada. The kids are in good spirits, and were totally amazed by the ice cream that accompanied the birthday cake. Oh, and the temperature rose as we entered the gulf stream to the point where we are all in shorts! All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 34º 48.942' N | 65º 27.81' W | s/v Convivia | Yesterday we eased into our groove. Easy sailing to weather, <1m seas,
sunshine and good food was the order of the day. The night was partly cloudy and afforded us a pretty good view of the universe. Today has been wing on wing, dead down wind, with slight following seas. We aren't making great time, but the gribs said we would be motoring, so we are grateful. Glasses stay put on the tables where they are left, for hours if needed. The kids are playing games and being chill. The weather is settled for the foreseeable future and good books beckon. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 32º 0.228' N | 64º 52.08' W | s/v Convivia | Yesterday we had a nice (but short) visit by some tiny spotted dolphins.
We passed Bermuda this morning and lingered for an hour (off-shore) to get an internet fix. We checked email, and I got some documentation for some programming projects (one of which generated the NMEA lat/lon for this position report), and then with raised the sails and continued south. It reminded me of the time, a little over a year ago, that Eva and Convivia ghosted by Ascension Island on our way to Martinique. Today has been good sailing (close hauled) punctuated by squalls. All is well | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 48.258' N | 64º 32.718' W | s/v Convivia | I seemed to have dropped the ball a bit on position reporting for this passage. Our first two days have gone pretty smoothly. We had a great current with us until early this morning, and we expect to have a mild current setting in our general direction for much of the rest of the trip. As I write this, Convivia is gliding past St. Croix (thinking of you Mead), and we expect to pass through Culebra and St. Thomas tonight (Allen & Lee, we wil be thinking of you, for sure).
The wind and seas have been pretty beamy this passage, but for the most part they are behaving. I did get the most comprehensive pooping ever the night before last, strange, that it was here and not in that mean old Indian Ocean, just shows ta go ya! Expecting a June 6th arrival in Nassau now, just in time for my birthday :) All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 29º 16.362' N | 63º 30.06' W | s/v Convivia | Today we saw a large potted plant float by. That may be one of the
weirdest at-sea sightings I've heard of. We had jaffles for lunch, which is (for those of you who, like me did not know what these are) a kind of panini like grilled cheese sandwich. They were delicious. The kids have been playing D&D all day, which is a major improvement from the device filled (sea-sick) days at the beginning of passage. There's lots of laughter. The kitties had poached flying fish for a treat this morning. We're ticking away the miles, averaging roughly 150/day at an easy, comfortable pace. All is well | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 21º 53.892' N | 62º 20.022' W | s/v Convivia | Today was another day of motoring. With any luck we will shut the engine
off after dinner and sail the rest of the way to Grenada. The kids have been having a blast. Between making armor out of the plastic inserts from their new fins, and water fights with epoxy syringes to D&D marathons, they have been keeping busy and incredibly harmonious. This is the gift that passage seems to always provide for us. We made another few stops to pick up saragasso but these hauls were a lot more prolific. The kids used the microscope to identify several different types of shrimp and other unknown swimmers, as well as bare eye observations of some basking fish that live on the surface of the weeds and gracefully dip beneath the surface when approached. Tomorrow we expect to be in the Caribbean. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 20º 37.926' N | 62º 14.178' W | s/v Convivia | I just got word from land support that our position reports were coming
in with the wrong position. I wrote a little script to auto-generate our position report footer but of course, I was at sea, so I couldn't test it properly. I'll fix them all when we get to Grenada, and hopefully this one will show that we are just north of Anguilla. I'll post again later today when I have something more than "delicious coffee" to talk about All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 25º 17.328' N | 62º 10.776' W | s/v Convivia | After 12+ hours of motoring, the crew needed a bit of relief so we
stopped the engines and swan dove off the gantry into the Saragasso Sea. The water was crystal clear (and 6km deep) and we took turns diving as deep as we could, sinking cans, and other assorted nonsense. It was warm and refreshing and just what the crew needed. While the swimming was going on, two loaves of bread were just finishing up in the oven. Next on our busy agenda, lunch. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 15º 22.812' N | 61º 55.002' W | s/v Convivia | I realized this morning that I forgot to post a position report
yesterday. We are now in the Caribbean. We passed our first islands since Bermuda in the morning (yesterday), and are now in the lee of Dominica. If we can pick up speed again we will arrive in Grenada mid day tomorrow. If not, maybe just before sunset. There's a lot more commercial traffic now, which makes watches a little more active, but there are surprisingly few sailing boats. It's 34º C (94ºF), my eyelids are starting to sweat again :( (despite that) All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 12º 4.2' N | 61º 46.92' W | s/v Convivia | Eva arrived in St. Georges, Grenada just after sunset. We will spend the night here and go around to Prickly Bay tomorrow morning to check in and celebrate Ruby's birthday. All is well | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 11º 59.832' N | 61º 45.894' W | s/v Convivia | This is a test for Facebook's app authorization | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 11º 59.982' N | 61º 45.834' W | s/v Convivia | Back in Prickly Bay. It was a lot harder to find a good spot this time but we are finally settled. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 12º 4.86' N | 61º 45.744' W | s/v Convivia | At the underwater statues for a quick snorkel | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 12º 0.018' N | 61º 45.732' W | s/v Convivia | Still in Prickley Bay, but we got our good spot back. All is well. | about 6 years ago | Show |
| 12º 0.024' N | 61º 45.732' W | s/v Convivia | Eva has reached our destination. Prickly Bay, Grenada will be our base of operations for the summer. We found a great spot to anchor, right up close to the beach. We haven't seen this many sailboats since leaving Martinique over a year ago. All is well | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 12º 27.342' N | 61º 29.352' W | s/v Convivia | Eva and her crew are loving Carriacaou. The water is much clearer and the people more friendly. We will likely stay another week or so! All is well | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 12º 27.36' N | 61º 29.34' W | s/v Convivia | Eva is in Tyrell Bay Carriacou. We wanted a change of pace so we headed up here to check out the regatta. All is well. | over 6 years ago | Show |
| 14º 36.966' N | 61º 3.528' W | s/v Convivia | Our last full day in Martinique before shoving off for a long passage to the Bahamas. We have had a ball here, hanging out with Eva and exploring the island, but the season is closing out, and we have miles to cover. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 26.568' N | 60º 56.1' W | s/v Convivia | We are off. Farewell Martinique, next stop, Nassau, Bahamas. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 26.292' N | 60º 53.502' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia and crew are safe in sound in Martinique. Our third (and last, for this trip) ocean has been crossed. The water is turquoise and the air is warm. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 14º 27.606' N | 60º 52.296' W | s/v Convivia | We have moved in to the Le Marin anchorage. The kids have their own little mangrove island to play on and town is close. Life is easy these days. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 11º 40.632' N | 59º 11.76' W | s/v Convivia | The seas have flattened out, and we are making our northbound approach to Martinique. We have been chasing current since Fernando de Naronha, and it's been paying off. Now we will beam reach at 7-8knots the rest of the way (I hope). It looks like we will arrive between 6pm-11pm tomorrow. We had delicious three cheese mac and cheese for dinner (mine with Sriracha, of course), everyone is happy and excited for landfall.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 42.84' N | 56º 14.52' W | s/v Convivia | Ticking away the miles to Martinique. The sun is finally out, we are charging up the batteries and our spirits. The kids are happy and easy going, and we are really excited for landfall in a couple of days.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 5º 56.778' N | 49º 27.732' W | s/v Convivia | Yesterday was the pits. We had swell from three directions, and Vick took some seasick pills that had side effects worse than the malaise. Today is a lot more comfortable, despite the continued squalls. We are still trying to figure out if running the engine with raw water in the fresh water side, is going to kill it quickly or slowly. I'm hoping slowly, because it's currently the only way to charge the batteries, until the sun comes out again.
All said, we are doing well. The kids are getting ahead in school work so they can enjoy friend bonanza in Martinique. Vick is continuing to delight us with surprisingly good food (despite an almost complete dearth of veggies, YAY!), and we are never bored (not really anyway). Yesterday's 24 hr time was 160 miles. WOot! All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 2º 17.898' N | 43º 13.188' W | s/v Convivia | Darn has this ever been a gray and miserable day. We've been alternating between 3 and 7 knots as we pass from one squall to the next, and it's been so dark that we need lights or headlamps for everything. This is the first passage I can remember that felt like time was dragging on. Oh well. We are still eating well, home made crackers and cookies so far today. When the motor is on, we listen to Hamilton at top volume and belt out all the lyrics we know.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 1º 22.572' N | 42º 13.272' W | s/v Convivia | Today has been back to back squalls. At one point we were getting 40Ah in from the wind generator, that was pretty exciting. The seas have picked up somewhat, so our Halcyon days may be over for a while. We also have wind more on the beam than I would like. That said, we are still eating (the last of our) fresh veg. So it's not all gray.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 0º 14.262' N | 41º 2.4' W | s/v Convivia | Convivia and her crew crossed the equator for the fourth time today. This time, in lockstep with Eva. We are almost exactly 500 nm due West from the mouth of the Amazon, and if the wind picks up as promised, we have 10 days of passage ahead.
Tonight we celebrated with cake and pizza (in that order). Every day out here is ideal, in its own way. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 1º 20.34' S | 39º 6.18' W | s/v Convivia | Today was a little bit of amazing. The wind was 10-15 knots from off our quarter, and the current was about 1knot from behind. Without the least bit of effort we managed a 144 mile day. To make a good day better, our friends on Eva crept up to within a few boat lengths for the day, and the kids experimented with sound and signs. At one point they swooped in and launched chocolate at us, FOR THE WIN!
We are racing towards the equator, and expect to cross for the fourth time tomorrow afternoon. All is well! | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 2º 53.142' S | 36º 44.07' W | s/v Convivia | Our last 24 hours have done its level best to tip our fun to suck ratio, and failed.
We have discovered a hole in our heat exchanger, which has rendered our fresh water cooled engine into a raw water cooled version. We thought we had run out of water, a problem which was potentially exacerbated by low power and an inability to charge from the engine (18Ah from our 100Ah alternator). We found that the engine wouldn't stop (morse cable first, then at all) and had to suffocate it. The secondary problem is solved, but I think the morse cable is corroded from the overflowing fresh water reservoir. Add to all of that a mysterious electrical failure when the boat lists heavily to starboard, and you may have reason to panic. I am happy to report that, after another mid-ocean major electrical refit, we are now pumping 60+Ah into the batteries, and have a fully functional electrical system. I have one little related project to complete in Martinique, but that should be easy with the right parts. On the water side, it seems we have a vacuum compression on the intake side of the pump, that is causing our trouble. That can also be fixed in Martinique. So, as it stands, we are all set, and safe, and the sailing is blissful. Our friends on Eva are shadowing us, just in case, and we are headed to another paradise. In other news, we had pizza for dinner, except really the only typical ingredient was mozzerella. Sauce was some left over arribetta, crust was super thin corn bread. The corn bread was made with egg substitute instead of eggs, GF flour instead of normal flour, pap instead of cornmeal, and powdered milk and vinegar instead of buttermilk. We called it pizza anyway and it was a win! We're staring down the end of the "fresh" vegetables now but are happily digging into stashes of sauces and pickles and little treats in jars (sun dried tomatoes!). | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 3º 49.92' S | 32º 24.498' W | s/v Convivia | About to weigh anchor for Martinique. Despite our lack of actual tourism, Fernando de Naronha will be one of our favorite places we have ever been. Looking forward to 16 easy passagemaking days.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 3º 49.92' S | 32º 24.498' W | s/v Convivia | We are shipbound at Fernando de Naronha (waiting for parts in paradise). Because we are American, we are not allowed to get a Visa without visiting the Consulate in the USA. So we have spent our days playing with our friends on Eva, swimming, and watching the huge dolphin pods swim around and under Convivia. The geomorphology, water color, and weather are like a dream. Every morning I wake up and look out the port lights with gratitude.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 3º 49.908' S | 32º 24.492' W | s/v Convivia | With a tremendous amount of help from Claude and Jules on Eva, we managed to get our new rig up, and the outboard (which was submerged in a squall the other night) cleaned out. We are as provisioned up as we can be here, and ready to depart in the morning.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 3º 50.058' S | 32º 24.018' W | s/v Convivia | Almost done at Fernando. We just checked out, but still need to finish repairing the rig. Probably leave tomorrow. Next stop, Martinique. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 3º 58.308' S | 31º 39.552' W | s/v Convivia | Lovely wake up call this morning, "Dad, I just noticed the engine is overheating..."
Thank god Ruby is sharp. We turned it off and found that without sails or engine, we were still drifting in the right direction at 3+ knots. It seems like our luck tends to balance itself out pretty immediately. I let the engine cool off a bit, had coffee and then tucked into the problem. The coolant water was murky (brown, black). Initially I thought maybe the oil cooler had leaked oil into it, then I remembered that that is hooked up to the raw water side, and now I'm just confused. I drained a bit out, and topped it off (running low on antifreeze now), and the engine has been running for hours, trouble free. Maybe we just sucked up a jellyfish into the raw water system. I'll have to add that to the growing work list for Naronha. The good news is that dad was able to get the parts ordered, they may arrive as soon as Wed. Stuck in paradise for five days. Rats. The other good news is that Vick made an apple strudel with fresh whipped cream for breakfast. We are looking good for a 5-6pm arrival. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 4º 18.408' S | 30º 5.088' W | s/v Convivia | We lost our lower shrouds today. This time it was due to the bolt that holds the tangs to the mast, breaking. The port shroud dropped immediately to the deck, and the starboard hung on by a few threads. Vick and I sprang into action, dropping sails and collecting the rigging. Next she sent me up the mast to recover the starboard shroud before we lost the end of that bolt (and any chance of getting a decent measurement). As I was going up, the shroud decided to come down. I was lucky enough to catch it, mid fall. We recovered all the pieces and my dad has new ones on order.
We are now motoring to Fernando de Naronha for refuge, and to await our shipment. We have plenty of fuel, and nobody is hurt. In fact we had haircuts, cookies, playful jumping dolphins, and butternut squash salad so.... All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 5º 11.85' S | 26º 53.88' W | s/v Convivia | We are 10 days out from St. Helena and have 16 days left to Martinique. We have tossed out quite a bit of our fresh veg due to rot, and the fridge is looking a little sparse. That said, we are still eating well and finding joy in our daily routine. The kids suffer minor bouts of craziness (expected), mostly when it's time to do dishes ;P whoda thunk?
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 5º 50.58' S | 24º 27.06' W | s/v Convivia | Today has been back to back squalls. We are reefed down and just riding them out. Sadly, the wind in the cell comes at 90° to the trades, so we are not making very good distance today. Yesterday we made 155 miles (our plan speed is 144). Still, we are happy enough, if a bit warm in this closed up cabin.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 6º 26.1' S | 22º 9.198' W | s/v Convivia | We are having some really fantastic sailing today. Last night's pizza was fantastic, and we are ripping along towards the site of the former ITCZ. it looks like there is a chance that we might be able to pass North while the ITCZ is absent. Fingers crossed.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 6º 41.742' S | 20º 0.282' W | s/v Convivia | Last night's dinner turned out to be glorious chicken and slaw sandwiches. Ruby's dough was used for focaccia instead of pizza (though we are having pizza tonight, I hear). And that was in turn made into sandwiches. For the non-GF non-cruiser set, this might sound under whelming, but I can assure you, there was much rejoicing on Convivia.
