Travels & Photography
MARIA GATES
February 2014
The Personality of Canyon de Chelly…
October 2013
INFINITY & BEYOND Huahine Raiatea Bora Bora Tahaa…
September 2013
INFINITY & BEYOND Peregrine Settles in Bora Bora…
June 2013
Marquesas Islands and Tuamotu Atolls…
May 2013
INFINITY & BEYOND Puerto Vallarta To The Marquesas Crossing The Pacific Ocean 3,000 Mile Journey…
INFINITY AND BEYOND
S/V PEREGRINE Wings Her Way Across the Pacific Ocean
The Horizons of Life
Crossing the Pacific Ocean is being the center of a fourteen mile diameter CONVEX circle with it’s horizon being aninfinity pool edge. Sailing for 33 days as the center of this circle at an average of 3.4 knots per hour for 2700 miles creates a seemingly endless opportunity to actually observe the round planet earth. We keep going, because the draw to us, extreme adventure seekers that we are,is it’s a different world over there, past the edge….
Life is full of Horizons, they come in all shapes and sizes….people and jobs, marriage and children…interests and hobbies…youth and age…Time is the current that pushes us toward the edges of what we know and water is the current of time made real……
As we leave Mexico we take down the Mexican Flag and we are now official residents of the Pacific Ocean…. Sailing for three days in ever changing winds from light to10-12 knots and some motoring brought us to Soccorro Islands, 320 miles off the coast of Mexico. 
As we approach Benedicto Island, we are awestruck by the volcano that comes up all the way from the bottom of the ocean. 
Hundreds of 8-10 foot dolphins jumping in groups came in from all angles to swim with the boat. 
As we got closer to Benedicto Island, many whales were swimming parallel to the shore, the show was spectacular…this is a mama and baby swimming parallel 
Anchoring off Benedicto Island, where we dove, there were flying fish everywhere, and the dolphins were jumping out of the water to catch the flying fish in the air. There were so many flying fish that one of them flew on the deck and hit Maria’s leg. Now is this a flock of flying fish, or school of flying fish, we never did figure this one out…hehehehehehe… 
30 miles south is Soccorro Island, the island behind Bill. We are meeting our dear friends Irene and Lionel on KIAPA whom gave us a present to open for everyday we were at sea. This Australian Candy Bar is one of the gifts. Something so thoughtful and creative, this was a first for us, realizing that life brings new treasures always……. 
We approached our anchorage, and there was KIAPA waiting for us… This was also a first for us, stopping off in the Pacific Ocean to hook up with some friends…. when does this happen…only when you cross…. 
The Soccorro Islands are nesting grounds for the Brown Boobies…. and they enjoyed our company…. 
And we enjoyed their company….Maria got on quite well with the Brown Boobies on the solar panels….. So well that one of the brown boobies actually landed on her head, and boy was she shocked….it felt like Alfred Hitchcok’s The Birds is the only way she could explain it. 
We enjoyed whales whales whales…Maria went out in her kayak to get close to them, and was so invigorated when one of the huge adults came up right next to her kayak and breathed. It was heart pounding, a moment never to be forgotten. 
This brown boobie went after our fishing lure, and so Maria gingerly released him, but first getting a very good look at him. Look at how big he is.. 
As we left the beautiful Soccoro Islands, the Brown Boobies followed us out 
Maria had to go under the boat to release the fishing lure that was stuck on the rudder, doing this in the middle of the ocean took a safety rope to make sure she didn’t get away…She pulled herself under the boat to the rudder with the fishingline, as she moved towards the rudder, the lure gave way, and the repair was complete. 
We had 2400 more miles to sail and so we did it the old fashioned way, we used our paper charts…to plan our legs to the Marquesas Islands.. 
Now that we left Soccorro Islands, it’s time to get serious…hehehehehe… 
We set our heading for the southwest and caught some wind and off we go….. 
All of the three sails can be managed from the cock pit, we also have all of the instrument gauges handy as well. Our autopilot does the steering for us. Very handy and we love this part of it. 
