Infinity Sea Tribe

Infinity in the Tuamotu - First stop : Raroia the welcoming island !

2010-04-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

After spending some time in Marquesas islands, we sailed to the Tuamotu atolls. We currently are in Makemo after spending 5 days in Raroia.
The first contact we had with the Tuamotu was a great and rich experience.

What is awesome when we arrived in Raroia, is for sure the vision of the colours, colours of the sea, the lagoon, the coral, deep turquoise blue and the mix with the green of the coconut trees and the bright white sand.
But the most amazing was the way we were welcomed. Around 15 kids playing football, diving from the dock ; came to see us as soon as we arrived on the dock. The kids we met in Raroia are really nice : Lavahina, 9 years old, borrowing her mum’s name stayed on another island, and playing ball like a pro ; this other kid that wants to become a fireman on his island and who studies by correspondence ; another who asked me if we were welcomed the same way in the other islands. We definitely shared great time with them.
Raroia has around 150 habitants, located in two different places on the atoll. A new airport has been set up with one plane per week. Kids at secondary school on other islands can come back for holidays. It also appears that it helps the business to develop more on the island … mainly around pearls farms, dried coconut exported to Tahiti to make oil, and fishing. Good for them, they can import food, material,… but it also make them afraid of too much development that could change the peaceful atmosphere and the great nature they have. The lady that owns the snack told me that they have to find the right balance! The rising of the level of the sea? Yes, they know about it, but what can they do? Lots of topics we all exchanged with the locals.
But my greatest experience was for sure the meeting with Regis, a local man that decided to come back on his island after having travelled and worked in Europe and in the US. Jeremy and I spent two days with him, playing guitar on the beach and talking about the history and the future of his island. This amazing guy tries to teach to the young kids how to preserve their island, how to grow vegetables in their garden by themselves and how to fish in an efficient way. What better than a local having travelled the world and deciding to come back on his land for giving the good words ? That was my impression …
Jeremy and I had the opportunity to share with him a day on his red fishing boat outside the atoll, learning about how to catch the different kinds of fish he is then selling either on the island or to Tahiti. We ate “poisson cru” on the boat, fish we just caught five minutes before, marinated with lemon … Simple and magic moment ! Thank you Regis.
We now are still in Makemo, waiting for the wind … Different island, great moments too, news to come soon !

Claire

Raising awareness about climate change in the South Pacific: Call for sponsors to share the ecological vision and human dimension

2010-04-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

Infinity Sea Tribe is now in the Marquesas, heading soon towards the Tuamotu's and Society Islands in order to raise awareness about climate change in the South Pacific. On July 11, 2010, Infinity will be in Hikueru, Tuamotus, not only to admire and share with the local islanders a total eclipse of the sun (4 min.) but also to take advantage of the international media attention that will be given to Hikueru Atoll.

Here in the Marquesas, Infinity focuses on its mission by anchoring in several islands with strong culture and history. The Infinity community goes to encounter local people and shares with them trying to understand their view of environmental issues and local culture preservation effort made. This is the first step of Infinity mission to be able to relay the information and to raise awareness. All crew members are conducting and recording several valuable interviews to collect testimonies and to measure the level of awareness. Exchanges have been made with a teacher, a fisherman, kids and other people with different backgrounds. Infinity gets involved and is getting prepared to continue the mission in the Tuamotus islands!

We have no sponsors yet, all 17 international volunteers on the boat are contributing financially every month for room, board and fuel. We need recording equipment, food, near sailing gears and internet onboard.

Infinity Sea Tribe has the skills, the courage and the determination to bring more attention to climate change in the South Pacific. With your support, we could keep the expedition going and facilitate communication between the crew and the rest of the world.

By Sasha, current Infinity crew member, The Marquesas, March 2010
"Our discussion veers into our own environmental impact, covering the boat’s system of storing used engine oil (not a drop goes into the ocean, ever), our own sad dependence on fossil fuels even in the middle of the ocean, and ends on our conundrum of how to communicate with islanders about climate change while forcing ourselves not to further burden them or the ocean with our own trash. By virtue of using any plastic and oil, it seems, we threaten to strain the resources of the very remote communities that we are approaching to offer education, support and documentation."

We all remain completely open and committed to culturally appropriate interaction with the long-term goal of helping our ocean, planet and inhabitants. We care for the environment and its people; it is our group desire to see peace, mindfulness and ultimately less destruction to our planet in a very timely, local, committed manner. It is a clearly urgent calling, according to our personal actions. The spectre of rising seawater is the end, simply, for many people. Our hope is to document the lives that will be affected soonest, most rapidly and profoundly, with the fervent hope of inspiring all of us to decide to conserve resources, live without greed, and share with others the urgency of sustainable living, now. This is haltingly happening in varied communities around the globe, and we are doing it at sea.

Thank you for your support ! Spread the word and do not hesitate to contact us!

The Infnity Sea Tribe

kids from Nuku Hiva

2010-04-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of Heimeiani, her brother and myself after two hours playing and sharing all together with their dad ! Great exchange time in Nuku Hiva in Marquesas !

Claire

Infinity Sea Tribe mission in “îles Marquises”

2010-04-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

Here is some news from the tribe in “îles Marquises”!
We already visited two islands: Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva; and spent some days in beautiful bays just anchored in front of beaches and small villages surrounded by mountains, banana and coconut trees !
After spending some time in Hiva Oa we moved to Nuku Hiva. We all enjoyed sailing again on Infinity! We had the chance to share the ocean with a whole family of dolphins following the boat!

Nuku Hiva is a very welcoming island, people are peaceful, interested to meet with us and pleased to see an international sailing community.
On land, we all took time to meet and to interact with the local people. Each of us heard stories about how the local culture tends to disappear and how they try to keep it alive.
I met with a fisherman and his two kids. It was amazing to see how this little girl, “Heimeiani“, was already learning with his dad to sell the fish on the dock and to recognize all kinds of fish they caught.

We also invited local people on board, to share dinner with us. Tama Rii Kohu has been really nice with us. He brought a “Carangue” and cooked it in a traditional way with Duncan (even if our stove was not working properly!).
Kohu also shared with us his vision of climate change and issues they face on the island around fishing and environment preservation.

The day after we were invited to a barbecue on the beach, and played “boules” and had a lot of fun !

Infinity mission is on! We also keep working on the boat to preserve our home!
We will leave soon to Tuamotu islands, as soon as we get fuel!
Other stories are waiting for us, we are all excited about continuing to discover the Polynesian culture and exchange with the islanders !
We will keep you posted !!

Claire

My last day in Hawaii

2010-04-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hawaii, after 11 months on the Infinity, was a wonderful experience.
Clemens, Tara and Ruben is part of my life forever.
And Infinity is always a home for me.
You Annie and Make is part of my life too.
Love you

Arrived in "îles Marquises" : We did it !

2010-03-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Dear families, friends and Infinity followers !

We sailed from Hawaii to Marquesas Islands ! It took us exactly 2 weeks, 6 days and 22 hours. We are all very proud of our trip !
Everything went well, everybody is fine and I guess that we all loved that experience!
I was amazed that we didn’t see another sign of life during the crossing. Not a boat or even an airplane for that matter. Just us, in the middle of the South Pacific, all alone. Actually that’s not really true, we shared some sailing time with some dolphins around the boat, just as if they were showing us the way to go.
The weather was a good compromise : great wind (Traudl went up to steer the boat up to more than 8.5 knots !), calm afternoons favourable happy hour times, sunny days, … And I will always remember our first rainy day, when we all went on the deck, enjoying a fresh shower outside, running everywhere with a happy face !
The crossing was made of a lot of memorable moments :
-waking up in the middle of the night for putting the sails up or down because of weather conditions changing,
-watching beautiful sunsets and sunrises with our shift team partner and counting the “étoiles filantes”,
-running at the back of the boat to bring back Tuna caught on the fishing line
-becoming crazy with the big swell making the boat rolling a lot, and everything flying in the galley,
-the crossing equator party when we all went swimming, getting dragged by a line at the back of the boat, and drink a beer magically found somewhere on the boat …
-our music session made of singing, Ukulele, drums and happy sounds
It is hard for me to describe all the feelings that I had during this trip but I definitely will never forget it !

Well, we are now in Hiva Oa for a couple of days. We all went on land, met with people, talked with them (in French for me, what a pleasure !), enjoyed this beautiful island, spent some time to know more about Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel who are buried on this island. We also started interviews with local people around our main focus on climate change. Duncan and Chad had a really good exchange with Pifa, a local teacher.

We will leave today for next Marquesian island : Tahuata !

Everyone is great, more news and pictures to come soon, as far as our internet connection allows us to upload pics of everyone !

Last thing, a personal hello from Jeremy to Neil Roosevelt : “I received your messages but haven’t had a connection for long enough to respond “

* Claire *

MARQUESAS AT LAST !

2010-03-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Infinity arrived sound and safe in the Marquesas. All is well. Update to follow by one of the crew member if the internet connection in Marquesas allows it...
Stephanie

Infinity crew is all well and happy sailing to Marquesas

2010-02-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

To all Infinity families, friends and followers,
Just a quick update following the earthquake in Chile and the Tsunami warning in the Pacific. Everyone on the ship are well and happy. They would not see much of the Tsunami being in the deep ocean. They are safe and well and so are the people on Hawaii. Thanks to all for asking,
All the best,
Stephanie

Departure to "les îles Marquises"

2010-02-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Infinity followers !