Today we have been paraded by jumping fish. Hour after hour they jump. These are not the flying fish that we have become accustomed to, but large yummy looking fish. In related news, something really big bit right through my steel leader and stole my best lure today. Drat. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 7º 7.47' S | 17º 13.47' W | s/v Convivia | The kids have requested to make one meal a day for the family. Considering that Ruby's chocolate chip cookies are the best GF cookies I've ever had, I think we can trust them to do a good job. Tonight, it seems, is pizza night.
We are making great progress towards Martinique, conditions are mild, sea is down and wind is stable (though other boats report lower wind speeds today). It is a great feeling to wake up at 3am and be excited for my watch, we are truly in passage making mode now! All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 7º 47.01' S | 14º 53.94' W | s/v Convivia | We approached Ascension as twilight broke and wrapped slowly around the northwest tip of the island and down to the Georgetown Anchorage. The conditions were mild, and it seemed that the swell we had been warned of had left the area. After talking with friends on Gaia, we decided to have a closer look, and found that the anchorage was untenable, given our limited time and needs.
After a heartbreaking goodbye with our friends on Caminante (who we will likely next see by air) we aimed our bows for the Easternmost tip of S. America. Our intention is to find the thinnest part of the ITCZ to punch north into the Caribbean from. Once through we intend to continue directly to Martinique. Despite the sad goodbyes, and leaving a gorgeous remote island in our wake, undiscovered, we are all feeling good about maintaining our momentum, and getting that much closer to home. It's looking like we will have all of May in the Caribbean, which is quite a bit longer than we had hoped for. All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 9º 3.732' S | 12º 47.802' W | s/v Convivia | The kids made cookie dough yesterday and stashed enough in the freezer that we can have 2 cookies each per week until Martinique. Another bird hit the boat last night, this time it disappeared before I could check on it. The Wha? It's finally starting to feel tropical. Watches are in tee-shirts and undies, and I think I'll make a batch of cold brew coffee today.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 10º 56.76' S | 11º 8.442' W | s/v Convivia | Making decent progress. Kids totally melted down yesterday, so much for sweet passage making mode.
Last night on watch I got hit in the back of the head by a large seabird. That was pretty weird. It came to slowly and flew off after about an hour. All is well | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 12º 39.582' S | 9º 17.202' W | s/v Convivia | Day 2 was much like day 1. The conditions are very nearly ideal and we are making slower than normal but still good progress toward Ascension. It's heartening that we are all slipping easily into cruising mode, given that we have 7000+ miles of it to do in the next two months.
All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 13º 59.808' S | 7º 44.802' W | s/v Convivia | We are on our way to Ascension Island. If everything goes according to plan we will be another 4 days at sea, then 3 days of rest before pushing onward for Martinique. The passage has been decent so far. The seas are a little lumpier than we had hoped for, but manageable, and the wind is constantly 15-20 knots from behind. The kids have settled into passage-making mode more quickly than usual, and are happy reading and doing other low key things (phew).
Three of the kid boats in our fleet had their own "Kid's Net" on the SSB/HAM radio this morning. I was pretty impressed with their effort! All is well. | over 7 years ago | Show |
| 15º 55.482' S | 5º 43.488' W | s/v Convivia | Moored in St Helena!
Upon arrival we were greeted by the crews of no less than five boats who hopped right aboard for celebratory sundowners. Those who arrived before us report that this is a magical location, and our initial survey would lead us to concur. This most remote island is dramatic, to say the least and to be here with so many old friends will complete the package. All is very much well. p.s. I understand there is not much for internet here. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 16º 6.18' S | 4º 51.318' W | s/v Convivia | LAND HO!
Vick spotted the faint outline of St Helena at 715GMT. We had 63 miles to go! It looks like we will make landfall just after sunset. I spotted a large turtle to port this morning. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 48º 15.612' N | 2º 54.162' W | s/v Convivia | Boats on the hard. Crew swallowing the anchor for a bit in Northern France. All is well | almost 6 years ago | Show |
| 17º 0.852' S | 2º 36.54' W | s/v Convivia | @Raymarine we are hand steering. Truly wish the ST2000 that we paid so much for (less than a month ago) was working. :( | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 2.148' S | 2º 34.95' W | s/v Convivia | It's been seriously overcast for two days and the batteries are showing it, so we had to turn the engine on this morning, just to top up. The wind has slacked off a bit too, so it works out just fine. A little boost to speed and power!
The kids are playing minecraft together and Vick and I are tearing through book after book. We expect to make landfall midday tomorrow. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 36.192' S | 0º 45.708' W | s/v Convivia | We are in the Western Hemisphere!! The coconut oil is liquid and Vick reports that she did not wear shoes or socks for her pre-sunrise watch this morning.
All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 15.582' S | 4º 4.392' E | s/v Convivia | Day 5 and we are reveling in this rolling main. The sea is slight and orderly, the wind is constant the sun is out, and the reading and cuddling that we recall most warmly from our best passages are now the norm again. I could do this forever.
Our little fleet is paced just about perfectly too. Our kid boat friends are making the same daily mileage, day after day, so we are staying fairly closely clustered. I expect them to arrive in St. Helen a within a day of us (if not less). Peregrine ( a day ahead) saw a pod of 7 humpback whales this morning. Our eyes are peeled for same! All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 18.042' S | 4º 13.212' E | s/v Convivia | Day 4 and we are fully into the groove of this passage. The wind has been steady between 8-15 knots from the S to SE. We made 143 miles in the last 24hrs, not quite as good as day 1 but pretty much exactly what we budgeted in our planning. We just passed the half way point!
The kids are studying their US states. They were promised chocolate if they get them all right the first time. Vick finished reading Story of the World, and is now reading about the Oregon Trail. It's funny how that brings back memories of my own education and of dying of dysentery in the Apple IIe game. Life is good! Everything that I have heard about this passage seems to be coming true. It is wonderful sailing, after day 2. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 4.332' S | 6º 39.132' E | s/v Convivia | This is the stuff. The wind is just a little light (10 knots) but we are sailing well and the sea is super comfortable. The kids are reading their biographies (school work) and have finally chilled out enough to be allowed off their berths ;) Last night I watched Master and Commander for the first time and now I want to read the books. What a great way to gain perspective (we have it easy).
Last night I saw a sea mammal that was bigger than any dolphin I have ever seen. Speculation in the fleet is that it might have been a pilot whale. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 28.26' S | 11º 0.888' E | s/v Convivia | The weather has moderated finally and we are smooth sailing in 10-15 knots with 2m seas. The sun is out, and we are drying/airing out and fixing a few of the worst leaks.
The kids have been a bit nuts, so they are confined to quarters for the time being. Hopefully, by tomorrow, we will be back into our family cruising mode, where we are all happy and chill and cuddled up reading books together. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 31.32' S | 11º 6.882' E | s/v Convivia | Well we didn't get the send off we had hoped for from Africa, but after a very rough start we are starting to settle into what might be a nice passage. There has been a lot of water indoors and out which is a little disappointing since one of the major ingress points was a chainplate that I had just rebedded (oops). We are hopping for flatter seas and lower winds in the coming days, so we can dry out.
Seas 3-4m, Wind 25-30. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 23º 43.098' S | 13º 43.08' E | s/v Convivia | The last 24hrs have been uneventful. Fairly smooth downwind sailing in 20-25 knots. The wind has lessened now and we are looking at a late night arrival in Walvis Bay tonight. All is well | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 57.024' S | 14º 28.746' E | s/v Convivia | About to weigh anchor for St Helena. Spirits are high aboard Convivia. Looks like ideal weather! All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 57.03' S | 14º 28.752' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Walvis Bay. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 30.312' S | 15º 1.812' E | s/v Convivia | Convivia is outbound to Walvis Bay. A typically blustery start promises a quick passage!
All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 32.85' S | 15º 6.222' E | s/v Convivia | I can't get over this fog. Yesterday it cleared to somewhere nearer the coast, but it still cast a grey over the day. The wind was unusable for much of the day as well, so we motored in windless overcast, in order to make water and progress.
That said, it was a pretty pleasant day. We read Story of the World and Ruby made a roasted potato dinner with bacon (yum). The tiller pilot took care of the tedious work of steering and we enjoyed the relatively flat seas. We expect to arrive in Luderitz late tonight, depending on the wind. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 38.37' S | 15º 9.456' E | s/v Convivia | Safe and sound on a mooring in Luderitz. Easiest check in since Malaysia. The town is surrounded by desert and it seems constant attention must be paid to keep the desert from taking it back. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 31º 35.22' S | 17º 17.028' E | s/v Convivia | It has been a great day & night of sailing. The wind speed dipped to 6 knots last night, but Convivia was determined to keep sailing. She managed 4 knots throughout the lull. The new tiller pilot made all the difference.
I think I have developed the opinion that a night watch without dolphins breathing close by and shooting stars, is not a real night watch. Lucky for me, last night was real. This stretch of coast is foggy and cold. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 31º 36.0' S | 17º 17.082' E | s/v Convivia | Our first 24 hours was fast. We averaged 8 knots in a gale with 3m seas. As big and fast as it was, we were well acclimatized to the conditions and for the first time in months, it was behind us. We were accompanied by scores of dolphins and saw our first albatross.
Today the conditions have mellowed and we are grooving along on 10-15 knots in 1-2m seas. It's pretty ideal. To make matters rosier, it's warmed up considerably (though Vick is still bundled up). Somewhere in the afternoon yesterday it hit me how exciting this next few months will be. We are coming home! All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 33º 54.498' S | 18º 25.098' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at V&A waterfront marina. We are so happy to be here that we keep looking at each other with enormous grins on our faces. I think Cape Town might give San Francisco a run for it's money. As if that weren't enough we already have dinner invites for Monday and Tuesday night, this might be a busy social stop! All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 34º 52.14' S | 19º 58.398' E | s/v Convivia | Dawn is breaking as we approach Cape Aguhlas (the Southernmost tip of Africa). As the nascent sun starts to burn away the crisp chill of the night, it dawns on me that our long hard southing is soon behind us.
This ocean has been demanding for sure and (as promised) it has also been proportionally rewarding. The next 7000 miles will all be north. With elation, I realize that I will soon find the answer to that question my teenage self posed, sitting on a breakwater in Newport Rhode Island, "I wonder what it would be like to sail across that ocean. What is out there?" All is well | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 34º 10.602' S | 22º 8.502' E | s/v Convivia | Safe and sound in Mossel Bay. The difference between this town and Durban is like the difference between Nantucket and Detroit. The Yacht Club manager welcomed us with open arms and a card already in her hand. We were told that it was the safest beach in South Africa (the great whites are apparently well fed on the nearby seals, so they don't bother people) and the town is safe to walk around. We are here with Caminante and Yemaya, so there is no shortage of kids to play with. The kids have made me promise to DM their D&D adventure today, and I reckon there will be a parental party afterwards. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 34º 16.2' S | 24º 29.298' E | s/v Convivia | Bbbrrrr. It's cold down here. The air is crisp and clean and today we were blessed with blue skies and a tail wind. Looking to port, the next land we could see is Antarctica, just 3000km to the south. We are passing the time listening to the Hamilton soundtrack and napping. This stretch has been fast, and we expect to be in Mossel Bay by mid morning. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 33º 44.1' S | 27º 4.002' E | s/v Convivia | (these didn't post initially, including for completeness) Our first 8hrs out of East London gave us 60 nautical miles good. This coast may be brutal, but at least it's fast. While the rest of the family was taking a day off (seasickness abounds) I was smiling like a kid on a sailboat. Vick said if there was a Kinsey scale for sailors, I would be a perfect 6. I think she might be right! I saw a new type of marine mammal today. It was like a large dolphin but with a completely round nose. It was a dark gray (almost black). I wonder what that was? At sunset we cracked off a bit and the wind dropped below 20 knots, I think it will get gradually more comfortable for the next 12 or so hours. If the 35 knots doesn't come all the way to the coast, we should have pretty nice ride to Mossel Bay even. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 33º 1.002' S | 27º 52.998' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived safe and sound in East London. This was our fastest 24 hours ever at 254 miles (just over 10knots average). It wasn't the most comfortable, and there was a bit of motoring involved but we are past the Wild Coast and looking forward to leaving for Port Elizabeth on Monday morning. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 29º 51.798' S | 31º 1.422' E | s/v Convivia | We are looking forward to heading South tomorrow. The weather window looks good and, if we are lucky, we might be able to push all the way through to Cape Town. This next stretch of coast is called the Wild Coast, and has a reputation for bad behavior. Here's hoping we found the mild wild window. All is well. | almost 8 years ago | Show |
| 29º 51.822' S | 31º 1.422' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Durban after the worst single night passage ever. Lucky for us, nothing broke and we are all happy to be here. We'll spend Christmas and New Years in Durban with our friends, and then continue on to Cape Town and beyond. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 28º 47.688' S | 32º 4.71' E | s/v Convivia | We are in Richards Bay, South Africa. I've been dreaming about this country since college and it seems fitting that we arrived here on the edge of a gale and on the very same day (4 years later) as we arrived in Brisbane. Everyone is excited to see their friends and get some ice cream. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.522' S | 32º 52.23' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Maputo, safe and sound. It was a raucous night but we reefed down and enjoyed the ride.
Supplies are lean these days. Miles asked if we had straws (to draw lots, of course) and suggested that we had a rendang paste, and a 'daddy rendang' might make a good dinner if I drew the short straw. Engine sprung a leak again (oil cooler this time) and the old exhaust leak seems to be back (despite the new dry section we installed in Cairns). The next window is in 6 days, send help (by help I mean $20,000 and fresh produce). Just joking, all is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.882' S | 32º 53.748' E | s/v Convivia | We decided that today's weather window was too tight and the consequences too high, so we are waiting for the next one.
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 0.882' S | 32º 53.748' E | s/v Convivia | Summers in Round Pond, looking out over Muscongus Sound, I imagined the world as fictitiously vast. My horizon was bounded tightly by Loud's Island to the East, and New Harbor to the South. Once, when my father took me on an overnight sail to Boothbay Harbor, I was fairly confident that we had reached the edge of the known nautical world. It was an adventure, first class.
At the time, I was fully aware of the limitations of my perspective but, in that way of all children, I could not comprehend any other scope as real-real. The knowledge that there were continents and oceans beyond my horizon was as a fiction, and as with other children, fiction and reality seemed to have a permeable boundary. Fast forward to last night. Vick and I were enjoying a rare margarita, unwinding after a long few weeks. Our conversation turned to the end of our adventure. Coming into Boston Harbor, then the passage up to Portland and on to Round Pond. I drew, unintentionally, on my childhood perspective and imagined weeks long duration. Then I broke out the chart plotter and found, to my amazement that Boston to Portland is 100nm (just under 24hrs of sailing) and Portland to Round Pond is 47nm, an easy day sail. PORTLAND TO ROUND POND is an /easy/ day sail. Portland might as well have been Istambul to fourteen year old Tucker. Mind. Blown. It's amusing to me, that at 41 years old, I am still subject to my 14 year old self's perspective. Even after traveling the majority of the world, I find myself gleeful at the realization that I can sail my boat from Boston to Portland in a weekend. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 27º 33.558' S | 33º 0.42' E | s/v Convivia | We had a really peaceful night and a fast first day. We are right on schedule.
