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Our philosophy is to keep our cruising
open-ended & open-minded.
This way we can travel based upon advantageous weather
plus information, opportunities & guidance provided by
others in the world & cruising communities.
For a List of Countries we've visited, Click Here
To see a PLOT of our Travels: Click Here
Our Adventure Timeline
2003
August 13, 2003 - Departure from homeport (Kingston WA, USA)
August 18, 2003 - Departure from Neah Bay, WA for non-stop Pacific passage to San Diego
September 1, 2003 - Arrived San Diego (Labor Day weekend)
Sept - Nov 2003 - Continued provisioning and boat preparation in San Diego
November 20, 2003 - Arrived Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico (Revolution Day!)
Nov - Dec 2003 - Pacific Baja
December 23, 2003 - Arrived Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico for Christmas holiday
2004
January 2004 - SW Sea of Cortez and crossing to Mazatlan
Jan - March 2004 - Pacific Mexico - Puerto Vallarta & the Great Chili Cook-off
Click for Photo Journal of the Chili Cookoff - we won!
April - May 2004 - Crossed back to Baja (La Paz) and pulled Carina for routine maintenance
May - Nov 2004 - Sea of Cortez as far north as Puerto Refugio, Isla Angel de la Guarda
Nov - Dec 2004 - Crossed Sea of Cortez from La Paz to Banderas Bay (Puerto Vallarta)
2005
Dec 2004 -April 2005 - Mexican "Riviera" to Huatulco
Click for Photo Journal of Pacific Mexico
April 2005- Tehuantapec crossing
May 2 - Crossed bar into Estero Jaltepeque, El Salvador
May - September 2005 - El Salvador with inland travel to Guatemala, Honduras, etc.
Click for Photo Journal of El Salvador
Click for Photo Journal of our trip to Guatemala
Click for a Photo Journal of our trip to Honduras
We also led an effort by dozens of cruisers and their generous friends and families to rebuild a kindergarten on Isla La Cordoncillo.
Click for Photo Journal of the school building effort and the festive celebration at its opening.
September 2005 - Nicaragua
October 2005 - January 2006 - Costa Rica
2006
February 2006 - May 2006 - Panamá
Click for a Photo Journal of the western provinces, the Panama Canal zone, etc.
May - October 2006 - Ecuador
Click for our Photo Journal of coastal Ecuador near Bahia de Caraquez
Click for our Photo Journal of Quito & the Andes
August 2006 - We took a side trip to Peru & hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Click for Photo Journal of Cusco, Peru
Click for Photo Journal of our tour of the Valle Sagrado
Click for our Photo Journal of our trek up the Inca Trail
Click for our Photo Journal of Machu Picchu
October - November 2006 - Islas Galápagos
December 2006 - March 2007 - Balboa, Panamá
Click for a Photo Journal of Las Perlas Islands and the isolated Darien Province
2007
March 2007 - returned via Panamá's western islands to Salinas, Ecuador
March - July 2007 - in the boatyard at Puerto Lucia Yacht Club, La Libertad, Ecuador
Click for Photo Journal of Carina's Refit
August 2007 - January 2008 - western Panamá islands and Chiriquí province
2008
January 2008 - February 2009 - Cuidad de Panamá & Islas Las Perlas
2009
March - May 2009 - Passage to Galapagos and then French Polynesia
Click for Photo Journal of our Pacific Passage
Click for our Photo Journal of our return to the Galapagos and old friends
May 2009 - Sept 2009 - French Polynesia
Click for Photo Journal of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas
Click for Photo Journal of Fatu Hiva
Click for Photo Journal of Tahuata
Click for Photo Journal of Nuku Hiva & Philip's speedboat incident
Sept 2009 - Suwarrow, Cook Islands
Click for our Photo Journal of this amazing isolated atoll
October 2009 - Pago Pago, American Samoa where we arrived in the aftermath of the desvastating tsunami that traumatized and even killed friends
2010
November 2009 - May 2010 - Vava'u Group, Kingdom of Tonga where we were hit by Cyclone Rene on Valentine's Day 2010
Click for our Photo Journal of the Vava'u Group
Click for Photo Journal of Cyclone Rene
May 2010 - Niuatoputapu Tonga and Wallis Island, French Overseas Territory
Click for the Photo Journal for Niuatoputapu
Click for our Photo Journal from Wallis Island
June 2010 - May 2011 Fiji
Click for Photo Journal of Savusavu & Vanua Levu