After more than two months in Hawaii, Infinity Sea Tribe is ready to start the journey to the South Pacific! We are leaving tomorrow towards “les îles Marquises”.

We sailed from Maui to Oahu, and then to Big Island.
It was great to set up the sails, to feel the wind and the waves ! The crossing between the Hawaiian Islands was also the occasion for all of us to train on sailing, to start the shifts and organise life on board !
It was a nice feeling to split our time between sailing, falling asleep hearing the whales around the boat ; and working hard to prepare the journey !

The boat is now all prepared, sails are on, engine is working perfectly, all the bilges have been cleaned, food is stored and Infinity found back its white and grey fresh paint!
The last new crew members joined the boat. We welcomed on board, Jeremy, Sacha and Chad ; and Anna. The Tribe is now complete !

Infinity Sea Tribe is ready for a happy sailing !
We will keep you posted from the South Pacific !

Claire

Hilo, redux

2010-02-15T13:36:00.001-08:00

Infinity is back in Hilo, two months and an heap of important maintenance later. A difficult beating into the persistent NE trades on our way here was a taste of the next few weeks for us (Desired Course? East east east!) and provided the perfect opportunity to drill what is essentially an entirely new crew in preparation for our coming passage (reefing 101, MOB maneuvers, and sailing close to the wind are currently of high priority).

We're here in Hilo for a few days, catching up with long lost friends and finishing our final push of work before heading out. Every nook and cranny of the boat is filled up with food, Mike has made the engine room a work of organizational art, and a forest of sea creatures has been displaced from their former homes on the bottom of the boat.

Our final crew members are onboard- Chad and Sasha, friends of Troy's who jumped on the chance to sail with us to the South Pacific (and really, who wouldn't?), and Anna Lawson, who will be with us to the Marquesas. Pictures to come.

It's all systems go here. We'll talk to you all in a month from the beautiful Marquesas.

-Annie

Hi beloveds

2010-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

I miss being there. I'm happy that everything is running beautifully and everyone is enjoying the arrangements for the departure.
I wait for you here in Hilo for a big party.
Ruben we will have our birthday party as previously promised before.
kiss and love

2010-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

We have arrived in Maui, where the whales are in abundance! Many of us have never seen one, let alone fifty! Sheena and me even woke up to two this morning, a mother and calf swimming by our porthole.

We have been working hard, getting our food stocks ready and working on the boat, but it looks beautiful, and now we 're getting in some relaxation time…

I am an amateur photographer, so I thought I would attach a few images to give you an idea of just how stunning the sights have been so far, enjoy!

Our next post will be from the Big Island before we leave for the Marquesas and we will have a few more people to introduce you to before our amazing journey.

All the best and we will keep you posted.

Joanna

Getting Infinity boat ready to leave Hawaii !

2010-01-31T15:49:00.000-08:00

We are still in Hawaii, working hard to prepare the boat for the big crossing to the Marquesas.

Annie, our Captain, is ready for painting !

Mike, Julien and Sheena are working hard in the engine room

Clemens, having a break from the engine room !

Stephanie and I preparing dinner and cooking bread

But guys are also cleaning while girls do hard work, thanks Troy !

Duncan is making sure the work is being done !

Lucka, after painting the chain plates on both sides of the boat

We also take time to relax and have fun !

Phil kayaking with Tara and Ruben in between two jobs

Michael playing guitar in the library

Joanna relaxing after diving course

Still a lot of work to be done, but we are all excited to make Infinity boat ready to leave Hawaii within one week !
Keep you posted !

Claire

Just joined Infinity Sea Tribe : the dream is coming true !

2010-01-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

Since I am a kid, I always dreamt of living on a boat, sailing the Oceans around the world and make something really meaningful with my life. Now the dream is coming true !

I am Claire, French, from Brittany in the west of the country and I joined the Infinity three weeks ago. Three weeks … and I am already feeling like at home here !
The boat, my new home, is really beautiful and huge! I really feel like I have everything I need on board !
All the new crew members are joining one after another. We are people from different countries, different cultures and different ages, from all around the world. It is amazing to see how we already started to connect to each other. I can feel strong good vibes all around the boat. It seems that we all have the same spirit.

I was welcome by the core team: Clemens, Tara and Ruben, Annie, Mike ; and Stéphanie and Julien who came back recently. We are very excited to already hear about the stories from the first part of Infinity Journey and project. They started to teach us the main things we have to know about the boat and the life on board. I am already amazed by the skills!

Let me tell you a little about the new crew members. I first met with Troy, from US. We had a great time making the first cooking team ! We enjoyed preparing a French - American dinner !

Philip, from Ireland arrived the same day as me, and we started to work in the tank room .. Tough job to clean the water tanks and good first experience understanding each other with our different accents! Joanna, from England, came by night, after a party we had on the boat with local people, we talked a lot the first night even if she was really tired after her flight!

Duncan is from England. I just recently discovered that he was fluent in French, but we still speak English together and we share the 6 pm glass of red wine!
Lucka comes from Slovenia, she gave me a great massage in my back yesterday, she is really a specialist !
(pictures of Lucka and Duncan to come soon ..)

Sheena, from Canada, is already a good friend, I like when we sing songs while we do hard work !

Traudl, from Austria is doing an amazing job sawing the new sofa covers.

Michael, from US, is our doctor on board and is already a key person on the boat !

Here is the team at the moment !

We are currently anchored in the east of Oahu in Hawaii, in a beautiful bay. I cannot stop looking at the mountains we see around us, so many different colors! It is really a beautiful place.

Life on board started to get organized very quickly around the daily “schedules” we set up to better live all together : cooking, cleaning the boat, grocery shopping, all the jobs to get the boat ready to go sailing …
At the moment, we are getting the boat ready for the journey to “les îles Marquises”. Everyday, our “captains” prepare many lists of the jobs that have to be done (even “lists of lists” as Annie would say …). It looks like it will never end! But we all enjoy participating in the work. It seems we are all going to learn a lot on board !
Galley, hammer, primer, proxy, derust, bilges, … so many new technical English words for me ! It is a big change from the business English I was used to!

Even if we did not start the voyage yet, I can already tell you some stories: an engine lost in the bay and found back, a car stolen and found back too with only a window broken and some fuel missing, a shoulder repaired by surgery, a foot damaged! But everybody is good; it seems that luck is with us!

I am really excited about living this experience with the Infinity Sea Tribe !
Well, I need to go back to work … I am ready to live the dream !

We will give you soon more news about our departure to the South Pacific.

- Claire -

Infinity in Oahu

2010-01-20T00:49:00.000-08:00

To all our readers....Infinity is now in Oahu anchored in the South Eastern bay of the island. The new crew has arrived, everyone is working really hard to get the boat ready for departure early February. Welcome onboard, pictures to come soon.
A very special thank you to David who left the boat after 9 months to return to Canada. David was a very important member of the Sea Tribe and his contribution greatly apprecated.Thank you David and fair winds.

Stephanie

Hawaii Volcano, Mauna Kea, 13.796 feet

2009-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

We went all the way up to the big volcano, Mauna Kea. We had a great afternoon, being showed around by David and Kirk. Pretty impressive up there, hard to breath, beautiful views and so quiet. An a mazing place for meditating !

Thanks a lot to David and Kirk for your kindness and for showing us around.

First and Final Post from Kaelin Rose

2009-12-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

After 5 weeks at sea with no land in sight, we sailed past Oahu and Maui as the sun hit the green hills. Upon our arrival in Hilo we were greeted by several whales doing back flops out of the water sending huge splashes into the morning air. It was a warm, Aloha welcome to Hawaii.

Halfway through our passage from Majuro the temperature dropped and our daily uniforms of bikinis and swimming trunks changed to long pants and heavy jackets. Even though the weather was cold and damp, the crew's spirit never fell. On November 23rd Infinity crossed the International Dateline causing us to fall back an entire day. Although the true Thanksgiving day and my birthday changed, we decided to celebrate both on the 24th because the sun was out from behind the clouds and the sea was more calm than it had been in weeks. After lunch that day, I was presented with a chocolate brownie cake smothered in vanilla icing and was serenaded with a birthday song. It was a delicious afternoon and we were all looking forward to the turkey dinner Annie and Gyan were already preparing in the galley.

By the time the sun went down, the heavenly aroma crept around the cabin as we spread out the rectangle dinner mat and settled down on the floor. As we passed around a jug of wine, the chefs placed before us a golden brown turkey with stuffing and gravy, homemade bread with butter, and a cheesy squash casserole. While we all dove into our plates, each crew member took a moment to share what they were thankful for. Although we each had different thanks, we all agreed how blessed we were for being part of the Infinity family and for being able to share in a beautiful Thanksgiving meal in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. By the time we finished the dessert of pumpkin pie and chocolate chip ice cream, most of us were too full to do anything but slip into bed and go to sleep. I think all the crew mates would agree that it was one amazing Thanksgiving that will be cherished forever.

Now we are enjoying the sunshine again and venturing around the big island of Hawaii. As Jack and I spend our last days with Infinity I have to say again how blessed I feel to have been part of this adventure. Very few people get to do what we've done and fewer find a second family they laugh and share life with as they sail around the world. Thank you our Infinity brothers and sisters. You are forever a part of us and we love you.

From Majuro to Hawaii, 4 weeks at sea and lots of stories to tell...soon..

2009-12-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

HAWAII AT LAST !

Infinity arrived in Hawaii !

