Love In Aboard Rhythm

Our good buddies Rob and Squeak are here and ,as I was swimming Rob sat on the bow and we chatted ,we started talking about way way way back. Where and when and who ,how did our silky web of friendships begin? My nephew is here playing a sound track and it too is taking me home,as though he stole an old CD from us 10 yrs ago and brought it back. Earlier this morning I kayaked up a green jungle river which meandered Nam like. The smell of stagnant water took me really far back to our backyard on Russell hill rd. But it was names and narrative that inspired my heart and this long over due entry.
Joey left from Tahiti the night Sq,Rob,Charlie and Brooke arrived. He's gone to cram in two gr12 math credits at Yonge and Eg., staying with my parents. Enjoying the cottage with Jeremy, and his loving big sister . My sisters son,Eli,18 is our replacement crew for the summer..Dynamically,it's much more harmonious for me- without the Hitler youth(Joey,first mate..cough arrogant cough brat) With Joey,I react,run to my birth and slam the door . Eli is just great,into fishing,already been spear fishing,game to learn and quick to step up to task. I am facetious about Joey,we do miss him...
We have traveled from Tahiti to Moorea,and are now moored in a second spot in Raiatea of Iles de les societe . Tomorrow we head the twenty miles to Bora Bora .On the fourteenth,under the light and magic of a full moon we look forward to a Fr Polynesian national holiday ,likened to Mardi Gras. Rob leaves the next day .Sq and kids stay for July.
Having Sq and Rob is full on cottage mode holiday grunge,lots of wet towels and now after the initiation of all our mental rules,we hear our voices taken up and crew scold crew in water consumption,blah,blah,much fuss over the flush and swim concepts. Squeak came laden with goodies,not that my more sedate lifestyle needs reinforcement,however,the one size up in a new pair of lulu lemon shorts helps make room for my beloved Ginger people candies,black licorice . Rob answered my longing for Patron,such decadence and such fun. Together we have gone on hikes ,snorkeling with rays and sharks ,rented a beach bungalow for 4 days and nights that we shared in Moorea, bike ride in Huahine .We have just loved dinner parties by the beach uniting old friends and new friends.
Patty sent ' rhythm ' T shirts for all and got us new iPods and a fat hard drive for the photos and video I can now download. Michael arranged the boys flights for us. Jennifer and Sue dropped hand written notes to send with Eli,what an unexpected gift! Books and black licorice hearts from Jen,many thanks.
Once we trade back teen boys,we will head to Tonga and on down to the north Island of New Zealand. There,due to weather patterns and Olivias semi aborted early high school education,we hang our hats for a season. We may stay or Olivia may stay but we need to do something to facilitate her conventional education .
Anyone care to join us for Christmas!? Jeremy and Philippa and my parents will be down . We would adore it if you could join us..
It's been challenging but the skipper is merry,Joey is very well,Olivia and I wouldn't miss it and have much to be very grateful and thrilled about but but...it is hard to carve a little " you" aboard such a caravan. I can't even begin to imagine the return trip,I'm still trying to figure out who am I anyway? The answers I give myself so far are not too illuminative ,no epiphany ,no " by George Ive got it!!"
The friendships make as we gypsy about are a very sweet butter of the journey.
The friendships back home help us feel grounded as we float about on the metaphoric swelling ,rushing, lapping,roaring,undulating waters of the earth we share.
Until Later and with Elis help,pictures!!!! Stand by.Over.

Re: It's about time

Thanks for the imagery....stunning! Very jealous!! What a great
experience for everyone. Mags and I are committed to getting back on the
water next spring, and I can't wait! We rented a boat the other day to
check out one of our club's outstations on the islands and it was so nice
to be back in the environment. I hope you'll consider a Pacific Northwest
leg to your journey as it really is stunning here, if not quite as
culturally divergent (or hot, I'd imagine). ;)

Love to all,

Sean

On 11-06-29 10:13 PM, "Peggy Hill" <peghill6@gmail.com> wrote:

