Here you will find tales of voyages past and present on our trusty Pacific Seacraft Dana 24, "Sockdolager," and our Bigfoot29 powerboat, "Raven," from Port Townsend, Washington, USA. In 2009 we sailed north from Puget Sound up the west coast of Vancouver Island to the Queen Charlotte Islands (now called Haida Gwaii.) In 2010 we went back to the west coast of Vancouver Island. In July 2011 we left the Northwest, sailed to Mexico, and in March 2012 we crossed the Pacific to French Polynesia, then on to the Cooks, Niue and Tonga. We spent several months in New Zealand, and in May 2013 loaded Sockdolager (and ourselves) on a container ship for San Francisco. In June and July 2013 we sailed north along the California, Oregon and Washington coasts, and in August we arrived home. In October 2016, Sockdolager found new owners, and we began cruising on Raven, a unique wooden 29' powerboat. In 2018 we cruised up to Glacier Bay, Alaska, and back. But in 2024 we had the chance to buy Sockdolager back (we missed her), so we sold Raven. We hope you enjoy reading about our adventures as much as we enjoy having them. (And there will be more.)



Monday, November 12, 2012

On the Move

After almost two months here in Vava'u Tonga it's time to start moving again.  The storm referenced below is over and the boats that were out in it have safely made landfall or are close.  The people on the boat that was rolled over and abandoned were picked up by a freighter and are OK.  A new wave of boats left here  for NZ a few days ago.  I listen to them on the ham radio and today most were motoring with no wind!

I will depart tomorrow or the next day for Tongatapu, 200 miles to the south, with a stop in the Ha'apai island group.  On the 21st my friend Tom Reese arrives from Antarctica, where he has been working for six weeks, to help sail the boat to New Zealand.

Tonga is an interesting place and it has been a good spot to spend some time.  The photo shows the rebar anchor on a small Tongan fishing boat.


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