2009-12-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hawaii, Big Island December 7th, 2009 -
Latitude: 19 degrees 54.3' W Longitude: 155 degrees 04.3' N

We arrived yesterday morning in Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii greeted by two humpback whales jumping clear out of the water. All is well, we look forward to go hiking, snorkeling, and exploring what seems to be a gorgeous island. Today we enjoyed our first fresh fruits and veggies after weeks of canned pinneapples....! More news and pics to come soon.
For the new crew joining in Hawaii, please keep an eye on emails for more info soon.

Phuket, Thailand, May 9, 2009......

- 7 months;
- over 10.000 nautical miles sailed;
- 8000 liters of fuel;
- 160 toblerones;
- 56 jars of peanut butter;
- 210 log book entries;
- dozens of islands and atolls visited;
- one engine breakdown, a few jibs ripped, forks and cups lost at sea, a dingy damaged, a wake board overboard;
- countless swims and dives with schools of sharks and dolphins;
- two fin whales;
- one pelagic turtle spotted swimming alongside the boat going west while we were sailing east;
- two sharks caught;
- one lobster dinner;
- a deep dive down to 77 metres;
- one tuna attack (Ruben got lucky !)
- a few burns, cuts, bruises and stitches;
- one Haloween "fish or treat" and a won costume contest;
- one timeline crossed;
- one engagement ring and a happy couple;
- an amazing thanksgiving dinner;
- 8 birthdays;

AND thousand miles of moonlights LATER...........WELCOME TO HAWAII.....

Thank you to an amazing crew, thank you for your good vibes and for all the work and input. Thank you for the thoughtful touches too and the laughs, each one of you brought something really special to the boat.

Merci Clemens de nous faire partager ton rève.

Good luck and Bon vent (Fair winds).

See you in a minute
Stephanie

Haloween in Majuro

2009-11-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Infinity Sea Tribe rocked the Haloween party in Marshall Island Resort...

Phil as a bird

Jack and Annie made a very good impression...!

Stephanie aka Mermaid won the third prize.

Bowie won the First prize as a deer on stilts, congratulations.

Infinity Crew

2009-10-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Top row from left to right:
Annie, Gavin, Mickael, Gyan, Ralph, Andy, Jack, Julien, Stephanie
Bottom from left to right:
Ruben, Tara, Kaelin, Phil, David.

Congratulations to Jack and Kaelin who got engaged three days ago....and all the very best to you both. We hope to make it to the wedding !

In Majuro, waiting for engine parts and preparing Haloween night...

2009-10-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

In Majuro we said goodbye to Julien, Andy and Gavin, good luck and fair winds !
We are waiting for engine parts, preparing for Haloween and we also attended the "Climate Change in the Pacific" roundtable. We also sailed outrigger canoes (thank you Annie !) and we had an interview published in the Marshall Island Journal.
Ralph is back to his real self again and Phil is now the proud owner of an awesome trimaran. Good luck Phil with your new boat !
Tara and Ruben are getting excited about Haloween, so is Bowie who is hoping to win the Haloween Prize !
Hopefully, we will set sails next week and reach Hawaii by mid-December.
Thanks a lot to all our friends and readers of the Infinity Blog.
Stephanie

Stuck in Majuro

2009-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

Things I've learned in the last week:

Horses are the best (courtesy of Tara).
Whales are alive (courtesy of Ruben).
Engine parts dealers are the devil. Which means that even with Clem calling and yelling at them every day since we got here a week and a half ago, we still have no parts. Cross your fingers for Saturday.
Sewing is a dangerous sport. Not that I didn't already know this after days of batten sewing in Chuuk that ended in my thumb swollen to twice its normal size. But having a large needle jammed into my thumb by an industrial sewing machine yesterday has convinced me once and for all.
Having no work to do does not in fact mean you spend your time doing all sorts of exciting things. Instead you lie around and watch movies all day (“I was just checking to make sure the projector was still working... I swear!”).
Powerpoint is the devil. We arrived here just in time for a big deal conference on climate change with all of the nations in the Pacific. Steph and I spent a couple days there, which mostly involved sleeping and writing emails while various low level officials droned on about funding. However, I did meet some really useful people and it looks like we may be able to take the environmental thing to the next level (what is the next level, you may ask? Good question... Multiple extremely circular, yet quite enjoyable, discussions on board have yet to yield the answer. But I'll keep you all updated as the vision solidifies).
It is not possible to make INFINITY into a reasonable acronym involving some permutation of Pacific and the environment. Believe me, we tried. For three hours.
Boats look much better without grass growing on their waterline.
The flour that was and still is pretty much full of gross bugs sadly had to be used for the bread which now is growing to a monstrously huge size and is taking over the world as Annie says but actually its taking over the reasonably big cooking pot.
Bread often turns into Rubens mini pizzas which are normally about the size of his hand or less. They actually turn out tasting like real pizzas, however today he is making a strange but tasty looking round roll of bread with lots of cheese inside he calls it his cheese roll.
Annie is mushing up some sort of gross looking white beans which she says will taste a lot better when she adds garlic to it, according to her garlic makes everything better apart from sweet foods. We would like some pepper with the mushed beans but our surprisingly Brazilian crew member hates all spice apart from wasabi- isn't that weird ?!

--Annie and Tara

(Happy Birthday Phil, our proud new boat owner!)

Infinity under sails - North Pacific

2009-10-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

At sea between Mokil and the Marshall Islands

2009-10-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

At sea between Mokil and the Marshalls

2009-10-19T01:25:00.000-07:00

Ruben is working on his bird costume for the Sea Dance festival while Rainbow is working on the log book..

Mokil Atol by Andy -

2009-10-19T01:17:00.001-07:00

It is always good to go ashore after a few days at sea. It is even more exciting when the one travel guide which mentions your destination covers it in three sentences. This was the case with our trip to Mokil Atol near Ponape. With a short paragraph of information we did not know what to expect.

After being invited ashore by the Island Chief, who passed his message on to us via a boat messenger, we crossed the outer reef which was more ‘exciting’ than anticipated. There was a strong swell and between each wave the reef was revealed. Timing was critical and with the right moment Clemens gave the dinghy full throttle and with the aid of paddling, to prevent us going fully sideways, we crossed the reef while others bailed the boat. Once in the lagoon the water was very calm and the village lay before us. Instead of the expected collection of simple huts we were greeted with the sight of bungalows and even a large Church and municipal hall.

Everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming. It wasn’t long before we were given a tour of the Island and fed lots of coconuts. Our tour guides were; Romeo a school teacher and Benjamin the Chief of Police (although there was no police station, car, other policeman or even a uniform on the Island….). The Island was incredibly clean and all the houses had well kept gardens and their own dinghy with outboard engine. We were shown the school, which has a fantastic location beside the beach. Romeo told us that a problem they have during class is children going to the ‘toilet’ and coming back soaking wet having been for a swim instead!

That evening there was a party in town to bid farewell to a scientist who had been their guest for a week and we were invited. We were fed many local dishes until we were full including; crab, different fish, cakes, tarot bread and papaya shakes. Since the reef is dangerous to cross at night the Islanders insisted that we stay overnight and that they would look after us. Not only were we given a beach house for the night but in the morning we were brought breakfast. Our host brought us fish, coconuts, cakes, banana fritters, papaya and a neighbour brought us coffee and a rice dish.

The entire time we spent on Mokil we were treated like family. The generosity and friendliness of these Islanders was beyond belief, especially since we had just met and there were eight of us. Before escorting us safely through the reef, we were given a gift of; papaya, sugarcane, a couple hundred bananas and a hundred or so limes to take back to Infinity.

Our thanks go to the wonderful people of Mokil as well as first mate Sheridan and the rest of the crew for watching the boat while we were ashore.

Wonders of the deep blue immensity - October 9

2009-10-19T01:11:00.001-07:00

We are desperately waiting for wind because we have an engine failure since we left Mokil Atoll. It's dead calm today, no breeze, no shade and I have never been so hot in my life on a 9th of October...When the sun is setting the sea on fire, we spot a school of dolphins approaching Infinity. Everyone jumps into the water and we spend about 2 hours swimming with these beautiful creatures, they come all around us, they jump and dive under, lots of them circling us, what a show.... We can hear them too very clearly....What a beautiful evening, no one but us and Infinity, 5000 metres of deep blue immensity and dolphins making friends with us.
Here it was the famous paradise, I see the Ocean, feel freedom, smell unity, I am almost home.
A few days later, it's another dead calm sea, the wind is whimsical... When comes the twilight, a fin whale approaches Infinity, slow, heavy and grey, diving under and letting us guess when she is going to surface again. Just another day in Pacific paradise...
On these two occasions, Mother Nature made up for the lack of wind by sending us a reward at sunset, in a wink.

A very special thanks to Captain Clemens and First Mate Sheridan for spending countless hours in the engine room stuck under the engine, head up side down, breathing toxic paint....and still keeping their smiles and moods vibrant.

Pohnpei

2009-09-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well we enjoyed our stay both the time on shore and on the surf and under. Gavin has pushed the novice surfers to charge the large world class surf with minimal injuries on the surf the real culprit is staph infection which has flared up claiming 8 victims!

Pohnpei has a great vibe friendly people and beautiful waterfalls and for those who are inclined my sample Sakau a drink derived from a local root that when consumed causes a calming effect over the body. Since the legal distribution of Sakau the amount of violent crime has gone down significantly aside from a fight that broke out in Flamingo night club, it is quite entertaining style of fighting involving slapping! (yes a proper man slap Island style)

Our next major stop is Majuro Marshal Islands for mid October.

