Raw Nature, a Lonely Atoll and an Unpleasant Surprise – Ep. 75

Henderson Island/Pitcairn – not a soul in sight on this lonely island. For it’s remoteness it has gotten the title of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Yet the influence of our wasteful civilization on its beaches could not be more striking!

There are so many special places around the world that we don’t even know exist. That has always been why I loved traveling: It showed me how little I actually know, how wildly beautiful this planet is and how many secrets it holds from us. Too many to ever learn all of them. I believe James started sailing for a similar reason.

Henderson was probably our biggest surprise at the time. Little did we know that this island, a dot on a chart to most people and not even mentioned in most cruising guides, would open our eyes to the beauty of raw nature and the consequences of our consume-addicted society all at the same time.

You would think that these things are as far away from each other as they could possibly be, but it’s uniting these two conflicting worlds that make Henderson Island such a special place.

Henderson Island is basically as far from civilization as you can get on planet earth. Except for the 67 people that live on Pitcairn Island, 100nm away.

It’s remoteness makes it a very interesting place for scientists to study an untouched ecosystem, basically studying a pre-human world. But, and this is a big BUT, Henderson Island also holds the alarming record of being the most densely polluted place in the world. Let that sink in for a minute.

There is plastic trash everywhere, especially on the north beach, which is the side of the island that is exposed to the weather most of the time. An expedition in 2019 revealed that there was trash from all over the globe on the island. This beautiful raised atoll lies in the South Pacific Gyre which causes this extreme accumulation of floating debris on its shores.

Visiting these remote islands reinforced my drive to change my behavior as a consumer (to buy only what I need, refuse single-use wherever I can) and to fight for the imposing of laws that restrict companies in their abilities to produce unnecessary trash and to deliberately destroy our precious ecosystems like forests, coral reefs and the like.

We support Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd because we know they stand up for the protection of our oceans when others look away. I’m inspired by the relentless work and the dedication these people are putting towards making this a better place for all of us.

I hope this video makes you fall in love a little more with this beautiful place we live in! Maybe it can also inspire you to do small changes in your life reduce your contributing to the vast amount of plastic being produced around the globe and being swept into the sea. If You want to know more about Hendersons trash problem, read this: www.nationalgeographic.com

But remember, there’s a choice, the glass is half full and it’s not too late to protect what You love. Here is another good read from National Geographic about the reserve around Henderson Island and another good reason why we all should try harder: www.nationalgeographic.com

Thanks for reading and enjoy watching this Episode.

From Berlin with love
❤ Kim ❤

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Sailing to the Pitcairn Islands! – Ep. 74

It was with heavy hearts that we left our friends on Rapa Nui behind. But as soon as we got into our passage routine again, our excitement to see new locations started to grow quickly!

Our next destination were the Pitcairn Islands, which include Ducie Atoll, Henderson Island, Oeno Atoll and, of course, the famous Pitcairn Island! Our first stop was Ducie Atoll, which is about 1100 nm away from Rapa Nui.

After over a week at sea, we are met with enormous waves at this remote island: the southernmost atoll in the world. The smell of land is a warm welcome, but the sea isn’t going to let us get our little sinking dinghy anywhere near this place, so we go for a dip as we decide what to do next. Hope You enjoy!

All the best from me (Kimi) as Jamie is still out to sea with s/v Te Vega! If you want to follow his trip, click here…

I hope all of You are doing great, I’m sending You much love from Berlin!
Kim

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Pacific Crossing – Sailing with the Ketch „Te Vega“

Real time update (June 25, 2020) | While Kim stucks in Germany, James is back on the water. He is sailing with the crew of s/v Te Vega, a 1984 Mason 63, from Hawaii to California. They’ll heading north towards Alaska before turning to the east to ride the northern trades into the mainland. Overall it should be around 3000nm and three weeks of sailing.
For more information please watch the upload of our livestream on YouTube or track Te Vega’s journey here…

Of course James is filming the entire adventure – all about what it takes to get a boat ready for the trip, and what it’s like out on that passage. Stay tuned!

Boat shopping: Lafitte 44

Real time update | Zingaro is on the HUNT! James tours a Bob Perry designed Lafitte 44 monohull sailboat. He says: The boat is trying to speak to you, all you have to do is listen…

This isn’t only a boat tour, but also an explanation of exactly how he goes through the boat as a pre-purchase survey.

What James figured out…

This monohull is reportedly a great sailor, and it’s big enough to fit 6 comfortably. With two separate cabins, two heads, and a convertible settee, there is plenty of room for cruising in comfort. It’s the same boat, that my buddy Brandon is taking to Antarctica – you can see some of his adventures here: Sea Change.

