Iolea

We are an Australian couple (Paul Duncan & Kate Owen) who bought Iolea in Annapolis USA in 2010. Our cruising adventure started with a couple of years cruising the Caribbean. In 2013 we transited the Panama Canal and crossed the Pacific to NZ. For the past 3 years we have been cruising NZ (north and top of the south), Fiji and Vanuatu. We arrived in the Solomon Islands early April following 6 months sailing through Kiribati, The Marshall Islands and a short stop in Kosrae. This year we are heading back to Vanuatu and then on to New Caledonia before returning to NZ and preparing to head back across the Pacific in 2018.

Recent Updates

Posted: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 - 08:59

Yeah we've arrived at Port Sidney Marine, which will be our home for the next six months. Sure pleased to be in here, this is a lovely marina, with good facilities and a top location. Now we're

Posted: Thu, 3 Oct 2019 - 10:35

Pulled into Lyall Harbour yesterday. This is where we will spend our last two nights on anchor before heading into Port Sidney Marina where Iolea will remain for 6mths. Sure looking forward to going

Posted: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 - 14:54

Well we are now anchored off Vancouver Island in an anchorage called Nanaimo Harbour. This feels a bit like Sydney Harbour back home as it is back in the big smoke. Today's plan is to finally get

Posted: Mon, 30 Sep 2019 - 14:51

A functional stop tonight after leaving Desolution Sound to break up the trip south. I've never seen so many jelly fish before. We belatedly realised that was why two local boats had anchored

Posted: Sun, 29 Sep 2019 - 14:37

Well today intense as we traverse the holy trilogy of dangerous rapids around the Cordero Channel being - Dent Rapids, Gillard Passage & Yuculta Rapids. Timing is absolutely critical here as these

Posted: Sat, 28 Sep 2019 - 14:28

Today we tackled the top half of the notorious Johnstone Strait where 4-5kts currents normally hit 4-5kts, which in a wind against tide scenario would be out right dangerous. Fortunately for us we

Posted: Fri, 27 Sep 2019 - 14:27

Well after crossing Queen Charlotte Strait in what we expected to be good sailing conditions which were favourable current, favourable 2-3m swell, and 20kts of wind from behind, all being in the

Posted: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 - 14:20

Our staging point for tomorrow's crossing to Queen Charlotte Strait is Fury Cove. This is a modestly sized anchorage with good anchoring depths and great vista through various cuts to the ocean and

Posted: Wed, 25 Sep 2019 - 14:17

We decided to anchor in Joe's Bay tonight which is a bomb proof tiny little deep water anchorage. What is bizarre about this place is that the maximum ebb tide out of the anchorage occurs at the top

Posted: Tue, 24 Sep 2019 - 14:20

Well today's passage was real heart in your mouth stuff as we had to traverse Perceval Narrows which is unpassable for most boat at anytime other than slack tide, which of course never occurs on

Posted: Mon, 23 Sep 2019 - 14:12

Tonight's stop was in the well protected Rescue Bay. This is a large anchorage that could take a lot of boats.

Posted: Sat, 21 Sep 2019 - 14:10

We needed good protection from a forecast 30kt blow from the SE with heavy rain so we pulled into Butedale to tie alongside the public dock for two days to let the weather pass. A functional stop

Posted: Fri, 20 Sep 2019 - 14:08

Our first stop since leaving Prince Rupert is a tiny little anchorage half way through the Grenville Channel called Exposed Inlet. It is a lovely little anchorage that is well protected against all

Posted: Tue, 17 Sep 2019 - 09:21

Woo Hoo! We've arrived in Canada clearing into Prince Rupert. This was the easiest clear in process we've had in 9yrs of cruising, it was all done over the phone. The harbor master's office is new

Posted: Sun, 15 Sep 2019 - 09:15

Wow what a sensationally well protected anchorage, and a great place to cut the passage from Ketchikan to Prince Rupert in half and avoid an overnight passage. This bay is the officially approved

Posted: Sat, 14 Sep 2019 - 09:12

This was a quick one night stop to clear out of USA, do laundry, reprovision, drop off garbage, and have a meal ashore. Not a place that appeals to us as it is essentially a cruise ship town with up

Posted: Thu, 12 Sep 2019 - 16:07

We so pleased we decided to come into Meyers Chuck to hide from the impending two days for rain and strong SE based winds. We were a little nervous as we have not chart data, but locals assured us

Posted: Tue, 10 Sep 2019 - 16:04

Now that our engine is starting perfectly again we headed further south to Frosty Bay for a night, which was a lovely little well protected anchorage.

Posted: Mon, 9 Sep 2019 - 16:02

We were lucky to make it out of Thomas Bay as our engine wouldn't start, thought it may have something to do with the 1 degree water we went through. Luck has it that we did get it started

Posted: Fri, 6 Sep 2019 - 04:54

We saw no bears in our last anchorage despite having spent two nights in Chaplin Bay; we're starting to wonder about where all the bears have gone. Today we moved down to anchor off the south

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Iolea

Iolea

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