Life At Sea - New Crew & Sailing To The Cook Islands

nikki wynn on the bow of sailing vessel curiosity at sea in the south pacific

Adventure, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Ocean Crossings, Sailing, Society Islands, Videos

Life At Sea – Sailing To The Cook Islands + New Crew

October 6, 2019

6.34k

It’s that time again. Time to raise our sails, stretch our sea legs and lose sight of land. To check out of one country and into another.

Our time in French Polynesia has been beyond expectations but we’re feeling that nomadic itch. That and the fact that our visas are about to expire.

Most of our new sailing friends are extending their visas and their stay in this Polynesian paradise. We were tempted to join them but our desire to see what lies beyond is greater than the pull to stay put.

Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve had crew on board. So, we invited two of our virtual crew (patreons) to join us on passage from Tahiti to Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

We’ve packed a lot of life into this episode, a whole lotta life at sea that is. Stunning sunsets, storms, mishaps and more.

Life at sea is full of ups and downs and not just because of the swell. There are lots of ways to travel, many lifestyles to choose from and many that are far easier than a life at sea. But, of all the various ways we have had the fortune to travel around the globe, none have touched my soul in quite the same way as a few good days at sea.

A big thanks to Julie and George for joining us on the passage. Your sea legs are strong and both cats voted you best treat givers.

🙏 MADE POSSIBLE BY YOU!

Ups, downs and all arounds, we share them all. We’re able to do so because people like you show up each week, read, watch, comment, share, shop our gear store and put tips in our production jar. If you like what you see, there are lots of FREE ways you can show your support. Thank you for being a part of the journey!

🎶AWESOME tunes:

Source: http://bit.ly/artlist-gwtw
- Artists – Giants & Pilgrims (intro), Kyle Preston, Moon, John Isaac, Dan Zeitune and The Hunts

⛵ SAILING REPORT

To see our full map with interactive pins, click here: gonewiththewynns.com/map

Nautical Miles Sailed: 650
Date: June 2019

Comments (44)

TJ

We just watched the video with Julie and George on their first crossing to the Cook Islands. So what happened? Did y’all go exploring? Did you have to sail back for them to catch a plane? I’m just curious!

- Curious Minion
  
  As mentioned in the video, because they were delayed leaving by the time they arrived George & Julia had to fly home to get back to work. So no time for exploring in the new location. Wanh wanh.
  Curious Minion
  
Joe Parish

I wish you were numbering your videos so I can follow you in order

Wylie Elson

Hey! Just saw our mutual friends Chris and Valerie Mahar last night at dinner. And, noticed you are back on land in the SW USA recently. Will we see you in Taos? I hope so! While I’m asking questions, what music is that playing at 22:00-23:00 minutes? Shazam had no answer for me.
You guys are doing such a great job! The videos and blog posts are fabulous and you’ve built a substantial audience. I’m not quite up to your adventures in the Cook Islands. Looking forward as I was married there in 2007 on Rarotonga.
May the wind be always at your back!
Wylie in Taos, NM

- Curious Minion
  
  For the music, scroll to the bottom of the blog post and Nikki always lists the artists. Happy listening!
  Curious Minion
  
Terry Slattery

We’ve been watching your videos for some time and they are our favorite. We sail a 2005 Leopard 40 and I have a couple of suggestions for you. I found that leading the spinnaker sock furling line through a snatch block that is attached to a deck cleat kept it from trying to lift me off the deck when lowering it. I can also use my legs instead of my back.
Second, the jack lines will work better to keep you on board if they are tight and towards the center of the boat such that it keeps you from going further outboard than the lifelines. I use a water knot around the forward beam, mid-way between a bow and the jib furler, then belay the jack line aft around the targa support. One of the jack lines goes all the way around to the cockpit walkway opening.

Paul

Like the Polynesian cultural center’s mission. Speak Mauri , remember your culture and were you came from. All races of man need this. No one should be erased form the earth. What they’re doing is in tune with nature it’s self. We evolved to live this way, all human’s did.

