SV WINDSONG SAILS FROM FRENCH POLYNESIA TO FIJI
SOUTH PACIFIC PASSAGE REPORT:
French Polynesia to Fiji, with stops in Aitutaki and Vava’u, Tonga.
with Erick & Jenny on SV WINDSONG
Having cleared out of French Polynesia in Bora Bora, we made way towards French Polynesia’s westernmost settled island of Maupiti to wait for our weather window to sail west towards Tonga, and our ultimate destination of Fiji. We entered Maupiti through the narrow and daunting pass, and dropped anchor in the beautiful lagoon, ready to spend a few days enjoying the last taste of French Polynesia. Those few days ultimately ended up being over three weeks, as the South Pacific weather patterns decided to send system after system of immense swells towards French Polynesia, pinning us into Maupiti.
Maupiti’s one pass faces directly south, as such it receives the dominant southerly swells face on. When swells reach 2 meters and above, it is unsafe to navigate in a small sailboat not only due to the waves nearly closing out the channel, but also the strong current caused by all the water needing to escape the lagoon. The dominant winds oppose the current, causing chaotic standing waves. While there were a few times where the wind forecast looked good for us to leave towards Tonga, the waves kept us pinned in for all those weeks.
Once the wait was finally over, we had a clear weather window to sail west and the swells died down. We enjoyed one final night in Maupiti experiencing the opening ceremonies of the French Polynesian Heiva festival, a lovely way to send us off to the next adventure. The next morning, we set sail, having beautiful sunny skies and perfect 15-17 knots downwind. Only two days into the passage, a trough which was in the forecast but was previously showing to be quick and mild, had now strengthened and pushed more north, right into our path in about 5 days. One more day’s forecast update now showed we would enter a nasty zone of rotating winds as the trough pushed through our path. We decided to alter course further South to Aitutaki, Cook Islands.
We spent a lovely 10 days in Aitutaki waiting out the front, which showed some nasty rotating winds as we were at anchor, giving us comfort that we made the right decision to put into port instead of carrying on at sea. Once conditions settled, we set out to Tonga. We saw another weak trough coming through on the forecast, so we aimed northwest to get out of the potential zone of thunderstorms or squalls. The first few days were prefect sailing, and once the trough moved below us we had one day of dead calm wind, which we motored through, before the southeasterlies came back. We escaped the squalls thankfully, and now turned more southeast towards Tonga.
The next few days were among the roughest we have had at sea. While the winds were steady at 20-25 knots, it was the seas that gave us the most trouble. 3 meters, very short period, coming from multiple directions. It was the first time in almost 10,000 nm sailed that both of us felt seasick. We always keep night watches in the cockpit, but waves would regularly break over the boat, soaking us and making for uncomfortable conditions; as such we spent much of our time below. The next three days passed like this, and we finally made landfall in Vava’u Tonga, happy to have the long part of the “dangerous middle” Pacific past us.
With a few weeks of time enjoyed in Tonga, we set sail for the last of our long passages to Fiji. This passage was just about the best sailing we have ever experienced, easy light winds and mellow seas. Humpback whales breaching here and there, fish on the lines, easy motion, sunny skies and a stunning full moon. We are now settled into Fiji and look forward to only needing to do short hop sails for the rest of the season.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE ON THE WATER
SV WINDSONG 
Erick & Jenny - Downeaster Cutter 38′
CRUISING GREECE: AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY FROM ATHENS TO CHAKIDA, GREECE
CRUISING GREECE:
AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY FROM ATHENS TO CHALKIDA, GREECE
Chalkida, (is) a city perched amphitheatrically in central Evia. Chalkida straddles the beguiling Strait of Evripos, bridging the coast of Evia and Boeotian mainland. A modern metropolis pulsating with history, Chalkida embraces its maritime heritage and hospitable spirit. The city's allure lies in its unique dance with nature—the captivating tidal spectacle of the Gulf of Evia.
