Sailing De Novo

If you're interested in the bureaucratic complications of sailing into other countries by private boat, this is the blog post for you. If not, it may feel long and tedious. Feel free to just enjoy the pictures instead. We'll have a "Too Long; Didn't Read" [TL;DR] message near the end.  For those hoping to do a passage through French Polynesia, let this post serve as a reason to get a long-stay visa. We opted not to because we were already busy enough before we left Mexico earlier this year, and the process was ridiculously complex. Although we had no intention of staying a full year in French Polynesia, having flexibility around our departure date would have made all the difference. The First Domino (by Denise) Once in a great while, this life is straightforward. Weather cooperates, the bureaucracy is simple, and nothing onboard breaks. It's like the universe conspires to give De Novo a big thumbs up.  On passage to Huahine, it seemed to give us a different fi...

  'Ia ora na friends and family, Mauruuru for your patience. My (Denise’s) computer broke recently, and we decided to wait until we were in a place that could fix or replace it rather than try to write any posts on my phone–a task that would have taken more than a few night watches.  So the post here means our sailing season just ended, and we’re finally back in the crisp, cold Pacific Northwest. It’s cozy. No anchor to watch, no weather windows to obsess over, no hull to scrape. Just evergreen trees, time with loved ones, and the devastating and inescapable downward spiral of our democracy. Oh and Trader Joe's! Despite our excitement for supermarkets, returning to the States this time felt uneasy. I’m worried about the implications our political climate have on the future of our environment and our humanity; so recommitting to this blog and reliving the happy islands we visited pre-election is a form of therapy. I can pretend we’re still there and hopefully, if I explain it...