Our Equipment and instruments are very complete and complex. In the foreground, the right two columns are all AC and the left two columns of the panel are DC. In the background there is a workbench and cabinet with the fuel filters and valves for switching between three fuel tanks and three water tanks. 
After Four days at sea, the winds picked up and we had a low front come in from the south and a low front come in from the north at the same time…UNBELIEVABLE This created 6 days and nights of confused seas with winds up to 25 knots and waves as high as 8 feet. 
We were in the wash machine effect for 6 whole days, we literally went through every cycle of the wash machine. This was a challenge in moving around the boat. Every wave had to be planned for to make a move. 48 bruises later we figured out some very fancy foot work, called lay down on the settee…..hehehehehe….. 
Then the weather cleared, and a full moon came out, we were able to get back to normal.. 
We started catching fish and having a good old time… 
The wind was sending us closer and closer to the equator…our sails were full and our colors were flying… 
We were plowing south displacing water with graceful movement……. Wing to Wing with our Mainsail and Staysail. And then it happened…
The big news is suddenly our winds went from the NE to the SW within a minute and have stayed at the SW since…so you know what that means we are in the ITCZ yippy… we are at 04.02N 127.09w and are going in a 245 heading at 3 knots with
Then we hit the ITCZ which is the Inter Tropical Conversion Zone, also known as the duldrums. With a combination of no
wind and sudden squalls, life got real interesting. A sail thru boat wash…free of charge….
At 5:30 am on our third day in the ITCZ two squalls come together with S/V Peregrinein the middle. The effect was so dramatic and exciting, it was a ride of a lifetime. 
We are in the ITCZ and motored quite a bit, Maria was at the helm at 5:00am and got to steer the boat through two Squalls that came together with us in the middle. Maria said “It was so cool, I turned off the auto pilot and just rode the wind and the waves just like in the movies. I had the time of my life. I had on a rain jacket, and had rain in my face and everywhere. The whole trip is worth it just for that alone. I told Bill you have to come out here 1400 miles to get the ride of a life time. I just was so thrilled with it.” 
After the squalls the rainbows put on a show for us….and then the damage was accessed….As we entered the doldrums, we had some issues come up so we just took a day and fixed everything, thank goodness it could all get fixed. First loss was not being able to communicate with the SSB, but we do have our satellite phone and will rely on this. We also had water coming into the bilge, Bill noticed the pump was working to hard, and we checked
and there was a hose gushing salt water…Bill says if we don’t fix it we will sink…Oh goodness I felt no relief hearing this. I had just finished making dinner about 8:30 at night and the three of us worked on the hose until 11:30, finally got the hose plugged and the water stopped.Finding out this morning that it was from the over flow hose from the cooling hose for the shaft of the cutlass bearing on the propeller. Also the engine was whistling and we had to turn it off, and found the zinc was off the propeller as well. Our Radar then went out, and the furling line from the Main boom furling came apart. So Bill says we can’t use the main sail and can’t use the engine and we’re taking on water, and no radar and no SSB. All at once….what a weird feeling and scary as well to have all of this come down on us all at once…so last night was quite an eye opening experience that showed our vulnerability to say the least. Can you imagine. Of course, I wasn’t worried, as I figured we would work something out… we had our sate phone and our life raft… As things turned out, we were able to fix the furling line to the main sail, the engine got fixed with the fixing of the water hose and
replacing a new zinc, the radar got wet some how from the leak in the boat we think, and today after it had time to dry, it works now, and so
we spent most of today repairing everything, I called it the Bill and Francois Boat Repair shop in the ITCZ….funny…Francois was a God Send,
and his new name is Prince Francois, because I told him he is a Prince….he figured out the reason for the leak (from a air vent/siphon
break sort of thing, we have so many hoses in this boat, it was just a puzzle of connections…Bill found the hose that the water was coming from and we had to break the siphon to stop it. We spent about 20 hrs. just bobbing around – no wind and no engine and just really relaxed (still had to do watches) and then all went swimming around the boat in the ITCZ and had a great time, Personally I am really just loving this slow crossing, as it gives me time to really be with it and have it part of our address for many weeks. Bill replaced the prop zinc and just checked everything out down there.