The one thing Chalkida is world-famous for is the peculiar tidal currents that flow interchangeably north-to-south and south-to-north through the Euripus Strait between the island and the mainland. It is this phenomenon that has given the city the nickname: Crazy Waters.
Reversing tidal currents are caused by the moon’s gravity and occur in all straits worldwide, but they are mostly imperceptible by the human senses. It is the distinct geography of Chalkida’s strait—its double-funnel shape among other factors—that make the local currents particularly strong.
The flow peaks at an astounding speed of 12 km per hour, which, for context, is comparable to torrents during floods. For most of the month, the current changes direction about every six hours with a clock’s regularity. But for a few days around the half-moons, it loses its pattern altogether, moving back and forth in chaotic ways.
The 38-meters-wide strait is spanned by an 8-meter-tall bridge, which, constructed in 1963, is the latest of a long succession of bridges dating back to antiquity. The bridge is withdrawn usually once every evening to allow for large vessels to traverse the strait. Given the powerful stream with its notorious vortexes, it requires skillful maneuvering to sail through. It is quite an impressive spectacle to behold. Due to the unpredictability of the currents, the bridge’s opening times are not standard. Estimations are stated on a screen on the spot and live views of the bridge can be seen here.
If you’re now thinking that it’d be great fun to jump from the bridge, you are totally right. But it is unfortunately illegal. However, this detail wouldn’t stop us when we were kids… Free-falling for a short distance, we’d then be engulfed and drifted around by the currents, losing every sense of direction within this dark whirlpool of pressing liquid, for up to half a minute. By the time we’d reach the surface, we could be more than 50 meters away from the bridge, laughing and waving at the coastguards who were always a little too late to stop us.
SV SMALL WORLD III 🇻🇮 Karen & Darren - Bristol 47
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE
BOATWORK IN PARADISE: RE-SPLICING HALYARDS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF NUKU HIVA
RE-SPLICING HALYARDS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF NUKU HIVA
Following through after our June 9th article:
Chafe: Find It, Fix it, Get Ahead of it
(LINK????)
Cruising offers so many takes on life. Among them "Boatwork in beautiful places" rings true time and time again aboard SV WHIRLWIND. Granted this 'grind' is part of the fun of raising our sails, putting miles beneath our keel, watching dolphins surf our bow, sharing sundowners, and sailing for days and days to distant shores.
This week Captain Mike set about to re-splice the portside Spinnaker halyard that had chafed on our Pacific Crossing in May. Once we found the trades en route to French Polynesia we had the opportunity to fly the spinnaker for days on end before the conditions changed and a new sail was required. It was on one of these sail changes that we noticed that the head of the halyard had been chafing on something at the top of the mast. While the cover was shot, the core was fine and we had to put that halyard to rest until now.
(Side note: Redundancy to the rescue! Thankfully, when the conditions called for a spinnaker again, we were still able to raise ours as we have a starboard spinnaker halyard that carried us the rest of the way.)
Getting geared up to Re-splice the halyard where it was damaged, Mike took the opportunity to do a few upgrades that had been on his 'list for sometime'. We hadn't had a shackle in at the head of the line. We had been attaching the halyard with a bowline. Additionally, he put a new eye splice in the bitter end. See photos below for Re-splicing inspiration.
SY WHIRLWIND 🇺🇸 Maurisa, Mike, Russell & Josea – Alajuela 48’
AND THE WINNER IS....
The Ocean Posse sends a HUGE thank you out to all people who participated in our survey earlier this month. Our goal is to improve our posse and our benefits and it is happening! As promised one lucky survey responder has won a $250 gift card.
AND THE WINNER IS...
HEATHER JOHNSON
Heather has graciously accepted her $250 gift card that she plans to use to transfer boats parts from her Amazon wishlist to her cart. Describing herself she writes:
MUST SEE: SAMOA 🇼🇸 APIA
SAMOA 🇼🇸 APIA
GOOD NAUTICAL: Makogai Island Dalice Village, FIJI
GOOD NAUTICAL:
Makogai Island Dalice Village, FIJI
17° 26.4200' S, 178° 57.9100' E
Makogai is located in the heart of the Lomaiviti Group in Fji. Makogai is not only abundant with biodiversity and beauty, but brimming with South Pacific history. Like many Islands in the South Pacific, approaching the island and navigating to the anchorage requires careful study, preparation, and planning. Ideally, once the anchor is set gently in the sand paradise it found.
