20 51.76 S 158 29.49 W Volpaia Time: 0830 Speed:8.7 knots Wind: 2 knots SW 235 Course: 245T Seas:0-2ft Motoring along Crew: Sleeping.. Cyrus & I on deck Comments: My thoughts this morning are this... When tepid boxed milk tastes 'normal' to you... maybe you have been sailing too long. expecting an arrival to Rarotonga, Cook Islands around sunset this evening.. hopefully there will be space for us. All is well on board. ~ Brooke ... read more

19 49.90 S 155 15.29 W Volpaia Time: 0845 Speed: 7.6 knots Wind: 03 knots SW 235 Course: 249T Seas: 1-4ft Motoring along Crew: Sleeping. Cyrus & I on deck & I am writing Comments: The wind died. Just went away. So we began motoring last night. The bad news... we are motoring and there is now the constant drone of the engine. The good news? The wind is so light and conditions so nice, that Brett was able to grill Wahoo on deck last night for our Jamaican Jerk grilled fish tacos...complete with his homemade corn tortillas & fine selection of hot sauces. We also enjoyed a colorful ceviche for lunch... yes, dad, complete with some of your dried habanero mixed in (or "Donned Up" as they put it). It was a bit of a ... read more

18 48.74 S 152 07.03 W Course: 245 Speed:.7 knots Under sail: Mainsail Wind: 12 knots 50 NE Crew: Sleeping. Cyrus helming, brooke writing & on deck Comments: Why is it that things happen when you are in the shower? When you have sudsed your hair and are washing your face... that is when the phone rings, there is a knock at the door... in this case, I hear a yell "FISH ON!". Yes, it happens, so no... I did not witness the reeling in of the gorgeous Wahoo at sunset.. but rushed on deck, soggy and holding my camera to snap a few photos of the beautiful large wahoo that Mac just reeled in. I can tell it is a group effort as sails have been changed, there is running, discussing... Cyrus is now at ... read more

17 47.13S 150 27.56W Course: 245 Speed: 9.5 knots Under sail: Main & Genoa Wind: 14 knots 150 Crew: Mac resting, Colby helming, Peter on watch with Colby, Cyrus & Brett talking & re-living yesterdays surf experiences... Brooke,,,, writing. Log: Goodbye French Polynesia. The surf Gods delivered and the winds cooperated, so we stalled another 12 hours to create surfers exhausted from the glassy perfect waves and the snorkelers thrilled with the abundant marine life... of every color of the rainbow. The guys could barely stay awake after their last session last night and have been comparing various rashes since. From locals asking us to play soccer, teenagers walking along the street with boom boxes playing Tahitian music... to Brett sinking in what is the closest we have ever encountered to quick sand trying to get ... read more

Still at anchor: Moorea Crew: Cyrus, Brett & Colby: Surfing and in bliss, Mac & Peter: returning from hike to rock spire on island: Brooke: returned from lone snorkel & writing Yesterdays note: I forgot my sunset cheese, which was what we were doing upon me writing the log. I went to the bow for yoga... at the end of my yoga session I have my "seated meditation"... The voice in my head went something like this: "just listen to my breath" "Relax" "I want cheese" "and olives" "need to stop thinking about cheese and think of something wise" "I could use that baguette we got this morning with the cheese" "ok.. relax, focus on my breath, think of nothing" "blueberry jam would be nice with that Bree" And thus, I gave up on enlightenment and ... read more

Still at anchor: Moorea Crew: Cyrus, Brett & Colby: Surfing and in bliss, Mac & Peter: returning from hike to rock spire on island: Brooke: returned from lone snorkel & writing Yesterdays note: I forgot my sunset cheese, which was what we were doing upon me writing the log. I went to the bow for yoga... at the end of my yoga session I have my "seated meditation"... The voice in my head went something like this: "just listen to my breath" "Relax" "I want cheese" "and olives" "need to stop thinking about cheese and think of something wise" "I could use that baguette we got this morning with the cheese" "ok.. relax, focus on my breath, think of nothing" "blueberry jam would be nice with that Bree" And thus, I gave up on enlightenment and ... read more

Still at anchor: Moorea Crew: Cyrus, Brett & Colby: Surfing and in bliss, Mac & Peter: returning from hike to rock spire on island: Brooke: returned from lone snorkel & writing Yesterdays note: I forgot my sunset cheese, which was what we were doing upon me writing the log. I went to the bow for yoga... at the end of my yoga session I have my "seated meditation"... The voice in my head went something like this: "just listen to my breath" "Relax" "I want cheese" "and olives" "need to stop thinking about cheese and think of something wise" "I could use that baguette we got this morning with the cheese" "ok.. relax, focus on my breath, think of nothing" "blueberry jam would be nice with that Bree" And thus, I gave up on enlightenment and ... read more

Still at anchor: Moorea Crew: Cyrus, Brett & Colby: Surfing and in bliss, Mac & Peter: returning from hike to rock spire on island: Brooke: returned from lone snorkel & writing Yesterdays note: I forgot my sunset cheese, which was what we were doing upon me writing the log. I went to the bow for yoga... at the end of my yoga session I have my "seated meditation"... The voice in my head went something like this: "just listen to my breath" "Relax" "I want cheese" "and olives" "need to stop thinking about cheese and think of something wise" "I could use that baguette we got this morning with the cheese" "ok.. relax, focus on my breath, think of nothing" "blueberry jam would be nice with that Bree" And thus, I gave up on enlightenment and ... read more

17 34.118 S 149 52.459 W At Anchor Crew: Cyrus putting on music, Brett cooking Mahi Mahi, Peter, Mac & Colby star-gazing... Brooke writing The adventure begins. We departed Tahiti after the cleaning, organizing, prepping, provisioning, storing and hugging our new friends from all corners of the Earth.. the healer from New Zealand, the Belgium girl who HATES beer, the Gypsies, professional crews.. the raw chicken foot eaters. We wave and horns blast their farewells as we exit the reef and head out of the pass to Moorea, only a couple hour sail away. Terns and Gulls shout their greetings and 2 humpbacks with snow white flukes dive below us. We anchor in a perfect sandy bay at Haapiti, home of some of the best surf on the planet. Yes.. Brett was drooling and dancing before ... read more

Volpaia Time: 16:00 Zulu Time: 01:30 16 37.78 S 143 34.42 W Speed: anchored Wind: 10.7 knots 088 T Course: N/A Seas: 0 ft Destination: arrived Crew: Liz, Colby, Shay, Brett, Alix & Cyrus celebrating with champagne Comments: At 3:15pm today Volpaia and crew arrived in Makemo atoll, the final destination of a journey that started almost 1 month ago from the tip of the Baja peninsula in La Paz, Mexico. A journey that included both joy and challenge, sloppy seas and awesome sailing, countless meals eaten from bowls on a slanted deck, a broken autopilot (repaired at sea), a concussion acquired from being thrown from a bunk, swimming at the equator with 3 miles of ocean below us (and apparently with a large shark), the gift of a Mahi Mahi, Yellow Fin & Bonito tunas ... read more