Tag: sailing

  • Passage: NZ to Vanuatu Day 4

    Winds and seas continue to diminish, as we slowly move along with our headsail. Calm enough to go forward and take down our tattered New Zealand flag. We haven’t motored yet, but have a 3-knot speed threshold as to when we would likely start an engine. We get local bursts of wind from nearby squalls…

  • Passage: NZ to Vanuatu, Day 2

    Seas and winds up, flying our Genoa. Cora and I not feeling the best, but lying down helps, and we know we’ll feel better tomorrow as seas mellow. Calder has his fishing lines in the water. We are heading almost directly north, a bit to the east of Vanuatu in preparation for a change of…

  • June 2026: Passage NZ to Vanuatu Day 1

    Up this morning, excited, nervous anticipation, sadness at leaving, tearful goodbyes. Last minute stowing. Car sold. One more loaf of bread bought. Checked out at the marina, bringing a gift of wine. Then to Customs for our noon appointment. After changing it so many times, can hardly believe it is really our departure day! Customs…

  • Night before Passage: Goodbye New Zealand

    The beautiful weather window fell apart for the many boats waiting to head to the Tropics. These waters between New Zealand and the Tropics are not to be trifled with. Many of our good friend boats did indeed take this window, heading to Fiji, but we plan to head to Vanuatu. I find this one…

  • Bay of Islands, New Zealand: Waiting, Working, & Winging

    Anchored out front of Opua, we have access to stores with needed boat parts and hiking trails. At night, we hear the kiwis and morepork.  We say “Bon voyage” to our trusty dinghy Little T, as she gets passed on to another cruising boat heading to the tropics; we hope she holds on tight, as…

  • 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: Bottom work: Terikah’s underwater hulls were sanded and…

  • 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…

  • Terikah Tours with Little T

    We are so excited to have Uncle Travis (the famous Little T) and his partner Sarah from Fairbanks here with us for a couple weeks on board Terikah. Almost not making it out due to cold temperatures in Fairbanks, by the time they landed in Auckland they had swung from minus 50 degrees F in…

  • 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…