1999-2004: The South Pacific 

Dear family and friends:

The kids and I returned to Kerikeri in the North Island a few days ago, after two months of fun stuff in the South Island, and I thought I would grab a moment to report to you what we did, and what we plan to do. As I write this email at the nav station, Jay Lawry, a local woodworker, is installing a new half-height Fisher-Paykel dishwasher in Rhapsodie's galley. Laugh all you want, you sailing purists; for the family and crew of Rhapsodie, this could be the most significant addition since our new engines two years ago. Fortunately, the kids are gone for the day with Gemma, their new teacher, on a school outing: a visit to the local chocolate factory. Don't worry, they will be required to write a report on what they learned (and ate).

We have been in New Zealand over four months, with another one or two to go before we head back up to the South Pacific. We made our decision at the last minute to hunker down in New Zealand for the hurricane season, mostly at the advice of fellow yachties, who advised us that, although the passage was difficult. it was worth the effort. How glad we are that we took their advice.

Yes, the passage was difficult. We had a rough five days to Norfolk Island, halfway between the New Caledonia and New Zealand, and then hunkered down with another half dozen sailboats waiting for better weather. Fortunately, Norfolk was an absolute delight: peopled mostly by descendants of the mutinous crew of the Bounty, it is now a holiday resort for Australians who like its duty-free prices. Have you ever seen Norfolk Pines? Weird looking trees, right? Now you know where they come from. We made friends with the local stevedores, who ferried us around in their traditional wooden longboats, and amazed us with the skills in moving cargo from ships to shore (there are no ports or bays in Norfolk Island, just cliffs all around theisland). You only go ashore when the seas are calm, and even then, it is an adventure. We met a French sailing couple who had arrived at Norfolk a week before us, and they hadn't been able to get ashore yet. We were luckier, thanks in part to the addition of Stephen, a crew from the Cook Islands who had joined us for the passage. Stephen had sailed to Noumea from the Cook Islands aboard a traditional Polynesian war canoe, built of trees and tied together with vines. Stephen knew nothing about modern boat technology, but he more than made up for that with his strength. When we wanted to go ashore, we drove our dinghy to the cliffs, and then Stephen would grab each of us by the forearm and hurl us ashore.  Stephen is now back in the Cook Islands. We miss him.

The passage from Norfolk Island to New Zealand was a lot more pleasant, although we were greeted at the port of arrival by 40 knot winds, strong currents, and sleet. This counts as summer down here. We were only able to dock by winching Rhapsodie on lines thrown ashore. Welcome to New Zealand. It was at this point that Caren began to suspect that immigrating to New Zealand was not an option.

Never mind, we had arrived, and New Zealand lay before us, green, clean, friendly, and very inexpensive. Plus we had made good friends of locals. In fact, Rachael was already staying with one family, having flown ahead from Noumea to avoid the rough passage (smart girl). In return, we had a son of that family (Bradley) taking Rachael's place in the passage. This same family offered us the use of their "bach" (vacation home) on the banks of the Kerikeri River, giving us an opportunity to get off Rhapsodie and stretch our legs.

So we had arrived, and were we delirious -- for the first time in almost two years, we were off a boat: water, electricity, flush toilets, ice cream --hey, it might not sound like a big deal to you, but we were in heaven. For the first couple of weeks, we raged through Kerikeri, making total fools of ourselves: Daddy, look! Apples! Fresh Milk! Lamb chops! It took us awhile to realize that life in New Zealand is just like life in California -- only much cheaper. Example: Daddy Sam went to the doctor yesterday. This doctor (best in Kerikeri) checked daddy's prostate, as well as his skin, not to mention cholesterol and blood sugar. He also chatted up Daddy Sam for at least a half hour on cruising, home-schooling kids, and related subjects Total bill, including the lab work: $20.

We left Rhapsodie in the capable hands of our crew Mike Agnew (with us right from the start) while we took off for the South Island. Whoopee. We are talking action. Maybe I should start by simply listing the fun stuff: bungy jumping (Daddy Sam did the Nevis Gorge jump of 134 meters, biggest in the world), swing jumping (dropping straight down for about 30 yards, then swinging out like a pendulum), "Flying Fox" (zooming along a wire suspended by a pulley), white water rafting, black water rafting (floating down underground caves in inner tubes), abseiling, kayaking, canoeing, volcanoes, glaciers, jet boats, water slides -- the list is endless. My favorite for Kiwi zaniness is "Fly by Wire": stretched out in a torpedo tube with a giant fan behind, hanging by a wire, you zoom over the landscape at speeds of up to 180 kph, often just a few feet from the ground. Oh, and don't forget the Zorb: you are strapped inside a translucent plastic ball, then sent rolling down a hill.

While we were having fun on the South Island, Nike was supervising the boat work on Rhapsodie at Ashby's boatyard, just south of Kerikeri. The biggest changes are a new coat of bottom paint, new sails, and a new boom with a roller inside to hold the mainsail. Now, instead of taking three people about 45 minutes to raise the main, one person can do it in less than two minutes with just one toe on the button of the new electric winch.

