Log of Serenity

2008-10-20T09:39:00.014-07:00

2007 flew by. Once we started working, our free time dwindled. I longed for those days in isolated anchorages when I didn't know what to do with my time, and I marveled that the free time I had as a graduate student (even less than the current amount) ever seemed adequate. It took a little while to get used to a full time job, a rigid schedule, commuting during rush hour, being hungry and grouchy when I arrive home at the end of the day, not seeing Jim all day, etc. However rough the transition, over time we have both adjusted to this new life "on the hard." The fact that I am working on the blog again is a sign that I am finally getting a handle on things, that the many things required for life on land are falling into place. The blog is finally at the top of the list.

The second half of 2007 had its highlights; here are some of them:

We visited with Jeff, Matt and Casey of S/V Sohcahtoa when they passed through San Diego on their way home after completing their circumnavigation. We moved into a new apartment about 5-10 minutes from work at the end of August.

We adopted Rocky Balbunny (our rabbit). We took a trip to the east coast in September to attend two weddings and to visit Jim's family.

We found out I was pregnant.

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents in San Felipe, BC, Mexico, and a weekend around Christmas in Julian at the Observer's Inn.

2007-07-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

San Diego, CA- Jim started a new postdoc position July 3, 2007. Eva started a new job June 11, 2007. So, we can address item #3 from May 18 post: our careers were not entirely ruined after all.

2007-07-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

New 2007 Toyota Corolla CE, purchased on June 1, 2007, in order to drive to and from work.

2007-05-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

A few reflections on our trip
When we arrived in Australia, we had sucessfully crossed the Pacific Ocean. It was the end of the road for us, since we had decided that we didn't want to continue west around the world, nor did we want to recross the Pacific in the opposite direction to get back to the USA.

On thinking back on the trip Jim said, "People said three things would probably happen to us as a result of the trip: 1) We would be killed. 2) We would get so sick of each other that we would hate each other by the end. And 3) we would probably never get jobs again." Well, we can now safely say that we survived the trip.

As for #2, the time we spent together on this trip is one thing for which we will always be grateful. Many people questioned our sanity in voluntarily imprisoning ourselves together, for extended periods of time, in a space the size of most people's bathrooms. But how many people get to spend so much time with their chosen companion? It was a gift. Working together and relying on each other, we feel we have grown closer together, not further apart. We certainly know each other well now, and we still like spending time together.

The results aren't in on #3 yet.

2007-05-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

We sold our boat on January 19, 2007 to Ron and Janice of Runaway Bay, Queensland, Australia.

2007-05-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Australia at dawn - Moreton Bay. New Caledonia to Australia was our toughest trip. A new high pressure system coming off Australia gave us strong southerly winds the first couple of days out. This meant big seas on our beam, which made the ride very uncomfortable as the waves slapped the side of the boat and we were falling off their fronts. I was lying down seasick and couldn't keep any food down for the first 2 days and couldn't stand watch. Jim was a good boater and took over, sleeping on and off all day and night and keeping all the watches. Thankfully, after 2 days the high pressure had moved to the east, the wind died down a bit and shifted to the east, and came more over our stern. The ride got a lot more comfortable and I felt better and could do my watches. We pushed pretty hard for the rest of the way, as we couldn't wait to see the first continent since we left Mexico. Two days out of Australia, about 250 miles, we had an Australian customs plane fly over and radio us on the VHF. We were so excited, we must have sounded like we hadn't spoken to another human in months. The official asked for our names and boat info, but he couldn't tell us if the hurricane near the Solomon Islands was coming our way or not. Just doing his job. We kept marveling that the plane was going to the same place we were, but he would be there in hours while we still had 2 days. Our first sight of land was at night, when we could see the glow of the city lights! We started to lose the wind, and we were so eager that we started the engine instead of waiting for the wind like we would normally do. It was a long night of navigating through the shoals and reefs outside Moreton Bay. Once inside the bay, we had to continue following a narrow channel because the bay has shoals all over. By 6 am we were near the entrance to Manly Harbor; the wind picked up and we started sailing again. We called the coast guard at 8 am to check in. The officials were very friendly, told us where to tie up for inspection, and came to meet us there. We were inspected, stamped in and released from quarantine. We had officially arrived.

My cousin Angel and her husband Robin and daughter Gabby, live on the Gold Coast near where we were keeping our boat in Australia. We were lucky to be able to stay with them and spend about a month together. It was a lot of fun having Christmas with them, hanging out, sightseeing, and playing with Gabby.

