Quick Update

Many of you have emailed me wanting to know if we made it across the "puddle."  Actually, we made it to Hiva-Oa, in the Marquesas, last Thursday, June 5.  It was a torrential downpour when we arrived but we made it in 19 days!


I have actually written three posts.  One about our arrival to Hiva-Oa.  Another about the island, Fatu-Hiva, and another abouy where we are currently anchored (Takaroa in the Tuamotos).  However, with little internet service it will be hard to post these entries for a few more days. 


We are loving Takaroa.  Oh, how I wish that all my friends and family could join us here.  We have made dear friends here.  Our neighbor back home, Joey Buchan, flew out to meet us while also checking in on his pearl harvast.  He has been nothing but the most amazing tour guide and host.  I wish everyone could experience this time we are having with him.  He has showed us around the island.  We have visited his pearl farm, and even got to choose a black pearl as a keepsake.  All so interesting.  He has also set us up with every place that we HAVE to visit while in French Polynesia.  Joey served a LDS mission (Mormon) in Tahiti  and comes back around 3 times a year.  Joey knows most of the islands in French Polynesia and is giving us firsthand insight about where to anchor.  Where to visit.  Where to snorkel and dive.  You name it, he's done it and letting us in on his secrets.  His insight has been invaluable. How lucky are we to have a neighbor like Joey?


I will try and post soon, so keep coming back!  The adventures never stop!  We are having an amazing time and want everyone to enjoy this time with us.

Fish Tales - Part II

On Thursday this past week, Sue put in a request that we needed to catch a Yellow Fin tuna.  “If it isn’t a Yellow Fin, then throw it back,” she said.

Around 4:00pm we heard the reel screeching from one of the fishing rods and we knew that we had another big fish on the end of the line. We had been catching a lot of Blue Marlin during the week (nothing as big as Martin’s first legendary one) but still they were pretty large.  Meredith caught a Spearfish the day before and so we thought that it might be another one (which we release since the meat on them isn’t good to eat). 

Meredith's 5-foot Spearfish. 

Now, I don’t want to sound “picky” but I’ll admit I was a little frustrated because every time we do catch a Marlin, it takes forever to reel them in and remove the hook in order to release them.  I was just hoping that it would be smart enough to pull itself off the hook, so we didn’t have to put in the time.

 Meredith helping Martin reel in the motherload.

Martin grabbed the rod and he could instantly tell from the weight and bend in the rod that this was ONE BIG FISH!  So, he started reeling it in.  It took him a good hour and 45 minutes get the fish up to the boat.  By then, Martin’s arm muscles were beyond exhausted and we were all so curious to see what it was.  We knew by then that it might not be another billfish because most of the ones that we had caught earlier would jump clean out of the water shaking their swords trying to get unhooked.  They always gave themselves away pretty quickly after getting hooked.  This fish just dove deep and took out line whenever he felt like going for a stroll.

 Our first sighting!

Finally, the “fish” came to the surface and we all caught a first glimpse of what was at the end of the rod.  All of us squealed with delight when we saw the “Yellow Fin.” Sue was especially happy.  Remembering Sue’s request earlier in the day, Martin said to her rather jokingly, “Sue, I got you your fish!”  Sue was quick to reply, “Well if you can get me a Yellow Fin that quick, I’d like to put in an order for a quart of ice cream!”  We all laughed and then got busy trying to bring the Yellow Fin on board.    That’s right around the time we noticed that this was no ordinary Yellow Fin tuna.  This guy was HUGE!

We pulled him out of the water and quickly assessed that he was approximately 90 lbs.  Then we grabbed the measuring tape and got a length of 51 ¾ inches with a girth of 37 inches.  He was the size of about 5 tunas that we had caught in the past! 

Martin and David quickly started slicing into him and cutting out beautiful 30-pound tuna filets.  Then Meredith and I started cutting them into steaks and packing them and sealing the meat in airtight bags getting them ready for the freezer.  Sue got busy making fresh sashimi and frying up some of the steaks. 

Lily slept her way through the fish frenzy.

