Crew blog: Panama to Polynesia
Written by Justin Buckland, Heloise's brother who joined Saecwen in Panama on the 13th March and departed from the Gambier islands, French Polynesia on 16th May. I was delighted to be offered a place on Saecwen’s voyage from Panama to French Polynesia: crossing the Panama Canal, on to the Galapagos Islands and then a 3000+ mile Pacific passage. Part of the deal was that I would bring a few items for the boat: in the weeks before leaving the UK I accumulated a bewildering arra
heloisebuckland
2 days ago4 min read
A Pacific Passage
Week one was so much fun once we’d found the trades. With plenty of food on board and a new moon, oh what happy days. Fresh wahoo and mahi mahi perfecto for ceviche, and Saecwen’s under way. Week two and the wind got up speeding us on under reefed sails. Fixing and mending kept busy the crew until we were hit by squalls. Dolphins to starboard, flying fish at night, the sky lit up by the growing moon. Starry night watches were such a treat, here no time for gloom. Week thr
heloisebuckland
May 151 min read
Crossing the Pacific Ocean
On the evening of April 13th. Saecwen took her departure from the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands bound for the Gambier Islands in French Polynesia, 2,980 miles to the southwest across the Pacific Ocean. Saecwen's cabin decked with oranges for the passage It had been a frantic couple of days preparing for departure. Trips to the local markets to stock up on huge quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables were interspersed with plodding through the usual bureaucra
heloisebuckland
May 86 min read
