Latest News

COME JOIN US FOR FREE ONE-HOUR SEMINARS AT THE SEATTLE BOAT SHOW THIS WEEKEND, FEB 3, 4 & 5!!!
We still get excited about being invited to present free one-hour seminars at major boat shows, and 2012 holds a very special treat for us: the Toronto Boat Show producers have invited us to speak there for our first time ever. Here are the dates we will be speaking: Toronto: Jan. 14-15, 2012 Chicago: Jan. 26-29, 2012 Seattle: Feb. 3-5, 2012 Oakland: April 12-15, 2012 Each seminar will be co-sponsored by West Marine, Blue Water Sailing Magazine, Mahina Expeditions and the show producers. We are always available at the table outside the seminar room before and after each seminar to answer your cruising questions. If you've been thinking about joining us for our Offshore Cruising Seminar or for a sail-training expedition aboard Mahina Tiare or signing up for a Boat Selection Consultation, this is an excellent time for us to meet and discuss your cruising plans.

CHICAGO BOAT SHOW AND SEMINAR TOTAL SUCCESS!
Our seminars were packed but most exciting thing of all was to meet several people who attended last year's Offshore Cruising Seminar and are now on their own boats cruising or just waiting for their homes to sell so they can head for warmer water.

Jimmy Cornell, author of World Cruising Routes spoke at our Chicago seminar

BAXTER, MOLLY AND KALA HAVING WAAAY TOO MUCH FUN IN THE BAHAMAS!!
Swimming pigs that come out to your boat for food scraps when you call them, snorkeling in sunken airliners; you gotta check this out! Baxter and Molly were Boat Purchase Consultation clients (they ended up purchasing a very tidy and quite well equipped Tartan 37) and joined us on a very exciting Leg 2-11. Shortly after returning from Rarotonga, they set sail south from North Carolina and are now in the Bahamas seriously having too much fun! This is what it is all about - you don't have to sail around the world to get away and have an amazing adventure.

JIMMY CORNELL TO SPEAK AT OUR CHICAGO AND OAKLAND OFFSHORE CRUISING SEMINARS!
It's been several years since Jimmy was a co-presenter at our seminars, and we are really looking forward to his joining us for these two seminars. He will have copies of his new Cruising Atlas which will have it's US debut at the Chicago show. Click HERE for details!

CHECK OUT www.DistantShores.ca FOR VERY COOL SAILING DVD'S AND TELEVISION PROGRAMS AIRING WORLDWIDE!
We had briefly met television producers Paul and Sheryl Shard at Strictly Sail Chicago, but the Jan. Toronto show gave us the opportunity to watch two of their seminars and learn more about their very successful and long-running sailing television series. If you can't get enough of sailing adventures on a snowy winter evening, watching their shows is like eating your favourite desert! 

WE CAN'T BEAR LEAVING THE SOUTH PACIFIC JUST YET
Although we said in this column that we would start heading back to Europe in 2013, we had such a wonderful season last year that we've decided to make another similar season in the South Pacific in 2013. Part of our reasoning is that we are hoping Amanda's parents, Robert and Lesley will sail up to meet us in Fiji for the third time in the ex-Sunsail Beneteau 432 they just purchased in Tahiti and sailed home to New Zealand.

COME JOIN US FOR FREE ONE-HOUR SEMINARS AT THE CHICAGO, SEATTLE OR OAKLAND BOAT SHOWS!
We still get excited about being invited to present free one-hour seminars at major boat shows, and 2012 holds a very special treat for us: the Toronto Boat Show producers have invited us to speak there for our first time ever. Here are the dates we will be speaking: Toronto: Jan. 14-15, 2012 Chicago: Jan. 26-29, 2012 Seattle: Feb. 3-5, 2012 Oakland: April 12-15, 2012 Each seminar will be co-sponsored by West Marine, Blue Water Sailing Magazine, Mahina Expeditions and the show producers. We are always available at the table outside the seminar room before and after each seminar to answer your cruising questions. If you've been thinking about joining us for our Offshore Cruising Seminar or for a sail-training expedition aboard Mahina Tiare or signing up for a Boat Selection Consultation, this is an excellent time for us to meet and discuss your cruising plans.

