Our sailing home takes us, Scott and Kathy Erwin to travel the world one island at a time. Come along on this adventure to learn, or join Kathy’s Yoga, and explore and see the world.
WE DID IT! 🤪😳😃😂. We are again boat owners!!!! SV Kalea is officially ours! We had a few stops and starts but the deal finally went through today. This boat we have drooled over for 4 months, 2011 Outremer 49. A big thank you to Grant and Sam that are helping make the transition smooth. They are local New Zealanders, from South Africa. They sail from NZ to Fiji every sailing season to surf and live the life, in the fast lane!
Now to explore New Zealand in style…
Kalea means “happy” or “joy” in Hawaiian. Well, we sure are that! Keep pinching ourselves. We actually got lucky and found our great cruising friends who sailed all the way from Mexico with us on our last boat, Sea Bella. They were out here in Auckland for the day! They helped us celebrate our day and new life in NZ for the season.
From left, Kathy, Addicus, Adam, Scott, Jason, Candice, Ingrid.
Now, back to the new boat to finish off our contract, hand over the keys and discuss boat systems, processes, survey… all good! Better yet, all done and official.
There are so many differences in cruising catamarans. A few hours of surfing the net for boats for sale can hurt the brain. As much as we have been “beach cat” sailors, mono hull cruisers and have been cruising with a multitude of great catamarans…..this is difficult. Above is Nirvana, a 50 foot voyage catamaran for sale in Fiji. Our friends let us cruise her for 6 weeks while they visited the states. Very comfy, slow cruiser with tons of space. Too much for us though. Our son Derek got to come to Fiji for a week and really enjoyed it.
But, everything is a sacrifice. What do we mean by that? Fast performance cats are typically not as comfortable as heavier slower boats like Nirvana. Not only are the super comfortable boats slow, but most of the time they don’t sail well. (Angle on the wind, slow, and can be noisy)
KALEA
Fast lightweight boats can sail really well but need expensive sails, don’t have as much room for big beds, couches, and water toys. One or our friends even ditched the water heater to keep the boat light. (Lol, you know who you are). Fast comfortable boats are typically more expensive….(Think Gun, HH). Finding a boat you want to live on and sail on is a balance of your priorities and $$$$s. We don’t want slow. We really like our big couches and we have a good budget for the boat, but we still want to eat well. And then there is alway “what does this boat need” and “where is it”. Sheesh….this might take some time.
This weeks boat (brand/designers) all are in consideration. Not all of them are fast. Not all of them are comfortable. But, they do prompt conversations…..and ultimately…..negotiations.
Cha cha cha changes…. 🎶🎶🎶 Wow-o-wow! We are spending the last night on our beautiful Sea Bella tonight! She is tucked away in a pit in Vuda Marina, Fiji. Her new owners await the end cyclone season and one more year of elementary school for their two boys. Krister and Amanda Bowman are from Alaska and will will keep her name Sea Bella. Such a warming thought for us! They will attempt to finish their circumnavigation, since they already have sailed from the US to FP to Fiji 9 yers ago.
It is with a little sadness and great love that we say goodbye to a special home and piece of equipment that has kept us safe for thousands of miles and adventures. We have quickly identified this as completion of “Chapter 1” of our cruising adventures and we are already looking forward to Chaper 2. Sea Bella sold very quickly to a young family of 4 in Alaska that will start cruising her next May. Nice that they have chosen to keep her name. Over the last few days Kathy and I have been carefully decommissioning Sea Bella for a 9 month sleep.
So, what’s next? We have been graciously offered a boat to hang out and baby sit for the next six weeks from our good friends on Nirvana (50’ Voyage cat). We have been cruising with them off and on since Mexico and they are going home to see their daughter get married. So, a bit more time in Fiji for us to decompress and see some of these beautiful islands. Nirvana is for sale here in Fiji so if you have any questions about this beautiful cat reach out.
Another option is buying Nirvana, it’s actually for sale!
Then, Chapter 2 awaits us. We consciously decided not to buy a new boat before we sold the last, so now begins our process of finding our next home/boat. We will be couch surfing for a few months seeing family (California and Texas) and will be traveling to see potential boats.
As much as we would love to have a boat be right here, we are very picky in choosing our next chariot. We will go anywhere in the world to find the “right” boat and already have considered boats in Virginia, Turkey and Australia.
Catamarans are very roomy!pJust one option
Stay tuned…..our adventures are gunna get faster with more space for toys and guests. We absolutely love our family and friends and we look forward to seeing you all sometime in the near future. This diagram explains our research process these next two months. These are all boat types, varying in Performance, speed and comfort.
Warning! The below video is not for the squeamish at heart. This was a very spooky dive experience with the sea snakes of Niue. Not only cool snakes here, but our dive included some of the healthiest coral we’ve seen in the South Pacific, and the clearest water.
We had up to 300 foot visibility in places. After drifting over a coral garden we swam through an underwater narrow (dark) tunnel about 100 feet long, then up into a pitch black limestone cavern. This tunnel and cavern had a mix of salt and fresh salt water which changed the visibility and temperature. When the sea water yields to fresh water, it blurs your vision and makes you think you have Vaseline on your mask. (I’ve never been diving in the dark, never in a tunnel nor a cave, with poor visibility and NEVER with snakes!) Luckily the snakes were not aggressive.