I will be putting some photos of our stay in Australia on www.flickr.com/photos/svserenity.

2007-05-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

New Caledonia is our last stop before Australia. For the most part we were checking the weather and trying to decide when to leave. We are docked here in Noumea.

We did visit the post office.

And the cultural center.

2007-05-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Pumice. We left Tonga after nearly two weeks waiting for weather. As we approached Fiji, more and more areas of pumice appeared. Errupting underwater volcanoes were the cause of the pumice. We tried not to use the engine when there was pumice around, because we worried that it would get sucked into the engine and damage it.

On the way to Fiji two sections of our roller furler came apart, eventually rubbing through the jib and causing a tear. Our main goal in Fiji became fixing this sail.

Savu Savu Harbor, our first landfall in Fiji

This is the anchorage where we ran aground on a submerged reef as we looked for a spot to anchor. Luckily, our boat wasn't damaged. We stopped here overnight on our way to Lautoka, the nearest city with a sailmaker. We anchored next to this container ship, the only other boat there. That night, the wind picked up to 25 knots and it blew that way for about a week. Because the wind between islands can get funneled to much greater speeds, we stayed in another nearby anchorage waiting for that weather to pass.

Finally made it to Lautoka. We are in Vuda Point Marina, a hurricane hole, because of an early hurricane that was headed towards Fiji. It dissipated about 150 miles from Fiji, but not before hitting Vanuatu.

Got the sail repaired!!

2007-05-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

There are 2 fewer piglets on Niuatoputapu.

Feasting with cruisers. Pictured are woman from Noa, Jean-Marc and Joanne, Jim (L to R). In background is girl from Kika.

2007-05-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite spot on the whole island of Niuatoputapu: the fresh water spring in the center of town.

2007-05-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is Niuatoputapu, Tonga! Lots of pigs, goats, pandanus, mangoes.

We were befriended by three Tongan girls as we walked back to the anchorage from town. They invited us into their home, showed us their tapa cloth, gave us gifts of shells, and invited us to go for a walk up the mountain. They also asked if we had any fashion magazines, makeup, music or movies.

Hiking with the girls. After bushwhacking directly up the side of the mountain, first through people's papaya fields and then through the jungle, we stopped for cheese and crackers at the top.

View of the from the top

Our friends hiked the whole way barefooted.

2007-05-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

Pago Pago anchorage

Samoan friends and Dave and Julie at the bus stop

Hiking trail head

Hiking with Dave and Julie

Surveying the quicksand lake

2007-05-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Arriving in PagoPago, American Samoa. It had been a rough passage; lots of wind and rain from the stern. The sun came out on the morning of our arrival. We were looking forward to eating out, a hot shower, laundry and shopping! We were greeted by American Customs officials, and a $150 US entry fee.

The "public dock" in PagoPago, where there is no one in charge and we were able to tie up for one night. We learned about the resident rats, almost chafed through our lines, and ran aground at low tide.

We sent a package home from this U.S. Post Office. It arrived sometime after we did.

These 2 photos show the entrance to the natural harbor of PagoPago, the crater of a sunken volcano. It is even more protected where it curves around towards the bottom right corner.

2007-02-27T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is Suwarrow, part of the Cook Islands. It is an atoll that is a marine reserve, so only a park warden and his family live here for 6 months of the year. There are about 7 islands in this atoll. We anchored behind one of them.

Sea urchin skeleton.

Crystal clear water has lots of fish and sharks.

A ship wreck on the reef is decaying slowly. Jim is looking for spare parts.

2007-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

All photos taken in Suwarrow:

Coconut crab. Can climb coconut trees and eat coconuts.

Jim with Dave and Julie (s/v La Vie) going on a dinghy ride.

Baby frigate bird.

There are no people on this island, only birds. They fill the air with chirps as they fly.

2006-08-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

Finally we update the blog! Internet access has been limiting. We have posted about 20 photos (out of many) below.

2006-08-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

To the South Pacific We left Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on March 22, 2006 for the passage across 2700 miles of ocean to the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. We arrived on April 17, after 27 days at sea. It was a real test of endurance. We were so happy to arrive. The passage was long and tiring, marked by the changing weather. We had days of no wind and days with lots of wind, as well as many squalls once we crossed the equator. Near the equator we had some beautiful sailing days, with flat seas which were rare on the rest of the trip. I will never forget the feeling of out-thereness I had out there on such a little boat, knowing there was only ocean for thousands of miles around. We broke our boom in half on day 13. What a shock. Luckily, with so much downwind sailing we did ok with just the headsail.

