Welcome to OceansHorizon
This website is designed to share our adventures with everyone interested in long distance ocean voyaging under sail.
Joseph and Marci Paravia have traveled over 55,000 nautical miles aboard "Horizon," our 38 ft. Hans Christian sailboat, and it's been our home for ten years. Our sailing adventures have taken us from our home port of San Diego, California throughout the Pacific Ocean as far north as Glacier Bay, Alaska and as far south as Tauranga, New Zealand. We are currently in Colon, Panama awaiting our transit through the Panama Canal. "Horizon" has anchored alone in distant and remote islands as well as amid the bustle of metropolitan centers like Auckland, Singapore and Vancouver.
The photo above is "Horizon" under sail on the coast of the island of Vanua Levu, near Savusavu, Fiji.
Taken by Tom & Vicky Jackson on board s/v "Sunstone
Last updated May 16 2012 ~ Colon, Panama
Horizon: The apparent intersection of the earth and sky; the range of one's knowledge, experience or interest.
Joseph and Marci Paravia have traveled over 55,000 nautical miles aboard "Horizon," our 38 ft. Hans Christian sailboat, and it's been our home for ten years. Our sailing adventures have taken us from our home port of San Diego, California throughout the Pacific Ocean as far north as Glacier Bay, Alaska and as far south as Tauranga, New Zealand. We are currently in Colon, Panama awaiting our transit through the Panama Canal. "Horizon" has anchored alone in distant and remote islands as well as amid the bustle of metropolitan centers like Auckland, Singapore and Vancouver.
The photo above is "Horizon" under sail on the coast of the island of Vanua Levu, near Savusavu, Fiji.
Taken by Tom & Vicky Jackson on board s/v "Sunstone
Last updated May 16 2012 ~ Colon, Panama
Horizon: The apparent intersection of the earth and sky; the range of one's knowledge, experience or interest.
HORIZON GOT NEW SAILS ... AGAIN!
... this time on the beautiful island of Grenada. And, this time, it's the headsail (yankee) and staysail.
For the complete story, check our our new "Horizon's New Sails ... Again" Page - updated 28 April, 2012.
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We are often asked how we communicate while far out to sea. Although satellite communications are becoming more affordable and increasing in popularity, the tried and true method of communication remains the single sideband radio (or Ham) between yachts. Single sideband radios (SSB) are a very important tool for long-distance ocean sailors; some consider it indispensible. A properly equipped radio provides e-mail communication (via Ham or Sailmail), GRIB files can be downloaded and weatherfax transmissions received.
One of the main functions we find useful of our SSB (in addition to obtaining weather data) are radio e-mails (via Sailmail) and the all-important cruisers’ nets. A net consists of a Net Controller (either shore-based or at sea) who conducts a daily radio schedule on a given frequency at a specific time. After clearing the frequency and calling for emergency or priority traffic, yachts spread throughout a large area can check in, reporting their positions (latitude/longitude), course, speed, weather and sea conditions, and the conditions on board (All Well On Board). During long passages, participants in these nets look forward to this daily contact with others. During “Horizon’s” passage from Mauritius to South Africa, we learned of the tragic sinking of “Wizard of Africa” as well as entry formalities into South Africa via a land-based net known as the “Peri-Peri Net.” Paul, the land-based Net Controller on the Peri-Peri Net is often able to reach out to yachts as far as 1,800 n.m. away from his location in Johannesburg. These volunteer net operators provide valuable up-to-date weather forecasts for each yacht that checks in (based on the positions they report) as well as “local knowledge” particularly relating to the Agulhas Current and weather conditions along South Africa’s Wild Coast.
