Sailing
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Amy’s First Offshore Passage!
After years of preparation, the time finally came to take Kaihanu offshore! In a blur, Tom and I spent a couple months getting Kaihanu ready for her Cat 1 inspection. Cat 1 is a New Zealand special. It’s essentially an audit of the boat and the crew. The boat needs to have all the required safety gear present and current. The crew needs offshore sailing experience, which Tom had, plus courses on offshore first aid and advanced sea survival as well as the ability to use and operate the equipment. This process was nerve wracking but, in the end, we sailed though! Soon after, the weather window opened, we said…
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Anchoring for 4 Nights at Minerva Reef!
Minerva Reefs are the stuff legends are made of. They inspire intrigue with tales of shipwrecks and territorial disputes. And they draw the adventurous to into their watery midst with crystal clear water, abundant marine life and safe anchorage. According to Wikipedia, The Minerva Reefs (Tongan: Ongo Teleki) are a group of two submerged atolls located in the Pacific Ocean between Fiji, Niue and Tonga. The islands are the subject of a territorial dispute between Fiji and Tonga, and in addition were briefly claimed by American Libertarians as the centre of a micronation, the Republic of Minerva. The reefs were named after the whaleship Minerva, wrecked on what became known as South Minerva after setting out from Sydney in 1829. Many other ships would…
