“Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time.”
S/V Enjoy is at Apataki Carenage. Leeward Islands, French Polynesia ·
Food
delivery! Don found the ability to order food from SIPAC in Tahiti.
They delivered it by ship to the closest town in Apataki last night, and
then Apataki Carnage picked it up for us and brought it half an hour by
boat, and then by forklift right to our deck. Since we are still on the
hard, without air conditioning, in 90° weather, getting the boat ready
to go into the water this season!
SV ENJOY 🇺🇸 Don & Nina Lagoon 42′
3) WAY FINDING ✋ vs 🧭
This
navigation technique comes from the knowledge passed down through
generations of Polynesians, who were among the world’s greatest
navigators and explorers.
The
origins of Polynesian way finding can be traced back to the seafaring
cultures of the Pacific Islands, including the regions of Micronesia,
Melanesia, and Polynesia. These navigators used a deep understanding of
stars, wind patterns, cloud formations, ocean currents, the flight
patterns of birds, and other signs of nature for long-distance voyaging.
Polynesian
way finding is closely associated with the renaissance of traditional
voyaging that began in the 70s with the construction and voyage of the
Hōkūleʻa, a traditional double-hulled voyaging canoe. The Hōkūleʻa and
its voyages played a pivotal role in reviving and preserving Polynesian
navigation techniques. Mau Piailug, a master navigator from Micronesia,
was instrumental in this revival, sharing his knowledge with Hawaiians
and other Polynesians, thereby bridging the gap between ancient and
modern Polynesian cultures.
The altitude of the star can be measured using the hand stretched out in front
of the eyes, with shoulders squared. Different configurations of the
hand (a fist, a span, two fingers, three fingers) can be calibrated to
distances in the sky.
When
Carine Bullock and her husband, Doug, purchased their Nordhavn 47 back
in 2009, they had plans to spend retirement by cruising here and there,
up and down the east coast. They were ready to take a step back from
their busy lives, and named their new boat Downshifting to perfectly
encapsulate that plan.
In
2013, Doug unexpectedly passed away and Carine was left with the choice
to abandon their plans or to embrace them and honor the life that Doug
had wanted. She continued full throttle as the sole owner of
Downshifting and solicited old and new friends to serve as crew,
continuing with cruises.
She’s
had support group in the form of other Nordhavn owners, specifically
fellow Souht Pacific Posse membes Gerry and Angela O’Dowd of MY Celt Carine will be bringing her two dogs along, who have been her loyal boating companions the past 5 years.
MY DOWNSHIFTING 🇺🇸 Carine – Nordhavn 47′
5) BENEFITS OF JOINING THE SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE
✔️ Up to date and verified information by fellow yachts
💰 Save real money at 12+ Marinas with discounts *
🛰️ Free vessel and fleet tracking courtesy of Predict Wind
🚩 Free Burgee
💰 Save with service providers and chandleries
🕵️ dedicated, experienced and discounted Canal and clearing in agents
🗺️ Free aid to navigation 150 Gb OpenCPN satellite charts (mac/pc/android)
💰 Save Money with a Predict Wind Pro Discount
🗺️ Free Printable Reference Charts emergency backup to your electronics
📹 Free Video Seminars on destinations from those who are there
🌩️ Top weather routing avail by Ocean Tactics at a DISCOUNT
⛵ Community of voyagers all are welcome, kids, single-handers, pets
⚓ Peer support in emergencies with escalation procedures
🛈 Fleet Updates via email – free
🏆 Fun Award Categories
📍 Free access to GOOD NAUTICAL Anchorage reports
☎️ Free Weekly live calls on Mondays via dedicated LINE.me group
💬 Free 24/7 LINE group channel
🌊 Benefit from the latest information and prior experience participants
🔭 Be part of a fleet of sensor for those who come behind you or meet
🚷 Always priority traffic – for participants by participants
6) GOOD ANCHORAGE ⚓ IN GOOD NAUTICAL
Nananu i Ra north anchorage. 20m. Jumping off point for heading north to Vanua Levu and Savusavu.
SY SEAGLUB 🇺🇸 Chris – Hylas 46′
7) SAVE THE DATE
SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE MEET THE CRUISING FLEET AUGUST 31 🇫🇯 NAWI ISLAND FIJI
RSVP for this iconic event in SavuSavu – bigger badder better !
8) SUWAROW ISLAND 🇨🇰 COOK ISLANDS
THE DANGEROUS MIDDLE 🇨🇰 COOK ISLANDS
The
Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand,
between French Polynesia and Fiji. There are fifteen major islands,
spread over 2.2 million square kilometers of ocean, divided into two
distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands, and the Northern Cook
Islands of coral atolls. The islands were formed by volcanic activity;
the northern group is older and consists of six atolls (sunken volcanoes
topped by coral growth).
Several options for sailing through the Cook Islands:
Northern Cook Islands ,
approaching from (for example) Bora Bora. Possible stops in order along
the route would be Penrhyn, Manihiki, Suwarrow and then perhaps
Pukapuka.
Southern Cook Islands , possible stops would be Rarotonga and perhaps either or both of Aitutaki and Palmerston.
Both northern and southern Cooks, starting in Rarotonga, and continuing to Palmerston, Suwarrow and perhaps Pukapuka.
Rarotonga
is a useful first stop because it is the main center for the Cook
Islands, and provisions can be hard to find in the outer islands.
Whether you stop at the outer islands, in particular Palmerston and
Aitutaki can depend on wind direction and draft — see the notes on the
pages for those islands.
