From Wanda
Friday, April 4, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
We will be
sailing to the Marquesas Islands tomorrow with Bruno Bomati and Marie Laroche.
Marie has
flown here from France to join us on this passage. We are grateful to them both
for their knowledge and wonderful companionship. Merci!
Marie,
Bruno, and his wife Erin met us at the boat this morning and then we went
shopping to finish our provisioning of fresh fruits, vegetables and French
Cheese. Our cart was overflowing and food was falling off on the way to the car.
Theo and I
had bought refrigerated and frozen items from Costco to bring with us for our
trip, but we forgot a lot of it at home. Ironically, Bruno and Marie had done
the same with many of the things they had bought from Trader Joe’s. Theo has a
printer on board and even forgot to bring paper for it (thank you Charlie for
the paper!). We had to laugh. In the end, we had the important things here with
us. We had each other, our fearless dogs Mambo and Isabel (cough), our
passports and, of course, we remembered to bring wine… All is very good.
It is a
sailor’s superstition that one should never start a long voyage on a Friday, so
we moored in Catalina for the night. On the way there we had a whale surface about
200 feet on our starboard side. Unfortunately, I was on the port side. I
listened to my husband for the next 15 minutes telling me “she was right
there!” pointing at the water next to our boat. Patience…
After
mooring in Two Harbors, we were joined by Charlie and friends for a little
going away bash. We broke open the Pata Negra prosciutto leg from Spain (from
now on known as the Magic Ham), Charlie brought a huge bottle of very special
French wine (the Magic Bottle) that we drank willingly. When we reach the
equator, we will fill the bottle with our messages and throw it into the
ocean. We had a very fun and special
evening. Friends, laughter and great memories… Thank you to all! Merci…
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| Pata Negra. We are not roughing it... |
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| The Crew. Theo, Wanda, Marie, Bruno. |
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| Arthur and Charlie in Catalina |
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| Dolphins playing by our bow |
Lesson for
today: Perhaps it is better to leave on a bad luck Friday sober than to leave
on a Saturday after a big going away party.
Quote for
today: “You are not old until regret replaces your dreams”
French words
for today: Vin Rouge
Translation:
Red Wine
OCEAN
SIGHTINGS: One Whale (by everyone else except me…)
Saturday
April 5 2014
Departure
from Catalina Island
In the
morning we went onshore with the dogs and walked from Two Harbors to the Cat
harbor (this is not a long walk). It would be the last time we would be on land
for 20 days… even longer for Isabel and Mambo. We spent more time with our
friends from the Naos Group, had some cheeseburgers and then literally sailed
into the sunset. It was a great way to start our voyage. Theo and I have spent
the last 21 years sailing to Catalina. We have watched it evolve and change. We
have so many memories on that island. We know that it will be a long time
before we return. It was very special for us to leave from there.
Just as we
sailed past the last part of land we would see for a while, dolphins surfaced
and swam with our boat. I felt as if they were wishing us well. We are finally
making our big sailing adventure happen!
Lesson for
Today:
If you tie
up your dogs outside the restaurant at Two Harbors, every child in the
immediate area will play with and pet them… very nice.
Quote for
Today:
“This time,
like all other times, is a very good one, if we know what to do with it.” Ralph
Waldo Emerson
French words
for Today: Nous commencons notre voyage aujourd’hui. Translation: We begin our
voyage today
Ocean sightings:
Dolphins wishing us well
Tears Shed:
A few when I said Goodbye to Charlie in Catalina. It was an emotional moment
for many reasons.
April 6 – 12
, 2014
Week One
The mornings
are very special. Coffee with dolphins, Coffee with Whales…It is all good. We
were outside of the United States on the first full day of sailing. The last
piece of land we saw was Guadalupe Island (known for Great White Sharks). We
will not see land again until we reach the Marquesas. Et Voila is performing
beautifully. Not much to do… She is taking care of herself and our auto pilot
(Wilson) is working constantly to keep her moving towards our destination, more
or less (it is a sailboat after all…). The weather, wind and the ocean vary
frequently. Some days are warm and we are gently moving and rolling along.
