Day 2 Rapa Nui Bound for Puerto Montt

On Wednesday morning, August 13, we weighed anchor in relatively calm conditions and began this passage. We are bound for Puerto Montt, Chile. If all goes as planned, this will be a 2,200 mile passage and we hope to arrive in Puerto Montt sometime near the end of this month or beginning of September.

If you are a regular reader of the blog, you know that we had to leave Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island or Isla de Pascua) after only a few days when the wind shifted unfavorably and we saw another boat in our anchorage break free of its anchor and run up onto the rocks. We spent about 18 hours sailing back and forth off the coast of the island until the wind shifted to make the anchorage tenable once again. The Chilean navy required us to return to Rapa Nui rather than begin our passage to Puerto Montt that day. And while we were a little bummed to have to sail in circles, I can confidently say that all of us on board are glad for it now. Our additional days on Rapa Nui were outstanding as we were able to see more of that extraordinary place. Porter and Jack have written blogs about the visit that we will post with pictures once we get to a wifi connection (in mainland Chile.) Moreover, our first departure was under more extreme conditions with heavy rain and a lot of wind so we are especially grateful for the gentle start to this passage.

We all noticed that the people we met on Rapa Nui were incredibly kind and welcoming. None more so than the woman who lives right at the edge of Hotuiti, where we were anchored, with her husband who is a fisherman. A mother of seven and grandmother of three, she watched us come and go from the small landing in our dinghy and noted when we wisely set sail when the conditions were unfavorable. We had exchanged greetings but on the second to last day, she waved me over and told me that she wanted to give a bag of fresh avocados to my "beautiful children". She noted that they probably don't get many fresh vegetables and fruit living on the boat and wanted them to enjoy the avocados. Our last day, she gave another big bag to Christopher. So now, thanks to this kind Rapa Nui woman, we are enjoying avocado-fest 2014. Fresh guacamole for lunch yesterday and today and we have at least 25 more avocados left, thankfully in varying stages of ripeness.

We have just begun a long passage. These first few days are about getting into the groove of being offshore again. Thanks to the rolly anchorage, we all seem to have our sea legs. Pete is actually reading right now, something he was unable to do at all underway on the passage from the Galapagos. Now it is a function of getting used to each of our sleep schedules so that we are well rested for whatever may come our way in the next eighteen days. Onward! And a little shout out to my brother Kevin, whose birthday it is today. -Molly