We had to stop at the ITCZ Boat Repair Shop of Bill and Prince Francois for one day. How often do you get to fix a flat dingy tire in the middle of the ocean? 
We had an hose leaking and spent one night and one morning figuring out where it came from and where it lead to. Imagine trying to work in all of these hoses leading all over the boat… We discovered that we had to bleed the hose to stop it from filling the bilge and stopping the leak. 
The fitting on the staysail boom broke, and the staysail was wild…so Bill repaired this with one of the only ships we saw passing us in the background. 
The furling line on the mainsail broke, and Bill had to rework the furling line to raise and lower the main… 
After the repairs Bill was able to get some rest and relaxation on the sugar scoop. He better hold on or he will be shark bait. 
The birds kept him company, even they have to rest some of the time. 
We do our laundry off the sugar scoop…… 
and we bath off of the sugar scoop….hold on tight… 
As we made it through the ITCZ, we were accompanied by a pod of about 10 pilot whales… we saw four kinds of whales crossing in all. 
Night fishing, we caught a squid, it was a very unique catch…. 
And we had calamari the following night for dinner….the best we ever tasted… 
WE HAVE HIT THE EQUATOR…..FINALLY…..realizing we have skipped a wholesummer by changing hemispheres, we went from spring straight to fall. 
This called for a costume party, 00 Degrees, Nemo, and 00 Minutes were all at the Neptune Party. We are now officially called Shell Backs… 
These Blue Whales are just HUGE and were right next to the boat. So in total we came across FOUR different kinds of whales, Gray Whales, Hump Back Whales,Pilot Whales and Blue Whales….This was so INCREDIBLE…. What an OCEAN the PACIFIC is… 
FINALLY AFTER 33 DAYS AT SAIL AND 6 DAYS IN SOCCORO WE HIT LAND…. 40 DAYS TOTAL….LENT!!!!!!! 
Bill was so happy to hang the French Polynesian Flag 
As we say goodbye and smooth sailing we would like to share with you some of our marvelous skies we encountered… The trick question here is which of the following photos are sunrises and which ones are sunsets….. 
Our trip begins April 1, 2013 when we launched from PUERO VALLARTA, MEXICO on the longest ocean crossing on the planet earth,to the MARQUESAS ISLANDS in FRENCH POLYNESIA with 3 crew members on board, Captain Bill,Admiral Maria and Prince Francois from France. Our provisions include 120 eggs, 240 servings of protein, assorted legumes, assorted nuts, assorted starches,240 servings of vegetables,180 fruits, 280 gallons of diesel fuel, lots of juices and drinks, etc..etc..etc..It’s always tons of fun to stow tons of provisions for a trip that is so unpredictable…this is the challenge and the creative part that really gets one engaged in the project….With the boat in mint condition and the provisions stowed we were off…
May 2013
INFINITY & BEYOND Marquesas through Moorea…
April 2013
INFINITY & BEYOND Preparing To Cross The Pacific Ocean To French Polynesia…
March 15, 2013
INFINITY AND BEYOND LA PAZ TO PUERTO VALLARTA
As the S/V Peregrine takes Maria and Bill across the Sea of Cortez, we sailed for 2 days and got some of the best sailing wind EVER.
This is what people fall in love with in sailing, the right wind at the right time with the right boat.
This Sierra Fish is one of the best tasting fish on the planet to eat. 
Our new found friends have a close place in out hearts. 
We go in and out of the wonderful ports and fishing villages discovering rare birds like blue footed boobies… This is as miraculous as the Galapagos Islands….here we are leaving Isla Isabella 
The Blue Footed Boobies come in many shades of Blue….. 
The Blue Footed Boobies have the cutest eyes, they have no fear of humans. They lay their eggs in the sand and the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs. Now that is a really good relationship. 
