An Unexpected Blow

and the life that happens between passages

Hello All,

We hope everyone is doing great and welcoming warmer summer weather. Vivian and I are aboard Ultima in Apia, Samoa where we have been enjoying rugged coastlines, lush mountains, and the welcoming hospitality of the Samoan people. Our summertime plans are to catch up on boat projects, write, and allow time for much needed rest and recovery for ourselves. This year has been full of surprises and we have had great passages in the South Pacific as we moved on from French Polynesia deeper into the heart of the Pacific. We will be sailing to New Zealand by the end of October and we are soaking up as much of the South Seas as we can this summer.

We returned to Hiva Oa in March after a three month lay up, to do a few projects and recommission the boat before our sail from the Marquesas to the Society Islands. While the yard in Hiva Oa was great and a well protected spot to leave Ultima for cyclone season, it was still hard on the boat. The tropical climate, complete with high temperatures and humidity rusted anything on the boat that it could. All the little maintenance items stacked up while we were away too, servicing winches, bending sails back on, everything that hadn’t moved in months needed to be unstuck and greased. With a fair bit of sweat equity, the projects got done and Ultima was soon ready to sail again.

Marquesan horse, Ultima at the yard in Hiva Oa

All this happened with the news of an unexpected, yet incredibly welcome, pregnancy. We were beyond elated, after 11 years of marriage, outfitting a bluewater boat for world cruising, and building a flourishing business, it seemed like there was no better time to start a family. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, and we tragically miscarried. I had to take the boat from Hiva Oa to Tahiti as our crew arrived by plane that same day. In the five years of running 44 training passages we’ve conducted aboard Ultima, it was the first time Vivian wouldn’t be joining me and I was devastated that I couldn’t be with her through this difficult time. The World ARC was arriving from their Pacific crossings, and as I was trying to find accommodation, there was not one room available on the whole island, John moved mountains to get Vivian on the one and only flight out to Tahiti, where there was better access to healthcare, and available places for her to stay and recover.

Vivian flew out, and thankfully had family fly halfway across the world to be with her. John and I left the Marquesas with Quetzal and Ultima fully crewed and had an easy and fast passage to the Societies with a stop in Fakarava, our favorite Tuamotu atoll. We had four days of brilliant, deep reaching right on course, with a best day of 188nm. Fakarava once again didn’t disappoint, our crew enjoyed cycling the beautiful atoll and snorkeling in crystal clear water of the lagoon, before leaving out the South pass for Mo’orea. This leg left us with light winds and we played with different sail configurations to keep the boat moving dead down wind in light airs. Wing on wing proved hard with the big southerly swell. Reefed main, and poled-out jib left us desiring more sail area, but we finally had good luck with spinnaker and a reefed main, despite high nerves leaving it up overnight we made miles with the ‘chute and fetched Mo’orea in just over two days.

Upon arrival in Mo’orea, our awesome crew departed and I happily reunited with Vivian, but things continued to go awry. It was like we couldn’t catch our breath and get back on even keel after the gloom of losing the pregnancy. Ultima was crying out for attention. We found a broken wire in our port lower shroud, the windlass decided to quit as we dropped anchor, the outboard motor refused to start, the tricolor/anchor light at the masthead refused to shine. The consequences of leaving the boat for months all seemed to pile up at once. There was little to do but to bear down and get to work. Which turned out to be a fine way to take each day, by tackling one project at a time, and not letting this unexpected blow completely knock us down.

We motored back to Tahiti to get the lower shrouds replaced and while coming alongside a dock, I misjudged the distance and hit the corner of the concrete wall, opening a hole in Ultima’s side above the waterline. I physically felt the fiberglass rip as if it had been my own flesh, and emotionally it felt like nothing could go right. At this low point, we just had to forcibly keep reminding ourselves that everything could be fixed, all was not lost, and that we were still here, together, afloat on an island with access to chandleries and marine services. With the help of the fantastic Polynesian Rigging Services and an industrious electrician they recommended, we replaced the shrouds and got the masthead light working again within days.

Our dear friends from New Mexico who first pushed us toward this salty life on the water, Mike and Meagan aboard SV Tanagra, completely changed their cruising plans and altered course from Gambier to meet us in Tahiti. They kindly helped us make the big fiberglass repair on the hole I put in poor Ultima and provided us with love and extra hands to take the load off our heavy hearts. It was in those moments we were reminded that the friendships we’ve made, no matter how far away we have sailed are still binding and that we’re more grateful than words can express for this support. In fairly short order, the hole was patched and Ultima was back together, stronger than ever, for our next passage, cruising in April.

It doesn’t feel good being covered in sweat and fibreglass.

It turns out that April in the Society Islands is still very much rainy season and this week made sure to prove it. We shoved off from Mo’orea on a cloudy dark afternoon and had a fun, surprisingly dry, overnight passage to Huahine where we hiked and snorkeled between frequent showers. We then sailed over to Raiatea to explore in an almost constant downpour. In pouring rain, we dinghied up the Fa’aroa river to the beautiful botanical garden and one of Raiatea’s many unique experiences, the Mystery House. We were entertained by proprietor Gerard’s optical illusions and puzzles while he restored our sense of wonder, despite the gloomy skies. We then visited the pearl farm and coral garden on Taha’a before sailing out to Bora Bora celebrating two birthdays that week for Melissa on Ultima and Nancy aboard Quetzal at the restaurant St. James. We then set out to the true gem of the Societies, Maupiti. This smallest and furthest west inhabited island of the group is a magical sharp peaked rise, ringed with reef and said to be like Bora Bora in the 1950’s. We had an exciting entry into the narrow and shallow pass but made it through in time to spend a great day on land but were thwarted by rain and mud in hiking to the top of the island. We beat our way back against the trades to Raiatea to end the trip, grateful for the chance to see all of these islands one last time before departing French Polynesia.