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 26º 2.832' S | 33º 23.1' E | s/v Convivia | Hip hip hooray, we are underway, to Richard's Bay!
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 25º 22.458' S | 34º 16.992' E | s/v Convivia | We had a fast night of sailing with (current assisted) speeds touching 10 knots, in only 10-15knots of wind. This morning things eased on both the current and wind fronts, and we are puttering along at a more modest 5 knots.
Vick made pizza for lunch, a luxury in these lean times. We expect to arrive in Maputo tomorrow morning. If all goes according to plan, we will make our final leap to Richard's Bay a few days later. We are looking forward to sleep, fresh produce, ice cream, and repairs for the boat in Richard's Bay. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 8.742' S | 35º 6.378' E | s/v Convivia | So glad that night is behind us. We returned to Convivia after the taco party to find the boat pitching wildly in a Northerly 20 knots. We hipped fatty and checked our anchor snubber and went below to put the kids to bed. After a few rounds of cribbage, Vick and I retired to bed. Sleep was not forthcoming. The bow was scooping up water every few waves, and when I went up to check, the snubber had broken (for the third time). I replaced the snubber and checked the rest of the boat. Even though she was 3 feet up, Fatty was floating every few waves, and when she went airborne again, would crash (with a shudder) into Convivia. The flopper stopper was so loaded that the shackle that holds the topping lift (the weakest link in that system) was starting to bend open. Normally, in these situations, I just attached the main halyard to the boom's clue, and relieve the strain, but that halyard was attached to Fatty's bridal. The answer was obvious but unwelcome.
In the tumultuous sea (as we had no protection at high tide) and wind, we carefully lifted Fatty on deck and (in an unusual twist on our routine) just flipped her right onto her cradle (normally we do this while Fatty is aloft). It was a bit of a fire drill, but it worked and we didn't do any damage to Convivia or Fatty in the process. Then I got the halyard on the boom, checked the snubber and stood watch for a while to make sure nothing else was in danger. I finally got to sleep (on the saloon settee) around 2am, only to be awoken by a surprised yelp from Vick, who had been attacked by a few flying books. At seven am we were awoken by angry shouting. The local fishermen had set their nets in such a way that they were dragging down on our anchor. After some unsuccessful attempts at communication I decided that they wanted me to move the boat, a task made nearly impossible by the fact that their net was hard on my chain. The four of us (the kids were awesome) worked together and managed to inch up, drop the net (little by little) cut free the two broken snubber bits, and weigh anchor. We are now safely (I think/hope) anchored out of the way of the fishermen. I am pulling a weather forecast with this report to see if we will be leaving here on Wed. If not, I think we may take the 8 mile wind down this channel to the peninsula, where we may get better protection. This is nuts. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 15.762' S | 35º 6.408' E | s/v Convivia | Last night we saw lightning that played like a firework display. The bolts would chain and burst. It went on for hours. As a result, we opted against our moonlit sail to the more protected anchorage.
This morning we made the move. It was 6 stressful hours of slow motoring against current, but we are now safely tucked behind a decent spit of land for the impending SE blow. There is a little village here, so hopefully we can get some basic veg. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 15.738' S | 35º 6.438' E | s/v Convivia | My watch keeps track of how long I sleep each night.
I have always thought this was a pretty frivolous feature for my lifestyle. It seems like the kind of thing a high power business exec would use to come to some AH HA moment about their work-life balance. My life, I thought really didn't require that kind of metric. Yesterday, as I was chatting with my friends on Saltbreaker, I came to the rather sudden conclusion that I am "all adventured out." I'm making a lot of simple (inconsequential) mistakes. When I talk about wind direction, for example, I will reverse the ordinality, or I'll read the battery voltage and add a volt when I say it aloud. These activities are so common, so core to our lives, that to consistently make mistakes in the reporting, is indicative of something greater. In my moment of revelation, I concluded that I just want a month where I don't have to worry about our boat being damaged in the middle of the night; where I can ask for a carrot or a slab of bacon in my native tongue; where I don't have to weigh the choices of the day against the possibility that that critical weather window might open, three days hence; where I don't have to, figuratively, watch money flowing into the ocean, as nature patiently erodes our home out from under us. "I need a vacation," I announced to our friends. Last night we had another brilliant lightning storm. This time it came with a great deal of rain. While I am supremely grateful that we were in this (much more protected anchorage), the quantity of precipitation was enough to literally sink our dinghy (which was hipped to Convivia). When your dinghy is hipped, it is attached (generally) to the masthead via a halyard. When that same dinghy sinks, it kinda takes the whole boat with it. So we were healed over about 15º this morning, because of it. But I'm ahead of myself again. Vick woke up at the standard 3am to check on our catchment. Water is precious these days, and we use our caught water to wash ourselves and our clothes. It doesn't do to lose it. Suffice to say, I was up for hours after, dealing with leaks, wet beds, catchment, and other matters of urgency. As I mentioned, my watch tracks my sleep. Here's what it tells me: Saturday 1h 31m Sunday 3h 12m Monday 1h 35m Today 4h 17m Saturday was the first night after passage. That's the night where you imagine you will sleep like a baby, secure at anchor. Prior to that, we were at sea. I did not sleep well on this last passage. When I told Nick and Suzy (of Saltbreaker) about my adventure burn-out and my need for a vacation, Suzy said, "Maybe you could think about what you would want from that vacation, and get some of it sooner than later." If I'm honest, what I want is a week of goddamn sleep. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 8.718' S | 35º 6.492' E | s/v Convivia | Yemaya arrived today with tons of fish. The kids have been reunited with their friends, and are happily creating animals out of felt while we all bop our heads to Frances England.
Tonight is Trevor's Birthday (Happy Birthday T) and we are talking about a fish taco and cake party on the sand spit. Looks like our next southbound window is Wednesday. All is definitely well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 21º 8.7' S | 35º 6.492' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived at first light in B. Diaz. There is nothing here but a little spit of sand and apparently it gets pretty rolly when the tide covers the sand. That said, it is beautiful in its way, and we are delighted to be here.
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 23º 44.13' S | 35º 23.628' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Linga Linga (Inhambane) after a night spent hove-to waiting for high tide. We used the extra time to work on our storm tactics. Convivia, it seems, doesn't particularly like to be still. Vick just beat a Two Dots level that she's been stuck on "forever." We are waiting on weather to make our next jump to Maputu.
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 24º 4.572' S | 35º 33.792' E | s/v Convivia | Inhambane was much nicer than expected. Despite high winds and a current against wind, it was fairly calm. We had a quiet night and left at the crack of dawn. We are now on our way to Maputo or Richards Bay, depending on weather.
Last night, we saw pink flamingoes. IN THE WILD. Day. Made. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 22º 54.198' S | 35º 38.808' E | s/v Convivia | We are underway to Anhambane, a little roadstead anchorage on the coast of Mozambique. Last night Vick reports getting a better night's sleep than at anchor, go figure. We have a line out, Vick is hoping for tuna for sushi.
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.708' S | 35º 50.328' E | s/v Convivia | The last 24 hours has followed the same pattern as the previous days of this passage. Many hours of tedious motoring (and hand steering) followed by some of the best sailing imaginable. Today the whole family was engaged in dreaming about our future. The kids both drew pictures of the tiny houses they would like to build and live in and we talked more about where and for how long we would like to live on land.
We expect to arrive at our destination in Mozambique early tomorrow morning. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 18º 48.222' S | 37º 46.128' E | s/v Convivia | Last night was one of the best nights of passage I have ever had. The exhilaration of gently flying across the ocean at 9 knots with nary a chop to the water, combined with the bright moonlit, star filled sky was an overwhelming experience. Add to that the difficulty of navigating this enormous gyre (to maximum benefit) and I was in a bit of sailor's heaven.
Contrast that to my wakeup call this morning. "The Donald is ahead and it isn't looking good." This was two hours into my four our off-watch, but I couldn't go back to sleep. We got more news at 11:30 (local) when we were told that Hillary conceded the race. Now we are weighing our options. This gyre will probably turn round and round indefinitely, that's one option. Rendang Raja raja is also an option I have to say, and I have been saving this for a blog post, but here it is, that cruising under Obama's administration has been amazing. The greeting that we receive in every country is peppered with praise for our leader. In Indonesia, after hearing that we are American, people would literally shout OH BAH MAHHH repeatedly until we smiled and did the same. I fear for our reception under the insulationist regime to come. I fear for our daughter, and our extended family, which are both targeted under the Trump presidency. I fear for our country's future. The boat is fine, the crew is fine, but all is definitely NOT well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 52.23' S | 40º 23.952' E | s/v Convivia | We sailed really nicely all night under a starry sky. We have a 2.5 knot current with us now and are flying towards Mozambique at 8ish knots. It's strange to be in the middle of the Mozambique channel on the biggest news day of the decade (in the USA) and we are torn between wanting the blow by blow and being grateful that we won't know until it's over. If you have our at-sea email, maybe send us the results (and a big virtual hug if the news is bad). We are working out our backup plans... just in case.
All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 9.63' S | 42º 9.3' E | s/v Convivia | We motored for 12 hours last night, hand steering the whole time. Not fun. To balance it out we had a small meteor storm and a gorgeous moon set. We are sailing again now and spirits are high. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 16º 34.98' S | 43º 47.178' E | s/v Convivia | Heavy rains last night helped us balance our water supply. The sailing has been, by and large, excellent. Spending our days playing family games and listening to podcasts and our nights staring up at an impossibly starry sky. All is well | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 15º 52.002' S | 45º 20.598' E | s/v Convivia | What a fantastic way to start a passage. We have been steadily increasing speed all day. At the moment we are beam reaching at 7 knots in nearly flat seas. About an hour ago we overtook a big local schooner that had smoked us earlier in the day when we were both down wind. There was some light hearted teasing and lots of laughs when Miles brought out his homemade bow. Then we ducked them and took off. Let's hope these conditions continue throughout our passage. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 15º 46.026' S | 46º 14.694' E | s/v Convivia | Katsepe will be our final anchorage in Madagascar. Just five miles from the big smoke, but feels as remote as many of the small islands we have visited here. Lots of nets to dodge, kept the sail interesting! All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 15º 43.878' S | 46º 18.762' E | s/v Convivia | Well that was an interesting passage. We left Morumba at 5pm, hoping to arrive in Majunga by mid-day (to get a head start on our clearing out and provisioning exercise). Poor wind and counter current slowed our progress, and by midnight we had made only 40 miles good. By the end of Vick's watch at 3am we decided to turn the engine on. Just before she tucked in we both smelled something awful and burnie and chemical coming from somewhere near us. After fifteen minutes of searching, I was ready to give up and attribute it to a trash burn on shore… until Vick mentioned that the wind was blowing in from the sea. Five minutes more searching lead me to a chain locker full of poison smoke. Cough. Our windlass solenoid had shorted out and caused a small smoulder. Thank god the chain locker is perpetually wet! I disconnected the breaker, and the fuse (both of which should have prevented this problem in the first place) and turned on some fans. We finished off the night with little other drama, and in the morning I replaced the solenoid with my spare. We had great wind from about mid-day and sailed like the dickens to arrive in Majunga before sunset. Shortly after we anchored down, the port authority stopped by to kindly request (in French, which we don't speak) that we move to a spot between a cruise ship and the Coast Guard. "Dangerous" was all I could understand. After some pantomime we worked out that the danger was gangs. Apparently, we are now safely out of their turf. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 14º 53.598' S | 47º 20.4' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Morabma after a great sail. Glad we left early because the land and sea breeze pattern that is like clockwork around here didn't manifest today. Instead we got a sea breeze that took a little siesta in the middle of the day. Half of the fleet left in the last two days and the remaining half is right here or on their way. I love this feeling of getting ready for a big passage, in good company. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 14º 31.8' S | 47º 37.998' E | s/v Convivia | Nosy Saba has been one rolly anchorage. We are super grateful for the flopper stopper this morning. On the up side, it is a gorgeous spot and our friends on Yemaya say it is some of the best snorkelling they have seen so far. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 42.702' S | 47º 54.0' E | s/v Convivia | Spent two nights at Honey River. It was a lovely anchorage. All is well | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 30.798' S | 47º 58.002' E | s/v Convivia | We made a quick stop at the lemur island to see two new kinds of lemurs, what a treat. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 32.13' S | 47º 59.868' E | s/v Convivia | Back in Russian Bay after a productive and enjoyable week in Crater Bay. Looking forward to some chilling out without all the trips to town, errands, and chores. Time to change the oil, tighten the rigging, and clean the hull. ;) All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 32.202' S | 47º 59.988' E | s/v Convivia | Today we went back to Tany Kely for a last visit with our turtle friends. The kids all went on a solo expedition to the lighthouse and we adults enjoyed a rare moment of peace and quiet. Now we are back in Russian Bay for the last time before heading south. We decided to take a rest day here after our two hour day sail turned into 6.5 hrs. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 32.19' S | 48º 0.198' E | s/v Convivia | In Russian Bay for the Regata. Amazing light wind sail today (when the wind finally graced us). Put the 153 on for the first time since The South Pacific. Looking forward to meeting some boats we have been hearing about for years. All is well | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 34.512' S | 48º 5.748' E | s/v Convivia | We had a relaxing daysail from Russian Bay to Nosy Kisimany today. The wind was behind us the whole way at about 10 knots and our newly cleaned bottom facilitated 7 knots with dinghy in tow. I was pretty excited about this because we had just switched the 153% genoa out for the much more efficient 110%. The 153 gave us about 4 knots VMG on our way to Russian Bay (granted there was an unfavorable current and our bottom growth was insane). This is a lovely and tranquil spot with only one other boat. Two local boys came over to trade mangoes and we had a great time speaking in fractured language and gesture. They made off like bandits with a Smiggle pen case full of crafty stuff and a pair of kids sneakers, but we were happy with the deal. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 43.5' S | 48º 11.328' E | s/v Convivia | Another ideal day sail bright us to the anchorage at Nosy Manolo (Munoko). The anchorage is quiet and picturesque but there was a weird tidal slop in the middle of the night. We are taking about a beach barbeque tonight. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 24.006' S | 48º 13.194' E | s/v Convivia | We had a great hike to the the Mozambique Channel today, followed by a little punch at the watering hole in Russian Bay. Then we set sail for Nosy Be (Crater Bay). Tonight we will hunker down here and then go into town for reprovisioning. All is Well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 24.0' S | 48º 13.212' E | s/v Convivia | It's always nice to return to a place that feels familiar. This is a mostly work stop for us, but I'm sure we will find some time to unwind too. Once we are done here, it will be mostly southbound until we cross to S. Africa. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 28.998' S | 48º 14.25' E | s/v Convivia | We made a day anchorage on Tany-Kely. Anyone who has said that there is no good snorkeling in Madagascar, hasn't been here. This rivaled (though perhaps did not exceed) our Lizard Island snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. I was gifted an unexpected deep free-dive with a sea turtle (a long held yen of mine), and everyone seemed pleased with the effort. The price has just gone up from 10,000Ar to 20,000Ar. Not sure if it's seasonal, but it was worth it. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 15.756' S | 48º 14.334' E | s/v Convivia | Made it to Nosy Be. It was an almost perfect day sail complete with whales (perhaps too close) and sun, and toes dipped off the gunwhale. We will celebrate Miles' 9th birthday here tomorrow in the company of our long lost friends! All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 24.792' S | 48º 20.292' E | s/v Convivia | Lokbe - Nosy Be: This anchorage was a bit of a lark. We were only 5 nm away, which was a bit too close to feel like a real effort, but it was reputed to have a great guided nature walk. We were not disappointed. The anchorage was more settled than Nosy Komba, despite being more exposed. The tour was easily set up; after asking around at two villages, we were directed to Freddy, in a third village. It just so happened that Freddy was adrift (fixing his outboard) at the time of our last direction, so we were told to talk to "that guy." After a nice chat, and a friendly tow, Freddy agreed to give our two families (Convivia and Yemaya) a tour of the old growth forest for 10,000Ary/person. It was money well spent. I will post photos of the experience on Forgeover.com, and you can let us know if you would have been able to find the chameleons without help. I couldn't have, for sure. All is well. | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 26.472' S | 48º 21.042' E | s/v Convivia | At Nosy Komba. The early shore party reports a very interesting village with houses built into the rocks, fantastic local art and crafts and a funky welcoming atmosphere. I'm really looking forward to the lemur tour today. All is well! | about 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 53.79' S | 48º 34.71' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Nosy Mitsio. Happy reunion with old friends, but none happier than the kids who are reunited with their besties after FIFTY SEVEN long days (but who's counting).