Click for our Photo Journal of our visit to the isolated Lau Group
Click for Photos of islands in the Koro Sea
Click for the Photo Journal of Viti Levu & our boatyard stay at Vuda Point
Click for our Photo Journal of the Mamanucas & the Yasawas
Click for our Photo Journal of our return to Vanua Levu for the cyclone season
And Click here for our Photo Journal to the villages of Nasasobu & Dakuniba
And here for the Photo Journal our side trip to magnificent Tavenuni
2011
June 2011- Sept 2011 Vanuatu
Click for Photo Journal of Efate, home of the capital Port Vila
Click for Photos of amazing Tanna & its active volcano
Click for the Photo Journal of Malakula & the Maskelynes
And here for the Nalawan Festival of the Small Nambas
Click here for our Photo Journal of northern Vanuatu & our presence at a kastam marriage
October 2011 - May 2012 Marshall Islands
Click for our Photo Journal
2012
Jun - November 2012 - Solomon Islands
Click for the Photo Journal of the Polynesian eastern island of Tikopia
And here for the Santa Cruz islands of Vanikoro and Santa Ana
Click for a Photo Journal of Tavanipupu & Guadalcanal
And here for a Photo Journal Roderick Bay on Sandfly Pass in the Florida Group & their annual cultural festival - Bonina Vale ni Vaka Seloga
And click here for a Video of the Bonina Vale Festival
Visit Roderick Bay's tiny homepage by clicking here
2013
December 2012 - January 2014 Federated States of Micronesia ; Kosrae, Pohnpei, Ant, Lukunor, Lamotrek, Woleai and Wa'ab (Yap)
See our Photo Journal of each island by clicking below:
Click below to download a Video of:
Snorkeling Lenger Island and Manta Road
Hiking the Six Waterfalls Hike
2014
In early 2014 we departed Pohnpei, stopped at Ant Atoll and continued down the chain of islands, arriving in Palau in April.
Click island names below to see our Photo Journals
Yap Waab - the main island
And click here for the Photo Journal of the 2014 Yap Days Festival
April - July 2014 Palau
Click here for our Photo Journal of Palau & its Rock Islands
And here for Philip's Photo Journal of his visit to Peleliu
August 2014 - September 3, 2014 Samal Island, Davao Gulf, Philippines after a boisterous crossing of the Philippine Sea
Click for a Photo Journal of Samal and Sarangani Islands, Davao and the Kadayawan Festival
And here to download a Video of our passage
September- November 2014 - We went to friendly eastern Indonesia - Sangihe, Morotai & Halmahera - & then back to the Davao Gulf
Click for a Photo Journal of Sangihe Island
And here for Morotai
And here for the Photo Journal of active Halmahera
2015
November 2014-August 29, 2015 - Samal Island, Davao Gulf, Philippines where we spent months in the boatyard and explored Samal Island on our motorbike.
Click here for our Photo Journal of Carina's Refit at Oceanview
Click here for Photo Journal of Samal Island
And here for our Photo Journal of the 2015 Indonesia Rally
Download a video of Carina's Crossing of the Philippine Sea OR of our Sunday Excursions on Samal Island by clicking on the purple titles
Fall 2015- exploring fantastic Indonesia - Sangihe, Sulawesi, Halmahera and Raja Ampat
Click here for our Photo Journal of Sangihe Revisited
Here for our Photo Journal of NW Sulawesi
And click here for our Photo Journal of wild and wonderful Raja Ampat
2016 - 2017
Dec 2015 - July 2016- Back in the Republic of Palau
Click for our Photo Journal
And here for the Photo Journal of our Rock Island adventures
July 2016 - September 2016 - The Ninigo Islands of Papua New Guinea
Click here for a Photo Journal from Mal Island
And here for a Photo Journal of Pihon Island
And here for a Photo journal from Longen & Amik Islands
October 2016 - present - Back at Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia
Click here for our Photo Journal of Pohnpei Revisited
2017
May 2017 - On the 17th we flew out the Sokeh's Pass into brisk NE trades and crossed the North Pacific, landing at Sitka, AK, USA on July 1.
Click here for a Photo Journal of our North Pacific Passage
July - September 2107 - We explored the Inside Passage of SE Alaska and British Columbia, making new friends and catching up with old ones along the way. We arrived back at Kingston WA on September 14, 2017 after 14 years and 32 days and 41,233 nautical miles.
