Latitude 38-San Francisco Sailing magazine, and Canvas Rebel post articles on Kalea, and “Our Story”
Author: Scott and Kathy Erwin, Sail the World
Skipper Scott Erwin and First mate Kathy Erwin began this 2020 Vision and departed on our world adventure 8/2021. California Coast, Mexico, French Polynesia, Niue, Tonga, New Zealand, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji. Come back soon to see more adventures.
Final days on the Big Seas, crossing the International dateline, twice.
Definitely the gnarliest ocean passage to date, and someone asked me, “weren’t you scared?” Strange but no. I somehow have always had trust in the Universe. I have faith that I will be protected somehow, always. My whole life I’ve had a strong sense of adventure, but in this ocean passage, from NZ to Fiji, I never felt like I was risking my life. The big, wide ocean doesn’t scare me. It’s immense, dark, loud, looming and very angry at times, but I chose this life. It’s a BIG life, that’s for sure, but I chose to sail the world.
I, and my strong stead of a captain/husband, are living our fullest lives possible and have no regrets. We plan, prep, research, and prepare for this sport, mentally and physically, and strongly feel that we can handle the very worst. Not always champagne sunsets, but we are suited well for it. Yes, of course there are moments of weakness, fatigue, chaos and doubt, but never fear. Scott and I try to take the calm approach when the seas and tasks get gnarly. We are an amazing team out here, I am so proud of that!! And now, on our new performance catamaran, Kalea, we choose to play an entire new game. A fast one and in big seas. It’s difficult to describe. The sounds are like riding a wagon train with an 8 horse team at the helm. It feels like we are in a washing machine. With an occasional salty spray coming into the cockpit. The sights are also unimaginable. Laying here cozily in our salon, with a cup of herbal tea, I write these words. I watch the rainy horizon go up and down, from pure grey sky to pure grey ocean. The swells behind us feel like massive monsters, but Kalea surfs smoothly down the hill, quickly going from 9 to 18 knots, then she slows down again. I think she likes it fast. Scott makes a few adjustments, tapping the autopilot up or down 2 degrees or winching in just 6 inches of a sheet. Now she is even happier, flatter, smoother and quieter. And so are we.
A highlight of this adventure passage has been us 5 catamarans sailing side by side headed to Fiji. 2 boats are previous cruiser fun friends, 1 boat is a Swiss family of 4 we just met on the charts, and lastly, sailing a Gunboat 48, is John John Florence. We amazingly all are staying within 14 miles of each other. We chat on the vhf, spy on each on the B & G, and occasionally a photo sent via starlink. The giant Mahi Mahi that Thomas caught shocked us all, imagine cleaning it in these seas! His Outremer 55 has big back decks!
Some of us send out screenshots of our instrument panels, bragging rights I guess. As for other daily chores and activities; it’s mainly taking watch, eating, napping, sail changes, 10 minutes of starlink for weather updates and a few chats home. Maybe we try to refuel the generator, due to no solar power (see video). Very rarely it’s cooking, showering, cleaning the mess, board games or reading. And, latest update, winds and seas are too big to head up to Savusavu, so we head to the South Island and into Port Denerau. So, with that, I sign off of FB and find a slip in a marina. Thank you reading!
Maiden Offshore Passage on Kalea, Outremer 49! New Zealand to Fiji.
Sailing to Fiji from Opua, New Zealand! I know, I know, it was supposed to be Tonga, but… oh well, life sucks, lol. Winds were not in our favor. We are blessed though, as always, we spent 6 weeks in Tonga last year. It will be a sporty, swift 6 day sail to Savusavu, Fiji. A country we barely explored last year due to selling Sea Bella. By the way she is there waiting her new family. We may just see her out there on the water somewhere. Bittersweet, but mainly thrilled with the new family moving aboard soon.
