{"id":8127,"date":"2015-08-18T15:02:08","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T19:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/?p=8127"},"modified":"2015-08-18T15:02:08","modified_gmt":"2015-08-18T19:02:08","slug":"mexico-to-the-marquesas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/mexico-to-the-marquesas\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexico to the Marquesas"},"content":{"rendered":"

A South Pacific dream is fulfilled with a passage west\u00a0 (published August 2013)<\/em><\/p>\n

Will opened his sleepy eyes and looked at me with a puzzled expression as I burrowed my face in his shoulder and tried to hold back my tears. We were on day four of our crossing of the Pacific Ocean and so far, other than being a rough ride, the conditions and atmosphere aboard Hydroquest had been manageable.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you okay?\u201d he ventured, trying to determine if something was really wrong. I sniffled, wiped my cheeks, and gathered my thoughts. \u201cI can\u2019t live on a\u2026. a\u201d, I could hardly get the words out: \u201cA b-b-b-bug boat\u201d \u201cA what?\u201d He was snickering now. \u00a0 \u201cA bug boat\u2026\u201d I moaned. \u201cYou know, a boat full of bugs.\u201d Having a bit of a phobia in this department, I couldn\u2019t help getting ahead of myself; one bug actually means more than one, right? Perhaps there would be a whole nest of eggs somewhere among the baskets of fruit or in the cereal cupboard, just waiting to hatch and form a society of creepy-crawlers aboard Hydroquest<\/em>. They would mutiny, no doubt. I pictured being stuck on the boat for another two weeks with bugs in our food, bugs in our clothes and bugs crawling all over my face while I slept.<\/p>\n

Minutes earlier, Katy, whose nausea had finally subsided, had bravely decided to bake muffins. That was when she opened up the cutlery drawer and saw the bug. To be exact: the big black cockroach.<\/p>\n

THE PLAN AND PREPARATION
\nThe dream of sailing to the South Pacific is a powerful one. Tall swaying palm trees over clear blue water on lush tropical islands\u2014the vision is so beautiful that it makes sense to persevere through whatever\u2019s thrown in your path to get there.<\/p>\n

Boats sailing to French Polynesia from North and Central America leave as early as February and up until the end of June. The most common departure points are San Diego, Calif., Cabo San Lucas or the Banderas Bay area of Mexico, and Panama via the Galapagos. All routes are a similar distance: between 2700 and 3000 nautical miles across one of the longest stretches of open water on earth.
\nOur dream began six years ago on our first date at small bar on Vancouver, British Colombia\u2019s West Broadway Street. The plan evolved over time but the fundamental elements never changed\u2014we would buy a boat in southern California or Mexico and sail her to the islands of the South Pacific. In late 2011 we found our 1986 Beneteau First 405 in Guaymas, Mexico, and she met the criteria that we felt were important for making an offshore voyage: a strong hull and solid design, updated rigging and the ability to sail fast.
\nWe cruised in Mexico for the first year, getting to know Hydroquest and adding additional gear for the passage. The months passed quickly and suddenly we were as ready as we could be to finally go.
\n\"Team<\/a>
\nWill\u2019s brother Ben and his girlfriend Katy joined us in Nuevo Vallarta on March 24, 2013. Before they had a chance to unpack their bags we were checking out of Mexico and watching for the right weather window. Ideally, it would be a system to the north that would bring wind down the coast to act as an \u201cattachment\u201d to the northeast trade winds that don\u2019t normally fill in until approximately 300 to 500 miles offshore.<\/p>\n

SAILING INTO THE SUNSET
\nWe sailed west into the red and yellow sunset on the evening of March 28th. In the years leading up to the crossing, I\u2019d woken up some nights with feelings of panic about the idea of such a long voyage all alone in the ocean. What if something happens to the boat, what if someone gets sick, what if we don\u2019t make it? But a wonderful thing happened after pulling up the anchor in Punta de Mita and setting sail\u2014in all the excitement, my worries and my fears completely disappeared.<\/p>\n

Will\u2019s feeling upon setting sail was that of immense relief. The preparation for the passage was undoubtedly more stressful than actually being out on the water.<\/p>\n

Our strategy was twofold: set a waypoint for Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, and sail as close to the rhumb line as possible while keeping the boat comfortable. We were lucky to have timed our departure perfectly and we caught the wind on the tail end of a system that filled our sails from the first night onward.<\/p>\n