Arriving in Pohnpei, Micronesia

2009-09-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

We are now in Pohnpei, Micronesia, enjoying the surfing, diving and the beautiful green island. A longer update is coming up soon. Fair winds, Stephanie

Oraluk

2009-09-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

Oraluk
A week at sea and we arrived at a amazing lagoon teaming with the best underwater wildlife the pacific has to offer; Sharks, sea turtles, Spotted Eagle rays, Puffer fish, Large bump head and grouper fish, lobster and pristine coral. The Island currently occupied by four individuals, the Chief two teenage boys Lionel and Larson and Dixon a large effeminate male who fell in love with a few of the male crew. At one point Dixon blurted that he was going home and that "YOU (Ralph was to) COME!"

We shared a wonderful pasta dinner with Lionel and Larson we were informed that there was another dinner to come which consisted of 12 boiled lobsters. WOW what a treat! Of course we had a renewed appetite. What a lovely night spent enjoying each others company. It is a basic life consisting of weaving baskets (a famous trade of Kapingamarangi Atoll which populate this Island) collecting bread fruit, copra, (cocoanut used for trade) water run off, and bringing up pigs and green sea turtles, spear fishing in the lagoon.

The Lagoon itself is many miles in radius in comparison to the Island that spans a couple hundred feet. Discovered by Japanese and Maintains by the Islanders since the 60's the island has flooded under the stewardship of the native Kapingamarangi but is not attributed to global warming nor has any of the residents heard of the term "global warming" The people are quite content with this lifestyle with out the modern comforts of electricity, plumbing and local amenities. In fact accounts meeting Islanders now living in larger centers come to find opportunities pine for the comforts of simple Island life.

Truk

2009-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Pit stop in Truk
We ended up motoring to Truk due to unfavorable gusty winds which tested our sails workmanship and unfortunately ended with the tearing of the baton sleeves. ready to work on the maintenance of the boat including sewing the baton sleeves all the crew put in three long hot days of work (quite a difference to our day to day activities!)

We amused ourself or perhaps were entertained by skits and ballerina dances. We have also learned and sea tribe song and dance that we plan to share with the upcoming villages.

Truk (formaly known as Chuuk) is home to some of the best wrek diving in the the World. The Japanese occupied the territory during WWII was bombed heavily by the US sinking 60 plus war vessels 65 years ago. The majority of the wreks are great condition and plays habitat to various sea critters. The first highlight of the trip (for me) was a tour of Thorfin a fully functional steam powered vessel! The engine room was three floors high! Thorfin provides accommodation (live aboard) during scuba diving trips. The second highlight was diving the wrecks seeing small japanese fight pilot planes in side of a large carrier ship or fully intact interiors of the vessels including galleys with dishes and utensils.

Our next stop is any small Islands along the way to Pohnpei.

Puluzuk Island, North Pacific

2009-09-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

After 11 days at sea and not much wind, Infinity stopped in the very remote island of Puluzuk and met with the local Tribe. We discovered the beautiful island, interacted with the children, danced with the islanders and walked through the village. We enjoyed their smily faces and beautiful vibes.

The expedition goes on, we are now in Chuuk getting ready to go wreck diving and also finishoing our costumes for the Sea Dance Festival. We said goodbye to Josh, Sophie and Tarunn who are leaving the Infinity Sea Tribe to pursue a new adventure. Best luck to the three of them, you will be missed !

A very warm thank you to Tarunn who took amazing pictures while he was onboard Infinity. Hopefully we can upload them soon when the internet connection is better.
Bon vent Sophie.

Infinity stopping in PULUZUK Island and meeting the local Tribe

2009-09-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Palau suite et fin...

2009-08-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

In Palau ..

2009-08-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

Every diver s' dream on Infinity...Oxygen bottles delivered to the doorstep every morning...

You are a warrior Rainbow, ready for your next fight on the ring...??

Diving Blue Corner is a must, even with a bad knee..

Jack (of all trades) fell of the mast from the 1st spreader....
Huge blisters on the hands, swolen and bruised back, that's bad ass Jack.
Who said you were lazy (Jacks) ?

Bowie knows how to (karaokee) sing, make stilts and bake bread....what else ?

In Palau, diving Blue Corner and more

2009-08-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

Ping Pong Tournament on Infinity

Tarunn discovers the joy of making baggy wrinkles.

Mike drinks orange juice but Jack prefers ethyl alcohol (70%)

2009-08-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Village People's tour of Palau 2009...!

Tarunn and Sophie

2009-08-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ruben, Like a King...

Not only he can sing but David Bowie also knows how to make stilts!

Clemens, Tara and Gyan

Sheridan trying on baby clothes..

Making Baggy wrinkles

Wreck diving in Palau, baggy wrinkles and making stilts...

2009-08-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

Phil cooking on the boat..Hungry divers.

Phil cooking under water, WWII wreck dive in Palau.

Andy's shot of a reef shark in Palau

Andy back from wreck diving

2009-08-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

Julien aka Rasta Jellyfish exploring the coves of Palau

Kaelin and Jack going wreck diving.

Welcome to Annie !

Peeling potatoes while watching the sunset.

Surf boards, diving gears, wood for stilts, Infinity is a big happy mess !

More pictures...Surfing and diving

2009-08-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

Heading back to the dinghy...

The Captain is gone surfing while locals surfers are digging out more and more surfboards for sale..

Sophie (aka Surfer Chic) in Sirgao, trying for the first time.

Gyan and Kaelin in Surigao

Life is good....From Cloud 9 to Peleliu Wall....

2009-08-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Life is good on Infinity....Sailing from Sirgao, the Philippines to Palau (Carolines Islands)

We are blessed, surfing in Cloud Nine (the Philippines) on Saturday and diving the Peleliu Wall in Palau on Thursday.....Yes, life is good....

Past weeks highlights:

- Diver Sheridan's half hour in shark infested water waiting to be detangled after his safety line device got stuck underwater in the coral;

- Award for best breakfast before a dive goes to: Bowie for his Cinnamon buns;

- Tattoo's of the week: Julien and Sheridan's shoulder burns after getting up close and personal with the engine pipe...Bad ass. Still living the engine room dream...

- Living the dive compressor dream more than ever....and filling tanks for 16 divers..

- Eating cakes for three birthday girls (Sophie, Tara and Stephanie) and one birthday boy (Julien) between August 11th and August 19th;

- Start preparing for the Sea Dance Festival, think about our costumes and a song for the Infinity Tribe

We try our best to keep this blog up to date for our friends and families but the internet connection on the islands is often very slow and limited.

Love to all and Mermaid Hugs, Stephanie

Leaving the Philippines....

2009-08-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

A little Tribe on the way to the Great Pacific...
We are leaving Surigao today. Here we made new friends, cute little kids waving at us everytime we arrive by dinghy ashore and shouting out loud our names...Bowiiiiiiie, Rembo, Fred (aka Phil), Josh, Steeeeeeph...
I will not forget the Immigration Officer of Surigao, we got to know and appreciate each other after I spent a whole day and a half in his smoky office struggling with paperwork, talking on the phone to his boss in Manilla and trying not to pay the extra money he was asking from us... We became best friends in the end and he offered to drive me back to the boat and bought me fried banana's...I love the Philippines !
Next Port of Entry: Palau.
Stephanie

2009-08-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

In Bohol, the Philippines, we bought food supplies for 4 months and spent the whole day organizing the storage...Yummy dinners ahead..Thanks everyone for the hard work.

When Bowie meets Sheridan it's Life Aquatic............

Kaelin and Jack at the helm for their first night sailing..

One anchor plate gone but Jules aka Rasta JellyFish and Mike are taking care of the job

Working tribe on its way to Bohol...

2009-07-22T02:28:00.000-07:00

We can never be bored on Infinity, brainstorming for sponsors ideas, fixing things, studying sailing books, but also laughing hard, trimming the sails, and visiting the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. Help us raise awareness and find new sponsors..Thank you, Stefinity

Still Calling for Sponsors

2009-07-22T02:26:00.001-07:00

As fun and relaxed life onboard might sound for a few out there, working in closed, air conditioned offices, we are also working hard on keeping the expedition going and growing, so that we can realize our expedition goal and produce great documentaries. We are regularly holding 'groupings' (our term for meetings) to brainstorm on more sponsorship opportunities, and have been contacting a large amount of potential sponsors and or partners.

We are progressing, one step at a time, but also wanted to remind all our readers that any contribution would be greatly beneficial for the expedition, even in terms of suggestions on who you all think we should/could approach [use the comment space!] . On this line, we would also like to encourage you to contact us (www.infinityseatribe.com) and let us know any direct contact of people you might think could help us in our search for sponsors.

... because at the end of the day, we are still very small and counting our coins!!

Anchored in Bohol

2009-07-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

A week since we arrived on the Island of Bohol, Philipines, anchoring off the city of Tagbilaran. As usual, passed the initial excitement of stepping ashore and discovering a new space, we soon realized how much we would need to work, if we wanted to get going soon. Bohol and Cebu (which is a few hour ferry ride from here), are our last chance to order parts for the boat, stock on large amount of groceries, and get materials for us to create the costumes for our Sea Dance Festival. So as usual, we are very busy, but the thought of sailing across remote islands very soon keeps everyone going.

Talking about everyone, there has been changes in the Infinity crew composition. It was time for Wim to continue his journey, so he headed to Hong Kong a few days ago.. Bon Voyage Wim, and keep the dream going :)
Besides, Ralph from Ireland, Kaelin & Jack from the USA and Julien from France joined the Infinity crew. A warm welcome to all of them, and cheers for the hard work they all had to contribute with, from day one on Infinity.
So we are now 16 adults and 2 kids on board... a real tribe indeed. We are still waiting for Tarunn from India to join us in Palau mid-August, after which the crew composition will remain constant until Hawai.