As the crow flys, no these are vultures and they are not flying…..which way do we go… 
Here is Maria, doing her Photo thing….loving the life of a nature photographer… 
We spent several nights here in Ispiritu Santos Islands, discovering the sea caves and the many trails without a soul in sight. 
It was time to track down the Whale Sharks to go swimming with them. So we asked local knowledge in La Paz, and got the straight scoop. 
We then said our prayers so that we would find many sharks and be safe swimming with them…. 
With our new knowledge, we set off on the mission to find the whale sharks….with Captain Chapman at the tiller. 
We found them, and we swam with them, and we photographed them.. The Whale sharks are by far the largest fish on the planet. 65-80 Feet Long, with a 5-6 Foot wide mouth. 
The Cacti in Mexico (Cardon in Spanish) are of rare and old species. This cactus in the photo is 200-300 years old. 
The many year old adobe dwellings of Mexico are fascinating to see and to imagine the families that spent their generations in these structures and experienced the joys and struggles of life. 
Kayaking in some of the most adventurous world class areas in the Sea of Cortez just doesn’t get better. 
Snorkeling becomes a family affair…. 
A Devil Ray giving a Rocket Performance. 
As Bill and Maria explore Isla Isabella, the S/V Peregrine waits patiently for our return. 
It’s not just Fish, there are some reptiles hanging out here too. Check out the Crocodile in San Blas. 
Turtle reptiles share the waters with their winged feathered friends. 
As our days come to an end at sunset, we are just so grateful to have this chance to be at one with nature at all times. 
October 2012
Bill and Maria begin their journey to INFINITY and BEYOND
S/V Peregrine wings her way South
San Diego to La Paz, Mexico
On October 29, 2012 we picked up our anchor and as our Peregrine spreads her wings, we begin an adventure of a lifetime.
S/V Peregrine is a 2002 Tayana 46′ Pilot house cutter Sailing Vessel that was custom built in Taiwan by a long established heavy duty ocean cruising sail boat manufacturer. She is a modern luxury sailing vessel designed for cruising heavy duty ocean crossings.We make our own fresh water from the sea with our watermaker. We use solar panels for most of our electrical needs, air conditioning, incredible stereo system, a refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, microwave, two heads, three showers, two staterooms, and Bill’s really coolelectrical, mechanical room. Our dingy or shall we say tender has a hard bottom with a 15 horse engine for fast planing to get to and from the boat. We also have 2 12′ Kayaks on board, and a life raft…..so 5 boats total…We are boat crazy all the sudden….hehehehe….
Our communications include a satelite phone that works anywhere in the world, VHF radio, single side band radio,radar, two electronic chart plotters and several GPS’s. Being at sea now a days, what a break through withall of the navigational progress in electronics, is a whole lot of fun….
Sitting in our roomy and airy open pilot house, we can see all around us, a 360 that is, of the ocean, land, and several of the other things happening like boats and sea life and life in the air.There is roller furling on all the sails and winches to work them all. An electric winch to raise and lower the main sail, also to make life easy an electric windlass on the bow to drop and pick up anchor.
We really feel she is our home, we have all the things we need. We are able to explore the land, what a great life style. The Mexican people are so accommodating and grateful. We really feel safe here.
We are finding that the majority of the folks we meet are from Canada, Washington State and Oregon.
Our plans are to go on from La Paz to the islands here in The Sea of Cortezand then onto mainland Mexico, heading south and continuing on the globeas the wind takes us to INFINITY AND BEYOND………………….
We said goodbye to our marina and a rainbow was there to cheer us on. 
Master Captain Bill surveys the waters to see what boats are around us for our sail through the first three nights at sea 
“They’re everywhere” is the Captain’s response as he secures a safe course for Turtle Bay 
We anchor at Turtle Bay in the ever so baron desert of Baja California which is unusually green from Hurricane Paul’s recent visit . 
The following day we head to shore for a warm welcome party for the 125 Baja HaHa boats that are rallying together from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Folks were even flying in for this huge event. (Google “Baja HaHa” for more on the rally) 
On our way to the fiesta we are visited by the Mexican Navy in the middle of Turtle Bay 
Lieutenant Alloya and his men gave us “inexperienced” boaters some wonderful safety advice, thank goodness for them or we could of been in deep water over our heads! 
