Sailing Blog
Happy Cream Puff Day
Happy New Year. And, Happy Cream Puff Day. Yes, it is such a thing. January 2nd in the USA is Cream Puff Day – Google it if you don’t believe me. Amel boats are French as are Cream Puffs. French chef Antonin Carême was the first to add cream to puffs in the early 19th […]
First Thoughts on New Zealand
It’s nice to be back in a populated first-world country. We can tell we are because of the eggs. I’ll explain my theory. In small nations or unpopulated areas of the world whenever we need eggs, we go to the store and stand in front of the shelf of eggs. In these smaller islands […]
Cream Puff is in New Zealand
I keep telling Cindy that I hope the hassle of New Zealand is worth it. I’ll explain. Sailing from Fiji to New Zealand is tricky. The trip takes about 7-9 days depending on winds. However, about every 5 days a nasty weather system will move across northern New Zealand from Southern Australia and […]
Final Thoughts About Fiji
We both agree Fiji has super-friendly people. I know I have said this before when writing about Fiji, but it warrants mentioning again. Cindy and I both tend to say hello to strangers. When passing someone on the street, getting on a bus, or the person sitting next to us on a plane will all […]
Snorkeling with Our Buddies
This is a quick blog post about a fun experience while snorkeling recently. Sergeant Major Damsel Fish are one of my favorite fish. We typically see them closer to the surface. Often under boats or dinghies. We mostly saw yellow Sergeant Major Damsels in the Atlantic. Since we have been west of Galapagos we have […]
Suva – Part 2
I’ve been really looking forward to writing part 2 of this because some funny stuff happened in Suva. Here we go. In part 1, you learned our hotel didn’t have bedbugs. The real downside was it was up a hill (pun intended). At the end of the day spent walking up and down the […]
Suva – Part 1
We decided to go to Suva, the capital city of Fiji. Over the weekend, we talked to a couple of local people and mentioned we are heading to Suva. Our hope was they’d share some insight about what to see and do there. We both were a little surprised when we announced our intentions […]
Malolo Islands and Musket Cove
We recently visited the Malolo islands, specifically a place called Musket Cove. It felt a little bit strange actually sailing the Puffster without looking ahead to an overnight passage. Most of the places we’ve visited in the South Pacific require an overnight sail or longer. We can actually see the Malolo Islands as soon as […]
Fumbling Around Fiji – Part 2
Link to Part 1 When we left off last time, I was talking about fresh produce and Farm Boy. We made another discovery that involves farm-to-table. We first became familiar with the farm-to-table concept many years ago when in the US Virgin Islands. Simply put, the concept is fresh locally grown organic food is sourced […]
Fumbling Around Fiji – Part 1
The past few weeks we’ve been doing something we love to do. We’ve been exploring the island we’re on. We are currently on Viti Levu. This is Fiji’s main island and includes the capital city of Suva. I almost called this post Farting Around Fiji but decided to keep it G-rated instead. About 87% of […]
Finding Our Way Around Fiji
On the way to Fiji, we crossed the Anti-meridian line also known as the International Date Line (IDL). This completes the 4th hemisphere for us and the Puffster. We crossed the equator from the northern to the southern hemisphere on our way to Galapagos. And, now we have crossed from the western hemisphere to […]
What is it Like to Make an Ocean Passage?
Being at one with nature and the elements is remarkably calming and soothing. One feels a sense of peacefulness as the boat gently glides across the sea and rippling waves. We listen to Caribbean-style ska music or Jimmy Buffet and we sip rum concoctions in the evenings. During the day we bask in the […]
Bora Bora
We made it to Bora Bora. This will be our last stop in French Polynesia. There is a funny saying, I went to Bora Bora and left poorer poorer. And, this adage is justly due. This place is the world’s ultimate tourist’s trap. Personally, I think the real purpose of Bora Bora’s place in our […]
Hurry Up and Wait
(This post contains some of my favorite pictures taken while in French Polynesia) For the past couple of months, we’ve been trying to put Tahiti in the rearview mirror. First, we had to wait for a small health issue to clear up and now, the weather is uncooperative. Our next venture means sailing into more […]
Leaving French Polynesia – A Rare Post from the More Private Crew Member
Mark and I are often asked what is the hardest part of the cruising lifestyle. The answer usually depends on where we are located at the time. Our lives are often dictated by bureaucracy and weather. Other times the hardships can be obtaining parts and supplies. Interestingly, long voyages over vast expanses of ocean are […]
