After three rough nights at sea, we arrived at Minerva Reef at high tide. There was no land in sight, no navigation markers, and only one narrow passage through the reef. Just as we approached, a familiar catamaran emerged from the pass, and a magnificent rainbow appeared above her. We took it as a sign from above that we were going to make it through safely. Sometimes, after nine years at sea, a little reminder of faith is exactly what you need.
With just five days until the launch of Riding the Waves of Reality III: Into the Pacific, Paradise and Peril, we’re juggling book preparations with the challenges of sailing life in Tonga. Our next passage depends on finding the right weather window, conserving our limited fuel, and safely reaching New Zealand. Join us behind the scenes as we navigate the uncertainty, celebrate our newest book, and share how your support on launch day can help our adventures reach more readers!
Bora Bora gave us everything we had hoped for: turquoise water, spectacular sunsets, manta rays gliding beneath us, and a week of feeling completely at peace. Then, of course, our freezer died. Again.
After a quick return to Raiatea for repairs and another failed attempt to fix Dan’s tooth, we headed for Maupiti, an island everyone told us was beautiful but a little challenging to get in and out of. They were right, but they hadn’t quite emphasized the “get out” part. After climbing a mountain that nearly killed me, snorkeling with manta rays, and enjoying the calm waters inside the reef, we suddenly realized most of the other boats had already left. A weather window was closing, and we had a decision to make.
We left Maupiti knowing the passage ahead would be rough. We just didn’t know how rough. By the fourth day, I couldn’t eat, the waves were towering behind us, and rogue waves were slamming into Equus from directions we couldn’t predict. Then the forecast changed again.
That was when Dan asked the question I desperately needed to hear: “Do you want to go to Palmerston?”
Sometimes the best adventures aren’t the ones you planned. Sometimes they are the unexpected places where you find help, kindness, blue whales, and a reminder that perhaps you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
The Never-Ending Struggle for Boat Parts The last few days have been eventful here in Panama! We are facing dilemmas regarding boat parts as the nightmare of getting work done in foreign countries continues. We have parts that have been shipped and lost in transit, parts delayed due to a week of partying during the…
“When something goes wrong in your life, just yell ‘Plot Twist’ and move on…” Anonymous After 5 days at sea in challenging weather, the sight of land peering at us across a misty, wave strewn horizon, was a welcome sight. The stormy entrance to this island perched in the middle of the sea was…