All:

 

Apologies for overloading your email today…

 

I am passing along this email I received earlier today from Eric and Christi Grab, who are now circumnavigating with their Nordhavn 43, and I thought the group would enjoy reading what they have to say. If any of you, who are serious about crossing the Pacific, or circumnavigating, aren’t reading their blogs – I strongly recommend them.

 

Also, referring to Peter Sheppard’s email from earlier today….

 

It’s an amazing coincidence that both Peter and I sent out emails talking about the Indonesian rally on the same day. Great minds think alike….

 

As to dogs in Australia and New Zealand. I have had MANY discussions with immigration in both countries. There is NO WAY our dog is going to either country. I’ve even been told that I can’t fuel in Australia. They said that I would have to have a fuel barge fuel me offshore. And, that if I am in their waters, even anchored, I would have to pay for an inspector to come aboard daily to verify that our dog is still onboard. In short, we recognize that Roberta and I cannot bring Shelby to either Australia or New Zealand. Our plan is to bypass these countries during our circumnavigation (other than for offshore fueling). Shelby is an older dog. She couldn’t do a prolonged quarantine. Hawaii has a short five-day quarantine which we think she can handle. To qualify for the short quarantine is quite a project, but we’re starting now, and think we’ll be fine.

 

-Ken Williams

Sans Souci, Nordhavn 68

 

 

Ken,

  

We are having a great time. We have made a transition from rural to heavily populated areas recently. Places like Singapore are a huge contrast to the South Pacific. While a zillion restaurants and shopping malls are nice in some ways, we are looking forward to getting back to some more remote places for a bit. On your trip to the South Pacific: We recommend you skip Hawaii, and go straight to the Marquesas, and explore the Tuamotu archipelago as much as possible before reaching Tahiti. And then little time in the tourist areas of Papeete and Bora Bora. Spend a couple weeks in places like Suwarrow. We were a bit nervous to leave civilization, but now that we are back in here in a marina, we reflect fondly of time in remote anchorages of the South Pacific. Your boat will give you all the civilization you will need as you explore.

 

We are in Malaysia at the moment, soon to be heading to Thailand. Then over to the Andaman Islands and then a big hop to the Maldives. After those islands it is back to mainland hopping with a couple big passages to Oman and then Egypt. Then the Med!

 

--

Eric & Christi