Click here for the Photo Journals of the Alaska's Inside Passage plus British Columbia and Carina's Homecoming
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We left the Puget Sound in August 2003 and took an offshore route to San Diego accompanied by friend Howard Hanners.. |
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After the cyclone season passed [ca. Nov 15], we left the US and entered Mexican waters and spent nearly five weeks traveling down the Pacific coast of Baja California, stopping at Ensenada, Bahia San Quintin, Islas San Benito, Isla Cedros, Bahia Tortugas, Bahia Asuncion, Bahia Santa Maria and Bahia Magdalena and arrived at Cabo San Lucas two days before Christmas. From Cabo, we went north intending to stop at La Paz ("the Peace") to collect our mail, purchase a small outboard engine, clean the boat and affect a few repairs. |
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Instead of La Paz, we crossed in January 2004 from Los Frailes to Mazatlan in the State of Sinaloa on the mainland in an attempt to find balmier temperatures and less wind. In late February we moved to Nuevo Vallarta, near Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay. In mid March we left Banderas Bay headed south for Barra de Navidad but were thwarted in our efforts by a period of strong SW winds that made the intermediate anchorages untenable. Turning around we headed north visiting Isla Isabela and Mazatlan. |
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In late April, we left Mazatlan and crossed to La Paz on the Baja Peninsula, where we had some work done on Carina. We left La Paz May 19, 2004 and explored the many isolated islands and anchorages around the Bahia de Los Angeles where Puerto Don Juan is located. Don Juan was our chosen refuge in the event we were threatened by a Pacific cyclone. After a brief visit to San Carlos Sonora to intercept some parts brought to us by friends from the US, we crossed back to Baja and gunkholed south to La Paz. |
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We have written a summary of facilities for yachts in 2004 in the Sea of Cortez. Please click here to review. |
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After a Thanksgiving reunion with family at Puerto Vallarta, completing a few more boat projects and competing in a fundraising Chili Cookoff, we left Banderas Bay two days after Christmas 2004 and are moving south along the Mexican "Riviera" with planned stops in Barra de Navidad, Manzanillo, Zihuatanejo and Huatulco. We crossed the Tehuantepec in April 2004, spent four month in El Salvador including building a school, going to school and enjoying inland travel. |
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In Central America we have worked our way down the coast and arrived at the Panama Canal at Balboa in March 2006 after enjoying the rural bahias of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Our mooring buoy was only 100 yards from the canal runway! We stayed in the lovely Gulf of Panama and visited some of Panama's spectacular locales and their inhabitants before heading south. |
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From Panama we traveled to South America, anchoring for the southern hemisphere winter at Bahía de Caraquez, Ecuador. This secure location in an estuary allowed us to explore South America (Ecuador, Peru) before setting sail once again for the Galápagos Islands, where we spent one month before turning again north towards Panamá City. In Panamá we explored the islands of Pacific Panamá & the rural Darién during dry season before departing for Ecuador on March 4, 2007. |
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After four months in the yard at Puerto Lucia Yacht Club in La Libertad, Ecuador, Immigration denied us visa renewals and Customs attempted to fine us $12,000 USD, so we departed Ecuador bound for Costa Rica. We landed instead in Panamá with failed batteries, purchased more and then spent the remainder of 2007 exploring the Chiriquí and Veraguas provinces of western Panamá. Once in Panamá City, we rebuilt our Yanmar engine, installing a radar, depth sounder, head and washdown pump etc etc etc. |
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During the summer and fall of 2008 we had the wonderful opportunity explore Islas Las Perlas, unspoiled islands just SE of Panama City. We spent the holidays again in Panama City while preparing for our Pacific Passage to Polynesia, which we expect to commence before the end of February 2009. |
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We left Panama City, Rep. of Panama in March 2009 and spent 20 days in Wreck Bay, San Cristobal Galapagos. From there a 28 day passage took us to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas. We toured the islands of French Polynesia until Sept 2009 before moving onto the Cook Islands and American Samoa and Tonga. |
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We spent the cyclone season 2009-2010 in the Vava'u group of the kingdom of Tonga and traveled to Fiji by way of Niuatoputapu and Wallis Island. Our most recent passage included the remote Lau group of Fiji. |
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After spending the cyclone season in lovely Savusavu with side visits to Taveuni, we visited the Mamanuca and Yasawa groups of islands, had a (second) haulout and then departed for Vanuatu. |