We slowly made our way west through French Polynesia, stopping in each island group. Every one was beautiful. We are now in Papeete, Tahiti, where we have been for about a month finishing repairs and maintenance. We are getting ready to move on. We have decided to make our way to Australia. We have about 2 months to get there before cyclone season. Not a lot of time, but we should still be able to see a bit along the way. Our current plan is to stop in Suvarov (Cook Islands), Samoa, Fiji and New Caledonia on the way to Australia.

2006-08-13T23:18:00.001-07:00

Getting ready for the passage.

Our GPS at the equator.

Equator crossing! We offered Mexican beer and Nerds Rope to Neptune.

2006-08-13T23:12:00.000-07:00

A squall coming for us.

Hand steering in the squall. Don't I look happy.

Rainbow after the squall.

2006-08-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Jim catches a mahi mahi. We let it go because it was too big for just the 2 of us and no refrigeration to store the leftovers.

Sunset in the middle of the Pacific.

Tasty flying fish that landed on the boat in the middle of night became our lunch the next day.

LAND HO! First sight of land after 27 days. We shed tears of joy.

2006-08-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

All of these photos are in the Marquesas.

Marquesas welcome party that greeted us. They are so nice out here!

Anaho Bay on Nuku Hiva island. What a great spot! So protected, so calm, with beautiful blue water and good snorkeling. Other than that there is nothing here. The locals come for pig hunting.
The spires of Ua Pou island are so dramatic.

This is Hana Moe Noa anchorage on Tahuata island, another idyllic spot we loved.

2006-08-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

The lagoon of Manihi atoll in the Tuamotus at sunset. When the weather is good, it can be wonderfully calm and peaceful like this. Great snorkeling weather!

We saw all sorts of animals while snorkeling in the Tuamotus. The water is so clear, you can see to the bottom in over 40 feet, and take photos like this one. This is an octopus about the size of a backpack.

I'm wearing a pareau, traditional clothing for the women here.

2006-08-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad visited us in Tahiti. We took them to Moorea, where we are eating pastries in this photo. Their trip was good, but too short.

We went to see the stingrays while in Moorea. We swam in the water with them and they come up to you and you can touch them. It is quite an experience to be so near such large animals.

2006-08-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

We finally fix the boom! The gray patch in the middle is where the splice is. (Papeete, Tahiti)

Jim takes a self portrait from the spreaders. He is up there to check the rig. (Papeete, Tahiti)

2006-02-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

The Jungle River Ride in San Blas The jungle is full of crocodiles, raccoons, iguanas, a snake, and lots of birds. Also a lot of other boats doing the jungle tour, scaring the wildlife away before your boat gets there.

2006-02-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Serenity anchored in the estuary of San Blas We are right in the center of the photo. When the tides are running, the currents in the estuary are around 3 knots and make the boat feel like its moving.

San Blas estuary at sunset

2006-02-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Isla Isabella Frigate birds

Blue-footed booby birds

2006-02-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

Isla Isabella Our first stop after we left Mazatlan was Isla Isabella, a bird sanctuary. There are thousands of birds here, mostly frigates and boobies. Makes it seem like there's no other place for birds to go, because they're all here.
We hiked, bushwhacked I mean, around the island with Tim from Bogtrotter. Look at all the birds! They are amazing in their number.

A boobie's perspective of the anchorage.

2006-02-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

Leaving Mazatlan We finally left on January 23, 2006 after 5 weeks. We are sailing in the company of Califia, who has taken our photo just outside of Mazatlan.

2006-01-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

Copper Canyon We finally escaped from the sea to explore the Sierra Mountains of Chihuahua. This large region includes five canyons including the Copper Canyon (Barranca del Cobre). In order to see as much of the beautiful scenery as possible we were in constant motion. We traveled by bus, train, bike, truck and foot. The bus took 7.5 hours from Mazatlan to Los Mochis, where we spent the night. Los Mochis isn’t a tourist town and we had a very nice evening there. We walked through an old neighborhood buying dinner piecemeal from street vendors. We ate churros, really good fresh hot tamales and champurrado (which is a hot chocolate drink). Everything was excellent. We passed a church with a sign that said "God wants to talk to you, but not on your cellphone, please turn it off." We think a girl was having her birthday party for turning 15. That is a big deal, everyone was dressed like it was a wedding. It looked like a wedding except there was no groom and the girl looked too young. We went back to our hotel and watched Texas beat USC in a very exciting Rose Bowl. The next day we got on the train at 7am for a ride on what has been called the world’s most scenic railway. It went over and through the mountains. We saw rivers, lakes, steep mountainsides, lush valleys, passed over bridges and through tunnels to climb about 7000 feet from sea level to evergreen forest. We arrived in Creel, a small town that is a center for exploring the Copper Canyon area, and we headed for the hotel/hostel Casa Margarita. We met many travelers at dinner, which is taken together in a large dining room at the hostel. Meeting the interesting people there was one of the highlights of the trip.