Other days are gloomy and we feel like a pin ball being bounced around. Boing, Boing, Boing (I’m sure you get the
picture)... I should tell you that I have never felt unsafe. I know our boat
was built for much rougher conditions than what we are experiencing. I was
lying in bed listening to the sounds and just taking in the sensation of being
in the open ocean. I have to say it is like being in a safe bubble in a washing
machine. That is all my brain could come up with. There’s lots of swishing,
groaning, cracking, banging and rocking… but not too bad. On some of the more
challenging nights, it feels like I am still in the washing machine, but instead
of being on gentle cycle, it is now on heavy duty cycle. Also, every so often,
it feels like that T-Rex from Jurassic Park is ramming the washing machine
trying to get to me. Yeah… that is what it feels and sounds like.
Theo is in
his element… so he is happy and working hard.
Marie and
Bruno are lovely. They are wonderful company, amazing and responsible sailors.
We are so grateful for their knowledge and companionship. Bruno was teaching me
how to trim the sails. I am honored. Marie has become a good friend. I know my
experience would not be as comfortable without her. She has taught me how to
make Panna Cotta and I help her with her English. She told me that she believes
very strongly that after two months in French Polynesia, I will speak French
well. I will do my best. The dogs have been a tremendous comfort for me personally.
They had a rough time of it the first few days, but now they are calm and have
adapted well to our new reality. They lift our mood and make us laugh… a lot!
We have caught two fish so far. One was a Mahi Mahi (ceviche)
and the other was a Yellowfin Tuna (Sashimi). We will not need to fish again
this week.
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| Yellowfin Tuna. Very strong fish yet it has very tender meat. |
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| Getting the Spinnaker ready. |
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| Wanda and the dogs |
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| Bird resting on our boat. |
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| Isabel checking the flying fish. |
Lessons for
this week:
1) Do not
try to trim or pluck your eyebrows while on the open ocean.
2) If you
catch a fish on your pole while eating lunch, do not leave Mambo unattended at
the table.
3) Always, leave
one hand free at all times to hold on to something stable.
Quotes for
this week:
“How much
pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened” Thomas Jefferson
“I have not
ceased being fearful, but I have ceased to let fear control me. I have accepted
fear as part of my life, specifically the fear of change, the fear of the
unknown. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: Turn
back, turn back; You will die if you venture too far” Erica Jong
“You have a
brain in your head and feet in your shoes… you can steer yourself any direction
you choose” Dr. Seuss
French words
for this week:
Le Chien a
Faim. Translation: The dog is hungry
Passe moi le
poisson s’il te plait. Translation: Please pass the fish
Café avec les
dauphins ce matin. Translation: Coffee with dolphins this morning
Je mo sens
heureu se et de’tende. Translation: I feel Happy and Relaxed
Ocean
Sightings: Whales, dolphins, flying fish, one military airplane that did a low
level fly-by (I will never forget Marie’s horrified expression), a black bird
with yellow and red wings that hitched a ride with us for an hour or so, a
butterfly (I swear…Theo saw it too), a 620 foot Cargo ship heading in our
direction between 2 and 4 am, one Mahi Mahi and one Yellow Fin Tuna on our
fishing poles and now in our bellies.
Books: The
Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost
An
Embarrassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof
Artists on
my playlist: Rusted Root, Peter Frampton, Colin Hay, Gypsy Kings , Michael
Franti and the Spearhead, Bee Gees, Bob
Marley
Tears Shed:
Zero
April 13-19,2014
Week Two
As of Sunday
the 13th, we have sailed 980 miles. We are between the Hawaiian
Islands and the Galapagos. We will be in the Doldrums in 6 to 7 days. This is
an area with no wind or light variable winds just north of the equator.
The wind is
picking up to 20 knots and the ocean is choppy. Et Voila is surfing the swells
and handling it very well. The boys are
busy with the sails and I am trying to cook dinner (this experience will be in
the Lessons section which follows). Marie has nicknamed me Cordon-Bleu, after
the famous French cooking school, because I love to cook. I have been spending a lot of my time chopping
and peeling. I enjoy creating different meals with what we have available on
board. Our water maker has stopped working. There is enough water for the four
of us and the dogs to drink, but no showers and only salt water to wash the
plates and glasses. Theo is so frustrated.
