Posts Tagged ‘south pacific’

Setting Sail to Fiji

Setting Sail to Fiji

We are setting sail today for Fiji, crewing aboard Fortaleza … a 48 ft sloop yacht owned by a Kiwi couple. They seem very nice and their boat is heaps bigger and nicer than Wonderland so we are hopeful for a better crewing experience on this passage! The passage to Fiji should be around 5 […]

Happy in Ha’apai

Happy in Ha’apai

We spent the first evening on Uoleva swaying in our hammock, happy to have finally found the deserted tropical island we had daydreamed about for months. After a rainy week in Neiafu, we headed south via the local ferry to the Ha’apai – a group of 51 low coral and 2 volcanic islands. We were […]

Deserted beaches of the Ha’apai Island Group

Deserted beaches of the Ha’apai Island Group

The Ha’apai Islands in Tonga is a group of 51 low coral and 2 volcanic islands. Pictured here is one of many deserted beaches found on Uoleva Island located 1.5km south of the main island Lifuka. To enjoy these beautiful islands you must be able to forgo all modern conveniences (electricity, hot water, etc.) and […]

Where the heck is Tonga…?

Where the heck is Tonga…?

several people asked me after I announced I had arrived here a few weeks back. The Kingdom of Tonga is a group of 171 islands located in the South Pacific southeast of Fiji. It is the oldest and last remaining Polynesian monarchy and the only South Pacific nation never to be brought under foreign rule. […]

Toilet Tales in Wonderland

Toilet Tales in Wonderland

I had anxiety about the toilet situation aboard Wonderland after the captain showed me a large mason jar she uses to pee inside and dump overboard. She also had an assortment of “she wees” a portable urinary device advertised to allow women to “stand up and take control.” There was a toilet onboard but she […]

Sailing Adventures in Wonderland: 16 day Ocean Passage New Zealand to Tonga

Sailing Adventures in Wonderland: 16 day Ocean Passage New Zealand to Tonga

“Which sheet do you pull to take in the jib?” Captain Evi asked me. As I looked at the multitude of ropes, a mix of solid colors and patterns across the rainbow I felt a sense of confusion and dread. “This one?” I guessed, grabbing hold of a white rope with red dashes. She frowned […]

South Pacific Sunset

South Pacific Sunset

One of the many beautiful South Pacific sunsets I saw during the 16 days I spent at sea on passage from New Zealand to Tonga.

Found my feet in Tonga

Found my feet in Tonga

Back on land! After 16 days at sea, we have arrived in Neiafu, Tonga (part of the Vava’u Island Group). Many stories from the passage to come soon …

FEMALE Crew Only!?!?

FEMALE Crew Only!?!?

I thought finding a boat to sail to the South Pacific would be easier than it actually turned out to be. My confidence  a result of receiving emails from captains who saw my profile on crew finding websites and were interested in me joining their boat despite the fact that I had very little sailing […]

My next adventure … wherever the wind blows!

My next adventure … wherever the wind blows!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore… Dream… Discover. – Mark Twain My next big adventure … sailing to the […]