We spent 4 fast days at Copper Canyon. We mountain biked in the Complejo Ecoturistico Arareko, an ejido or communal landholding of the Tarahumara Indians that live in the area. They seem to be living in between the traditional primitive lifestyle of their ancestors and the modern civilization that is springing up around them. It is interesting to see the practices they have adopted, such as shopping in town for potato chips and Coca Cola, while at the same time keeping the traditional clothing such as the leather tie-on sandals that they wear in such cold weather. We bought a bracelet and a belt from some children that were selling their own handmade crafts near the Valley of the Frogs.

For the next two days we shared the cost of renting a truck with 3 others that we met at Casa Margarita and drove down to the town of Batopilas at the bottom of the canyon. Alex from Melbourne, Australia, and Dawn and Richard from Eureka, CA were our companions. The only other economical way to Batopilas is on the public bus, which doesn’t stop to let you take photos, so the truck gave us the freedom we wanted. It was a fantastic ride, reminiscent of our off-roading in Tibet, on a bumpy dirt road with spectacular views. Jim and Richard did a good job of driving. It took us all day to get to Batopilas, including a stop for a picnic lunch at the side of the switchback road. Batopilas is a narrow town built along the river at the bottom of the canyon. Only one car fits on most of the roads there because they are so narrow. We also learned from a Frenchman who has been living there for 9 years that 97% of the town is supported by drug dealing, which explains why there are 12-year-olds driving new SUVs around town. We spent the night at Hotel Mary for $10 US per person. We woke up early the next morning to hike to Satevo and see the "Lost Cathedral," which was built for some unknown reason far from any civilization. Then it was time for the drive back to Creel, another 5-hour ride on the dirt road.

We spent the night in Creel, sharing a room with Alex at another hotel because Casa Margarita was full, before beginning the 2-day journey back to Mazatlan. The next morning we took the bus to Divisadero, the next stop on the train route, so we could spend some more time than the 15 minutes the train spends there. This is the only town on the train ride where you can actually see into the canyon; the rest of the time you are skirting it but don’t have a chance to see down. There is not much in Divisadero, just one hotel, the Tarahumara Indians selling their baskets, scarves and jewelry, and the food vendors selling gorditas, taquitos, quesadillas and burritos. They cook on upside down metal barrels with a pine wood fire inside, and the food is good. We picked up the train when it passed through and rode to La Fuerte, arriving around 8 pm. We left the next morning after a brief walk around the old fort for which the town is named. The fort is situated at the junction of 5 rivers; the town was founded in 1564 and still has many picturesque colonial style buildings. After the bus to Los Mochis, we boarded another bus for Mazatlan, the "direct" bus, which still made 4 or 5 stops, not including the ones to pick up passengers from the side of the road.

We are now readjusting from land to boating life, a transition that still takes us some time. It is slowly hitting us that our time in Mexico is running out, and we have a big trip to prepare for. We are starting to make provisioning lists and complete the rest of the boat projects that are much easier to do at a marina.

Other photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/svserenity/.

2006-01-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

Mazatlan We have had fun here, surfing, walking the old market and historic district of Mazatlan, hanging out with our friends on Epifania and Sohcahtoa, and spending Christmas somewhere warm. Most recently, my parents spent a week visiting us here; we had a good time with them. It feels like we just arrived, but we have been in Mazatlan for almost one month. It has given us much needed time to relax, recharge our batteries (literally and figuratively), and get us excited to be out sailing again and seeing some more out of the way places. It is easy to get used to a place and get stuck, so we are looking forward to getting going again. See other Mazatlan photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/svserenity/.

Christmas Eve in Old Mazatlan.

Jim buys a donut at Juarez Market.

Jim stands up on his surfboard for a split second, but he sure looks good.

Jim, Mom and Dad at the community park next to the aquarium.

