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We are shockingly behind in updating our website. During the month of May, we spent 2 unforgettable weeks in the Tuamotus, with its crystal clear waters, sharks and unique atolls that are the remains of sunken volcanic islands ringed with coral. 

We explored the atolls of Raroia, Makemo and Fakarava. Getting inside each atoll meant navigating the pass through the coral reef at exactly the right time and avoiding the ‘bommies’ or dangerous coral heads that peppered the inner lagoons like landmines. 

The marine life was spectacular, especially the thriving coral reefs and schooling fish. We dove the south Fakarava pass where we saw thousands of sharks prowling in the nutrient rich waters.

The atolls were perfectly flat, which made for excellent biking alongside the sandy beaches and coconut groves. The roads were smooth and paved, a nod to the French military engineers who unfortunately used the Tuamotus for their nuclear testing program.

The conditions were also ideal for wing foiling, but no matter how much we practiced and worked on our technique, we never seemed to get any better,  

We had lots of memorable culinary experiences in the Tuamotus. The kids harvested some enormous sea cucumbers, which were fantastic. We also ate sea urchins (less delicious) and giant Pacific clams (excellent). We did have to be extra careful not to eat any fish contaminated with deadly ciguatera toxin and had to throw a couple of our catches to the sharks. 

Early June, we sailed to the busy island of Tahiti where we spent time at the marina getting some boat repairs. Papeete was a bustling urban town and we never got used to the constant sound of traffic or the smell of exhaust fumes. It was still a beautiful island and we made the best of our time there. 

We also loved the Tahitian black sand beaches and the translucent waters. The massive Carrefour French supermarket was a grocery shopping Mecca for us and we couldn’t get enough of the local patisserie for French pastries.

All of our boat repairs were finally done and we set off for Tahiti’s little sister island Moorea. We had a short but hair-raising passage through the Ha’apiti pass with 40knt winds and massive waves. 

The kids got plenty of time to play with their boat friends on LIA (Flandersfamily Today on YouTube) as we explored the gorgeous sapphire waters around Moorea. 

Val’s sister and her family arrived in Moorea for an epic week together. They rented a fantastic beach house with gentle stingrays swimming leisurely laps along their beach. The kids all moved off the boat for a few days, leaving Welles and Val blissfully alone!

While the kids were living it up at the beach house, the grown-ups went on hiking and biking adventures all around the island. Highlights included the pineapple plantations, the swing up on the peak of the Three Pines trail and the local shrimp farm.

Everyone came aboard Optimystic for the overnight sail from Moorea to Raiatea. It wasn’t smooth and there were lots of upset stomachs and pale faces by the time we arrived at the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site Taputapuatea, which was the center of the ancient Polynesian world. We did a cool wreck dive of a 1900’s Danish three-masted schooner and some spectacular snorkeling.

The next island was Taha’a, where we threw ourselves into learning all about local farming. We visited a pearl farm (where we all acquired the famous Polynesian black pearls), a vanilla farm and an artisanal cocoa farm for sumptuous dark chocolate. It’s astounding how much passion, time and effort goes into cultivating these precious resources. 

As we wrap up the month of June and hit the midpoint of our year at sea, we’re enjoying all that Bora Bora has to offer. The iconic volcanic peak is a stunning backdrop to the impossibly blue waters. It’s no wonder that the island is known at the Pearl of the Pacific.

Despite the dozens of over-water bungalow resorts and hordes of experience-hungry tourists, we’ve had surprisingly close encounters with sea creatures. There have been huge schools of eagle rays, big reef sharks that pass within inches of us and huge, peaceful mantas that glide so close to our feet that we have to lift our swim fins out of the way. It’s been magical!

The US military has left a lasting mark on Bora Bora. The airport, roads, cargo harbor, WWII cannons and old military bunkers are all thanks to the 5,000 American GIs that poured into Bora Bora in 1942 to create a refueling base for the fight against the Japanese. We couldn’t help but wonder how the 1,500 Polynesian locals felt about this drastic change.

Nuku Hiva was the perfect place to immerse ourselves in Marquesan culture. We settled into the bay of Taiohae and got to know the local shops and boulangerie, where we bought daily baguettes and croissants. We spent an unanticipated two weeks here, but loved the chance to get to know the island better. 

The Giant Tiki of Taiohae was a sight to behold. It kept a watchful eye over us at our anchorage, where Charlotte saw dolphins, hammerhead sharks and dragon eels while diving with the dive shop owner. We ate out in various restaurants and got to know a few Marquesan locals and French expats living here. 

Nuku HIva is the largest of the Marquesan islands and the views from its green peaks are spectacular. There are also several impressive archeological sites hidden in its thick forests. 

A small produce market in Taiohae was always filled new and fresh tropical fruits. Our fruit hammock was bursting. We couldn’t get enough of all the French charcuterie and cornichons in the supermarkets Or the dragonfruit smoothies at the snack shop near the chandlery. 

While Val returned to the US on an emergency trip to buy a new windlass motor, Welles took the kids on an epic horseback riding adventure in the highlands of Nuku Hiva. They rode through guava orchards and clouds of monarch butterflies. 

Once the new windlass motor was installed, we were finally able to raise anchor and set sail for the Tuamotu atolls. These islands could not be more different with their dry climate, pale pink sand beaches and coconut palms. These postcard perfect deserted islands are teeming with sharks and marine life. 

