SAILING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

SV Passage

SV Passage > Sailing in the South Pacific

June 11,2005 – July 22,2007

We crossed the equator heading south on June 11, 2005, on our way to the Cook Islands.  We did some nice sailing within the Cook Islands, then we sailed from the Cooks to American Samoa.  After a few weeks in American Samoa, we sailed from American Samoa to Western Samoa.  After another 10 days in relative urbanization, we sailed from Western Samoa to Tonga.  After almost three months in Tonga, we sailed from Tonga to New Zealand.  We ended our 2005 season in New Zealand. We were in New Zealand over five months waiting out hurricane season.  We did a little sailing within New Zealand, then we headed back north from New Zealand to Fiji to begin another season of cruising in the South Pacific.

We were in Fiji for almost four months, then we sailed from Fiji to Vanuatu.  We had planned to also visit New Caledonia this season, but we enjoyed Vanuatu so much that we decided to spend the brief remainder of the season there.  We stayed in Vanuatu almost two months then sailed from Vanuatu to Australia.  We ended our 2006 season in Australia.

We spent almost six months south of the tropics in Australia – again, waiting out hurricane season.  Then we spent two months sailing north along Australia’s east coast and across the north coast to Darwin.  Is the Coral Sea part of the ‘south pacific’?  Aren’t Torres Straits actually part of the Indian Ocean?  Ok…  We consider Australia to be the southwest edge of the south pacific, so we have included all of our sailing in Australia in the ‘south pacific’.  So, given our loose interpretation of ‘south pacific’, we left the south pacific when we left Australia on July 22, 2007.

Next stop – Asia…