Sea Quest underway on passage between New Caledonia and New Zealand in the Tasman Sea.

Michael & Tere are skipper and crew. It's a partnership. Both take watches around the clock: three hours on. Three hours off.

Our skiff is our transport between the ship and the shore. Michael built a new one of the same design this year --- goes like the clappers with an 8hp motor. Can hold 8 men and is so stable Tere can put all her weight on one rail without putting it under!

Sea Quest is 47' long and made of steel. She's  heavy and robust. Michael does most of the deck work -- reefing sails and hauling and dropping them. Tere's strength is the reserve for those very difficult moments. She is handy at the helm --- It is she that brings the boat into dock and tight little places.

Nobody likes to cook at sea --- particularly when 'going to weather.' But, The Joys of a Freezer! Most the food for eating at sea we pre-prepare, ready to defrost and heat. It wasn't always like this. We both grew up on vessels that carried only an icebox, useful only in port!

Notice the gimbaled Primus stove. It runs on kerosene, thus minimizing one of the big risks on boats -- bottled gas can lead to explosions.

Tere helps with the chart work, and both attend to the

many jobs it takes to run a yacht. Michael has a constant stream of repairs. Tere must make sure she has the food she needs aboard for long passages and island groups where there are no stores.

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