Happily on our way, the beach party was in our reach 
This rock and roll band came over 180 kilometers on desert off roads just to play for us 
Enjoying this time together is not hard for us as you can see, HEHEHEHEHEHE 
The tides and playa created eye candy artwork for us all day long 
The party must end some time, back to the boat on the party panga 
The following days at sea brought Bill, Maria and our close friend Ron to the southern tip of Baja California: Ron joined us for the trip to Cabo San Lucas 
Another crimson and tangerine Pacific Ocean sunset along our several nights at sea 
Our girl gets us to CABO SAN LUCAS 
We arrive safetly in Cabo San Lucas and low and behold the sky is painted in the most stunning sunset we think we have ever seen. 
We headed east around the most southern point of Baja, CA. and then headed north up into the Sea of Cortez and anchor in Frailies. (Friar in Spanish) The name is from the rock formation that you see in the photo that the Spanish dubbed “A Friar Climbing up the Mountain”. 
Our Welcoming Party was ready for us, they were calling our names…. 
In Los Fraillies anchorage the Devil Rays fly through the air and flop on their bellies making loud water slap sounds very cool, a new on on me….there is always something new to see….it’s just infinite…(photo courtesy of Octavio) 
Maria summited the first mountain she saw and got this amazing view from the top. In the distant cove is an underwater marine reserve that we went diving in called Cabo Pulmo. (Google “Cabo Pulmo” for more info on the marine park) 
The beauty just doesn’t want to end. It’s everywhere for the viewing, just have to get there that’s all! 
We have our bearings on top of the water, now we are getting them under the water, where’s my compass? 
Because Mexico has finally wised up, and this area has become a protected area as of 2006, YAAY!, Cabo Pulmo has just flourished with fish. They say that the fish have come back 500 fold. So for every fish there was, there is now 500; 1000 fish equals 500,000 fish. And they all came out to play with us. It is truly spectacular. This is the area that Jacques Cousteau named “The Biggest Aquarium in the World” and it is coming back in full force. 
Bill assesses the sunken wreck in great detail……is there treasure? 
We troll on the back of the boat, and so far we have caught a Tuna as you see here, and a Mahi Mahi. We only catch what we can eat. It tastes fantastic; ceviche, sashimi and cooked of course….with all the fresh spices…. 
Mushroom Rock is the amazing erosion statue of Balandra Cove, just south of La Paz. We anchored here for 3 days 
Way back into Balandra Cove there are the famous Mangroves that were recorded by John Steinbeck in his book “The Log of the Sea of Cortez”. 
As the sun sets on our first night at sea we marvel in the forms and shapes this beautiful planet gives us so freely
That is the update for now on our INFINITY AND BEYOND sailing journey. We will be back with you all with another update of Bill and Maria’s excellent adventure to INFINITY AND BEYOND… So please write to us, we will respond. We are in port for one week here in La Paz and wehave great email service. To all of our friends, family and loved ones, May life be smooth sailing for all of you.
with affection,
Maria and Bill
July 2012
Olkhon Island in the middle of lake Baikal, Siberia…
July 2012
Mongolia in Pictures…
Photos of Maria and Bill”s Mongolian 21 day trip with a translator/guide and Russian 4 wheel drive van with driver.
We were lucky enough to travel with only the four of us and have the experience of a life time.
Hope you enjoy and we would love to hear from you. Love, Bill and Maria
June 2012
Kungur Ice Cave in Russia…
June 2012
Lake Baikal Hike in Siberia…
May 2012
Yosemite…
July 2011
Gobi Desert…
April 2011
Seven Teacups flowing into the Kern River…
March 2011
Vietam and Laos Canyons and Caves…
January 2011
Bali Indonesia…
November 2010
Teng Chong China on the Border to Burma…
November 2010
Dali, China is one of the most beautiful cities in China…