Our Itinerary

As we rapidly approach the departure date from our home of Petersburg, we are asked many questions from weather concerns to pirates, from provisioning to schooling.  I hope to tackle these inquiries in the blog over time.  However, the question that I’ve gotten the most this week is, “So, where are you going again?!”  It is challenging, if not impossible, to set out a year’s specific itinerary while cruising as we adjust to the changing weather, political situations, and potential boat repairs.  However, the route we follow is that of the trade winds and ocean currents, moving on before each hurricane season starts.  We are crossing the Pacific Ocean this year, which is more than twice the size of the Atlantic at 64 million square miles; its area is greater than that of all the Earth’s land masses combined!  Without further ado, here is Take One Itinerary for SV Terikah:

November 2023:  Depart San Diego, California for the short jump to Ensenada Mexico, then spend part of the month going south down the Pacific Coast of the Baja Peninsula.  Weather will primarily dictate whether we need to boogie down the coast or take our leisurely time.

December 2023 – February 2024:  Explore the west side of the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.  Better known cities in this region include La Paz and Loreto.

February-March 2024:  Cross the Sea of Cortez for Mainland Mexico exploration.  Better known cities include Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, and Manzanillo. 

March 27, 2024:  This is our tentative departure date for our biggest crossing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to French Polynesia, a trip of about 2,700 nautical miles.  A nautical mile is slightly longer than a mile on land, equaling 1.1508 land-measured (or statute) miles. The nautical mile is based on the Earth’s longitude and latitude coordinates, with one nautical mile equaling one minute of latitude.  This open ocean crossing should take 21-30 days.  This is where the discussion on weather comes in.  If we leave too early from Mexico, the Trade winds may not have picked up sufficiently and, particularly in an El Nino year (which it is), there is a risk of cyclones as we approach the Marquesas.  Therefore, based on weather, this date may need to move later and adjust the whole following schedule by a couple weeks.

April 2024:  Pacific Ocean crossing, 2,700 nm.  For those of you who have not heard, we have enlisted the help of Petersburg mate Emil Tucker as crew for this journey.

May 2024:  Marquesas, French Polynesia:  French Polynesia is the hub of the South Pacific.  The Marquesas are mostly steep-to, high volcanic mountains.

June 2024:  Tuamotus, French Polynesia:  Wonderful atolls with the original volcanoes fully submerged.

July 2024:  Society Islands, French Polynesia:  These are high volcanic mountains ringed by shallow lagoons within a fringing reef, including the famous Tahiti and Bora Bora.

August 2024:  Cook Islands for 30 day permit, hopefully in time to enjoy their Independence festival of Te Maeva Nui on August 4.  The Cook Islands are a lose grouping of 15 islands sprinkled across a huge area of the Pacific.

September 2024:  We hope to stop in Niue, weather permitting, for as long as we can before weather moves us along.  Niue is a large block of coral perched in the Pacific, one of the smallest independent states in the world, with many caves to explore.

September-October 2024:  The Kingdom of Tonga

Late October/early Nov 2024:  1,000 mile crossing to New Zealand to hide out for hurricane season and explore these islands for a few months.

Next…Fiji? Vanuatu? New Caledonia? Australia? India? South Africa?  We will decide as a family our next steps once we are in New Zealand.

Nervous? Yes!  Sad to leave Petersburg? Yes!  Excited for adventures ahead? Yes!

I received a card this week with a quote on the front that I loved: “Everything you’ve ever wanted, is sitting on the other side of fear.” (George Addair).