trip logs

Perhaps our expense accountings for these two months should be called “the ridiculous amount we spent to get ready to sail to the South Pacific.” For sure, if we had decided to spend another year in Mexico and Central America we could have kept well within our budget of $1500-2000 per month. But the reality is there are just things we were not comfortable heading out into the middle of the Pacific without purchasing and things that we knew would be difficult to impossible to find until we reach New Zealand so we packed them onboard.

In late February we made a quick trip up to San Diego to bring down a number of things we did not trust to Mexican shipping (and it was also a nice break from the boat as well). Some of the things we stuffed in our luggage: a new Simrad autopilot (our older Simrad will be our backup unit), diabetes supplies for me, guidebooks, charts and courtesy flags, a second Kindle (since all of us fight over the one we have), a spare HAM radio and our repaired IC-7000 we shipped back to ICOM from La Paz earlier in the month, a new portlight to improve airflow at the end of our double bunk, kids’ workbooks, more quick-dry clothing, and of course chocolate from Trader Joes.

Back in La Paz I spent days purchasing and stowing provisions and supplies onboard, with the goal of having enough staples for 3-4 months, both because little is available where we will be sailing and what is available is much more expensive than in Mexico. Indeed, now having been in the Marquesas for nearly a month we still have plenty of stores left (even Pacifico!) and have only needed to purchase fresh food (except for all the exciting local and Asian products available here which we are enjoying trying out).

S/V Wondertime’s February-March 2012 Cruising Expenses

airfare – $915
autopilot – $2,777
boat bits – $1,063
books – $16
bus/taxi/trolley – $69
car rental (San Diego and Cabo) – $248
clothing – $435
camera/computer/kindle – $472
courtesy flags – $62
dentist (3 cleanings, 4 fillings, 1 crown) – $498
diesel – $154
dinghy dock – $5
dive tank fill – $5
DVD – $17
eating out – $795
entertainment – $53
French Polynesia agent – $280
gasoline – dinghy – $32
gasoline – rental car – $17
groceries – $2,456
guidebooks/charts – $573
HAM radios – $1,048
internet – $42
kids’ books – $67
laundry – $73
medical – $46
medical supplies – $2,543
moorage – $528
personal care – $176
postage/shipping – $86
propane – $18
showers – $6
souvenirs – $14
supplies – $690
toys – $71
Zarpe fees – $150

total: $16,500

After a few days at Atuona all our shoreside chores were done; we were all checked into French Polynesia, so we said good-bye to our wonderful crew member Matt who roamed around on shore for another week to explore on his own before flying out to Tahiti and back to San Francisco. We paid the most we’d ever paid (about $90 US) to have our laundry done (but there was no way I was washing six loads of clothes, sheets and blankets by hand!). Our veggie bins had a meager supply of produce that we’d purchased but the cockpit was chock full of fruit that had been simply given to us: pamplemousse, bananas, avocadoes, mangoes, papayas, limes. We very much enjoyed the full nights of restful sleep, despite the bit of rolliness in the Atuona anchorage (but with all the boats being stuffed in like sardines we all had stern anchors out which kept us into the bit of swell coming in).

We only have a month to explore this beautiful and wild island group (since we have three months total in French Polynesia) so it was time to move on. Our original plan had been to head next to Fatu Hiva, the southernmost island about 45 miles away. But it took us nearly two hours to retrieve our stern anchor (stuck a little too well in the mud) and our bow anchor (stuck underneath the boat anchored in front of us). With a little help from new sailing friends we got them both onboard and were off.

By that time however it was too late in the day to be able to make Fatu Hiva before dark so we put up our spinnaker and scooted downwind through the Bordelais Channel between Hiva Oa and the island of Tahuata and made landfall 10 miles later at Hanamoenoa Bay. After we dropped our hook in 30 feet of the brightest, clearest aqua water we’d ever seen and gazed about us at the stunning bay we were sure glad our anchors had been a bit difficult after all. It was a large bay with very little swell and plenty of room for a number of boats, although there were only two other boats in the bay when we arrived. In front of us was a scene like you’d see in a stock photo: brilliant aqua water that you could see through nearly 100 feet, bright tropical fish darting under the boat, a nearly white sand beach backed by gently waving coconut palms and behind it lush green valleys and hills that rose up up and up into the island. It was stunning.

Here, we enjoyed several lovely quiet days of just being a family together again. We explored the beach, played in the 85-degree F waves, swam around the boat, snorkeled on the nearby reefs. The tradewinds blew down from the valley in front of us everyday and kept us cooled down nicely.

