Different Ways of Eating Raw Fish Across the Oceans
Different Ways of Eating Raw Fish
Across the Oceans
People living coastally or on islands are deeply connected to the ocean for their sustenance. Eating raw fish is common across many cultures around the globe, each with its own unique traditions and methods for preparing and enjoying this delicacy. Here are several different ways raw fish is eaten as a main dish across the Oceans that the Ocean Posse cruises:
1. Ceviche (Latin America)
Ceviche has it’s roots in the northwestern region of South America that are now
known as Ecuador and Peru. Overtime the dish has spread throughout Central America with each country, each region, each family adding their own touch of individuality. Ceviche is the result of fish (often Mahi mahi, snapper, or corvina) and/or other seafood (for example shrimp, conch, or Octopus) being submerged in salt and lime juice. The chemical process that occurs is similar to fish getting ‘cooked’ in which the flesh turns opaque and gets firm…although the fish is not truly cooked.
The additional ingredients, the presentation, the size, and the accompaniments vary greatly depending on where you are. For instance, along the Gold Coast in Mexico ceviche is commonly a mix of fish or mixed seafood with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro served on a large platter with a basket overflowing with various large corn disks called tostados. Further south, in Panama, ceviche is commonly served in small individual servings with diced onions and lots of juice and a small singular packet of crackers. Further south still to Peru, the birthplace of ceviche, raw fish is marinated in lime juice, as well as thinly sliced onion. The dish is served with sweet potato slices, small portions of toasted corn, and plantain chips. They are all DELICIOUS ….just different….and sampling ceviche along the route is highly recommended.
2. Poisson Cru (Polynesian and South Pacific Islands)
The name poisson cru literally translates to "raw fish" in French. For many centuries native Polynesians and people of the South Pacific Islands were harvesting reef fish and pelagic fish and coconuts as a mainstay of their diet. The preparation was once as simple as pouring fresh squeezed coconut milk over raw fish and has evolved to include lime juice after the Europeans introduced citron (limes). Poisson Cru has a distinctive flavor and texture that is generally more mild that ceviche. While it is sometimes compared to ceviche due to the use of raw fish and citrus juice, poisson cru has its own unique preparation and cultural significance. Poisson Cru is often served with or over rice or taro with cucumbers and/or tomatoes. Seasonal and regional twists include adding fruits like mango or papaya or other vegetables like carrots or avocados. Salt and Pepper may be added for flavor.
Poisson Cru is made at home, during celebrations, and often served at communal gatherings or feasts. It is considered a symbol of hospitality and represents a longstanding connection to the sea. The preparation and sharing of poisson cru are deeply embedded in the social fabric of Polynesian life.
Overall, poisson cru is more mild and creamy while ceviche is more tangy and snappy. Both are fresh, crunchy, and scrumptious.
3. Poke (Hawaiian Islands)
The word 'poke' (like 'okay') was a Hawaiian word that meant 'to cut crosswise into pieces'. The dish that has taken on the name Poke is one that stems from one of the staple foods of the early Polynesian people of Hawaii. The early Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands lived off the sea. It is said they often cut crosswise and salted raw reef fish cutoffs and seasoned this with seaweed and roasted kokui nuts. Over time, after the arrival of people from the continents to the east and the west, this staple food began to evolve and take on tastes and flavors from both sides of the ocean. For example in the late 19th century many Japanese workers immigrated to Hawaii as sugar and pineapple plantation laborers. Instead of using salt and seaweed to season their raw fish they used shoyu (soy sauce) and sesame oil. They would eat this fish with white rice. In this way, some say that the Japanese immigrants also introduced the rice base to the modern day Poke. Westerners are said to have introduces spices, onions, and chili peppers. Poke of today is a serious fusion of flavor traditions that appeals to the culinary tastes across many cultures. While the dish has evolved greatly and spread far from Hawaii, Poke is still known as an adaptable delicious Hawaiian dish. Poke can be savory and sweet, spicy or mild. The fish is still marinated in a salty medium with seaweed is often served in bowl over rice with an added assortment of fresh, thinly cut colorful vegetables, fruit, and roasted nuts.
4. Pickled Herring (Northern Europe)
Pickling as a preservation method for fish has been around for over two millennia, and herring, being one of the most abundant fish in European waters, was an ideal candidate for pickling. The process of pickling, which involves immersing fish in a brine or vinegar solution, allowed people to preserve the catch for long periods, particularly in the colder months when fresh fish was scarce.
The earliest records of pickled fish date back to the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Greeks were known to use vinegar and salt to preserve fish, and Roman texts suggest that pickled herring was a common foodstuff. The Romans also had a type of fermented fish sauce called garum, which was made from fish, including herring. During the medieval period, pickled herring became essential for the European diet, especially in coastal regions and inland areas with limited access to fresh fish. The Hanseatic League, a medieval trade network of merchants in Northern Europe, played a key role in the spread of pickled herring trade, especially from the Netherlands, where herring fishing was a major industry.
Herring fishing and pickling became especially prominent in the Netherlands in the 15th and 16 century during the Dutch Golden Age. Herring from the North Sea was abundant, and the Dutch perfected the art of preserving it by salting and pickling to export it to cities across Europe. In the 1400s, Dutch fishermen discovered a method to "cure" herring by packing it in barrels with salt and vinegar, effectively preserving it for long voyages or storage. The Dutch developed the technique of "zout-haring" (salt herring), which involved using the fish's own brine and salt to preserve it. The "New" Herring: The practice of pickling herring became so widespread that the beginning of each fishing season was marked by the arrival of the new herring, which was considered a delicacy. This was especially true in places like Amsterdam, where herring was not only a common food for the lower classes but also a symbol of prosperity and trade.