It is barren but gorgeous here. No internet here (the horror). All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 16º 25.71' S | 49º 50.628' E | s/v Convivia | Slow, light wind sail across the Canal de Sainte-Marie today. A little rain didn't dampen our moods at all though. This anchorage is a bit rolly, but beautiful as can be. Tomorrow we'll see if we can stretch our legs on the endless golden beaches. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 0.0' S | 49º 50.868' E | s/v Convivia | We have arrived in FREAKING AFRICA. I can not recall how long I have dreamt of this. It is hard to say if I will be more enchanted by landfall on the continent, but for now I am just basking in the realization of a 20+ year old dream. Madagascar looks gorgeous from the boat. We'll spend the day aboard (quarantine) and clear in tomorrow. All is (so) well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 16º 43.2' S | 49º 58.302' E | s/v Convivia | Spent the night in this beautiful roadstead anchorage. Mild roll and a rough looking beach landing. Onward today. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 36.498' S | 50º 10.26' E | s/v Convivia | Our first day has been rolly but fast. Very fast. The wind is ripping up the coast of Madagascar, and I'm starting to wonder if the weather prediction was correct. Crew is happy and healthy. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 33.012' S | 51º 40.188' E | s/v Convivia | We are fully in the passagemaking groove now. The kids' frenetic energy has reduced to a simmer and our sleep schedules are adjusted to night watch. We should arrive in Madagascar in the morning. For now we are enjoying nearly flat sailing under full canvas.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 18º 4.458' S | 53º 48.438' E | s/v Convivia | The sea state has calmed way down and we are now in the most ideal conditions that we've seen in this ocean. The wind has picked up to around 18 knots, swell around 1.5m.
The kids are a bit stir-crazy, which is par for the course at day 2. After lunch Vick is going to read Story of the World, and that should settle things back down. We added a day to the passage by keeping our sails shorter (to prevent flogging) so we expect to arrive on the morning of the 11th. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 14.058' S | 55º 37.242' E | s/v Convivia | First night out was great. The Indian Ocean continues to send us messy, uncomfortable seas (even though they were slight by comparison to our first passage) but the wind is just about perfect (15-18knots from abaft). Everyone is settling into passagemaking mode, but we won't have much time to enjoy it, as this passage is scheduled to be just over 4 days.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 8.04' S | 57º 28.932' E | s/v Convivia | Made it to Port Louis, Mauritius after a really awesome 2 day sail. The Indian Ocean actually has it's nice days, it seems. We had wind 10-20knots from directly behind the whole way, with gentle 3m seas. No real squalls (a few light sprinkles) and generally good spirits. We are all overawed by the city lights and kind of excited to seek out a coffee shop and maybe a bookstore :) All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 9.588' S | 57º 29.826' E | s/v Convivia | We are on the wall in Port Louis now. It's very public here (read, people unabashedly gazing in the windows at 11pm), but cool nonetheless. Speaking of cool, we are desperately hoping for not-cool showers today. Brrr. After showers, we hope to check out the amazing fresh market and the natural history museum, and maybe find a dosa. Tomorrow, I think we might get out of here and check out Grande Baie. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 9.606' S | 57º 29.826' E | s/v Convivia | We are back at the Marina in Port Louis. We had a great sail today and the conditions for Madagascar are looking fantastic. That said, we will all be sad to leave Mauritius behind. This place has been full of good friends and good memories. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 9.654' S | 57º 30.072' E | s/v Convivia | This is a test of the Facebook Pages posting functionality. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.594' S | 57º 34.524' E | s/v Convivia | Since our (Farkwar's) last three days of data got hijacked, I am reposting our current position in Grande Baie. We kinda love it here. Endless hot showers, clean beaches, and groceries. Oh the groceries. It will be hard to leave. Original Report: Arrived in Grande Baie. We picked the windiest day in recent history to sail. It seems quite nice here. We're going to attempt a landing (in chop and wind) to see if the supermarket (SuperU) lives up to it's reputation. All is well | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.612' S | 57º 34.542' E | s/v Convivia | Still in Grande Baie. Our weather window closed on us so we are taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper. Tomorrow we will take an adventure with our new friends to Le Morne (reputed to be the more picturesque beach in Mauritius). Looking forward to seeing more of the island!
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.612' S | 57º 34.542' E | s/v Convivia | Farkwar has been sending multiple emails for each position report. This should fix it. Convivia is starting to think about leaving Grande Baie for points West. The conversation went something like. "Want to think about going to Madagascar soon? Sure! Okay, how about this weekend." All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 20º 0.198' S | 60º 31.398' E | s/v Convivia | The first day of our passage to Mauritius has been everything we hoped for. The seas are slight (for this Ocean) and the wind mild (10-20 knots). It looks like we'll get in either late tomorrow night or early the next morning, but we are conformable enough that it doesn't much matter to us.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 40.698' S | 63º 25.158' E | s/v Convivia | We are still in Rodrigues. After being down with the flu for a few weeks, the crew is just starting to crawl back into the light. We are looking forward to a few more days of exploring and enjoying this wonderfully chill and beautiful island, before continuing on to Mauritius with the next weather window. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 40.002' S | 63º 25.29' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived. The Indian Ocean is a very naughty ocean. A very very naughty ocean indeed?
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 29.988' S | 64º 57.192' E | s/v Convivia | Almost there. We expect to arrive in Rodriguez by daybreak tomorrow. Today has been more of the same with the notable distinction of it being Ruby's birthday. As those who know us well would guess, this means cake, and since we'll be having the "Real Cake" when we arrive, we made this surrogate cake special by having it for breakfast. The fast today was broken with a Chocolate Chip Strawberry Shortcake. Not bad for a crew of sea-weary salts.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 19º 16.272' S | 67º 32.082' E | s/v Convivia | Today was a rare good day on this passage. Convivia was more sailboat than submarine. We did have an exciting moment at dinner when, minding our own business, the jar of salsa jumped up in the air and hurled itself at Vick and I with as much force as physics would allow. Fortunately for all who enjoy slapstick, the jar was open at the time and much laughter ensued (if you conveniently masked out the officers, now dressed in their pico de gallo dress uniforms).
Also good to note, we intend to make landfall on Monday. So we are at least making good time. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 18º 43.08' S | 70º 25.89' E | s/v Convivia | Today I ventured outside of my own volition (I was outside during the night to fulfill my skipperly duties). The air had that crisp, chill smell, like an autumn night, and I was struck by the realization that this must be some of the most rarefied and pure air in the world. Even the places where the wind developed are pristine, unadulterated by humans and our pollution. I breathed deeply sensing that I might never breathe quite so clean again.
It's eased up a bit today. The sea is mighty and impressive, but it's all coming from the same direction for once, and the wind has at followed suit. Spirits are high aboard, though the officers may be a bit challenged keeping order in the ranks. This too shall pass. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 18º 28.812' S | 72º 14.148' E | s/v Convivia | I have been inside for the vast majority of today, as has the rest of the crew. We have done so because to do otherwise, even for the briefest moment, has been to subject ourselves to a saltwater shower, with no hope of fresh water rinse.
The wind has been just on or even slightly ahead of the beam, and just hard enough that we have reduced sail to a double reefed main, with no jib. The sea, eager to do its part, have joined in the fun by being washing machine consistent and impressively sized. No single component of this package of dismalness has been dangerous, but taken together they are a touch unpleasant. So inside we sat, doing things mostly as we normally would, except wetter. The water, thankfully, was of the fresh variety, a product of our exhalations and steam from Vick's exceptional chicken chili (which I may or may not have had thirds of). Now the kids and Vick are sleeping, and breathing more slowly and the cabin is keeping up a little better with ventilation. I think the award for saltiest sailor must go to our galley goddess today. How she managed it all, without even a touch of seasickness is beyond me (who spent most of the day lying around moaning glumly). Believe it or not... All is well. p.s. If I am ever caught telling sea stories of the wildly unbelievable type, this is likely the day I was talking about. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 18º 1.452' S | 75º 24.792' E | s/v Convivia | The wind shifted to the south early in the morning. We had mac & cheese for dinner. In between these two noteworthy events we did what we do most days: ate some popcorn, listened to books and read them, did schoolwork. As unexciting as this may sound it all surrounds a day which is also the anniversary of moving aboard Convivia. 6 years ago today we took one giant, significant step towards living the life we had dreamed of. Five(ish) days to go to Rodriguez.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 33.672' S | 78º 4.11' E | s/v Convivia | Today was a lazy day. After yesterday, we decided to take it easy. We had arepas and eggs for breakfast, and sampled the new coffee that I roasted last night (it was amazing, if I may be so bold).
After the morning radio call, we set into our modest chores. I had to run the generator, and make water. Of course, nothing is ever easy, and by the time I got to second coffee, I had completely disassembled and reassembled the generator, which oddly, now only runs with full choke. We played a bit of our new favorite card game (Sleeping Queens) and listened to Swallow's and Amazons (reading along for fun) and then before we knew it, it was dinner time. It was never easy to eat (GF) in Indonesia, and maybe that's why having an Indonesian favorite felt so special. That or it might have been the 3 hours that it took for Vick to make it. Beef Rendang, you are delicious! All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 17º 14.838' S | 80º 27.462' E | s/v Convivia | We hit the half way point today!!
Last night I saw something that every sailor dreads. Awaking to a thunderous bang, I rushed up to the cockpit. Vick pointed forward on the port side and I saw the lower shroud, dangling helplessly. We swiftly doused the jib and I tethered in to inspect the damage. The strap toggle, which holds the lower threaded rod for the turnbuckle, had shattered IN TWO PLACES. I asked Vick to keep us downwind, giving me time to think, while there was less pressure on the shrouds. I did some triage with some lengths of Dyneema, and satisfied that the mast would stay up through the night, settled in to nurse Convivia through the next several hours. After a good sleep, I decided to take the strap toggle from the leeward side of the boat (where our rig would see very little load over the next 1000 nautical miles) and move it to the windward side, which is fully loaded whenever the wind blows at or forward of the beam. This partially stabilized our rig, but left me with the leeward side to worry about. I used my temporary Dyneema solution until the noon radio call that is a standing date with our two buddy boats (Caminante II, and Peregrine). On the radio, I mentioned my problem and the solutions that I was thinking about. Our friends brainstormed with me for the next half hour or so, and finally Trevor (on Peregrine) came up with an innovation that would save the day. He suggested that I use some of my 3mm Dyneema to reattach the threaded rod to the chainplate. The plan was to zigzag it back and forth through a pin led through the chainplate, lashing it at the end to hold it in place. It worked like a charm, and by noon we had a re-tensioned rig that looks like it will easily keep us sailing to Rodriguez, where we can find a permanent solution. As cruisers we are all aware that tragedy can strike at any time. Knowledge, a cool head under pressure, and a well stocked spares kit can make the difference between a heart racing evening, and outright disaster, but when the cards are all played, the support of our tremendous community is the Ace in our collective sleeve. There's an unwritten rule that we all pay it forward whenever we can, and today my good friends on Caminante and Peregrine did just that. Convivia is safe and making progress (albeit with shortened sails), and we have our friends to thank! All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 14º 54.072' S | 85º 23.388' E | s/v Convivia | Today Ruby asked if she could go to the Eiffel Tower. We let her know that it would be quite a bit easier for her to do that than it would be to go to Rodriguez. What's more, without looking anything further up about either place, we know a fair bit more about what she would find there. She seems determined to go there, with our without us, when she get's back to the USA.
Miles, inspired by Swallows and Amazons, has started planning his sailing dinghy, from which platform he intends to find his own adventures. The winds have clocked up to our beam and we now have a bit more aggressive sailing. This chagrins Vick, who has to deal with it in the galley, and delights me, who gets to enjoy the surge of the boat over and through the moderate swell and wave. Convivia is handling like a dream. Our 24 hrs miles made good (MMG) have been slightly less than stellar these last two days (in the neighborhood of 150/day) but I have a feeling that we will make up for it tonight. Weather is expected to disappear by Tuesday, leaving us with the wallow/motor conundrum (a decision that would be easier if the engine hadn't overheated again the last time we used it). I have a feeling it will be easier without at 25-30knot headwind though. At our current rate, Rodriguez is 7-9 days away. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 14º 11.928' S | 88º 8.592' E | s/v Convivia | Today was just lovely sailing. It took me back to the South Pacific. The sea was closer to 2m and organized, and the winds hovered around 15knots. The kids made up codes and Vick and I rested and ate. We had huevos rancheros for breakfast. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 13º 42.318' S | 90º 18.912' E | s/v Convivia | The sea state has settled a bit as did the winds. Vick made a delicious tuna steak salad with ginger, garlic, carrots and rice noodles.
We are all relieved that the worst seems to be behind us for a while. We may see another few days like this at the end, but we anticipate at least a week of smoother sailing first. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 50.772' S | 93º 3.822' E | s/v Convivia | Another rough and boisterous day for us. Mother Ocean gave me two late birthday presents though. 1. Our fastest day ever, 182 miles in 24 hours, and 2. A gorgeous blue tuna. The kids were joking around a bit more today but are still a bit wobbly on their feet. We are still doing well on, and grateful for the prepared food that Vick made before we left.