Single handed sailors are a special breed; people who often spend months crossing long stretches of ocean with these Nets being their only human contact. We met several such intrepid men and women, on board boats ranging from 24-40 feet in length, from hailing ports all over the world; Steve (“Rover of Tacoma”), David (“Shearwater”), and Kirk (“Salsa”) from the United States, Henk (“Sogno d’Oro”) and Lara [age 16] (“Guppy”) from the Netherlands, Simon (“Sedna 1”) from Canada, Peter (“Dakota”) from Germany, Daniel (“Luna”) from Sweden, Lars (“Luna”) from Norway, and Mike (“Aunt Ethel”) from Australia/South Africa. Friendships are made with these radio voices as discussions range from mechanical troubleshooting, clearance formalities at various ports of entry, the best burger/beer joints near a particular anchorage and, of course, commiserating on contrary wind/sailing conditions. They are alone, but not alone. Members of these loosely formed “fleets” come and go as our courses diverge and we all look out for each other. When you are in the middle of a vast expanse of ocean, sometimes a thousand miles from the nearest shore, it is a comfort to know that others know where you are.
One of the main functions we find useful of our SSB (in addition to obtaining weather data) are radio e-mails (via Sailmail) and the all-important cruisers’ nets. A net consists of a Net Controller (either shore-based or at sea) who conducts a daily radio schedule on a given frequency at a specific time. After clearing the frequency and calling for emergency or priority traffic, yachts spread throughout a large area can check in, reporting their positions (latitude/longitude), course, speed, weather and sea conditions, and the conditions on board (All Well On Board). During long passages, participants in these nets look forward to this daily contact with others. During “Horizon’s” passage from Mauritius to South Africa, we learned of the tragic sinking of “Wizard of Africa” as well as entry formalities into South Africa via a land-based net known as the “Peri-Peri Net.” Paul, the land-based Net Controller on the Peri-Peri Net is often able to reach out to yachts as far as 1,800 n.m. away from his location in Johannesburg. These volunteer net operators provide valuable up-to-date weather forecasts for each yacht that checks in (based on the positions they report) as well as “local knowledge” particularly relating to the Agulhas Current and weather conditions along South Africa’s Wild Coast.
Single handed sailors are a special breed; people who often spend months crossing long stretches of ocean with these Nets being their only human contact. We met several such intrepid men and women, on board boats ranging from 24-40 feet in length, from hailing ports all over the world; Steve (“Rover of Tacoma”), David (“Shearwater”), and Kirk (“Salsa”) from the United States, Henk (“Sogno d’Oro”) and Lara [age 16] (“Guppy”) from the Netherlands, Simon (“Sedna 1”) from Canada, Peter (“Dakota”) from Germany, Daniel (“Luna”) from Sweden, Lars (“Luna”) from Norway, and Mike (“Aunt Ethel”) from Australia/South Africa. Friendships are made with these radio voices as discussions range from mechanical troubleshooting, clearance formalities at various ports of entry, the best burger/beer joints near a particular anchorage and, of course, commiserating on contrary wind/sailing conditions. They are alone, but not alone. Members of these loosely formed “fleets” come and go as our courses diverge and we all look out for each other. When you are in the middle of a vast expanse of ocean, sometimes a thousand miles from the nearest shore, it is a comfort to know that others know where you are.
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While we are out cruising, visitors can follow in our wake by checking the Where Are We Now? for current information. We have "Where Have We Been in 2011" which contains details of older posts for the past year, and a "Where Have We Been in 2010?" page which contains details about the places we've visited in 2010.
New to the website:
We dedicated a special page to the process of building our new headsail and staysails. The complete story and photos can be viewed on the "Horizon's New Sails - Again" page. We've updated Publications 2011 and added Publications 2012.
We were delighted to have this aerial photo taken of the anchorage at Direction Island in Cocos (Keeling) in the Indian Ocean. "Horizon" is the boat anchored furthest on the right; we were in 30 feet of crystal clear water with turtles, dolphins and black-tip reef sharks swimming beneath our hull.
New to the website:
We dedicated a special page to the process of building our new headsail and staysails. The complete story and photos can be viewed on the "Horizon's New Sails - Again" page. We've updated Publications 2011 and added Publications 2012.
We were delighted to have this aerial photo taken of the anchorage at Direction Island in Cocos (Keeling) in the Indian Ocean. "Horizon" is the boat anchored furthest on the right; we were in 30 feet of crystal clear water with turtles, dolphins and black-tip reef sharks swimming beneath our hull.
