Captain's Log September 3, 2009

Captain's Log September 3, 2009
Barbara did not believe I would ever sit down and write another log. So that was a challenge I couldn't refuse. I just looked to see when I wrote last and it was in April before we took off from New Zealand. It would be foolish and probably pretty boring for me to tell all so I will just stay with the high points.
Our first stop after leaving New Zealand was Fiji. You could sail there for a lifetime and never see it all. Perfect Islands with white sand beaches and swaying palm trees and water so clear you thought you could see over a hundred feet under water. The reefs were abundant with fish and the coral was the healthiest we had seen in the South Pacific. We spent almost 3 months in Fiji and only sailed the western side of the islands. So much to see and so little time. With all that there were 3 things that really stood out in my mind about Fiji. Kava, the reefs, and the Manta Rays.
Kava, for those that are not familiar with this island drink, is a root that is ground up into a powder mixed with water and then drank. In Fiji it is customary that when you anchor off a village you go into the village and seek out the chief and present him with kava (sevu sevu) as a token of appreciation for him letting you anchor off his village. So, for us to present kava we needed to go to the market and buy the kava. Not hard to find because half the market is people selling kava. As they are selling they are drinking the stuff so you can have free samples. I forgot to mention kava taste like dirty dish water or maybe drinking from a mud puddle. It is really awful stuff. Being that I am not a sissy you have to step up and drink it like you like it. When we found the perfect place to buy our kava, we settle on a price, and how much we want. Since we were new to this our cab driver came with us and helped us negotiate. The next important point is how it is wrapped so it can be presented to the Chief. The roots with dirt and all are wrapped in newspaper and tied with ribbon in such a way as to look like a bouquet of flowers. The newspaper has to be wrapped a certain way and the ribbon has to be very tight as to hold it all together. I can't make this stuff up. Our cab driver, Dole, didn't think the guy was doing it right so he took over which caused a little disturbance at the mart. We got 3 bundles weighing about ½ kg each. We are ready to find a village and present. By the way, our 3 bundles of dried out roots cost about $30 US.
We had some friends join us on the boat for a week and we thought it would be perfect to seek out a village on one of the remote islands and present our Kava to the Chief. Our search led us to the island of Waya in the Yasawa Group. The main village was on the south end of the island so we were hoping to find the chief there. After anchoring Sandy and I went ashore to present our Gift of Kava and ask permission to anchor in the bay. Not sure where to look we just wandered into the village. We saw some villagers sitting under a shelter and we ask them where the chief was. One of the elderly looking guys stood up and said he was the chief. His name was Big John and didn't look very chiefly to me but what do I know and I certainly wasn't going to argue with him. After introductions and some small talk we presented our Kava to the Chief. He took it and prayed some ancient blessing over it and we were now free to go through the village and anchor in the bay. We asked if we could come back later and bring our wives. He said that was good and we left. We were a little miffed that we didn't get to sit and have Kava with the Chief but didn't want to get pushy. So, at about 4pm we all came ashore. Normally women do not drink kava so we weren't sure if Debra and Barbara would be invited to stay. As soon as we got into the village we were escorted to the shelter, where Sandy and I first met the Chief. We were invited to sit on the dirt floor and they went to get the Chief. His hut was next to where we were sitting so we could tell they were trying to wake him up from his nap. Chiefs nap and do nothing all day so they can drink Kava all night. They finally got him up and after introductions again the kava was mixed with the water and about 5 guys sat down with us and the chief to do Kava. The girls were invited to stay so we are set to have our Kava. We all sit in a big circle with your legs crossed. I really didn't think my body could get in that position. There is one guy in the middle that tends to the kava. He mixes it and pours it when the chief says to. They started with me since I was the Captain, what respect. There is one coconut shell that everyone drinks from. When they dip it into the bowl they ask you "high or low tide", which translates to how much do you want? Being that I am the captain I say high tide, he then fills the shell to the top and hands it over. Everyone then claps and says "bula bula" and you drink the cup in one gulp. That's probably a good thing because if you stopped you might not want to finish. You hand the bowl back to the guy and they fill the bowl for the next person. When everyone has had their turn everything stops and you talk with everyone. Side bar discussions go on and questions are asked and generally everyone communicates. After about 10 minutes the chief barks out some orders and the next round of drinking starts. This will go on for about 7 rounds or longer depending on how much kava was made. By this time my legs and back are numb from sitting crossed leg on the hard ground. I am really ready to go back to the boat and have a beer but you can't leave until the Chief says we are done. We started this at about 4pm and we didn't get done till about 7. Kava affects everyone a little differently but generally it numbs your lips, tounge, and throat. You will have some slurring of your words and maybe a little difficulty walking but you will really sleep well. And it only takes about 3 days to get the taste out of your mouth. Fiji kava is not real strong unlike Vanuatu kava which is very strong - two or three times more potent. Kava is also an appetite suppressant. You can tell the villagers who drink a lot are real skinny. Most villages forbid alcohol use in the villages so the only game in town is Kava. In Fiji kava is ceremonial and has a prescribed way to be used. In Vanuatu the Kava is stronger and there are kava bars everywhere. Go in the bar get a cup and have at it. No chief and no Bula Bula. More than you ever wanted to know about Kava.
Bear with me I know this is a long log. In Fiji we got to swim with the Manta Rays. Last summer we swam with whales this summer the Mantas. What an awesome experience. We did the swim in a pass between 2 islands. The pass narrows and forces all the fish and nutrients in the water through a small break and at high tide the water is rushing through the pass at about 6 mph. What we did was go to the upstream side and jump in the water and just let the current take us through the pass. When you get in the water and put your head down and start snorkeling you see thousand of fish. All there for the same reason to feed or be eaten by the bigger fish. As you drift along suddenly you see this huge manta with a wing span of about 10-12 ft moving effortlessly up stream. I tried to turn and go with them but the current was too much. It's not long and another and another goes by you. Some get so close you think they might hit you. You are awed by their size and how graceful they are. After about 30 minutes it is over. All the fish and Mantas are gone. I have to say that was truly a highlight for me this summer.
The last big thought from me on Fiji was how difficult it was to sail in Fiji waters. What makes it so difficult is there are coral reefs and rock out-croppings everywhere. What makes it even more interesting is some of this nasty stuff is not even included in your charts. When you went island hopping you never went if it was cloudy or overcast. You needed to be able and see what was in the water and you never ventured out after dark. The rule was always making sure when you were sailing to do so in daylight and good weather. Even following that simple rule was not a guarantee that you would be unscathed. There are many boats each year that end up on the reefs or have some encounter with the reefs and coral heads. I tell this because I was a victim. I just turned into a pass too soon and the bottom got us. After I made the turn I saw I made a mistake and started backing down trying to go back where we had come from as quick as I could but the momentum of the boat was enough to take us into the reef. Only the front section of the keel was touched and we were able to escape without any real damage just some of the bottom paint scratched off. After the escape and getting back on track it was time to clean my drawers and thank all the Fijian gods and all other gods for saving us. I still have nightmares about that. It is now time to anchor and drink all the beer on the island.
After 3 months in Fiji on August 6th it was off to the islands of Vanuatu. I will update you on that in my next report. This is Destiny, WDD8870, standing by on 1 6.