We expect the seas to settle down tomorrow. All is well. (now with correct position) | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 4º 59.034' N | 95º 11.424' E | s/v Convivia | The anchorage was so rolly last night that we gave up on sleeping by 4:30am. This allowed us to make a early start and, with good wind, we were able to sail all day. The downside was that the swell continued well out to sea. Lucky for us our first tack (about 30nm out) gave us a better attitude to the swell and we have had divine sailing ever since. We are breezing down the coast of Sumatra now, at around 3 knots (most of the day was 6ish) and thanking all that is good that we aren't motoring. Expecting to make landfall after two sleeps. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 5º 29.616' N | 95º 13.542' E | s/v Convivia | Mainland Sumatra is gorgeous folks. We opted to anchor tonight rather than make passage and it seems like the right choice. Sharing the anchorage with us are Zuleka, Salt Breaker, and Peregrine. It will be tough to pry ourselves away from the beach and promise of sightseeing. We'll have to see how it goes. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 5º 53.34' N | 95º 19.218' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived in Sabang at the crack of dawn. I was surprised by the lack of FADs and other obstructions as we approached, surprised but grateful. The sunrise was brilliant red, and high altitude lightning made it look as though the gods of yore were having it out. Shortly after the anchor was down I took a quick nap (having missed my off-watch) and then went in to sort out the officialdom. I was gently chastised for coming to shore and told to go back to my boat with the Quarantine guy. They did a thorough(ish) search and gave us the all clear. I'm waiting until the end of prayer to finish the formalities. Sabang is pretty and welcoming. We are looking forward to exploring! All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 12.792' S | 95º 54.078' E | s/v Convivia | Another rough and boisterous day for us. Mother Ocean gave me two late birthday presents though. 1. Our fastest day ever, 182 miles in 24 hours, and 2. A gorgeous blue tuna. The kids were joking around a bit more today but are still a bit wobbly on their feet. We are still doing well on, and grateful for the prepared food that Vick made before we left.
We expect the seas to settle down tomorrow. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 12.18' S | 95º 56.46' E | s/v Convivia | So it's my birthday. I'm celebrating it the way any true salt would, by heading out into the ocean with a fresh breeze at my back.
The 3m+ square seas have made for a bit of a lumpy start, but the 8.5knots of average speed might make this our fastest 24 hour day ever and see us to Rodriguez in 10 days rather than the 14 we planned on. We are all acclimating to the big seas, but generally happy. Convivia is stronger and more ready than she's ever been, and we are in company with four other boats (who all left within hours of us). All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 2º 58.536' N | 95º 57.258' E | s/v Convivia | We are just off Pulau Simelu now, but it's too late to make landfall tonight. Beyond that, we heard of a lovely little island just south of here that we are eager to see. We should make it before midday tomorrow. Today was spent mostly motoring. The kids signed up for my new Jr Watchkeeper Program and have racked up over ten sightings each. It's great to see them excited about this. Miles is a pretty talented radar technician already. We got the sails up just before dinner and were visited by the cutest dolphin babies, shortly thereafter. The wind decided to leave the party with the sun though, so we are left with the faintest puff. It's enough to maintain steerage so we will enjoy the peace while it lasts. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 6º 31.812' N | 96º 18.0' E | s/v Convivia | Almost as soon as I wrote our last report, the wind started to fill in. We sailed (at 3-4knots) all night, and didn't have to turn the engine on until about 4pm. Hoping to repeat the pattern again tonight. The conditions have flattened out significantly, and I think dinner will be a snap tonight.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 2º 10.332' N | 96º 38.94' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived at Pulau Lasai this morning after an exciting night of dodging shrimp boats and lightning squalls.
This place is gorgeous. The kids rate is as their second favorite after Suwarrow. The water clarity is superb (50-100'), the snorkeling is reported to be excellent, and the island is deserted. We share the anchorage with "On Vera," another US flagged boat from Alameda. The kids and Vick had a swim to shore, made a raft, and designed our next few day's entertainment while I caught up on sleep from the passage. Tomorrow we may build a hermit crab racetrack, or a foot massage parlor, or a bonfire, or perhaps we'll do it all. I think, despite the abysmal internet, that we will not be leaving too quickly. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 12º 5.778' S | 96º 52.788' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Cocos Keeling. We are all super glad to be not on passage. Vick celebrated by cooking 4 pizzas and now we are all celebrating by eating them. Later on we may celebrate with a margarita or two. We'll spend our time here, beach-combing, snorkeling, and working on the boat (a few leaks may have been found on the way here). Cocos is gorgeous. More to come. All is well | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 7º 11.988' N | 97º 24.612' E | s/v Convivia | We were off to a strong start today, 7.5 knots (SOG) under sail, with following wind and sea. By noon we were motoring with the most unbelievable short beam chop (<1 meter, but ANGRY). Confused currents, eddies, and calms were the soup of the day, and by dinner it was so unpleasant that Vick had to tag out of the galley to avoid getting sick (a rare event around here).
I finished cooking her green curry (yum) and we ate in the cockpit with a gorgeous setting sun to starboard. The kids read and colored and goofed around, and Vick took advantage of the familial harmony to start her off watch a little early. Shortly after she was down, the sea state settled and the modest wind clocked aft enough to put the jib out, which further settled our motion. It's dark, and I've just done what I hope to be the final tuning of the radar. The AIS and radar agree on targets now and the radar tends to pick them up long before AIS does, which is reassuring. Hoping the wind picks up enough to sail tonight through our arrival on Friday. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 0º 34.44' N | 97º 44.07' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Lagundri, amidst surfers and world class break. We ran out of fuel and had to sail in, which was a bit hairy, but I'm so grateful that we had the wind to do it. S/v No Regrets was right behind us offering support. It's so reassuring to have the comradery of fellow sailors out here. We will probably crash out early tonight, having had basically no sleep in the last 24hrs. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 7º 46.488' N | 98º 18.096' E | s/v Convivia | Last day in Thailand! Sailed with the Pedersen family from Ao Chalong to Nai Harn, and had one last dinner with them before wishing each other well. Next stop, Sabang Indonesia. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 0º 8.166' S | 98º 20.688' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at Sipikia under moonlit sky last night. Coming around an enormous surf break without light is pretty disconcerting, even when you've got satellite view, charts, and radar all corroborating that the reef is where it should be. It went smoothly though, and we had enough energy left to roast up a kilo of fresh coffee. Mmmmm.
Convivia and crew crossed the equator for the third time yesterday. We're getting good at this. This morning the kids made banana muffins out of our almost decaying bananas, and then took a walk around half the island. It's remarkable here. If I were going to pick one part of Indonesia (from the hundreds of islands we've sailed by/to) it would be the West coast of Sumatra. All wow, all the time. Peregrine is slated to arrive tomorrow, and we'll share the day with them before heading to Padang to checkout. Quote of the day: "000* We ran out of glitter, please send help." Second Quote of the day: "Having a freezer cold enough to make ice, and a Vitamix is enough to make up for being out of glitter." All is well. *911 in the USA | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 7º 49.128' N | 98º 21.522' E | s/v Convivia | Back in Ao Chalong for reprovisioning and the making of new friends (WHOOT!) We check out of Thailand next week, headed for Sabang, Pulau We, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 7º 48.828' N | 98º 23.004' E | s/v Convivia | Back in Ao Chalong for a few last jobs and some culinary exploration. The sailing part of the trip back was bliss. Sundowners with Peregrine featured dawn caught grilled shrimp and olives. All. Is. Well! | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 4.146' N | 98º 26.694' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived in Ao Po a few days ago but I've been so flat out getting the last things done before our IO crossing, that I've just not had time to update Farkwar. The kids have been swimming in the pool and updating their libraries and devices for the next haul. I've been spending money as if I had any left and working on the engine when I can. It's the normal marina blues for us, all work, little play, but at the end of these marina days there is THAI FOOD!!! which can make everything better! All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 11.274' N | 98º 29.088' E | s/v Convivia | Left Ao Po marina after ten days of quality work. It feels so good to be moving again! We will do a day or so of haung exploring before heading south. Our next marina with be Richard's Bay, South Africa! How about that? Also we made the decision to take the south route (Sumatra, more coffee!!), as the wind and 'Chagos Situation' made that the prudent choice. Tonight we will mix the best of both worlds, Thai landscape and Mexican food (hello carnitas) All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 13.2' N | 98º 29.94' E | s/v Convivia | Decided to take in Ko Hang before heading south. Once the tourists take off for the day, we will do a little exploring. It's gorgeous here. All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 53.172' S | 98º 31.272' E | s/v Convivia | Standing, one foot on the weather deck and one foot in the cockpit, staring out over the bow and beyond, I am reminded of all the times in my youth when I stared over the deck of our Luders, out past Louds Island, to the deep water. I remember the sense of awe and fascination, the mystery of the ocean. I remember wondering what it would be like to cross one someday.
As I stand, I feel that same fascination, wonder, and excitement, and I realize that I am out here, with my own children, doing the very thing that filled my dreams as a child. I look down. Ruby and Miles are sitting at my feet, oblivious to my awe, making up magical creatures ("Pick any animal, give it 3 super powers, and mix it with another animal"). They, I realize, have never sat on a breakwater at night, looking out over the ocean, wondering what it holds for them. The ocean has been their home. Sometimes I worry that this isn't the best use of a life. Maybe there is something more grand or important that I should be contributing to the world, rather than this self-indulgent exploration. Then I look down at the kids playing their games, and worry that I've taken the wonder and awe, and made it so commonplace that everything else will be boring. Then Miles says "Mine is a bunny, with magical eyes that can look at two people at once, and make them fall in love. He will also be invisible and have dragon wings." Focus regained. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 7º 44.544' N | 98º 46.44' E | s/v Convivia | Convivia anchored at Ko Phe Phe (pee pee) island. Looks like an interesting spot! | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 7º 37.8' N | 99º 1.464' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at Ko Lanta after a very boisterous day sail. The wind was gusting to 30 knots and we were holding on tight for much of the sail. Convivia just purred though, proving once again that the boat is almost always stronger than the crew :) I think I have narrowed our engine trouble down to a faulty sensor. I've put a thermocouple in a number of places around the engine and found nothing above 140°, even in the fresh water reservoir. I think we might have a small airlock in the tube leading to the temp sensor. As a safety measure I finally connected the high temp alarm that I bought in 2011 before leaving the Bay Area. We rewarded ourselves for all the hard work today by going out to eat and our first Tuk Tuk ride. It turned out to be one of the more expensive meals we have eaten in the last several months (US$36 with drinks) but it was hands down the best Thai food I've ever had, go figure. Tomorrow we will hit up the gorgeous looking produce stands and see what else the island has to offer. All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 7º 22.56' N | 99º 17.082' E | s/v Convivia | Today was an easy sail to Ko Muk. This island is famous for it's cave that can only be accessed at low tide. At the end of a pitch black dinghy ride, the cave opens into an amazingly lush rainforest beach. It's straight out of a movie.
All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 7º 1.842' N | 99º 28.164' E | s/v Convivia | We found our first wow spot in Thailand today. Vick's comment, "This is one of those places that you just can't believe exists on our planet until you see it." True enough. It was a short, easy day of sailing (mostly downwind) from our Tarutao anchorage to Ko Phetra. We had no guide books or recommendations to lead us and it wasn't until we were about 4 nm away that we knew we were on to something.
After anchoring down we had some administrative work to attend to (school work, cleaning, watermaking, etc.) but after it was all sorted, we hopped into the dinghy and took a tour of the coast that was just enchanting. We explored limestone monoliths and caves and at the end of our time, discovered a perfect hidden beach with caves and climbable cliffs. Trevor joined us for a second visit and we really mapped it out. Our perfect day ended with sundowners on Convivia, and a snacky dinner. We'll sleep well tonight. All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 6º 37.92' N | 99º 36.69' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Ko Tarutao after an exhilarating sail. Most of the day was spent beam reaching with 10 knots of wind, but sudden and frequent gusts would have us heeled over and rounding up. These were more or less predictable, and we got into the grove early and had a fun little sail.
What wasn't so predictable was the engine overheating, which happened when we were really ready to be at anchor. We shut it down and sailed in to the anchorage. Once we were safely hooked, I pried the cover off the fresh water reservoir and was shocked to see it empty. I check it regularly, and it's never even needed a top up. Luckily, I had some coolant in my stores, and it seems to be holding it's fluid now. Mystery... We are currently out of internet range and expect to be so for the rest of the week. All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 6º 40.35' N | 99º 38.028' E | s/v Convivia | Re-anchored in the next bay to the north. What a difference. We went from one of our top 5 worst anchorages (25knots on the beam, .6 meter seas) to one of the most beautiful. Everyone is excited to check out the beach and maybe visit the crocodile caves tomorrow.
The engine purred like a kitten today and didn't overheat even when plowing through the aforementioned conditions. All is well. Destination: Phuket, Thailand | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 6º 21.504' N | 99º 40.83' E | s/v Convivia | Escaped Kuah. Anchored for a night or two in Telaga before heading North to Thailand. Great sail today with 15 knot winds. Mostly behind us but forward if the beam for an exhilarating final hour. Sunkissed and wiped out but glad to be moving again! | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 6º 18.612' N | 99º 50.76' E | s/v Convivia | Langkawi. Finally. I can not believe we are here. The day was beautiful for sailing. Slightly overcast with wind generally just forward of the beam at 10-15 knots. We had a few squalls, which I figured was just like taking a car to the car wash after it's been in the garage. The kids didn't have any trouble re-adjusting, but Vick and I both had a few land-lubber moments. I did worry that we wouldn't make Kuah harbor (and our reunion with Peregrine) by dark, but then the winds picked up and we raced up the coast of the outer islands with 30± knots of wind on the nose. Convivia was doing 8ish knots with her smooth new bottom. It was the perfect first sail after so many days on the hard. It's so good to be cruising again. All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 16.95' N | 100º 17.418' E | s/v Convivia | Convivia is on the hard at Pen-Marine in Penang, Malyasia. We were warned that the current would be heavy coming in, and we were not ....disappointed? Conviv bumped a few times but the lift workers had large foam mats in place to mitigate the impact. I didn't see any damage, and as we are painting the whole boat from keel to gunnels, I am not worried. We expect to be here for the better part of a month before heading to Langkawi. All is well! | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 20.262' N | 100º 18.834' E | s/v Convivia | We are in the Seaport Anchorage of Penang. The family has high hopes for this town. We are looking forward to great food, bottom paint, a five story pet store (a girl can dream right?) and western groceries! Wish us luck. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 4.404' N | 100º 19.356' E | s/v Convivia | Just moments from Penang, and once again in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. It's a bit more boisterous than last night, but hopefully that will settle down before bed. Tomorrow we will be in Penang, and hopefully will settle in there for a week or so. Today saw a lot of sailing and tonight we are having homemade pizza. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 30.42' N | 100º 22.716' E | s/v Convivia | After 56 Days in the boatyard, Convivia is floating again. Dolled up and beefed up, we are ready for the Indian Ocean. Tomorrow we plan to leave Penang for Langkawi. I can hardly believe it's true. All is well. | almost 9 years ago | Show |
| 1º 0.21' S | 100º 22.746' E | s/v Convivia | Safe and sound in Padang after a lightning (& cake) filled passage. It will be an interesting challenge to find our way around, as this appears to be the commercial port. We have five days until checkout though, so I'm sure it will be fine. Tomorrow is Convivia's sixth birthday. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 1º 12.918' S | 100º 24.09' E | s/v Convivia | At Anchor for a couple of rest days. Waiting for wind to head W on. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 9.69' S | 100º 25.62' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at our launching off point. Now we will wait for weather and try to find someone to sell us some diesel (in case it doesn't come in time). We are anchored behind a spit of lightly vegetated sandbar in a horseshoe shaped cove. The break curls around the edges, menacingly, but where we sit the water is smooth and calm.
