Happy New Ears 2014

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 1 Jan 2014 00:00
HAPPY NEW YEAR
 
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To Our Family, Friends and Fellow Cruisers
 
We wish you all a peaceful, healthy, happy and prosperous New Year and may 2014 bring you all the blessings and joy in the world
 
 
BB Our Transit 119  BB Our Transit 090
 
We have had the busiest year yet and to choose our favourite moments has been nearly impossible, but, perhaps the most notable event was Beez Neez passage through the Panama Canal and touching the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
 
BB To Shelter Bay 032
 
 
Our Year: We left Roatan and sailed to the island of Providencia. Then our most important step to Shelter Bay, Panama to ready Beez for her canal transit. That done, Yeeha it was to La Playita. Our first short journey on the Pacific Ocean was to the Pearl Islands where we anchored off Contadora. Next came the exciting sail to the Galapagos Islands, where we anchored off Christobal, Floreana, Santa Cruz and Isabela. We took the tour catamaran, Galapagos Vision to visit Sullivan, Bartholomew, Santiago, Isla Lobos, Espanola, North Seymour and Mekiro as well.
 
 
BB Last to Gambier 129
 
Bear in victory pose having just done ‘the long one’.
 
 
Next came - possibly the longest passage we will ever make - the 2957 nautical miles to Mangareva in the Gambiers followed by Taravai and Akamaru. Ravavai and Tubuai in the Australs. Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora Bora, Maupiti, Mopelia, Aitutaki, Palmerston and Nuie. Tonga: Vava’u Group – Port Maurelle, Neiafu and in Baby Beez - Nuku. Ha’apai Group – Lifuka, Ha’afeva, Nomuka and Nomuka Iki. Tongatapu Group – Nuku’alofa, Pangaimotu and finally entering the beautiful Bay of Islands to be here in Opua, New Zealand. 
 
 
BB To Roatan 054  BB To Providencia 059  BB To Shelter Bay 037  BB To Christobal 097
 
BB Papeete Bimble and Chap 075  BB To Aitutaki 020  To Nuie 087
 
BB To Tonga 016  DSCN2898
 
The Countries:        Honduras, Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Nuie, Tonga and New Zealand.
The Island Groups: The Galapagos, the Gambiers, the Australs and the Friendly Islands
 
.............................. Nine countries - forty islands or thirty two anchorages, six mooring balls and four marinas.
 
 
BB Wavy Albatross 174
 
My favourite picture is an easy one to choose – Pepe and her new friend.................
 
 
BB To Christobal 071  BB To Christobal 072  BB To Christobal 074
 
..........................but I asked for this series of three to be included...........The boys – Roland and Ruben - getting told off was the funniest thing I’ve heard at sea. Pepe shouting Enough, stop the noise, not only do we have three solar panels for you to sleep in four-star isolation but as this is my watch, it is therefore my boat, so you will adhere to this command.” Very hard to get to sleep at three in the morning whilst giggling my head off. 
 
 
IMG_5248  imagesCA3Z91MA  IMG_3399
 
How do I pick my favourite. Thousands of pictures, hundreds of memorable events. I eventually chose us, with the tiny Beez behind us, in Maupiti. The fantastic blue-footed booby sent to us from Australia by Graham and the stunning scenery we saw from Tahiti looking toward Moorea. 
 
 
BB Day 1 Christobal Anchorage 010  BB Day 1 Christobal Anchorage 013  UW Sulivan Island and Bay 147
 
Sammy had to be included and his cousins on the beach.
 
 
IMG_5105  BF To Maupiti 155
 
End of year games tally which always swung between rough waters and a good storm.............
 
Backgammon
                      BB 191  Me 192 and I won $538
Upword          
                      BB  16  Me 65
Rummikub 
                      BB 484  Me 1084 and I won $16,669
Sequence
                      BB  36  Me 35. In our last game I was three one up and fell apart – such a shame. I lost the clean sweep. Just as well..............Grrrrrrrrr.
 
 
BB Our Transit 123  DSC_6840
 
The biggest thank you for our continued safety, shelter and journey goes to Beez Neez our trusty friend. She protects us on our At-Venture, takes on all challenges but she’s not afraid to let us know her mind, on occasion. She makes our lives really comfortable and she always enjoys herself immensely. Here’s to the second half of the world, girlie.
 
 
BB To Shelter Bay 022
 
 
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL AN INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING 8848.4 MILES
 
                     A FANTASTIC AND MEMORABLE YEAR