There are about 6 boats headed out together in just about an hour or so. But by noon we may not even see them till Fiji. We decided to have 2 crew join us in our maiden passage on Kalea. Dave LaRue from CA and a local Kiwi sailor friend, Mike Clough. We are all leaving NZ right as a Low pressure system passes by will slingshot us northeast off the top of it. Lows are typically pushed out of the way by a following High pressure system. These High pressures or anticyclones are massive. They can stretch thousands of miles high and wide. Typically they have mostly settled weather with sun and little rain or squall activity. That will get us maybe 200 miles a day without pushing the boat too hard. You can watch our track live on the link below, even see the weather etc for us as well. I will post updates there as well as here. Thanks all for your support, interest, encouragement and likes. ❤️
Exploring the Bay of Islands, New Zealand-2025
We are so glad to be sailing back to these beautiful islands next November, as we have never seen such an amazing cruising grounds as the Bay of Islands (BOI). Take a look at our video, such beauty! What makes BOI so unique is there are so many places to tuck into and most of the islands are uninhabited, nature reserves. If I was planning a trip to the northlands of New Zealand, I would book an Airbnb in the darling town of Russell for a week, then take daily ferry trips out to these islands for hikes, beach walks, kayaking, swimming, paddle boarding and maybe even camping out on our favorite island; Urupukapuka. The views from all the well manicured hiking trails are spectacular. You can wander through the fields of sheep and signing birds, right down into a charming outdoor cafe for lunch and some live music. Since we are on a boat, this island gave us 6 beautiful anchorages to choose from, as the winds change directions nearly every week! The video says it all.
Our New Zealand travels comes to a close, time to sail up to Tonga!
We have had an absolutely amazing half a year in New Zealand. About 3 months adventuring and sailing around Auckland and 2 months traveling up and around the beautiful Bay of Islands. Rumors of this place are right! What a great, clean, safe and friendly country with beautiful anchorages. Stay tuned for more stories of the Bay of islands. We are now planning our next half a year sail plan, which starts in just a few weeks. Cyclone season is over in NZ about May 1, so we can head north again and enjoy warmer weather, warmer water and swim in the beautiful South Pacific Islands. We are prepping the boat for the jump (or passage) to Tonga. This means a long list of “to-do’s” including check in and check out paperwork, filling the ditch bag, setting up the jack lines, doing a float plan, listing our 2 crew (Dave La Rue is joining us and a local Kiwi friend wants to hop aboard) updating the first aid kit, all system checks, buying flags and currency, completing oil changes, (that’s 2 since have 2 engines)…
On this passage, we hope to do a diving stopover in the famous Minerva Reef, which is about a 3 day passage, but as we always say, depends on the wind Gods! We will rest up, then set sail another 2 days to Tonga, hopefully also staying in the remote area of the Ha’apai island group. We will cruise new islands of Tonga for about 6 weeks, then our next passage will be about a 2 day sail to Fiji, planning for 8 weeks stay there. Last year, we were so busy prepping and selling Sea Bella, that we didn’t explore many spots in Fiji, so hope to include at least the northern Yasawas, and a month in the Lau group of islands. We still are hanging out with a few great friends from Mexico and have met a dozen new fun cruising friends here in BOI (Bay of Islands) who also are planning a similar route this season. It’s always good to meet new friends, typically quite international, now that are so far from the US. We will need to put Kalea on a mooring early September for our flight to California, as our daughter Montana is getting married. This is special news, and we will be able see all the family as well. Another big trip! This will be our only visit back this year and a rather short one, since last year was nearly 3 months and had many cherished memories with all!
We will then fly back in September and return to our new home on SVKalea. We are loving her and are relaxing into our new special place on the water. She is spacious, safe, and comfy both anchored and at sail, so no regrets. Happy Scott & Kathy! We soon will see how she is on overnight passages.
Our third passage will be to Vanuatu, our 8th country to sail to. We have heard amazing things and hope to adventure into the local people and culture. I believe a favorite TV show, Survivor, is filming there and they have blocked off a few islands. This happened years ago to some cruisers and local fishermen back in the Marquesas’, French Polynesia. Same show! No wonder I really liked that program! A little secret; I actually applied to be a participant in 1999! Another way for me to see the South Pacific I suppose.
For our next cyclone season, our Insurance company needs us out of the South Pacific again, so we aim to return to New Zealand for a few months then cross to Australia for the remainder of the season. We plan to head north and into Indonesia after that! Big Plans!
The last few boat projects on the dock in Auckland are done! We finally set sail, New Zealand.
