Quote for 8-11-2024
Onward, Outward I must go
Where the mighty currents flow.
Home is anywhere for me,
on this purple tinted sea.
Star and Wind and Sun my Brothers,
Ocean one of many mothers.
Onward under sun and star,
Where the weird adventures are!
Never lonely shall I be, I am wind and sky and sea!
- John G Neihardt (1881- )
MEET THE FLEET: SV GARGOYLE
MEET THE FLEET: SV GARGOYLE
Kevin & Carla
From the moment Kevin and Carla departed Vancouver BC on May 31, 2019, their first “real” goal was to be in Barra de Navidad in time for the 2019 Panama Posse kickoff meeting at the end of November. That first five months and 4,000 + NM set the tone for the crew of SV Gargoyle, a 2011 Beneteau Oceanis 50. Kevin, Carla, along with their two cats, Sam and Dean, have been sailing proudly under a Posse banner of one flavor or another ever since.
2020 highlights included being locked down in Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua with a number of other posse members. Once they were allowed to leave, Gargoyle beat upwind for nine days to the Galapagos to be one of the first yachts post-COVID to be allowed into these magical islands. After two months in paradise with the islands to themselves, it was time to head East for their first Panama Canal transit and a planned May 2021 Atlantic transit. Insert the Omnicom variant into the story and with Portugal telling them they wouldn’t be allowed into the Azores; they made a 180 degree turn back to Panama for canal transit number two. The decision was now to go the other way to the Med, via the Pacific!
Departing from Marina Papagayo in March 2022 with Dietmar wishing us fair winds from the dock, Gargoyle made a 30-day passage to Nuku Hiva, followed by a season cruising French Polynesia and Fiji. Spending cyclone season in New Zealand, they experienced not one but two cyclones. Leary of the Red Sea they decided to ship Gargoyle with Posse Partner Sevenstar Yacht Transport from Auckland to Cork Ireland in May 2023.
After Gargoyle made her 3rd Panama Canal transit, albeit without her crew, what followed was a magical summer in Ireland and Scotland before a late summer run to Spain, Portugal and then the Med. A winter in Tunisia followed by this season’s cruising in Malta, Sicily, Italy, up to Venice, Greece and now where they sit anchored off Bodrum, Turkey. 24 countries, 40,000NM and yes, Sam and Dean are still rocking it with their human crew.
Follow us on....
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sv_gargoyle/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/svgargoyle50
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOihVJ744XS4CoB71HixcFw/
Kevin and Carla are always available as well for a call or email exchange with their fellow cruisers. sailinggargoyle@gmail.com
SV GARGOYLE 🇨🇦 Kevin & Carla - Beneteau Oceanis 50
THANK YOU KEVIN & CARLA FOR BEING A PART OF THE POSSE FOR SO MANY YEARS!