Upon completion of the upgrade work, Mike said good-bye to us and is now on his way to Fiji, where he will manage a boat repair service. We were very sorry to see him go -- he had been with our family for almost three years -- but he didn't want to miss this work opportunity. In his place we have hired a young couple, Mark (from New Zealand) and Gemma (from Australia). Gemma will help with teaching and cooking, and Mark with sailing and boat maintenance. As I write this email, Gemma is supervising the kids' reports on their school outing yesterday to the local chocolate factory, while Mark helps install the new dishwasher. Once that project is completed, we will cast off from Ashby's dock (hopefully this afternoon), sail to the Kerikeri River mouth, and anchor off the bach.

Meanwhile, Caren has been investigating Australia, from Brisbane north to the Whitsunday Islands. She is there both to secure a place for Rhapsodie during the next hurricane season (November 2001 - May 2002), and also to see if Australia would be a suitable place to live during Rachael's (and later, Dana's) high school years. Caren returns this evening, so we are all busy trying to get the boat looking good for her arrival. Once settled, we willspend the next few weeks training with our new equipment and crew, including a "life raft survival course" in Auckland. Then, in late April or early May,we will cast off for the next cruising season in the South Pacific. So far, three of our favorites, are on the itinerary: Fiji, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia, ending up in Australia by November. But plans change on sailboats, so don't be too surprised if we end up sailing elsewhere.

  That's all for now.

  Sam

  Yacht Rhapsodie 

  Ashby's Boatyard 

  Bay of Islands. N.Z

Dear family, First, to DJ and Rachael, 

Thanks for the great letters. Your combinations of text, maps and photographs brought your travels in 'New Zealand' alive for me. I put 'New Zealand' within quotes because, as you probably have guessed, it does not really exist. it is a beautiful dream projected by a Maori god, and what you have described so vividly in your letters is your participation in that dream. Actually there was a Belgian philosopher, Henri Bergson. who believed something like that of the whole world. The way he said it was that what we see as reality represents the projection of the Creator's vision, and the world's continued existence depends on the continuing will of the Creator. Interesting hypothesis, difficult to test.

Second, Che, how is (are) the eys(s)? Are you better? Can you drive? Can you read? There is an interesting front page story in the New York Times this morning about the flight of the wealthy and the middle class from Colombia. tf you still plan to visit, it should be less crowded down there.

Third, I had my visit with the cardiologist yesterday. Smart, attractive, confidence-inducing young guy named Mullen, at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic. He says I am a borderline (i.e. minimal tomoderate) case of mitral insufficiency. What this means is that my mitral valve leaks enough to cause a significant backflow, and that places a burden on part of the heart (to make up for the loss of blood to the arteries caused by the backflow), and the burden leads to enlargement which, if it goes too far, could be a serious problem. The gravity of the problem is measured by the size of that part of the heart, which is measured by way of an echo cardiogram, and the rate at which the leakage increases is measured by comparing echo cardiograms over time. Since I have had only one echo cardiogram, in February, we won't know anything about the rate of enlargement of the heart until the next one, in September/October. Meanwhile the problem can be palliated by reducing my [already moderate to low] blood pressure, and he has started me on very low dosage of a medication which can also have a number of unpleasant side effects. Whether I will have any of them remains to be seen. I just took the first dose this morning and still feel fine. The doc wants me to continue to play golf, preferably walking, and riding the bike and other exercising and watching the diet and all the usual good things. I am encouraged and relieved. Basically he wants me to continue to do what we are already doing, plus taking the pills and watching our for side effects. Echo cardiograms, by the way, are a cinch: non-invasive, zero pain or discomfort. My kind of medicine.

Nana is golfing, her weekly round with the SGC women's 18-hole group, as I write. We played in a mixed foursome tournament Sunday. I am suddenly getting more distance off the tee. Is it the newer more lively ball, or are those strength exercises I started doing a few months ago paying off? Who knows. We have a family golf game, followed by a Faculty Club Easter Brunch on Sunday (following poker at Nancy Packer's Saturday evening). I fly to Austin Tuesday morning (interesting travel note: there is a non-stop flight between San Jose and Austin. Why?) to speak at an art law conference at the Law School that afternoon and return to San Jose Wednesday morning. Ballet that evening. Life is very full.

