I am definitely a Woman of the Wind. On a typical windy day while on a work break visit to Port Townsend from Anchorage in March 1992, I first went sailing. That sail sparked memories of my Oklahoma childhood on a cattle ranch and a passionate series of decisions followed that involved travel and a new life on the blue part of the globe. Here's an introduction to the circumnavigation years.... those that followed my first night ocean passage with Drs. Mimi George and David Lewis in winter of 92/93, my first delivery experience with Captain Bruce Soule from Honolulu to Port Orchard (93) and a long wild beat to windward from Lake MacQuerie, Australia to Honolulu with Mimi George (94) before I met Nancy Erley.
The circumnavigation begins:
The year was 1994 and I'd just begun my Ph.D. research and moved from Alaska to Kauai', Hawaii. While there I began paddling canoe with a club in Nawilwili and was lucky enough to join them paddling at the big Heiva Festival in Papeete, Tahiti. These dates just so happened to intercept the learning passages of first year business owner, circumnavigating Captain Nancy Erley. Nancy needed a First Mate for two upwind passages: Tahiti-Marquesas and Tahiti-Hawaii. Having confirmed a stomach of steel and a fondness for lots of wind during a 6 month sailing trip from Australia to Hawaii, this seemed a perfect crossing of paths for us both. It was. One day I was cheering my friends in Papeete to last place against the amazing Tahitian paddlers and the next I was climbing aboard Tethys, a 38-foot cutter rigged sloop. Timing was everything, or everything at least surely felt well timed. We made those passages with 2 women on each leg and by the time we spotted Mauna Kea on the skyline two months later, we were set to sail as a team for the next six years, teaching women on ocean passages.
I've published stories of some parts of the trip and am working on a book, I hope to release in 2009. For now, here's a brief, but long itinerary by country. To the right is a map from Nancy's website that attempts to help the geographically impaired. Before the circumnavigation, I certainly fit that description myself! Enjoy.
Nearing the equator in the Pacific.Circumnavigation Passages: By Country
Tahiti-Marquesas
Tahiti-Hawaii
San Diego-Mexico
Mexico-Guatamala
Guatamala-Nicaragua
Nicaragua-Costa Rica
Costa Rica-Panama
Panama-Galapagos
Galapagos-Marquesas
Marquesas-Tahiti
Tahiti-American Samoa
American Samoa-Tonga
Tonga-Minerva Reef-New Zealand
New Zealand-Australia
Australia-Indonesia
Indonesia-Singapore
Singapore-Malaysia
Malaysia-Thailand
(Singlhanded from Thailand to Malaysia)
Malaysia-Maldives
Maldives-Chagos
Chagos-Seychelles
Seychelles-Mayotte, Comorros
Mayotte-Madagascar
Madagascar-Mozambique
Mozambique-South Africa
South Africa-St. Helena
St. Helena-Brazil
Brazil-Trinidad
Trinidad-Venezuela
Venezuela-Panama
Panama-Galapogos
Galapogos-Hawaii
Hawaii-Port Townsend
Finished August 2001, then cruised the Canadian Gulf Islands and US San Juans briefly before settling in Port Townsend. This photo is from our big welcome home celebration in Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina.
My mom, grandma, sister from Oklahoma and brother from New York, met us at the dock. So did the TV newspeople!
Nancy and Tethys continued on home to Seattle where she continues to teach from her homeport.