The Godess of the seas, our experiences, opinions and lessons learned
Roo and Alma used our time in PNG to get acquainted. They went on a mad shore expedition together. Doing home stays with the locals and getting themselves into trouble with the law for driving into a one way street. It was good to see everyone got along well, this[…]
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Santo, an island of contrasts, where the natural beauty of the Segond Channel’s might clashes with the bureaucratic intricacies of its ports. Customs here paint a picture of a land caught between tradition and regulation. Amid the resilient moorings and vibrant dive clubs, the administrative hurdles at the customs office, especially during check-ins and check-outs, stand as a paradox to the island’s otherwise warm and welcoming ambiance.
The customs process reflects the island’s duality—the warmth of its people in contrast with the rigidity of protocols. The clash between the free-spirited nature of the surroundings and the stringent guidelines in the administrative offices creates a unique, albeit challenging, experience for travelers and sailors navigating through Santo’s waters.
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The rudder problems turned out to be just a couple of bearings. Easy enough to repair, but it would require for Ah Ma to be lifted out again. This has become quite an expensive undertaking at the Opua boat yard. The steep price increases of the last year have made[…]
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Happy new year followers and friends. It has been a long while since I wrote last. Spotty internet connection and a to do list as long as my left leg prevented me from taking the time. But now with most chores done and a shiny Starlink dish on the port[…]
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It has been a while since I posted an update. Ah Ma is finally out on the hard and has been sitting there for almost a month now. When she was lifted out of the green murky waters of the Kawakawa river the bottom was like a horror movie. A[…]
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The first two weeks aboard Ah Ma were filled with the odd maintenance jobs. It all started with the boiler and the 220v gremlins which I talked about in the previous post. No hot water means no showers. I can not move on board without having a nice hot shower[…]
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Upon arrival I was greeted by a charming elderly lady, the mother of the hostess hosting my Airbnb. She brought me straight to the marina where I and Ah Ma met for the first time in two years. I can’t describe the emotions running through my veins when I first[…]
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The corona madness finally decends into the pages history. With countries all around the world returning to a new normal, also New Zealand has woken up to the reality. This means we can finally rejoin our goddess and continue our life aboard and journey east. The world around us has[…]
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A small piece of plastic hose provided by the resident marina technician, Steve, solved our diesel tank problem. Ah Ma could now suck diesel from the lower belly of her tank. We can finally start the engine, well almost… It turned out the engine starter battery is indeed certified dead.[…]
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Week two on the hard at shelter bay. We finally escaped the VooDoo shelter, only a week later than promised. Still a few issues to sort out, but I’ve got good hope we’ll cross the canal by the end of the week. Tuesday / Wednesday 18/19, The Panama FedEx mafia[…]
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