Voyage
What's next?
I am planning to cruise in Fiji until the end of October - 322 islands are waiting to be explored. I will be sailing to New Zealand before the onset of the cyclone season in the South Pacific and with the arrival of the summer in New Zealand. The passage is 'only' 1'200 nautical miles, but is one of the most difficult ones in a circumnavigation.
I have no firm plans for my time in New Zealand. Blue Bie and I need a rest, but Auckland, the Harukai Golf, the Bay of Islands, Opua and Wangharai are interesting cruising grounds, too!
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Prevailing winds and weather and my intuition determine the journey. Tropical cyclones, winter and summer define a semi-annual rhythm for safe cruising and it is very hard on Blue Bie and her crew to sail long distances against the wind. I will following the trade winds, heading mostly towards the setting sun. Even so there are innumerable possibilities and there is so much to explore that I don't want to define a long term plan today.
It is one of the striking qualities of this journey to set sail without fixed plans and dates, to be open to learn and adjust the journey as I go.
But I will keep you informed about my position and plans on these pages.
The voyage to date
I am sailing with Blue Bie around the world since June 2006. After initial sailing trials around Port Camargue, I set sail for Mallorca and sailed via Alicante and Gibraltar to Las Palmas. From there I crossed the Atlantic in mid-December, arriving safely in Antigua in early January 2007.
I cruised the Windward and Leeward Islands for the first half of 2007, enjoying particularly the yachtie's scene on Antigua, the Antigua Sailing Week, the nature on Dominica and just about everything on Guadeloupe and its satellite islands Petit Terre and the Saintes. During the second half of 2007, I hauled out in Grenada, flew home to Switzerland for two months and went to Mérida, Venezuela, to learn Spanish for two months.
I cruised the Southern and Western Carribean in the first half on 2008. I particularly enjoyed kitesurfing in Tobago, Los Roques (Venezuela), Cuba, the San Blas islands (Panama) and Cartagena. I backpacked extensively through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in the second half of 2008 and flew home to Switzerland to celebrate Christmas with my family and go snowboarding.
Crossing the Panama Canal was the first highlight of 2009. Light wind passages in the doldrums brought me to Galapagos Islands, to Salinas in Ecuador and back to Galapagos. Strong winds brought me to the mystique Easter Island. After another fast passage From I reached French Polynesia, where I extensively cruised the Marquesas, Tuamotus and Society Islands. Albeit the most touristic, I enjoyed the Society Islands the most.
A light-wind beam reach passage brought me to Hawaii in October 2009. I am not sure which island I like the best: Is it Big Island with its mellow and embracing population or is it the more touristy Maui with the excellent kitesurfing opportunities? While the anchorages are sometimes and rolly, I very much enjoy the good infrastructure on Hawaii such as having good bookstores!
I sailed south from Hawaii via the Line Islands to the Cook Islands in the heart of the South Pacific. Hundreds of islands are waiting for me in the next few months in Niue, Tonga and Fiji.
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All legs on Google Earth (external programm) and in Google Maps