>I'm writing this before I've even got an Internet connection. I see David
>typing away on his real computer with his paid connection the past
>weeks,I've sent wee missiles via satellite but ,oh- to have my old iPad
>and it's familiar screen....simple. It's merely a virtual exercise right
>now.
>We are enroute to Tahiti from the smaller island of Moorea.
>A brief catch up geographically..We landed in French Polynesia after
>almost 17 days crossing from Galapagos,landing in Fatu Hiva of the
>Marquesas .Gorgeous ! Then Rangiroa of the Tuamoto group. We stayed there
>for 3 weeks..We were anchored in Moorea for 4 nights. There was an annual
>puddle-jump regatta thingy,"Tahiti Moorea Rendezvous "to be exact . The
>cruisers choreographed- locals hired,inspired with much dance,delivering
>to all your childhood expectations ,3 woman sitting keepers of a long
>bountiful spread of tropical flowers for us to create as many floral lays
>( you know,the floral necklace) as our hearts desire- anything to perfume
>our mildewy homes..I took much footage of the dancers,very
>Maori,Hawaii,Tahitian . Both Joey and Olivia were in outrigger canoe
>races ,winning heats,Joey and Magalis team got to the finals and lost in
>a dramatic smash splash photo finish- not a lot of this in their lives.
> Joey leaves from the city , Papeete tomorrow night at 11:45 pm and
>Squeak,Rob ,Charlie and Brooke arrive at 9:30 pm .A two hour airport
>party! Joey and Magali have the most precious calf love relationship,so
>tender and affectionate and darling. Someday David and I may reach that
>level of innocent non competitive compatibility,but,then again this ain't
>no island summer youth inspired medium...oy! OY! It is!
> Nephew Eli arrived a couple of days ago and slipped right in
>,fitting like a fine salty dog.He is such a congenial,entertaining,fun
>loving character,a perfect Patty/ Michael cocktail. Rhythms pontoons
>will be low to the water as every bed will soon be concave with bodies.
>Magali,Joeys insanely adorable girlfriend is aboard for the airport
>pilgrimage,apparently Air Tahiti may be on strike- Joeys exit
>airline....Everyday,I try and live by ," being O.K with ' what is'" Very
>challenging! This life,especially at anchorage is very social,like a
>Florida complex with better decor.....So the challenge is to be free and
>liberated,to go with the proverbial f l o w,but still,just yesterday I
>find myself behaving like an impatient child while David chats to a
>cruiser about the local chow mien ,Dios Mio! LETS GO!!! Like wise,we are
>both braced and very very excited to have the Ridout/Armstrong s here for
>July( Rob leaves on July16th)
>
>So,Joey is going home for math and back Aug 31 st It will be very
>interesting how this change reverberates in the collective ego here
>aboard Rhythm
>
>We r now anchored in the Miami of the French Polynesians, Tahiti,very
>Hawaii,very comfy- flash showy vessels,the biggest 100 ft + cat. Ive
>ever seen. It's now night with David and I quiet aboard,having done my
>first gourmand grocery shop since Panama,ooo,la la! The French know salts
>and cheese and tapenade and chocolate and relish ' aubergene ,rice
>crackers and here ,we reap the imports from NZ,pomme de crisp de sweet
>de fresh!
>We now have Internet,we now are surrounded by sculpted local athletes
>,like the boy men who raced beside our boat,just like Dolphins ,they in
>slim sleek kayaks and cutting edge competitive outriggers,the tattooed
>young sponsored indigenous studs were the most auspicious welcome we' ve
>ever had. I now need to rise at dawn to catch up from weeks of pre-"
>throw in the towel"physical fitness /do this at home maintenance.
>We think the flights are on for Joey tomorrow night so, now,the kids are
>on land with the intension and energy of a bon voyage.
>At 7:45, the sun set a while ago,pre dinner full,Im heading for bed.It
>will take a couple of hours but,Im enjoying music wafting from
>somewhere,the declining temperature,the feeling of a caravan community re
>settled and tomorrows departures and arrivals to catalyze mo'emo.
>I think of y'll everyday no matter how hard I try and stay present.I just
>had to bring you along
>love ,love,Peg
>P.S. Please,if Ive forgotten anyone,help me out amigos,just scooping
>lovingly from the golden pond of contacts in head heart and in de iPad.
>
>
>Sent from my iPad