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After a brief stay in Port Vila, we got a weather window to beat back against the usual tradewinds to Port Resolution, Tanna where there is a highly active volcano and also a friendly village and "yacht club". Heading north we spent quite a bit of time in the Maskelyne Islands and then onto Malakula for the Nalawan Festival in SW Bay before heading to Luganville. Pushing north and east, we visited Oyster Island, Ambae, Maewo, Gaua and finally Vanua Lava. |
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On Sept 26, 2011 we left Sola, Vanua Lava for a challenging 19 day passage across the equator to Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands. |
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In May 2012 we set sail for the Solomon Islands, visiting Tikopia, Vanikoro, Santa Ana and Tavanipupu before arriving in Honiara in time for the Festival of Pacific Arts. From Honiara we joined the small group of yachts at Roderick Bay for the first annual festival there. Shortly after, Philip was evacuated to Australia to receive treatment for a heart attack. |
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Later in September we left Ngela Sule once again bound for the Western Province and visited Peava, Marovo Lagoon, Rendova Is, Munda, Vonavona Lagoon and Gizo. After a brief haulout at Liapari Island we departed for a trip northbound back to Micronesia. |
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After only a week at Kosrae we pushed onto Pohnpei, where we stayed 13 months before heading off once more downwind through Micronesia towards Palau and the Philippines. After nearly a year and a half in Micronesia, we departed Palau July 31, 2014 for a "short" trip to the Philippines, that turned out to not be that short....thanks to Super Typhoon Halong |
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Our short stay in Philippines involved preparation for the Sail Sangihe Indonesia Rally as guests of the Oceanview Marina. We left Samal Island for Sangihe on September 3, 2014 for a trip against the wind, current and seas. |
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We returned to Oceanview in November 2014 & into boatyard mode where we remained during winter, spring and summer of 2015. Carina received much deserved TLC after putting on a lot of sea miles. She has served us well. |
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In the fall of 2015 - just a few weeks before the horrifying hostage-taking at Oceanview - we returned to eastern Indonesia and visited Sangihe, Sulawesi, Halmahera and glorious Raja Ampat. |
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A slow passage north from West Papua, Indonesia brought us once again to the Republic of Palau where over-wintered, enjoying the ambience and lovely wilds of this tiny paradise. |
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During our glorious stay in Palau, we learned of a seldom visited island group in Papua New Guinea - the Ninigo group - and decided it was a perfect place to visit on our way to eastern Micronesia. Not only could we bring much needed supplies to these almost-forgotten people but we could support their culture by attending their annual canoe races. |
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Our Ninigo project consumed us for the spring of 2016 and then we left Palau heavily laden with supplies in late July. We had the support of almost sixty generous individuals from 15 countries who contributed to our stores. Every single item of the supplies we brought - and much more - disappeared off Carina. In fact, our supplies provided the prizes for the canoe races - almost 80 boats in total - when the support from the national government failed to arrive. And we loved every minute of our five week stay with those wonderful people. |
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A challenging passage of light winds, stormy conditions and contrary currents brought us back to the Federated States of Micronesia's Pohnpei Island where we over-wintered the 2016-2017 season. |
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Back in Pohnpei and with wonderful local friends we got busy preparing Carina for the last long leg of her journey home - a North Pacific crossing. We departed Pohnpei on May 17, 2017 into brisk NE trades and crossed the North Pacific with all its incumbent challenges of weather, seas and cold. We landed at Sitka, AK, USA on July 1 after 46 days at sea and almost 4700 nm. |
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In Sitka we were met with a warm welcome from old and new friends who helped us to rest up, mop up and prepare for the Inside Passage. The trip was unfortunately a bit rushed with concerns back home and concerns about our engine - a critical tool when navigating many of the narrow, swift moving fjords of SE Alaska and British Columbia. |
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We arrived back at Kingston WA on September 14, 2017 after 14 years and 32 days and 41,233 nautical miles, but not without experiencing our first collision of the entire 14 year trip when we were hit while at anchor in Comox BC. |
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With Carina's scars repaired and her engine and transmission rebuilt, we explored the Salish Sea in the summer 2018. |
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On April 3, 2019 we moved ashore; onto the next adventure. |