Over time, pickled herring became deeply ingrained in the culinary traditions of many Northern European cultures. It was particularly important in the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, and Germany. In countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, pickled herring (known as sill in Swedish) is a beloved part of the traditional holiday table. It is often served during holidays such as Midsummer, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. Swedish pickled herring, or inlagd sill, is often flavored with ingredients like mustard, onions, and dill. In Germany, herring is often served with onions, apples, and mustard, and in the Netherlands, it is commonly served raw or marinated and eaten with rye bread or on a bun. Dutch herring, also known as "Hollandse Nieuwe," is particularly famous. It is a type of herring that is eaten shortly after being caught, before it has been heavily salted or pickled. It is usually served raw and dipped in onions or eaten straight from the fishmonger's stall.
By the 19th century, with the development of refrigeration and other preservation techniques, the necessity of pickling fish for preservation decreased. However, pickled herring continued to be popular as a flavorful and nostalgic food. European immigrants, particularly from Scandinavia, Germany, and the Netherlands, brought the tradition of eating pickled herring to America, especially to cities with large immigrant populations like New York. In the U.S., pickled herring became a common dish in Jewish delicatessens and is a part of Eastern European Jewish cuisine (particularly among Ashkenazi Jews), where it is often served as an appetizer with rye bread. In the 20th century, the canning of pickled herring became widespread, making it more accessible around the world. Canned herring became popular not just as a snack but as a component of many ready-to-eat meals.
Today, pickled herring continues to be enjoyed in many parts of the world, from Scandinavia to Germany, and it remains an important part of traditional meals. Modern variations of pickled herring can be found in many supermarkets and gourmet shops, where it may come in different flavors, including spicy, sweet, or mustard-infused varieties.
Pickled herring has evolved from an essential preservation method to a beloved culinary tradition in many Northern European and Scandinavian cultures. Its history reflects the ingenuity of people in maritime regions, who turned abundant fish into a flavorful and lasting foodstuff. Whether served raw, marinated, or in sauces, pickled herring remains a testament to centuries of culinary tradition, offering a glimpse into the cultural importance of preserving food for long-term enjoyment.
Eating raw fish is a global practice, with each culture putting its unique spin on how the fish is prepared, seasoned, and served. Whether marinated in citrus, salted and dried, or simply sliced fresh, raw fish continues to be an essential and cherished part of culinary traditions worldwide.
SV WANDERLUST MUSINGS
IN THE END,
WE ALL GET WHAT WE WANT
Ocean Posse members Fabio and Kristin Potenti are sailing on SV WANDERLUST in the South Pacific. They maintain a Facebook Page: Harbors Unknown, and a youtube channel to document and share their musings and experiences. Below Fabio shares his most recent musings with the Ocean Posse:
SY WANDERLUST 🇺🇸 Kristin, Fabio, & dog Yoda - Seawind 1600
THANK YOU KRISTIN & FABIO FOR SHARING YOUR PASSION FOR THIS LIFESTYLE!
SOUTH PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE SEASON OUTLOOK
SOUTH PACIFIC TROPICAL CYCLONE SEASON
NOVEMBER 1-APRIL 30
NEW OUTLOOK RELEASED
Tropical cyclones, like hurricanes, are known for their powerful winds, heavy rains, and potential to cause significant destruction. Tropical cyclones frequently affect the southern Pacific and can pose serious threats to both public health and infrastructure. All vessels are advised to have a plan of action for the cyclone season.
According to New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Metservice, the South Pacific may see either fewer or a normal number of tropical cyclones this season. The cyclone season in the South Pacific starts November 1 and runs until the April 30, with the typical 'peak' of the season being January - March. The outlook that has recently been released, "Southwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Outlook - October 2024" describes a slower start to the Cyclone season, potentially less cyclone risk overall in the eastern region while potentially elevated risk in the western region. According to the NIWA Outlook, "As of early October 2024, sea surface temperatures across the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean are below average and close to La Niña thresholds." Forecasters are observing more La Niña-like characteristics that tend to reduce risk in the east and elevate risk in the west where warmer water may 'stack up' later in the season. As with many weather outlooks of late there continues to be caution that while there may be less risk in the frequency of tropical storms this season, there is still a risk that those that come may intensify more rapidly or simply be very intense.
For cruisers in French Polynesia South Pacific Posse member Scott on Tartaruga shares:
What is critical to following storms in FP is the location of the MJO. Madden Julien Oscillation. You can research that but when that is over French Poly that is when the highest probability of big storms occur. Per some local Tahiti sailors they almost never have any cyclonic storms outside of MJO events. This last season Fiji announced the MJO forecast and when it would be over FP and boom the storms came. Also note that Fiji is the official metrological organization for these storms. Another important data point is they name their storms very early, mean the wind scale starts at a much lower number....NOAA tracks (the MJO) closely as well. I would educate yourself on how to read the graph. It is a bit strange.
Fiji Meteorological Service Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre Nadi-Tropical Cyclone Centre also just released a forecast on the upcoming tropical Cyclone season. Their predictions are similar.
Stay alert on great weather sites including:
- https://www.met.gov.fj/index.php?page=tcoutlook
- https://niwa.co.nz/climate-and-weather/southwest-pacific-tropical-cyclone-outlook/southwest-pacific-tropical-cyclone-outlook-october-2024
People'ing in the Americas
THE DISCOVERY OF THE LANDMASS OF THE MODERN AMERICAS did not begin with Christopher Columbus. The most long-standing and widely held theory has been that people entered the Americas in the north at the tail end of the last ice age some 10-15,000 years ago and began to settle across the land. This long standing theory holds that homo sapiens came across the Bering Straight on a now extinct land bridge from Asia. However, recent finding across the Americas are questioning this theory and proposing other theories. Interestingly, the study of Home Sapien migration through science, archeology, geneology and more continues to uncover more and more clues that cloud the picture of how and when homo sapiens populated the Americas more than they are shedding light on the mystery. Basically, people came overland by foot or people came by water from the east or the west. Experts have and continue to piece together the past with new findings and new ideas, yet sometimes the mystery just gets bigger. Regarding the 'by water theory from the west' according to Megan Gannon from Sapiens.org,
"According to this coastal migration theory, some 16,000 years ago the ice had retreated from the coastlines of the Pacific Northwest, such that seafaring people could take advantage of coastal resources like kelp forests to navigate all the way down the shores of California, eventually reaching sites like Monte Verde in Chile.
