Tag: sailing with teens

  • Ua Pou: A Cathedral of Cascades, Chocolate, & Croissants

    Ua Pou is sheer craggy basalt rock coalesced into various patterns and formations that we could not take our eyes off, as we rounded the southern tip up the western side of the island to our destination of Hakahetuau.  Into the anchorage, huge basalt pillars jut up out of the valley reaching into the clouds. …

  • Snorkeling, Tropical Homestead, & Night Passage

    Moving to our new anchorage, a gust of 47 knots hit us; one of the top gusts we have ever experienced!  Tucked happily into Hanatefau anchorage on Tahuata island, anchor buried in sand, steep green-covered cliff walls blocking much of the wind.                Into the water we went, clearly seeing our anchor dug and hidden…

  • 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…

  • Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas!

    April 23: LAND HO!  Atuona, Hiva Oa               Anchor down in the notoriously rolly and crowded Taahuka Bay, Hiva Oa outside the boat-filled breakwater bay, though the swell didn’t bother us much due to our last month on the ocean and our giddiness at arrival.  After enjoying a celebratory glass of champagne, we dinked to…

  • 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…

  • The Pacific Crossing by Cora Hyer, age 12

                  The story began, many many years ago, when my parents saw a boat and a dream formed. They didn’t want a house like most people would want, no, they wanted a boat. In the dream the boat was supposed to be their house, and then a moving home to explore the world in. Many…

  • Day 18: Pacific Crossing to French Polynesia

    This morning, continued on our same course, making great progress with winds 15 and 1.5 knots current.  In the afternoon, winds decreased, sailing with our Code 0 and Main, still able to maintain speed above 5 knots with Equatorial Current our friend.  Seas calming, ahhh…feels lovely as we slowly move along.  Emil cleaned the barnacles…

  • Day 15: Pacific Ocean Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    All of us woke a bit late, except for Chris still at the wheel, from our 2am Equator ceremony; he is now thankfully napping in Southern Hemisphere bliss.  Seas a bit on our beam, winds light, we slowly sail along at 4 knots.  We are trying to head more south than west at this point…

  • Day 13: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    Chris barely touched our sails for the remainder of the night; we are indeed in the Southeast Trade winds, which are unusually high north right now.  We have a joke with the couple helping us with weather that, after the ITCZ, we’ll pop out into the Trades – “Poof!”  It was indeed “poof” – magically…

  • Day 12: Pacific Crossing from Mexico to French Polynesia

    Woke up to rain, rain, and more rain; so refreshing!  All of us in the cockpit (inside the boat is too stuffy with hatches closed) getting misted.  Motor-sailing south through the band of clouds at the top of the ITCZ.  The mantra has been “go south” to reach the winds and avoid some areas of…