We have been feasting on this amazing tuna for the past 4 days.  What was once a “Bananafest” has now turned into a “Tunafest” and Sue is pulling out the big guns making up different kinds of recipes that can incorporate tuna.  It’s been lovely.

 Bye-bye Bananas!

Speaking of bananas, we had a "banana ceremony” earlier that same day and threw out the remaining ripe bananas out into the deep blue.  Nothing felt more liberating than knowing we weren’t going to be eating anything laced in banana for a while.  What a relief.

Last night we celebrated being at sea for a solid two weeks.  Just as the celebration was about to begin, we saw our first ship!  We haven’t seen a single ship the entire time during this Pacific crossing.  So, we all just went up to Amara’s flybridge and watched the freighter as it came into view and passed within a half mile of us.  Then we called it up and introduced ourselves to them.  They were a Japanese car carrier coming from Peru and heading back to Japan.  For us, it was all very exciting.  Something about realizing that you AREN’T alone in the world is very comforting after not seeing anything (other than fish) for two weeks. 

Other News:

So, we decided yesterday that we were ready for land and changed course (again) and are now heading for the Marquesas. Going there should get us in to the island of Hiva Oa on the 5^th (fingers crossed).  We’ll stay there to check into customs, get some laundry done and then take off to Takaroa (which is another 3 day sail).  Takaroa is a unique island and it just so happens that our neighbor back home in Utah, Joey Buchan, owns a pearl farm there.  So, we are going there to meet his partners and watch them harvesting pearls.  We’re super excited to do this.  From Takaroa, we will head to Fakarava where we will have to say goodbye to Meredith as she heads back home to Utah.  From Fakarava we’ll head to Tahiti, so that I can finally buy my “little grass skirt.”  I can hardly wait to get back to society.  Maybe that's why they call them the Society Islands.

We're In This Boat Together

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I glanced over at this little ceramic boat that I had given to Martin when we first bought AMARA.  I didn't realize the significance of it maybe at the moment I gave it to him, but last night it hit me.  "Buddy, we are in this together."

Buying AMARA and then sailing her has not come without headaches.  Yes, we have amazing adventures as we sail together with our family.  We have the wonderful opportunity to go into new ports and discover new land, people and cultures.  But along the way, we are also discovering ourselves and one another (a little more under the microscope, I might add).

We have only been sailing for 2 months together and we still have so much more to sail to and see.  However, these two months have pulled us even closer together as a couple.  No longer do we go about our day doing our own things and interests and then come together in the evening.  Now, we wake up, eat together, get Lily ready together, make decisions together, we pray together and we sail together.  I feel so blessed to have this time with Martin.  I feel so blessed to have him as a husband who listens to me and always asks me each day, "What can I do to help you today."

Sailing hasn't come without it's arguments.  Martin and I didn't meet and marry until we were in our forties (well, I was barely) and we had lived a lifetime before meeting one another.  So, yes, we have differing opinions at times, but because we made a commitment to one another, we are both willing to bend.  Sometimes Martin bends a little more and sometimes I bend a little more.  We take turns, we talk, we reason, we remind one another how much we love the other person, and again, we continue to sail... together.

Today, we are about to take off and leave for our 22 day passage across the Pacific.  NO LAND FOR 22 DAYS!   Thinking about it gets me excited but it also makes me nervous.  For 22 days, Martin and I (and Sue, David, Meredith and Lily) will be there together, with little time to be apart or find alone time (something I crave).  But I am strengthened knowing that Martin will be with me every step of the way.  He will teach me and I will teach him more than anything... patience.  Sailing has brought us a whole new level in our relationship.  One that I couldn't have understood unless I had lived and experienced it.  

I am so grateful to have AMARA as she teaches Martin and I daily to face the wind, trim the sails if necessary and know that more than anything, "We are in this together."

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WHERE IN THE WORLD

Don't forget to follow AMARA by clicking on the big blue map in the right Nav bar (Where in the World) and follow us as we sail across the Pacific.  It updates almost hourly, so you can see exactly where we are at any given time.

Also, I have a really cool tool now that allows me to blog while we are on the boat (it will be slow, and it ain't cheap) so my updates will probably be once or twice a week.  Keep checking back because we have so much more to discover... together.