Recently, Pacific Posse member asked the group whether anyone had a track for entering Makogai. Chris on SeaGlub quickly responded:
Haven't been myself but this is a shot from trusted friends:
*NOTE: these tracks are shared friend to friend...a POSSE PERK...verification and a sharp lookout still required.
To read more about Makogai click on this link:
https://www.fijimarinas.com/anchorage-at-makogai-a-significant-south-pacific-treasure/
Makogai Island, located in Fiji's Lomaiviti Group, offers a unique experience for sailors, blending natural beauty with rich historical significance. The island is best known for its past as a leprosy colony from 1911 to 1969, and today, remnants of this history can still be explored, including the old leper colony ruins and a graveyard. The island now serves as a mariculture center focused on the conservation and breeding of giant clams, an effort crucial for maintaining marine biodiversity (Two At Sea) (Levuka Town).
For sailors, anchoring at Makogai Island, particularly in Dalice Bay, presents a serene and picturesque spot. The anchorage is protected by surrounding reefs and small islets, offering a calm and enclosed environment. The approach to Dalice Bay can be navigated through two main passes, with the north entrance often preferred for its ease. Once anchored, sailors can engage with the island's caretaker, who also acts as an informal chief, by participating in a traditional sevusevu ceremony, where kava is presented as a gift. In return, the caretaker provides a tour of the island, including the leper colony ruins and the giant clam farm (Two At Sea) (Wikipedia).
Makogai Island is also home to a significant marine research station, focusing on the conservation of giant clams and trochus clams. This initiative began in the 1980s and has since played a vital role in repopulating Fiji's reefs with these important species. The island's ecosystem, featuring verdant hills, palm-covered flatlands, and clear teal waters, adds to the allure for visiting sailors (Wikipedia) (Diver Bliss).
WHY STAY HURRICANE SEASON IN PORT WHEN YOU CAN GO NORTH, CREW FOR A FRIEND, & CRUISE THE SAN JUANS?
WHY STAY HURRICANE SEASON IN PORT
WHEN YOU CAN GO NORTH,
CREW FOR A FRIEND,
& CRUISE THE WASHINGTON'S SAN JUANS TO
CANADA'S INSIDE PASSAGE?
Seeking a fun reprive from the humidity in Costa Rica MV MARTINI crew is currently in the San Juan Islands in Washington State helping a friend move their boat.
MV MARTINI crew reports:
It is a definite change of weather and scenery. We love the amount of inlets you can duck in and out of. The currents, and whirlpools are truly epic! Local knowledge is a must have. We’ve seen eagles, humpback whales, grizzly bears, and seals so far. Still keeping our eyes peeled for the orcas! We’ve caught chinook salmon- both red and white as well as pink salmon so we’ve been eating really well! Such a fun trip creating lots of memories! ☺️
MEET THE FLEET: KEKADA II Don & Anja
MEET THE FLEET: KEKADA II
Don & Anja
We are Anja and Don on mv Kekada II, a Leopard 53 power catamaran. Don started sailing over 50 years ago and convinced Anja to undertake a circumnavigation with our children from 1998 - 2003. We have been cruising off and on since then. This is our third pacific crossing, albeit, our first in a power boat. We took delivery in Cape Town in 2022 and decided to take the "short" way home to Australia crossing the south atlantic the same year before joining the Panama Posse in 2023/24 for our cruise up to Mexico. Currently enjoying the unspoilt island of Wallis in the south pacific before continuing our voyage to Fiji and beyond.
