going with the flow...

we're now on route for marquesas where we're meeting a friend Simon, before heading off to expolre the Hawaii islands,our expected arrival in NH was due to be 108 hours but unfortunately we're run into a high pressure, & we're now having to head a little further north, away from out expected land fall of Nuka Hiva, simply due to the very high confused sea's, both Veronica, Apple & myself are fine just a little tired as we've had to hand steer 90% of our passage as our auto helm can't handle the wind gust's.. this high WILL pass us completely on Saturday, so till then.... we have to respect the power of nature & not try to fight against it, just simply go with the flow, so to speak... then we're re track our course &head into Nuka Hiva..perhaps one or 2 days late on arrival..

our postion is 10 52'160S 142 41 901W heading true north.

when we cross from Marquesas we thats to simon will be filming the whole crossing north to south pacifics with akite camera..

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August 30th 2010

So finally....it's really time to leave our French Polynesia Paradise, should we wish to spend anymore time here, well...... I'd have to file an import application for "Apple" (our yacht) & that would mean pay import tax... This, combined with the imminent arrival of summer in the south pacific, entails Cyclone season, knowing how very lucky we were last year pulling Apple (yacht) out in Raiatea, & encasing her in a steel frame, saved us the damage that other experienced when it passed through the society islands last Feb..

Also I think it's FINALLY time to head back to CALIFORNIA..& experience a little civilization, one of the most interesting aspect about our adventure, outside the traveling & cultures..ohh & the people we've met, Has been the running & maintenance of our own little self sufficient micro organism,"Apple", she makes her own electricity from solar panels & a wind generator, she makes 150 gallons of fresh drinking water a day, with her 12v spectra osmosis water maker system again powered by solar, 90% of her voyages are powered by the trade wind's.. she a complete self sufficient power station, that can support the 2 of us.... even this e-mail is sent vis her SSB radio, powered by solar, no phone company,no power company..no hassle!!! really free style living & everyday we create our own destiny..getting a sailing boat is i believe the closest thing to pure freedom, at least out here in the south pacific..

next year.... Ummm Maybe a refit for another passage or maybe back to work..?? who knows, everything will be hard after this..

NB: speaking to local fishermen about the cyclone season, they all seem to agree on a common senses, that when the coral reef become exposed, then the next coming season will bring a cyclone...& to be honest, we've never seen so many reef's exposed this year..i guess i should of added that earlier, but I'm still trying to learn this PC .there nothing like a Applemac, but PC are better for getting in weather!!

So we've already sailed back from Bora Bora, via Hauhine to Tahiti, & re stocked for the next 3'000 miles, then we sailed NE, with an eastern wind to Rangoroa, where the wind suddenly changed to NE, so we tacked away & headed east all the way to Fakarava, which took us around 46 hours, with both Veronica & myself at the helm for 3 hour at a time..

So new we resting at Fakarava! it's a beautiful atoll in the Archipel des tuamotu's..we visited it on our way across the south sea's.. we arrived at sunset & just caught the slack water, currents around these passes can run up to 6 knots, so you really wanna catch the slack water!!!! if you can?? next we'll head down through Fakarava to it's Southern pass, 30 miles of amazing protected turquoise inner ocean, before heading back into the pacific & battling for the atoll of Makemo, just 100 miles east of us, from there we head NE leaving the Tuamotus behind, & then really hit the SE trade winds at full force, Unfortunately the SE trade appear to come NE, so it's going to be a tough passage up to the marquesas, where we'll meet a close friend Simon Scott to begin our journey across the equator & to explore the Hawaiian island which we've never seen before.. although my voice & e-mails have spent months there trying to sort out apple (dog) paper to escape quarantine.

after many delays,

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