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Captain's Log June 14, 2009

Captains Log June 14, 2009
Just a brief recap. Barb and I left New Zealand on May 3rd to head north to our next land fall, Fiji. We did the crossing (1,067 miles) in 8 days, one and a half hours. Not a record time but exactly what we had predicted. We had great weather and a beautiful bright moon to cruise with. It would have been nice to have had a little more wind but better that than too much. As it turned out we used about 60 gallons of fuel and sailed the boat 52% of the time which is below our average of about 70%. The other, very significant, thing about this crossing was that the boat had zero mechanical issues. In fact it has now been almost 3 months since anything has broken and or needed servicing on the boat. If this keeps up I am going to get way to lazy because there is nothing to fix. Some of you who read this want to know how we did in the area of fishing on this crossing. We caught 4 good size fish that gave us some great dinners over the passage. Nothing better than fresh fish. From ocean to dinner plate in less than 2 hours.
We are currently on the Island of Malolo Lailai at Musket Cove Resort off the SW coast of the southern Island of Fiji. We have used this as sort of our home base for side trips in exploring the island groups in western Fiji. We go out for a week or a few days and then come back to regroup and replenish and then head back out. Musket Cove is a resort but is also a cruisers paradise. They make it so easy to stay here that you never want to leave. People asked us what we are doing and it is hard to answer that question because we don't do much of anything. Typical day goes something like this: Get up about 7 and have coffee and watch the sun rise. We read a book until about 10 and then go to shore to the pool. We get our lounge chairs on the beach and read more of our books. Sometime around 1 we get some lunch. After lunch we go back to our chairs read and take a nap. Sometimes we add in a walk on the beach and look for shells. About 4 we go back to the boat. We then sit on the back of the boat and watch the sunset have dinner read and go to bed about 9:30. We have now been here for a month and it doesn't get old. The really good part of this is not only is everything pretty inexpensive but the dollar is $.45 per Fijian dollar. In other words everything is half price.
If the weather is good tomorrow we will leave for a 2 week tour of some of the islands. As we do our islands hoping we never leave a place before 9 and we are always at anchor by 2. If we like a spot we stay for 2-3 days before moving on. If the weather turns bad we don't move until the sun comes back out. Biggest reason for that is we have to be able to see the coral heads and reefs in the water. Some of the reefs and coral formations are not charted so we have to be extra careful.
So that's what we are up to these days. We sort of feel like we are in slow motion. Not much going on and that is exactly how we like it. Until next time this is Destiny clear and back to 1 6.

