Michael had been quiet since we returned from visiting John and Elaine in Maryland. I grew accustomed to listening to the water lap because he barely spoke for days. John died on a Thursday at 1:00 am, but it was…

You know you’ve been hanging out in some incredible places if Tahiti is considered a pit stop. Heading west from Panama, Papeete is the first sizeable city sailors reach. So it’s hailed more for its goods and services than its…

It’s been twenty days since we sailed in the open ocean, and a maramu has been blowing for the last nine. So I was jittery this morning going through the south pass in big waves, but now it’s smooth sailing. …

By all modern measures, the Tuomotus archipelago is the most relaxing place in the world. There are very few restaurants, stores, houses, or people, and many of the atolls we've visited have none of these things at all. There is…

Ships Log: June 21, 2024, 08:14 Ua Pou to Raroia. TWS 15.5, AWS 10.5, TWA 147D, AWA 103D, SOG 9.5. S 13.09D, W 141.56D If we hadn't gone swimming in the waterfall-fed swimming hole at the end of the 11.4…

Stunning. That’s how Michael saw Nuku Hiva when we arrived. Spired mountains rise from the Pacific Ocean, lush with vegetation until they descend rock-faced into the crashing waves. I get how he might see stunning. I saw an island on…

The answer to your question is yes. There is water as far as the eye can see in every direction. The ocean is humbling and beautiful beyond words. Sometimes, we hear the mermaids singing, the stars are outrageous, and the…

Day: 14, Time: 23:32, 501 nm to destination Nuku Hiva TWS 19, AWS 11, COG 256D, SOG 9.4kt, Position S 7D 53 W 131D 46 It is a moonless night. I sit at the helm station, staring into a void.…

Too anxious and tearful to look into the camera lens for our pre-departure photo, I suggested Michael and I look at each other; his face was what I needed to feel ready. At 11:30, we departed Isabela, Galapagos, 0° 58S…

Tonight, the ocean is the most peaceful place on earth, and I am alone but not lonely. Michael has gone to sleep, and the moon is not yet awake, so it’s just me and the stars. We’re en route to…

The Panama Canal Transit in two paragraphs Sailboats like Gerty begin the Panama Canal transit behind a ship. The forward view is completely obstructed. So at first, mariners tend to look behind at the closing iron doors and watch the…

Some boatyards are better than others for living aboard. Our experience in Spain was better than Tunisia's, and our Panama situation has been the most comfortable so far. It’s like this: Gerty is hauled out of the water to repair…