• Loyalty Islands – There and Back Again

    The Loyalty Islands lie about 60 miles east of Grand Terre. Four main islands and several islets make up this low-lying, mostly coral grouping. They were annexed by France i [...]

    2016
  • Attack of the Gremlins

    A generator on an energy-demanding boat like Avante is a necessity.  Sure, we can charge up the batteries using the engine, but that consumes triple the amount of diesel, and [...]

    2016
  • Ile des Pins – C’est si bonne!

    On this visit to New Caledonia, we are determined to go out to the small grouping of islands known as the Loyalties which lie approximately 150 nm east of Nouméa.  Needless to [...]

    2016
  • Nouvelle Calédonie

    We have been looking forward to our return to New Caledonia, for it’s a place we really like.  Located a bit further south, its climate is just that much cooler.  A sheet is n [...]

    2016
  • Passage to New Caledonia

    This year, we have a new wind forecasting program on Avante.  It is called “Predict Wind”, and The First Mate is really taken by how clever it is.  For our upcoming passage, T [...]

    2016
  • Fijian Finale

    Three months in the States, and what a full 3 months they were!  We absolutely love our summers in Telluride and do not miss that time if we can help it, but it must be said t [...]

    2016