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Captain's Log May 19, 2009

Captain's Log May 19, 2009
We left New Zealand on Sunday, May 3rd headed for Fiji. Always an exciting time when we leave port for a distant land we have never been to before. The next 8 days were pretty uneventful. Everything on the boat performed as designed and there were no mechanical problems that I had to deal with. For most of the trip we were within a few miles of several boats which made for a comforting trip knowing someone is close by makes a fun journey. I think more than that our weather was really outstanding the whole way. In fact if we were drawing a perfect picture for a perfect passage we could have used a little more wind. Other than that we had a full Captains Log May 19, 2009
moon and clear skies all the way. The Sailing Gods were kind to us and we appreciated their good favor.

We arrived one hour later than our posted ETA which we had to declare (best estimate) before we left New Zealand. The boats we left with all guessed at their ETA's with the winner getting a prize so we won. We are now on a mooring in Musket Cove on the island of Malolo Lailai. The island is located about 15 miles off the SW coast of the Main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. The resort of Musket Cove could not be more accommodating. Everything we need is right here and all the people in the resort make it a point to call you by name whenever they see you. If that isn't enough it takes $2.20 Fiji dollars to equal one US dollar. We just might never leave.

Lest we forget the risk and reward of what we do and how we get from one place to another one of our fellow cruiser's boat sank. We don't know all the details yet but it seems that he had a problem with his steering which turned into them taking on water, not sure how all that was related but that was what was reported. They could not find the source of the leak and within 2 hours the boat was 6,000 ft on the bottom. Steve and Wendy were both able to have time to board another boat that was close by so good news here is that only a boat was lost. This is the 3rd boat in 8 months, that we have been associated with, that has sunk. Very humbling and brings to the forefront the need to take care of the boat, don't cut corners and always be on the lookout for possible problems. Sorry to report a sad detail of what we do.
There is currently a coup going on in Fiji but you would never know it. Most of the islanders could care less. We went over to Nadi on the main island yesterday and it was business as usual. When we asked the cab driver about the political unrest he just said he wasn't interested in that sort of thing and didn't like to dwell on those negative issues. Life goes on.

As you can probably tell we are very happy here and it could almost be defined as a true paradise. Still not sure what our plans are but at the moment we are happy to sit at anchor and we have no plans to leave in the foreseeable future. This is Destiny clear returning to 1 6.

