Friday, December 11, 2015

Back in the Northern Hemisphere

We are enroute to Tarawaw Kiribati from Nanumea Tuvalu.
Crossed the equator at 19:00 UTC, 7:00 AM our time.
Very good sailing conditions, one of the more comfortable passages we have made.
We are enroute with five other boats scattered apart but we keep in contact with SSB radio.
Our plan is to spend Christmas in Kiribati with the other cruisers.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Enroute to Nanumea

We are half way (125 nm) to Nanumea.
NIce conditions, a bit lite for wind, we have sailed and motored(about 10 hrs motor last 24 hrs.)
Lauri was on watch last night and saw some kind of bio-luminescent jelly fish or something....she was impressed.
We are meeting up with a few other boats at this atoll and will wait for good wind to continue to Tarawa, Kiribati.

C

Monday, November 23, 2015

Samoa

September 28, 2015


We sailed up to Samoa(western) a four day sail, a bit wet and rough. We pulled into a marina in Apia.
The big event scheduled here, with Lauri's mom and friends Brad and Mary from Mexico flying in.
View of Apia, Samoa from our slip


Some Samoan entertainment
 
 
Weaving at the Samoan village.
 
Now off to see some of Samoa's amazing scenery!

So lucky to have my mom visit


Everyone taking photos of the waterfalls!
Thanks for coming to visit, Brad and Mary!!!

 


The big day! October 15, 2015
 Chuck and Lauri get hitched..................again....... third times the charm*

*legal



Samoan warrior announcing the wedding with Traditional blowing of the conch shell
 
Chuck in his traditional Lava Lava and local vines
 
The bride with local flowers and sarong from artist in Moorea
Traditional Samoan songs
 
We now pronounce you husband and wife.

Dinner with Mom, Brad and Mary, Sailboat's Sequoia; Jan & Karl, Erie II; Al, and Silhouette; Phil
Thanks everyone!!!



Sunday, November 22, 2015

One year of cruising

We left Long Beach Oct 30, 2014
and celebrated our first year cruising in Apia Samoa


Celebrating our first year!




Tonga, impromptu wedding


August 26, 2015
We had an impromptu wedding on a 70ft Samoan sailing canoe that was visiting Neiafu Tonga.
Many of our sailing friends helped organize.
MacDuffie from s.v Kookaburra performed the ceremony.
Sandy the manager of the Mango Cafe gave away the bride.
This wedding was put together the night before, couldn't have been more wonderful.









The bridesmaids!!! 
Barefoot wedding!!!

Wonderful lunch after the ceremony




Tonga, swimming with Humpback whales

We took a commercial boat trip out to see the Humpback whales
Baby Humpback 

Momma and baby 



.






Tonga Cruisers Cricket

September 16, 2015
We had a cricket match on one of the outer islands.
A little muddy, but fun was had by all.

David from Anahata and Eve from Auntie


David, Ed and Chuck, Cricket Masters

Free Spirit anchored at an outer island.
met Dina and Malcolm from Good as Gold for lunch.


Kingdom of Tonga, Swallows Cave

A mile from the anchorage, Ray from Sea Note towed us in our kayaks

Entrance to Swallows Cave


Under the surface inside the cave, huge clusters of tiny silver fish!



Chuck swimming from the entrance

Swimming through the school of fish, so surreal!

Friday, November 6, 2015

Niue



The tiny island nation of Niue
Home to just over a thousand people.
Beautiful geology, nice people and whales in the anchorage.
We could hear the whales singing from inside our boat.


Whales in the anchorage
The cave on the way to the arch

The rugged Southern coast 
On our way to the amazing chasm and then the beautiful ocean.
Climbing into the chasm