Travel
-
Sizzling Steaks and Steaming South In The Southern Ocean
Wednesday-Saturday, 29 November-2 December 2023Day 7-10 of 110ish Turns out cuddles and knowing that my boy will be doing the trip with me was the elixir I needed for a good sleep! I’m like a new woman today. Watch out world! A New Normal Still on gentlemen’s hours, Tom and I were in the galley together and cooking up a storm! We were enjoying relaxing afternoons between meals with naps and movies. It was a lovely rhythm. We’re Here Already! And then the bomb dropped on 2 December. We have reached the first fishing ground. We are moving to shifts which means my hours changed drastically and now I’m in…
-
Steaming To Bluff, New Zealand – Bluff, New Zealand
Saturday-Tuesday, 25-28 November 2023Day 3-6 of 110ish Another night tossing and turning. I’m sure this will improve. It has to once I get tired enough. Ugh! Gentleman’s Hours Fortunately, we’re on gentleman’s hours as we steam to Bluff, NZ. Gentlemen’s hours means only two meals. The first meal is at 10am and the second at 5pm. Quite sensible and lovely for the (pretending to be) cooks! Fake It Till You Make It I’m now cooking alongside Damo in the galley. It’s probably fairly comical to watch. I have no idea what I’m doing and, though Damo loves cooking, the serving/timing part is stressing him out. I feel for him! He’s…
-
The Deep End Just Got Deeper – Hobart, Australia
Friday, 24 November 2023Day 2 of 110ish Another day in paradise! Here I am, pretending to be a galley hand. I have absolutely zero business being in a commercial kitchen. I still can’t believe I have this job with zero experience. They must be really desperate. Unreal! But Phil has asked me to make a coleslaw. Um…no internet. Yikes! Hat in hand, I asked for the ingredients and got to chopping up some cabbage. Busting Out The Guns And more loading. And packing. And more loading. And more storing. Today the boat goes to bunker, which means that it goes to the fuel dock to fill up. On these ships,…
-
Hanging Out In The Deep End – Hobart, Australia
Thursday, 23 November 2023Day 1 of 110ish After a restless sleep, I rolled out of my bunk bed and gathered myself together. 8am. Here we go! This should be interesting. Soaking It Up Did I mention that I’ve never worked in a commercial kitchen? Did I mention that Mr Know-It-All who has done this gig many times before and was going to be my guide and my rock is still in Noumea? Did I mention I’ve never lived or worked on a commercial boat before? Nothing like the deep end! My mission today is to be a massive sponge…to soak up as much information as I can from the leaving…
-
My Journey To Antarctica Began | Noumea, New Caledonia To Hobart, Australia
Wednesday, 22 November 2023Day 0 of 110ish A day doesn’t begin in New Caledonia without a pain au chocolate from the Noumea market. And so it was today, however; today was special because I had two big bags in tow. Soon Tom and I would be boarding a bus headed to the airport, though he was only commuting halfway. Today I was on my way to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. My journey to Antarctica began! Really this journey began last year. Tom mentioned his trip to the ice on the Tangaroa with NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) and my interest piqued. I’ve wanted to see Antarctica for a…
-
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…
-
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…