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Captains log April 19, 2009,
I have not fallen overboard and yes it is really me updating my log. Been a few months so I will start out by saying how sorry I am about taking so long to get back to my loyal followers. But I will try to catch you up on what's happening with me, Barb and the boat.
The boat is doing great. We have spent some time and money on getting everything ship shape before we head out in a couple of weeks. The two main things we did was have the bottom of the boat repainted and added a new water maker. There were a lot of other things that were addressed but I will spare you all the details. If you are a regular reader of my log you know the problems we had last year with the H2O maker. Making water this year and for years to come will be trouble free. I am very happy I don't have to spend countless hours upside down in the bilge working on our water maker. I will keep you posted but I will stay optimistic no matter what. In the following logs I will update you on the boat and fill you in on some of the other additions we made to the safety and comfort of Destiny.
Hopefully if you're reading my log you are also following along with Barbara's log. In the past week she has worked hard to bring everyone up to date on our stay in New Zealand and our travels back to the states during the holidays. I don't read Barb's blog but if she didn't tell you, she is hard at work getting the boat provisioned. When we leave here it will be the last time we have access to decent grocery stores until we get back to New Zealand in November. To understand what a daunting task that is envision doing your grocery shopping once for the rest of the year. I try to stay out of her way because she really does a great job. We want for nothing. Other than getting that chore done we are both ready to go sailing.
Our plan right now is to leave here around the 2nd of May and head north to Fiji. If you have read recent news on Fiji there has been a coup going on. Since we are not going to any of the main cities we should be OK. If all goes well we should make the passage in about 8 days. After we get to Fiji we really have no idea what we will do next except to go back to New Zealand in November.
We have really enjoyed our stay in New Zealand. This is a beautiful country with a great deal to see and do. If you don't have New Zealand on your future travel plans you really should make it one. I also want to say how great the people are. In our short stay here we have met some great people who will remain our friends for years to come.
That's it for right now. Till next time this is Destiny back to 1 6.

Captain's Log November 23, 2008

My guess is that no one really reads these anymore because I am not very consistent at writing but for what it is worth thought I would share a few of my thoughts. These last six weeks have probably been the most fun and rewarding of the whole trip. A few of my takeaways…

By far the greatest thrill was swimming with the whales. You have to remember that even though you pay to swim with them there is no guarantee that you will get that close or even see one. The day started out rather chilly (relative for this area) overcast and rainy. If we did see them picture taking would not be very good. They don't want any more than 4 swimmers and a guide in the water at a time once we spot the whales. On our boat that meant there was to be 2 groups. Barbara and I got in
group 1 only by chance I swear. We see a whale and into the water we go. We are supposed to stay with the guide and make sure if the whale surfaces near us to avoid the tail section. That is pretty obvious when you see the tale of a whale up close. One flick of their tale would probably crush you. Not easy to stay up with our Tongan guide who swims with whales for a living. Also hard to keep up when you've got a camera in one hand and you're wearing fins that are about 2x too small. The guide
points down and about 80 ft below the surface you can see the white underbelly of an enormous whale however the mask makes everything look 30% bigger. They start to come up but moving away from us. We kick and swim as hard as we can to catch up to them but we are no match for the whales. They do surface but just long enough to put their tails high in the air and dive down again. They might stay down for 30 minutes or longer. It was a close encounter but really no photo ops. I guess at that point
I would have felt that I got my money's worth. I mean I was in the water swimming and a whale was also swimming very nearby. As advertised Swim with the Whales. Time for group 2. The boat moves into position and off they go. The whales were not interested in swimming with us. OK, this goes on all day group 1 has not been in the water but 1 time. The whales were enjoying staying on the bottom and only occasionally coming to the surface. It was now about 4pm time; to start heading home. Suddenly
one of the whales comes up about 50 yards from the boat. Group 1 is ready to go and into the water we go. It is raining and overcast but who cares I am again in the water with whales. I am trying very hard to stay up with our born to swim in the water Tongan guide. As we move into position the whales dive deep and we can do nothing except float on the surfacing waiting. About 20 minutes goes by the clouds clear, the sun comes out, and the sky is blue and suddenly the whales begin to surface.
I say suddenly, because this huge creature covers a great deal of ocean in a very short period of time. I get the camera ready and look down. Right below me the whale is heading straight for me. All I could think about is get a good picture and don't get hit by the tail. As she surfaced I could almost reach out and touch her. Once on the surface she turns on her back and then back on her stomach. She knows we are there and is very careful not to hit us. She looked me right in the eye and
said, "how ya doing?" I thought I would hyperventilate I was breathing so hard trying to stay with the guide, the whales and take pictures. We tried to stay with them but they were off to the bottom and we were in awe. Tonga is only one of 2 countries that allow humans to be in the water that close to whales. Wouldn't surprise me if it were banned there also in a few years. Whatever they decide I had my shot and something that I will never forget. Barbara and I were very lucky to have had
the opportunity. WOW, still gets to me, just thinking about it.