You’ll see the snakes as we ascend at the end of the tunnel. What you don’t see is that when it was time to leave, Scott’s ears wouldn’t equalize. While everyone else was descending back in the tunnel to return to the open ocean, Scott was stuck in the cavern by himself (I was waiting below), yes with the snakes, unable to continue back with the group. (Could be some people’s worst nightmare). Fortunately with time and patience, Scott was able to clear the equalization issues and exit the cavern. It might have only been 5 minutes, but Scott felt like it was an hour!!
We can’t express enough the beauty of the coral in Niue. So healthy, so extensive and so fortunate for us to see it. Truely blessed. Scott will be doing a second post about the island and the people, soon.
You might wonder what sailors do all day on their long ocean passages? It depends on the comfort factor of the sea state and your boat. We just completed a 900 mile passage, which took us 7 days. 💨 We had wind mostly behind us, at the stern, so Sea Bella was thankfully rather flat the first few days.
However, Mariners call this section of the Pacific the “dangerous middle” as the seas get confused. Stay with me on this. We saw swell of 10 feet for 2 days, which is the primary South swell. But, this area also has a small swell coming from both the North and the West. It’s also called the convergence zone. Primarily the swell was our port flank, slapping us along and lifting us up and down. Sea Bella does great, gliding, cutting and surfing down the big wave fronts. Making 11 knots of boat speed on some rides. 🌊
But, this makes for a lot of movement on the boat, which means no cooking, and not much walking about. Imagine brushing your teeth or using the restroom! Hold on! The last day King Neptune must have been grumpy. A huge 5 mile squall presented in front of us, on my watch! Reduce sail, put another reef in, furl the Genoa, take out the staysail, grab two rain jackets, Stow everything! It was a long night. As for watch schedules; Scott and I typically split up (1 in the comfy cockpit on watch and 1 in the salon with table made into a king bed). Over a premade meal and watching sunrise or sunset we discuss weather, sail configuration, and other happenings. ☀️ Either watch, we read, write, watch a movie, listen to audible, play online puzzles, stargaze, fish… or when weather gets crazy, it’s sail management.
As for watch schedules, it’s pretty loose for us. Scott does roughly sunset to midnight, I do midnight to dawn (ish) (this doesn’t guarantee the other is sleeping like a baby in the choppy conditions) 😴 Daylight hours its mostly Scott’s watch, with a few naps breaks. If you recall, Sea Bella has a partially enclosed, center cockpit. I made comfy cushions and pillows, but, you may know that the South Pacific has random but short bursts of rain, cause for an urgent rain drill and stowing 😂 We have noticed that passages always take a few days to get into this rhythm, but overall they are not too bad.
Let’s talk laundry! We all have it. It’s a chore for all of us, like it or not. 😝 Whether you’re lucky and use a laundry service or your washer/dryer does most of the work, laundry is still a chore.
😅 Well, let me tell you…it’s quite an ordeal when living on a boat, and in the rainy or windy tropics. 😎 Here is the run down. First, I wait for a sunny morning and hope it stays that way all day, without huge winds. (I may have waited a week or 2 for this weather window, btw) Next, I make sure we’ve made water, and the tanks are full. If I am lucky we have hot water from yesterday’s motorsailing. In our small galley sink, I hand wash our clothes, being careful not to use too much soap or too much water, 😂! Next, (if rain suddenly appears) I string up my cockpit laundry lines. If it’s still sunny, I wipe the dust off all the boat handrails. I wring out the sheets and towels using the handrail. I then hang up all the laundry with very strong stainless steel clips. I stay home for 4 hours to keep a good watch out for sudden squalls or any change of weather. I take them down, fold and put away (The only typical part of laundry. Phew, done!! 🥰 It’s much easier to just wear a bathing suit and shower in it after my swim. Or the wind blows a towel overboard, thank goodness for the boat hook.
Headed to our 19th (new) Island here in French Polynesia of Taha’a. So cool, 😎 but wait, is it kind of part of Raiatea island. We haven’t gone out into deep waters so it should be just one island. If it’s part of Raiatea then maybe still our 18th island to explore. 😣 Good conversation here since many of us have been living in atolls and/or islands for a year now, and I thought I knew the difference! Ha, humble pie for sure. Here is the difference according to Wikipedia: 😜 But what do you think?
An atoll is a kind of island. It is made, volcanically, then a coral reef forms around an island that sinks over many years.
Chat GBT doesn’t know if Raiatea is sinking. Hmmm. We just left Raiatea and crossed a large bay of water about 100 feet in spots and we will drop anchor in about an hour at the north island of Taha’a. GPS picture above shows us as the blue dot. More research is needed. Or just watch this fun video.
You never know who you will meet out at quiet and remote anchorages. When in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas, one hot and humid day, I got a floaty and a beer and I drifted awhile around the small bay.