The ocean
really affects your mood. When it is sunny and blue skies I feel happy. When it
is storming, grey and choppy I feel sad. It is very intensely felt here. Every
day is like a different season. Is it summer today? No, it is winter today… Yesterday
was summer…Darn. The wind changes very quickly. It picked up to 26 knots during
Theo and Bruno’s shifts. During mine it calmed to 16 knots and we were sailing
at 8 knots steady. As of day 10, we have sailed 1,300 straight miles.
There have
been three birds soaring over our boat all day. Our boat is stirring up the
flying fish and the birds are diving after them. I have never seen so many
flying fish. They are not like the larger ones we see in Catalina. Much smaller
and everywhere!
No one
sleeps very well. T Rex is becoming more aggressive. Our larger dog, Mambo, has
been sleeping on a dog cushion at the foot of our bed. He gets startled by the hull
banging, so lately we feel his wet nose
on our feet at night. Now it is the four of us in the tiny bed and Mambo is not
considerate with the amount of space he takes up.
I woke up
the next morning and was really tired. I was greeted by Theo (before my cup of
coffee) who enthusiastically asked me to clean a flying fish he had found on
the deck. He has never eaten a flying
fish before, so he wanted to fry it up. I knew what my answer was immediately.
Remember, NO is a complete sentence. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t stop my
mind from imagining myself actually cleaning the fish. I was very green for the
rest of the morning and wanted to punch Theo in the nose. He gave me some
crackers and ginger tea… all was forgiven.
Before our
departure, I envisioned that the dark nights would be frightening. Now that I
have experienced them, I have to say it is peaceful and gorgeous. It is perhaps
my favorite time of the day. It is not dark. The moon is big and bright. You
can watch it rise from the horizon like the sun rises in the morning. The stars
are a meditation for me. I have never seen anything like it.
The big
swells (10-15 feet) continue and Et Voila is surfing them. They look like they
are as tall as the boat, and then we are lifted up as they passed underneath
us. If you want to see it with a glass half-full attitude, it is like the
swells are helping by pushing us along toward our destination… Yeah, that’s
it… If you want to forget your past pain
and future worries, jump on a boat and go to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Watch
the swells. You will be in the present moment and you mind will be quiet. It is
awesome and humbling. We are nothing at all actually, in this ocean.
On our
radar, we can usually see a storm coming. One was approaching during my shift
(2-4 am). It is unsettling to watch a really huge red and yellow blob on the
radar screen coming closer and closer. Our autopilot, Wilson (in wind Vane
mode), actually turned our boat around to get away from the storm… We were
headed back to California. Wilson is smart.
It was the most intense night. The rain and wind picked up tremendously
and changed direction (that’s why Wilson, who was following the wind, turned
around). Lying in bed, I realized that Godzilla has joined T Rex in his efforts
to get into the washing machine.
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| Squall showing on the Radar. We were right under it... |
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| Beautiful! |
Lessons for
this week:
1) Do not
bring more chocolate than you can eat before the equatorial heat hits. You will
have chocolate fondue.
2) Corelle dishes
are not break and chip resistant after all.
3) Boiling
water for pasta is not a super smart
idea during a squall… Have a can of tuna instead.
4) Flying
fish are quite tasty when fried in butter.
5) Bringing
make up or lotions here is pointless… Whatever
you put on your face slides off within seconds.
Quotes for
this week:
“Don’t wait,
the time will never be just right” Napoleon Hill
“I don’t
know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone”
Bill Cosby
“I can be
changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it” Maya Angelou
“Hold on to
your Butts” Jurassic Park Movie
French words
for this week:
Il fait
tre’s chaud pour le moment. Translation: It is very warm at the moment
Poisson
Volant. Translation: Flying Fish
Le lune est
belle. Translation: The moon is beautiful
Mon esprit
est tre’s tranquille. Translation: My mind is very quiet
Il ya un
dinosaur a l’exterieur. Translation: There is a dinosaur outside
Ocean
Sightings:
Flying fish
everywhere (one in our shower, one in Bruno’s shower, one on our bow
trampoline, one in our bed, and one dried up small fish we found between our
headboard and mattress.