The sea giveth and we taketh, brings me to my second big take away. I finally catch a fish. Eat your heart out David Topolnicki. David always goes up to Canada in the spring to catch fish. He comes home with a car load of fish and all sorts of fish stories and pictures. I am jealous. Well after nearly 6,000 miles on the open ocean I can say I finally caught and landed a fish. It was about a 25lb Mahi Mahi, which these waters are full of. What a great thrill. I was getting pretty discouraged
with my fishing prowess. In fact Barb had to really get after me to put the line in the water this time. It was a beautiful sailing day I wasn't sure I wanted to ruin it by not catching another fish. Up to that point we had caught fish but were never successful in getting them aboard. Not this time. I was prepared and ready to bring up almost any size fish. I had decided to fish with 200 lb test line, just tied to the back of the boat no rod no reel. If I caught something there was no chance
it could break the line and swim off with another lure. It would be just me the fish and a line. Then the big fishing story here is when we left Tonga to sail to New Zealand. The Opua Cruising Club was hosting a rally for arriving yachts and one of the events there was a contest to see who could catch and land the biggest fish during the passage. I came in second with my next catch a 53 ½" long Mahi Mahi. First place went to a guy who caught an 8 foot black Marlin. I was very happy to have placed
I am now able to say we can live off the sea. We are becoming very self sufficient.

Last takeaway was our passage from Tonga to New Zealand. Historically this section of ocean can be very unpredictable weather-wise. Like everyone else we watched weather forecast and weather maps. We paid for a passage weather routing service and we discussed strategy with other cruisers. The big problem is that about every 5 to 7 days another front passes through and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you get hit. Proper planning and a lot of luck go a long way. We finally decided
to head out with a pretty good weather window. The first part of our passage was pretty benign. A good bit of it was light wind and we had to motor. After about 4 days we got word that we would probably get hit by a pretty bad squall with winds between 35-40 kts. We got the boat prepared for heavy weather and as predicted at almost the exact time they predicted the winds began to build. We lost our wind instruments a couple of months ago so we could not really tell how hard it was blowing but
it was more than we had ever seen in the past. As it continued to build we took all the sails in, pointed the boat to go with the wind , and left the main engine running at about 1000 RPMs to give us the ability to steer the boat on a straight course with the auto pilot on. Barbara and I retreated to the dry comfort of the main cabin of the boat and had the ride of a lifetime. The boat never went under 7kts and sometimes it was traveling much faster. We were headed west which just so happens
to be somewhat the direction we wanted to go. Didn't really matter we were at the mercy of the wind and waves. I looked outside at one point and saw our dinghy flying in the wind like it was a kite. I told Barbara there is no way our dinghy would make it till morning. One of the things you worry about in seas like this is that your boat will get going so fast down the back side of one wave that it will plow into the next wave and flip end over end. We never got going that fast. The storm hit
us around 11:30pm and at about 2 or 3 AM I estimated the winds to be in excess of 50 KTS. All we could do was ride the waves and wait for the storm to pass. By about 6 AM the wind and seas had relented a little but were still 30+ kits and the seas were still very high and seemingly coming at us from all directions. In our total amazement the dinghy had held on by 2 lines. The bad news here is that the seas were still so rough it would not be safe to go on deck to tie it down. I have to say it
was great to see sunlight the next morning. Even with the winds blowing at gale force we felt like we had seen the worst of it. As the front moved past us and we were able to talk to some of our fellow cruisers on our scheduled morning net it looked like we were the only boat to see the worst of the storm. Boats all around only had winds in the low 30's and the waves were manageable. After it was all said and done we were able to keep the dinghy but we lost 2 oars, a seat cushion and our American
flag. After the storm passed we were able to sail the boat at a very good speed toward New Zealand. No more motoring. The other positive here is that we were able to see what the boat could do under some very tough conditions. To me, it was very comforting to know that we are on such a seaworthy craft. All in all Destiny hardly blinked at what was thrown at her. Just the same Barbara and I hope to never have that experience again.

We have just spent a week and half in the Bay of Islands in NE New Zealand and are on our way to a marina in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. We will leave the boat and fly home for 2 months and plan our next year's journey. We are still excited about our next port wherever that might be. It is hard to believe we have come this far. We have learned a lot and we know we have more to learn but we are not rookies any more. It will be great to come home and see family and friends but we also look
forward to next year and where the winds will blow us. "This is Destiny going back to 16".

Captain's log for October 4th 2008...

and almost 2 months since my last update. We have been busy sailing the South Pacific and visiting some very interesting places. So here are a few of my thoughts.