It's about time

I'm writing this before I've even got an Internet connection. I see David typing away on his real computer with his paid connection the past weeks,I've sent wee missiles via satellite but ,oh- to have my old iPad and it's familiar screen....simple. It's merely a virtual exercise right now.
We are enroute to Tahiti from the smaller island of Moorea.
A brief catch up geographically..We landed in French Polynesia after almost 17 days crossing from Galapagos,landing in Fatu Hiva of the Marquesas .Gorgeous ! Then Rangiroa of the Tuamoto group. We stayed there for 3 weeks..We were anchored in Moorea for 4 nights. There was an annual puddle-jump regatta thingy,"Tahiti Moorea Rendezvous "to be exact . The cruisers choreographed- locals hired,inspired with much dance,delivering to all your childhood expectations ,3 woman sitting keepers of a long bountiful spread of tropical flowers for us to create as many floral lays ( you know,the floral necklace) as our hearts desire- anything to perfume our mildewy homes..I took much footage of the dancers,very Maori,Hawaii,Tahitian . Both Joey and Olivia were in outrigger canoe races ,winning heats,Joey and Magalis team got to the finals and lost in a dramatic smash splash photo finish- not a lot of this in their lives.
Joey leaves from the city , Papeete tomorrow night at 11:45 pm and Squeak,Rob ,Charlie and Brooke arrive at 9:30 pm .A two hour airport party! Joey and Magali have the most precious calf love relationship,so tender and affectionate and darling. Someday David and I may reach that level of innocent non competitive compatibility,but,then again this ain't no island summer youth inspired medium...oy! OY! It is!
Nephew Eli arrived a couple of days ago and slipped right in ,fitting like a fine salty dog.He is such a congenial,entertaining,fun loving character,a perfect Patty/ Michael cocktail. Rhythms pontoons will be low to the water as every bed will soon be concave with bodies. Magali,Joeys insanely adorable girlfriend is aboard for the airport pilgrimage,apparently Air Tahiti may be on strike- Joeys exit airline....Everyday,I try and live by ," being O.K with ' what is'" Very challenging! This life,especially at anchorage is very social,like a Florida complex with better decor.....So the challenge is to be free and liberated,to go with the proverbial f l o w,but still,just yesterday I find myself behaving like an impatient child while David chats to a cruiser about the local chow mien ,Dios Mio! LETS GO!!! Like wise,we are both braced and very very excited to have the Ridout/Armstrong s here for July( Rob leaves on July16th)

So,Joey is going home for math and back Aug 31 st It will be very interesting how this change reverberates in the collective ego here aboard Rhythm

We r now anchored in the Miami of the French Polynesians, Tahiti,very Hawaii,very comfy- flash showy vessels,the biggest 100 ft + cat. Ive ever seen. It's now night with David and I quiet aboard,having done my first gourmand grocery shop since Panama,ooo,la la! The French know salts and cheese and tapenade and chocolate and relish ' aubergene ,rice crackers and here ,we reap the imports from NZ,pomme de crisp de sweet de fresh!
We now have Internet,we now are surrounded by sculpted local athletes ,like the boy men who raced beside our boat,just like Dolphins ,they in slim sleek kayaks and cutting edge competitive outriggers,the tattooed young sponsored indigenous studs were the most auspicious welcome we' ve ever had. I now need to rise at dawn to catch up from weeks of pre-" throw in the towel"physical fitness /do this at home maintenance.
We think the flights are on for Joey tomorrow night so, now,the kids are on land with the intension and energy of a bon voyage.
At 7:45, the sun set a while ago,pre dinner full,Im heading for bed.It will take a couple of hours but,Im enjoying music wafting from somewhere,the declining temperature,the feeling of a caravan community re settled and tomorrows departures and arrivals to catalyze mo'emo.
I think of y'll everyday no matter how hard I try and stay present.I just had to bring you along
love ,love,Peg
P.S. Please,if Ive forgotten anyone,help me out amigos,just scooping lovingly from the golden pond of contacts in head heart and in de iPad.

