When sailing in the Southern and Northern Pacific one always needs to take off the whirlwinds.

As I’m now in the Pacific, I need take care of the cyclones, which have a high probability from December till March. During this time one needs to be with his boat in the Gambiers or Marquesas in the eastern Pacific or in New Zealand in the western Pacific.

The original plan was to sail until the end of June, beginning of July to Tahiti and then continue without too long stops to NZ for the the next cyclone season. The distance is again only 4500 NM but I want to see and experience the islands starting from the Tuamotus, via Society Islands, Cook Islands, Soamoa and Tonga to NZ. (The Fijis I will most likely visit on my way from NZ to Japan.) I don’t want to rush. Thus I see scrubbed this plan.

Going to Hawaii was also once considered, but returning to the South Pacific Island would require to sail through the periode of tropical storms south or Hawaii. Not that attractive.

Thus the plan developed to stay here in the Gambiers until shortly after the next supply boat arrives. Until then can see these islands here extensively.

Then heading out to the Marquesas to spent the cyclone season there. A very safe location also based on statements by fellow sailors who sailed the southern Pacific intensively.

The Marquesas as such are said to be very beautiful. Beside reading about these group of originally volcanic islands, I learned about them from fellow sailors I met Panama, and who decided to go direct to the Marquesas.

I’ll spent the time there sailing with my OBM, friends, and single handed. Unfortunately my kids and grandkids want have the time to come on board again.

The sail to the Marquesas will be about 900 NM. With a good weather window, the passage should be done in 10 – 14 days. All depends on the wind we get. With a nice and constant SE – E winds with no calm in between it will be even faster. However, experience shows that calms always can pop up. So I’m considering the above mentioned duration.

To identify a good weather window I looking intensively into into the weather forecast which I down load daily.

I’ll do this sail with Japanese sailing friend Shigeo. With him I’m discussing now the details.