So here we are, anchored in Bohol, getting the boat ready, but also trying to keep up some of the routines and activities that regulate our life on board, such as cooking, reading, home schooling, practicing music or martial arts for a few, helping Clemens with the sail covers, and more.

And again, we are also all enjoying a few great 'days off' every once in a while, renting bikes to enjoy some amazing rides across the Island for some, finding new diving spots for others.

Life is good.

Geographical Update

2009-07-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

We are leaving Puerto Princessa today, where we stopped for three days on our way to Cebu, where we should arrive around the 15th of July. 4 new crews and more sailing stories once in Bohol, stay posted for dolphin tales and and details about coral reefs close up experiences :)

Recap on our Stay in KK

2009-06-27T01:41:00.000-07:00

Our stay in Kota Kinabalu has been a good opportunity for the infinity crew to continue working on the boat to keep it always more ready for the expedition and the south pacific seas. The previous week at sea from Singapore, with brand new sails, had brought up a couple of technical issues across the boat that needed to be worked upon, which added to our existing list of "Things to Fix".

However, our stay in Kota Kinabalu has also been a good opportunity for all of us to take some time off the boat and explore the surroundings. Even Tara and Ruben's home schooling was brought to the Kota Kinabalu Mount forest for a short while, Phil being a very enthusiastic and passionate teacher.

After a week ashore, off we went again, leaving with the rain, under a psychedelic sky. Motoring to the fueling dock as we left, the keel touched the black muddy sand, which grounded us for a while. The channel? It was not indicated, all the locals knew it. A few minutes later, and about ten small fishing boats were already buzzing around us like demented insects, rescuing us, or at least trying to. It is only after we got pulled by a bigger fishing boat that we got out of the black waters, not very proud, but happy. A rather intense start of a journey for Gavin, Andy, Josh and Yang, who had joined the Infinity Sea Tribe in KK.

Fueling went rather smoothly, tuning to a blue, grey and yellow sunset. The night saw us leave, and the shifts started regulating our routine again.

*****

Infinity Sea Tribe meets Harvard Students in Kota Kinabalu

2009-06-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

A few members of the Tribe met with Harvard students on an island off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. The students are doing conservation work and study marine biology. We had a great evening, Mike and Phil held a talk and we answered their questions. Thanks for having us !

News sails ! and Welcome to Andy, Gavin, Yang and Joshua

2009-06-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Sophie loves the tank room...

Cosette and Cinderella in action polishing the floor.

Welcome back Yang

Welcome to Gavin

Infinity Sea Tribe in Kota Kinabalu

2009-06-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

We arrived this morning in Kota Kinabalu, Sutera Harbor marina, Malaysia. Fever check: no flu, all clear. A few steps down from deck to dock, and here we are. Stable land after 6 days at sea (new sails up, 10.7 knots at the most, 0.xx knots at the least..).

More updates on the "Adventures of the Infinity Sea Tribe in Kota Kinabalu" soon... with a bigger tribe, looking forward to meet the new crew members who have been waiting for us - somewhere near, since a week :)

How we left Singapore with brand new sails

2009-06-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

A bit of magic and a bit of wind, off we were, planes flying above us like birds about to get caught in Infinity's sails.
Setting behind the helm, the Sun opened the night for us to steer our way to Borneo. Hearts pulsing in our arms, it was long since we waited to crank up some winches and hang off booms.

Singapore...souvenirs, souvenirs...

2009-06-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Few pictures from World's Ocean Day at One15Marina in SIngapore...and a very laid back Infinifty Tribe !

We look forward to meeting Andrew, Yang, Gavin and Joshua in Kota Kinabalu next saturday. We will be guests of Sutera Harbor Marina and we hope to make it up the Mount !

Stefinity

Brand New Sails and Batteries.. Off we GO!

2009-06-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

460 kg of brand new Sails.
About 150kg more of Ropes and Canvass.
20 brand new batteries, a 100 pounds each.
A smile on the Captain's face.
30 more liters of sweat.
We are sailing off tomorrow.
:)

Costumes Connection Supports the Infinity Sea Tribe Expedition

2009-06-12T05:25:00.000-07:00

On Infinity tonight, we got a glimpse of the Sea Dance Festival lying ahead of us. People at Costumes Connection [Manufacturer/Supplier of Dancewear, Shoes, Dance Accessories and Theatrical Costumes], provided us with bags full of glittery outfits, children monster suits, and other sequined skirts.

Our stay in Singapore has been punctuated by wonderful encounters; visitors (who soon became friends) and companies, supporting our project according to their means, sharing the Sea tribe's enthusiasm and spontaneity.
Thank you ;)

Kraft Asia Supports the Infinity Sea Tribe Expedition

2009-06-12T04:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Stephanie came back with a surprise-sponsor-delivery she and mike had negotiated with Kraft Asia. 80 bars of Toblerone and 160 boxes of cookies and crackers! Surely enough to power the crew for many of the long night watches to come, but those KRAFT products will also come handy when visiting Islands.. A good way to make friends!

Organic Paradise Supports the Infinity Sea Tribe Expedition

2009-06-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to The Organic Paradise, we are now supplied with a few meals of organic goodness (spinach pastas) for the entire crew. The Organic Paradise also supplied us with a 22kg bag of whole wheat, stone ground, organic flour - that is 11 days of fresh organic bread on board for the crew!! (stay posted for more pictures on this soon! Another good reason for us to long for the sea, night shifts and hot bread for breakfast :)

Lifted Up, and Above

2009-06-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Tilting my head towards the sky. A little girl up on he mast for me to see. I closed my eyes and thought about what 'Life on top' was all about. It must be where the Sky and the Sea meet.

On infinity, sharing stories and sharing experiences go hand in hand. It is about building stories together, gathering pieces of a dream we aught to bring together. And for the missing pieces? We will invent them. The more fragments missing, the better.

Today is World Ocean Day!

2009-06-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

The concept for World Ocean Day was
proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in
Rio de Janeiro and it had been unofficially celebrated every year
since then. Official designation by the U.N. is a significant step in
conserving and protecting our world's ocean.

World Oceans Day provides an opportunity each year to celebrate our
world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. The Ocean Project,
working closely with the World Ocean Network each year, helps to
coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums,
conservation organizations, universities, schools, businesses

We have been participating in the events organised for the World Ocean
Day at One°15 Marina. Lots of people came to meet us on board for the
Open Boat happening during which we presented our expedition. Our
guests showed sincere interest in the project; we could feel that many
wished they could sail with us. In a way, the Infinity Sea Tribe is a
living proof that everyone can take action to raise environmental
consciousness around them! We organized a workshop with children as
well, and gave them a simple presentation of climate change and its
impact on the populations of the Pacific. Then, the most adventurous
got really excited about climbing the mast, while the others were

creating little boats with natural elements.

As the sun set, Mike and
Clemens introduced our expedition for the opening ceremony, while the
rest of the tribe showcased some artifacts from the Pacific Islands - such as masks and drums. Thanks to Phil, Gyan, Tara and Ruben, the presentation held some authentic characters to the beat!
On this picture, the Tribe is striking a pose with Mr Arthur Tay, Chairman of One 15 Marina.

The evening ended on board as impromptus guests kept coming, in a
very friendly atmosphere.

For us, being active in the World Ocean Day held a symbolic meaning as
it also marked the beginning of our environmental and educational
mission.

With our best wishes for our planet and its oceans,

Wim

Ocean day, Ocean night.. the Infinity Sea tribe way.

2009-06-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

On the night of the ocean day celebration at the One 15 Marina, the Infinity Sea Tribe revived the spirits of few mysterious creatures from remote pacific Islands.
Stimulated by the beat of the wooden war drums, the giant legged masks embarked for a dance through the night, bringing with them a couple of curious children they had met along the way.

News from one°15

2009-05-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody!

It's Wim speaking, the new crew member on board!
I joined Infinity in Phuket the 19th, just on time to leave with the team to Singapore. Discovering the sea world was an old dream of mine and I am so glad it's finally happening! The passage through the Malaka strait was a nice first glimpse of navigation and life on board. So much to learn! Can't wait to fly the new sails...
We are now the guests of the ONE°15 Marina Club in Singapore who warmly welcomed us in their 'luxury playground by the sea'! We share the same environmental orientation and we are really thanksful for their help. To know more about their interesting eco-initiative programs check

We've got 10 days to get to boat ready for the sailing, meet a lot of potential sponsors and communicate about our project (we might invite on board some NGO's or schools to collect our first testimonies about Global Warming issues, while contributing to the children awareness about the subject). So, no time to get bored, for sure!
We will have a few parties going on on Infinity during our stay in Singapore, everyone is welcome!
With my best wishes,
Wim

2009-05-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

2009-05-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Pics

2009-05-27T15:28:00.001-07:00

Leaving Thailand behind and arriving in Singapore

2009-05-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

Dear all, after leaving Thailand behind and celebrating our departure in style at Lek's place in Phuket town, we sailed towards Langkawi ilsand and arrived yesterday evening at sunset in Singapore. We are at a berthing in One 15 degrees Marina and were warmly welcomed by Guillaume Chaillot, the Senior Marina Manager. The marina is very beautiful and everyone enjoyed the swimming pool and the steam room last night...! Sophie and Wim cooked a delicious Gratin Dauphinois and we all went to bed pretty exhausted after the first leg of the trip and the night watches.