We left Bora Bora and French Polynesia on August 16 and decided to head southwest toward Rarotonga the main island in the Cook Island chain. Can't say we were sorry to put French Polynesia on our stern because we were running out of money. The expense of staying there sort of takes the fun out of it. Don't get me wrong it is a great place to visit beautiful islands and people but maybe being there 3 months is a bit much. Sure glad we couldn't extend our visa now we can say; "been there done that".
We had a great sail to Rarotonga. Calm seas and light winds. Would have liked more wind but those were the cards dealt on this leg. This was a good time for us to unwind and relax from the hustle bustle of Bora Bora. The other good thing is that when we are away from land we aren't spending any money.

We arrived in Avatiu, Rarotonga the capital of The Cook Islands rested and ready to see a new land fall. Our first adventure here was getting situated in the harbor. It was required that you drop your anchor toward the middle of the bay, and then back the boat about 200 ft. up to this very large concrete sea wall and tie your stern lines to the wall keeping the boat at least 15 ft. from the wall so you don't crash into it when the weather gets rough. Thank goodness we had some of our cruising
friends there to help because it is a daunting task for 2 people. I do have to say Barbara did a great job setting the anchor and helping us tie up. She is really becoming quite the sailor. After getting the boat safely in place it was off to town. This is the first place we had been since leaving San Diego where the people speak English. So great to be able to communicate in English again. However, the biggest reward was the American dollar was now worth something. On the Cook Islands they
have their own money, only good in the Cook Islands, and the New Zealand dollar. One NZ dollar was 70 cents in US money so everything we bought there was at a 30% discount, yea! Just as a comparison the French Franc in French Polynesia cost $1.36 US. So, not only did the dollar go further but the cost of items was cheaper. We were really excited about being there. The people were great and acted like they were happy we were there, and it was a lush green tropical island. We stayed a week and
I think all but 1 day it rained. Can't complain we still had a great time. Rented a moped and circumnavigated the island, about 2 hours, went to their big open air market on Saturday and generally had a good time. After a week though it was time to move on. The weather calmed down enough for us to leave port and head off to our next port on the Island of Niue.
A big gold star if you know where Niue is on the map. Unless you have a detailed atlas there is a good chance it's not on your map. In fact we were considering bypassing this island and heading directly for Tonga. We changed our mind and decided it would be a good break in the passage to stop and spend a few days seeing a new place. We ended up staying 8 days. The people on the island, 1200, took us under their wing and treated us like royalty. When we first came ashore to check in with customs
the people from the yacht club picked us up and made sure everything was taken care of during check in and then they drove us around and showed us the island. The yacht club is a house in town with a big front porch and all the cruisers seemed to hang out there. They had a kitchen and if you wanted anything like a soft drink, beer, wine, or anything else you just helped yourself and then paid up when it was time to go, and all on a honor system. Another kind of different thing on this island was
that when you needed to get around on the island you just hitch hiked. The locals always stopped and picked you up and took you where you needed to go. We really enjoyed our stay here. We spent a day hiking along the coast line, did bingo with the locals at one of the local bars, I think everyone on the island attended, and hung out at the yacht club and caught up on the internet, which was free. We could have stayed longer but the weather and ocean was giving us a break so we thought we better
take advantage and move on to Tonga.

The passage to Tonga is just 240 miles and can really be a piece a cake or very rough. We caught it on a rough couple of days. The seas seemed to come at us from all directions and the winds were not strong enough to drive the boat through them. It was therefore our pleasure to enjoy a very rough 2 days at sea. Not life threatening just very uncomfortable. We didn't get much sleep but the passage was made a little more doable because we had an extra crew on board with us. Ryan, from Parker,
Co., was crewing on another boat and needed help getting to Tonga after his services were no longer required on his other boat. We agreed to get him to Tonga so he could pick up another boat and head to New Zealand. After his departure Barbara and I are much happier when it is just the 2 of us.

We got to Vava'u Tonga, the northern group of islands, in one piece and have enjoyed this place probably the best of all the places we have visited so far. The main city of Neiafu is centrally located on the island and from this spot you can go to about 40 different anchorages all within about an hour's time. If you want peace and quiet and the place to yourself there are plenty of spots or you can anchor with some of your sailing friends in other anchorages. When you come into the harbor at
Neiafu there are plenty of restaurants and stores to go to. What is really special is all our cruising friends we have met over the past 8 months are all here and it is great to get together with everyone and talk about all our experiences this year. Tonga and especially these islands are where the Humpback whales migrate to every winter to have their calves and mate. So, from July to October the waters are full of whales. Tonga is also one of only 2 places in the world where you can swim with
the whales. Barbara and I took one of the whale tours and had the good fortune to be able to get up close and personal to the whales. What an experience to be next to these giant creatures in their marine environment. That has got to be the highlight of our year.

