We got away on Essential for a few short days over the 4th of July, but our normal summer cruise group elected to wait a few more weeks to schedule our main cruise around the Ideal 18 Lake Ontario Challenge Cup, which was held at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club this past weekend. We pulled out…
As I write this, we’re about to embark upon the last of our longer passages for the year—fingers crossed! We’ve done several 5-7 day passages now, this one will be around four days, taking us from the northern tip of eastern Australia to Indonesia. I’ve learned since our first week-long passage last year that it’s…
We pulled out of Rochester last Friday afternoon for a five-day Independence Day weekend sprint up to Grindstone Island on the St. Lawrence, via Fair Haven, Sackets Harbor and Clayton. Visiting our friends on Grindstone and watching the Clayton Fireworks has been a tradition for us for many years. Friday when we left Rochester, I dialed…
This was our third time crossing north/south to or from New Zealand and I’m relieved to say that—hopefully—it’s our last! We’ve been told it’s a tricky passage and we’ve found that to be the case. Picking a good weather window is crucial and we’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to wait it out each…
Circumnavigators talk taking the leap with Back Cove When Mike and Donna Hill decided to embark on the Great Loop, they knew they needed the right boat to take them on this new adventure. The Hills are not new to boating. They are veterans in every sense of the word—longtime sailors who have traveled 60,000…
On April 10th I flew from NYC to Norfolk Virginia to finish the escrow items on the sale of a 2015 Bavaria 42 Vision that I had found in my role of “buyer’s agent” for a client from Katlynn Marina. Four years ago, I sold this client a Hunter 33.5 as his first boat, and he has been learning and working…
The rudders are on, provisioning is done, the task list has gotten smaller (is any task list ever really complete??) and there’s nothing keeping us from going offshore to New Caledonia—except weather. Since we sailed north from the Hauraki Gulf almost three weeks ago, it’s been an almost unbroken string of bad weather in New…
As our time in New Zealand winds down, our to-do list seems to get ever longer. Though our upcoming passage to New Caledonia will only be five to six days, then another five to six to Australia, both countries are planned to be relatively short stops on our way to Indonesia. Once we’re in Indonesia…
We’ve been living aboard our boat full-time now for almost two years. While I’m by no means an expert, I definitely have some insight into the trials and tribulations of boat life that I didn’t have when we moved aboard. The Good* The novelty of new places. We’re happiest when we’re moving and exploring. If…
Most cruisers in the Pacific head to Australia or New Zealand between November and May to wait out cyclone season, which is how we’ve found ourselves in New Zealand for several summer months. Due to the unexpected need to replace both rudders, we’ve been hesitant to head offshore very far or sail in rough conditions,…