References:

There were several references that help in the preparation and execution of this trip. The following is a partial list:

  1. Ken Machtley and Cathy Siegismund, S/V Felicity, “First timers guide to Cruising the Coconut Milk Run,” www.svfelicity.com  … It provided a reassuring introduction to first timers, and was very useful for stocking the boat. I wouldn’t agree with all of their suggestions, e.g. for us the Spinnaker was a very useful sail,  but it did provide a reassuring reference point from someone who’d already done it.
  2. Jimmy Cornell, World Cruising Routes, International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press. Provides a detailed guide for selecting the best routes and times to sail from place to place, waypoint to waypoint, around the world.
  3. Charles E. Woods, Charlie’s Charts to Polynesia. Provides detail info on the islands and anchorages of French Polynesia.  One could probably sail the “Coconut Milk Run” using just Charlie’s Charts and Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Routes.
  4. Joe Russell, Exploring the Marquesas Islands, ISBN: 0938665642. A very informative  and helpful cruising guide focusing on the Marquesas.
  5. Lin and Larry Pardey, The Care and Feeding of the Offshore Crew, Norton. Worth it for the bread recipe, if nothing else.
  6. Steve and Linda Dashew, Surviving the Store, Coastal and Offshore Tactics, Beowulf. Fortunately, we didn’t have to use any of the tactics, but I at least felt more prepared, having read it.
  7. National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and British Admiralty Charts. Don’t leave home without them.

Motivational Reading:

  1. Herman Melville, Typee. A semi-autobiographical account of life in the Marquesas Islands in the 1840s.
  2. Reese Paley, There be no Dragons: How to Cross a Big Ocean in a Small Sailboat. It’s just like the title sounds. One very valuable suggestion from Mr. Paley was to create an official looking crew list to give immigrations.
  3. Tony Horwitz, Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before. Funny
  4. Tony Farrington, Rescue in the Pacific: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in a Force 12 Storm. Sobering, educational, and inspirational.
  5. And, of course, Thor Heyerdahl’s KonTiki

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