Getting a boat is kind of like your first date, so exciting but it takes months to get to know them. Well, same here on SV Kalea. We were sure busy in Auckland, New Zealand, both on and off the dock. She came equipped with everything needed for sailing, and some of the basics and extras like scuba tanks, paddle boards, compressor, an extra portable freezer, and this and that. However, like any boat, things break or need to be replaced, just like a house. Scott spent time trouble shooting our main power winch. This is a must have, as the mainsail is very heavy and our shoulders are starting to feel it. The gear box had seized up and needed to be replaced. Luckily, we were docked and just a stones throw away from a Marine store that luckily had our replacement. Then, our house stereo and our portable freezer (backup) both needed to be replaced, under warranty still thankfully! A quick uber ride across town, a bit of labor and all is well. Other items repaired including the water heater, diesel heater, head sail tac and obviously getting all the fishing gear prepared.
We got off the dock a few times to explore the neighboring favorite tourist island of Waiheke. Fun, but a bit high priced. We toured around, learning our sails and systems and as always meeting fun new people. We even met some friends who all wanted to go for a day sail to a favorite beach for a picnic and yoga. 12 of us in all had a good day.
Kathy searched high and low for a Heavy duty sewing machine for her various canvas projects for Kalea. The Sailrite LZ1 machine is most cruisers favorite. New machines flown in from the states would be too pricey for our budget. Used ones are hard to find and nearly the same price. Placing many adds on social media groups lead us to a great connection with a past cruiser needing to part with her LZ1. Hurray! Back in action. BBQ and Jerry can covers, helm seat cover, side shade screens pillows just to name a few.
Now, back to cruising, it’s been nearly 8 months to switch boats and countries, but we did it! The first few remote islands were blissful and so rewarding. Our favorite was Motutara island with its huge sunken ship, see our reel below.
Travel the South Island, New Zealand. Round trip in 7 days: Christchurch, Arrowtown, Queenstown, Wānaka, Manipouri, Te Anu, Dunedin and back to Christchurch.
After spending a great, action packed, few weeks with my folks from California, and driving a rental car 1089 miles (length of California) here’s a few fun facts of our own South Island, New Zealand experience. (Turn up the sound in the videos for the full effect)
The most lush and loudest forest was seen/heard was near Lake Te Anue, biggest waterfall seen; in the Milford Sound, tallest building and best views: Sky tower (1076 feet) best town: Wanaka, best beach: Palm Beach, Waiheke. The funniest bird: The Kea, most common house: common white painted with pickets, prettiest flower: Hydranga, most interesting building: Ponsonby Hotel/Post office (built in 1911, was robbed and the postmaster was murdered). Best lamb served: Mudbrick Winery, on Waiheke island. We took two sailing adventures here on Kalea. The wind and weather was perfect, great to share this experience with my folks.
The most evasive wildlife: Kiwi bird, most fun activity: 1,000 sheep crossing the highway, cutest couple: my parents, largest tree seen: bottle brush in Auckland. Fun Trip for sure!
A little fun fact, Kathy has family heritage from New Zealand! The below book was written by her great, great grandmother on her father’s side. It is the endearing story of Esther’s parents from Scotland, who sailed for 3 months to Dunedin, in 1875. While traveling the South Island, Kathy and her own Mother, Sue Krevitt read aloud this story, recounting the steps the ancestors took, the places they lived, the gardens they walked through, the farmlands they planted and the old little towns they lived in. Going to settlers museums, cemeteries, churches and libraries. Searching the names and facts of Kathy’s heritage was a highlight!
Another book was written by Esther’s husband, soon to be read. Both books will soon be electronically scanned and preserved.
Sail GP 2025, Foiling Catamarans preparing to race in Auckland New Zealand, Feb 2025
Nice front row seats (from our dinghy) for the practice runs for the Sail GP races in Auckland New Zealand. We got to hang at the leeward gates to see these magnificent sailboats practice speedy maneuvers. Auckland was buzzing and helicopters wereflying. These people love their sailing.
Sail GP foiling race boats are so spectacular! What a privilege it is to be here this week. 12 countries practiced all week. Imagine the work in taking down and putting up their entire rig daily.