We will be actively searching for sponsors in Singapore for the next 10 days and hopefully we can make a lot of contacts here.

A bientot, Stéphanie

Infinity is rock and rolling

2009-05-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

This is it…… Infinity is now ship shaped, Mickael and Thomas are underwater pretending to be diving and cleaning the propeller to remove all the barnicles... We are sailing tonight towards Malaysia after clearing out of Thailand this morning…Everyone is very tired and Captain Clemens is now sound asleep on a bean bag catching up on his lack of sleep for the past two weeks. We will be out of touch for a while but we will be back soon on the blog as soon as we reach Singapore. Thanks to all our readers and we all look forward to meeting the new crew members. Infinity rocks and we are rolling !

Stephanie

Off We Go!! -- [visual story]

2009-05-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

***********

It's been lots of hard work in the past few days. The taste of the morning coffee at a road side joint after a sleepless night on the dock**. Bitter-sweet metaphor of the long wait that comes to an end, and the journey that lies ahead of us.
From the dock, the mast was craned and bolted onto the boat, masts without sails until Singapore, but masts nevertheless.

[** def: 'a structure extending alongshore or out from the shore into a body of water'. The dock definition itself already gave us encouraging hints of our imminent departure and helped us wipe the sweat out with a smile].

So here we are, loading Infinity with fuel and water as i write, she has agreed to take us on our journey, now that we all proved we cared for her.

Off to Singapore, where our stay will be generously sponsored by the wonderful eco-friendly and luxurious ONE°15 Marina Club. The Infinity Sea Tribe is living the dream thanks to people and organizations like the ONE°15 Marina, we need your support, help us make this dream come true!

Since we are still on the look out for a satellite communication package for the Infinity Sea Tribe project, we will not be able to update the blog until our arrival in Singapore (around the 27th of May), but keep an eye on the blog and our site, and spread the word on this project! We welcome any questions, inquiries, suggestions (...) from the readers of this blog, so get in touch with us and we'll be happy to interact with you :)

looking forward to meet the new crew members that will join us soon, and a warm welcome to Wim from Belgium/France, who joined the crew yesterday, right on time for our good-bye party.

2009-05-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

here some pics...

2009-05-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

Hi there, it has been a long time, I think I will share with you what it has been like for me to be aboard the Infinity. Here it goes…...
How did I get here?
Hmm, this is a beautiful story that I have the great pleasure to share with you.
I was already in India for 1 year and needed a new visa, and had to go somewhere out of India.
When I heard that Thailand is a beautiful place to sail, I checked the Internet and found Clemens in two places, the Find a Crew and Couchsurfing, when I saw his project and the photos, I immediately fell in love.
After several contacts by e-mail with Clemens, who is always very friendly and attentive,
I arrived in Bangkok. The same day I was on board of Infinity: my wish came true. Being on a boat again after 1 year without sailing was my goal. So I within just 1 day of my arrival in Bangkok I’m back on board a sail boat!
I thought I would only stay for a few days, but 3 months have passed and the adventure continues and I hope more ... 3 years… Wow…without planning…and by going along with the flow…life always leads me to the right place. Being aboard the Infinity and part of this project could not be more of a gift to me in this moment...

When I arrived we were only 6 aboard, now the tribe has grown and each member brings his/her peculiarity that makes me feel at home and happy.

Tara and Ruben are of course an important point in this sense. They are intelligent, creative, adventurous, and are travelers by nature. I remember when I was their age, and I see myself with that dream, to live on a sailing boat and travel around the world.
Tara has a natural talent for drawing, playing instruments and her love for horses is just amazing. I’m glad I got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of her with her cat Mia.
It is fun to listen to Tara take a piano lesson as she picks up a song so quickly…My Darling Clementine is the latest song she is learning.

Ruben’s power is to jump from one point to another. He is always helping the boys work and sometimes this is not very easy for a boy in his age. Just look at this photo of Ruben…he is in the tank room which is located at the back of the boat. That room is hot as hell and stuffy but he did not complain at all.
He can drive the dingy by himself…and one night he went off on his own chasing a fire fly. He loves to wakeboard and he is very good in that. Both Tara and Ruben are for sure a fascinating presence and they make my days full of joy.

We had a few weeks ago - when we were still only 6 on board - a Theater Workshop which was 4 days of rest and creativity. We (me, Tara, Ruben and our theatre teacher Magic) made some clown noses, which was a moment of complete pleasure.
It was for me an opportunity to perform again in a relaxed atmosphere, without pretention, using improvisation – like on the Saturday when we invited friends to share our co-fraternisation dinner.

About the big boys: they are beautiful and I have lots of great and fun moments with them, enjoying conversations and sharing our adventures. Of course, I also feel like pulling their ears at times when they don’t keep things in order, but they are always ready to make an effort and put everything in order and clean.
I want to say a few words about Clemens who isn’t only a good Captain but works hard and still takes time to be a doctor and is an amazing fathers, as well as a very good friend, like a brother. Thank you very much Clemens for been so wonderful with me.

The girls, Stephanie and me were very happy with the arrival of Sophia (with her Indian-English, an accent that sounds wonderful to my ears). I am sharing my Cabine with her and she decorated it with some indian details that make me feel more at home and happy.

The intensive work continues and I have to thank Sophie for putting some pictures of me working - in one of our conversations we joked on the fact that people might think that I don`t do anything here, because there were no pictures of me working in the blog, and the work has been intense for me as well. Sometimes it seems that the work will never end, but we are all motivated to finish and leave as soon as possible.

Now we are almost done and ready for the first part of the trip. With the return and help of Randy and Cary, the days pass more quickly and the boat takes shape. At the end of the day, our post-dinner conversations on the deck, watching the moon and stary sky with a light breeze after a long day of work, are incredible moments. We share together the incredible feeling of one more productive day, and the joy of knowing that soon we will be on our way to one more adventure, meeting new friends on the way.. Heading to Singapore and in kota kinabalu very soon. Talk to you soon …

Hello

2009-05-14T20:18:00.001-07:00

On the inside of the boat

2009-05-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

There hasn’t been many visual proofs Gyan’s hard work, so here we are, with a big. Big thank you to her, for all the laundry loads and the sorting out/cleaning/labelling of all the groceries and cans stored beneath the kitchen and watched over by Phill from his berth at night.. I wonder if tin cans and milk packs are the best company, but Phill never seem to complain about them. I wondered at first why this part of the boat seemed to be avoided by many. “Could you go get me this or that from the storage room pleeeaaaase?”. The storage room is for the brave. All those who often venture down there know very well that, at times, strange sea creatures try to creep in from the windows.

The Big Buddha of Phuket

2009-05-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Just adding a picture I took of the Big Buddha to complement Sophie's post:) May the Buddha bless Infinity!

leaving soon

2009-05-13T04:25:00.000-07:00

As mentioned by the ‘mates’ in the previous posts, days are getting busier as we approach the departure date. So we all got off blogging for a while and are all back in full force/posts, because there is so much to say, so much to share – and simply so much to get out of our heads for us to contemplate. So i’m adding my bit here, hoping that there wont be too many repeats.
Life on board is amazing as ever. Surreal mix of jumping off the boat to take morning/afternoon/night swims, and sweating under the sun to do one of the many Ant-work tasks which need to be done. It could be a morning - water based - task to scrape barnacles off the dingy, and then coming up inside guided by the tantalizing smell of Stephanie’s Pancakes served with a smile and a broom guitar demonstration for breakfast. And this is just an example in a million, life goes on. Time stands still.

This morning’s breakfast was blessed by some generous clouds, which brought along a few hours' relief from the sun, and also a contemplative mood on my side (Phill says moods are a women's exclusivity, being a woman is good then). So my inner debate started it’s questioning routine and i realized that attributing an age to each one of the faces (and bodies) of people around me was something I was simply unable to do. Strange feeling of one-ness rushing by. I decided not to consider ‘Why’, and felt satisfied contemplating the lightness of the realization from within. We share the same dream and all the happiness and stamina it gives us to realize it. I am still not sure if I experienced such a feeling before, and guessing that this is just the beginning might not be too much of a presumption.

So here we are, working along, singing along, living the infinite dream together. This morning we had our weekly ‘talking stick’ meeting where everyone gets a chance to share and let go emotions. One at a time, with the other crew member. It is for me a very important moment of the week, as I feel that it really adds to the quality of life on board. The reason why I mention it here is because David brought up a very sensitive definition of what community life means, and it touched me a lot, and it was a very interesting echo to my morning inner discussion that was still going on within. I could have thanked him right then, but only now I realize that it made my day, and since I don’t want to quote him wrong, he might just want to add it to this post later (please David?!).

Another highlight of the day/last night was the return of Randy & Cary on board. [They had spent a few days on Infinity before my arrival, but had left on a trip for a few days before I got here]. So this was a highlight, not only because they are wonderful, but because now our crew until Singapore is complete. Another sign that we are leaving soon and that the ocean would not wait much longer for us to discover (and wear hot pants!!).
-- like Gyan, sitting next to me as I right this post says: “next week at this time we are in the Ocean”. She says it, and already, a million starfishes in her eyes keep the dream running). --

Today Ruben confirmed his fishing skills by catching a few very fry-able fishes. I tried my scissors at cutting them open to remove the goopyguts, which was not all that disgusting and worked out pretty well.. Big fishes of the sea beware! Here we come. To complete the team, Gyan fried them up till tander-crisp, the fried fish story was a real success.

