A plan meant to be broken!

I spent the day studying cruising guides of the South Pacific. How will I spent the next year?

I have to conceder a few things in my plans. I only have 3 months in French Polynesia which includes the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamoto Archipelago, and the Society Islands which include Tahiti and Bora Bora. I also need to be out of Pacific Cyclone season, or held up somewhere safe by November.

After the Marquesas I will check out the Tuamotos. The condition of my radar has a lot to do with exploring the Tuamotos. The archipelago resides over a span of 1000 miles. The atolls are close together with swift currents between them. One can only enter the lagoons at slack tide due to extreme currant, and anchoring opportunities outside the atolls are scarce. This coupled with the fact that the atolls are only as visible as the tallest palm means that one can only see them from about 9 miles away. If exploring the Tuamotos, one must be prepared for night crossings in tight proximity to hull crushing reefs and surf. The Tuamotos are also known as the “Dangerous Archipelago”.  One must conceder all of these variables coupled with the fact that your GPS is useless.  The GPS will tell me exactly where I am, however the charts are not so accurate. Radar is the key and the only way to transverse the archipelago.

I want to be in Tahiti for my birthday. My birthday resides on Bastelle day which is like the French forth of July. I spent my 18^th birthday in Paris and it was quite a party. I never paid for a drink and was the topic of many toasts. Bastelle day is quite an occasion in Tahiti and I don’t want to miss it. I would also like to see Bora Bora; many say it is the most beautiful island in the world. Anyway, I have 3 months to wrap all of that up.

After French Polynesia I will visit the Cook Islands, The kingdom of Tonga, and then leave Polynesia for Melanesia and Fiji. At that point I will need to decide to sail for New Zealand, Australia, or Papa New Guinea. Much will depend on the state of Namaste and my financial situation. If I go to New Zealand or Australia I want to take some time to rest and work on Namaste. By that point I should also have all my footage for a third video. All plans are ment to be broken. I’m not counting on anything. I’m also thinking of making my way into Micronesia and working my way towards Japan. So many ideas. I have no idea which way the winds of my life will blow.  Makes it interesting doesn’t it?

Not so much wind today. Coupled with Namaste’s dirty bottom we only made 80 miles in the last 24 hours, 622 more to go.

I started another book (Fever), I’m having a hard t1me getting into it. I would love to shop through used book stores in New York City for a few days to purchase literature. I need a dose of solid brain food. The action books are all that seem to circulate with the cruisers.

Anyway, I’m charging up the batteries before I check in with my buddy Chris on 16534 @ 00:00 Zulu, then with my friend Aki on 21.397 @ 01:00 Zulu. Aki is a few hundred miles behind, we should make landfall at Hive Oa around the same time.

I zoomed out on my GPS today, man…, I’ve really sailed far!

Peace, love, and lazy days reading.

Alex