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Back to City Life in Papeete after Sailing to Tahiti Island from Fakarava Atoll

Posted on August 5, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

Outdoor Event, Tahiti Island, French Polynesia

(July 11 to August 2, 2023) As we were getting out of the south pass of Fakarava Atoll, we faced strong winds of 20-30 knots and waves reaching 6-12 feet, making it an uncomfortable sailing for me. We set up the downwind pole and sailed at an average 6.5 knots to Point Venus, north of Tahiti Island. It took us 39 hours to cover the total distance of 252 nautical miles. Our plan was to arrive at sunrise, but we ended up reaching our destination at midnight. The sky was clear with sparkling stars,

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Fakarava Atoll for My Relaxation in Tuamotu, French Polynesia

Posted on July 19, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Kiteboarding, Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

Sharks along the shore by Town Anchorage, Fakarava Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia

(June 24 to July 10, 2023) Fakarava Atoll! What a funny name! It sounds like the “F-Word” in a cute way to me.

Atoll is a coral island, with a ring of coral surrounding and a blue sapphire lake in the center. Boats inside the Atoll are protected by Motu (“the Tahitian word for a small islet on the coral reef.”), but there’s no protection against Cyclones, though.

Atolls are just above sea level, so they are not very visible from a distance.

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Waterfall Hiking in Nuku Hiva Island in Marquesas

Posted on June 27, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

View from Hiking Trail to Waterfall from Daniel’s Bay, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia

(May 27 to June 19, 2023) French Polynesia (islands and water) is about the size of Europe. There are five major groups of Islands in French Polynesia: the Tuamotu, Society (including Tahiti and Bora Bora Islands), Austral, Gambier Archipelagos, and the Marquesas to which Nuku Hiva Island belongs.

As we checked in the Port Authority in Taiohae Bay in Nuku Hiva, I asked a local, how many boats cross the Pacific departing from the Americas (North, Central, and South). He estimates about 450 to 500 boats yearly.

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Sailing Four Weeks from Ensenada Mexico to Marquesas Island, French Polynesia

Posted on June 5, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Mexico, Pacific Islands, Sailings, South Pacific

Crossing the Equator and Sharing Wine with King Neptune. We are now two Shellbacks!

(Sunday, April 30 to Saturday, May 27, 2023) At the beginning, we were excited about crossing the Pacific and exploring the beautiful islands of the South Pacific. It had been our plan to do it in 2015 and 2020. We didn’t do it in 2015 due to El Nino and in 2020 due to the COVID Lockdown.

Before this trip, I had sailed 20,000 NMS (nautical miles) and John had sailed 25,000 NMS. We had both previously crossed the Atlantic Ocean round trip,

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Setting Sails for French Polynesia: Our 3,000-Nautical-Mile Journey from Ensenada

Posted on April 29, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Mexico, Pacific Islands, Sailings

Long waiting! We are about to set sail to the South Pacific, tentatively on Sunday, April 30, 2023. The distance is about 3,000 nautical miles from Ensenada, Mexico to Nuku Hiva Island in French Polynesia. This will be the longest nonstop sailing distance for us.

What will happen during this trip? I am excited and worried at the same time. The grand sea, sound of the ocean, countless stars, beautiful sunrise/sunset, free from the internet, clean mind, and just being ourselves! We have able-minds and plan to tackle obstacles whenever they occur. The rest will depend on Mother Nature.

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Wildflowers in Bloom: Exploring Baja California’s Beauty

Posted on April 1, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Mexico, Sailings

Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

Winter brought an abundance of rain to Ensenada, transforming the landscape in a matter of months. Gone are the dusty hills and cityscapes of last July – now, vibrant wildflowers dot the countryside and birdsongs fill the air. It’s amazing what a little water, sunshine, and fertile soil can do for the earth. As I walked along the shoreline, I found myself captivated by the colorful wildflowers that seemed to bloom everywhere, a testament to the beauty of spring in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. (ChatGPT Edited Version)

It rained pretty well in winter in Ensenada.

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Preparation for Sailing with Cats to French Polynesia

Posted on March 18, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Mexico, Pacific Islands, Sailings, USA

Guard Cat “Happy” from Panama

Guard Cat “Swat” from Puerto Rico

Spring weather is an ideal time to sail from the US/Mexico Pacific Coast to the South Pacific. After a three-year delay due to the COVID pandemic, we are finally preparing to set sail for the South Pacific. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer.

We have two cats on board, Swat and Happy. John decided to keep Swat, who was born in 2013 in Puerto Rico, and Happy, who was born in 2020 in Panama. He loves cats more than anything. As for me, I think sailing around the world with pets is a bit nonsensical,

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Phone-Free Sundays

Posted on January 20, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Mexico, Sailings

View of Ensenada Port between Trees, Baja California, Mexico

Somehow, I caught a cold before Christmas last year. That made my new year’s resolution a bit delayed. My list goes like “Laugh 10 times and find a joke each day”. It sounds simple but I have to work hard making jokes if I can.

A friend mentioned to me about “Phone-Free Sundays”. It is also my resolution this year. Living on a sailboat, we don’t usually have this problem. This changed last July when we arrived at Marina Coral Ensenada, Mexico. As we decided to stay here for eight months,

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Happy New Year 2023!

Posted on January 1, 2023 by by

Kay Chung Posted in Mexico

It rained all day. It is a very good thing. Boat got cleaned with fresh rainwater from the top of the mast. Rainwater is my favorite! It says Ensenada gets about 10” to 12” of rainfall annually, a lot more than I expected.

Bad Bunny on New Year’s Day in Marina Coral in Ensenada, Mexico…