A Motherās Work is Never Done
The instant I plucked the wee bird from the soggy sticks, there was no going backā¦I was undeniably the mother of this orphaned baby seabird. I was certain that the little creature must eat fish, but I had no idea how to raise it?! Shortly after the adoption, I rode my bike over to my […]
Cyclone āOliā: thanks be to LAND
I couldnāt imagine how strong it was going to get as Simona and I finished taping the windows and bringing all the tables and chairs inside. As the gusts soared into the 40s, we gathered the last of the fallen mangos and prepared the boards to put in front of the doors should the waves […]
NISHA Fizzles, OLI bites
āThere is only room on the back lot of the yard,ā Karin said. āAnd Nisha has been downgraded. Are you sure you want to haul out now?ā āYes.ā I replied. āIām here, so letās just do it.ā The crew hauled Swell and transported her to the back of the yard near the street. ā¦Nisha passed […]
‘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 Tevaās truck, after theyād 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. Ā 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 āunsuitable to take to the seaā until the […]
Finding the Needle in the Haystack
āHello, Liz? Cāest Manuelle. My clients didnāt show up so we can go now to look for your chain if you wish?ā āYes, great. Iām ready. I can pick you up in town with Swell.ā We loaded her dive gear aboard and headed off to the GPS point where, 125 ft below, sat my brand […]
Big Brothers Arenāt All the Same
Thick rain closed in and didnāt 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 […]
Maitai Noera (Tahitian for Merry Christmas)
All I wanted for Christmas was NOT to be in the boatyard marina. Once my hard fought groceries were put away I decided to take Swell down to Thierry and Liliās house, where Iād be invited for Christmas Eve dinner. There was a nice sandy patch to anchor just out in front. Despite that there […]
Bed Buddies
I stared up at a mosquito above me as he tried to poke his way into the netted canopy that draped over my bed in the little room I was renting. I tried to digest the thought of yet another major haulout repair. The heat of mid-summer had shortly followed the rain, and without a […]
Back to the Blue(s) :(
The next morning, alone aboard Swell again, I happily sorted and sifted the towering piles in an effort to restore livability and order to my sacred little space. āHmmā¦thatās oddā¦I could have sworn that box of tea wasnāt munched yesterday?ā More clues followed to conclude that there was yet another rodent aboard. I sighed and […]
