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7/31/2018 Things HAVE CHANGED..... SOUTH PACIFIC 2020!!!!That was the plan for 2020... Never quite worked out but the plan was kinda like this... --------------------------------------- After our haul out and re-fit in Puerto Penasco in the Sea of Cortez we will work our way down to Puerto Vallarta by the beginning of February. We have decided that we want to “jump” to the Marquesas from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. There are several reasons for that. First we have some friends there we would like to see again and possibly take some people with us on this adventure. Puerto Vallarta is an easy place to fly into for anyone coming to visit or join us as crew. Next is that there is a large amount of resources available for the “Pacific Puddle Jump” and the epicenter for that is in Puerto Vallarta. It becomes a good way to meet some of the people who will be transiting that year. Next is that it’s only 2800 miles to the Marquesas from Mexico, so it's "easy" from there right? Soooo….  Puerto Vallarta February and March Puerto Vallarta is the largest gathering place for people heading off to the south pacific on the North American west coast. This means that there are lots of seminars and talks and other resources available here. It’s also a great spot to meet some of the people who will be travelling on a similar path as we are.  March/April – Off to the South Pacific!! Finally! 2800 miles of open ocean. For most it is the longest open ocean passage they will ever do. This is a classic time to head out for the Marquesas. It’s early enough to maximize your time there but late enough to minimize the risk of storms. Hopefully by now the trade winds have settled in and can make for a steady passage.  May - The Marquesas First landfall in the South Pacific. Majestic mountains. Dramatic anchorages. Then the tuamotus... May/June – Tuamotus We plan to spend 6 weeks in the Tuamotus. Much more remote than the rest of French Polenesia but it should have more snorkeling and diving which is what we are looking for!! Then Tahiti and Bora Bora June/July – Tahiti to Bora Bora A little more well known and accessible but by now we will be ready for a bit more civilization. Then Suwarrow in the COOK ISLANDS August – Suwarrow in the Cook Islands We plan on hitting the northern Cook Island of Suwarrow. A national park and a place many consider a highlight of their time in the south pacific. Then Tonga September – Tonga Some scuba and some snorkeling may be part of our trip here. Then FIJI October – Fiji Wrapping up the normal season with a month in Fiji. We plan to re-group and re-assess our options here. We can tackle some provisioning and final planning but I think the next step for us will be to head North towards The MArshalls for the off season!! The Marshalls.
1500 miles North. This gets us north of the equator and out of the Cyclone zone. This way it lets us keep cruising for 6 more months… We will keep you posted. 7/30/2018 PANAMA!!! Panama!! We finally made it into Marina Vista Mar on June 8th, 2018 bringing our run to Panama to a close. 2000 miles, 33 Anchorages, 1 bar crossing, winds from 0 to 40+ knots, 3 friends visiting, various gear failures, multiple potlucks and sundowners. An epic trip and the best shakedown for us and the boat that we could hope for. We are going to settle in here for the next three months and tackle all the repairs, projects and upgrades that are waiting on our to-do list. No rest for us!! We plan to Add a semi-permanent install for our washing machine including plumbing and electrical. Add a 120v Electrical Panel at the galley to replace a growing rats nest of wires. Clean out and Paint the Forward Cabin Bilge Clean out and Paint the Salon Bilge Paint the entire Engine room and prep for adding a watermaker Upgrade our House Battery Bank adding 50% more Ah Including welding in a new battery rack Add 24v to 12v converters to remove our 12v needs relying on our 12v engine start batteries And whatever else pops up. All before we leave Panama in November. GO!!   Passage Notes May June 2018
Golfo Dulce to Marina Vista Mar Panama Golfito to Armeulles Mostly a motorboat trip for us. Stopped by Guarda Costa Heavy Panga and checked our passports Roadstead anchorages, rain and squalls. Armeulles to the Isla Parida and Islas Secas Light wind in the morning Sailing by the afternoon Easy runs Islas Secas to Punta Mala Water pump died so we were engineless. Sailed off the anchor. Light air by the islands with enough current to keep things interesting Wind filled in once we left the lee of the island Winds light and variable all the way to Punta Mala 2 days at 80 miles / day Punta Mala to Vista Mar We approached Punta Mala with trepidation. We had no engine at this point and there wasn’t much we could do to vary the timing of our approach. You get pinched by Punta Mala on one side and the shipping lanes leaving the canal on the other. Somehow we got lucky. We passed right around slack tide like we were hoping and the winds were light but steady. We got past Punta Mala and headed for Marina Vista Mar. The winds got even lighter and we had more squalls chasing us around. It took us two more days to do the last 50 miles. The wind died completely within sight of the marina 8 miles away. We couldn’t take it . We put the dinghy in the water and hip tied it to the boat. Pretty soon we were doing 3.5kts using our dinghy and 15hp Mercury outboard. We graciously accepted help from the marina for the last mile and into our slip. We made it. |
AUTHORSMarc and Laura. Hit SUBSCRIBE to follow our adventure on YouTube. Archives
July 2018
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