The Lafitte really shines in the galley, and the huge workspace and double freezer/fridge is a big plus from Zingaro’s tiny little kitchen. I’ve been on much bigger boats with smaller cooking spaces.

The engine is relatively new, and looks to be well cared for. The layout is very weird: As you come down the cockpit companionway you are greeted, instead of a boat interior, with a wall of teak – making up the aft cabin. There is a double to port with a small seating/stowage area. I would have put another quarter berth here and don’t really see the point of this waste of space…

But the rest of the interior makes sense and is very well laid out. The nav table is comfortable, the settee converts to a bed, and the aforementioned galley is quite a sight. The quarter berth is very high up, so if you are limited in mobility or a big person you are going to have a problem sleeping here.

Really the only glaring problem I saw with the boat is the teak decks. They would absolutely need to be ripped out. This a a huge job, most likely entailing the re-bedding of every deck penetration and partial replacement of the deck. Also all of the cushions and headliners need to be replaced. If you were to pay someone to do this I would imagine it would get up near $20,000, but for me to do it I think more around $5k and a month of work (preferably on the hard).

As far as price, he wants $85k.

With the layout and the deck problems I’m not really sure I’m in love with this particular boat.

Stay safe and healthy!
James

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Epic footage of Easter Island – Sailing Zingaro Ep. 73

Today we join the crew 1800nm off the coast of Chile on one of the most remote islands in the world: Rapa Nui Easter Island).

One can wonder how, 1000’s of years ago, this island was located, settled, and through the ensuing 2000 years grew, thrived, and ultimately failed through the practices of ancestral worship and deforestation.

Seafarer’s Festival on Rapa Nui

Believed to have been settled between 300-1200 BC, the remaining 6,000 Rapa Nui have a rich and ancient culture. We were invited to a seafarer’s festival when a traditional Polynesian catamaran made landfall from mainland Chile after 32 days on the open ocean, only navigating by the stars! We were privy to talks from the tribe elders, dancing, local music, and even a feast cooked in a traditional underground oven.

Underwater Moai at a Depth of 79 ft

We also try and find the island’s only underwater Moai, located in Hanga Roa Harbor and reported to be at a depth of 24m (79ft). That was the deepest freediving we had ever done to this point, and the challenge was well worth it! This Moai is not authentic, it was a movie prop for the Kevin Reynolds film “Rapa Nui”, starring Kevin Costner.

… and again: Sinky Dink – Sinking Outboard

And what video would be complete without a bit of boat maintenance? Enter Zingaro’s famous “sinky dinky”… our sinking dinghy that we just can’t seem to keep afloat. 😉

We hope you enjoy this final installment of our adventures on Easter Island. Editing this footage brought us back so many memories. We absolutely will return to this magical place, someday… For now we, just like you, will watch these videos with awe and reverence that is the magic of Rapa Nui.

Much love!
Kim & James

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The Monoliths of Easter Island – Ep. 72

In this Episode we visit Ahu Tongariki: the largest Moai site of Easter Island. It has 15 moai lined up and includes the largest moai ever erected on the island.

The Moai Were Swept Inland by a Tsunami

You may have seen pictures, or perhaps been there, but did you know Its moais were toppled during the island’s civil wars, and in the twentieth century the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami?

They have (obviously) since been erected, but the hats that once. dominated the skies were too worn by weather to be able to go back on top. If you pay attention there’s a scene in the video where James is standing near them, and they are 6′ tall!

Zingaro-Crew Nearly Got Arrested!

Fun fact: flying the drone is not allowed here and we didn’t know that before launching it, so we nearly got arrested that morning. Oops. No signs if you come from the water…

“Honey Bird” of Easter Island

Then we, by chance, ran into the honey-man of the island: Omar. He calls his business Manu Meri (translation: honey bird) and I think it’s the best honey I’ve ever tried in the world. We were flush with honey for almost a year after this, and were super sad to eat the last of it. At $30 a (tiny) jar, there’ll be no refill of Manu Meri honey in our immediate future. If you can get your hands on some, it’s amazing. Better than Pitcairn (the next island we’ll take you to).

Hope you like this week’s adventure. This island was full of them. Just magical.

For your love and support, we love you all. Hope this finds you healthy and happy, stay safe.

Hope you enjoy!

Much love
James & Kim

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Boat Shopping With Zingaro

Real time update | I’d like to update everyone on what’s going on with Sailing Zingaro, the new boat, the Kickstarter campaign and anything else you guys want to talk about.

