Februaries Past - Looking Back
/We enjoy looking back at where we were at this time of year in years past. At our age, we're sometimes surprised that we actually visited some of the places pictured. Really? We went there and did that? Hmm. Must be; we've got photos to prove it. Despite our slow travel philosophy, we're also amazed at how much distance we cover. Here's a look back at our February travels over the years. In February 2000, we had just “met” Nine of Cups (not her name then), for the first time and made an offer to buy her. We sailed across the Gulf of Mexico and up the US East Coast and completed our first “foreign” check-in in the Berry Islands, Bahamas in February 2001. There was lots of dragon-slaying along the way. When we returned to the Bahamas in February 2002, we were headed for the Caribbean.
February 2003 found us anchored in the Islas Las Aves, en route from Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela to Bonaire.
We were ''on the hard” in La Libertad, Ecuador in February 2004, removing our teak decks. We made a passage to the Galapagos and Easter Island after we splashed, but managed to break enough stuff en route to warrant another haul-out and major rework in LaLibertad. In February 2005 … we were once again on the hard.
We finally broke Ecuador's magnetic hold on us and headed south to Patagonia. It was just a little further! By February 2006, we were rounding Cape Horn, the first of the five great southern capes.
2006 was a busy year and we put lots of miles under the keel, including an Atlantic crossing to South Africa. In February 2007, we were just departing Cape Town for our second Atlantic crossing. Jib furler problems had us moored up the coast in lovely Saldanha Bay, South Africa for a few days making repairs.
Plans always change and instead of crossing the Pacific, we found ourselves back in Ushuaia, Argentina in February 2008. A good friend had fallen ill and asked us to move his boat from Ushuaia to Uruguay and decommission her. We were happy to oblige.
Nine of Cups was back in the Pacific by mid-2008, but it was too late for a Pacific crossing. We headed south back to Chile and spent February 2009 exploring Chile's largest island, Chiloé, and all its nearby islands.
Finally, we completed the long awaited Pacific crossing and by February 2010, we were enjoying New Zealand's Northland coast and the Cavalli Islands.
New Zealand has amazing cruising grounds. We decided a circumnavigation was the only way to see as much of the country as possible. In February 2011, we were anchored in the southern most fjord of Fiordland National Park on the South Island, preparing for a blow.
On to Australia and the magic of Deal Island in the middle of Bass Strait separating mainland Australia from Tasmania. This was our first visit to Deal, but not our last.
We circumnavigated Tasmania during 2012 and returned to Deal Island once again in early 2013. This time, we continued west to King Island in the Bass Strait, en route once again to the Australia mainland.
From Adelaide, Australia, we visited Kangaroo Island in February 2014, continuing west along Australia's southern coast.
Long passages in 2014 across the Great Australian Bight and the Indian Ocean and by February 2015, we were in Durban, South Africa and inland traveling with our family.
Wow, we wonder how we managed 86,000nm, but when we look at the itinerary over the years, it's not that surprising at all. We're thinking we should do it all over again.