Cruisers generally think in terms of “seasons” because most parts of the world have a time that it is best to be elsewhere, and many of us have friends and family elsewhere we want to see. We want to celebrate our journey thus far, even though this post is a little dated.

Along our journey, we concluded that boat years offer a compression of time similar to the concept of dog years – 1 dog year to 7 human years. At times the small footprint of a boat can be stressful and we’re happy that our relationship has thrived (most of the time). It is amazing how much easier it is to think when you’re standing directly in your companion’s path!

By the numbers:

• Over 10,000 miles travelled!
• 62 nights at sea, 195 at anchor, 87 at a marina, 18 on a mooring buoy, and 1 international dateline
• 81 routes sailed and who knows how many created
• Countries visited – USA, Mexico, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, and New Zealand

Surprisingly useful were the Instant Pot and yogurt made in a thermos. Yogurt in a thermos: Boil water and pour into 3 cup thermos to preheat. Put 1.25-1.5 cups powdered milk in bowl. Mix with 1/2 cup water. Pour all but 1/2 cup water out of thermos. Add combination of cold & boiled water to thermos to attain temperature between 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 2 Tablespoons yogurt with live culture. Cap & let sit for 4 hours or until arrives at desired consistency.

Instant Pot meals, mostly from Pressure Perfect, a cookbook acquired long ago to use with a stovetop pressure cooker: Curry in a Hurry, Unstuffed Cabbage, Meatloaf with Smashed Potatoes, Fish with Sour Cream Dill Sauce, Moroccan Chicken, and Spaghetti, to name a few.

We both get emotional when we look back through our photos and can hardly believe how lucky we are to have this incredible experience. Tieton served us well and has been forgiving as we literally learned the ropes.

What’s Next

When we return we have a few urgent projects that we weren’t able to schedule when we arrived that have now been scheduled to occur in early March. Our windlass motor is being rebuilt and Herman needs to install it, our generator motor needs to be pulled then rebuilt (parts in Poulsbo) or replaced, and I need to finish our dinghy chaps. Unfortunately, the day before we left Herman discovered why the galley light wasn’t working, which turned out to be a short because of a leak. The leak started when the boom brake attached to the deck caused small cracks in the deck, which leaked through the deck into the wood and created a big problem. The boom brake restrains the boom (at the bottom of the mainsail) from accidentally coming across the boat. It is an essential piece of safety equipment that endures tremendous stress and we’re glad to have discovered the problem at the dock rather than underway! Steve, who was working with our neighbor, walked Herman through what needed to be removed and lent the tool to saw through it. It will have time to dry and air out while we’re away and then we’ll continue the repairs. Last, but not least, I need to finish the dinghy chaps I started – such a beautiful piece of art!

We started writing this when we were on the journey from Whangarei-Auckland-Los Angeles-Seattle-Poulsbo. (Which we’re now back from, but that is our next post). It is incredible to fly home in 24 hours over in comparison to the many months that it took us to get to New Zealand via boat.

Taking the bus out of Whangarei, we talked about how we were already looking forward to returning. Over the next few months, we’ll decide our path for next season. Choices we’re considering are loop through Fiji-Vanuatu-New Caledonia and (1) return to New Zealand, (2) continue to Indonesia or (3) proceed more rapidly on a world circumnavigation.