Proving the coastal theory is tricky. No wooden boats from that era have been found along the shore. The earliest campsites along the ancient Pacific coastline may be lost for good due to erosion and sea level rise. Yet scholars have some clues that people were living along the Pacific coast, including the footprints at Calvert Island.
Evidence of human habitation from at least 13,000 years ago on the Channel Islands in California suggests that people had the skills to build boats and reach these land masses, which were islands even then. In the last 15 years, archaeologists at Cedros Island off the coast of Baja California in Mexico have found traces of a nearly 13,000-year-old settlement. Some archaeologists, such as Loren Davis of Oregon State University, are turning to methods such as coring—removing of a long column of soil—to search for hints of now-underwater prehistoric sites along the Pacific continental shelf."
*NOTE: Cedros Island is on the southbounders route down the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula. Multiple anchorages can be found. The fall is often a good time to use the southern Anchorage: https://goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/isla-cedros-s
Nonetheless, while their daily life was not recorded or documented as ours it today, humans were in the Americas for likely over 10,000 years before the first life-changing contact with Europeans occurred in the end of the 15th century. A that time the Americas were the home to more than 50 million, perhaps as many as 75 million highly evolved communities of people. These ancient civilizations had experienced many changes and many catastrophes during their long history in the Americas, yet it seems certain that none of these experiences was as tragically transforming as the arrival of Europeans. In the long term, European settlers came to dominate most areas of the Americas. But even in the short term—in the first violent years of Spanish and Portuguese exploration and conquest—the impact of the new arrivals was profound. Battles between Natives and Europeans in the Americas continued but there were also many other interactions through which these very different civilizations shaped one another, learned from one another, and changed each other permanently and profoundly.
Europeans were almost entirely unaware of the existence of the Americas before the fifteenth century. A few early wanderers like Leif Eriksson, an eleventh-century Norse seaman, and perhaps others—had glimpsed parts of the New World and had demonstrated that Europeans were capable of crossing the ocean to reach it. But even if their discoveries had become common knowledge (and they had not), there would have been little incentive for others to follow. Europe in the middle ages (roughly 500– 1500 A.D.) was not an adventurous civilization. Europe was divided into innumerable small duchies and kingdoms, its outlook was overwhelmingly provincial. Subsistence agriculture predominated, and commerce was limited; few merchants looked beyond the boundaries of their own regions. The Roman Catholic Church exercised a measure of spiritual authority over most of the continent, and the Holy Roman Empire provided at least a nominal political center. Even so, real power was for the most part widely dispersed; only rarely could a single leader launch a great venture. Gradually, however, conditions in Europe changed so that by the late fifteenth century, interest in overseas exploration had grown.
15th Century: WHY EUROPEANS LOOKED WESTWARD
Two important and related changes provided the first incentive for Europeans to look toward new lands. One was a result of the significant population growth in fifteenth-century Europe following the Black Death. The Black death was a catastrophic epidemic of the bubonic plague that began in Constantinople in 1347, which had decimated Europe, killing (according to some estimates) more than a third of the people of the continent and debilitating its already limited economy. By the early 1500's the population had rebounded. With that growth came a rise in land values, a re-awakening of commerce, and a general increase in prosperity. Affluent landlords became eager to purchase goods from distant regions, and a new merchant class emerged to meet their demand. As trade increased, and as advances in navigation and shipbuilding made long-distance sea travel more feasible, interest in developing new markets, finding new products, and opening new trade routes rapidly increased. Paralleling this rise of commerce in Europe, and in part responsible for it, was the rise of new governments that were more united and powerful than the feeble political entities of the feudal past. In the western areas of Europe, the authority of the distant pope and the even more distant Holy Roman Emperor was necessarily weak. As a result, strong new monarchs emerged there and created centralized nation-states, with national courts, national armies, and—perhaps most important—national tax systems. As these ambitious kings and queens consolidated their power and increased their wealth, they became eager to enhance the commercial growth of their nations. Ever since the early fourteenth century, when Marco Polo and other adventurers had returned from Asia bearingexotic goods (spices, fabrics, dyes) and even more exotic tales, Europeans who hoped for commercial glory had dreamed, above all, of trade with the East. For two centuries, that trade had been limited by the difficulties of the long, arduous overland journey to the Asian courts. But in the fourteenth century, as the maritime capabilities of several western European societies increased and as Muslim societies seized control of the eastern routes to Asia, there began to be serious talk of finding a faster, safer sea route to Asia. Such dreams gradually found a receptive audience in the courts of the new monarchs. By the late fifteenth century, some of them were ready to finance daring voyages of exploration. The first to do so were the Portuguese. They were the preeminent maritime power in the fifteenth century, in large part because of the work of one man, Prince Henry the Navigator. Henry’s own principal interest was not in finding a sea route to Asia, but in exploring the western coast of Africa. He dreamed of establishing a Christian empire there to aid in his country’s wars against the Moors of northern Africa; and he hoped to find new stores of gold.
The explorations Prince Henry began did not fulfill his own hopes and yet, they ultimately led farther than he had dreamed. Some of Henry’s mariners went as far south as Cape Verde, on Africa’s west coast. In 1486 (six years after Henry’s death), Bartholomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa (the Cape of Good Hope); and in 1497–1498 Vasco da Gama of Portugal proceeded all the way around the cape to India. In 1500, the next fleet bound for India, under the command of Pedro Cabral, was blown westward off its southerly course and happened upon the coast of Brazil.
