Yo-Yo Zone

 We’ve officially left the ‘Yo-Yo Zone’ in the Caribbean encompassing the Leeward and Windward islands. Most boats tend to make their way up and down this chain of islands – every year – year after year. The farther west we sail towards the Panama Canal, the more distilled the sailing friends become. While from different backgrounds, we share a similar passion -- an independent freedom to explore new, remote areas at our own pace, and on our own schedule. Some on this path are on their second circumnavigation; others are just starting, and some are finishing the loop back to Australia or New Zealand.

As one new sailing friend put it – “It takes guts to quit your career and go sailing…it takes cojones to head west and sail across the Pacific.” He’s right. It’s been a long process for us…and we are ready.

We’re sailing across the largest ocean in the world – the Pacific. To put this in perspective, here are some interesting Pacific Ocean facts:

• Total area is 165.25 million square miles
• Hydrosphere covers 46% of earth’s water surfaces
• Larger than all the earth’s land surfaces combined
• Widest point is 5deg N – 12,300mi from Colombia to Thailand
• Covers the lowest known point on earth - Mariana Trench – 10,911m below surface
• There are more islands here than all the other oceans combined

Pacific Ocean

On Field Trip, we have to be self-supporting until we get to Papeete, Tahiti. We are planning for 5 months of stores.  There is food on the islands, but staples are limited, and unpredictable. As I type this we are in Curacao updating our food inventory, organizing new spreadsheet lists, and figuring out how much is ‘enough’. Not a simple task unless you want to eat rice and ‘maybe’ fish every day…:)

In addition, we are making some final spare part purchases with a stop in Aruba, and we are dusting off our Jimmy Cornell books for passage making in the Pacific. It’s all exciting and overwhelming.

What is my biggest fear? Getting ruined. Ruined by the raw beauty and simplicity of the South Pacific. The Caribbean is a nice place to visit, but it’s not the South Pacific with remote atolls, Polynesian culture, simple sustenance, and a distinct group of sailors who left the Yo-Yo Zone in their wake.

Some pictures of our future destinations in the South Pacific.

Our first landfall after Galapagos will be here - Fatu Hiva

Bora Bora 

Fiji

The Atoll Suwarrow