tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979Fri, 24 Jul 2026 05:58:32 +0000S/V Starshine is a Shannon 38 that was bought in early 2007. This is our log of upgrades, work and travels!http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Gail)Blogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-5412276561493023407Mon, 28 Jul 2014 00:31:00 +00002014-07-27T20:31:41.438-04:00Well, it finally happened, we are back in the real world in Arizona. We decided to take a break from our cruise and return to civilization for a while. Starshine is on the hard in Raiatea in French Polynesia and we are now looking for work (ugh, that 4-letter word). Our French Polynesia visa was up and we couldn't decide whether we should continue on West or head back to the states via http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/07/landlocked.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Dave)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-5644886319732694935Wed, 09 Jul 2014 21:34:00 +00002014-07-09T17:34:27.457-04:00Bora Bora - we have arrived. Actually we have been here for over a week now enjoying the beautiful blue green waters of the lagoon. Snorkeling is a must here and Dave is loving the ability to swim with the sharks and sting rays. Gail prefers to watch those from the dinghy! However, yesterday we saw quite a few angel and zebra fish along with a good sized parrot fish and a very large barracuda. http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/07/bora-bora.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-984198629202555472Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:47:00 +00002014-09-28T11:07:08.223-04:00We are still enjoying the beauty here in Cooks Bay at Moorea. The original idea was to spend the first half of the week in Cooks Bay and then move over to the neighboring Opunohu Bay for the second half of the week, but we can't tear ourselves away from this amazing Cooks Bay. We have decided that it is the best anchorage we have ever been in and it is hard to leave. The anchorage itself is far http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/06/moorea-cooks-bay-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-2091469777695077143Sun, 15 Jun 2014 17:24:00 +00002014-06-15T13:24:00.929-04:00Friday we escaped the clutches of Tahiti and arrived in Moorea which took us about three hours and what a difference! The anchorage in Tahiti had hundreds of boats and the anchorage here in Cooks Bay at Moorea has only about ten boats with gorgeous scenery! Last night we discovered a Happy Hour at a local hotel with Polynesian dancing which was so much fun. After, we had a lovely dinner with http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/06/moorea-cooks-bay.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-8216477691668174704Mon, 09 Jun 2014 22:23:00 +00002014-06-09T18:23:35.849-04:00We have arrived at Tahiti, island of dreams for many and I can certainly see why as the island is so beautiful. Congratulations Dave - you made it after 40 years in the making! Actually Dave has done an amazing job of getting us here as the Tuamotus atolls with their many narrow passes and pounding reefs were not easy to navigate. Dave was constantly researching and questioning the local tide http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/06/tahiti.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-224750467547825553Sat, 31 May 2014 19:54:00 +00002014-05-31T15:57:09.759-04:00We are currently visiting and exploring the delightful atoll of Rangiroa - the largest one of the Tuamotus and our last one before heading on to Tahiti in a few days. Although it has been rainy and gusty here, we were able to dodge squalls yesterday and do some sightseeing. We rented bicycles and rode along the main road of about 10 miles round trip. We stopped and had lunch at a pizza restauranthttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/05/rangiroa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-8495890483656106644Tue, 27 May 2014 03:54:00 +00002014-05-26T23:54:17.907-04:00It is amazing how different the Tuomotus are from the Marquesas. All of these islands are atolls with a large lagoon surrounded by a coral reef. The lagoons are fairly large and free of any swell as this is dissipated by the fringing coral reef. There can be some wind waves and even some moderate chop, however, as the fetch inside the lagoon can be up to 30 miles. Most of these atolls have one http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/05/taking-life-one-pass-at-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-6930513402311006090Sun, 18 May 2014 18:12:00 +00002014-05-18T14:13:23.391-04:00After 500+ miles and a little over a 4 day passage, we made it to Fakarava - our first coral atoll in the Tuamotus. The landscape is dramatically different than it was in the Marquesas. We left lush, green mountainous islands to arrive at very flat coral atolls with shallow, wide lagoons. Entrance into the passes can be very stressful, as the tide currents can be 6 to 9 knots and the trade windshttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/05/fakarava.