But by then another man, in the service of another country, who had already encountered the New World. Christopher Columbus, who was born and reared in Genoa, Italy, obtained most of his early seafaring experience in the service of the Portuguese. As a young man, he became intrigued with the possibility, already under discussion in many seafaring circles, of reaching Asia by going not east but west. Columbus’s hopes rested on several basic misconceptions. He believed that the world was far smaller than it actually is. He also believed that the Asian continent extended farther eastward than it actually does. He assumed, therefore, that the Atlantic was narrow enough to be crossed on a relatively brief voyage. It did not occur to him that anything lay to the west between Europe and Asia. Columbus failed to win support for his plan in Portugal, so he turned to Spain. The Spaniards were not yet as advanced a maritime people as the Portuguese, but they were at least as energetic and ambitious. In the fifteenth century, the marriage of Spain’s two most powerful regional rulers, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, had produced the strongest monarchy in Europe. Like other young monarchies, it soon grew eager to demonstrate its strength by sponsoring new commercial ventures. Columbus appealed to Queen Isabella for support for his proposed westward voyage. In 1492, having consolidated the monarchy’s position within Spain itself, Isabella agreed to Columbus’s request. Commanding ninety men and three ships—the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María — Columbus left Spain in August 1492 and sailed west into the Atlantic on what he thought was a straight course for Japan. Ten weeks later, he sighted land and assumed he had reached his target. In fact, he had landed on an island in the Bahamas. When he pushed on and encountered Cuba, he assumed he had reached China. He returned to Spain in triumph, bringing with him several captured natives as evidence of his achievement.
(He called the people he found in what was to him The New World' "Indians" because he believed they were from the East Indies in the Pacific.) But Columbus had not, of course, encountered the court of the great khan in China or the fabled wealth of the Indies. A year later, therefore, he tried again, this time with a much larger expedition. As before, he headed into the Caribbean, discovering several other islands and leaving a small and short-lived colony on Hispaniola. On a third voyage, in 1498, he finally reached the mainland and cruised along the northern coast of South America. When he passed the mouth of the Orinoco River (in present-day Venezuela), he concluded for the first time that what he had discovered was not in fact an island off the coast of China, as he had assumed, but a separate continent; such a large freshwater stream, he realized, could emerge only from a large body of land. Still, he remained convinced that Asia was only a short distance away. And although he failed in his efforts to sail around the northeastern coast of South America to the Indies (he was blocked by the Isthmus of Panama), he returned to Spain believing that he had explored at least the fringes of the Far East. He continued to believe that until he died. Columbus’s celebrated accomplishments made him a popular hero for a time, but he ended his life in obscurity. When Europeans at last gave a name to the New World, they ignored him. The distinction went instead to a Florentine merchant, Amerigo Vespucci, a member of a later Portuguese expedition to the New World who wrote a series of vivid descriptions of the lands he visited and who recognized the Americas as new continents. Columbus has been celebrated for centuries as the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” (a title he struggled to have officially bestowed on him during his lifetime) and as a representative of the new, secular, scientific impulses of Renaissance Europe. Columbus was also a deeply religious man, even something of a mystic His voyages were inspired as much by his conviction that he was fulfilling a divine mission as by his interest in geography and trade. A strong believer in biblical prophecies, he came to see himself as a man destined to advance the coming of the millennium. “God made me the messenger of the new heaven and the new earth,” he wrote near the end of his life, “and he showed me the spot where to find it.”
A similar combination of worldly and religious passions lay behind many subsequent efforts at exploration and settlement of the New World. Partly as a result of Columbus’s initiative, Spain began to devote greater resources and energy to maritime exploration and gradually replaced Portugal as the leading seafaring nation. The Spaniard Vasco de Balboa fought his way across the Isthmus of Panama in 1513 and became the first known European to gaze westward upon the great ocean that separated America from China and the Indies. Seeking access to that ocean, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese in the employ of the Spanish, found the strait that now bears his name at the southern end of South America, struggled through the stormy narrows and into the ocean (so calm by contrast that he christened it the “Pacific”), then proceeded to the Philippines. There Magellan died in a conflict with the natives, but his expedition went on to complete the first known circumnavigation of the globe (1519–1522). By 1550, Spaniards had explored the coasts of North America as far north as Oregon in the west and Labrador in the east, as well as some of the interior regions of the continent.
While Humans as a species have been in the Americas for well over ten thousand years, the effect of European explorers upon their arrival in the late 1400's to the mid 1500's was staggering and swift. While Christopher Columbus was not the first person to come to the Americas, he and his compatriots put a proverbial stake in the ground and claimed their discovery for their crown, their nation and the world. Prior to this, the world outside of people's immediate environment had previously been so obscure. European explorers came from their distant land, charting the ocean along the way, and encountered both lands and people they did not know existed and yet as a species humans, homo sapiens had existed on this round planet for hundreds of thousands of years. How had they spread out so far and wide? How had they become so isolated from one another? How had their stories been shared and lost?
Piecing together the past through the lens of today, available historic records, and scientific findings is no easy task. In fact, it leads one to the Paradox of Knowledge that Albert Einsein described with “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”
SAILING NOTES FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR OCEAN VOYAGERS
Sailing Notes from the South Pacific for Ocean Voyagers
SY WHIRLWIND 🇺🇸 Maurisa, Mike, Russell & Josea – Alajuela 48’
MUST SEE: 🇵🇫 Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island, French Polynesia
MUST SEE: 🇵🇫 Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island, French Polynesia
in 2017 UNESCO named Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island, French Polynesia a world heritage site for its outstanding universal value, exceptional testimony to 1,000 years of pre-colonial mā'ohi civilization, and central location in the 'Polynesian Triangle'. The 'points' on the Polynesian triangle are New Zealand, Hawaii, and Rapa Nui. Taputapuātea is in the very center of this triangle of oceanic islands. Both the cultural landscape and seascape on Ra’iātea make this a unique and remarkable place one must see. Taputapuātea is an area that goes from the mountains through forested valleys spanning across a portion of lagoon and coral reef and a strip of open ocean. In the center is the Marae of Taputapuātea.