Sent from my iPad

French Polynesia

Rangiroa,Tuamotos,French Polynesia. This is the location in which we now dwell,for now.
It really is ," paradise" .Paradise on earth that is,while inhabiting a human body/condition.

I do feel remiss in my personal commitment to recording this adventure in blog. I think I did send an entry while underway,mid Pacific?
Once again,we are in a pocket of mal internet.It is so incredibly irritating; it creates such FOMO ( fear of missing out) not that I feel I am missing something at home but missing my connectedness to the ephemeral ,the love connection. Home love,love to and from home.

Feeling very connected to the presence surrounding us,yes.The very precious connectedness to the sky and sea and all the bountiful and beautiful creatures beneath the surface.Connected to the new and interesting, amusing and comforting sailors in this pretty anchorage.

We had a wonderful time in the infamous Galapagos,having just caught Joeys lovely Magali aboard her parents Trifon before they left . We toured with John from Beyond and The skipper and crew of Top Secret .Lots of laughs ,sea lions and Darwin .We met up with Guppy;Laura and Jillian ,the fantastic director of her documentary,"Maidentrip" .We asked Jillian to join us,did I tell you this ?
We crossed the ocean in 16 days,22 hours,did I say? I can't get Internet to look at blog.
We had a wonderful magical crossing,one we will all treasure as supreme. It was what Id always imagined as David had promised; bridge games,timeless days to nights,shifting shifts every hour,fish flung daily aboard ,catching big tuna and assisting Jillian in the dissection / filleting,bread baking,creative cooking as our rations shrank.Lots of chats with the intrepid Jillian and her creative task as a documentary film director. I wrote daily emails on our satellite ocens email account and thrived on any words from home.Joey was in constant contact with Trifon,Magali our guiding angel.We had text via satellite phone with Guppy and tried to catch Laura as she had left two days ahead of us. I miss both of those girls and the very very grand adventure following Laura around the world.
We arrived in Fatu Hiva, Marquises,French Polynesia. What atmosphere!! It is where Gauguin is buried,now you can picture it.Very lush,dramatic heights,rocks that appear to be grand Indian Kings heads. precipitous waterfalls .The anchorage was insecure ,deep water very gusty was deep and the bay small which created a tumultuous and insecure anchorage.First night in ,we were woken at 3 am, to our anchor alarm,"we are dragging ", it bleeped. David and Joey hoisted anchor and motored Rhythm to bob just out side of the cove to wait for another attempt to grip anchor beneath the suns light. We were exhausted by the time we secured Rhythm. We adored the hikes to the waterfall,hamstring awakening walks up a hairpin road to the too and a 'blow me down' view of the cove where ten sailboats huddled and a festive feast put on by the locals. Trifon was anxious to move on to the promised diving in the Tuamotos We left the morning after they did for a four day sail to Rangiroa. ( with a lot of insane hair pulling annoyance involved in the chain to anchor...)
Rangiroa is the largest atoll of the Tuamotos. World famous destination for deep sea diving. Sharks,turtles,dophins ,barracuda,manta ray,sting ray galore . After awakening to the fact that our skipper seemed to have no extracurricular activities to distract him,I proposed that he and the kids take the diving certification course. They did,and we've also been bug eyed over the multitudinous fish in infinite prism of colors merely snorkeling .Directly at the stern of our boat,whilst cleaning out the porridge pot,a hefty school of red snapper appear ravenous and nip at the brush. While we were snorkeling ,Top Secret brought bread in the water with us and we were wowed by showy scales and gills and fins. Kendras yelp morphed to a belly laugh after snapper chomped her chin!!
We are sooo excited ,on June 26 we will take down Eli Haines in Tahiti .Four days later we fetch Squeak,Charlie and Brooke and send off Joey to HOME for the summer and two grade 12 math courses.
We are so looking forward to these east coast, west coast Canadians!!
Sent from my iPad