It’s been a little while since we checked in with all of you. That’s about to change! We’re going BOAT SHOPPING!!! Come join us to see what Zingaro II may look like!

James

Diving Deep into the Beauty of Easter Island – Ep. 71

What makes this place so special? And why not everybody comes here?

Anakena – Our Favorite Anchorage

We start this story in the magical land of Anakena. This place has proven to be (and still holds the title) the best anchorage we’ve ever been to. Yes, I said it. Favorite anchorage of all time. Please don’t tell anyone.

“But, James,” you ask, “aren’t all of the anchorages on Easter Island dangerous and rolly?”

When it’s right, it’s right, and brother/sister when this anchorage is calm it is absolutely an amazing place to hang your hook.

If you look closely in the drone shots you can see a very small piece of bright blue water around the boats: that’s the sand. Everything else is coral. Wall-to-wall beautiful coral, with the underwater topography of lava channels, caves, lava tubes, etc. Add that to the 600-900 year old statues towering above and you get this one-of-a-kind location.

While we had the pleasure of staying here, we had a patron come down for a visit and bring us a new autopilot! Thanks Rick!! You rock brother! By the time we got him back to the boat it was time to scoot around to the eastern anchorage of Tongariki.

15 Moai in Tongariki

Tongariki is one of the coolest places on Rapa Nui. With it’s 15 Moai it also holds the title of the most statues in any one location. The scenery here is equally amazing, as you’ll see. The volcano you see behind the statue is the quarry they are made from. We’ll dive into that on a different occasion.

Then it was on to fixing the autopilot… They say cruising is “fixing your boat in exotic locations” and we definitely put that into practice. But, at the end of the day, after many hours of consulting, drawing, and planning – we’ve got a solid plan to get our autopilot back up and running better than ever!

Hope you love this one!

Much love
Kim & James

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A Day in the Life of Cruisers on Rapa Nui – Ep. 70

We finally make it on land in Rapa Nui! If you ever get the chance to go here, please do. It was a magical place. A bit difficult to have a boat, but the people, the food, and the ambiance was amazing.

Definitely a hard place to get provisions on a sailboat. After they close the harbor we need to change anchorages, entering through big swell and surf only to hitchhike the 4 miles to get some fruit and vegetables.

We visit the port captain for another cruiser, and show you around Hanga Roa. Hope you like Rapa Nui!

Stay safe and healthy!

James & Kim

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Rapa Nui – A Difficult Island for Sailors | Ep. 69

Is it worth sailing here? A couple of days after our arrival at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) we realize that the stories about this island were true: Little protection for sailboats and dangerous harbor entrances for dinghies make it a very difficult destination for cruisers.

We still weren’t able to leave Zingaro

When we woke up on day three, the wind had changed to the north and forced everybody to move from Hanga Roa to the other side of the island. We raised the anchor and our sails and got on our way to the southern side of Easter Island. Was the trip to this remote island worth the trouble?

Watch to find out!

Hope you enjoy, much love
James & Kim

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Arriving to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) – Ep. 68

  • We could smell the land from 20nm out.
  • We had been out to sea for 18 days… 2500nm.
  • We had been hand steering for the final 24 hours.
  • It was worth every bit of trouble.

Three weeks on the Pacific Ocean, all by ourselves, we were fantasizing about a couple different things: Salad with yoghurt dressing and beer on the top of the list.

So close, yet so far: Stuck on our sailboat after our Pacific crossing

When we thought we could enjoy the benefits of being back in civilization as soon as we dropped our anchor, we thought wrong. The immigration procedure at first and finally our own equipment kept us from going ashore for another three days after our arrival.

We appreciated the beauty of the island, observing it from a distance and went diving off of our boat. The stoke of having it made to Rapa Nui, the island furthest away from civilization, was real.

We hope you enjoy our arrival to Rapa Nui. It was one of the best, coolest, and amazing passages we’ve ever taken, and hands down both of our favorite place we’ve ever anchored.

❤ Much love everyone! Hope this finds you all safe and healthy ❤

James & Kim

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Lessons From Our Shipwreck – Livestream

Our catamaran suffered catastrophic damage in a storm on route from Kiribati to Hawaii. In this live stream we will talk about the lessons we learned, and try to shed some light on why/how it happened and what you can learn from it.

I had a livestream to talk about lessons learned from our shipwreck. Here is the upload…

Hope you like it 🙂
James

Sailing to Easter Island (part 3) – Ep. 67

In this video we’re slowly but steadily making our way to the remote Easter Island, we’re dealing with the autopilot and the very moody weather underway. It’s interesting how quickly the conditions can change.

