Pre-jump jitters: Are we “really” ready?
March 2016 It’s the night before our departure for Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile, one of the most remote inhabited islands on earth, and the almost complete absence of anxiety about this passage—which has characterized the past months for me—has evaporated. In the stead of my exuberance is an almost suffocating sense of fear. Are […]
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Ep. 15 VIDEO: The Galápagos-Part 3: Isla Isabela
March 2016 On Isla Isabela in the Galápagos, we saw our first tropical penguins and spent more time than we care to recall tackling repairs. We experienced one of the most memorable excursions of our entire trip at Los Tunneles. There, we snorkeled with dozens of giant Galápagos’ sea turtles, sharks, and cownose eagle rays […]
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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.
GUESTBOOK: Lori the lovely, our first longtime crew by Lori
February & March 2016 Just days after The Red Thread became ours in May 2012, two women wandered past the stern of our boat at Elliott Bay Marina, slip C-62. We shouted hellos and became fast friends with Lori and Kristina, our first friends on the dock. Lori’s sailboat, Summer Salt, was on C-dock, too, […]
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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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Pollywogs no mas: Transequatorial passage to the Galápagos + Ep. 12 VIDEO
February 2016 For as much preparation as went into our passage to the Galápagos, it commenced almost spontaneously. After four days at lovely Isla Parida, we weighed anchor bound for Islas Secas, a triad of tiny islands with a reputation for stunningly clear water and tremendous snorkeling. At a quarter after 10 in the morning, […]
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A glimpse of our final weeks in Central America + Ep. 11 VIDEO
January & February 2016 Although we were able to upload blogs describing our final weeks in Costa Rica and Panama, WIFI has been limited during the last few months as we crossed the Pacific. This video simply had to wait. We’re excited to *finally* share a few of the highlights [and challenges] of our final […]
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Panama bound as a crew of 3: Golfito to Isla Parida
February 2016 It was midnight before we finished stowing foodstuffs purchased during our provisioning binge, and the three of us had hardly closed our eyes when alarms began to ting. Three o’clock had come quickly, and putting coffee to steep was the first order of business. We’d avoided entering Golfito after dark, but having seen […]
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Stocking the larder: Crew, booze, and 100+ tins in Golfito
January 2016 The Sarana Guide advises explicitly that Golfito should not entered in the dark. We weren’t interested in pushing our luck and were up before the sun. We departed Bahia Drake at dawn, hoping the light zephyr in the forecast would materialize and enable us to sail. We were also realistic that motoring would […]
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Back in the groove: Sailing and scuba in Central Costa Rica + Ep. 10 VIDEO
January 2016 The breeze awoke with the colors of sunrise, as we hoisted our sails at dawn on January 24th. I sipped my coffee and wrapped my arms around Neil, overcome with a sense gratitude to be sailing once more after so many months away from our sailing life. It was a balmy morning along […]
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New friends, old friends, and a menagerie of jungle mammals
January 2016 We had hoped we’d be able finagle a way to stay aboard The Red Thread while she was on the hard, but Marina Pez Vela forbid us from doing so. As it turned out, the boatyard restrictions had a fantastic silver lining. We booked a room at a local hostel, Wide Mouth Frog, […]
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Recommissioning: Days ‘n days in the yard on the hard + Ep. 9 VIDEO
January 2016 A blanket of damp, broiling heat enveloped us as we exited the large sliding doors at San Jose International Airport. Unlike our rookie cruising season, which began at 48° north and ended over a thousand miles south of the Tropic of Cancer, we wouldn’t have an opportunity to gradually acclimate to the tropics […]
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s/v The Red Thread 