This should be a nice spot for the night, tomorrow we'll likely find something with better shore access. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 17.1' S | 100º 26.952' E | s/v Convivia | We are underway!! We are heading towards Cocos Keeling, with a possible refueling stop on the way. It's been a rolly start with a lot of motoring (which we expected). Unexpected was the new new belt that I installed in the final hours of our last passage, loosening up so much that our engine overheated again. It's under control now, and we are wallowing along, hoping for wind!
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 17.1' S | 100º 26.952' E | s/v Convivia | Still waiting for wind. There is little to do but swim and catch rain water. We were visited today by a couple of local kids about the same age as Ruby. They spent hours jumping off Convivia with our kids. They left as the sun started setting. I could tell the kids were glad to have other kids their own age, even if they only shared a couple of words between them. We are thinking of leaving tomorrow, whether or not the weather cooperates.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 17.1' S | 100º 26.952' E | s/v Convivia | Moved anchorage this morning to a less rolly spot. This anchorage is closer to a little village as well.
At one point in the afternoon we were visited by a group of local kids in dugout canoes. One of them was leaking pretty seriously, but the kids were having fun bailing it, flipping it over, and bailing it again. Miles, little cruiser boy that he is, jumped right in and started trying to plug the holes. He started with paper towel, then a piece of rope. They used various items to shove the rope into the hole, and perhaps even had some success. These kids didn't speak Bahasa Indonesia (some local language) so we didn't even have the barest communication with them. Watching Miles help out fellow mariners filled my heart with pride. In other news, Vick made mint chocolate truffles to share with our friends as a "passage present." All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 2º 59.55' S | 100º 31.548' E | s/v Convivia | On passage. Our first night out was a bit rough: engine overheated, alternator stopped working, VHF/AIS/Radar voltage drop (overheated). We did get the sails up for a few hours and that's been pretty nice. I've managed to solve everything but the voltage drop and I think that's immanently solvable. Landfall this afternoon. We will wait for weather for the big jump.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 4º 14.97' N | 100º 32.46' E | s/v Convivia | I used the new (top-secret*) feature on Farkwar today to find a good anchorage. Tortuguita anchored here about 5 days ago and said it was nice, it sure is! I think the resort just back from the beach is abandoned, and the crickets are deafening. Should be a good place to launch our penultimate leg from, bright and early tomorrow. All is well. * top-secret feature can be played with at http://farkwar.com/near_me. Just click on the map to center it and set a radius and see who's traveled through the area before you. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 3º 30.09' S | 100º 47.148' E | s/v Convivia | Last position was incorrect. This is our current position.
All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 42.48' N | 100º 52.788' E | s/v Convivia | Day two of three on our way to Penang. We are pretty literally parked in the middle of the Bay of Bengal right now. It's raining (good) and a fisherman stopped by earlier to give us some fish (maybe little sharks). All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 7º 10.278' S | 101º 17.28' E | s/v Convivia | When I hired Bob Perry to advise me on which boat to circumnavigate on, he hammered into me that "seakindly" was not a word, and that it was too ambiguous to be used in serious discussions about a sailing boat's qualities. I accept the venerable man's critique, but today, crossing our first segment of open Indian Ocean, with the wind crossing our bows at 12-15 knots I thought "to be close reaching in 15 knots in open ocean, and to say 'I love sailing' must be the definition of sea kindly."
The rest of the family spent much of the day acclimating to the motion, which is to say, battling nausea. We ate lightly, of leftovers, and slept much. Tonight Vick will serve up a pot of rice and some soup. The seas have organized some though, and seem to agree that SSE is the direction to come from. We are all hoping for a slightly smoother ride tomorrow. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 3º 2.52' N | 101º 20.406' E | s/v Convivia | Anchored in the channel at Port Klang. It's surprisingly quiet here and we made great distance with less hours as a result of strategic laziness (departing at 10am when the current was with us). Let that be a lesson to the overachievers. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 2º 37.476' N | 101º 37.056' E | s/v Convivia | We did a lot of sailing today. In the afternoon the tide switched and by the time we got to anchor, Convivia was doing an easy 9 knots with surges up to 10, it was glorious. We found another road stead and are waiting for the current to switch so things will smooth out. Next real stop will be Penang! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 2º 37.476' N | 101º 37.062' E | s/v Convivia | We did a lot of sailing today. In the afternoon the tide switched and by the time we got to anchor, Convivia was doing an easy 9 knots with surges up to 10, it was glorious. We found another road stead and are waiting for the current to switch so things will smooth out. Next real stop will be Penang! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 4º 55.128' S | 101º 59.418' E | s/v Convivia | We had a nice day of sailing today. Winds aft of the beam most of the day at about 10 knots meant less roll and less noise. Eventually, just as the GRIBs predicted, the fun was over, but we were pleasantly surprised that our misbehaving engine belt, behaved! We charged and made water while making great time. Tomorrow we will make a quick stop for fuel and then continue on to Cocos Keeling.
The kids had their best fight ever tonight. They were in near-violent disagreement about who would get the "good" encyclopedia. Our job as parents is nearly done ;) All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 2º 10.284' N | 102º 15.036' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Malacca City. We were all surprised at how big it is. After 2 months in Indonesia, we have come to expect a major stop to be little more than a village. I'm not sure about this anchorage for shore access, but the order of the day is a late Thanksgiving, and this spot will work like a charm for that! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 33.828' S | 102º 26.31' E | s/v Convivia | Enggan pitstop successful. We had the anchor down just after sunrise. After breakfast and a 15 minute "power-nap" (power nothing, I promise) we were loading the dinghy for a shore trip.
We found the local business man, and arranged for diesel to be delivered, or maybe we would go pick it up, or maybe it would come in a hundred gallon sized plastic bags, details are hard to follow in a foreign language. 5 hours later we were loading up the dinghies with jerry cans and heading for distant shores. What happened in-between was that the Navy was called and we were (lightly) interrogated. The kids played ball with some village kids and made sharp sticks with the help of concrete and a local machete (made from truck shocks, I kid you not). In the end, the Navy was happy to let us go with a smile and a few "selfies" (the seemingly universal word for any sort of photo with people). I guess folks run out of fuel all the time around here. We are off an running to Cocos Keeling, unless the wind shifts. It will be nice to be on Australian soil again, however far from our Austral center it may be. All is well. | over 8 years ago | Show |
| 1º 49.788' N | 102º 48.114' E | s/v Convivia | We are anchored in a long bay with no particular protection (again.) It's been a squally day, but we did get several hours of good sailing before the current shifted against us and the wind died. We are pushing for a late Thanksgiving in Malacca tomorrow! All is well | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 1º 17.886' N | 103º 25.584' E | s/v Convivia | Can't really call this an anchorage, as it offers exactly no protection but the anchor is down, so it's home for tonight. We will be day hopping up the coast for the next few days! All is well | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 1º 25.068' N | 103º 39.45' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Puteri Harbor Marina around 2pm today. Official clearance took 5 minutes. It was like clearing in at an airport, lovely. It is strange to be in a developed country. Despite the mild culture shock though,I am really looking forward to my first cider in months. While we were making our way into one of the busiest shipping channels in the world, I realized that I could (for the first time in my life) see three different countries all at the same time. That was a bit of a trip. Tonight we will sleep early, and hopefully wake up knowing just what to do with all this opportunity! All is well | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 0º 43.608' N | 103º 44.808' E | s/v Convivia | We had another blissful day of motoring and sailing yesterday. The squalls in this region are a daily affair, and we seem to be able to count on them to give us a respite from the engine drone. We picked an anchorage the previous night based on distance and land shapes, so we had no idea what to expect. We were all delighted with what we found, a perfect little cove, nestled at the bottom of a verdant mountain, with just enough protection from the prevailing 'wind' and current, in approximately 40' of water. At sunset, a procession of gorgeous stained wood fishing boats motored by, smiling and waving. Lightning flashed (as it perpetually does around here) and the green hills seemed to get more vibrant. I would strongly recommend this anchorage in SW to N settled conditions. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 0º 33.696' N | 104º 13.818' E | s/v Convivia | We SAILED today. Not the whole day, and not particularly fast, but we sailed. It was glorious. This part of Indonesia reminds me a bit of Vavau, Tonga, though I won't be able to tell you why. Tonight we found a snug little anchorage in between 4 islands. The current coming in was insane, but as soon as we got over a bitty bar, it flattened right out. It feels like an anchorage for the books; flat and tranquil; gorgeous beaches; no people. Sadly we can't stick around to enjoy it. We are off at the crack of dawn. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 0º 23.922' N | 104º 32.712' E | s/v Convivia | Pulau Mesanak: Stopped to refuel. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 0º 41.682' S | 105º 46.608' E | s/v Convivia | Last night was a gauntlet run. Early in the evening we almost ran over a fishing net. We discovered that fishing boats in that region used a convention of green all around lights on the bow, white working lights astern and a "blinky light" at the end of their mile long nets. This allowed us, with some complication and a lot of nail biting to navigate safely through a dozen or so boats over the next 4 hours. Then I went off watch. When I woke up, we were in a different convention that defied our pattern recognition abilities. We concluded that the pattern was chaos and just pressed forward with a wholly inadequate bow watch (flashlights don't go far in high humidity).
We were grateful for the dawn's early light! The highlight of the day yesterday was a midsea swim. We pulled up close to the idle Peregrine and cut our engine. Then Trevor and I cleaned the props while the kids swam. Eventually we tied a line between the boats and went to Peregrine for a refreshing and delicious cold brew coffee. Sadly the current was against us a a knot, so after an hour of fun, we had to be on our way. Today is a combination of motorsailing and motoring. Not the most fun, but beats an office job! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 2º 33.552' S | 107º 40.512' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived, midday at Belitung. It is GORGEOUS here. The scenery reminds us of the Baths at Virgin Gorda (BVI). It looks like a very lovely beach resort town, but we might wait until tomorrow to explore because we are so darn tired.
Peregrine caught a spanish mackerel and have offered to make us dinner tonight. What a treat! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 2º 42.21' S | 108º 20.712' E | s/v Convivia | It's day 2 (of our 1.8 day passage). We are sailing (er, at least at the moment) from Pulau Param to Belitung. The wind died early, and we ended up motoring for 24 straight hours. Bru tal. What is more brutal than the constant drone of a diesel, is sweating from your eyelids. That is a thing. It is, in fact, a thing I have been thinking about quite a lot lately, as I search for something that isn't already damp with sweat to mop said eyelids and their surrounds. That said, the nights are glorious. Right now we are ghosting along at 2.3 knots in anchorage still seas. The temperature is warm enough that I can sit around in my underwear all night, and there are enough fishing boats to keep us vigilant. Couple that with the amazing mango bars that Ruby made this morning (which covered both breakfast and dessert today), and a hearty lentil curry for dinner and I'm generally feeling a lot less grumpy than my first paragraph (and daytime self) may have indicated. We should arrive tomorrow, and here's hoping that Belitung has ice cream (and ice for margaritas). It will be well earned. All is well. *I was commenting earlier that this whole passage has been the best anchorage we've had in ages. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 4º 11.67' S | 109º 18.858' E | s/v Convivia | about 9 years ago | Show | |
| 5º 45.54' S | 110º 14.28' E | s/v Convivia | We moved anchorage to the lovely Palau Parang today. Neither the island nor the anchorage show up in any of the guidebooks, but Trevor spotted a mention of it on someone's blog and with a little help from Google Maps and good conning timing we found a spot over sandy bottom. We have a friendly fishing boat for company here and I think tomorrow we'll go looking for a good snorkel spot. The sail over was ideal, the sea state was calm, and the winds were around 10 - 12 knots, directly abaft. I used the calm conditions to finally learn how to use our enormous spinnaker pole. I've always been intimidated with it but after watching Peregrine use theirs on nearly every passage we have done with them, I was inspired to get a method down. Boy am I glad I did. It turns out to be involved but not as wildly dangerous as it seemed the first time I tried (out in the Pacific in 3 meter seas). With a little more process tweaking, I think it might be my new favorite way to sail downwind. Tomorrow we'll take a rest day before another big passage. Vick's got a sore throat and is generally worn out, so taking it easy is the prescription! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 51.498' S | 110º 25.722' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Karimun Jawa after a pretty excellent overnight passage. There were fewer boats than our last passage and the conditions were such that we never had to put up our mainsail. It was DDW sailing under the jib the whole way. We experimented with keeping our speed down, both to stay in range of Peregrine and to arrive at optimal conning time. One hour into my off-watch the kids started yelling and I was about to get really upset until I realized that they were yelling "FISH ON." I lept up in time to see Vick hauling a gorgeous Mahi-mahi aboard. I filleted and washed it before attempting to go back to sleep. Sadly, sleep eluded me and I decided to just go for three delicious cups of coffee in lieu of sleep. My plan was a success and I am still awake at 5pm. Gwynn and Trevor are coming over for fish tacos tonight and we'll rage hardcore until 7ish when we all fall asleep wherever we happen to be sitting :) One might say "why not wait until tomorrow night to rage," but I will tell you, we have put that line out a thousand times, with Vick putting on a pot of black beans "just in case" and when our fish finally came in, there is no possibility of restraint. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 5º 43.878' S | 112º 40.158' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived safely in Bawean Island (off the coast of Java). Last night's passage was an exciting one. We ran a gauntlet of several dozen fishing boats, clustered in semi circles around us. Some crossed our path close enough to smell what they were having for dinner. These boats don't use proper navigation lights, if they use lights at all, so it is difficult to tell which way they are going or how close they are, until they are on top of you. Luckily they are also hyper vigilant, and I rarely do more than keep an eye. Last night though, I changed course a few times (20° or so) to avoid possible nets and lines. That wasn't the real excitement though. Towards the end of my shift, I was startled to action by the shrill whistle of our high water alarm. This is a little device that I installed in our bilge to warn us before our feet got wet. I grabbed the headlamp and launched myself down the companionway steps. After silencing the alarm, I started to pump the bilge out. The pump was able to move the water out fast enough, but it was coming back in by the bucketload. "This is going to be a problem," I said calmly to Vick, who was still resting on the settee. I asked her to grab my tools and a few bungs, and meet me in the cockpit. I opened our starboard lazerette first, and was rewarded with a clear picture of the problem. The output hose had torn and not only was sea water rushing in at a startling rate, the water we were pumping out was just going straight back into the boat. FUN! I fixed the problem, cleaned up and sent Vick back to sleep. Just before I changed watch, I checked the bilge, just for good measure, and found it was nearly full again. the hose had torn a second time. I fixed it again, and went to sleep. We are now safely at anchor, and I'm delighted to say that I have enough hose in my spare kit to replace the whole run if needed. That should probably happen before the next passage, though I do so enjoy the special (sailors only) combination of midnight, sloppy seas, exhaustion, adrenaline, wet, that make these fire drills memorable. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 9.498' S | 115º 1.35' E | s/v Convivia | We've been in Bali for a few weeks now. I forgot to report our position when we arrived and then we just started having fun. We spent 3 days in Ubud. It was tremendous and tremendously expensive (by recent standards). Vick took the Batik class that she's been dreaming about for over ten years. Lovina is a great stop. It's well protected anchorage is generally flat and a cool breeze tends to come off the sea around sunset. There's a Carrefour in Singaraja, which can be accessed by a AU$1 bemo, AU$5/day scooter, or more expensive private car. The Carrefour is, sadly, not what we remembered from Tahiti, but it's still much more than we have found since Australia. There is also a little grocery/bakery called Lovina Bakery, a few blocks from the beach (up to the main road, turn left and walk to the next road). Here you can find an interesting assortment of international foods. Upon approach to the harbour, we were greeted by a local fisherman who guided us to a good spot and offered his services for diesel, water, laundry delivery. We took him up on the diesel (AU$1.20/liter) and water (AU$3 for 19liters, which they call a "gallon"). We did our laundry in town for 80¢/Kg, but it can be had for less if you are feeling lucky. The only downside to Lovina is the hawkers. You get met at the beach and they will follow you quite a distance, insisting that "you come to me when you want a massage/laundry/trinket." I understand and I respect that we are seen as a revenue stream, but it makes it very hard to open oneself to authentic connections when you are always on guard. That said, we did make an authentic connection with a manager at a local restaurant. He shared his dramatic romantic history with us, and later told us (under his breath) of all the scams we should be on the lookout for, and how to work around them. He also hooked us up with someone who would rent scooters without demanding to hold onto our passports, for which I am eternally grateful. We took scooter rides up into the mountains to cool off, and around the city, to scope it out. I walked pretty impressive distances, and rode in a fair share of bemos. I've found Bali to be less accessible than other Indonesian islands, but gorgeous and well, a bit more luxurious. If you are considering the south route, I would recommend thinking hard about the fuel costs of motoring against current to get north again, and compare that to the relatively cheap cost of hiring a driver for a day and just driving the island. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 19.914' S | 115º 38.49' E | s/v Convivia | I'm going to go ahead and rate this anchorage 1/5. It's rolly, has a diabolical beach landing, and the town has very little to recommend itself. Ambat Bay - Amed, we will be happy to leave you in our wake. It's one point is for the spectacular view. We are overwhelmed by the largeness of this place. It's really wow. Wow, but rolly... And diabolical. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 21.942' S | 116º 5.01' E | s/v Convivia | Moored at Gili Air. We are going to have lunch and a quick coffee with Perigrine, and then head to shore to explore. Gili Air is where tourists come to unplug and be present. It's where we hope to get fast internet, familiar foods, and a touch of luxury! All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 17.952' S | 116º 40.032' E | s/v Convivia | We have arrived in Lombok after a long but glorious day of sailing. We had perfect wind conditions (90° - 120° apparent, 7-11 knots) for most of the day, which meant a break from our newly forged tradition of motoring everywhere. Tonight's anchorage is rolly one but we aren't worried, tomorrow is another early start. By sunset we will be in Medena Bay, where showers, groceries, fuel and laundry await. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 16.59' S | 117º 30.342' E | s/v Convivia | Surprise passage last night, precipitated (as I mentioned)by the loss of a filling. We are now anchored in the lovely Pulau Moyo, off the West coast of Sumbawa.