EXCITING TIMES FOR BOAT PURCHASE CONSULTATION!
I've never been busier with boat consultation in 30 years than now, and the exciting part is that my clients are finding boats and setting sail! Three boats of very different consultation clients have just set sail for the Bahamas from Florida on their just-purchased boats, and another Brazilian couple just purchased their dream boat in the Dominican Republic and are off on a long-awaited circumnavigation. Current clients are from or are living in Indonesia, Brazil, Norway, Mexico, Columbia, Canada and the States. They frequently relay their experience with surveyors, closing/documentation services and boatyards which all gets filed away to help a later client. Surveyors tell us that the only part of the boat market that is strong is that of offshore-capable cruising boats. If you're ready to get started narrowing down the search for your dream cruising boat within your budget, I'm ready to help you. Just click HERE to fill our the Boat Purchase Consultation Questionnaire.

BOATS TO CONSIDER FOR OFFSHORE CRUISING JUST UPDATED!
Click here to view John's latest list including several additions and deletions.

150,000 MILES AND STILL SAILING FAST AND STRONG!
Mahina Tiare's log just turned over 150,000 miles, the equivalent of SAILING SIX TIMES AROUND THE WORLD! As she is structurally sound and still looks like a new boat, she is a huge testimony to the amazing quality of Hallberg-Rassy yachts. MT's original Volvo TMD 31L engine now has 11,400 hours but still doesn't use a drop of oil, doesn't smoke and comes up with annual oil analysis records identical to when new. Even so, we are booked in to repower once we reach Sweden and our favorite Marinssons Brother's boatyard in 2014. We will also once again have Martinssons replace all rigging including the Selden Furlex and lifelines as they did at 100,000 miles.

WE LOVE FIJI!!!
This has to be the best tropical cruising destination in the world, and we are delighted to be back, anchored in the same spot and walking on the exact same beach at Musket Cove, Malololailai Island where we were married by a sulu-wearing Fijian minister in 1998, between Legs 4 & 5. We scheduled 13 days off this year between Legs 4 & 5 and not only are we getting Mahina Tiare in top shape, we've had time for trail running, kayaking, swimming and visiting with our Fijian friends and cruisers. Life just doesn't get any better!

1998 Wedding

2011 13th Anniversary!

2011 SEASON IS NOW SOLD OUT
Wait lists are now forming for Legs 7 & 8.

2012 EXPEDITIONS FILLING UNUSUALLY EARLY
We've just received five applications for 2012 expeditions in three days and now Leg 1 is sold out and Leg 2 & 4 each have just one berth available. We're not sure what to attribute these early bird applications to - possibly our series of articles that have been appearing in Australian Yachting, as we're having more Aussies than ever apply.

BOAT PURCHASE CONSULTATION IS BUSY, BUSY BUSY!
We've had consultation clients worldwide making offers and buying boats left and right! Prices on high quality cruising boats seem to have possibly dropped slightly in the past few months. Not good if you're trying to sell, but this is an awesome time to buy! Many of our clients have resigned themselves to the fact that the economy is not going to improve for several years and are purchasing less expensive boats than originally planned. Hey, the bottom line is getting out cruising!

Click HERE to read STAYING SHIPSHAPE: Maintaining and Refitting a Coastal or Offshore Cruising Boat from Blue Water Sailing's April 2011 issue.

PIRACY, SECURITY AND CRUISERS
Click HERE for our just-updated article with an addition by Jimmy Cornell on how to avoid the Red Sea and Middle East completely while circumnavigating.

Click HERE FOR UPDATED TROPICAL AND TEMPERATE SEA BAG LISTS
The 2011 West Marine master catalog is out and we've updated our gear lists to include some excellent new gear that we have tested aboard Mahina Tiare over the past year.

