Tag: liveaboard

  • Day 6: Passage Tonga to NZ

    Monday, November 11, 2024:  Passage Tonga to New Zealand Day 6 Conditions continue to be lovely this morning, sailing with our main and Code Zero in 15-20 knots of wind, seas only 1.5 meters.  This is the life!  Scattered squalls about.  At noon, wind disappears.  We have been advised to keep a 6.2 knot average…

  • Goodbye Tonga

    Back to the Ha’apai Group in Tonga for another week of adventures; this one topped off with 52 knots of wind…read on! Our arrival to the Ha’apai was just after sunset, as we wove between coral bommies at a snail’s pace in the dark, trusting in the track we had created our last time to…

  • Weather & Wanderings in Tonga

    Anchored off Ofolanga Island in the Ha’apai Group in Tonga, we spent a few nights enjoying this remote calm-weather-only anchorage.  A sandy walk around the island, watching a turtle streak through the water on a drift snorkel, and enjoying a beach fire with friends and family.  The Hyer family got to experience the “thrills” of…

  • Passage from Marquesas to Tuamotus: First Half

    Day 1  We spent the morning getting ready for the passage, planning to leave in the afternoon.  We dinghied over to the local valley farm, picking fruit with the owner and loading a wheelbarrow and two bags FULL of green bananas, green mangos, limes, starfruit, green papaya, coconuts, pamplemouse, and basil.  This is our fruit…

  • Sharks, Fruit, Friends, & Nightwatch

    We continue to explore the Marquesas islands, planning to spend about 4 weeks here before our next passage to the Tuamotus, about 500 miles away.  Our trip across the Pacific Ocean is only about 1/3 complete and the next 6 months will be passage-making between island groups, each passage with its own challenges.  Thankfully, we…

  • Crossing 1/3 of the Pacific (by Calder Hyer, age 14)

                  On March 31, 2024, sailing vessel Terikah left the safe harbor of La Cruz, Mexico with a destination of Hiva Oa, Marquesas, French Polynesia. Onboard were the Hyers, Cora, Calder, Dadu, and Mama, along with the crew, consisting of Emil Tucker. After large provisioning runs and filling up our water and diesel tanks, we…

  • Day 20: Pacific Crossing to Marquesas; Crew Commentary

    View from the Portside Crew Quarters: Wanted: Crew needed for Pacific crossing. Principal duty to stand watch in the middle of the night. Other duties as assigned. Room and board provided. Must play well with others. As we near the Marquesas we’ve spent more time reflecting on the passage behind us and prepping to be…

  • Day 17: Pacific Ocean Crossing to French Polynesia

    We have started to see some random flotsam in the water, a plastic bottle here or there, not much thankfully.  Yesterday, I saw it – the glass fishing ball I’ve been seeking…wait, no, that’s not a glass ball, it’s a ship in a bottle…nope, look closer, it’s a massive…lightbulb?!  Must have come off one of…

  • April 5: Day 6 of Crossing from MX to FP

    Woke up to light winds, motored for two more hours until I did a wind dance, resulting in the wind slowly increasing until we could sail.  Okay, so likely not my dance, but still the timing was great.  Great brunch of burritos from Emil.  Put the asym out and have been sailing happily downwind.  Captain…

  • Day 5: Crossing from MX to FP

    Woke up after a great night’s sleep of calm Code 0 sailing at only 2-4 knots overnight.  We hit our 500 miles overnight and celebrated this morning by opening our 500-mile treat bag titled “Out of the Wash Machine.”  Listened to the song “I Would Walk 500 Miles” but changed to “I Would Sail 500…