Author: sailawaysarantium

Just sailing slowly, fingers crossed I will arrive around noon or within a couple of hours of high tide, in Aitutaki.

At 07.00:

COG: 245 degrees

SOG: 5.5 kn

Position:

18*30.895 S / 158*52.095 W

Not much to report! Yesterday, I fell asleep around 1500 and slept until just before sunset. I had set the alarm so I would have time to decrease the sails and plan a bit for the night before the sun disappeared! I have had to break out the winter gear, as temperatures have dropped to 15 degrees Celsius at night. Last night I had rain for the first time out here, as well. Rain clouds are all around me but not on top of me, so far today!

I seem to be averaging 6.5-6.8 knots and I’ve seen my speed as high as 9 knots. Sarantium is surfing nicely off these massive waves, giving me an extra knot or two! I might not make the noon timeline for tomorrow’s high at Aitutaki entrance. If that’s the case, I’ll probably need to slow down and plan for the following day! One option is that I heave-to outside the island for the night, preferably out of the swell. Heaving-to is basically doing a tack but not turning the big headsail, leaving it on the “wrong side”. This will, together with the rudder turned opposite, act as a break. The boat still moves but only at .5-1 knots. Or I’ll sail around in circles all night long!

At noon on July 21st, 2026: SOG: 7.5kn COG: 250T 17*50.207 S / 156*43.916 W

The day has been about resting, sleeping and eating well! I’ve also communicated with one of the many WhatsApp groups here in the South Pacific. Each island seems to have a WhatsApp group that deals with various topics amongst sailors. The one I’ve been paying attention to is the “Welcoming to Aitutaki”group. This is my next island! Cruisers join the groups as they approach their destination and leave them as they leave! This particular island, the first to approach in Cook Island coming from French Polynesia, is a bit tricky, especially for a solo sailor. The pass into the atoll is long and extremely narrow, 12 m. The atoll that surrounds aitutaki is so low laying that the water from the Pacific Ocean just washes over the reef. So, as a result all that incoming water needs to escape somewhere, which is through the entrance pass. This can be a big problem for incoming and outgoing boats. At peak time the water rushes out at a speed of 9 knots. Luckily during its slow time, noon, it only moves at 3.5 knots. Needless to say I’ll be there at noon on Wednesday or Thursday. Can you imagine the giant standing created by an outgoing current of 9 knots hitting the outside waves. That’s the first hurdle! Below is a photo of the passage..

The second photo is the tie up inside the atoll. There is very little space and you have to do a Mediterranean tie up, meaning ass end in first amongst other moored boats after you drop an anchor. This will be a first for me so the Aitutaki Welcoming group will help me. From what I understand everyone helps everyone who arrives.

Back to sleep!

Day Two:

17* 06 930 South

153* 54 057 West

COG: 271* T (Course on ground)

SOG: 5.5 kn (Speed on ground)…

Time to shake out the sails!!

Lovely morning!

I woke up at my regular time, 04.45 and brewed decaf coffee! Decaf has its benefits. Knowing I have a few nights of sailing in front of me, caffeine is off the table, needless to say so is wine and sugar! I try to eat food that doesn’t affect my mental state and interfere with sleep while sailing. I sat quietly, gathered my thoughts, sipped my coffee and checked my weather routing for the last time. When the sun rose I went for another dip and loosened up the mooring lines! And Sarantium floated off the mooring buoy. On my way out, I noticed SV Atlas had already left. On AIS I could see them just sailing out from the reef gap. I swung by two boats and both yelled Fair winds and see you in the next harbour!The sea is lumpy but wind is perfect! There are two low pressure systems, southeast and south of me that are creating medium sized waves. They vary from 3-4 metres in size. The first 2-3 hours felt messy but now wind and sea is starting to settle a bit. Unfortunately, my wind instruments are not working. My guess is that the battery on my wireless device is dead. This is ok! It wasn’t that long ago I didn’t have instruments at all. I can read the sea for wind strength and feel the direction in my face. Also, the flag beside me tells the direction if I’m unsure! I’ve spent the day napping and reflecting on my life. Where I’ve been, where I am and where I’m going!I’ve talked to so many sailors and depending on age, reasons why people left life on land, vary. Young people just don’t want to do what their parents did. Old people feel “there has to be more to life than ……” The further I sail, the more time I spend living a simple life, the less I want and need. And the healthier I feel. I am content with what few items I have on the boat. I swim, I walk, I read, I socialize, and I learn about people in different cultures. Once in awhile I’ll need to strap on my ski boots and skins to disappear into the forest and the odd time I’ll need to do a good rip on my bike. For now, I embrace the ocean and what it throws me. Goodnight Day One!

No matter where I am in the world, departure day always brings a few nerves. It never seems to change. But as soon as the anchor is up, the sails are drawing, and the boat is underway, the stress fades and a smile takes its place.

Those pre-departure jitters serve a purpose, though. They make me slow down, double-check every system, and comb through the boat one last time to make sure nothing has been overlooked.

I’m now officially checked out of French Polynesia. Technically, once your clearance papers are stamped, you have 24 hours to leave the country. I’ve also heard that remaining in French Polynesian waters for a short time isn’t an issue, as long as you don’t go ashore—but I’m ready to point the bow west-south-west.

Over the past few days at the Bloody Mary’s moorage, I’ve met several fellow cruisers preparing for the same weather window. Sailors from Lithuania, Australia, Spain, and the United States are all setting off for the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tonga. Knowing there will be other boats making the passage at the same time is reassuring. Even though we will each be sailing our own course across a vast ocean, it’s comforting to know I won’t be completely alone out there.