(We published in a) recent leopard blog (and) discussed our current voyage in more detail. https://blog.leopardcatamarans.com/circumnavigating-in-a-power-catamaran?utm_campaign=Leopard%20Catamarans%20Blog%20Subscription%20Notification&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-94z0hvSgiS7IqZp090TKR40FV8x6UlS9IaSWl0g_ypaqf68Ed31wSZXI-vMZ8lR9kFcOsKfgpZ3QvexqFMEpB1pUxvKQ&_hsmi=316495289&utm_content=316495289&utm_source=hs_email
EL VALLE DE ANTON 🇵🇦 PANAMA
EL VALLE DE ANTON 🇵🇦 PANAMA
The isthmus we know of as Panama is said to have formed over millions of years with the collision of two tectonic plates in the deep ocean creating a chain of volcanoes that later emerged above the sea surface. El Valle de Anton is a village in the crater of one such ancient volcano surrounded by mountains and clouds just north of Vista Mar Marina and Buenadventura Marina. For many Panamanians that live and work in Panama City, El Valle is the 'country' where they visit their family, grow and harvest fruits and vegetables, and/or spend time on the weekends in nature.
The town is located in the flat wide caldera of the 6 km wide El Valle volcano that is inactive; there is evidence that it erupted as recently as about 300,000 years ago. Because of its elevation (600 m), it is cooler than the Panamanian lowlands. This cooler climate is a welcome respite from the heat at lower elevations.
Natural attractions near El Valle include the Chorro El Macho waterfall, Las Mozas waterfall, the “square” trees behind Hotel Campestre, and a group of small natural thermal pools. There are many developed hiking trails to walk on. Birding is phenomenal. The area around the town is also known for being one of the last habitats of the critically endangered Panamanian golden frog. Some of the forests around the town are protected areas.
The valley is very fertile and produce grows in abundance. There are many people living in and around El valle that sell fresh produce at an open air market in the center of town. In July we found a very wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Some I had never even seen before like this red spikey fruit sold on a branch or by the bushel.
There are two museums in El Valle de Anton as well. Both highlight the history, culture, biodiversity, and uniqueness of this special place in and of itself, and as it relates to Panama at large. One museum is older, one is quite new; while both tell the same general story, they tell it in very different ways.
A visit to El Valle de Anton is well worth the trip.
Northbound: Along the Pacific Coast with SV Aeeshah
Northbound:
Along the Pacific Costa Rican Coast
with SV AEESHAH
SV AEESHAH entered Costa Rica from the south and checked in at Golfito, Costa Ricas southernmost port of entry. While awaiting parts they explored the area by dinghy and by car. Their photos and descriptions below capture their experience and the natural beauty in abundance in Costa Rica.
We went across to the peninsular opposite Banana Bay had a look around the bay with its amazingly, green, foliage, from the mangroves at the shoreline to the mammoth trees covering the hillsides.
To break the week up and relieve the boredom: we again rented a car.
The first destination:
Wilson Botanical Gardens
The Robert and Catherine Wilson Botanical Garden has a rich, internationally recognized collection of tropical plants from around the world. Over 1,000 genera in more than 200 plant families form the unique collection that is an integral part of the Las Cruces Research Station. There are hundreds of bromeliads and orchids; dozens of philodendrons and other aroids of all sizes; scores of heliconias; plus ferns, gingers, marantas, giant bamboo and close 500 species of palms well represented on the 12-hectare (30-acre) site.
The Wilson Botanical Garden is part of “La Amistad Biosphere Reserve” that encompasses 472,000 hectares of park land and buffer zones centered in the southern Talamanca mountain range in Costa Rica’s South Pacific.”
To continue reading about this road trip inland or other adventures with SV AEESHAH visit: https://www.aeeshah.com/2024/06/golfito-area-wilson-botanical-gardens-piedras-blancas-national-park-where-are-you/
Want a photo tour instead? Visit: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMJkD0xR29D02xiu5efL4CyJpGvLZbkdGiRHmTNx8-HDRcI-nHYPP9Iibrw1X6zHQ?key=V3VRRWpoaTJRUkpYVjQ5Zm1rcVoyR0hUNjVzTVNB
SV AEESHAH 
Jen & John – Gulfstart Hirsh
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE!