A message from Susan: the view from shore

When Kit and Tom left Puerto Vallarta on March 20 I gave the boat a push away from dock and waved farewell as they embarked on their 20-something day journey. The usual farewell among the cruisers is “Fair winds and following seas.” Mine: “Reef early and often!” (Sage advice from our cruising friend Erhart.)

I decided awhile ago that I wasn’t cut out for so many overnights at sea. Our friend Tom was enthusiastic about making such a trip, though he’d had little sailing experience. It worked out well for all of us. I came home to Santa Rosa, California to spend some time at home with the kitties and do errands. It turns out I’ve been a link to shore-side supplies for Kit, as he’s found he needed back-up replacement parts that I will take to him when I leave for French Polynesia on April 15. I'll arrive at Atuona, Hiva Oa on April 17 after an overnight stay in Papeete.

In his e-mails to me Kit has indicated that the one ongoing problem they've had has been with the refrigerator/freezer working overtime and overtaxing the batteries. Some days the solar panels and wind generator just don't keep up with the power drain. They shut the fridge down part of the time and have been trying to consume the most perishable foods. Kit and Tom have been eating “high on the hog,” as I put in a good supply of frozen, vacuum packed rib eyes, chops, BBQ chickens, and other goodies from Desperado Marine, a meat provisioner in Puerto Vallarta. (I’ll be lucky if there’s any left for me!) These efforts appear to have helped.

My son Dan came down from Eugene, Oregon this weekend to visit Stanford, where he'll be working on his PhD beginning this fall. We were talking about the newest things in social networks on the internet, and I learned about blogs. That's when we decided to put this one together.

Dan linked the Yotreps map and wind/boat speed table to the Wind River blog, so you won’t have to go into Pangolin to check that anymore. Click on the map to get Kit's daily message, GPS, boat course, wind info. (Then click the "back" button to return to the blog.) Kit and I will be able to e-mail new text entries to the blog from the boat.

The trip is looking very good, and I look forward to joining Kit in about two weeks to sail in French Polynesia!

Susan