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
Pictures from Ua Huka
Ua Huka
Ua Huka is a small island of 30 square miles due East of Nuku Hiva, with only 3 tiny towns and 600 people total. We stayed on the southern coast at Ua Huka 5 days before returning to Nuku Hiva to resupply baguettes and pick up Matt. With Tony aboard, we set sail for Ua … Continue reading Ua Huka
Pictures from Fatu Hiva
Here are some pictures from Fatu Hiva. I'll add comments if I can get connect to the www.
Fatu Hiva
The island of Fatu Hiva is 40 miles upwind from Tahuata. We made the trip motor-sailing, using the power from the diesel engine to get upwind with the mainsail pulled in tight to give stability. Of course it’s possible to sail a boat upwind without the engine by tacking. The boat never goes directly upwind, … Continue reading Fatu Hiva
Tahuata
We spent over a week on Tahuata Island, which is just to the south of Hiva Oa. Tahuata is small, with about 27 square miles, and mountainous, and only 700 people live there. We stayed at three places on the western side of the island. Our first stop was Hanamoenoa Bay which is the … Continue reading Tahuata
Technical problems
I have found it difficult to keep the blog how I want it. I seldom have access to internet, but I can upload files by satellite. I can easily upload text blogs with a single image. The system chokes and fails in different ways if I try to upload more images. So, I’m going to … Continue reading Technical problems
Drip,..
Drip, drip, drip… We make Hapatoni Bay, Tahuata Island late in the afternoon. There is still enough light to swim with mask and snorkel to look at the fish and check on the anchor. The anchor is buried nicely in a sandy spot, but there are some big rocks I’m worried about. If the boat … Continue reading Drip,..
Hanamenu Bay
Atuona was interesting. We got fresh baguettes and a slab of tuna at the local gas station. We played frisbee on a well-kept soccer field right off the beach where the breeze gave a steady lift to the disc. We even went to the local Friday night music event at the tin roof, open air … Continue reading Hanamenu Bay
Landfall: Hiva Oa!
After 23 terrifying, sleep-deprived, wonderful, boring days at sea, Akela made landfall at the island of Hiva Oa (population 2500) in the Marquesas group of French Polynesia. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquesas_Islands> There were low clouds, so we couldn’t see the mountainous island until we were 25 miles away. With a light wind behind us, we didn’t catch … Continue reading Landfall: Hiva Oa!
Three weeks at sea
(Second try posting this. I apologize for the confusion.) Max and I have been under sail now for three full weeks and we’re only a few days away from our destination of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas island group in French Polynesia. We have sailed in stormy weather, the doldrums and the southern trade winds. … Continue reading Three weeks at sea