Gerard had us giggling like children with his tricks and silliness.

By May, it was time to press further into the Pacific. We spent one last week in Raiatea getting the boat ready for the rest of the year. Mike and Meagan met us again helping refurbish our tired Hydrovane, and stocking the boat with as much French provisions as we could reasonably carry. It was the shlep of the century. We finally said a heartfelt goodbye to our friends and these beautiful islands that we had come to love, and departed French Polynesia.

Tanagra and Ultima at anchor. Four curious kids from New Mexico hanging out in the middle of the South Pacific. Who would have guessed 15 years ago we would be out here?

In order to see some of the more remote atolls of the Pacific, we sailed to the Northern Cook Islands, up to Penrhyn and down to Suwarrow on our way to Pago Pago, American Samoa. These stunning places left a lasting impression and we will post a longer write up about this passage soon.

Panorama of Suwarrow, a mostly uninhabited island and part of the Cook Islands

American Samoa was interesting, as legendary a natural harbor as Pago Pago is for large vessels, it is a fairly open anchorage for small sailboats. After two windy weeks (some of you remember the Captain’s Hour with John that got cut short from the drama of 3 boats dragging right toward us), we were once again ready to press on. Apia, Samoa offers more protection from the prevailing trade winds and has a bit more laid back vibe that we are thoroughly enjoying as we are finally settling into being back on the boat.

The passages we made were thankfully uneventful aside from a rowdy lightning storm that surrounded us for a couple days leaving French Polynesia. With Vivian back on the boat and feeling more like herself with each passing day, we slowly got our groove back with Ultima. Sailing took our minds to a more peaceful place as we tended to the needs of ourselves and the boat and let the stresses of land melt away, reminding us that life can feel much simpler offshore. Somewhere between sunrises and sunsets, we found happier days, and I think it was exactly what we needed to welcome our next season of sailing further into the Pacific.

The funniest and friendliest customs & immigrations checking in to Penrhyn

While we were a bit hesitant to share such private details of our lives, it also feels like being transparent in our very personal business is the only way to stay authentic. Our crew that come aboard become really close, really fast and become part of Ultima’s family. We can’t just celebrate each high point in our adventure without sharing our lowest of lows. A big part of sailing far and away means we miss out on support of our land-based family and friends and that’s something we all have to deal with as sailors.

Sailing isn’t just about getting the boat perfectly ready and memorizing every single nautical term, it’s also about all the life that happens between passages. Being a bit vulnerable and sharing these events is our way to connect with those who seem so far away and show you that it’s not just about pretty anchorages and what brands we use for our foul weather gear. John always tells us to live life in narrative form and I guess this is our way of doing that. It’s part of our story and how we’ve come this far - half way around the world, with the knowledge that we can come back from a terrible blow yet still enjoy sailing.

We are now spending the coming weeks on boat projects without feeling rushed, writing in our free time, exploring and enjoying Samoa’s culture and hospitality. We will sail down to Tonga soon, spend some quality time with John and Tadji on Quetzal, and be back in training passage mode by August.

As always, we appreciate you taking the time to read these updates and are thankful for those of you have reached out to give their love. We love to stay in touch with our former and future crew and hope that you like knowing what we are up to. For those of you who just like to follow along in our adventures, thanks for spending a little time with us.

We would love to hear from many of you and what you are up to on your own boats. If anyone is looking for more sailing opportunities we do have openings on upcoming passages. This year has filled up, but we do have one berth available from a last minute cancellation. We also have chartered a boat in St. Martin and have open berths in December.

2025 Openings

Sept 13-23, 2025 Cruising & Sailing Retreat Fiji: Nadi roundtrip via Yasawa Islands, Savusavu, Vanua Levu. 500 nm $7,000

December 13-20, 2025 Caribbean Ramble: St. Martin (French side) Roundtrip via Antigua, St. Kitts & Nevis, or Guadalupe. 500nm $6,500

We will also be presenting workshops with John, Tadji, & Bob, in Florida this November between his JKU and Celestial Navigation workshops.

November 17, 2025: Choosing and Refitting an older boat for Circumnavigating workshop with Nathan. A single day deep dive into selecting a capable boat and making the right modifications for making comfortable ocean crossings. Focusing on what systems to prioritize, we will share firsthand lessons in preparing boats for offshore sailing and keeping them sailing on extended cruises around the world. We will provide details on installing modern systems on cruising boats with emphasis on keeping costs down while prioritizing safety and usability. Keeping in mind the goal of getting you ready to untie the dock lines and start crossing oceans! $375pp // limited seats available

November 18, 2025: Cooking in Heels workshop with Vivian. Learn about provisioning in different ports from the Atlantic & South Pacific, organizing and storing food long-term, and cooking for crew in various conditions, sharing tips on making food for dietary needs and restrictions, and how-to’s from serving at anchor to preparing meals in heavy seas. $375pp // limited seats available

2026 is also going to be a massive sailing year and we are covering some serious ocean miles from New Zealand to South Africa. We’re super excited to get Ultima back to Cape Town where she was built. If you or anyone you know is looking for an Ocean Passage experience please check out our schedule and let us know. We wish you all the best in meeting your sailing dreams and goals this summer and beyond. Thanks again for reading and we’ll see you some of you at John & Tadji’s Captain’s Hour Zoom meeting on Thursday the 19^th of June at 1900 EDT.

All the best,

Nathan and Vivian