We are keeping an ongoing log about our voyages, so we can share our experiences with friends and family. To read about our adventures, click on any of the links below. Seattle to San Francisco, July - September 2006. The trip down the coast and life in San Francisco. The California Coast, September - November 2006. Exploring the California Coast from San Francisco to San Diego while we wait for hurricane season to end. Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Barbara, the Channel Islands. San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, November - December 2006. At last, the big jump. Sailing down the outside of the Baja Peninsula and then across open ocean to Puerto Vallarta, dodging a hurricane en route. Settling into Puerto Vallarta and the joys of sailing in tropical waters. Mexico's Gold Coast, January - March 2007. Five weeks anchored off a remote fishing village, teaching English to the kids. Exploring the coastline, towns, and anchorages of the "Mexican Riviera." Mexican Finale, March - June 2007. Sailing north from Puerto Vallarta to Isla Isabella (the Mexican Galapagos), San Blas, and Mazatlan. Across to the Baja Peninsula and five weeks in La Paz getting our hull sandblasted and repainted. Paradise found in the Sea of Cortez. Back to PV to ready Casteele for the summer.
in Seattle, a return to Puerto Vallarta with 14 boxes and 2 kayaks. Two months of boat projects, sweating bullets in the heat and humidity of PV. Then the trip down the Mexican coast to the jumping-off point for Central America. Plus an inland trip to Oaxaca.
south to Central America. Motored across the "Terrible Tehuantepec" as well as through most of the areas famous for the Papapagayo winds. Made one brief stop in Nicaragua and then spent several weeks in beautiful Costa Rica, joining Jan's family for a jungle river trip and spending our time searching for monkeys and exotic birds.
Galapagos, dodging squalls in the ITCZ and crossing the equator. Three weeks in the Enchanted Islands, looking for giant land tortoises, marine iguanas, penguins, exotic birds, and Darwin's finches.
the open seas, traversing the 3,300-mile distance between the Galapagos and French Polynesia. Landfall in a South Pacific paradise. Exploring the pristine, stunningly beautiful Marquesas Islands.
an archipelago of coral atolls whose lagoon waters are the most intense shade of turquoise imaginable. We spent more than three weeks anchored in the atoll of Fakarava, where we taught English in the small village and became involved in an exciting community program designed to prevent 10-12 year old kids from being shipped off to a boarding school on another island. Read about this and see how you can help.
famous islands of French Polynesia--Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea. And rightfully so--they are dramatically beautiful--lush, green, mountainous, with fringing reefs encircling each island, creating lovely lagoons of calm, turquoise waters, lined by beaches of white coral sand. After months of tiny villages, we now have cities (Papeete) and large towns, lots of boats, and shorelines lined with resort hotels--thatch-roofed bungalows perched on stilts over the waters of the lagoon. Best of all, we have groceries! Worst of all--the prices are outrageous--3 to 4 times the cost in the States.
weeklong trip from Bora Bora to a tiny island called Niue, where we actually swam with a humpback whale and Jan showed off her musical talents on the kazoo.
of northern Tonga, an archipelago that reminded us of the San Juan or Gulf Islands: small, closely spaced islands separated by sheltered waterways. Pacific cruisers converged here from all points north, south, and east for great reunions.
South Pacific. Go to that page to learn why we loved Fiji so much.
end our sailing adventure in the North Island of beautiful New Zealand. Casteele is still there, with a "For Sale" sign (sob!). Jan and Joan flew back to Seattle December 10. Page is still "under construction." |
"CAPTAIN'S LOGS" |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |