‘Vacation’ is Over.
Warm evening light danced between the shadows of the overgrown limbs and leaves on the jungle road. I bounced down the mountain in the back of Frederique and Teva’s truck, after they’d treated Tina, baby Matai, and a few other ladies to a day of pareo-making and a glimpse of island life in the mountains. […]
Legally Challenged
I popped my head out of the hatch around 10am after another brutal passage east from Bora Bora the prior day. Just then, the big gray French police boat pulled into the bay. My heart lurched. I had a letter from the yard stating that Swell was ‘unsuitable to take to the sea’ until the […]
Don’t Kill the Star!
And the next day at ten o’clock sharp, Jimmy circled Swell on his stand-up paddle board. “Come aboard,” I called. “I’m nearly ready!” He descended into Swell’s cabin, eyes wide, taking in all the quotes and photos and details. I showed him my book collection, hoping I could give him one of my favorites, but […]
Where the Wind and The Water are Free: Casual dining with Jimmy and Quino
I woke with a headache but couldn’t help but notice the size of the whitewater on the reef. The north swell was way up and I couldn’t rest despite my lack of sleep. I finally thumbed a ride to the reef and surfed away the afternoon and the headache. Upon my return, Jess and Teiva […]
“Mother, Mother Ocean…I Have Heard You Call…Wanted to Sail Upon Your Waters Since I was 3 Feet Tall…”
As you might have guessed from my Christmas blog, my family had listened to Jimmy Buffett for as long as I can remember. I was practically spoon-fed his lyrics throughout my childhood years aboard boats. My father’s love for his music eventually became my own and album after album carried us through year after year. […]
Call of the Wild…
Free to move again, I decided to take a little time for myself and travel around the islands a bit while my current visa was still valid. After that, the government would give me an extension to do the boat work again, but I figured I might as well take advantage of a bit of […]
Finding the Needle in the Haystack
“Hello, Liz? C’est Manuelle. My clients didn’t show up so we can go now to look for your chain if you wish?” “Yes, great. I’m ready. I can pick you up in town with Swell.” We loaded her dive gear aboard and headed off to the GPS point where, 125 ft below, sat my brand […]
Big Brothers Aren’t All the Same
Thick rain closed in and didn’t let up for our last two days together. But James and I were content to rest quietly aboard Swell, reading and chatting and enjoying our last bit of time. We laughed at the ways we were turning into our parents, discussed the state of the world and how we […]
Bro-Sis Upwind Bonding
It’s said that what goes up must come down, so after nearly a week of clear skies and light winds, I wasn’t surprised to see towering thunderheads and swirling wind gusts on the morning we prepped Swell to leave Bora Bora. Schedules pending, we had no choice but to batten down the hatches and go […]
“Vooooo-Lay-Voooooo Quelquechose a Boire??”
New Year’s Eve and James and I sailed into Bora Bora around 3 pm after a glorious passage. We tossed the dinghy over the side and I rowed in to the Bora Bora Yacht Club to see what was happening for the festivities that evening. Everyone hurried to and fro, moving tables and sweeping and […]
