Happy New Ears 2014
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 1 Jan 2014 00:00
HAPPY NEW YEAR 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
My favourite picture is
an easy one to choose – Pepe and her new
friend.................
..........................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.
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.
Sammy had to be included and his cousins on
the beach.
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.
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.
ALL IN ALL AN INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING 8848.4 MILES
A FANTASTIC AND
MEMORABLE
YEAR |