It is now time to start heading south. Tomorrow, Monday, we start the last leg of our journey for 2008 and start working our way 1,000 miles south to New Zealand. We are again excited about a new land fall and new experiences. It will also be a good stopping place to come home and see family and friends.
This log report finds Destiny and crew all well and in working order. We have so many memories and so many more to make. With that this is Destiny back to 1-6.

Captain's log August 13, 2008

I admit it; I haven't done real well keeping you posted on what's going on. You have to understand it is very busy out here. Where will we snorkel today? What boat will we watch the sun set on? What's for dinner? Why is the moon so bright? Busy, Busy, Busy.
We are at the end of our stay in French Polynesia. Hard to believe it has been 3 months since we got here. If you read my last blog Barbara and I were a little down with all the boat mechanical problems. But soon after the last blog we got everything working and we have been that way ever since. Water maker completely is overhauled and working. In fact it is working and making water better now than it ever did. Our dinghy went to the dinghy hospital and had a major healing. The fuel leak fixed and nonexistent. All is well TODAY; tomorrow that can all change.
Our stay in all the islands has been very memorable. A few of my highlights. I will never forget the first land fall in the Marquesas. After being on the open ocean for 21 days and seeing the island of Fatu Hiva with its lush green valleys and mountains. What a welcome sight. It was a tremendous sense of accomplishment to sail that far and hit the target. The modern world of navigation is really great. The Marquesas were like going back in time very rural and rustic.
Our next stop was the Tuamotu's. We had a great time there because Barbara and I checked into a luxury resort hotel and stayed 3 days. These islands are very different because they are really reefs that have formed a big circle with a lagoon in the middle (called an atoll). The reef part has developed enough to support trees and land for growing things and a few villages. I don't think there is anything quite like these islands anywhere in the world. We were lucky to be able to spend a few days there. One of our highlights was doing a dive at one of the passes into the atoll of Rangiroa. They drop you off outside the pass and then the current swipes you through the pass and then they pick you up on the inside. The water on the surface is rough and the current is even rougher. Under the water it is a different world. It would be like swimming in an aquarium. The fish and coral are so abundant it literally takes your breath away.
After a few days we were off to the Society Islands with Tahiti being our first landfall. Seeing Tahiti for the first time was really inspiring. This is one of those life goals that were finally coming true. Barbara and I kept saying to each other, "we are in Tahiti". One of our main goals in Tahiti was to get the boat fixed and working again. We were very lucky to be able to get a slip in the largest marina in Papeete. Normally we anchor out from land but with what we needed to do to get the boat fixed it was great being at the marina. In 2 weeks we were all well and ready to go again.
From Tahiti we sailed to Moorea, just 10 miles but a world apart. This island is truly what you think about when you think about French Polynesia. The bays between the mountains and the reefs with all the colorful fish. We liked it so much we stayed here for 2 weeks. A high point for me was being able to swim with the Stingrays and sharks. Sounds pretty intense but was a very serene experience being a part of their world for a few moments. The rays would come right up to you and allow you to touch them. A really awesome experience.
During the middle of July we were blessed to have Jeri Lyn and Jeff Martin, close friends from Denver, join us for a few days sailing and exploring the other islands. As luck would have it for them the weather was not very kind to them. Three of the 5 days they were on board it rained. In spite of all that it was memorable to me because they came all that way to see us. They were great sports and we had a great time anyway. On their last night with us in Bora Bora we had dinner at a restaurant that might have been the best food I have ever eaten. The restaurant is Villa Mahana and we want to thank Mac and Pamela Buckland for the recommendation.
The days pass quickly in these islands. It is now time to go to a new land and a new adventure. One thing stays constant, the people we get to associate with our like no other. It is a very special community of people where everyone watches out for each other. We feel lucky and blessed because of it. We are both excited about what tomorrow brings. You have to be careful and not get ahead of yourself. Very important to live in the moment probably want be this way again. I hope this gives you a perspective of my last 3 months. It's been a great time but I can't wait for the next land fall. Destiny back to 1-6!