I hear a voice with a strong German accent “Kathy Erwin, hello there”. I drift over to a beautiful lady on a beautiful Amel Sailboat. She says you are Kathy on Sea Bella. I did a double take, confused how she knew me.
Jutta Birfelder
She introduced herself as Jutta, on SV Alila. She mentioned the cruising app called Noforeignland, and found Sea Bella and Scott and I. We chatted and instantly became friends. For the next 3 months we chatted, shared meals together with Scott and her fun partner Mike, went on hikes, enjoyed the cultural events of Mataava and yes, of course she came to my beach yoga sessions. What gems you meet out here! Plus the other fun people in the video, great new friends!
Making earrings
Turns out, Jutta is a YouTuber, conducting interviews of fellow cruisers all over the world. Next thing I know Scott and I are being interviewed. Take a look, enjoy a different side of our lives… maybe even like her channel.
By the way, I highly recommend the sailing app that I mentioned above to any sailor or future sailor wanting to connect with others, plus many other perks like hikes, locations of great snorkel spots, good shopping, gas and dingy docks… see below.
Two highlights of the Tahiti airport anchorage were watching the sealife under the boat and enjoying Moorea sunsets! We stayed a week then moved on to Huahine. A very favorite society island.
Our one year visa in French Polynesia is quickly coming to an end, bittersweet but we are ready. Our time here has been amazing, as most of you have seen and heard. The 3 Archepeligo’s have been unique in their own way, so it’s quite hard to pick a favorite. The Marquesas were all about the people and the rich jungles. The Tuomotus were all about the water clarity, diving, and coconut sandy beaches. The Societies have a French vibe, with many cruisers, beautiful lagoons but high fees in Bora Bora. I did hold a yoga class at a neighborhood park for a few interested cruisers and locals.
There were 8 islands overall that we visited twice, so that kind of says something about how special they are.
In Tahiti, we wrapped up some boat projects, stocked up on essentials, planned ahead, and the best part was partnering up with cruiser friends again! In about 3 weeks, we will clear out of immigration (heading West). Tomorrow we head to Huahine, then pit stops in Tahaa, maybe Bora Bora and Maupiti.
Tahanea, Tuamotu
What a difference 500 miles can make from the towering mountains of the Marquesas (Fatu Hiva) to the cool blue waters of the Tuomotus (Tahanea). The 3.5 day passage brings huge changes and we loved to get snorkeling again. We are learning more about flying this drone all the time. Take a look at our YouTube sailing, diving and yoga videos.
Making my own breads, yogurts, tortillas and muffins have been a fun new way to provide staples for Scott and I. Often breads are not to be found at the small island stores. I wonder, how do they make a sandwiche? Homemade baked goods are fun to bring to cruiser parties or as gifts for the village locals. We keep a sourdough “mother” which was given to me from a cruiser friend in Mexico and has provided us well over 50 or loaves! It’s also difficult to find or store packaged yeasts.
Making my own yogurt has also been key, not only does it reduce my plastic trash, it’s versatile and a good staple ingredient for other recipes. Storing large amounts of yogurt also takes up valuable refrigerator space. All I need for making yogurt is powdered milk, easily found and easily stored, and 1 small thermos (oh, and a thermometer)
Another idea I considered was having a small hydroponic garden for a few favorite herbs and sprouts. Fresh greens were the hardest to find in remote islands. I have dappled in this area, since it’s a major land hobby of mine and I come from a family of gardeners. But, nonetheless, it’s quite difficult on a boat. Why hydroponics? Well, having a plant with dirt doesn’t do well while healing sideways, but water only spills and dries up, no mess at all. Hey, we live on the water. My last batch of basil and rosemary got scorched in the direct sun, so back to the drawing board I go. Currently, I don’t have any plants, unless you count my very tiny cactus.
I have dappled in pickling, jarring and drying foods these last 2 years. But, since the mason jars/lids are difficult to find, I decided on mostly storing cheap canned or frozen veggies instead, I know, yuck! I can hardly complain though.
I had learned about pressure canning and was quite successful, only took me one full day! Since I knew we would spend a year in the French Polynesian islands, where meats are pricey and some hard to find, I started my research. It paid off! We had many delicious home made lasagnes, meatballs and stews during the 6 months spent in the remote Tuamotus Atolls. In Mexico, I had made 14 jars total of pork and beef, but the best was italian sausage.
My biggest answer to storing foods while on a boat: Ziplocks! Bulky storage containers often are not airtight and don’t fit well in small fridges, freezers or lockers. Since ziplock bags are hard to find out in the islands, I bought many and use and reuse them until they are so thin or have a tear. Even then, I tend to use them, double bagged style. I was raised to be thrifty, which now comes in very handy!
Provisioning and prepping foods while living on a boat in remote places is quite a challenge but a fun one that I have embraced. My Mom always said “cook with love” which proved to be great advice. Cooking on a boat is a topic for another time, but shopping, storing, and keeping foods and drinks cold is the tricky topic of the day, especially in remote locations and foreign countries. I feel I have done well so far, but have only experienced Mexico and French Polynesia. Learning to be resourceful and having flexibility in the foods you eat are the main key.
That’s about a wrap for the day, no pun intended!!
Our World Adventure 