The next day, we went out for a dingy ride in Westhaven near Auckland and the small, colorful sailing dinghies were out racing around. Much slower than SailGP of course! turns out, the skippers were all people who were paraplegics with wheelchairs back at the dock.
Bold Journey Magazine Publishes Interview with Kathy Erwin- January 2025
We recently connected with Kathy Erwin and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kathy, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
When I was young and learning about the world around me, I saw people as generous and kind. I guess I was lucky to be raised in a Christian family who focused on the good all around us. My perspective about people grew into one of acceptance and love. I felt it was easy to give back, when I had so much love in my heart to give. I quickly learned that this positive approach gave back to me, ten fold. The proverb “Do unto others” was spoken and taught on a regular basis from my mother, an amazingly generous woman. She exudes love and kindness for all humankind. Naturally I adopted the moral code of generosity, which led to decades of inner strength to become successful in my ventures.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Coming from a family of teachers, particularly both my father and grandmother, I always knew this was my path. I have a caring and generous heart, a true love for all beings. This soon developed into teaching others when I was only 17 years old. I worked as an assistant in an after school program. I blossomed and thrived. I taught art, sports, music, dance and initiated a homework club. Although I didn’t have good grades in school, somehow this passion and purpose helped me graduate college, and then earned two masters degrees in Education. I now reflect back on 31 years teaching in all levels from Kindergarten to college prep. Venturing on, I found my sweet spot; special education and lastly ended in high school administration. Seems like a big variety and world wind of experiences, which brought me to where I am now. With an adventurous spirit and a side hobby of travel, I am now sailing around the world, meeting others, learning cultures and teaching yoga in remote places along the way.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Raising 4 children to become productive and successful young adults, is so fulfilling and rewarding. The three main qualities my husband and I feel we taught them was; finding their passion, developing discipline and determination. Every successful mentor of mine seemed to have an inner passion that supported them to success. Whether it be a career path, a hobby, a lifestyle or a purpose, these people exuded a profound inner drive. For me my passion was in helping others. If I saw someone in need, I felt internally motivated and determined to offer a service of one kind or another. This pattern has repeated in my life over and over, even after retirement. As a full time sailor, living on a sailboat in remote locations across the Pacific Ocean, I developed many skills. Sharing these skills with others came naturally to me and my husband. It was so rewarding giving a network of support to the cruising community. For example, my husband started a safety communication group for hundreds of sailors headed west from California. I taught the village and cruiser children arts and crafts. I did canvas repair on dozens of boats. With Starlink, I trained and became a certified yoga Instructor. Providing yoga sessions for local villagers and cruisers is so rewarding. As a traveling sailing community we all learned together how to help each other making breads, yogurt, growing herbs, and more importantly learning together about weather systems, reverse osmosis water makers and solar/wind powered electricity. Passion, determination, and discipline have played a huge role in our lives, past and present.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Recently, I dove into a new challenge of creating an online presence as a yoga instructor. I am not necessarily a business person, don’t claim to be very technically skilled and definitely don’t feel comfortable in sales. But again, I am passionate about serving others, am determined and disciplined to meet this huge challenge. I know I need support in this endeavor. I learn from other like minded folks, but need guidance in the complicated world of YouTube. I have started a channel, it’s fun to watch it grow, but it’s painfully slow. Look for yourself, maybe even drop a comment. You might be the only one who does, LOL. So, wish me luck, send me some skills, or find me on some hidden, sandy beach in Fiji for restorative yoga.
Yoga Around the World with Kathy
🧘♂️ Hi friends, I inspire you to enjoy my gentle YOGA online videos and practice flexibility, energy and great physical and mental health. Get flexible, rejuvenate and heal. These sessions are for beginners. All levels and abilities can do it. We begin with breath work and a short meditation. We do a gentle Hatha warm up on the mat, developing full body flexibility. 🙏 I inspire you to start a morning or evening movement routine and begin to enjoy a life long practice of yoga for flexibility, balance, energy and great physical and mental health.
🤗 I am Kathy, licensed Yoga Instructor, practicing for 23 years and…exploring the globe on a SAILBOAT, finding new exotic locations to film your full yoga experience!
Our World Adventure 