Akela is a two-masted sailing boat called a Hardin Sea Wolf ketch made in Taiwan in 1977. ("Akela" is named after the lone wolf in Kipling's Jungle Book.) The Burge family acquired Akela in San Carlos, Mexico in 1999 and spent 15 years cruising aboard Akela in the Sea of Cortez while maintaining a seemingly … Continue reading The Story of Akela
Open water passages
"Open Water Passages" by Max
What now?
When we started this adventure, we planned to spend a year in the South Pacific. That year has come and gone. We have had exciting times, seen beautiful places, made new friends, and sailed thousands of miles. We tried to moor Akela in Tahiti for a few months, but there was no safe harbor there. … Continue reading What now?
Merry Christmas
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! It's Christmas Eve and Max and I are heading offshore from Tahiti for a three or four day sail to the Tuamotus. We expect to make Fakarava by Thursday. If the weather is good, we will make Makemo my Friday. We plan to wait in Makemo for … Continue reading Merry Christmas
Christmas Break
As true wanderers, we haven't had much of an itinerary for this trip. We expected something like a year, that we would spend time in interesting places, and that we would try to avoid bad weather. Starting off in February, we thought about following the "coconut Milk Run" of Marquesas-Tuamotus-Societies-Cook Islands-Tonga-Fiji then going to New … Continue reading Christmas Break
Close Encounters with Poppy
We were anchored in the South end of Cook’s Bay, Moorea on a beautiful windy day. It had been calm all morning, but a nice breeze had come up from the North, blowing fresh air directly into the bay. Sitting on deck reading, I was alarmed to hear somebody yelling. Looking upwind, the old guy … Continue reading Close Encounters with Poppy
The boatyard in Paradise
We started our adventure last January in the Koehler boatyard in the San Diego where we repainted Akela's bottom and rebuilt all of the rigging. Since then, Akela has survived storms, giant waves, and even running into a hidden coral reef in Raroia with very few problems. The damage from the reef appeared to be … Continue reading The boatyard in Paradise
Huahine
We filled our fuel tanks (60 gallons in the belly tank and two 20 gallon drums on deck) and sailed Northwest out of Tahiti in the early afternoon Friday under light winds. Once we got 10 miles offshore, the winds filled in and we moved nicely at 6 knots under full sail towards the island … Continue reading Huahine
Living the Good Life
Max and I have been living on Akela for over half a year now and we have gotten used to it. So, you may be wondering, “What’s it like?” This blog is my attempt to answer that question. But keep in mind, that the response comes from my perspective. Somebody with background and interests other … Continue reading Living the Good Life