Our first week in the Marquesas has been magical. We make landfall in Fatu Hiva, a remote tropical paradise with high volcanic peaks and brilliant green vegetation. Optimystic is the tiny little white speck down in the bay!

The local Marquesans were incredibly warm and hospitable, selling us an abundance of tropical fruits from their gardens and fresh crawfish from their streams. We picked our own bananas, rambutan, papaya, pamplemousse (an enormous local sweet grapefruit), limes and starfruit from trees on the island. 

Our next stop was the small island of Tahuata, which has the only white sand beach in the Marquesas and is known for its manta rays and sharks! The diving has been breathtaking - a wonderland of fish species along with octopi, sharks and manta rays. 

Early this morning, we finally made landfall in French Polynesia. It was a long 28 days of open ocean sailing from Panama. We traveled over 4,200 nautical miles.

The crossing sometimes seemed endless as time became stretchy with nothing but sea and sky in every direction. There were ups and downs. Some of our favorite moments were catching fish, swimming out in the middle of the deepest parts of the ocean and seeing tons of sea birds. 

Our biggest challenges were lightening storms, losing TWO of our sails, losing steerage for 12 hours and the massive waves that tossed us around for weeks on end. Still, it was an epic experience that tested our mental and physical fortitude. And, the sunsets never failed to impress. 

We made it to Panama after a stomach-churning 800 nautical miles of open ocean. There were some ups and downs, but a highlight was catching TWO 100Ibs tunas, that will be feeding us for months.

Our first taste of Panama’s rich history was in Portobelo, the old colonial port where ALL the gold stolen by the Spanish from the New World was loaded onto ships and sent back to Europe. It was a hotbed of piracy and later became the heart of Congo culture as African slaves brought their arts and traditions to Panama.

A few days on land with Val’s family was filled with wildlife encounters, including curious Howler monkeys and a memorable floating breakfast on a crocodile infested lake. 

We sailed to the San Blas Islands, a totally unique archipelago of over 340 islands along the coast of Panama controlled by the indigenous Guna Indians. 

A visit to the Guna Indian villages on the Carti Islands was eye-opening with its labyrinths of traditional reed huts and palm frond roofs. The Guna inhabitants of these islands are among the first be be relocated as environmental refugees because of the rising sea levels. 

The beaches were beautiful and snorkeling was spectacular. There were schools of eagle rays and forests of coral so vast and vibrant that it was hard to believe. 

We returned to Colon in preparation for our Panama Canal crossing and took extra precautions to ready the boat for our Pacific crossing. Optimystic was hauled out of the water for a thorough inspection of her hull and a service of her engines. 

On March 13th we completed our epic crossing of the Panama Canal. It was an experience of a lifetime as we were wedged into the locks with massive container ships and were first-hand witnesses to one of the greatest feats of engineering ever built. 

We made it to the Pacific! After years of planning and the past months of learning on the go, we finally caught our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean from Optimystic’s deck. By the time you read this, we’ll probably be underway and headed to the Marquesas Islands.

Our second week on Bonaire was a fishing bonanza. We caught tuna and mahi mahi and even a queen snapper. 

There was lots more diving along colorful reefs where Val witnessed her very first octopus slinking into its coral den. Charlotte is ALWAYS game for a dive and the best at spotting unique little creatures. 

And then, more fishing! The boys would fish off the dinghy at night or try their hand at snorkel fishing in the afternoons. 

We’re in Bonaire! Starlink is banned here in the Dutch Caribbean, so it’s been a big challenge to stay connected. We left Puerto Rico after scraping our hulls clean. 

Our passage last week was a queasy and teeth-gritting 60 hour experience. The winds howled at up to 30 knots and we saw days of 10-15 foots waves (sometimes higher than our flybridge).

The kids had to wear their life jackets for the entire passage and we also ran our jacklines for extra safety.

We’ve spent this last week exploring the pristine reefs and cactus and salt covered island of Bonaire.

The kids were totally fascinated by the thousands of wild flamingoes wading through the salty ponds. We’ve never seen flamingoes in such vibrant pink colors.

The diving in Bonaire is incredible and the kids are blowing bubbles every day. They even caught sight of the infamous gargantuan green moray eel of Munk’s Haven dive site. At about 8 feet long and the thickness of a heavy-weight wrestler’s thigh, it looks like it came straight out of the Jurassic period. 

We said farewell to Alex and Jason and took over all the work on the boat ourselves. Val and the kids went off into the El Yunque jungle to find the hidden natural water slides of Las Pailas. They were treacherous and terrifying but so much fun! We then zipped over to Palomino Island for a night with the tarpon and pelicans. 

We managed to Tetris all our gear into a single rental vehicle (with Max lying horizontally on top of the luggage). Dodging potholes and iguana roadkill, we eventually made it to the marina where Optimystic welcomed us bathed in moonlight. Our home for the next 12 months. 

We’re now unpacking and settling in for the next few days at our slip in the Puerto del Rey Safe Harbor marina, where we keep company with flotillas of outrageously overpowered Puerto Rican sport fishing boats. Welles flew in this afternoon to find Optimystic in utter chaos. It looked like our bags had exploded over every single surface. Not to worry, order will reign soon enough.

It’s been a grueling week of running mind-numbing errands to stock up the boat. Everyone was relieved when we finally set sail.. 

Master-rigger Alex and electronics/sailing guru Jason are helping us this week, putting up our new sails and getting all the systems running smoothly. 

They’ve got us working hard as we problem-solve and learn the ins and outs of the boat.