Jeanette Brennan

Wow – great joining you on an actual passage! Your friends handled the voyage extremely well, as did you guys. You make it look effortless but I know it’s anything but! Glad you made it safe and sound. Looking forward to the next video. Thx for the exciting voyage and hurry back!! 🌊⛵️🌊💖

Doug Zavitz

The fact that both of you were professionals in your former jobs shows up in all of your work ~~~ you work without trying~~ Jason in his photography Nicki as she poses for the camera“it is obvious there is pro
at work as an amateur photographer i see it in all of your work believe me it is work taxing every brain cell and muscle just try photographing your best friends wedding and the mother in laws come out to get you

I have some boating knowledge having sailed to the Dry Tortugas from Ft Myers couple times and the Bahamas Numerous times loved it all but there is also a lot of work when the boat breaks a filter plugs right when you need it the worst you guys are doing great fix curiosity or go for new keep doing and doing when u are my age you will never be sorry
u

Lisa Day

Loved the video! It was all so beautiful – especially the slo mo☺️. I’m so impressed with your guest crew and their strong stomachs. I experienced some queasiness just watching.

- Nikki Wynn
  
  Who doesn’t love a good slo mo moment. 😉 We were impressed with their sea legs too! So glad nobody got sick!
  
Deborah Kerr

Loved the night lightning and all of this video! Your guests seem like a very nice and helpful couple! You all make the work look like fun! Keep smiling 🙂

Dave H

So inspiring!! We are setting sail in the BVI’s Oct 14th. I share your blogs with our crew to get them pumped…. This will be our 3rd time bare boating in the BVi’s and a first for the 3 couples joining us. Again Monday mornings are so welcomed here at work when I have you two to watch and live vicariously through your sailing adventures. We will be chartering the Leopard 444 so it’s great to see you two put it to the ultimate test!!! LIVE @ Sail !!!
Thanks again Dave H.

Michael D Hackett

I know you’ve talked about being vegetarian, but you don’t talk about the fish you catch and how that fits into your diet. Can you speak to that?

- Curious Minion
  
  Nikki & Jason are actually pescatarians, which is a vegetarian who also eats fish & shellfish. They usually have fish a couple of times per week.
  Curious Minion
  
Roy

great pics. When are you writing a book? Looking fwd visit with you and Nikki. Love ya roy (grandpaw)

- Nikki Wynn
  
  One day, one day…
  
Steve Nicholls

Thank you for posting. I love these posts! They are pearls. In YouTube I’d LIKE, here I just comment my LIKE. Thankyou for your post guys!!!!

Alan Solomon

Just another amazing video to view in the usual common thread of awe and wonder. What an amazing adventure for Julie and George, especially being non-sailing guests. WOW.
A dream come true. Remember to stay in the moment and breathe Julie and George. Your adventure will last longer.
Actually, it is a lot for me to take in and comprehend, here at home in Palm Desert, CA!!
Amazing gift. Thank you Nikki and Jason.
Happy times,

Joe

Hello,
I’ve been watching your videos since you were in an rv in alaska. I very much enjoy them.
I spent 10 years on NOAA research ships and wanted you to know that a knot is a unit of speed, not distance. It is incorrect to say, for example, we’re going 6.38 knots per hour. That’s the same as saying we’re going 6.8 knots per hour per hour. You would just say we’re going 6.38 knots.
Since 1 knot equals 1 nautical mile (nm) you could also say we’re going 6.38 nm per hour. It’s just easier to say knots instead of nm per hour.

- Nikki Wynn
  
  Thanks Joe. We were saying how many knots we were averaging per hour, not what our current speed was.
  
Michael Magill

What an amazing video, the sights the sounds, the rain, and sun,make each day different. My one point, is that you are in a storm winds at 40 mph and yet you don’t wear and PFD’s at all, even your guest didn’t have one on. Don’t want anything to happen to you or Jason or your guests. Any way hope you have them on one day.

- Curious Minion
  
  They were all wearing PFD’s outside the cockpit for almost the entire sail. ???? Do you maybe not know what an offshore inflatable PFD looks like? Here are several examples at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=inflatable+pfd+life+jacket&i=sporting&gclid=CjwKCAjwxOvsBRAjEiwAuY7L8gobLOB3XoGbzcW7jRnJH42heUC23F9-HhYQjF-5w0iQKcN1KWZcOhoCTUoQAvD_BwE&hvadid=256443060614&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9008532&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8783506846641140615&hvtargid=aud-647006051489%3Akwd-300230904895&hydadcr=9468_9891635&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_3iug6x0kw3_e
  
  Inflatables are much more comfortable to wear than the old style foam jackets. Nikki and Jason also have transmitters on their jackets that send a GPS signal out so that they could more easily be found if overboard.
  Curious Minion
  
  - Michael
    
    Fact is, I’ve never seen anyone wear them as often as on this trip. I’m impressed with the safety factor. I could see where it gives the guest a sense of security not to take it off. 😉
    
Julie

Wonderful video! I did almost feel a little seasick a few times just watching. What a great trip. What a bummer to leave F. Polynesia and find yourself in a busy barge zone, though. Thump!

