Category Archives: Inland Adventures

Whittled by Mother Nature: The ancient sea tracks of Niue

August 2016 “The Conduct and aspect of these islanders occasioned my giving it the Name of Savage Island.” It was 1774 when James Cook inscribed those word in Resolution’s logbook. The Niueans had managed to intimidate the explorers onward from their tiny island. And it would not be the last time they would succeed in […]
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Summit a mountain, endure a gale, and hitchhike to church

***SORRY FOR THE BLOG DELAY…our computer died, and it has taken us a while to get a new one, so we can continue posting our South Pacific tales!*** June 2016 I’m sweating but not hot. Dewy foliage tickles my bare arms, and my trousers, which are too long, are now damply limp and heavy from […]
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Paddling and pedaling as a cruiser quartet: Getting to know Raivavae

May 2016 Perhaps it was because our arrival came at the end of the most tranquil ocean passage we’d ever experienced, a far cry from the guttural relief we felt at the end of our passage to the Gambiers. Or perhaps Raivavae is just that beautiful. A more spectacular landfall can hardly be imagined. Raivavae […]
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VIDEO Ep. 19: French Polynesia~The Gambier Islands

April 2016 After the challenging 12-day sail from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to the Gambier Islands, we savored our first taste of French Polynesia. The Gambiers are rarely visited by cruisers because they are off the more popular “Coconut Milk Run” route from the Americas, wherein landfall is typically made in the northern island chain […]
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Pearls…the queen of gems and the gem of queens

May 2016 We hoped the overcast morning sky would clear as the day warmed, but even if it didn’t, we would not be deterred by a bit of drear today! We had a field trip planned – we were off to visit the pearl farm we’d learned about during one of our long walks on […]
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Ep. 17 VIDEO: Treks, Tours & Tattoos in Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

March & April 2016 Reaching Rapa Nui aboard The Red Thread was an immense accomplishment for us, and given that some boats reach the island only to find swell conditions untenable, we were truly fortunate to enjoy 18 incredible days there in April! Seas collide with the island after thousands of miles of wide open […]
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Rapa Nui: Moai, misfortune, and a mysterious cult

March & April 2016 After four days of exploring and tackling projects aboard Red Thread (and s/v Prince Diamond) in Rapa Nui’s northernmost anchorage, swell conditions improved, and our small cruising fleet sailed from Anakena to Hanga Roa to officially clear into the country. We buried our 45-pound delta anchor in the sandy seabed 90 […]
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Rapa Nui: On the heels of Hotu Matu’a

March 2016 At dawn on day 15 out of the Galápagos, the outline of Rapa Nui—Easter Island—etched the horizon and the scent of flora lingered in the air. The craggy outline grew larger as the sun climbed to its zenith and then ducked behind a mass of heavy, leaden clouds. The vista exceeded images we’d […]
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Isla Isabela, Galápagos: Boobies, penguins, & nature’s masterpiece

March 2016 Having bid adieu to Lori in Puerto Ayora and spent a few days tackling pressing projects aboard, we weighed anchor on a blue sky morning and sailed for Isla Isabela, our final Galápagos port. Our 50-nautical mile passage was smooth; too smooth, in fact. We motored 75% of the time.With the motor on, […]
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Ep. 14 VIDEO: The Galápagos-Part 2: Isla Santa Cruz

February 2016 We didn’t expect to adore the Galápagos’ most touristy island, but we did! We explored the town of Puerto Ayora, walked some of the most incredible stretches of beach we’ve ever seen, marveled at the marine iguanas, trekked through a lava tunnel, saw giant tortoises in action (literally and figuratively) in the wild, […]
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Ep. 13 VIDEO: The Galápagos-Part 1: Isla San Cristóbal

February 2016 Check out the little video we created of our first few days in the Galápagos on Isla San Cristóbal, the archipelago’s easternmost island. We attended the Galápagos’ birthday celebration, snorkeled with sea lion pups, and saw our first giant tortoises at the Galapaguera. Read more about our time on the island HERE.

Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos: Lush highlands & pristine beaches

February 2016 Our 0700 departure from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno was erased when 90 minutes out of the harbor Neil recalled that we had failed to retrieve our propane tank. Damn! We’d been motoring to hard-charge our batteries and make water after five days at anchor, so we made a swift about-face. The sea offered a […]
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Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos: Land of sea lions & saddlebacks

February 2016 Officially cleared into the Galápagos and with a couple hours to kill before we could return to our freshly fumigated boat, we walked the waterfront in search of a proper watering hole, where we could savor an Ecuadoran beer and enjoy a view of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Together, the three of us had […]
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Cruising the Galápagos: A practicalities primer

February 2016 For many cruisers, the decision to go to the Galápagos is not a straightforward one. Although the Encantadas ranks as one of the fabled destinations in the world, it is also one of the more expensive. Many cruisers wrestle with whether paying big dollars will yield an experience worth the price tag. We […]
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From Bahia Panama to the Canal de Panama

May & June 2015 We made the most of our final weeks in Central America and squeezed in a final inland excursion. Midday on the 28th of May, we boarded our first of two buses that would take us from Central Costa Rica to Panama’s industrial crown jewel, The Panama Canal. You might remember s/v […]
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