Tomorrow, the lines come off, the anchor comes up, and another part of this chapter begins. This will be my longest SOLO sail ever!

….a lot of planning! Today after I said goodbye to my family, one of my first stops was the Gendarmerie, who handle customs and immigration here in French Polynesia. They keep a close eye on who is coming and going. I was told it takes about three days to process the paperwork and clear out of FP with a sailboat. Once those clearance papers are stamped, you have just 24 hours to leave the country.
I explained that my goal is to depart on Wednesday, July 15th, and thankfully they agreed that the timing should work perfectly.
On the home front, my clean laundry is finally making its way back to me on Monday—clean sheets and towels is a large victory when living at sea!
The rest of today has been spent tackling all those little jobs that somehow never end. I’ve fixed a handful of odds and ends, organized the boat some more, and pulled out all of my paper charts.
Yes… paper charts!
As much as I appreciate modern electronics, there’s something incredibly satisfying about plotting a course by hand. Spreading the charts across the table, drawing the route, measuring distances, and imagining the adventure ahead never gets old.

So, here’s the plan:

Bora Bora to Maupiti (FP) is 27 NMiles

Maupiti to Maupiha (FP) is 100 NMiles

Maupiha to Aitutaki (Cook Island) is 355 NMiles

Aitutaki to Beveridge reef (Cook Island) is 468 NMiles … the long one😬

Beveridge reef to Niue is 125 NMiles

Niue to Vava’u (Tonga) is 238 NMiles

I will have just short of a month to complete these legs, as I have a flight to catch on August 13th, to Italy for my daughter’s wedding!

Goodnight from Bora Bora!

Goodbyes are always bittersweet.

Having five people aboard made for one unforgettable adventure. We may all be wired a little differently, but there was plenty of room for everyone’s personalities, and somehow it all worked.
For once, I handed the planning over to my brother, Joakim. Considering I’m usually the one mapping out every anchorage, hike, sightseeing stop, and restaurant reservation, it was surprisingly nice to step back and let the crew take the helm on shore.
Apparently, before they even stepped aboard, Marianne and Kjersti had made a pact. They were determined to become seasoned sailors, learn everything they could about sailing, and absolutely not be assigned permanent galley duty. Marianne had every intention of becoming a capable co-captain, while the men would be making regular appearances in the galley.
About thirty minutes into our very first sail, I overheard some quiet muttering that perhaps this grand plan wasn’t going to unfold quite as expected!
In the end, everyone found their role. Each person pitched in, took responsibility, and helped keep the boat running smoothly. As for me, I was more than happy to remain the one fully in charge of the boat.

We ate incredibly well, we laughed, we cried, played countless card games, explored beautiful islands by bike and by foot, and, remarkably, no one had to walk the plank. We also had daily live music by our very own talented musician, Per Inge!

To my Norwegian crew—bon voyage! Thank you for bringing so much laughter, energy, and unforgettable memories to this little corner of the South Pacific. Fair winds until we meet again.

We arrived to Bora Bora, after a somewhat bouncy ride from Taha’a! The “entrance” (heading out) through the reef took us by surprise. Sarantium rode the incoming waves and dropped abruptly out into the South Pacific Ocean! Swell hit us on the port side mid ship at 8 seconds apart. On a positive note, at 7-8 knots we managed to shave an hour off our calculated crossing time. We sailed through only entrance into Bora Bora, and motor-sailed straight to the mooring field south of the main town.

Vaitape is a sleepy little town. Since Heiva has its’ annual festival, dancers, drummers, athletes and tourists fill the streets and nightly performances fill the air with music and songs.

We spent the day hiking across hills and over the local mountain to find one of the few public beaches!

Last Night… why not treat ourselves to this….❓

Today, I say goodbye…

To Huehini we sail!

Huahine turned out to be one of my favourite islands so far. We dropped anchor on a beautiful sandbar, with a charming village, “not so short” dinghy ride away. It had everything a cruising sailor could ask for—bike rentals, fantastic restaurants, museums, food markets, public showers, cultural events, and stunning beaches.

Rather than spend the day relaxing at anchor, we decided to rent bikes and explore as much of the island as possible. Every turn seemed to reveal something new, from lush scenery and quiet roads to friendly locals and hidden gems. Huahine has a laid-back charm! On our way around the island, we stumbled upon a snack bar, where women and men were gathered around the table playing ukulele and singing. Stepping into this place was like stepping into someone’s home. The Polynesian culture and its’ warm people are easy to fall in love with. I could have easily stayed here for a week or two!

Of all the islands we’ve visited, Huahine stands out as a place that truly has it all—and then some.

Our next destination in the Leeward Islands was Taha’a. We dropped anchor just off the sandbar near the entrance alongside six other sailboats. With numerous coral bommies scattered across the seabed, I decided to float the anchor chain to reduce the risk of it dragging across and damaging the already fragile coral. In these pristine anchorages, I try to leave as little impact as possible.
The underwater world did not disappoint. While diving and snorkeling, we were treated to countless encounters with blacktip reef sharks, graceful stingrays, playful dolphins, a striking green moray eel, boxfish, and an abundance of colourful reef life. Always, something new to discover.
Today, we’ll pull anchor and continue exploring the maze of motus surrounding the Society Islands, searching for new snorkeling spots and opportunities for drift dives through the crystal-clear channels.
Then, on Monday, we set our course for our final destination in French Polynesia—Bora Bora. My Norwegian crew will be heading home, and I’ll begin preparing the boat for the next small chapter: the offshore passage to Tonga, SOLO…