One Minute you’re sailing along nicely and the next you are being chased by a storm and soon after you lose the wind altogether and drift for a whole night.

All that to say that on one passage, you come across many, very different oceans. But see for yourselves in our latest and  l o n g e s t  episode.

Much love from the Zingaro Crew, we hope You enjoy this video!

James & Kim

End of the Campaign – Beginning of a New Chapter

Real time update | Our Kickstarter-Campaign was successful! We are so close to going out there again and doing what we love.

❤ Thanks to all of our supporters! ❤

Zingaro II is coming

When we arrived to Hawai’i on Dec 22nd, 2019, we thought it was the end for us and our wild plans to sail the world. At least for a while.

But we thought wrong! The fact that our community poured SO much love our way and made sure that we could keep going, seriously chokes us up.

Now we can actively search for a new boat, and the 169% funding we’ve received, has opened up some pretty cool options.

Zingaro I is gone – the weight lifted

Two days ago we signed over the title of our first catamaran. Zingaro is sold!
As hard as it was to say goodbye to our old friend, the feeling an hour later, when it really sank in was… We don’t know the words… Relief, alleviation, calmness, readiness.

This was the final crux keeping us from really letting go and moving on, and it’s finally finished. We are finally ready to start the next chapter. We are ready to let go of the past, and focus on the future.

Coming soon: adventures from the South Pacific…

Stay tuned for our next and last episodes with Zingaro I ! We will take you with us across the South Pacific to…

  • Easter Island
  • Pitcairn Islands
  • Gambiers and Tuamotus
  • Tahiti and Mo’orea
  • Line Islands
  • From Kiribati to Hawai’i

Much love
J & K

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Sailing to Easter Island (pt. 2 ) | Sailing Zingaro Ep. 66

In this episode we find out exactly, what happens when you lose your autopilot 500nm out to sea on the way to the most remote inhabited island in the world.

In a phrase: You keep going!

But that doesn’t mean that we needed to hand steer the whole time. Please watch to find out what we did, and how far we made it towards this amazing place called Easter Island.

Hope you enjoy!

James & Kim

You want more? Become part of the crew via Patreon or (last chance on march 5th!) support Season II on kickstarter.de

From Ecuador to Easter Island – Ep. 65

We’re BACK AT IT! In this episode we provision and start our 2500 nautical mile sail. We leave Ecuador bound for Easter Island (Rapa Nui)!

This will be, by far, the longest passage we’ve ever undertaken. We meet a cable ship and lose our autopilot 450nm out to sea!

Check out this cool episode, hope you love it.

Thank you all for helping keep this dream alive!

Much love,

James & Kim

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Season Two – Kickstarter Campaign

Sad to report that our Zingaro is shipwrecked: On Dec 22nd s/v Zingaro was hit by a violent storm on route from Tahiti-Hawaii. She sustained significant damage to the starboard hull, causing it to separate from the boat. Zingaro’s bluewater cruising days are definitely over.

We’ll never give up: Kickstarter Campaign & YouTube Livestream

With the help of our Patrons and friends, we’re going to find a new, stronger Zingaro 2.0, that will allow us to see rarely visited places like Japan, Alaska, Galapagos or Patagonia.

Easter Isand - Kickstarter Campaign

We’re excited to announce that we’ve finally finished our kickstarter campaign! It launched on Tuesday, Feb 4th! Check it out: www.kickstarter.com

Also, we are having a livestream on YouTube at 5 pm (pacific time) on Tuesday, Feb 4th. Here’s the upload …

See you then!
Much love
James & Kim

How to Live on a Cruising Sailboat. Happily. – Ep. 64

I made this Episode more documentary style and longer than usual. It’s about how to stay sane while sailing around the world and why having fun should be on your to do list!

Only Beer and Bikinis?

The boat will not, I repeat, WILL NOT give you a break from work. Trust me on this one. When you sail around the world, whether solo or in a team, you have to remember to take time out of your schedule to enjoy the reasons you went on this exceptional journey in the first place. It is just as much your duty to keep the boat afloat & safe as it is to keep yourself mentally sound.

This is why in this fabulous video, we as a travel couple are documenting what a healthy working-life-balance looks like when cruising. We don’t always manage to balance work and fun this well. This week we spend in Ecuador sailing around with Ryan was everything we strive for everyday we’re out there.

Lots of Love from Hawai’i
Kim & James

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