PICTURES OF THE WEEK Season 8
PICTURES OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE OCEANS SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
SY REMEDY 🇺🇸 Natalie & Karl – Leopard 45’
SY PATHFINDER 🇺🇸 Jean-Philippe & Nicole - Lagoon 39'
SY WHIRLWIND 🇺🇸 Maurisa, Mike, Russell & Josea – Alajuela 48’
MV PAUSE 🇺🇸 Beth & Larry - Nordhavn 55′ & MV MARTINI 🇺🇸 Mary & Bryan - Nordhavn 64′
SY DAWN PATROL 🇺🇸 Laney & Mark - Outbound 46’
PICTURES OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE OCEANS SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
SY CARINTHIA 🇺🇸 Dietmar & Susan – Lagoon 44′
SV ATARAXIA Ludwig – Etap Yachting 46′
SV SMALL WORLD III 🇻🇮 Karen & Darren – Bristol 47.4′
SY WHIRLWIND 🇺🇸 Maurisa, Mike, Russell & Josea – Alajuela 48’
PICTURES OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE OCEANS SEPTEMBER 8, 2024
MV MARCosta RicaTINI 🇺🇸 Mary & Bryan – Nordhavn 64′
SV WINE N DOWN Steve – Robertson & Cane 58′
SY PATHFINDER 🇺🇸 Jean-Philippe & Nicole – Lagoon 39′
SV WHIMSICAL IV 🇺🇸 Randy & Joanne – Catalina 470
SV WHIRLWIND Mike, Maurisa, Russell, & Josea
PICTURES OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE OCEANS SEPTEMBER 1, 2024
SV ILIOHALE Allan & Rina – Lagoon 45
SY WANDERLUST 🇺🇸 Kristin, Fabio, & dog Yoda – Seawind 1600
MV SUMMERBREEZE 🇺🇸 Kurtis – Bestway 46′
SV QUESO GRANDE II Lance & Sherri – Seawind 1260 41′
SMALL WORLD III
LUNATICS
PICTURES OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE OCEANS AUGUST 25, 2024
SY PATHFINDER 🇺🇸 Jean-Philippe & Nicole – Lagoon 39′
SV BETHANIA Wolfgang & Paulina – Irwin 54′
MV HO’OKIPA 🇺🇸 Lisa & Chuck – Selene 43′
MV SUMMERBREEZE 🇺🇸 Kurtis – Bestway 46′
SV TOKETEE 🇺🇸 Dar, Diane & Kimberly – Skookum 53
SY WANDERLUST 🇺🇸 Marcie, Damon & crew – Leopard 45’
PICTURES OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE OCEANS AUGUST 18, 2024
TIDINGS OF JOY 🇺🇸 Jeff & Joy – DeFever 52′
SMALL WORLD III Karen & Darren – Bristol 47.7
FACES????
SV AEESHAH Jen & John – Gulfstar Hirsh 45
PICTURES OF THE WEEK 08-11-2024
SV SMALL WORLD III Karen & Darren – Bristol 47’4
MV HO’OKIPA 🇺🇸 Lisa & Chuck – Selene 43′
SY QUESO GRANDE II 🇺🇸 Lance & Sherri – Seawind 41′
PICTURES OF THE WEEK 2024-08-04
SV WINDSONG Erick & Jenny – Downeaster Cutter 38′
MV DELTA SWIZZLER Mark & Cindy – Vantare 58
SV SMALL WORLD III Darren & Karen – Bristol 47.7
SV WHIRLWIND Mike, Maurisa, Russell, & Josea – Alajuela 48
PICTURES OF THE WEEK 2024-07-17
SV BETHANIA 🇨🇱 Wolfgang & Paulina – Irwin 54′
MV TIDINGS OF JOY 🇺🇸 Jeff & Joy – DeFever 52′
SV SERENITY 🇺🇸 Mark & Kathryn – Antares 44′
SV DULCINEA ?????Lerouge Wildcat 65
ANCHORAGE RECONNAISANCE BY DINGHY
ANCHORAGE RECONNAISANCE BY DINGHY
PAYS OFF
MV MARTINI shares some of their best practices with us:
We’ve made it a habit if possible to take our tender and scope out anchorages if possible before bringing Martini in. This time it saved us. We found a huge rock submerged just below the surface at mid tide, and NOT on the chart. So if you’re heading south and want to stop at the anchorage between Playa Tulemar and Punta Quepos please add this note to your navigation software.
This rock has since been added to Navionics and marked as a hazard for all mariners to be aware of.
MV MARTINI Bryan & Mary - Nordhaven 63
THANK YOU FOR HELPING KEEP FELLOW MARINERS AND THEIR VESSELS SAFE!
BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP
BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP
Report from Maison de Sante:
We had a nice group of Posse boats and local residents here in Bocas Del Toro, Panama who came out this morning for clean up on Red Frog beach. Many pounds of plastic garbage was collected 😊. The strangest items collected included a bicycle mud flap, a scuba purge valve, and a diaper🤢. Some people had to leave early so not everyone is pictured. Stay tuned for a future date where we can ALL participate in beach clean up wherever you are located!
SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad - Fountaine Pajot 44′ & SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan - Cal 46'
THANK YOU FOR BEING STEWARDS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT!
MUST SEE: LEVUKA, FIJI
MUST SEE: LEVUKA, FIJI
THE ORIGINAL GUNKHOLES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian Island of Ovalau. Up until 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. Currently, this strangely haunted town has a population of about 5,000. It is the economic hub of the largest of 24 settlements on the Island. Levuka was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2013, in recognition of the port town's exceptional testimony to the late colonial port towns in the Pacific Ocean.
The modern town of Levuka was founded around 1820 by European settlers and traders as the first modern town in the Fiji Islands. Levuka quickly became an important port and trading post in the Pacific. A disparate band of settlers made up Levuka's population- traders, missionaries, shipwrights, speculators, vagabonds, and even respectable businessmen. Much of Levuka’s unique heritage is in its wooden architecture (highly vulnerable to fire).
The South Pacific's first Masonic Lodge was built in 1913 and housed the Freemasons that were established in Levuka by Alexander Barrack in 1875. There is much controversy about the Masonic fraternity in Fiji. The dominant traditional Christian faiths consider the Masons to be devil-worshippers. The Masonic Lodge was burned down in the 2000 Fiji coup d'etat. The Lodge contained priceless historical artifacts and records of Levuka's history dating back to 1875. The arsonists have yet to be identified and prosecuted.
CALL TO ACTION: FORWARD NEWSLETTER TO A FRIEND
CALL TO ACTION:
HELP THE OCEAN POSSE EXPAND OUR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERSHIP
AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
We enjoy sharing our weekly fleet update with you and putting the spirit of adventure on the water out to the world. People enjoy seeing the Pictures of the Week, reading Stories from the oceans, learning about Webinars, Meet ups, Safety / Security Alerts, and finding Perks from our sponsors.
As our readers and members know we are in the process of expanding our membership, expanding our connections within the maritime industry, and expanding our perks. We have LOVED putting out this free resource to you for all these years (8!! )....AND we need your help expanding our subscribership.
Could you please think of 5-10 friends or family members that you think would love the newsletter and pass them the link?
https://oceanposse.com/
Subscribing to the newsletter is one of the best ways to get people to learn about the Posse and what we do.
- Maybe they arehttps://oceanposse.com/ someone who dreams of cruising.
- Maybe they are someone who already does.
- Maybe they love sharing in the adventurous life from a slip or from shore.
Whoever you share with, we thank you - this is a great way to join us in our mission of expanding the Posse and finding more mariners who want to:
“Sail on your own schedule”, discover good anchorages, marinas and world heritage sites while joining a fleet of explorers, cruisers and adventurers
GOOD NAUTICAL: BAIE MARQUISIENNE
GOOD NAUTICAL: BAIE MARQUISIENNE
Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
8°54.8555'S, 140°13.4389'W
Baie Marquesienne is on the western facing side of the island of Nuku Hiva. The Trade Winds generally blow from the East or SE; the swell is similar so this anchorage is generally in the lee of the island making the anchorage very calm and surprisingly dry. Since the water is calm, the clarity is pretty good too and there is a nice spot to snorkel on the N side of the anchorage. I saw sharks, dolphins, and lots of very colorful fish among large boulders and small bits of coral here and there. The bay is surrounded by rocky hillsides that appear to be dry with patches of green vegetation where wild goats roam and bleat all day long. A valley winds up into a steep canyon.
