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Elana C
HIT BY A CATAMARAN!!
HIT BY A CATAMARAN!!
logs from the sea
Elana C
Tasman Crossing: Our Last Full Night at Sea?
logs from the sea
Elana C
Tasman Crossing: How to Make Potato Salad at Sea
logs from the sea
Elana C
Tasman Crossing: Decisions, Decisions
logs from the sea
Elana C
Tasman Crossing: Decent wind and looking ...

Learning About the R. Tucker Thompson Tall Ship

Yesterday I met one of the men who built this gorgeous tall ship, the R. Tucker Thompson, and sailed it all over the world for a variety of programs. He had incredible stories, and took Zia & me down to tour it! I climbed to the top of the forward mast, something I’ve always wanted to try... but can’t imagine doing at sea!

What’s particularly awesome about the RTT is that she’s in a community trust to benefit Northland youth. She’s a working ship all summer—taking tourists out onto the Bay every day—but all the profits fund their youth development sailing program in the winter, offering week-long sail training experiences to children 13-18, designed to build confidence, leadership, and teamwork while teaching about the history, culture, and environment of the region. According to their website, “Over 90% of schools in the Far North are classified as Decile 1 or Decile 2 meaning they are the poorest communities in New Zealand. 100% of all donations go towards youth placements and your donation goes towards providing grants for students.” Donors can also sponsor a child, covering the entire cost for the one-week adventure. The program offers payment plans to help families out, with subsidized prices for local youth.

I can’t emphasize enough how much outdoor education really saved me when I was in foster care. There was no sailing in the area where my group homes were, but a program did take us to a horse stables where we could care for farm animals and learn to ride. It was incredibly therapeutic, just as I imagine this youth development sailing program is for similar kids here.

The annual tall ship race is next weekend, and I’m excited to see her and some other visiting tall ships fly across the Bay.

For more info on their programs or to donate, checkout their website! https://tucker.co.nz/

A New Year's Miracle!

I’ve heard of holiday miracles, but never New Year’s miracles...?!?

Last night I received word that results were in for all of salty dog Zia’s tests and I could pick her up today!!! 😮😍

Kind new local friends lent me wheels to make the long drive (on the left side of the road—eeep!) to the facility south of Auckland. I brought Zia’s favorite toys, and found out where the nearest place to run free was. At 1 PM on the dot, they gave her back to me... and I have never seen her eyes so big or her grin so wide!!! She took an hour to calm down enough to start the drive to the park. When we got there, she ran and ran and ran, and I think my heart exploded with happiness. ❤️🐶❤️

This journey has its ups and downs, and I learn so much from all of it, but I am so so so thankful for this beautiful, soaring high up of a day! Reunited with my partner, I feel whole again, and ready for all the joys and challenges of 2020. Wishing everyone a new year full of miracles and big smiles! xo 🙏💕😘⛵️

Landfall in New Zealand!

On December 11th at 6 AM, after 18 days at sea, we made landfall in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. WOOHOOOO! It has been my dream for two and a half years to complete this leg of our circumnavigation, and even though we limped in with a dead engine, it felt amazing to know we’d made it!

The NZ Coast Guard and customs were really cool about letting us drop anchor in the only bay I felt confident sailing into. We had just come through 70 hours of bad weather with two systems basically back to back, so I hadn’t really slept in days and needed to rest before I could tackle the engine. With our quarantine flag up, I went to sleep for four hours. I awoke to a beautiful, sunny day, and when I stood in the cockpit to take in the scenery, I noticed that a friend boat I hadn’t seen since the Marquesas in July were anchored in the same bay! Since we were under quarantine, we weren’t permitted to visit each other, but it was still reassuring to see friends in our new home.

I spent the rest of the day working on the engine. Yet another impeller had degraded and blocked up the raw water flow through the hoses and my heat exchanger. By the time I put the engine back together, it was dark and I didn’t want to travel the final five nautical miles upriver to the customs quarantine dock until daylight. The next day, we cruised up to the dock and cleared-in. It was an easy process, and since I was the only boat, I didn’t even have to wait long. Two days later, they took Zia away for quarantine.

Lots of things have happened since landfall, and I have so much to share from my last passage since I lost satellite communications and couldn’t write to our supporters. Be on the lookout for new Logs in your inbox soon! Until then, you can stay posted on our day-to-day via our instagram or facebook.

Want to see us keep going? Please consider buying one of our limited edition 2020 calendars! You can enjoy the South Pacific all year long. :) Proceeds will help cover the cost of Zia’s very expensive quarantine fees.

xo & fair winds,
elana, zia, and s/v windfola ⛵️💕31 December, 2019; Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Christmas and Zia in Quarantine

Christmas was lonely this year without my little one, who is still in quarantine and not permitted visitors. I stole away to some remote bays without cellular data to spend quiet time with my tears, both for Zia and for my mom, whose birthday is Christmas Day. Even though she passed when I was little, I feel her absence and her presence with me every day, and most acutely this time of year. This year, I felt Zia’s absence too, but beneath the tears I felt overwhelming gratitude for both of them, because their love is part of the foundation for my strength to cross oceans.

I don’t believe we can really accomplish anything in this life alone—I know I don’t! It’s the love of others that fills our sails, and we just take the helm. Thank you, Mom, Zia, and all, for your love and support. Because that is what really matters this season, and all the year through. ❤️🙏🐶

leaving the Society Islands

We lingered in French Polynesia to see some islands that we’d heard were can’t-miss, and because we did, we got to meet someone who was a huge source of inspiration to me even before I bought Windfola! I am so honored that I got to spend time with Liz Clark (www.swellvoyage.com), and she was not only so encouraging and inspiring, but she gave me so much support via everything a sailor lady needs—a hot shower, delicious plant-based meals, jugs of water, loads of fresh fruit, clean laundry in a real washing machine, and lots and lots of time on super fast wifi. WOW. I can’t even begin to put my gratitude into words… and I am excited to pay it all forward someday to another sailor woman.

Cyclone season starts in just a few days, and it’s imperative that we move west quickly now. The trade winds are finally filling in again, so we plan to depart French Polynesia tomorrow, and then sail fast toward Palmerston in the Cook Islands, Niue (if weather permits), and then on to Minerva Reef to wait for a weather window to Opua, New Zealand. We aren’t permitted to make landfall in NZ before the 23rd of November due to complex biosecurity requirements for importing Zia, but I want to get as close as possible so we can patiently wait out a safe moment to make that last jump.

I’m still feeling nervous about the legs ahead. We have 2100 nautical miles to cover in 28 days. It’s totally doable, but we need the weather to be cooperative. So please put out good vibes to Mother Earth to give us perfect weather conditions.

After we leave French Polynesia, I won’t be able to update my website or social media, but I will use my satellite connection to send regular photos and stories to our subscribers. If you want to hear from us while we’re out there on the ocean and in remote places, please consider becoming a supporter for our circumnavigation. We can only complete this dream if you journey along with us!

xo & fair winds,
elana, zia, and s/v windfola ⛵️💕27 October, 2019; Society Islands, French Polynesia