ende

2020
30
Jan

Fast trip

After a comfy start we had a squally day yesterday and today we’re racing along in winds NE 16-20. 360 nm to go!

2020
28
Jan

Raroia–nature worth protecting

Raroia impressed us with its wildlife–it’s among our top 5 atolls between French Polynesia and Tonga. We observed birds around the atoll, tried to estimate numbers and sent those to the ornithologist society SOP Manu in Tahiti. We also got in touch with the school principal and people from the mayor’s office and presented our pictures and findings. The general reaction was surprise and delight–locals… Continue reading »

2020
26
Jan

My Mom

My Mom was always our biggest fan. I mainly wrote this blog for her, knowing that she’d turn on the laptop each morning, hoping for news or pics to have with her coffee. She was excited with us about wonderful experiences, disappointed and sometimes sad when we discovered harm done to nature. She fiercely defended our alternative lifestyle against whoever challenged her. She visited us… Continue reading »

2020
23
Jan

Article on Atoll Navigation in Cruising World

Christian Feldbauer, Birgit Hackl: Navigating Paradise, Cruising World, January/February 2020, p. 89–92. Now also available as free online version on the CRUISING WORLD web page!

2020
22
Jan

When the supply ship comes…

Bigger atolls like Rangiroa, Fakarava or Makemo have medium-sized supermarkets by now that take credit cards and have supplies freshly flown in from Tahiti. Raroia is too small for that, so the arrival of the supply ship is a big day for the commune here. Today the ship arrived after a break of two months (they stopped their service during the holidays), so everybody rushes… Continue reading »

2020
22
Jan

Birgit’s Interview with Jeanne Socrates

Jeanne passed through French Polynesia on her single-handed unassisted journey around the world. She checked in on our SSB net, the PolyMagNet and became the star of the net. She gave us an interview shortly before she finished her circumnavigation and became the oldest person to have accomplished this. Sam Jefferson, Birgit Hackl: Full Circle (Interview with Jeanne Socrates), Sailing Today January 2020, p. 58–60.

2020
21
Jan

Article about the Cook Islands in Sailing Today Magazine

Birgit Hackl, Christian Feldbauer: Too many Cooks (Our tour through the Cook Islands), Sailing Today January 2020, p. 34–38.

2020
19
Jan

A Stove with Character

We still have an old-fashioned kerosene stove, called Bertie the Bertschi, which we praise when other cruisers search for gas bottles, refill opportunities and fittings while we have a year or two of kerosene on stock (after we raided a friendly little airport out on the islands…). Unfortunately there are days when we curse it–today was one of them. Our main problem is that spare… Continue reading »

2020
14
Jan

All clear

All clear for those who were worrying about Leeloo’s health with us. She suddenly pulled herself together, started eating again and it looks like she’ll be with us for a bit longer Such ups and downs have been happening before… Today we had a beautiful sail up NE close-hauled inside the lagoon staying close to the outer reef. Christian hopped into the dinghy with the… Continue reading »

2020
11
Jan

Cat worries

Leeloo’s health has been declining over the last years. She can still see, hear, jump (but not high, so we have put handicapped access to berths etc.), has all her teeth and on good days she’s out and about and munching (expensive, imported) diet food, but she also has bad days when she has no appetite and just sleeps a lot. She’s always been a… Continue reading »

2020
09
Jan

Nature paradise Raroia

We’re still hanging out in Raroia, where we’re the only boat ever since we arrived. We are enjoying nature while waiting for a window to the gambier. We keep busy with boat projects, some writing and use the good weather to visit the bird motus and marvel at the underwater world. There are channels in the outer reef where clear ocean water flows in, resulting… Continue reading »