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-8796415754226978581Wed, 14 May 2014 03:02:00 +00002014-05-13T23:05:31.140-04:00The definition of Cruising is being able to make boat repairs in exotic ports around the world. I would add that sometimes repairs are made on the high seas. This morning the SSB would not turn on. After multiple tries I removed the fuse (which was OK) and screwed it back in and then everything worked. It is frustrating when things don't work and even more so when you fix them but are not http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/05/cruising.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-7482260353041450761Wed, 07 May 2014 07:09:00 +00002014-05-07T03:10:25.257-04:00We are actually living the dream and sailing the French Polynesia! Anchored at Fatu Hiva yesterday and it was amazingly beautiful. We felt as though we were hiking in a postcard and then went swimming in a pool under the waterfall with a couple of new friends, Jerry and Gail. It was so much fun! The guys though beat us to the pool and neglected to tell us gals that there was a huge eel swimming http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/05/fatu-hiva.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-418907386561159234Fri, 02 May 2014 05:08:00 +00002014-05-02T01:08:51.089-04:00 After a long flight, I am now truly back in Paradise; aka Hiva Oa in the Marquesas! It is nice to see some of the cruisers that we last saw in Puerto Vallarta. Not so much as hot here, but very humid! Today we checked out the town and provisioned as Dave was able to eat all the frozen meat while underway. Dave is a little thinner than when I last left him, but I will get him fattened up in no http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/05/paradise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-598357096468174753Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:49:00 +00002014-04-29T12:57:08.307-04:00Thought I would give Dave a break and also make a post while I have easy internet. Today is my last day here in the states for awhile and I am currently in sunny southern CA. Santa Ana winds came through last night and while the yards are a mess, today is going to be a gorgeous one here in the 90s. I am flying out of LAX tonight to meet Dave in Hiva Oa tomorrow at noon. From one paradise to http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/last-day-in-sunny-california.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-7195827441684892662Sun, 27 Apr 2014 04:00:00 +00002014-04-26T23:31:54.137-04:00We made it! A beautiful anchorage here in Baie Tahauku near the town of Atuona. It is a bit small but pretty well protected. Currently, there are 15 boats here with room for a few more. I got lucky as several boats had just left before I arrived and I have a nice anchoring spot in about 15 feet of water. Trevor from Nakiska came over and helped me set my stern anchor as the boats are anchored http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/anchored-in-hiva-oa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-9083296080947652473Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:06:00 +00002014-04-25T09:07:20.277-04:00The last sliver of the moon has just risen, about 3 hours before sunrise. The sky is clear and the stars of the southern hemisphere are out in all their glory. The only constellation I know down here is the Southern Cross but I did see the Big Dipper for a while near the Northern horizon last night. This voyage has covered one complete cycle of the moon and is now coming to a close. When the sunhttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/moon-stars-night-28.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-8974738504324581806Tue, 22 Apr 2014 13:55:00 +00002014-04-22T09:55:47.104-04:00As I was listening in on the Puddle Jump Net last night on the SSB radio I heard some traffic on the VHF radio. I called back and it turned out to be another sailboat heading for Hiva Oa. It was a 57 foot catamaran and they went flying past me even though I was doing about 5 knots. They were an Australian couple and daughter passaging from the Galapagos and heading home to Oz. They came right up http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/company-day-26.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-1264474681521908654Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:23:00 +00002014-04-18T10:27:57.694-04:00Can't believe it's been 3 weeks, time just flies by out here (not really). Finally have gotten into the SE trades this morning, 15 knots of wind and we're finally moving better than 3 knots! Actually doing 4.5 knots on a direct course to Hiva Oa (225 degrees), at this rate I might make it in before next weekend, 785 miles to go. Reminds me of a song: "On this wind on this headinghttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/se-trades-day-22.