The Marae of Taputapuātea is considered to be the most sacred pre-colonial Polynesian archeological sites in French Polynesia. UNESCO describes this site as:
"dedicated to the god ‘Oro and the place where the world of the living (Te Ao) intersects the world of the ancestors and gods (Te Po). It also expresses political power and relationships. The rise in the importance of Taputapuātea among the marae on Raiatea and in the wider region is linked to the line of Tamatoa ari’i (chiefs) and the expansion of their power. Taputapuātea was the centre of a political alliance that brought together two widespread regions encompassing most of Polynesia. The alliance was maintained by regular gatherings of chiefs, warriors and priests who came from the other islands to meet at Taputapuātea. The building of outrigger canoes and ocean navigation were key skills in maintaining this network.
A traditional landscape surrounds both sides of the Taputapuātea marae complex. The marae complex looks out to Te Ava Mo'a, a sacred pass in the reef that bounds the lagoon. Atāra motu is an islet in the reef and a habitat for seabirds. Ocean-going arrivals waited here before being led through the sacred pass and formally welcomed at Taputapuātea. On the landward side, ’Ōpo’a and Hotopu’u are forested valleys ringed by ridges and the sacred mountain of Tea’etapu. The upland portions of the valleys feature older marae, such as marae Vaeāra’i and marae Taumariari, agricultural terraces, archaeological traces of habitations and named features related to traditions of gods and ancestors. Vegetation in the valleys is a mix of species, some endemic to Raiatea, some common to other Polynesian islands and some imported food species brought by ancient Polynesians for cultivation. Together, the attributes of the property form an outstanding relict and associative cultural landscape and seascape."
Throughout Polynesia the Marae are communal or sacred sites in village life. In order to build a marae in another location, it is said that one must start with a stone from Taputapuātea. The marae are places with different functions. They are places where the world of the living intersected with the world of village ancestors and Polynesian gods. They are places where people gather for ceremony, dance, connecting with the past and with community.
This video is a product of the cumulative effort of cultural and historical groups presenting the significance of Taputapuātea in the past, the present, and for the future.
https://youtu.be/wXbJXHR8-3g?t=391
FIJIAN CULTURE AND THE SEVUSEVU PROCESS
FIJI: THE SEVUSEVU PROCESS
In traditional villages in Fiji Sevusevu is and has been the central component of all life-cycle rituals, social gatherings, healing ceremonies and community meetings. Significant and ancient in Fiji, the “sevusevu” also marks the time and place for visitors to seek acceptance into a Fijian village.
Every Sevusevu is not as formal as pictured above however there is a distinct and courteous process visitors must follow. Further, understanding the significance of Sevusevu, respecting, and adhering to the tradition of this process helps to keep this aspect of Fijian Culture strong.
Longtime Ocean Posse member Chris on SV SEAGLUB has been living in Fiji for several years. He shares the following about his experience with the Sevesevu:
In Fiji, when visiting smaller settlements, a visitor must seek out the village chief and present him with a small token or gift as a sign of respect and to ask permission to visit. This not only gives visitors permission to interact with the villagers but also to stay in the town and to visit any local scenery (such as beaches, waterfalls etc). Not doing so shows disrespect for their culture, but is also the equivalent of trespassing – for example pitching a tent in someone's backyard without permission.
‘Sevusevu’ is the name given to the actual gift or token that visitors present the chief with, most commonly a half-kilo bumdle of waka (kava root). When arriving in the village, visitors should ask for the Turaga ni Koro (pronounced as too-ranga nee koro) or the village headman, as they usually have good English skills and will help with the translations. The headman will take visitors to the chief’s house for introduction. Remember no hats are to be worn once in the village and you should take your shoes off at the door before entering houses. Sitting cross legged on the floor, the kava root is then presented to the chief.
To ensure you are respectful of this important tradition, there are a few points of etiquette to follow. Firstly, everyone at the ceremony should dress in a sulu, which is a Fijian skirt regarded as their national dress. Women should also cover their shoulders. Men should sit cross-legged, ensuring that their sulu covers their knees, and women should sit with knees and feet together. Do not take photographs or videos throughout the ceremony, until the Turaga ni Koro lets you know that it’s okay to do so. Silence during the ceremony itself is crucial.
The ceremony itself is poignant. Afterwards you'll be welcomed as nothing less than family.
SV SEAGLUB 🇺🇸 Chris -Hylas 46'
NAWI ISLAND POSSE PARTY WRAP UP
SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE PARTY WRAP UP
When the Posse throws a party there is rum, a pig roast, people come and have fun...
It's that simple and it happens every time.
Last weekend the Ocean Posse and Posse sponsor Nawi Island Marina hosted a party at Nawi Island Marina in Savusavu, Fiji. The South Pacific Islands are distinctly different and yet there are many similarities among the peoples ways of celebrating. One such similarity is that celebratory feasting often involves the roasting (wither on a spit or more traditionally wrapped in banana leaves underground in a earthen pit) an entire animal....often a pig. In Fiji, a traditional pig feast is called 'Lovo' (which refers to the earthen oven) and is often the meal that brings large groups of people together for celebrating births, funerals, marriages, welcoming or bidding farewell to visitors, and holidays such as Easter or Christmas. Traditionally, women prepare the meat, men tend the earthen oven or fire, children play, and people are welcome to spend the time visiting and playing while the meal slowly cooks. This method of gathering, cooking slowly, and feasting has been passed down from generation to generation as a living legacy of bonding the importance of relationships within a community. Often other foods like seafoods, other meats, or vegetables are also cooked either in or near the earthen oven similarly wrapped in banana leaves to steam cook slowly. The flavors become distinctly rich and flavorful. When everything is unearthed or done cooking over coals, foods that were wrapped are unwrapped and are traditionally placed on banana leaves and presented buffet style accompanied by fresh squeezed coconut cream and other sauces.