All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 3.03' S | 118º 24.792' E | s/v Convivia | Today we passed the longitudinal half way point to our destination (Round Pond, ME). From here on we will be getting closer to home. In inadvertent celebration of this monumentous occasion, I broke a crown. We figure Lombok is the closest dentist (that I would trust), so we are passage making to western Sumbawa tonight, to be in striking distance if it becomes an emergency. In the meantime we are living like royalty here. Vick baked bread again, made granola ("Vick, there is something very toothlike in my granola... Oh, that's my tooth "), started sprouts, made yogurt, and topped it all off with a reviculous savory sticky rice dinner. I just sailed the boat. Tonight we are sailing in company with Perigrine, under a nearly full moon. Good times. All is well | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 24.39' S | 119º 18.708' E | s/v Convivia | "You know, I really was looking forward to the B Anchorage," said Vick. I had just set our course for the C anchorage; a spit of sand about a half mile long on the NE end of Gili Banta. After a quick VHF call with Peregrine, we all changed course for B. It was the best decision of the week.
This anchorage is located on a tiny outcrop of sand in an expanse of coral. The greater bay is a caldera, steep, majestic, and austere. When we dropped the anchor in 65' we could see it land in sand, which was reassuring but also, it was 65' deep and you could see the bottom. After a few rounds of popcorn and some burritos, we loaded our gear into Fatty and headed out looking for good coral gardens and maybe some crayfish for dinner. We didn't score on the crustaceans but found some amazing coral, and fish, including a couple of gorgeous (giant) speckled grouper. After dinner (butternut squash and tofu curry on sticky rice), we headed to the beach to collect firewood. By sunset we had a nice blaze going and we sat (and stood) around the fire, the kids roasting mini-marshmallows, while the tide crept ever closer. We ended up moving the fire three times before calling it a night at cruiser's midnight (9pm). Tomorrow we leave the Komodos and head for Sambawa. We're not really sure of the plan, which is just fine with all of us. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 27.048' S | 119º 26.982' E | s/v Convivia | Today was the big push. 7 WHOLE nautical miles. We sailed off the anchor and almost all the way to our new anchorage. We are now settled comfortably in a nook on the northern tip of Komodo Island. It is, of course, gorgeous.
Today we will resume schoolwork and maybe do a little walking on the island. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 38.118' S | 119º 33.072' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at Komodo National Park before the dawn's first light. After an exciting interaction with the currents, we decided to stand off and wait for slack. Nature was generous and gave us slack current and first light at the same time, with frolicking dolphins to boot. We are all very excited to get the anchor down and finish Miles' cake. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 26.832' S | 119º 34.08' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at Gili Lawa Laut after a grueling 7 mile sail. We left at 6:30am to try to catch the very brief Northing current. I'm not sure we were successful, but we got a very nice motor sail.
The snorkeling here was spectacular and it has been postulated that it may be better than Lizard Island. We had leftover birthday pizza and cake for lunch and are currently reflecting that a week which included a trip to a volcano, dragons, snorkeling in crystal clear water, pizza, and cake, may be the best week ever. We may or may not move to another anchorage today. I'm voting no. There's no sense in wearing ourselves out with another 7 miles of sailing. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 38.97' S | 119º 42.738' E | s/v Convivia | Miles' birthday was an unqualified success. We woke up at 5am and opened some presents while Vick and I had coffee. We were at the park by 6:30 and were looking at the enormous Komodo dragons by 7. They were really amazing. I'll admit I was prepared to be underwhelmed. Staring at the glorious lizards, it became apparent that there were only two reasons why we weren't monitor breakfast; 1) They had already eaten this week; 2) Our Naturalist Guide (named Safe) had a stick. Apparently the stick was used to alternately stuff their head, and bop their sensitive noses. He said he used the stick almost every day.
After a robust nature walk (rife with deer, monkeys, wild chicken, and bush turkey) we returned to Convivia to make the rest of Miles' cake. This year it was a layer of caramel, topped with a chocolate cake, then a layer of marshmallow (homemade yesterday), then a layer of chocolate ganache, then some toasted marshmallow on top. It was fully off the hook. We invited Gwen & Trevor (s/v Peregrine) over for the festivities, and will be sending them home with some of this cake to ensure we don't completely destroy our immune systems. The cake was reviculous, but a little over the top :) Tomorrow we will head over to the island of Komodo for a quick stop on our way to Gili Banta. There will be pictures on the blog as soon as we get internet again. All is well. | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 39.018' S | 119º 42.738' E | s/v Convivia | Anchor down on Rinca, Komodo National Park, Indonesia. We spent at least an hour looking for a good anchorage and finally dropped down right across from the Ranger Station.
Today was the first time on our trip where I found our Navionics Charts to be so hideously off that they weren't even useful as a reckoning tool. It currently shows me anchored mid island. There was once in Samoa and one time in Tonga where it was a bit off, but this is ridiculous, especially for a heavily traveled destination. Luckily I downloaded satellite images before leaving Ende and had a very clear picture of where it was safe to go. Still not recommended for night approach (if you're even into that) Looking forward to birthday cake and dragons tomorrow. All is well | about 9 years ago | Show |
| 9º 2.802' S | 120º 56.73' E | s/v Convivia | Making passage to Komodo from Ende. Our first day was calm and easy. The timing of everything seemed almost perfect, which is unusual for a first day out. Right around dinner I was hailed by a passing cargo ship, ostensibly for a radio check. Here they say "Radio Check, satu, dua, tiga" (1,2,3). But what they really mean is, "it gets lonely out here, even with a crew of 16, wanna chat?" Boy did they hail the right guy! I learned that the captain of VITI-01 has a three year old daughter who he hasn't seen in two years. That she is (many times) beautiful. He asked about our voyage and exclaimed "FANTASTIC" (many times) when he understood that we sailed from America to Indonesia. He asked for all of our names, and remembered them later. We talked about the sunset, and the grandeur of Flores. When I told him that I loved the beautiful people of Indonesia, I could hear the mile wide smile through the overdriven handset as he thanked me. When dinner was served he thanked me for my attention and I wished him "selamat malam" (goodnight) and "selamat jalan" (farewell). As his cargo ship disappeared into the fading twilight I noted how absolutely typical that exchange was for Indonesia. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 8º 50.91' S | 121º 38.46' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Ende with the sunrise this morning. Was greeted by a smoking volcano and fishermen going about their business. When we dropped anchor, one of the fishing boats pulled up between Convivia and shore (very close) and dropped a pail full of cement (attached to a thin line) into the water (as their anchor). We watched as dozens upon dozens of locals swam and paddled out to the fishing boat to take the spoils back to market. We witnessed this lively scene as we chowed down on the hot apple crisp that Vick had put together on the way in. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 9º 14.22' S | 122º 15.438' E | s/v Convivia | (Now with the correct position)
This passage is going to take one and a half times longer than we planned, I am starting to see a pattern here. Gone are the days of 140-170 miles in 24 hours. Another pattern was reinforced, no fish. On the plus side, we saw the big dipper last night, and shooting stars, and lovely bio-luminescence. The day started with the first cups of the latest batch of Convivia coffee. We had taken a break from roasting since Darwin. Then it was a lazy day of reading and schoolwork. Only in boat-schooling would the teacher fall asleep, mid lesson, in underwear and bikini. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 2.268' S | 123º 25.932' E | s/v Convivia | We are off, and I have to say, I am a bit lighter of heart. We are sailing close reach on our rhumb line and making not quite 5 knots. The seas are modest and, having just read up on some of our upcoming destinations, I'm starting to feel that ennui lift a bit. We will have a single overnight (with perhaps a late arrival) on our way to Ende and if the weather can be believed (it cannot) this will be a delight of a sail, with the wind slowly clocking around to deep broad reach by the time we arrive.
All is well | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 9.528' S | 123º 34.458' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived in Kupang, Timor, Indonesia this morning and are almost checked into the country. We made half the total miles of this trip in the last 24 hours of travels. This is the most foreign place I have ever been and we can't wait to explore it! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 43.728' S | 125º 55.338' E | s/v Convivia | Another slow day. The kids are watching a movie and Vick is on the weather deck repairing the spinnaker. I went up the mast to tape off the sharp points that ripped the spinnaker. We passed the half way point last night. We are on day 4 of our (planned) 4 day passage. Oh my.
All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 56.13' S | 127º 14.538' E | s/v Convivia | The wind still insists on hanging out somewhere else. I mean, I assume it's somewhere else, because it's not here. I (re)discovered the cure to my wind-deprived ennui though and Xavier Rudd is now taking the edge off.
This being our first international passage in years, we decided to re-instate passage gifts. We opened Loot (the card game) this morning and enjoyed our first round. It looks to be a new favorite. So we will continue on at our paltry 2-3knots, in good spirits with feet tapping and heads bopping. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 11º 6.348' S | 128º 12.738' E | s/v Convivia | Today we were visited by our bird friend "Miracle," who poops on the solar panel (making him, not a friend to the skipper). School was interrupted by a shark and Miles discovered the true joy of boyhood when he realized that he could pee off the transom. "This is, by far, the best thing I have ever done." Indeed, my boy, indeed.
There has been very little wind, so the comic relief has been welcome. Right now I'm balancing our wind miles with our engine hours. We have well over 200 miles (@ 5mph) to cover, and only enough fuel for about 60, so we wallow, and joke, and hopefully nap. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 11º 30.918' S | 129º 25.632' E | s/v Convivia | The first day has been fairly uneventful. We had low wind, low seas for much of the night, and then no wind for a few hours in the early morning. We motored until mid morning, and then beam reached in about 6 knots of wind for the rest of the day. Last night I was treated to phosphorescents and meteors, and today we were visited by two pods of dolphin. The first group were very small.
The crew fell right into passage making mode. Crafts, schoolwork, and general lounging around. It's so nice that both the kids are avid readers now, that adds an activity that we can all enjoy to our days! All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 12º 20.142' S | 130º 39.786' E | s/v Convivia | Convivia is underway to Kupang, Indonesia. Wind is 10-12knots from the NNE, we're hoping it holds. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 12º 25.56' S | 130º 49.23' E | s/v Convivia | Day 4 in Darwin. Today is the day we start in on our worklist. Yesterday was entirely laundry, 13 loads, 5 hours + travel. This position report is also the first one that will post directly to forgeover.com. It's an early trial of a new "Post to Wordpress" feature that I'm working on. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 12º 20.412' S | 130º 53.694' E | s/v Convivia | Last night provided some very active sailing as we caught and fought the currents of van Dieman Gulf, through a slew of shoals and sandbars. Today we will arrive in Darwin and just in time... We are out of coffee. All is well! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 59.208' S | 134º 5.262' E | s/v Convivia | Today was much calmer than yesterday but not calm. Vick rallied and made an awesome cheesy flatbread, which we dipped in pizza sauce. It was a hit. The wind has shifted Easterly, which means more deep down wind sailing. We can choose quiet (jib furled) or fast and noisy (jib flogging when we get a bit too deep). For now we are going with noisy and tweaking the sail trim to help us round up when we get close. Might switch over to the tiller-pilot assisted steering soon.
We are considering heading straight to Darwin. It turns out that we aren't totally water tight :/ and the laundry (after 3 weeks) is starting to stink. Yesterday we made 168 miles in 24 hours, not a record, but darn fast! All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 50.178' S | 135º 38.682' E | s/v Convivia | Ah, we made it through the Gulf and are now beam reaching in 15 knots with 1-2m beam seas. The two meter seas are blessedly infrequent. Everyone is sleeping now, but they will doubtless be relieved when they wake up and are not instantly thrown across the cabin.
In retrospect, I think yesterday may have been our most tumultuous day at sea. We have had bigger seas, but on the behind us and longer period. The runner up would have been the coast of CA, but those seas, easily as steep, were behind us. We have 2 days until Port Essington, but we may blow right by and get ourselves to Darwin a day or two earlier. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 11º 0.96' S | 140º 12.948' E | s/v Convivia | The sea state changed dramatically over the last 24 hours. We went from calm beam reach sailing with 1 - 1.5m seas to blustery broad reach sailing in 3-4m seas with 25knots of wind. Vick still managed a galley miracle of satay tofo with fresh grown sprouts for dinner, but I have a feeling tonight will be soup. By dusk we will have crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria, and will be about half way to Darwin (for this leg).
