Tag: Antares

  • Solomons: A Rough Passage & Wonderful Ugi Island

    Squall line passed through us in the morning and, as the skies lightened, we departed for what ended up being a very sporty 283-mile passage. We knew the seas were going to be large initially, but were forecast to be decreasing throughout our passage, along with decreasing winds, and low thunderstorms. We weren’t alone in…

  • Goodbye Vanuatu: Numbaone!

    We enjoyed a lovely sail (as opposed to the bash we would have had the prior day) up to Peterson Bay, where we anchored in the outer lagoon, waiting for high tide to enter the very shallow winding reef entrance into inner Oyster Lagoon. With waypoints entered on our GPS, Calder and I on bow…

  • New Zealand: Fall Projects & Launch Day

    Back to Terikah at Marsden Cove boatyard, looking so great with her new blue and purple (yes, purple!) stripes. It’s “go-time” to get Terikah ready for our long journey home to Alaska. Here is the list of many of the boat projects we have done this fall: Beyond just the boat itself, when looking at…

  • New Zealand: Explorations & Boat Haul Out

    I’m writing this perched high in the air, looking out at cow fields, with our car parked under the boat. Terikah is hauled out at Marsden Cove for some much-needed love. But before we found ourselves here, we had a couple more weeks to explore the surrounding waters. Back at Waiheke Marina, we were ready…

  • Hauraki Horizons: Exploring Hauraki Gulf (Tikapa Moana)

    Looking at the big weather coming up, we decided to anchor in well-protected Bon Accord Harbour of Kawau Island, arriving late and anchoring (and re-anchoring) for the upcoming storm. We took a day to explore the trails out of Schoolhouse Bay to the Mansion House and Old Coppermine.  Sir George Grey developed the Mansion House…

  • Bay of Islands & Northland Musings

    Me te titiro whanui, kia koa (Look deeply and learn) Ki nga taonga kei mua i a koe (From your surroundings) Back out on the water in Terikah, two months to explore before our haul-out, we hope to explore as a family, seeing what Aotearoa can teach us along the way. Our first stop, only…

  • Aotearoa Arrival: Opua Marina, Northland

    Tied up to the Opua, Aotearoa (New Zealand) Q-dock at 4:20pm, just in time for the Customs and Biosecurity to inform us that we were the first on their list for the next day. In some ways this was a relief – nothing to do but celebrate our arrival as a family with fresh tuna…

  • Day 7: Land ho! Aotearoa!

    Overnight, just motoring along with no wind, finally dropped that current against us and making good time. It will be close to closing time at the Opua Q-dock, not sure if we’ll make it in time. There is a stream of boats coming from Fiji, Tonga, and New Cal to New Zealand; all of us…

  • Day 6: Passage New Cal to New Zealand

    Overnight, a battery alarm on our starboard engine kept going off. Chris tried a few things but was exhausted and a bit seasick to dig in. We decided to run just the port engine overnight and, with current against us, moved along at a slow 4 knots. Once Chris got up for his 4am watch,…

  • Day 5: Passage New Cal to New Zealand

    Woke up to Chris at the helm, enjoying an excellent sail toward our destination. Winds a perfect 18-20 knots at our fastest point of sail. Seas (both swells from two directions and wind waves) present, but not uncomfortable. We are enjoying the wind while we have it! Even had a small cup of coffee (hadn’t…