ADJUSTING TO LIFE AT SEA
\nWe didn\u2019t anticipate how lumpy and bumpy the seas would be. From the get-go we experienced two to three competing swell patterns that hit Hydroquest on her stern and either beam. She performed brilliantly and could handle it all. It was us who had to adjust.<\/p>\n

Day Two
\n17 37.94N 109 19.05W
\nHeading 210T Wind 20 NW
\nAvg Speed 7.5 knots<\/p>\n

We are slowly adapting to life at sea. Yesterday the winds picked up to 20 knots in the late morning and they haven\u2019t let down since. Hydroquest<\/em> has averaged a boat speed of 7+ knots over the past 36 hours. We are moving, and in the right direction! With the winds have come lively seas so we\u2019ve been bouncing around a lot, trying not to bump into things as we walk around the boat, and having a hard time sleeping.<\/p>\n

I was on watch from 4:00am to 6:30am this morning. I had the egg timer set for 15 minute increments and every time I started to nod off, I heard a weird buzzing noise. I shone my headlamp around the cockpit, at the sails and at various lines, but I couldn\u2019t figure out what it was. After sunrise Will found the culprit\u2014a flying fish trapped under the cockpit floorboard. Hydroquest\u2019<\/em>s deck revealed dozens more ill-fated fishies and one baby squid.<\/p>\n

We passed three freighters yesterday and one this morning. We all had a good chat with a bird yesterday.<\/p>\n

\"Sarah<\/a>\u00a0 During the first few days we ate simply\u2014pasta, bread, Kraft Dinner, noodles and cereal. Cooking was a difficult chore. As we acclimatized to the irregular motion and came to terms with the fact that the washing machine seas were not going to dissipate, we began concentrating on passing the time. Our favorite games were \u201cDead or Alive\u201d\u2014guessing the names of famous people\u2014and \u201cSink or Float\u201d\u2014throwing organic garbage into the water and predicting its fate.\u00a0 These games were absurdly entertaining at the time.<\/p>\n

Having four people aboard played a huge role in our comfort; watches were short and there was always someone to chat with. The miles kept ticking by and we passed hours upon hours reading, eating, sleeping, adjusting lines and changing the sail configuration from time to time. I would like to say that we did a lot of sailing, but really it felt like Hydroquest was sailing herself.<\/p>\n

THE ITCZ
\nThe Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is an area of low pressure around the equator where the prevailing winds are light. It appears as a solid band of clouds consisting of showers, with occasional thunderstorms and can extend for many hundreds of miles. The band is constantly shifting so having a weather router on shore with the ability to download satellite images of the area is a great strategy. It\u2019s possible to see the ITCZ\u2019s narrowest section and therefore pinpoint the best longitude to cross.<\/p>\n

As Hydroquest<\/em> approached the low latitudes, the information we had indicated that the band was thick all the way across. There was no use in altering course so we maintained our heading towards Nuku Hiva. Using radar we were able to track squalls, but there were too many to avoid so after a while we gave up trying.<\/p>\n

Day 10
\n05 13N 124 32W
\nHeading 210T Avg speed 5.5 knots
\nWind 12 E<\/p>\n

We are officially over halfway and I think it\u2019s safe to assume that we\u2019re in the ITCZ. Last night we went through six rain and wind squalls: torrential downpour (Vancouver-style) followed by winds of up to 35 to 40 knots. Luckily they don\u2019t last very long but the boat has become one soggy mess! All of our towels are completely soaked, our bed is damp from a hatch being left open and the air is so muggy that there\u2019s no way anything or anyone is going to dry out.<\/p>\n

Today we took a group shower in the cockpit when one of these squalls passed overhead. It was hilarious\u2014all of us in our swimsuits covered in shampoo and soap just willing the water pressure to be turned up a notch (it was a light one). Now it hasn\u2019t stopped raining for over eight hours. Our Hydrovane is steering us (as it has for the past ten days!) and we\u2019re all hiding out down below in our clammy cave.
\n\"Captain<\/a>
\nCROSSING THE EQUATOR, OFFICIALLY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
\nOn day 13, at latitude zero and longitude 128, we finally broke through the northern ITCZ clouds and were greeted with warm sunshine, a perfect 15 knots of wind and the first really pleasant conditions we\u2019d experienced on the whole trip.<\/p>\n