We have discovered that, while the World Wide Web may be available in remote locations, getting data onto our website has proved problematic and there may be occasional gaps in our updates.
Photos of our Voyage Around the World from San Diego, through French Polynesia, American Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Palau, the Philippines, Malaysia, across the Indian Ocean, around South Africa and across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea can be viewed in our Voyage Around the World Gallery.
We've also added a map illustrating our route!
Photos of our first South Pacific voyage from San Diego to French Polynesia, the Southern Cook Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, New Zealand and back can be viewed in the First South Pacific Gallery. See the map illustrating our route!
Photos of our North Pacific voyage from San Diego, California to the Hawaiian Islands to Southeast Alaska and British Columbia can be seen by visiting the North Pacific Gallery.
Photos of our Voyage Around the World from San Diego, through French Polynesia, American Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Palau, the Philippines, Malaysia, across the Indian Ocean, around South Africa and across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea can be viewed in our Voyage Around the World Gallery.
We've also added a map illustrating our route!
Photos of our first South Pacific voyage from San Diego to French Polynesia, the Southern Cook Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, New Zealand and back can be viewed in the First South Pacific Gallery. See the map illustrating our route!
Photos of our North Pacific voyage from San Diego, California to the Hawaiian Islands to Southeast Alaska and British Columbia can be seen by visiting the North Pacific Gallery.
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One of the greatest benefits of cruising are sharing our adventures with our family and friends, many of whom have visited "Horizon." Feel free to view our ever-growing photo gallery.
When we are cruising, we maintain a log of our daily activities we pulled together highlights and snippets of those logs for the Ship's Journal for our North and First South Pacific voyages. We hope to provide a glimpse of what it's like to be traveling across the seas and distant archipelagos. We have just updated the Journal to include a more detailed account of our adventures including more "strongly held" opinions than indicated in the "Where Are We Now?" page.
Marci has enjoyed some success in publishing articles about our adventures, as well as on more mundane maintenance topics, and copies of those articles are posted in Publications.
For more information about "Horizon," please see "About the Yacht," including the less-glamorous aspects of cruising - Keeping her Afloat"
We would love to hear your comments so feel free to contact us either by leaving a message via e-mail on the Contact Us page. We'll be happy to respond as soon as we reach our next Internet cafe.
We are adding video clips of our passages and destinations as we can make them available.
Until then, the crew of "Horizon" thank you for visiting Oceans horizon and we wish you fair winds and safe travels.
When we are cruising, we maintain a log of our daily activities we pulled together highlights and snippets of those logs for the Ship's Journal for our North and First South Pacific voyages. We hope to provide a glimpse of what it's like to be traveling across the seas and distant archipelagos. We have just updated the Journal to include a more detailed account of our adventures including more "strongly held" opinions than indicated in the "Where Are We Now?" page.
Marci has enjoyed some success in publishing articles about our adventures, as well as on more mundane maintenance topics, and copies of those articles are posted in Publications.
For more information about "Horizon," please see "About the Yacht," including the less-glamorous aspects of cruising - Keeping her Afloat"
We would love to hear your comments so feel free to contact us either by leaving a message via e-mail on the Contact Us page. We'll be happy to respond as soon as we reach our next Internet cafe.
We are adding video clips of our passages and destinations as we can make them available.
Until then, the crew of "Horizon" thank you for visiting Oceans horizon and we wish you fair winds and safe travels.
In Memoriam
Joseph and Marci on "Horizon" want to express our deepest condolences to the families of the crew of “Quest," Scott and Jean Adam, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle. This is a horrible tragedy and we know our government will act accordingly. We believe the freedom of the seas should be guaranteed by all governments, so mariners of all nationalities may sail where they wish without fear of hijacking, terrorists or assault. We are saddened by this senseless act of violence and know retribution will never bring back the lives of those lost.
Joseph and Marci Paravia
On board “Horizon” Lapulapu City, Mactan Island, Republic of the Philippines February 23, 2011
Joseph and Marci Paravia
On board “Horizon” Lapulapu City, Mactan Island, Republic of the Philippines February 23, 2011