Gavin White

Hi Great trip and great vlog.
I think you could improve your spinnaker stability by running the sheet line and guy line as you do, back to the back of the boat and then add a line on each side from each bow up to the corresponding clew. These lines ideally should go back to the cockpit as well so you can adjust them as you need to and pull the sail either side of the centre line. When reaching the leeward one of these bow lines will be slack. This should give you more control as you can strap the sail down in rolling seas and when reaching can haul in on the windward side to tighten what is now the luff.
I have a Catana 431 here in NZ and I know that cats just love to be pulled rather than pushed. I am on my 3rd symmetrical spinnaker as I keep buying second hand spinnakers that are probably getting to the end of their life, but they are cheap comparatively and a great sail to have in a sock for minimal crew work.
Fair Winds to you both.
Gavin, Pacific Bliss

- Nikki Wynn
  
  Your Catana is most likely set up very different from our boat. Unless we make some modifications, we can’t run a set up like you are talking about. Would be nice. We have several friends on similar leopards and haven’t seen anyone with a different set up from ours…but if you run across one, send us a photo!
  
Stephanie Martin

I have a question, as you travel between countries and spend a significant amount of time out of your home country. How do you handle money? International credit card? Convert to local currency at each port? Traveler’s checks? Do the places you visit require cash for entry / exit? Mooring fees? How do you make sure you have enough in a form of payment that will be excepted? What do you recommend?

(Enough questions?) I would love to hear your expertise.

- Curious Minion
  
  Most places now take plastic! For more specifics, here’s a blog post & video on some tips: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/travel-money-international-banking
  Hope that’s helpful.
  Curious Minion
  
German Javier

Me parece que jason y nikki son unos poetas andantes,que aman la naturalesa y las cosas interesantes,los miro y llenan mi vida de paz,que bueno que existan gente asi ,pronto les dedicare una cancion,no la escribi yo,pero cuando la escucho me recuerda a ustedes que Dios los cubra siempre!

Ricky Smith

Photography and videos are unbelievable this week. You have outdone yourselves. Ya’ll inspire me to seek adventure…… THANKS

YDion

I love your images, all your images, and especially those you slowed down… Perfect match with the music. I also like very much the ‘human’ aspects of you and your guests, the interactions – what life on a boat is like. And the sunsets, the storms, even Jason’s song…

So far from the news: Brexit, Impeachment, Elections (in Canada), terrorists attacks, environmental issues… Thanks for sharing peacefulness and sanity around. Today, I needed this.

Question: can you collect rainwater (during storms) for domestic use? Even as drinking water?

Sincerely.

PS: “Fear is a familiar voice…” I love this quote…

- Curious Minion
  
  They collect rainwater sometimes for laundry or boat washing, but not for drinking. Here’s why, and the scoop on how they DO get their water: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/boat-life-get-water
  Curious Minion
  
  - Michael
    
    Hey, I thought they had the water-maker thing all worked out. I was a little surprised to learn it was still out. What happened?
    
    - Curious Minion
      
      Me too! Either it was a temporary fix & broke again or I misunderstood. Bad Minion! No banana!
      
Roger B

That was a rough sail but it felt good to be at sea again. Having guest on board was, I’m guessing, a welcoming change having met and established new friends.

Valeria

If you guys ever want another random crew to join, us here at sailinglife.com would be ecstatic to join and would contribute greatly. We’ve seen all the channels but you guys are our #1 inspiration!

mary

I can’t believe your visitors did not have any sea sickness! Looks like they caught on to boat life easily.

Nice video. Loved the music.

Glad you are safe again!

Danny Thompson

Did you hear that the International Space Station switched over to lithium-ion batteries today..

- Nikki Wynn
  
  No, but I like that news!
  
Chuck & Cindy Lundberg

Thanks again for sharing your journey, the last video was even more amazing than the others. If you are still on FB please say hello sometime. Your camping friends from New Hampshire,
Chuck & Cindy.

Andrew Goodwill

You 2 are so inspiring. Love your video’s can’t wait for the next one

jim ege

would you say your spinnaker is a light air spinnaker? https://www.uksailmakers.com/sails-overview-racing-spinnakers-asymmetrical
Looks like you had some rough seas this trip.
Did your crew have sailing experience before coming along on your trip?
Remember Sailing never gets you to your destination in a straight line!

- Nikki Wynn
  
  Yes, it is light air, we can’t fly it in anything over 18kts of wind. The crew was new and had very little sailing experience, so it was a big trip for them. 😉