We saw an excellent Brazilian movie: "Me. You, Them." Don't miss it if it comes your way.  Louise and I are at the office. Time to take her for her late morning walk. Love to all. J

Dear John, Mom, Len, Inger, Erik, Susan, Bruce, Che, and Lisa,

We are getting serious about the California visit, to the extent of making actual plane reservations between Fiji and Los Angeles International Airport. Before I give the details, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I reserve the right to change any dates, times, reservations, and visit periods without any prior warning whatsoever; nor may I be held responsible for such actions, nor criticized or otherwise penalized in any way, shape or form. This trip involves a lot of juggling, so bear with me. We arrive in Los Angeles on Air Pacific flight 810 at 1:20 PM Thursday, May 17. We haven't yet made the reservation for our flight to SFO, but hope to arrive that same afternoon. (We will of course let you know the details when we make the reservation). We would like to pick up a rental van at SFO and drive down the Peninsula that same day. We would like to stay at Len and Inger's for the night of May 17 (we need to pick up some clothes we left at your house). On the 18th, we drive to Ann Winblad's place in Glen Ellen for a reunion with Caren's sister Sue and father Irv. We return the van to San Francisco International on May 23, and fly to the East Coast for a visit to Boston and Washington, D.C. We fly back to San Francisco International on June 3 or 4, picking up a van for use until our departure June 23. During our stay in the Palo Alto area, our plans are up in the air, since we haven't yet settled what to do with the house. We hope to spend lots of time with everybody in the family, so please put us on your social calendars for that period. In particular, we'd love to do something cultural in the city with the kids, so let us know what's in town.

Inger and Len, please let us know if the sleepover on May 17 works for you. 

Bruce and Che, any chance to see you guys this pass through? Lisa?

That's all for now. Local news: we are anchored in lovely Whangaroa Harbour, a half-day's sail north of the Bay of Islands. We charged up here under full mainsail and jib, with 20 knots of wind gusting to 25. The swells were 3-4 meters. With new sails, a new paint job, and less weight overall, Rhapsodie just flew through the water. And with the mainsail now arranged to roll up  inside the boom, we can raise and lower it with one less person, and in a fraction of the time and effort.

We anchored the first night off some high, black cliffs of volcanic stone. The hills around and behind the cliffs are steep and covered with tree ferns.It feels to me somewhat like the Marquesas. Mark (one of our two new crew) feels very much at home here. He is part Maori, and traces his ancestry back to Hone Heke, who lived here about 150 years ago. Hone Heke is a most interesting dude. He was the first Maori chief to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, a document whose terms are still hotly debated in New Zealand. The treaty tried to set down rules sorting our how the Europeans and the Maoris  were to live together. Naturally, the treaty didn't solve all problems. The first visible revolt to the treaty came from Hone Heke himself, by chopping down the flagpole at Kororareka which flew the British flag. Despite new poles and more guards, Hone Heke managed to chop the pole down four times; on the last occasion it was covered with iron to foil further attempts. In 1845, Hone Heke upped the ante and burned down the entire town of Kororareka. In the skirmishes that followed, the British governor posted a 100 pound reward for his head, to which the chief responded by offering a matching 100 pounds for the governor's head. We visited the pole that is up today: it now flies the flag of New Zealand.

Two nights ago Mark and I went out after dark to search for kiwis. We heard them all around us but never saw one. But we made up for that loss spotting a perfectly enormous sting ray, at least four feet in diameter,which swam leisurely under our dinghy while we were leaving the shore. Plus, there are occasional Little Blue Penguins to be spotted; they are the smallest penguins in the world, and zip by us like fish. Oh, and did Imention that Mark hooked a hammerhead shark this morning? The fight lasted about 20 minutes. I kid you not.

This afternoon, after the morning's lessons (Gemma, our other new crew, is the teacher, and the kids are thriving under her guidance), we took Rhapsodie out for Man Overboard drills. Then some fun for the kids: getting pulled inthe big inner tube behind the dinghy. Tomorrow we sail back to the Bay of Islands, partly to avoid a storm headed this way, and partly to continue our final preparations for departing in a few weeks. tt seems strange to think we will be leaving this wonderful country in such a short while, and that our lives will change so dramatically.

Gotta go. We will naturally keep you informed as plans get firmer. At least we've made the first stab at a schedule.

Sam

Yacht Rhapsodie

Whangaroa Harbour, 

New Zealand

Dear John,

We are screaming along due north towards Fiji form NZ doing 9.5 knots with 30 kt winds. There are bodies everywhere on the boat, but we are so lucky to have favorable winds and no storms. We rushed out of NZ on 2 days notice when we saw the weather window. There were two lows behind this high, and we could have been stuck waiting another couple weeks for the weather which couldreally push our USA schedule. Plus it's getting pretty cold in NZ now. The sail to and from NZ is known to be one of the worst, with lots of storms and  rough seas, so I'm counting our blessings. Since Sam cannot type at sea, he asked me to let you know our schedule for car rentals. We arrive in SFO on June 17 in the late afternoon and would like a large automobile or van capable of carrying the 4 of us, luggage (and perhaps a grandparent or 2). We return this vehicle on June 24 at noon when we fly to the East Coast. We return to the Bay area on June 4 and would require a van until June 24 when we depart. Once again thanks for your generosity.

  We look forward to seeing you on May 18th. 

  Love, Caren