SV WHIMSICAL IV shared their photos from the event:
SV WHIMSICAL IV 
Randy & Joanne - Catalina 470
The feast was wonderful. There were about 80 people in attendance that enjoyed a night of good food, drinks, meeting new friends and deepening relationships.
BARRA DE NAVIDAD HISTORY
HISTORY OF BARRA DE NAVIDAD
The village of Barra de Navidad has been known by many names over the years. Originally it was known by the names of Puerto Santo, Puerto de Cihuatlán, Puerto de Juan Gallego, Puerto de la Purificación, Puerto de Xalisco, and Puerto de la Natividad. It was a Viceroy from Spain who named it Puerto de la Navidad because Spanish explorers made landfall in this port on a Christmas day. Captain Juan Fernández de Híjar —founder of Villa Purificación, found Puerto de la Navidad around the year 1535, “in a time of great need,” as he himself said. In time, a village and many ships were built on the shores of this Port. The village was built on a sandbar and the name was later changed to Barra de la Navidad for the bar of sand she sits on. The ships were built to support Spanish expeditions further west.
60 years ago, In 1964 the governments and people of Mexico and the Philippines celebrated the “Year of the Mexican-Filipino Friendship”. This celebration commemorated the joint agreement reached by Presidents López Mateos and Macapagal four centuries after a historic nautical expedition left from the Pacific Coast of Mexico and went to the Philippine Islands in search of gold. This nautical expedition fleet set forth by King Phillips II was made of 5 ships and about 350 men. All of Western Mexico had to be mobilized to support the undertaking of this expedition. Roads were built to bring ship building supplies from as far away as what is now Guadalajara. To this day, the main road between Guadalajara and Barra is known as Philippine Way. They left in the early morning of November 21, 1564 from what came to be known as Barra de la Navidad. The Spanish-Mexican expedition set out, under the command of the governor Miguel López de Legazpi and the Augustinian friar Andrés de Urdaneta. * The expedition crossed the Pacific in 93 days and made their first landfall in Isla de los Ladrones, which they identify by the type of sails on their boats and canoes that they saw. This island we now know of as Guam. From there they set sail for the islands now known as the Philippines.Legazpi did not tell the crew their final destination when they set sail and when they arrived in the Philippines he stayed. He put is 17 year old grandson at the helm to get the expedition fleet back to Mexico. This was return trip was both arduous and triumphant as supposedly no one had ever gone back to Mexico up until this point.
*Many historians have spent years pouring over historic documents to determine the exact location from which the expedition set sail from Mexico. Some have contended that the further south from Barra de Navidad perhaps in Manzanillo or further still off the State of Colima. However more have determined that there is not the slightest doubt that the expedition of López de Legazpi and Urdaneta to the Philippine Islands left from Puerto de la Navidad which certainly adds to the significant history of Barra de Navidad.
Just as Barra de Navidad was the jumping off point for many early sailing expeditions, Barra de Navidad is also home to the Ocean Posse Annual Kick-off Event. Posse events, seminars and gatherings occur on a small island across the lagoon from the town of Barra de Nadivad on Isla de la Navidad. Many sailors have and continue to set sail from this port for the adventure of their lives.
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The history of Barra de Navidad, located on the western coast of Mexico in the state of Jalisco, can be traced back to its key role in maritime activities during the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in connection to Spanish expeditions across the Pacific. Although it’s not directly a part of Spanish territory, its history is deeply intertwined with Spanish colonization and maritime exploration during that period.
Origins of Barra de Navidad
The town's name, "Barra de Navidad," is derived from the fact that it was first recorded by the Spanish explorer Antonio de Mendoza on Christmas Day (Navidad) in 1540 during one of his expeditions. Its name—“Barra” referring to the sandbar and “Navidad” meaning Christmas—pays homage to the holiday on which it was discovered.
In the following years, Barra de Navidad became significant as a shipbuilding center and as a departure point for many expeditions across the Pacific, most notably the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi and Andrés de Urdaneta in 1564, which successfully led to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
Importance in the Spanish Empire (1600–1700s)
During the 1600s, Barra de Navidad was vital in Spain’s Pacific exploration. Spanish galleons would set sail from Mexico's western coast, particularly from this area, carrying goods and supplies for expeditions to the Philippines and other parts of Asia.
However, as larger ports like Acapulco grew more prominent for trans-Pacific trade and shipbuilding, Barra de Navidad's significance as a major port diminished, especially after the Manila Galleon trade was fully established between Acapulco and Manila. Still, throughout the 17th century, the town remained important to Spanish maritime activities and was used as a stopover for vessels moving along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Decline and Local Development
By the late 1600s and into the 18th century, Barra de Navidad transitioned from being a major player in trans-Pacific expeditions to a more localized port serving regional trade. The town and its surroundings continued to develop as a fishing village and as a harbor that supported local economies.
The town’s fortifications and shipyards slowly declined, and over time, it became less of a hub for Spanish colonial ambitions and more of a peaceful settlement.
Modern History
By the 19th and 20th centuries, Barra de Navidad had transformed into a quaint fishing village with its early significance as a Spanish port largely forgotten. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that the town became more popular as a tourist destination, known for its beaches, fishing, and tranquil atmosphere. The historical remnants of its Spanish colonial past, though not as visible as in other Mexican port towns, still linger in the area's name and its early connections to significant maritime history.
