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
Rarioa
This entry was made by Matt after sailing to the island of Rarioa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. After 4 days of living in a compartment pitching randomly in every direction, knowing what Jim ment by he had bruises on top of bruises, learning how to carefully think out ahead of time how to move 3 … Continue reading Rarioa
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
Repairs and refitting
Jim, Max and Tony are taking 2 weeks for boat maintenance and installation of new hardware. This is a big and expensive undertaking because many things on the boat are big, specialized, and must be extra-durable. Some of the major jobs are: Clean, sand and paint the bottom with toxic paint that annoys barnacles that … Continue reading Repairs and refitting
Posting by email
Check it out. I can post blogs by email. This entry was created and uploaded by writing an email and sending it to the SailAkela site. I will need to do this while we’re off the grid because the satellite connection has limited bandwidth. I can easily send text and I can choose a few … Continue reading Posting by email
New Awnings!
Check out the new awnings! Nana Johnson flew to Tucson to make these out of 40 yards of WeatherMax80 fabric using Jack's industrial sewing machine. These will provide both shade and rain protection. Pretty nice!
The Story of Akela
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