Ben must\u2019ve made a deal with King Neptune. He and Katy disappeared onto the foredeck for ten minutes and from down below we heard laughter and exclamations, much more enthusiasm than expected from taking down laundry.<\/p>\n

Shortly after, Katy thrust her hand down Hydroquest<\/em>\u2019s companionway to show off her new bling\u2014an engagement ring! Racking up minutes on the satellite phone to call home was worth it for them to say, \u201cWe\u2019re at the equator in the middle of the Pacific, and we\u2019re engaged!\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of our happy attitudes onboard in the following days, the South Pacific Ocean refused to maintain a comfortable state.
\n\"Newly<\/a>
\nDay 15
\n02 52S 131 04W
\nHeading 230T Avg speed 7.5 knots
\nWind 18 \u2013 22 knots from SE<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve finally hit the southeast trade winds that are going to push us all the way to the Marquesas. Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, a consistent 18 to 22 knots, and no more squalls on the horizon (thank goodness\u2014they were starting to get really annoying). A big swell is up once again, also from the SE. The feeling is different from the washing machine effect; now it\u2019s more like a sideways bucking bronco.<\/p>\n

KISSING THE GROUND
\nI\u2019m sure it\u2019s no surprise to hear that all of our conversations on the final two days at sea were about land. We discussed the amazing foods we\u2019d eat\u2014ice cream, cappuccinos, pizza!\u2014made bets on our arrival date and time, re-read our guidebooks with newfound interest and watched the miles tick off the chartplotter as if it were a blockbuster movie.<\/p>\n

Day 18
\n07 06S\u00a0 138 26W
\nHeading 215T Avg speed 6.0 knots
\nWind 12 SSE<\/p>\n

We are so close. Katy promises to dive onto land. I plan to kiss the ground. Ben is going to drink 10 tropical cocktails and go \u201cmissing in action\u201d for at least two days. Will looks forward to actually wanting to drink a beer. 145 miles to go!!! ETA: sometime tomorrow afternoon.<\/p>\n

We made landfall in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, at 1700 on April 16, 2013. The faint outline of land had appeared on the horizon in the morning and it slowly developed into the majestic cliffs of Cape Tikapo. Could we see faces in the rock, or had we just been at sea for too long?<\/p>\n

Once Hydroquest<\/em> was safely anchored, the dinghy took 10 minutes to inflate and deploy and before we knew it we were clambering onto the concrete pier. Katy was the first one to step on land and she promptly dropped onto the muddy ground and did a \u201cland\u201d angel.\u00a0 Will, Ben, and I followed suit by kissing the ground. The feeling was amazing\u2014we were giddy, we couldn\u2019t stop laughing and we couldn\u2019t quite balance properly on our own legs. The feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction ran deep through our hearts.<\/p>\n

REFLECTIONS
\nThe fact that my worst moment during those 19 days at sea was finding a cockroach onboard perhaps reveals that our crossing was a relatively easy one. The roach was a loner, thank goodness! Despite the uncomfortable seas we had hardly any breakage, never encountered sustained winds higher than 25 knots and didn\u2019t suffer from light airs. There were beautiful moments and frustrating moments, but more than anything the voyage was an endurance test in passing time.<\/p>\n

\"Taiohae<\/a>
Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Would we do it again? After our first week on land, we were unsure of the answer to that question. Now, after weeks traveling through the Marquesas, Tuamotus, and Society Islands, and forgetting the boredom and long days it took to get here, the answer is a resounding YES. It will always be one of the biggest achievements of our lives and the truth is that French Polynesia in real-life far exceeds the dream. It is so very worth it.<\/p>\n

Sarah Curry has put her Human Resources career on hold to jump into cruising with her husband Will on <\/em>Hydroquest, their Beneteau First 405. After cruising Mexico\u2019s Pacific Coast, making the passage to the South Pacific and spending the summer months exploring they plan to set sail for Australia.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A South Pacific dream is fulfilled with a passage west\u00a0 (published August 2013) Will opened his sleepy eyes and looked at me with a puzzled expression […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":8128,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[179,30,532,59],"class_list":["post-8127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cruising-news","tag-pacific-crossing","tag-passagemaking","tag-sarah-curry","tag-south-pacific"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8127"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8134,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8127\/revisions\/8134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}