The head of the bay is a rather steep too so landing is not really an option. We have four people onboard and were fortunate to have two that wanted to stay onboard and two that wanted to explore. So, we got dropped off on the beach, brought a radio, some water, and headed off into the wild. There is no marked trail to follow but there are waterways (some dry, some running, some rushing) that we followed up and up and up...until we could not go up any more. As we travelled up the valley we found an oasis and a waterfall, wild pigs and goats, many different flowering trees and plenty of shade to stay cool.
https://goodnautical.com/french-polynesia/anchorage/anse-uea-bai-marquisienne
SURFING IN POLYNESIA PAST TO PRESENT
SURFING IN POLYNESIA PAST TO PRESENT
with help from Russell Descheemaeker age 14
Polynesia covers a vast stretch of Pacific Ocean Islands that has a longstanding history of distinctly self-sufficient island people who spoke their own unique language that had a rich seafaring life in common. What is known as modern day surfing once went by many different names from “Hōrue” (Tahitian for gliding on the waves) to heʻe nalu (Hawaiian for wave sliding). While the word for the activity varied by dialect, early water sliding and gliding dates as far back as the 12th century in Polynesia. Many believe that this water activity had religious significance and was seen as an important part of ancient Polynesian life and culture before making tis way to Hawaii where it developed and grew substantially. Formally, surfing was recorded by Joseph Banks aboard the Endeavour during the first journey of the famous Captain James Cook in Tahiti 1769.
Joseph banks wrote in Captain Cook's journal
...their chief [sic] amusement was carried on by the stern of an old canoe, with this before them they swam out as far as the outermost breach, then one or two would get into it and opposing the blunt end to the breaking wave were hurried in with incredible swiftness. Sometimes they were carried almost ashore...”
In Tahiti and Samoa, surfing was a popular activity that was often used as part of warriors' training. Said warriors would often be seen by early Europeans paddling to surf breaks spending many hours bravely paddling head-on into large surf and riding waves. Canoes often went with surfing parties and the men would often swap between canoeing and paddling boards.
In the late 1700's missionary’s spread the word of God through Polynesia. Much native culture, language, and spirituality was suppressed as a direct result of contact with early missionaries. (Side Note: The Shark God by Charles Montgomery is an interesting story tracing the history of missionaries in Polynesia) Wave sliding was deemed a form of Devil worship and was thereby among the suppressed native activities. However, the sport was so widespread across the Pacific Ocean that it was not fully stamped it out. In Hawai'i, surfing had become ingrained into the very fabric of Hawaii'an religion and culture that it managed to withstand many tests through time, conflict, and diseases brought by early Europeans. Some estimates speculate that the native population of the Hawaiian islands was about 800,000 people before European germ contact dessimated the native population to 40,000. There were surfers among the survivors and the sport continued to entertain, interest, and connect people to the water. In 1890, a man named Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was born. In his lifetime, he changed the sport, restoring its popularity and fanfare. Duke was a two time gold mettle Olympic swimmer and he loved the water. His love was contagious.
Duke died at the age of 77 on January 22, 1968. The sport continued to grow and his memory and influence live on. Fast forward to the present and surfing is enjoyed by enthusiasts both recreationally as a relaxed water activity and by olympic athletes as a modern and extreme sport.
France is currently hosting the 2024 Surfing Olympics on the South side of the island of Tahiti, an island in western French Polynesia. The world famous blue barrel wave called Teahupo'u was so big on Thursday July 29, that the surfing games are on hold until Saturday, Aug 3rd.
A very interesting graphic and description of the wave and how it is uniquely formed by off the mountainous reef fringed reef is here:
https://www.reuters.com/graphics/OLYMPICS-2024/SURFING/akpeoxnyopr/
LAND TRIP: DELTA SWIZZLER BEATS THE MEXICAN HEAT AT 5000'
LAND TRIP: MV DELTA SWIZZLER CREW
BEATS THE MEXICAN HEAT AT 5000'
Mexico is known for so much: rich history, relics of ancient civilizations to modern cities, colorful art, lively music and dancing, and flavorful food to name a few. Mark and Cindy on MV DELTA SWIZZLER have been members of the Posse since the beginning. They have travelled down from California through the Panama Canal and back to Mexico over many years. Currently, they are beating the heat at sea level and enjoying some of Mexico's many and varied communities at higher elevations inland. Travelling inland is an excellent way to see more of what Mexico has to offer.
MV DELTA SWIZZLER Mark & Cindy - Vantare 58