If you're looking for a more detailed investigation into archival records or reports related to the Spanish influence on this town, this would involve diving into specific colonial maritime documents that reference the town's use as a port, such as logs from early expeditions or shipbuilding records from the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Spanish archives contain an extensive collection of documents, manuscripts, and maps related to Spain's exploration, colonization, and administration of its overseas territories, including places like Barra de Navidad during the colonial period. Here's a breakdown of some of the key archives and what you could expect to find in relation to Barra de Navidad and Spanish maritime history:
1. Archivo General de Indias (AGI) – Seville, Spain
The Archivo General de Indias holds the most comprehensive collection of documents related to Spain’s colonial administration in the Americas and the Philippines. These records are essential for studying the maritime and colonial history of places like Barra de Navidad.
- Shipbuilding records: Information on shipyards in New Spain (Mexico) and the construction of galleons used for expeditions, including those that departed from Barra de Navidad.
- Expedition logs: Detailed records of Spanish expeditions from ports on the Pacific coast of Mexico to the Philippines, most notably the Legazpi-Urdaneta expedition in 1564. These logs may contain references to Barra de Navidad as a launch point.
- Trade and navigation records: Documentation of the Manila Galleon trade route, which would have indirectly affected Barra de Navidad, including port stopovers, cargo manifests, and maritime routes used during the 16th to 18th centuries.
- Royal correspondence: Communications between Spanish officials in New Spain and the Spanish Crown regarding exploration and trade expeditions, including requests for provisions, supplies, or ship repairs in ports like Barra de Navidad.
2. Archivo General de la Marina Álvaro de Bazán – Viso del Marqués, Spain
This archive focuses on Spain’s naval history and could contain:
- Maritime maps and charts: Cartographic documents showing Pacific trade routes and coastal settlements, including Barra de Navidad, during the height of the Manila Galleon trade.
- Naval dispatches and orders: Military and administrative orders concerning the defense of ports, the construction of ships, and the deployment of naval forces from western Mexico.
3. Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN) – Madrid, Spain
The Archivo Histórico Nacional contains a vast collection of historical documents related to Spain's governance and colonial activities, including:
- Colonial administration documents: Records from Spanish officials in New Spain who may have referenced activities in Barra de Navidad in their reports on shipbuilding, defense, and trade.
- Missionary reports: Accounts from missionaries traveling through coastal areas of Mexico, including possible references to religious activity or conversions in Barra de Navidad and surrounding regions.
4. Real Academia de la Historia – Madrid, Spain
This institution maintains records on Spanish exploration and colonial history, including:
- Expedition narratives: Historical accounts written by explorers, missionaries, or naval officers about their journeys to and from Spanish colonies, which may mention Barra de Navidad during the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Diaries and letters: Personal writings from naval officers, captains, or explorers who may have stopped in Barra de Navidad during trans-Pacific voyages.
5. Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE) – Madrid, Spain
The National Library of Spain holds manuscripts and rare books related to Spanish history, including:
- Historical books on the conquest and colonization of New Spain: Many early Spanish chroniclers wrote about the ports and towns on Mexico's Pacific coast, including Barra de Navidad. These writings might provide context on the town’s importance during colonial times.
- Illustrated manuscripts and maps: Early drawings and maps showing Spanish settlements, trade routes, and naval infrastructure in Mexico, which could include references to Barra de Navidad.
Potential Documents in the Spanish Archives Related to Barra de Navidad
- 16th-17th-century maritime logs: These may detail departures from Barra de Navidad, noting its role in major expeditions.
- Correspondence between the Spanish Crown and colonial governors: Information about shipbuilding activities or the defense of the Pacific coast, possibly mentioning Barra de Navidad.
- Maps of the western Mexican coast: Showing Barra de Navidad in relation to other important maritime hubs in New Spain.
- Royal decrees and orders: Issued to support naval expeditions from Mexican ports, including instructions on supplies, repairs, and ship construction.
- Trade records: Mentioning the role of Barra de Navidad as a provisioning stop for ships headed across the Pacific to the Philippines.
Researching These Archives
Access to the documents within these archives typically requires specialized knowledge of historical research, as many of the records are written in early modern Spanish. However, these archives are actively digitizing materials, and many records can now be accessed online or through special research requests.
The Archivo General de Indias and other archives may also offer curated collections or exhibit records related to Spanish maritime exploration, which could contain references to Barra de Navidad’s role in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Sailing to Mexico from the Pacific Northwest: Hazards and Resources
Sailing to Mexico from the Pacific Northwest:
Hazards and Resources
By Rob and Debra Murray from SV AVANT as previously published in Currents Magazine
About the Hazards
As you set out on your sail to Mexico from the Pacific Northwest, there are numerous hazards you will encounter. For most, the only defense is a good watch.
Fishing Boats
Most vessels inshore are commercial fishing boats, and many do not use AIS, so other fishermen don’t know where they are fishing. At night, they usually light up like stadiums hosting a World Cup game and are easy to spot. They tend to congregate on offshore banks or directly offshore from ports on the coast. Some fishermen have begun using AIS beacons on fishing gear, which is a bonus.
Debris
Floating debris, especially logs, can be an issue, particularly during or immediately following heavy rains or large tides, and especially off of larger rivers or inlets.
Crab Pots
Crab pots are endemic. While there has been an effort to create a crab pot free zone down the coast, its observance is marginal and equipment drifts into the the lanes anyways. The consortium that manages the lanes hasn’t met to update the agreement since 2017. Note that in areas subject to strong current, commercial crabbers will generally use two buoys, one to hold the line up and a second on a further 10 feet or so of line that will still be visible and retrievable, even when the first buoy has been pulled under by the current. It’s easier to tangle a buoy in your prop if the current is slack and both buoys are lying idle on the surface.
Bars
Of course, everyone worries about the dreaded ‘bar crossings’ that may be encountered. After all, they do call the Columbia Bar the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’, right? But if you’re crossing at a slack or flood in weather that isn’t horrible, none of the bar crossings are difficult. In Avant’s passage down the coast, we entered Astoria (the aforementioned ‘graveyard of the Pacific’), Coos Bay and Humboldt Bay/Eureka (widely considered the second worst bar crossing), and had no trouble at all. Our timing had us arriving at each bar on or near slack water, with a slight edge to the flood tide. Many mariners recommend using the last of the flood tide as the optimum time for a bar crossing, when the water is deepest. Waves at each entrance were under two feet, and the period was long, as predicted by the forecasts we sailed under. Charting was universally excellent.