YET AGAIN, SHE'S A COVER GIRL!
Mahina Tiare graces the cover of the Feb. 2011 SAIL magazine!

CONSULTATION CLIENTS SET ALL TIME RECORD OF ONLY 27 DAYS FROM INITIAL CONTACT TO SURVEY AND PURCHASE OF THEIR DREAM BOAT! More...

I'VE FOUND COOL NEW TEVA SANDALS FOR TROPICAL EXPEDITION MEMBERS!
Perfect for hiking, trail running and even for wearing on the plane, these Tevas eliminate the need to bring shoes with you on the expedition. Click HERE to see them. http://www.rei.com/product/781265

THIS IS ONE OF OUR MANY REWARDS FOR LEADING SAIL-TRAINING EXPEDITIONS...
what greater reward is there than helping our expedition members gather the tools, knowledge and experience to realize their own dreams of ocean cruising? Linda and Brad joined us about five years ago for the passage from Noumea to Auckland and now they sold up and sailed here on their own boat! Click here for the full story.

AMANDA'S WHITBREAD 'ROUND THE WORLD RACE
Click here for a Youtube clip of Amanda's 1989-90 world circumnavigation as rigger aboard MAIDEN, the first all-woman Whitbread race boat.

THERE'S A NEW WEBSITE FOR WOMEN AND CRUISING
Amanda was recently interviewed for their latest Galley Article click here for her answers and galley advice.

PIRACY AND SECURITY
So many seminar attendees asked about what we have done to avoid any piracy or security issues aboard our boats over the past 35 years, that we have written a new page which will be in next year's Offshore Companion books and is now posted under Resources-Links-Piracy and includes links to the sites we use to determine WHERE NOT TO SAIL!

CLICK HERE FOR A RECENT INTERVIEW OF AMANADA AND JOHN ON www.threesheetsnw.com.

WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT AND HOW THEY MAKE IT HAPPEN:
READ AMANDA'S NEW FOUR-PART SERIES PUBLISHED IN CRUISING WORLD, click here

MEET MICHAEL HENRICHS, MAHINA EXPEDITIONS DESIGNATED TRAVEL AGENT OF CHOICE
Michael is a sailor and manager of Doug Fox Travel North Seattle office which handles much of the international travel for University of Washington. Open six days a week, 8:30-6:00 weekdays, 10-3 Saturdays (Pacific time), Michael's toll free number is 1-877-429-5787 and his email address is: michael.henrichs@dougfoxtravel.com. He has traveled to many of the countries we sail to and we are working closely with him to ensure smoothest possible airline and hotel bookings for expedition members.

We don't receive compensation from travel agents, but we have found it helpful having a dedicated agent who understands our specific needs (expedition members must be in port of joining at least 24 hours early, and must not book return tickets before 2PM on final day of expedition). Many times Michael will offer a lower price than available on the internet by using a travel wholesaler. An additional advantage is if your airline changes your return ticket while you are aboard, Michael will alert us via email.

ANOTHER SATISFIED BOAT PURCHASE CONSULTATION CLIENT FINDS HIS DREAM BOAT!
Click here for the details!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR NEW NAUTICAL TERMINOLOGY TEST.
We welcome suggestions for additional terms to include on the test, and we invite expedition members to study this (the answers are in your Expedition Companion books sent out before you join us) in preparation for joining Mahina Tiare.

WE AREN'T LOOKING FOR EXPERT SAILORS, JUST INTERMIDIATE SAILORS WHO REALLY WANT TO GAIN OFFSHORE VOYAGING SKILLS!

Recently we've received emails from several people who didn't think they had enought experience to apply for an expedition, even though they have certainly had more than intermediate sailing skills.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAITS WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN AN APPLICANT ARE:

• the ability to get along well with others in challenging environments
  
• the willingness to give 100% in all situations
  
• the desire to learn everything possible about offshore sailing
  
• a personal committment to a healthy and active lifestyle
  

We find that if you are outgoing, enjoy making new friends and experiencing different cultures you will be a positive asset to our crew.

LINDA & MIKE DAWKINS, LEG 8, 2003 EXPEDITION MEMBERS ARE LIVING THEIR DREAM! read more!


MAHINA EXPEDITIONS GETS STRONG REVIEWS FROM A CORPORATE CONSULTANT/TEAM BUILDER!

Read the article here: http://www.etdalliance.com/wie_inaction.html?art=5"

CAN TESTING MAKE YOU A BETTER SAILOR?
We think it can increase retention of valuable skills and information, at the least. Our expedition tests started with a single page covering the following:

*Overboard Rescue (including individual hands-on demonstration)
*Abandon Ship Equipment (including physically inventorying each our our three containers)
*Liferaft Deployment (including a video and physically lifting our raft out of it's cradle on deck)
*Bilge Pumps: location, operations and alarms
*Hoisting the main, reefing (including individual time trials), dropping the main, shaking out a reef
*Wind speeds for reefing, upwind and downwind

The first test proved so successful at getting expedition members focused on learning and retaining key information we have added the following individual tests, each given the morning following the presentation of the subject:
Marine Weather (includes drawing different key weather symbols)
Diesel Engines (following our engine class and video)
Anchoring (includes drawing diagrams of each technique discussed)
Storm Tactics (includes hands-on deployment of warp and drogue as well as drawing each tactic discussed)
Sails and Rigging (includes utilizing our Pfaff 130 machine to make a sail repair)

MAHINA EXPEDITIONS REQUIRED BY TOP INSURANCE CARRIER FOR SOME CRUISERS APPLYING FOR OFFSHORE INSURANCE
Each of the major international insurance carriers (Lloyds, Pantaneius, Blue Water, IMIS) recognizes that completing one our our expeditions with intensive, focussed training makes you a much better risk,and we hear from previous expedition members of discounts as much as 40% on offshore insurance premiums. For the first time however, one of the very best insurers, Al Golden,owner of International Marine Services is specifically recommending Mahina Expeditions to clients with limited offshore experience who are hoping to be accepted into his very selective and most highly rated Jackline Insurance Program. Jackline is the first and only "A" rated US underwritten program that includes worldwide navigation for crews of two or more. www.IMIScorp.net.

CONCERNED ABOUT SEASICKNESS DURING HIGH SEAS EXPEDITIONS?
If so, click here for our latest addition, an overview of what really works for preventing and treating seasickness.

CAN COMPLETING A PASSAGE ABOARD MAHINA TIARE BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE AND ADVENTURE? Read more here!

HOW TO ORDER AMANDA'S BOOK

"The Essential Galley Companion"
Recipes and Provisioning Advice For Your Boating Adventures


Whether you're a weekend boater or preparing for an extended voyage or perhaps traveling by RV, this book presents essential and concise information on:

- Stowage, food preparation and cooking in a small space
- Adaptable and versatile recipes for worldwide travel
- Delicious, healthy and easy-to-prepare meals
- Catching, preparing and cooking fish
- Cooking in heavy weather and preventing seasickness
- International medical and health concerns
- Avoiding disasters and frustration in the galley

Amanda has included over 375 recipes drawn from her 125,000 boating miles, experience as a professional chef and overland journeys in 50 countries. The Essential Galley Companion redefines the traditional concept of boating cuisine with an intriguing collection of 375 international recipes and galley advice interwoven with tales of personal adventure.

"The Essential Galley Companion is the most useful, authoritative and entertaining galley book published in a long time."
-Dan Spurr, editor, Practical Sailor

"Everything you could ever want to know about provisioning and cooking on a boat, a seagoing Joy of Cooking. The Essential Galley Companion will help you cut those dock lines and go cruising - for a week-end or a year."
-Steve and Linda Dashew, author of Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia

$29.95 plus tax
Credit cards or checks accepted

To order this book Call or fax us with your Credit Card number:
tel. 360-378-6131 · fax 360-378-6331
or send a check to: P.O. Box 1596 · Friday Harbor · WA 98250 USA
Or email us at : sailing@mahina.com