Our departure has been logistically challenging to say the least and we are still in Bora Bora. We were denied entry into Samoa to pick up our equipment (mainly watermaker) and haven’t had any word from American Samoa, so our last option is Fiji. We were trying to avoid Fiji because covid rates there are high, the paperwork and cost of getting in are very intense (Fiji is a master at bureaucracy!! 😳) and we can’t get our equipment there. Fiji is also twice as far as we originally planned to sail without stopping (14 days), so it will be more challenging. We also lost our crew member, Evan, who decided to return to the U.S. upon realizing that his visa into Australia would not exempt him from their mandatory 14-day quarantine. But our family is up for the challenge to handle the trip by ourselves. We have done a lot of training and learning with Grant and have devised a watch schedule in which each of us will have two 4-hour shifts each day. This trip is nothing like what we expected, but it’s already taught us so many lessons. Most importantly, it has brought our family even closer and that is a great gift. Jack and Ellie have grown beyond measure and are embracing the challenge of a 14-day passage. We are heading off on Thursday morning, this time for real. 🤞✌️💙 ...

The current plan is to leave Bora Bora in the morning and head for Samoa, about a six-day sail. Today is our 18th wedding anniversary and we couldn’t be spending it in a more fitting place. ...

Captain Grant in Bora Bora in all his glory. This man is amazing. 💙 ...

We moved to Opunohu Bay on Mo’orea Island this morning to gain access to another hike. There is a beautiful beach here and we enjoyed the views after hiking 1,200 feet up a very steep mountain. We are going to get our covid PCR tests in the morning and should be off to Bora Bora in the afternoon. Fingers crossed! ...

Another beautiful day exploring Mo’orea, French Polynesia, as we patiently await permission to enter Samoa. Today’s views were beautiful and Jack did some climbing to get above the trees and capture Hanavave from above. ...

Cook’s Bay and hiking on Mo’orea, French Polynesia. ...

Nana, Tahiti! Mauruuru roa for giving us a home for two months. We met so many wonderful new friends from all around the world here, and had some amazing adventures. Our first stop is Mo’orea for a couple of days, followed by Bora Bora and hopefully Samoa. French Polynesia is in lockdown now and all other ports in the South Pacific are closed (except for Fiji, but COVID rates there are tough and they require a 14-day quarantine). We have requested assistance from the American Embassy in Samoa to help us get permission to enter Apia under extenuating circumstances to pick up two crates with equipment that we shipped there before we left the U.S. This includes a watermaker, which we’ll need to complete the long passage to Australia without stopping. There are a lot of logistics ahead and our trip will be very different to the one we originally planned, but we are taking it a day at a time, grateful to have the opportunity to explore this beautiful part of the world. ...