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Birgit

Author's details

Name: Birgit
Date registered: September 22, 2010
Jabber / Google Talk: admin

Latest posts

  1. Primer auf Deck und andere Wartungsarbeiten — April 2, 2026
  2. Primering the deck and other maintenance — April 2, 2026
  3. Werftprojekte in Zeke’s boatyard: Deck — March 28, 2026
  4. Zeke’s boatyard: Getting started — March 28, 2026
  5. Einklarieren in Surigao (Philippinen) — March 19, 2026

Most commented posts

  1. The Matuku Marine Reserve and how it came into being — 11 comments
  2. Donations for the Marine Reserve in Matuku — 10 comments
  3. 2 magical, but bouncy weeks on an uninhabited atoll — 8 comments
  4. Hilfsprojekte für Matuku — 7 comments
  5. Leeloo 2000–2021 — 6 comments

Author's posts listings

2018
27
Oct

Anchorage on the western side of Rurutu

by Birgit

Yesterday was a busy day in the harbour, because the supply ship arrived. It anchored outside and barges were taking containers in and out all day long. Even though the harbour is fairly new, apparently it was constructed before the freighter company got a new vessel for the Austral Islands which happens to be slightly too big for the harbour… The wind was easterly and… Continue reading »

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2018
25
Oct

Hiking on Rurutu

by Birgit

The more we see of Rurutu, the more we fall in love with it. We’ve had a few sunny days and used them to explore all around the island. All along the shores we’ve found white beaches with rugged cliffs behind them. There are lots of caves, but no signs to lead tourists there (the locals know where they are anyway, so why bother with… Continue reading »

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2018
20
Oct

Beautiful Rurutu

by Birgit

We had little info about Rurutu before we got here, but the island is a pleasant surprise for us. In the Lonely Planet Rurutu is described as a raised atoll, but then it should be just a flat plateau surrounded by coral cliffs like Niue, instead it has cliffs divided by flat coastal regions and high mountains inland, so we think that it must have… Continue reading »

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2018
15
Oct

Kissy-kissy country

by Birgit

We have just anchored in the little harbour of Rurutu, which is a big island with a fringing reef, lush vegetation and steep cliffs. We’ll check in later at the gendarmerie to re-enter French Polynesia officially. We’re back in the land of speaking French and giving kisses

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2018
14
Oct

Close-hauled

by Birgit

We are rushing along nicely, going close-hauled under blue skies. 110 nm to Rurutu

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2018
13
Oct

Heading further East

by Birgit

Yesterday we managed to visit the northern motu, this time in even rougher conditions but with sun and blue skies. The small, shallow lagoon was gleaming light mint, the motus were gleaming in white and fresh green–Maria is stunningly beautiful… A group of young brown boobies circled us while we were taking the dinghy across the lagoon, sometimes almost touching us with their wings –… Continue reading »

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2018
12
Oct

Finally ashore

by Birgit

Ever since we arrived on the Western side of Maria the swell has been high and the breakers looked too scary for us to try taking the dinghy over the barrier reef. We’ve been fairly comfy despite the rough conditions as we let Pitufa ride on a bridle (one anchor line from the bow and another line to the anchor line from the beam of… Continue reading »

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2018
09
Oct

Maria

by Birgit

We arrived at Maria yesterday afternoon and managed to anchor in 24 m on the eastern side. We’re still in passage-mode though as the night was very rolly… Today we’ll have to search for an anchorage on the western side, because the wind will shift to SE.

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2018
08
Oct

Racing the sun

by Birgit

Yesterday evening we had a tough decision to make: if we raced like crazy and the wind held out we’d just be able to make it to Maria in daylight today. We were contemplating slowing down and planning for an early arrival on Tuesday, but in the end we couldn’t resist–we let all sails out, let Pitufa run as fast as she can and were… Continue reading »

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2018
07
Oct

Beautiful sailing

by Birgit

The seas are calm, the wind’s blowing steady, it’s sunny and warm–sailing can actually be nice sometimes 200 nm to go to Maria!

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2018
06
Oct

Leaving the Cook Islands

by Birgit

In the end we managed to get everything done and the weather window has arrived just in time: As we’ll be headed East (or rather Southeast) from now on we have to wait for passing troughs and depressions that interrupt the prevailing easterly trade winds and make the wind clock around. We’ll set out this morning towards the Austral Islands, the southernmost archipelago of French… Continue reading »

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2018
04
Oct

Provisioning

by Birgit

We’ve spent a week now in Rarotonga. The main island of the Cooks is a beautiful mountainous island with a fringing reef that is too shallow and narrow for navigation (apart from a tiny lagoon on the eastern shore). The main town Avarua is a bustling place with plenty of souvenir shops, clothes shops and little cafes. The Cook Islands are theoretically independent, but have… Continue reading »

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2018
27
Sep

Arrived in Rarotonga

by Birgit

The passage from Aitutaki was warm and sunny, but when we reached Rarotonga yesterday afternoon we already saw clouds hanging over the island. We tied up in the harbour med-mooring style and had a quiet night. Unfortunately the weather’s grey and rainy today…

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2018
26
Sep

Weather forecast

by Birgit

The weather forecast is as usually messing with us. Instead of steady northeasterlies we had fickle E to SE yesterday, played with the gennaker, but ended up motorsailing (which we hate). During the night the engine was also running partly and now that the wind is officially dying down (according to the forecast) it’s blowing merry 15 knots… We haven’t caught a fish since we… Continue reading »

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2018
22
Sep

Tourists

by Birgit

We’ve been in Aitutaki for a week and most of the time the weather was grey, cold, stormy and rainy. We’re rolling in the rough weather, don’t get much sleep and are all a bit cranky. Today we’ve had the first day with blue skies, so we played tourists, rented bycicles and explored the other side of the island, Aitutaki’s quite pretty and relaxed, but… Continue reading »

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