Rhythms Tilting Dance Floor

They play bridge and I dance...what can you do to keep from madness after 15 days at sea?
Days are simple and the dimension of time ethereal,elusory. Eat,read,take your shift,adjust the sails-reef,main up,down,gib in ,gib out...eat,dish duty-it is written...cards,nap,make bread,sit on the bow and drink it all in. No longing,disapline to see and feel the treasure of presence,knowing you soon will look back to the singular rare raw detatched capsual of a jewel in space and time.
We have 300 miles left ,have been on a broad reach mostly,and the swells are bigger with white caps and the winds are averaging 15-20knots.The profusion of flying fish have been courtly company with their humminbird-Dolphin like gift for flight ,they leap ,sublime and glide - actually steer ,soaring up from headsmack of a wave to achieve more airtime.Why?Insect food?A deft ambitious push to evolve out of the wet world or are they just doing reconnaissance? I choose to explain these pretty sidekicks as spirit guides holding Rhythm gently to her destination.
Dancing atop Rhythm has actually given me blisters, a rare sailing injury...!What arush,balancing on the tilting dance floor,the invisible partner tossing me gamboling,perilous footwork as I tilt and cha cha cha aside the mainsails boom. Focus on the beat,space and awareness -dont look too long at that mammoth wave- wind and one two three, sea and sky and feet and boom.
Then its,whats for dinner?Two days left-maaaybee,and one carrot,two insipid tomatoes,two oranges,two pommellos,enough lemons to ward off scurvy and mountains of canned tuna and rice. WE have caught one fat succulent tuna,reeled in by Joey and filleted by Jillian.
Who is Jillian?Oh dear yes,how long its been since I wrote...we have no internet,this is a satellite email account only. Jillian is the wonderful young woman who is directing and managing the documentary on Laura Dekker.Laura is "The "15 year old Dutch solo circumnavigator and we first met her in Bonaire.WE really like her and had a good visit in Panama where we met Jill and rocked to the Latin beat of Shakira,Again we played in Galapagos meeting them on our tour from San Cristobel to Isabella,There Joey and Olivia rented surf boards with the girls and they hung out with our group-Topp SEcret and John from Beyond.Jillian,sporty and game,took us up on our offer to cross with us in a vague hope that she might get some shots of Lauras 41 foot monohaul out in the wild blue.Laura left two days ahead and remains out of range,speedy ,gutsy and an excellent sailor-not without a competitive edge. She is going to Hiva Oa where we too must check in,however,we head directly to Fatu Hiva where Joeys Magali is hovering.Tonight we received a message from her saying the winds are too strong and that her Father is anxious to push o to the Tuamots group of islands.We therefore may alter course and meet Laura in Hiva.

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Last Stretch in the Galapagos

Last Stretch in the Galapagos
Got that feeling again. That revved up,get out the list pad and prepared to prepare.
We've just returned to Rhythm after a tour to The islands Isabella ,Santa Cruz.David and I skipped off after two nights with the members of Beyond and TopSecret,leaving Joey and Olivia with the party people . We had lots of fun,hiking to a volcanic site,riding down on horse back,seeing giant sea tortoises,iguanas,crabs,penguins,sea-lions.
We returned yesterday afternoon to see the remains of a sludgy mess made by sea-lions ..pretty disgusting ,J and O scooped the nastiest ...
We are anticipating the arrival of Jillian Schlesinger staying in Admiral Bay,Santa Cruz .Jillian is directing a documentary on the solo sailor ,Laura Dekker.Laura ,15,is sailing a 27 ft Hurley800 around the world.
We plan to depart for the Marquesas on Monday.
Check list: Laundry ,checking out of the galapagos,propane ,diesel ,water to be filled,fresh market / supermarket.
Jillian is now aboard - with a very precious gift of Panda Black Licorice X4 ! we've had our first meal and she did the dishes! We are so happy to have her and anticipating a very special shared experience in the warm south Pacific
Today we leave. This next passage to the first and largest group of the French Polynesians ,The Marquesas ,is the longest yet,3042 miles directly southwest. Between 3-8 degrees south and 90-95 degrees west.
Gaugin is buried there,Melville wrote about the islands in,Typee,R L Stevenson ,In The South Seas...Crosby Still Nash and Young were inspired there to write Southern Cross and...the 4 th survivor was filmed in the Marquesas.

Once there,we plan on doing a lot of exploring,an eventually meeting out nephew Eli at the end of June somewhere close to Tahiti,1000 miles W

Sent from my iPad