My solo sailor buddy Tim, on his 27ft trimaran Manta, has had some bad luck recently. On the pacific crossing, his electric motor burned up during re-gen due to a bad connection. I towed him into port in Hiva Oa last week with the dinghy and told him I’m happy to help again at the next island. Well… on his way from Hiva Oa to Fatu Hiva, his mainsail exploded leaving him with only reef 3 and no engine. He was able to get within 6nm behind the lee of Fatu but with the shifty wind/current/and reduced sail area, he was not making good progress towards the anchorage. I set out to give him a tow in, wondering if it would even work in the waves and head wind… surprisingly my dinghy handled it pretty well and we made it in time for breakfast with the crew and another boat! No sailor left behind!

Fatu Hiva was as mystical and beautiful as we had imagined. Unfortunately the crew have flights out in a few days, so we need to make way for Hiva Oa, but not before a pit stop in Tahuata to hang with other cruisers and swim with the Mantas! We were very hopeful for fish on this hop, but still only bringing up the monsters. 2 straightened hooks - fish out here are biiig.

Crossed the Pacific! Unreal 21 days of sailing. We made landfall at 1am under full moon on Fatu Hiva. Isla did amazing, nothing broke/wore/chaffed. Only casualties were a deck pillow, and a handful of lures- those fish are big out there! Excited to explore French Polynesia over this next year. Can’t wait to surf, dive, and fish my brains out! 🤙

✌️ Mexico. Off to French Polynesia!

Tenacatita to La Cruz. We made it. Isla put down 1500nm in 3 weeks on a mad rush from Costa Rica to La Cruz. Some said we couldn’t do it, but that was just us 2 being realistic. Luckily weather windows cooperated and our buddies held up for us. This last jump was rough, with some sloppy seas to round the headland into Bahia Banderas. We were greated with breaching whales and the best farmers market in the state. Now time to rest before a haul out and family visiting. Fiascos: No fish but caught a Booby. Poor dude will be alright.

3 dinghy mob jammed up the mangrove river at Tenacacita. Good times with SV Teulu and Boundless

Buddy boat jump #2. Chose a double overnight sail to get some favorable aft winds for our hop to Tenacatita but it didn’t matter with moons as bright as day. Got the spinnakers out for most of the day which is lucky to do when heading N along this coast this time of year. Hate to say it but Boundless overtook Isla on spinnaker. Isla is in dire need of a bottom job, and we are using that as an excuse. Tenacatita was a great stop - wish we had more time but glad to get some spearing in and happy hours at the palapa. Fiascos: lots of thermo layers in the water which throws off the depth sounders. Low water alarms waking up Teulu at night saying they are about to run aground. And the sonar charts agreed!

Finally Buddy Boating again! Took a window for a big jump from Huatulco to Zihuatanejo alongside SV Teulu and SV Boundless. Caught some fish, motor sailed, and most importantly arrived in time for some good surf! Zihua was a cool town with a nice community vibe and easy walking along the water front. Popular spot for local beach weekends too. Fiascos: Main Halyard split at the clutch. When trying to mouse a new one thru the mast, the new halyard got wrapped up and stuck in the mast. This would lead to a not fun hoist up the mast in Zihua while getting rocked by all the weekend boats.

People at the marina thought we were crazy for setting sail across the Tehuantepec while the jet was blowing. But the lure of mole and margaritas in Oaxaca with buddy boat Teulu was stronger than the winds. After our 2nd rabies shot on Friday morning, we set off for a motor up the coast. The goal was to hug shore as tight as possible to keep the fetch down. Day 1 was calm motor. Day 2 was a rippin reef 3 sandblast sail. There were two wind “tunnels” we needed to get thru. Both were wild to enter with wind close hauled and chopped up white caps everywhere. We stayed 0.2-0.5nm from the beach the whole way thru. As the wind bent to the beam we were flying. Our wind speed transducer broke off Guatemala so we don’t know exact numbers but for sure wind was high 20s to mid 30s. Called out to a tanker in the bay and he was reading 47kts true wind. Being tucked up against the shore made all the difference. As night fell on day 2, we peeled off the coast to avoid port Salina Cruz. Waves were 8ft @ 3s according to models and it sure felt like it with several 12kt surfs. Wild ride for half the night before we were able to get out to the edge of the jet and into more reasonable conditions. Chilaquiles at the beach palapa are in order. Good job Isla. Trip highlight: saw a MASSIVE whale shark in the shore break feasting away.

Couldn’t take the rain in Costa Rica any longer so we decided to send it up to Mexico. We had sections of fun pumping offshore winds as we crossed the Papagayos in Nicaragua and again across the Gulf of Fonseca and some in El Salvador. It was mostly close hauled, beam on, or a calm motor. Caught/released 7 fish including our first sailfish. Volcanos on the horizon the whole way. Happy to be in Mexico with sunshine and fresh night temps. We are resting for a couple days in Chiapas then hoping up the coast to Puerto Vallarta. Fiascos: - wave thru salon hatches at 3am - ran over at least 3 long lines, hooked 1 with our fishing line - bat on board -> rabies shots

It’s Southern Humpback whale season here in Costa Rica. We’ve been bouncing around Santa Rosa National Park for a few weeks and we’ve seen whales on every single move. Mothers are birthing and raising calves here and on this move we got to see a little one learning to breach.

Eat, Sleep, Sail, Motorsail, Motor, Repeat.. Calm conditions out here on this first leg, as expected. Just trying to make it towards Galapagos however we can. The currents are a nice boost tho👌 Bananas are dropping like flies. Nate made some 🔥 banana bread and that’s now officially part of his crew duties moving forward.

Calamari or Yellow Fin? Day 2, woke up to squid all over the deck! Also hooked up 3 Yellow Fin. 66lbs of tuna by noon! Let the last one go because the freezer is full. He was 30lbs+. (Also hooked a bird but we got him off no harm) Day 3, woke up to beetles all over the deck! We buzzed by Malpelo island. Such an epic rock. Made a turn for Galapagos now. Dead downwind + current, smooth sailing.