Rarotonga
is a useful first stop because it is the main center for the Cook
Islands, and provisions can be hard to find in the outer islands.
Whether you stop at the outer islands, in particular Palmerston and
Aitutaki can depend on wind direction and draft — see the notes on the
pages for those islands.
July Pilot Charts Cook Islands
9) OPEN CPN 📍 TURN ON TRACKING SHARE TRACKS 🔗
Once connected to GPS or NMEA – please enable tracking
Once you are tracking the yellow line will show your track right click on it and select properties
You can then save this track or import another one …
To manage routes click on the Route and Mark Manager Icon on the left
Next
Navigate to the GPX file you wish to import
Next activate the track in the ROUTE TAB
Next ACTIVATE THE ROUTE and VOILA
To import GPX tracks from Good Nautical look for the tracks shared on the right bar and download to your device
Review route details
Download the GPX and import into Open CPN as outlined above
AND DISPLAY THE ROUTE IN OPEN CPN WITH A SEQUENCE OF SAVE WAYPOINTS
10) MORE SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE SEMINARS
SAIL TO NEW ZEALAND WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS WITH WEATHER ROUTER EXTRAORDINAIRE JOHN MARTIN
KAVA
can be purchased at local markets in Fiji but Kava is alos consumed in
various ways throughout the Pacific Ocean cultures of Polynesia,
Vanuatu, Melanesia and some parts of Micronesia and Australia.
It
is tradition to present the leader or village chief with a Kava root,
which you can find at any Fijian market. This will show your true
understanding of the Fijian culture and the significance of the kava
ceremony.
The
kava ceremony focuses around the communal Kava tanoa (bowl). Guests sit
in a circle around the bowl which is placed in front of the leader .
The ceremony commences with the actual production of the Kava. The plant
is pounded and the pulp placed into a cloth sack and mixed with water.
The end result is a brownish colored liquid – the Kava gold. It is then
strained and ready for drinking and consumed by the visitors and the
village chief and his entourage.
KAVA CEREMONY ETIQUETTE
In
Fiji, a kava ceremony is a ritual in many remote villages. Fijian
families and friends gather together and enjoy Kava together. It is what
Fijians commonly refer to as ‘Fiji time’. You can ask for a full
coconut shell or half shell.
Kava
aka yaqona, aka grog, is the traditional drink in Fiji. It is a mildly
narcotic and sedative drink made from the crushed root of the yaqona
(pronounced yang-GO-na) strained with water. It is served in a large
communal bowl as part of the traditional kava ceremony. When you drink
it it morphs into a pleasant, numb feeling around the mouth, lips and
tongue, as well as a sense of calm and relaxation.
You can ask for a full or half coconut shell
Despite
the naturally calming effects of the drink, the true experience lies in
partaking in the ceremony. Kava is traditionally served as part of a
ceremonial atmosphere, most commonly in welcoming guests into a village
or on important occasions.
“Kaivalagi” is a Fijian word meaning someone “from the land of the foreigners.” Its antonym, kaiviti, means “someone from Fiji.” It is often used instead of the word “vulagi“, meaning foreigner or stranger
Here are some kaivalagis drinking Kava
12) SPEAKING OF KUSTOMS
SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE PROTOCOL
Quintessential
South Pacific Posse Parties when 2 Pacific Posse yachts meet it becomes
a South Pacific Posse Party – larger vessel hosts smaller vessel –
smaller vessels brings something good to share –
13) CYCLONE 🌀 HOLES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Mangrove lined rivers are the ultimate cyclone holes as these 10 foot mangroves absorb the energy of strong winds.
Anchorages
on the North coasts in South Pacific Islands are more susceptible to
surge and devastation. In the Southern hemisphere tropical storms are
called cyclones and rotate in a clockwise direction.
Apia north Coast of Western Samoa got devastated
Sample Track of Cyclones Gita in ’18 and Winston in ’16
A few natural cyclone holes to ponder in the South Pacific
Huahine – Society Isands – French Polynesia
Taha’a – Society Isands – French Polynesia
Pago Pago Harbour- Tutuila – American Samoa
Neiafu – Vava’u – Tonga
Suva Harbour – Vitu Levu – Fiji
Savusavu – Vanua Levu – Fiji
Port Denarau River- Vitu Levu – Fiji
Port Sandwich – Malekula –
Vanuatu Oyster Island – Turtle Bay – Espiritu Santo – Vanuatu
Noumea Inner Harbour – New Caledonia
Baie du Carneage – Prony Bay – New Caledonia (pictured below)
14) FREE FLEET TRACKING ’24 🛰️
WITH PREDICT WIND
“AND THEY ARE OFF”
About Tracking:
Designed to give interesting parties an overview. For specific vessel details including their float plan,
latest updates, changes, positions and specific location related
questions please contact each vessel directly. If you are on
passage let us know and the fleet can monitor your progress.
With
many tracks in the Fiji Lau Group and Kadavu added by SY
Seaglub everyone is empowered to see this amazing part of
Fiji avoiding treacherous reefs and coral heads
Burgees
are available in French Polynesia starting in March in Nuku Hiva –
for additional location please arrange and pay for a 8 oz envelope to
be shipped to your preferred intl. location
The
Marovo Lagoon is the largest saltwater lagoon in the world. The area is
an exceptional part of the Coral Triangle, in particular for its high
coral and fish diversity which is only comparable to Raja Ampat in
Indonesia. One of its most distinguishing features is its double barrier
reef and island formations.
🇪🇨 PUERTO AMISTAD MARINA, ECUADOR SPONSORS THE PACIFIC POSSE
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