The sun is setting on the Giant-Buddha-sitting-on-the-top-of-the-hill-in-front, and I got to go and sit outside and swallow it in.
Sending you all a couple of barnicles, fired fishes and sunsets,

xxx

Bowie's Update

2009-05-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

The boat has been a bit stressful lately due to the amount of work we want to complete and three out of five males were occupied in a diving course of four days. Having certified divers is great and a safety necessity, 7 out of 9 crew are now certified, so we will definitely be a diving boat! This was my initial reason for joining Infinity and remains a desire although learning about the sailing world is slowly surpassing all other pursuits. (even nights out at kajonci, lek’s place) . But in the mean time the ladies stepped it up with the manual labor and really smashed things out. Good work girls! I was as the rest of infinity very grateful to have the guys back! Even if the short shorts are “So Orrible” and the facial hair is “Desgust”.

On a note of production the mast are to finished on Friday and the crane is tentatively book for SATURDAY.
We are all looking forward to pushing off. A new estimated time of departure is drum roll MONDAY? We will see!!!!

SCUBA Certified!!!

2009-05-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Its Sheridan here,

This week was brilliant; Phil, Oscar, and I got certified to dive. We had 2 cave dives and one night dive. Diving at night was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had; the feeling of being alone in the pitch dark with no sound around you and 15 meters below the surface is indescribable unless you have done it. Our instructor, Alex, was great although the DVDs we were forced to watch were less then exciting. I quickly fell back into the rhythm of my younger days sitting in high school, meaning I slept, stared at my watch and drew on my arms. Things I learned from the DVD are as follows, water is not man’s natural environment, without oxygen a human cannot breath, and one should only do things to and with one’s buddy he is comfortable with. We got certified at Ko Phi Phi which, on the whole is quite an amazing place to get your first dives in. The sea turtles, Octopi, lion fish and sharks were all amazing however I was occasionally distracted by the growing game of “make your diving buddy look bad in front of the instructor” between Oscar and I. I would grab his BCD and inflate it so he would rise to the surface, and he would grab my secondary air source and waste my oxygen so I would have less bar when we got to the surface. The way this game was progressing it looked the winner would have to shut the others air supply off; alas we figured the instructor, police and the other playing participant may frown upon such a clear and decisive victory. We are all looking forward to adding this new skill to use in the research of the Islands we will visit.

My French, Portuguese, piano and sailing lessons are all coming along, though some faster then others. Currently my French is about as good as Oscar’s mustache, which is to say it has years of work ahead of it just to become recognizable. (Side note, we are all growing mustaches as a tribute to sailors of past. It has nothing to do with the fact that mustaches are awesome and we all look superb with them.)

As far as work goes, after 4 days off to get certified we were thrown back into the daily grind. Winches are being finished and the drilling of 112 holes for the chain plates were also finally completed. (I would almost rather work in an office again then ever have to drill through rebar again. Ok maybe not, but believe me it was about as much fun as a wet blanket). Somehow through all the work, running around and tasks that need to be completed by what seems like yesterday, Clemans has completely kept his cool and kept us all busy. Keeping our fingers crossed we may be out of here in a weeks time.

2009-05-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

Hammer Drill

2009-05-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is Stephanie speaking. My biggest achievement this week was to spend one hour sitting in the harnest hanging outside the haul trying not to drop the hammer drill in the water....Can't believe I actually managed to drill a few holes for the chain plates. Oscar and Mickael, thanks for your support ! The yoga classes are really good and we need to catch up on synchronised swimming lessons. Thomas, Mickael and Philip are busy ashore for the next three days taking their Open Water diving certificate.Thanks to everyone for your creativity, smiles, support and for all the thoughtful touches too. Stephanie

3 days Gone By

2009-05-05T21:11:00.001-07:00

It's been three days since i'm on board. I found a new family, infinity feels like home and is full of wonderful people. Not a replacement family because mine is amazing. Just an extra family that confirms how lucky i am on the whole.
Since there are many, i will try to explain the pictures bellow from bottom-up, so as to give you a sense of what days have been so far on board through my eyes - although this is just a very little piece of it.

I arrived from the airport by taxi, got dropped on the beach with my bag and saw the yellow dingy coming towards me with Phil and Steph on board, it was magical. I was euphoric, outburst of joy on the inside that refused to keep my smiling lips to rest. I quickly got rid of my pants as the dingy approached. Phil threw reef shoes in the water for me not to slice my feet on corals, Steph already ashore to help me get my bags in, and before i could realize, i was on board, with a warm masala chai welcome handed to me by Gyan and supported by everyone's just woken-up smiles. Home sweet home.

Learning is the core of each day on board, there is so much to do to prepare the boat and the crew's enthusiasm and talent seems to be something that we'll never run out of. Beside music, dingy driving, yoga, synchronized swimming lesson and much more, there is the boat work as such, with everyone working together in a joyous harmony of some sort. Lots of big muscles ready to be challenged with heavy drilling tasks. There are people hanging from different parts of the boat, underground workers in the intriguing fournace of the machine room, and more.

Entire days of work on which the night falls as a celebration of peace, calm, cosyness and of course night swims for the braves. Ghosts stories also belong to the night, thanks to Ruben, the little pirate on board. He's such a creative kid (as well as his sister, Tara, whom i only met yesterday), his mind overflowing with stories of cats that look like sharks and dragons with sails on their backs.

With people working on all parts of the boat, rooming on the deck also means the possibility to find a head, arm, hand, whatever, popping out from the most surprising places.

I also aught to mention the patience of Phil, working on the winches since 4 weeks, taking them apart, one piece at a time, cleaning them, cleaning them more, and fixing them back (he's of course being helped by other crew members, but he is really a winch king for sure). And Clemens, doing some dangerous mass preparation along with David an a Thai worker yesterday (or was it day before? i already lost track of the days and chronological succession of events and i could not care more).

And while all this happens on board, the life goes on with yummy meals, breakfast navigation classes, and Ruben's stories and amazing drawings, with sailing vessels being pulled by fishes and propelled by kites and other powerful rockets.

I can't be thankful enough for all this, to Clemens for sharing his dream, to the crew's energy and creativity.

Today's quote

2009-05-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

"We all come from the sea, we are tied to the Ocean and when we go back to the sea whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came". John F. Kennedy, America's Cup in Rhode Island, 1962

The creativity of Infinity

2009-05-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, this is Oscar (recently renamed from Tom by mutual consensus). This is my first blog entry of many and I hope it brings joy and fulfillment.

Infinity is currently a fountain of creativity which takes a number of forms, some more beautiful and skillful than others?

As Sheridan already mentioned, a few nights past Bowie put on a fine exhibit of people from the colder climes of Canada get their groove on. Most of us were surprised at how well the rockstar of the boat persuaded most spectators that his upper and lower body were not, in fact, connected in any way. Truly inspirational- we look forward to seeing the reaction of the Pacific Islands' people to his display of rhythmic shoulder shrugging. We are also trying to persuade him to put on at least weekly classes to share the secrets of how he rolls.

Infinity has also had a brilliant new purchase, in our Yamaha Electric Piano. Our Hawaiian crewmember Phillip is a very accomplished pianist and is trying his hardest to teach most of the crew (with varying success). This is great for us, an awesome challenge for many and a great way to relax in the evening. Whilst many of us are happy with learning classic Bach and other old stuff, Michael still insists he will recite, with amazing precision, all of the piano parts to the beats from Tupac's later years. He is also trying to convince me that he can actually rap at the same time.

Whatsmore on the creative side, after our Connect Dinner yester evening, we concluded with speeches; the highlight for many being our superstar David Bowie's speech on Why Everyone Wishes They Were a Dog, also referring to rap music, through Snoop Dogg.

In terms of work on the boat, Michael and myself spent the majority of the day hanging over the side of the ship, drilling holes for the new chain plates in the new shroud/stay system. Clemens spent the day going from one machine shop to another, checking up on the various projects and coordinating them together. The winches were once again tended to by our resident master of winches, Phillip. And Bowie ran around drilling holes in random places and no one really understood why. He looked like he was having fun anyway. The ladies, once again produced the goods on the administration side, whilst also juggling various metal filing an domestic duties. Steph spent at least 4 hours answering our fan mail and Gyan ran around in a crazy blur of boat-lightening and tidying. New kid on the block Sophie, seems to be sliding right into the Sea Tribe ethos and is sharing many of her different skills (including reflexology massage) with the crew.

There is still much more work to be done for us to hit our target of leaving Phuket by next week, whilst keeping Infinity looking beautiful.

I hope this wasn't too long or anyone was offended in the making of this blog.

Much love,

Oscar

We are getting there

2009-05-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all, this is Sheridan. I have been on this amazing boat 3 weeks today and it was the first day i awoke to rain and a bearable temperature. This may sound bad but after a full night on town to celebrate the new sails and the progress of work, it was an amazing blessing. During the night we were introduced to Bowie's "rubber legs" dance moves and Gyan showed us all the proper way to dance with some passion in it. The fun of the night made work today start a bit later then usual but we still managed to get another major project started. The lingering promise of setting sail is enough motivation to get everyone up and working even on little sleep.

Tonight we celebrate the arrival of a new crew member, Sophia, with homemade pizza and a bit of wine. So far the crew that has been asembeled is amazing and we are quickly becoming a close family, im sure Sophie will fit right in and feel at home as well.

Later this week hopefully we will bring news of the progess of the masts and have a firm date set to begin sailing to Singapore!!!