Three birds
kamikaze diving for the fish.
Dolphins.
Books: The
Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Dive
From Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer
Artists on
my playlist:
Train, Paolo
Nutini, Eels, Pepe and the Bottle Blonds, John Cruz and Pharrell Williams
Tears Shed:
Zero
Easter Sunday
April 20,2014
Crossing the
Equator
It is a
beautiful morning. It is sunny, blue skies and smooth sailing. Phew! Marie is
making Panna Cotta for our dessert tonight and I am preparing Hard Boiled Eggs
and Fresh Boat Bread for our Easter lunch.
Today is very
exciting and important for all of us. We have 55 miles until we reach the
equator. We will be there around 8 o’clock tonight .This is a tremendous
accomplishment for all of us. None of us has experienced it before. We will
reach Hiva Oa in the Marquesas in 700 miles. Hopefully the wind and ocean will
stay consistent from now on… Ha!
For our
Equatorial Crossing dinner, Bruno cooked up some amazing scallops with a
balsamic sauce. Next was Pasta with Langostinos, panna cotta and champagne. We
are all happy.
When we
reached the Equator it was about 9 PM and very dark. We dropped the sails, turned
on the underwater lights and jumped in. Theo was the first one to dive in and
he jumped from our flying bridge. For my jump, one hand was holding Marie’s and
in the other I had the journal that I kept during chemotherapy, surgery and
radiation treatments. It is now at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. I have no
desire to remember one second of it. Done with that.
The water
was warm and we were very happy with the calm, star-filled night. I don’t know
how to describe the feeling of knowing you are swimming in the middle of the
largest ocean. Surreal I guess. Who knows the depth of it or what is lurking
around you. Once we were all back on board, we filled Charlie’s empty wine
bottle (the Magic Bottle we drank in Catatlina, remember?) with our individual
messages and released it into the ocean. Then, the four of us stood at the
stern for what felt like a very long time. We just stared up at the stars. They
are so vast. Mesmerizing. I don’t think I have ever seen anything so
spectacular. I believe that moment is the closest we will ever come to feeling
like we are in outer space. It was the best experience ever… Really.
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| The bottle is ready for the messages. Tee-shirts supporting ALS by NAOS Yacht Sales. |
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| If you find this bottle, let us know! |
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| Our swim at the equator...an unforgettable moment. |
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| Celebrating at the Equator, in the middle of the Pacific after a swim under a clear star-filled sky. |
Quote: “We
live in a world where man has walked on the moon. It’s not a miracle, we just
decided to go” Jim Lovell
French
Words: Oce’an tres somber Translation:
Very dark ocean
Lesson: Tie
Mambo and Isabel to a secured leash attached to the boat before you jump into
the dark ocean
Ocean
Sightings: Thankfully nothing
Song for
today: Waiting for my real life to begin By Colin Hay
Tears Shed:
Zero
April 21-24, 2014
Week Three
The water
maker is still not working. Theo has tried everything he knows, but he can’t
work on it until we are anchored somewhere calm. We are salty, sticky and very
hot. We have been taking bucket showers on the stern. Not so bad…
Have I
mentioned that everything remains damp? You can hang things to dry in the
scorching sun and it always remains wet and smells a bit strange. This goes for
everything… Our table, the sheets, pillows, floor, clothing, mirrors… I could
go on and on. I am so grateful we bought airtight containers to store the
staples for our meals. Food goes stale very fast. Theo left a few shelled
pistachios in a bowl. When I tried to eat them 10 minutes later and they were
soggy. Once they get hit with the humidity, they are done.
We are
getting many squalls at night. The wind has picked up again and we hardly have
any sails up. Steady at 5 knots. The mornings are grey and wet. For me, the
last 3 days were the most challenging. I was tired of holding on to the walls,
galley, lifelines… whatever I could find. The wind is all over the place. Just
when I think it might be clearing up, a fast moving dark cloud comes and dumps
on us. Wilson is still occasionally trying to return to California.
