Logbook | Sailing Rua Hatu

June 13, 2025June 13, 2025

Our Chesapeake Bay Winter (Part 1)

Nic and Kiwi standing behind the "Love Portsmouth" sign in Portmouth, Virginia

Last fall, after lingering in Maine well into October, we hurried south ahead of the looming winter storms that would soon blast the far Northeast with ice and snow. Florida wasn’t exactly our cup of tea, what with brewing animosity towards cruisers there, so the Chesapeake seemed like a reasonable compromise of milder temperatures, friendly folks and plentiful anchorages to explore during the off-season. We were excited to catch up with several Virginia-based sailing friends whom we met the summer before in New England. But nobody could have prepared us for the winter we were about to encounter.

May 1, 2025May 1, 2025

Winds of Change

After a month of hard work out of the water in a boatyard in Virginia, we felt ready to set off towards our goal of crossing the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe. We had made all the necessary repairs, checked all of the critical systems, amassed supplies, inventoried provisions for the long journey ahead, and planned for the transit and import of the pets. The icy cold winter had begun to subside, as we headed north towards New England. There we would rendezvous with my parents one final time stateside, before setting off for the Azores, mainland Europe and eventually the Mediterranean and Adriatic.

December 11, 2024December 11, 2024

New Coast, New England

Following our brief stay in Long Island Sound, we headed up to New England for the summer (and fall), stopping at Newport Rhode Island, various locations throughout Massachusetts and ultimately exploring the beautiful coastline of Maine. Though each of these locales are steeped in maritime heritage, they all had a unique flavor that made our adventures that much more interesting.

October 25, 2024October 24, 2024

Back to the USA – Exploring New York!

After an eventful crossing of the Gulf Stream from Bermuda, we reach the New York Bight and set anchor at Coney Island. We explore Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Gold Coast along Long Island Sound before continuing on towards Cape Cod.

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024

Bermudiful

After over 3 years in the tropics, we finally headed north in search of cooler temperatures. We left St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and aimed for the tiny archipelago of Bermuda situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Our short stay on the island was filled with unique flora, fauna, foods and fun and offered us a chance to relax between two long passages en route to the US East coast.