2009-05-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

2009-05-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

Recent Pictures

2009-05-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Infinity heavy work before departure

2009-04-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
We are all working very hard before departing Phuket. New sails are ordered, boat is now grey, the two masts have been taken down for some rigging work and it is full power work from dusk til dawn..! Fair winds, stephanie, Infinity Crew

Infinity weekly update

2009-03-30T01:59:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

It is very very hot today, the workers are working outside in the sun so are Clemens, Gyan and Yang taking the sails down.

You will notice that Infinity is still purple, not for long as the painting job will start very soon...

Last saturday night we had our connect diner, we invited some of our friends and Couchsurfers, we were 15 around the diner table and there were 10 different nationalities. We had a little theater play, delicious lasagna and Gyan initiated us to some Samba and salsa..

You will find attached a few pictures taken very recently.

See you soon,

Very kind regards,

Stephanie

Infinity crew

French Mermaid

2009-03-25T00:52:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends of Infinity,
This is Stephanie aka French mermaid, 34 yrs old, raised in Brittany, land of famous French sailors and explorers, studied in France and in the UK, worked for the International Herald Tribune in Belgium and the Netherlands and after 5 years as a corporate lawyer in Paris decided to leave the rat race behind or as Shakespeare puts it "I shall be gone and live or stay and die".

I sailed on small boats off the coast of Brittany, with uncles and friends, also sailed in Cornwall and Devon, in Greece (Ionian sea), and I also did regatta's with friends on JOD 35ft off the coast of the French Riviera and South West of France.
I love sailing, skiing, scuba diving, water ski and wake boarding, windsurfing although haven't done it in a long long time. Above all I love my freedom, and there is nothing like travelling and sailing to feel free and truly alive !

Almost a year ago, I stept foot on Infinity for the first time and since then the dream grew bigger and bigger...I look forward to meeting you all and let the dream become alive together,

A tres bientot, Stephanie

2009-03-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

Dear friends of Infinity,
A little update on how the work is progressing…
The website is almost ready, we have a beautiful logo and the content should be online sometime next week.
We are currently preparing a list of all the potential sponsors/partners we can possibly think of (donations but also sponsoring in kind) and there will be a lot more on this on the website. We will send you the list we have and your input will be necessary to complete and update it, get ready for a good brainstorming !
Infinity Sea Tribe will get its first media coverage in the Phuket Gazette, a local newspaper for the expat community in Phuket as Stephanie was interviewed by a lady journalist.
Every evening, we Clemens, Yang, Gyan and Stephanie do a Yoga/pilates session outside on the deck at sunset and we look forward to you joining us and teaching new positions !
We also had our first “Connect dinner”, cooked a beautiful meal, did a little theater improvisation and each of us made a little speech. Very nice indeed.
The rigging work is about to start, we have to take the mast down soon. Infinity is currently being painted, from purple it will turn grey and red. We are also very busy doing some interior work, decoration, improvments and so on. We need all the help we can get from those of you guys who will be joining us in Phuket. So get ready !

Unfortunately, the lovely VAMPS family is not coming. Pierre, Valerie and the twin girls decided to go on with their trip in SE Asia. Let’s hope our paths will cross again.
We also host Couchsurfers almost every week, it’ a great way to meet people from all around the world.
That’s all for now,
A bientot,
Stephanie aka French mermaid

Yesterday's Awesome Sunset

2009-03-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

At Chalong Bay, where Infinity is anchored at the moment, we see sunsets like this on a regular basis.

this is your captain speaking

2009-02-26T22:53:00.000-08:00

Hi shipmates,

This is your captain speaking... fasten your seatbelts....we are about to depart on a fantastic journey. The crew list is nearly complete, a bunch of you are arriving in April, let the work begin.

Confirmed members of the team so far are: Clemens, Stephanie, Tara, Ruben, Yang, Karrie, Randy, Philip, Gavin, Selim, Thomas, Lana, Kaelin, Jack

Would each of you please join the blog and write a little introduction about yourselves for the rest and post it to the google group we created?

www.groups.google.com/group/infinity-sea-tribe

This group is intended to be a way for us to communicate without having to send everything to everyone individually. You all can add your comments, research results or ideas.

Using this blog we will keep you updated on how things are on the ship and how the progress goes.

Things are getting busy for us.

We have many preperations to do for:

the website, the ship and the project

Infinity crew look forward to meeting you soon and to welcoming you aboard the ship. Clemens, Stephanie, Tara, Ruben and Yang are already on Infinity busy with starting Infinity’s new website, www.infinityseatribe.com, initiating fundraising and sponsorship ideas, planning our expedition and preparing the boat for this great journey.

Please be so kind to let us know if ever your plans change since there are many demands from potential crew members who would love to join.

You will find below useful information needed when packing your suitcase and preparing for the journey:

Passport and Visas:

Passport: Please note that you must have a valid passport for at least 2 years after arrival on the ship (for example, Marshall Islands requires 1 year after entry).

Thank you very much in advance for sending us your passport number and expiry date and scan a copy of it.

Visas:

So far our research on visa requirements made us decide to send a written application for all of us together from Singapore for visasto the following countries:

Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. We are still checking if we can all just go to the American embassy in Singapore to do the same for the needed American visa

Travel insurance and Health

Please make sure you have the right medical and travel insurance.

Your travel insurance should cover accidents and rescue.

Infinity is well equipped with first aid kit, various medecine, suture and injection kit if needed. However, please bring your own if you have special requirements.

What should you bring along ?

- Bring your own bed sheets and towels, reef shoes, fins, mask, snorkel (of course you can also buy it here in Thailand).

- Please don’t bring a hard suitcase, storing it is difficult.

- We will do surfing, bring your board if you want to go out surfing

- Infinity has both European plugs (220 v) and American style plug (110 v). Please bring your own plug adaptators if you come with different equippment.

- Diving gear: bring you own if you want to dive: (BCD, regulator, fins, mask, snorkel ..). Infinity is equipped with tanks, weights and compressor. If you want to dive aboard Infinity, you must have at least an Open Water Diving certificate.

- Any yummy food or specialities from your own region you would like to share with us!

Project related:

- Infinity has a large library (mostly English books), book donations are very appreciated especially if related to the project (ie: theater, dance, music, south pacific islands...) but it can also be any other interesting books (earth and nature, sealife, astronomy, great accomplishments of all times..).

- We will bring cinema to some islands visited. Please bring any planet earth/nature and environment/south pacific related movies that you feel are adequate for the Sea Dance Festival. Also, any beautiful dance or theater or whatever other great movies you have in your collection.

Your contribution

As we anticipate you joining us, we also are excited for your contributions to Infinity’s voyage!

Attached below is a list of the many tasks and areas of responsibility that Infinity crew will be working on over the next weeks and months. Please take a moment to review the list and consider the various ways you may be of assistance - based on both your experience and your interest in learning new areas!

We also encourage you to add your own thoughts and input to the project. Are we missing something? Do you have ideas for prospective partners and/or sponsors? Any rich aunts/ uncles; friends, connections or former business partners who may want to contribute to or sponsor our adventure?

We look forward to your thoughts, input and help with this expedition!

This is a list of items we still need for the project, our “WISH LIST”:

Digital Film Camera, recording device for interviews, mobile cinema (projector), disco lights, under water camera….

Area of responsabilities:

NOTE: Each of these "responsibilities" ... while being overseen (managed) by one individual, will be collaborative efforts, usually including several other members of the crew.

· Artistic director: Theatre Workshop & Production - developing skits to be performed along the way, workshops.

· Dance = Sea Dance Festival - performance director ... also learn styles of dance along the journey ;

· Digitial Video Production - includes directing, audio, camera, editing ;

· Expedition Coordinator, including: Voyage/Itinerary planning, Visa/bureaucratic concerns, Resources (ports, provisioning, fueling), Contacts in each area for cultural exchange, Cultural research, Potential partner organizations in areas visited.

· Environmental Research, including current conditions in areas to be visited; Potential partner organizations in areas to be visited; Macro conditions (Global Warming, Pollution, Over-fishing, etc...) affecting areas to be visited.

· Galley and Food supply manager (Kitchen - Inventory and Meal Planning)

· House Manager - Overseeing everything concerned with maintaining a harmonious atmosphere and living space on the boat, incl. cleanlyness level.

· Engineer / Mechanic / Handy-man - Overseeing all things mechanical.

· Bosun, overseeing rigging, tools etc.

· Small boat manager (2 dinghies and outboard engines)

· Nurse / Medical - Making sure the medical kit is up-to-date... performing small tasks like appendectomies at sea with a butter knife.

· Exercise coach (health issues, exercise, yoga, balanced diet)

· Kid's Teacher - home-schooling: "it takes a village" :P., classes for the kids includes (not limited to...) basics of Math/Reading/Writing/Sciences ... Art, Music, Culture...

· Dive-Master - overseeing all things to do with diving - locations, supplies...

· Web-Site design and maintainance

· Web-Site writer / editor and coordinator of Blog / Web content.

· Marketing / Outreach / Fundraising coordinator - including PR work

If you feel a calling to any or many of the above areas, please let the rest of us know and share your inspiration

See you very soon. Don’t hesitate to call us at: +66 836346124.

Very best regards,

Infinity crew

Welcome to Infinity Sea Tribe

2009-02-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

Dear crew mates,

We have created this blog to keep you posted about our progress in preparing for the exciting expedition to the last unspoiled islands of the Pacific.

Please feel free to exchange your ideas with us.

See you on board soon!