2005-12-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

December 17, 2005 So happy to arrive in Mazatlan

2005-12-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

See more photos of our stay in Los Frailes at http://www.flickr.com/photos/svserenity/
Click on the photo group "Mexico."

Matt framed by cactus We hiked to the Los Frailes peak with Matt from Sohcahtoa. I get a great photo as he takes a rest.

Los Frailes anchorage There were about 20 boats anchored, all waiting for the wind and waves to subside before heading north to La Paz or across the Sea of Cortez. It was a great place to wait, with plenty of hiking and snorkeling to keep us busy.

2005-12-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

Pelican This guy landed on our dinghy in Cabo San Lucas and stayed for a while. He had trouble keeping his balance since the anchorage is so rolly.

2005-12-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Arrival in Cabo San Lucas at daybreak I am still alive after being sick all night.

The distinctive arch and rocks off Cabo San Lucas rise out of the water The harbor lies behind the rocks. There is a schooner between the rocks, as well as a cruise ship that can't be seen in these photos. We anchored behind the rocks and in very close to the beach.

2005-12-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

On the beach at Bahia Santa Maria

Sandollars all over the beach

And crabs making little balls of sand

Jim tries to catch crabs but they are too small for eating.

2005-12-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Zorro of the Westsail 32 Patience hiking with us and Lee, his owner, at Bahia Santa Maria.

Serenity and Patience Serenity (right) and Patience (left) are anchored side by side and photographed from the mountainside. Patience is being singlehanded by Lee from Mexico to Hawaii and he has outfitted her with extreme thoughtfulness and attention to detail. He has redone much of her interior himself and it looks warm and homey not to mention expertly done. It was inspiring to us to see such a beautiful Westsail.

2005-12-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

Bahia Santa Maria photographed from the mountainside during our hike with Lee from the Westsail 32 Patience. The anchorage can accomodate hundreds of boats as the bay is so large. You can see the few boats that were there at this time, maybe 10 of them. The top photo shows the entrance to the lagoon where the small fish camp is situated. From where we are standing, we could see both the bay and the Pacific Ocean.

2005-12-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

More Turtle Bay birds Cormorants in beautiful formation cross the bay.

2005-12-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

Pelicans diving for fish in Turtle Bay The big splash is from a pelican that just dove. To me, they look like mosquitoes because of their long beaks as they point down into the water. There were often hundreds of pelicans doing this at dusk every night.

2005-12-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

Jim catches a bonito underway from Ensenada to Turtle Bay. It was caught with a purple-feathered squid-shaped lure and pulled in easily with a hand line. We don't like to kill things, so we weren't quite sure what to do with it at first. But we did what we had to and were able to eat 2 good meals.

Concentrating in the big wind we encountered just before arriving in Turtle Bay. Under reefed main, we were surfing waves and trying to keep them on our stern. Winds were sustained 20 knots with gusts to 40 knots, as reported on the radio by other boats near us.

2005-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

The blog shows our most recent photos, but click on a photo in the Flickr link to the right to see some pictures taken during the six months we spent in California before coming to Mexico. They begin on the day we bought the boat and show highlights from our trips to Catalina and Santa Cruz Islands.

2005-11-16T17:27:00.000-08:00

Baja 1000 Race activities The race is a 1000 mile loop beginning and ending in Ensenada. This guy had the longest line of fans waiting for autographs, but we don't know him.

Many types of cars participate, including Volkswagen beetles. Alegedly, Lance Armstrong is riding in one of the cars.

2005-11-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

Life raft's temporary home until it's repacked in a soft valise It is bolted down in the V berth. We will have it repacked once we get to Mazatlan.

2005-11-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Favorite tacos de adobada stand on Calle 6 and Ave. Gastelum

Grilled pork, onions, cilantro and hot sauce in a corn tortilla.

2005-11-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Jim and crew of Epiphania overlooking Ensenada harbor

2005-11-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Panoramic view of Ensenada harbor taken from a nearby hill at sunset

2005-11-10T23:10:00.000-08:00

Wiring for wind generator

Wind generator completed

2005-11-10T22:54:00.000-08:00

Ensenada flag When entering the harbor, you can see this flag from several miles away. It stands near the center of the harbor. We use it to find our way back to the boat when we are walking around town.

2005-11-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Jim at the helm as we leave San Diego. It is cold, and got even colder that night.

2005-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

Departing San Diego for Ensenada, Mexico at about 5 pm. Islas de Los Coronados are in the distance, the first sight of Mexico. We were under sail for a few more hours after this, then the wind died and we started the engine.