Last night a flying fish jumped into the cockpit. I mad the snap decision that I wouldn't need bait and tossed her over to live another day. Sadly her mate flew into the aft head and died before he was discovered. Such is nature's sense of humor. I am delighted with the sailing, which may explain why Vick was pitching the 2018 Golden Globe (Round the World) Race to me. Look it up, it sounds awesome. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 11º 0.948' S | 140º 13.578' E | s/v Convivia | We are heading west again, after such a long time. Ahh, the romance of sailing off into the sunset. The stars last night, before the moonrise, were the best and clearest we have seen since our South Pacific days and the moonrise, orange over the infinite horizon, was breathtaking. This feels good. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 50.634' S | 142º 21.63' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived to the anchorage at Seisia after about five hours of sailing, wind ahead of the beam. The seas were really low, but the wind maintained its insistent 20-25kn. In addition to the wind we had a 2.5kn current pushing us along. I'm fairly sure that we averaged upwards of 9.5kn for the short trip. The current became very interesting when we doused the sails and started plowing directly across it towards the channel. We had to adjust our course by about 45º to accomodate the drift. Luckily the vector line on iNavx was true and we basically just followed that, with a little eyeball and back of the envelope math to corroborate. The town of Seisia looks more like the island towns of the Pacific (from where I sit now) than any I've seen in a long time. I can't wait to get out and do some 'splorin. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 10º 52.998' S | 142º 49.518' E | s/v Convivia | We are just south of Cape York and expect to be at anchor, just around the top, before the tide shifts at midnight. We'll leave bright and early for Seisa, with the tide. If the store is open we intend to reprovision and leave the same day, if not, we'll wait.
Today was a pretty smooth day of sailing. Good 20 knot tailwinds pushed us along nicely and we are all in good spirits. The cookies were great too :) | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 11º 55.26' S | 143º 16.098' E | s/v Convivia | The last 24hrs have been blustery to say the least. Quite a bit of that time was spent with wind on the beam at about 25 knots. Beth Leonard says if you want to know if your boat is watertight, take her to weather in 25 knots. I'm happy to say that almost all of my caulking and patching has been effective.
In related news, the fix to the anemometer worked and has been wicked useful in the moments of DDW sailing we've had. Today will be almost all at 130-150 deg, so yay. Vick whipped up ginger snaps in a calm moment yesterday, and we'll probably slice and bake a few more of those today to maintain crew morale (which is surprisingly good, despite the weather). Tonight we will round Cape York, the northernmost point in Australia. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 14º 9.78' S | 144º 14.76' E | s/v Convivia | This is my first HF position report since early in the trip. We arrived at Flinders Island at noon today. The trip from Lizard Island was eventful. As soon as we raised the anchor, the anemometer started going haywire.
We had planned to run dead down wind for much of the next 20 hours and without the wind instrument (which we have networked to the tiller pilot that drives the wind vane), we would not be able to accomplish this. There was nothing to do but forge ahead. In order to accommodate this eventuality, we had to sail about 30 degrees off our rhum line and had a few accidental jibes when I pushed it a little too close. By dawn I had everything dialed in and we were sailing nicely towards Cape Melville. We arrived at noon, a bit exhausted, but grateful to be in this lovely place. As soon as the anchor was set I went to my berth and did not emerge until four. Looking forward to exploring Stanley Island when the wind settles down. All is well. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 14º 39.63' S | 145º 27.03' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at the Wonderful Lizard of Oz at the crack of dawn this morning. We are still on the boat, figuring out our CAIT for Indonesia. Can't wait to take the hike tomorrow. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 16º 22.848' S | 145º 33.768' E | s/v Convivia | We arrived at Low Islets after a fairly rough sail. Luckily it was another short day (only about 30 miles) so we didn't suffer. Time for popcorn and games aboard the merry ship Convivia. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 16º 43.446' S | 145º 40.908' E | s/v Convivia | We have found another little slice of paradise here on the backside of double island. There is a bit of swell, but for the 20something knots that was blowing on the windward side, I'm feeling pretty grateful today was a short sail because we set out late and Vick and I are still a little sick. Tomorrow we will probably go another day hop to just north of Port Douglas. We are on a b-line schedule for Lizard Island though, so we will make miles whenever we can. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 16º 55.062' S | 145º 46.89' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived in Cairns. Over 1500nm with one day ashore. Not a bad way to spend school break. We are going to shower and get burgers to celebrate. Tomorrow we start doing massive boat projects. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 18º 15.462' S | 146º 1.014' E | s/v Convivia | NOAA and The US Navy say we are going to lose all wind tonight. The Australian Bureau of meteorology says it will be light and variable. We have been sailing on puffs and good thoughts all day though, so we are going to take a chance and try to push thorough to Cairns tonight. Today has been a pretty meh day; no wind, rain, and some general grumpiness BUT we roasted a fresh batch of coffee, ate some chocolate chip cookies and shook our "bad babies" (as Miles calls them). So not all bad. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 18º 38.46' S | 146º 29.436' E | s/v Convivia | Anchor down in Hazard Bay, Orpheus Island (http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/orpheus-island/about.html). We have decided to wait out the wind lull, and maybe get stuck for a day or two on this lovely stretch of beach! Vick made popcorn in bacon fat to celebrate. I'm hoping for chocolate chip cookies. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 6.708' S | 146º 51.522' E | s/v Convivia | 7 full days of sailing and we found ourselves another beautiful spot on Magnetic Island. So happy to be cruising again! Bluefin steaks for dinner! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 19º 57.228' S | 148º 36.624' E | s/v Convivia | Fresh baked bread and fresh caught bluefin tuna. That could be the whole log and you would get the drift. Everyone is finally in the swing of passagemaking and we only have one more day until Townsville and a well earned rest. We are all really looking forward to Magnetic Island. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 16.428' S | 148º 42.18' E | s/v Convivia | Back at Abell Point Marina for a week! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 16.23' S | 148º 42.48' E | s/v Convivia | Just a test to see if sorting boats by latest waypoint is working! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.99' S | 148º 42.492' E | s/v Convivia | At Abell Point Marina. Good timing because the refrigeration just failed for the third time! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 16.074' S | 148º 43.086' E | s/v Convivia | Back in Airlie Beach for Vick's birthday and a business trip! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.792' S | 148º 43.182' E | s/v Convivia | At anchor in Airlie Beach. We'll be here a few days and then we're off to Whitsunday Island. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.732' S | 148º 43.194' E | s/v Convivia | Convivia is back in the anchorage at Airlie Beach. Will head out to Hook Island on Friday (work permitting) and then on to Hook Reef (agian work permitting). | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 15.792' S | 148º 43.2' E | s/v Convivia | Back in Airlie Beach to bid farewell to Ceilydh and start looking for a window for Southing. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 3.48' S | 148º 53.226' E | s/v Convivia | Last night, Butterfly bay. Tonight, Airlie. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 9.324' S | 148º 55.764' E | s/v Convivia | Hook Island. This anchorage is just gorgeous. Ya'll might get tired of me saying that, but I'm not gonna stop. Gorgeous! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 37.356' S | 149º 1.5' E | s/v Convivia | Southbound towards makay. Great day of light air beating. Hope to make it to Keppel by Thursday. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.27' S | 149º 2.64' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived at the stunning Whitehaven Beach. No internet to speak of in our current location. We will do an early celebration of Vick's birthday here before heading back to Airlie Beach. Destination: Airlie Beach | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 30.27' S | 149º 2.64' E | s/v Convivia | Anchored at Shaw Island where the beaches are white and the internet is strong! Destination: Airlie Beach | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 48.654' S | 149º 3.834' E | s/v Convivia | Bait reef. Stepping stones mooring. So pretty. Whoa! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 20º 32.658' S | 149º 6.414' E | s/v Convivia | Thomas Island. Finally in the Whitsundays. So beautiful, and warm. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 19º 48.612' S | 149º 9.48' E | s/v Convivia | OMG, we are anchored in the belly of the largest living organism on earth. Hook Reef, Great Barrier Reef, QLD, AU | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 19.884' S | 149º 33.282' E | s/v Convivia | Just outside Mackay and racing at 7ish knots towards Townsville. We had one pot rice and beans tonight, yummy. Today was super chill. I watched a movie with the kids and we tried to catch a fish with Adam and Hannah's blessed rig. No luck yet, but we will keep trying. Conviv is sailing like a dream in these light winds (11knots at the moment). We are a little short on coffee and I don't feel up to roasting underway yet so we will ration for the next two days. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 20º 51.684' S | 149º 35.844' E | s/v Convivia | Arrived safely in Refuge Bay (Scawfell Island). It's aptly named too. After a day of 30knot winds and 3 meter seas, it's as peaceful as a lake in here. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 39.15' S | 150º 14.64' E | s/v Convivia | Anchored at Middle Percy Island. Another blustery night, but easier on the crew this time. Anchorage is amazing! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 21º 56.55' S | 150º 25.164' E | s/v Convivia | Just off Hexham Island. beautiful day but a lot of motoring. (Engine died at 2am, but git it fixed by mid day) Whales and gorgeous sunset. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 22º 25.932' S | 150º 43.248' E | s/v Convivia | Made an emergency stop at Pearl Bay to repair the Genoa and possibly the engine. Turns out it's a gorgeous spot. Win! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 9.696' S | 150º 47.238' E | s/v Convivia | At Keppel Bay Marina for a reprovisioning and to wait out tomorrow's northerly winds. Nice to have showers and unlimited power and water. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 9.792' S | 150º 47.244' E | s/v Convivia | Keppel Bay Marina. Phew! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 8.364' S | 150º 50.376' E | s/v Convivia | Well this is interesting. With no aux power we decided to sail into Roslyn Bay, drop anchor and wait for morning to get towed in by the cost guard. Funny thing is that at about 11:30pm, with only a few miles to go, the wind turned off. So now we are contemplating dropping the hook in the middle of the channel or soldering on at 1 knot for the next 5 hours. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 22º 55.452' S | 150º 52.41' E | s/v Convivia | Making passage tonight to Hexam or Middle Percy Island. There is no wind... At all. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 9.588' S | 150º 57.228' E | s/v Convivia | Anchored at Great Keppel Island. So glad to be done with that square swell. Birthday Cake and curry to look forward to tonight. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 9.81' S | 150º 57.24' E | s/v Convivia | This position report is a joke. We moved our anchor to get a little closer to shore (my arms are still getting used to rowing again). | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 24º 2.526' S | 151º 32.406' E | s/v Convivia | Innes Head Anchorage just outside of Galveston. Today was a /much/ longer day than expected but this anchorage feels snug and flat enough! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 40.74' S | 151º 35.634' E | s/v Convivia | En route to Rodd's Harbor. We will wait out some uncomfortable weather there, and continue south midday Thursday. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 23º 51.51' S | 152º 8.052' E | s/v Convivia | Pretty lumpy day with confused seas at about 2-3m. Winds about 20-25 starting Southerly and ending SE. We hope to be out of the slop and into some fine sailing by mid-morning tomorrow (Saturday).
The kids have settled into passage making mode. I missed my second coffee and have had the worst headache. Won't make that mistake again. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.002' S | 153º 1.002' E | s/v Convivia | Fixed coordinate normaliser to be more robust. Position Reports now post to twitter automatically. (sent from Airmail) | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.242' S | 153º 1.728' E | s/v Convivia | Testing on my mobile device | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.392' S | 153º 1.884' E | s/v Convivia | Back on the piles. Bittersweet. Sad to be at the end of holidays. Looking forward to seeing our people again. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.392' S | 153º 1.884' E | s/v Convivia | Outside Dunwich, heading to Manly | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.344' S | 153º 1.89' E | s/v Convivia | Testing from my mobile gps | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.266' S | 153º 1.89' E | s/v Convivia | Got off the mooring. Made it, what, 100 meters? Awesome! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.314' S | 153º 1.902' E | s/v Convivia | On the hook in front of the quay. Leaving Brisbane with the tide. So long fair city, you have been so good to us! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.368' S | 153º 1.914' E | s/v Convivia | Testing Position Report | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.368' S | 153º 1.914' E | s/v Convivia | Convivia's _actual_ position. Right there in front of the Botanic Gardens! Not for long though! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.356' S | 153º 1.974' E | s/v Convivia | Back in Brisbane. Will be on the piles in an hour. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 27.54' S | 153º 11.448' E | s/v Convivia | Had a quick haul and hang. Cleaned Convivia up around and below the waterline and check her hull out. She's looking great and ready for some sailing! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 19.746' S | 153º 14.208' E | s/v Convivia | Ah, my phone is not reporting an accurate position. Mud island. Yay! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 26º 59.94' S | 153º 20.34' E | s/v Convivia | Long slow crawl out of Morton Bay today. Looking forward to a few more fathoms under the keel soon. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 28.848' S | 153º 21.174' E | s/v Convivia | At the Peel Island north anchorage for the night waiting for a squall to come and go. Planning to stay aboard, play games, and eat popcorn. Our crew is +1 for the weekend with Hannah aboard! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 30.33' S | 153º 21.582' E | s/v Convivia | Just testing to make sure regular Position Reports go through after adding Iridium Go! support. Still at Peel Island! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 30.33' S | 153º 21.582' E | s/v Convivia | Reanchored last night due to extreme neighbor proximity. Re anchored today for easier access to the beach and protection from the weather. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 11.712' S | 153º 21.588' E | s/v Convivia | Spending the night at tangalooma after a gorgeous but slow sail across the bay. Fixed a minor exhaust leak with tin foil, I think that will last until Indonesia (or at least our next chandlery). Tomorrow we will sail out of the bay with the morning tide and try to make Fraser Island before the following day. After that it's fair winds for days (we hope). | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 30.306' S | 153º 21.594' E | s/v Convivia | Back to Horseshoe Bay for a day of fun in the sun!! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 11.58' S | 153º 21.708' E | s/v Convivia | Made it to Tangalooma. Feels like home. | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 27º 30.228' S | 153º 21.87' E | s/v Convivia | Happily tucked into Horseshoe Bay, Peel Island. The kids are ecstatic about sleeping in the hammock tonight. | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 27º 10.254' S | 153º 22.23' E | s/v Convivia | Tan-Ga-Looma. Finally. A few days of work and play ahead before heading back up the river! | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 26º 14.04' S | 153º 23.496' E | s/v Convivia | making an easy 6kn in about 15kn from the SE. Just finished our soup dinner, a classic first night meal. The weather is looking good for a few night overnight. We are crossing our fingers that this window will take us all the way to Magnetic Island. Today was punctuated by whale sightings. The closest of which came a few tens of meters off our stern. We motored enough to test the exhaust fix, and it seems to be holding up well. Ruby has offered to stay up with me for my first watch (she is so eager to have one of her own), I'm guessing she will make it to 8:15 (watch starts at 8). | over 9 years ago | Show |
| 25º 7.998' S | 153º 46.998' E | s/v Convivia | Wind and seas picked up today so we are bypassing Lady Muscgrave. Continuing through the night for a mid-morning arrival at Great Keppel Island. We will celebrate my birthday as if we were on the other side of the dateline! | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 25º 7.998' S | 153º 46.998' E | s/v Convivia | Great day of sailing. 1m quartering seas, mostly cloudy, mostly fast and downwind. No cell reception since daybreak. :) | over 10 years ago | Show |
| 18º 24.954' S | 178º 52.2' E | s/v Convivia | TNGFI Day 3 | over 10 years ago | Show |