As of April
23rd, we are 360 miles from Hiva Oa. So close.
Meanwhile,
Theo is still troubleshooting about the water maker. He thinks we will have to
have parts shipped to Hiva Oa. That will not be easy… Patience.
I truly feel
that the Pacific has been kind to us. Et Voila has been extremely strong and
safe throughout our crossing. I have never felt fearful that something bad
might happen (except for Mambo and I will explain that later). Of course we had
Bruno and Marie’s knowledge and help. Bruno is an amazing sailor and has taught
us many things that we were not aware of. Marie has been a great companion and
comfort to me personally. She is fun, smart and has made me laugh a lot. Plus,
they love our dogs and that is wonderful… Merci.
Speaking of
the dogs, let me share some stories. We were quite worried about how our
Cockapoo, Isabel, would handle this trip. She is usually quite the princess,
but in this case she has adapted to her new environment extremely well. She
stays close to us and loves looking at the water. We sit on the bow with her
and she is so happy to watch for fish, birds, whatever. When we caught a fish
the other day, she was whimpering and jumping and trying to bite it. This went
on for about 20 minutes. One night, a flying fish landed on Theo’s chest while
he was sleeping. Isabel was so, so happy… Theo was not. You are probably asking
yourself at this point “Why the hell don’t they just close the window in the
bedroom?” The answer is “No… too hot. We would rather sleep with fish”.
Mambo is a Portuguese
Waterdog and he is lovely, but usually not very aware of his surroundings. He
has handled these days very well. He will lie on a cushion on the stern and
waves will crash on him and he does not move. Every time he climbs up to sit
with us for lunch or dinner, be bangs his head on the table (he has done this
for 3 weeks). I am very impressed about his yoga-like ability to stand on three
legs and pee at the same time during a storm. I realized he had truly adapted
when I was having coffee one morning and watched him slide across the entire
length of the stern while pooping at the same time. Impressive!
Quotes for
this week:
“My goal in
life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am” Anonymous
“Let’s go
fast and get out of this shit” Bruno
Bomati
“If you are
going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
“Everything
will be okay in the end, if it’s not ok, it’s not the end”
Lessons of
this week:
1) If you
decide to travel by boat to the South Pacific, do not bring anything of value.
It will rust, mold, deteriorate or just fly away.
2) The
French believe that if you step in dog poo with your left shoe you will be
lucky for the rest of the year… Marie will be very lucky. Mambo made sure of
that…
3) Ziploc
bags are priceless.
4)
Clothespins can also be used as hair clips.
5) Always
make sure the hatches are closed and the pillows inside when you see a black
cloud coming… You will have about 1 minute to do this.
French words
of this week:
Glisser.
Translation: To slide
Il ne fait
pas… tre’s chaud. Translation: No …too hot.
Je n’aime
pas ce temps. Translation: We do not
like this weather
Allons nous
en. Translation: Let’s get out of here
C’est une
bonne ide’e. Translation: Good Idea
Ocean
Sightings: One fish on our fishing pole… Ate it
Books:
Exploring the Marquesas Islands by Joe Russell
On my
Playlist: Rod Stewart, Natalie Merchant, Matchbox Twenty, Dave Loggins and
Chris Isaak
Tears Shed:
Zero
April 25,
2014. Land Ho!
Our last
night was a stormy one. We are all tired, but excited because today we will see
the Hiva Oa island. Bruno and Marie said we should be able to smell it soon. I
never considered that you could smell land. We have 50 miles to go… It is a
wonderful day. I am calm and happy.
We began to
see the island on the horizon in the late afternoon. We had lunch and drank
champagne on the bow, silently watching as the shape of land became larger and
clearer. It is a very emotional and powerful moment when you realize you have
arrived….We have crossed the Pacific Ocean!
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| Land is in sight. |
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| Hiva Oa in the background. |
Quote for
today: “Nothing is worth more than this
day”
Lesson for
today: You can smell land after being on the open ocean for 20 days
French Words
for today: Nous sommes fous. Translation: We are crazy
Tears Shed:
Quite a few when I first saw Hiva Oa, but they were happy tears
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