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-2903966398514555536Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:27:00 +00002014-04-29T12:53:09.523-04:00Starshine is in the Southern Hemisphere and I am a shellback! We crossed over at 14:15 Zulu (8:15 AM local?). King Neptune and I shared a toast with some good 18-year old scotch! Man, that will really open your eyes early in the morning. I finally had to turn on the motor this morning as the wind has been very light and I needed to run the watermaker (it needs to run every 4 or 5 days to keep http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/equator-day-20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-5188887173589826886Sun, 13 Apr 2014 12:33:00 +00002014-04-13T08:34:24.045-04:00Have been motoring now for the past 30 hours, no wind to speak of - this is definitely the ITCZ! The ITCZ is actually north of the equator this time of year and marks the boundary between the NE trades in the northern Pacific and the SE trades in the southern hemisphere. The ITCZ is characterized by light winds (the doldrums) and lots of squalls. I spent several hours last evening dodging some http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/itcz-day-17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-4657788394401977297Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:38:00 +00002014-04-10T09:49:57.165-04:00I got up early this morning after a good night's rest. My body has gotten in the habit of waking up every one and a half hours or so during the night. I get up, check our course, check the sails and scan the horizon (though I haven't seen any boats for days now). I arose for good this morning at 5:30; at least that's what my clock said. I haven't changed the clock since I left andhttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/starshine-day-14.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-8465387977573136527Mon, 07 Apr 2014 23:26:00 +00002014-04-07T19:29:10.110-04:00Today we passed the 1000 mile mark. Still doing better than 100 miles per day and now only about 450 miles from our intermediate waypoint of 5N 125W. Current position is 10 deg 40' N, 119 deg 36' W (smack dab in the middle of nowhere). This ocean just goes on and on forever and ever and I'm not even half way to the Marquesas! The total distance to Marquesas from PV is 2800 miles, thenhttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/1000-miles-day-11.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-3398650403764131547Sat, 05 Apr 2014 21:42:00 +00002014-04-05T17:46:02.528-04:00We are definitely in the NE trades now. The wind is consistently over 20 knots and up to 25. I have taken down the mizzen and am sailing wing and wing with a single reef in the main and the genoa partly furled. Boat speed is over 5.5 knots and sometimes up to almost 7 surfing down the huge rollers. The boat rocks gunwale to gunwale with the passing swell with occasional water over the rail. It ishttp://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/rockin-and-rollin-day-9.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-8048285288192479142Fri, 04 Apr 2014 00:57:00 +00002014-04-03T21:02:04.934-04:00Well, I must be nearing the trade winds as the wind has clocked around to the NNE and gotten a bit steadier. I was having trouble keeping the sails full and maintaining a course of 240 degrees so I decided to try sailing dead down wind, DDW, at a course of about 210 degrees. This will put me just about on my intermediate waypoint of 05 N, 125 W (about 900 miles away). This is the point often http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-art-of-sailing-downwind-day-7.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-4966467657012366836Thu, 03 Apr 2014 01:09:00 +00002014-04-02T21:10:49.739-04:00Einstein once said every young man should spend some time as a lighthouse keeper in order to have lots of solitary opportunity to think and ponder the universe. Clearly, he spent a lot of time thinking, including postulating "Gedanken" - thought experiments. That's probably how he figured out most of his great theories by thinking about "what if ...". I've had lots of http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/time-day-6.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-9018897093819472359Tue, 01 Apr 2014 21:53:00 +00002014-04-01T17:58:21.154-04:00Up until a day or two ago, there was lots of chatter on the VHF. I keep the VHF on channel 16 with the AIS alarm set to 5 miles. Even 200 miles out you could hear nearly constant communication between ships (especially the Mexican fishing boats who sometimes even play music over the radio - mucho obnoxious). I was surprised as I always thought VHF was line of sight - but one night I tried called http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/04/solitude-day-5.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4443916632796440979.post-5066603819613159440Mon, 31 Mar 2014 15:47:00 +00002014-03-31T11:58:10.326-04:00I have now settled in to a routine after 3 days at sea. Coffee and sunrise start the day. At first light, I check my position, check the sails and then call in to the "Picante" net on SSB. I shake out the reefs put in the night before and do a quick "once around" on deck to check all lines, fittings and sails. (I also throw overboard any dead squid or flying fish that have http://svstarshine.blogspot.com/2014/03/routines-day-4.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gail)3