In the case you do not know us, we have been back in the states for about a month. CB got an opportunity to do a quick job out in Montana and I had to travel as well or my visa would have run out before he returned. So on July 10th CB flew out to Seattle and on the 11th I flew out to Hawaii to visit friends I had not seen for 5 years…thanks for the hospitality Dave & Jen. I stayed in Hawaii about a week then headed to Seattle on some travel passes a friend gave me…thanks again! A quick trip to Chicago was also managed to see family and my cousins new baby…u are a cutie Clay😄 After I returned to Seattle both CB and I were able to catch up with friends and spend time on more boats. We do miss the PNW, but are ready to return home to the boat for more adventures.
One change in plans is that we are not going to New Zeland this year. Instead we are going to haul the boat out in the Vava’u group in Tonga. The boat will spend the cyclone season hanging out in a custom cradle with 8 tie down points to cement. It is also stored in a quarry with 3 high sides. Feeling pretty secure about that and our insurance is happy. We will be looking for a place to stay locally near the boat…maybe some housesitting! We plan on just hanging out in Tonga and doing a lot of kite surfing during the cyclone season. Then in April or May we will head off for another season of cruising in Tonga and Fiji. This area is too amazing to cover in one cruising season. We are lucky enough to be able to spend one more season out there before heading back to work hopefully in NZ.
In the meantime, here are some rage inducing photos of what we have been seeing and doing in the past few months.
This is at a mother’s day feast we were invited to. These guys are professional Marquesian dancers who compete yearly in Papeete. They are bad asses and really get into it. Probably one of my most favorite photos.
This is supposedly one of the largest waterfalls in the world, dropping 900 feet into the valley. Trail access through Daniel’s Bay on Nuka Hiva island.
We hiked about an hour and then had to swim up through these caves to get to the actual waterfall. Since it had been raining for a week, the falls were raging and it was so windy from the water rushing down that we could barely open our eyes and didn’t get any photos of the actual falls.
Beautiful Catholic Church on Tahuata Island.
Daniel’s Bay on Nuka Hiva. A local lady living near this beach invited us in for kai kai (a meal). She served wild goat in coconut milk, rice and a bunch of delicious veggies and fruit.
The awe inspiring spires above Ua Pou, our last stop in the Marquesas. This was probably our favorite spot in the Marquesian islands.
Palarran anchored outside the village in Makemo Atoll.
Beach fire with the crew of Peregrine on an unmarked spot on Makemo Atoll.
South Fakarava paradise…favorite place EVER!
I DECLARE THIS ISLAND MINE!
The shades of blue here are amazing. The water is so clear you can’t tell the difference between 60 feet and 6 feet.
Everyone has been asking what we do all day…well there is a lot of this…
Beautiful pictures, guys! I just found your post today…I wasn’t expecting anything new for a while. Tawn…it was wonderful to see you, and we so appreciated your taking the time to come up and visit with Clayton and us. CB, we wish we could have visited with you, too! Enjoy your stay, and can’t wait to hear where you will be living!