Each harbour with a bar has a coast guard station that can offer advice, an up-to-the-minute bar report, and will even send out a cutter or other boat to guide you in if conditions warrant (we availed ourselves of this at Coos Bay when visibility dropped to under 200’). If you get caught out by a closed bar, you just have to gut it out until the bar reopens, but with modern weather forecasts and a modicum of planning,
this is highly unlikely. (Note that the coast guard definition of a ‘small craft’ in bar closing advisories is a vessel under 65’ in length.)
Available Resources
The following resources can make this specific passage more pleasant and perhaps less challenging:
Weather Information
No doubt you have attended courses, read books, downloaded software, studied weather patterns, learned how to download a variety of GRIBs, receive weather faxes, decode 500mb charts, toss chicken bones and generally worked really hard to prepare for cruising by becoming your own expert weather forecaster. Well, on this trip, those skills can be used for entertainment value or simply allowed to rest. (Don’t worry, you will use those skills south of the USA/Mexico border).
The NOAA forecasters are as good as it gets, and there are dedicated teams in each of Washington, Oregon and Northern California working around the clock to deliver the most accurate weather forecast possible. These forecasts are available via VHF on the usual WX channels to a considerable range offshore (usually at least 50 miles, often 100+). The forecast zones extend to 250 miles offshore in discrete steps, and the forecast zones are quite small. In addition to the forecast, each weather office provides a ‘discussion’, which underscores the reasons for the forecast offered, how the models informed (or did not inform) the forecasts, what’s likely to follow the forecast period, and any other juicy tidbits the forecaster(s) think might be interesting. You can find the discussion by going to the forecasting office’s webpage and looking for the ‘discussion’ button.
If you want to ‘play along’ with the forecaster, you can download the GRIBs (GFS and NDFD editions) and see if you get the same conclusions.
Live and near live weather observations are also available from the national weather service by finding the ‘observations’ button on the left side of the forecast page. These vary in frequency from every few hours to live, depending on location and observation station type. There are dozens of these between Neah Bay and San Francisco.
Enjoy the weather forecasts. They end at the Mexico USA border and it becomes far more basic there.
Wave Patterns
Waves offshore contribute substantially to the (dis)comfort the crew experience on the passage. Aboard Avant, we have found waves change character at depths of about 60m/200’. When the depths we sail in are under 60m, the waves seem to have a different character, a more insistent vertical component, than they do in greater depths. We always aim to be in depths greater than 60m/200’ whenever possible. When closing the coast, expect waves to ‘feel’ stronger, even if they are not visibly any bigger. Also when closing the coast, watch for secondary wave trains from reflections off shorelines where the shores are steep to, or a change in wave direction where a wave train may wrap a point or headland. And there are also outliers such as this one.
Generally, wave height has very little to do with discomfort aboard; it is the ratio of wave height to period that creates difficulty. When waves are ‘square’ (wave height in feet = wave period in seconds), no one will have any fun aboard, whether the waves are 3’ or 8’ high. We choose not to sail in square waves. When the period extends to 1.5x the wave height, conditions become much more tolerable. When the period is 2x or greater wave height, the gentle rise and fall is barely noticeable after a while.
When traveling with the wave train, the apparent period will be longer, and when traveling against the wave train the apparent period will be shorter. Take this into account when evaluating wave predictions.
Guidebooks
The NOAA Coast Pilot 7 is a free download and covers the coast from Neah Bay to the Mexican border. You will want to read chapter three, and use chapters seven to thirteen in reverse order as you transit south. This volume, over 700 pages, is a comprehensive mariners guide to the coast, its character, and its hazards. It is updated weekly, so make sure you have the latest edition downloaded.
There are commercial cruising guides available for the Columbia River and San Francisco Bay, but we found they added little to what the Coast Pilot provided for free.
The USCG has produced a general bar crossing guide with lots of relevant information. Individual bar crossing guides are available as well, and some can be found on this list. The following bar crossing guides (in pdf format) provide specific information about hazards for each bar crossing:
- Quillayute Bar Hazards
- Grays Harbour Bar Hazards
- Rogue River Bar Hazards
- Tillamook Bay Bar Hazards
- Yaquina Bay Bar Hazards
- Umpqua River Bar Hazards
- Depoe Bay Bar Hazards
- Columbia River Bar Hazards
- Coquille River Bar Hazards
- Chetco Bar Hazards
US Coast Guard
The US Coast Guard is a highly professional military search and rescue operation, and operates multiple stations up and down the coast. From late May through Labor Day, they also operate a number of seasonal stations, some located on the jetties surrounding bar crossings. They can be reached by VHF or by telephone (numbers are in the Coast Pilot, or on their website. Note them down before you go). Their VHF coverage is typically at least 25-50 miles offshore, and we found cell coverage was passable at 8-10 miles offshore and excellent at 5. It is ALWAYS worth calling by VHF or cell phone to get a bar forecast before committing to crossing any bar on the coast.
Charts
NOAA charts (both raster and vector) are free downloads and can be used in navigation programs like OpenCPN. They are frequently updated, and OpenCPN has a chart downloader that will automatically update your electronic charts directly from NOAA. Proprietary e-chart sets like C-Map or Navionics are also updated, but not as frequently. Like milk, bread and beer, charts are best fresh, so do use the free resources to ensure you have the most up to date information aboard. Paper charts for backup can be purchased individually, or you can get a ‘chart book’ that covers large sections of the coast. We elected to do the latter, buying two MAPTECH Chartbooks that covered the coast from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.
SY AVANT 🇨🇦 Rob & Debra – Beneteau 43.5