A few days later we went around the corner to the village of Vaitahu where our friends on Convivia (who had made it to Fatu Hiva) were meeting us. The kids were all glad to see their friends again (as were we of course). As seems to be the trend around here, this bay was even more gorgeous than the last two; the colorful small village was nestled in a towering lush green valley. Even from the boat we could see the tidy homes, flowers growing everywhere, the beautiful church made of local woods and stained glass.

I will always remember Vaitahu as the village where we collected things: the sight of nearly-naked local kids curiously surrounding ours as they waded in the surf with lifejackets, huge sun hats, long-sleeved sunshirts and bright plastic shoes. The hands that appeared from out of nowhere — even in the dark — to grab our dinghy painter and help a child each and every time we exited or boarded our dinghy on the slippery, sea-washed cement quay. The delirious scent of flowers which lined every street, surrounded every house and was worn behind the ear of nearly every smiling woman we passed. The sweet sweet Polynesian harmonies sung in the open air Catholic church on Sunday morning. The taste of one of the fresh bananas handed to us by a man as we strolled past his house one afternoon. The laughter and camaraderie we shared with Convivia each night as our kids played and we took turns making dinner for each other. The sound of the heavy warm rain that pounded down on our boat several times each day and filled our rain buckets to overflowing. The burn of the tattoo as my story came alive on my arm in the smoky, music-filled shack.

When we did finally point our bow south for Fatu Hiva yesterday, we felt a little homesick for this sweet, kind village. But our treasures will always remind us of our visit here.

At 1320 ship’s time we dropped our anchor at Atuona, Hiva Oa.

Wow. Oh wow oh wow oh wow. It is gorgeous here.

I was on watch when the sky started to lighten this morning and gradually the grey smudge on the horizon grew bigger and bigger. Land ho!

All of us came up to the cockpit to watch the sun rise and the details of this island paradise come into view. Tall craggy green cliffs and misty valleys. Dramatic clouds. Rain showers in the distance. Even rainbows.

We couldn’t smell the island as it was to leeward of us, until we motored into the anchorage at Atuona. Suddenly a breeze blew down from the towering green hillside and hit us: it was like we had sailed right into a flower shop.

What I will remember most about this day though was the incredible kindness bestowed upon us: from the new cruising friend who came by in his dinghy to kedge our stern anchor out for us to another cruiser friend who kayaked by with a fresh pamplemousse for us to savor as we sat in the cockpit shortly after landing, just taking in the incredible view around us. As we sat outside a grocery store this afternoon munching a fresh baguette the older gentleman who worked in the store brought us a tray of chocolate eclairs and motioned for us each to take one; we soon had chocolate eclaire filling dripping down our chins. This evening we treated our crew Matt to dinner out and as we were leaving the restaurant the owner stopped us and offered to drive the five of us the two dark miles back to the yacht harbor.

This is a beautiful, beautiful place and we are so glad to be here.

Total miles: 2713

There’s nothing quite like setting your sailing ship loose in the Pacific tradewinds to gain a new appreciation for her. Wondertime has now carried us safely through inland, coastal and ocean waters nearly 7,000 miles. But it’s truly been this past 2,600 miles of sailing day after day after day with her white sails flying like wings that she’s shown us how she’s been dreaming of this trip as much as we have.

Wondertime began as a dream herself, a vision of a Mr. Paul Pfeifer who had been planning his ideal ship years before her lines were put to blueprint. I wonder if Mr. Pfeifer, back in 1978, as he sat sketching out the many details for his new boat ever put down his pencil and closed his eyes. Did he ever try to imagine the feel of the soft warm South Pacific wind on his face? The feel of his ship charging along up and down waves, mile after mile, white sails raised up to the sun? Setting foot on a distant land and smelling a frangipani tree for the very first time?

I know that while he had the boat’s hull built soon after, it took another 20 years for her to be completed. Her early years as a sailboat only saw her to Catalina Island and back to her Southern California berth, whether sailed by Mr. Pfeifer or her other owners we do not know. I hope he at least got to sail her to that distant island once. They both deserved it after so many years and dreams together.

But now, we’ve taken Wondertime to the waters she was perfectly built for. Where I’m sure Mr. Pfeifer had dreamed of sailing her. Out here, she’s become a live thing, romping through the waves, so so steady and safe and sure. If she were a girl she’d be running before the wind, her hair flying back behind her, her face pure smile. Happy, joyful. We love her for that.

And tomorrow, she gets a well deserved rest.

Total miles at noon: 2604
Miles since yesterday: 117
Miles to Hiva Oa: 87