The Illustrious Crew of the s/v Quest
We think this is a pretty special group of people - we hope you do too!

Quest's Crew in 2007
Sailing the islands of Fiji.

  Lydia and Nancy joined the Quest in Suva, Fiji where we sailed to the north eastern islands of Rabi and Budd Reef. As a former crew on the Johnson's around the world trip on the "Yankee" Lydia (Left) was very interested in doing some sailing to remote islands. Nancy (right) is part of the support team of the tall ships sailing schools out of Long Beach, so she had lots of stories to tell. We also met one of the tall ships in Suva with which Nancy was acquainted! It's a small world.

Leda and Pam met us in Savu Savu. The town is a cruiser hangout with several quaint little restaurants, internet cafe, market and LED manufacturer. The anchorage is in the river where the boats are moored and swing back and forth in the currents. We enjoyed being in Savu Savu. We were able to find two yachties who helped us fix our watermaker. We also picked up fuel (which turned out to be dirty!) and water (which was delicious!).

When we finally returned to Suva we met Stacey and Bill, who are friends of ours from Del Rey Yacht Club. The reason Stacey seems to be falling backwards is because we had just trekked over a small mountain and now with the low tide we were returning to the Quest by walking along the sea shore. We are far from the endurance levels of the local people. Bill and Stacey sailed with us to the west side of Fiji which is known for its tourist destinations.

Ed, another friend from Del Rey, traveled with us from Nadi Point to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. We had a great trip (except for a broken shroud - with rod rigging, no less). We were happy to have Ed join us as it took the "sting" out of the trip! It turned out to be a kind of moderate trip - not as bad as many going to New Zealand, but not without its challenges - especially as we could not sail once we lost the lower port shroud. So, we motored most of the way to New Zealand, leaving the autopilot and the engine to give us grief (which they did)! As they say, "It is a boat, after all."

I would have to say that our crew in 2007 lived up to our expectations of being nothing but superb! They add the spice to the journey!

Quest's Crew in 2006
2006 was the year for the women on board the Quest and they were great!

Having had a lot of people on the boat in 2005 and covering a lot of ground (from L.A. to Auckland), we decided that we'd go fewer places and stay longer with fewer crew. So Scott & I went up through the Cooks by ourselves as well as traveling across to Samoa. Actually, we were pretty happy and felt that we did quite well. We were hoping to get another person to go with us to New Zealand, but that didn't pan out either. It was the year for the men to have hernias and the women to step forward!

We did meet Libby in Apia, Samoa and she stayed with us until Vava'u, Tonga. We made stops in Savai'i, Samoa and Niuatoputapu, Tonga. It was a super trip and having her aboard for the second year in a row was fun - this is especially true since many of our friends say, "Now that we're getting off the boat after two weeks, we finally know how most of the things work (including the marine head!). This shot of Libby is as she was leaving a bamboo meditation area at the Bahai Center in Samoa.

One of the many activities we planned with Hope was a tour of the less accessible areas of Vava'u. To accomplish this we rented these go-carts. It was a fun day and we were able to go places that would have been difficult if not impossible otherwise. Here we've gone up a dirt track to a lookout to view the north west side of the island. We had a phenomenal trip with Hope including diving with whales, cruising the Ha'apai Islands and finding homes for our Bibles.

Quest's Crew in 2005

fLindsey & Kim were new to the Quest when we joined the Salsa fleet in the Del Rey Yacht Club "race" to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Kim is sitting. Standing: Jean, Lindsey, Scott, Ann and Jim. We're here in Turtle Bay after the first leg of the race. We had a rainy and rough departure from Marina Del Rey, CA and are glad to be snug in this little bay and celebrating at Maria's. The first leg of the race we came in second behind Lazy Bones!

gPat & Jim joined us for part of the Mexican Gold Coast. Here we are in Isla Grande enjoying a mango/fish creation of Jean's. Isla Grande is outside Ixtapa and is a popular day trip for many local and vacationing Mexicans and foreign tourists (many Europeans).

Perhaps Peeryf doesn't look like a sailor posing in front of this coconut tree... But, we were certainly happy that he joined us crossing the dreaded Bay of Tuantepec in southern Mexico. Here we're enjoying the beautiful Barillas Marina in El Salvador. As you recall, Peery has joined the Quest before on the Hawaii to Alaska leg in 2002.

Delia and Harveyg joined us from Costa Rica to Panama. Here we are as we travel through the Panama Canal on a tour. It was definitely a memorable day! Delia took some great photos in Costa Rica and a few of them are in this web site.

Tony and Melf were with us from Panama to the Galapagos. Here we are touring the old ruins of the early Spanish settlers. Panama has a rich history from the early native peoples to many Europeans looking for an alternative to the sea voyage around Cape Horn (as well as the quest for gold!).

Michelle and Michaelg were real troopers! They sailed with us from the Galapagos to the Gambier Islands. That trip is a mere 3,000nm and took the Quest 18 days! Check this out on a globe or chart and see that there's not an island or rock anywhere in this large area of ocean. We had a wonderful trip! Here we are in the Galapagos taking a "taxi" to our hotel!

Tom & Annief rejoin us on the Quest! They first join us in Alaska (2003). Here, they joined us in the Gambier Islands and sailed to the Marquesas Islands. Annie especially enjoyed all the readily available fruits and vegetables in the islands, and the generosity of the Marquesan people.

Marie and Markg joined us in the Marquesas. We had a great time. The sights were incredible, the water was refreshing and the conversation stimulating! It was also great to get the kayak out and give it some use.

fI love this photo of Cheryl and the kids on Kauehi atoll in the Tuamotus. She got them to give us a "tour" of the town! We enjoyed Cheryl's enthusiasm - whether it was going to the top of the mast, or diving down to help unwrap our anchor chain, or searching for coral heads and pearl floats inside the atolls, or finding the "right" dive spots. She was right there!

gScott and I sailed the Quest from the Tuamotus to Tahiti. We met Ann & Merik at the airport in Papeete. They toured the islands and traveled with us to Raitea. We had a great time, relaxed, did a lot of swimming. We got around a lot on Le Truck - the local public bus that the locals ride most of the time. This is a photo of Ann & Merik when we were riding into Papeete absorbing some local color.

fWe sailed to Raitea and met other members of Del Rey Yacht Club who chartered boats from the Moorings. Our crew for the rendezvous were Bob & Gail. This is a photo that tells it all: clear warm water, tropical setting, perfect for romance!

Tony and Marilyng enjoyed some of the more exotic experiences with us on the trip from Raitea to the Cook Islands. We were able to visit a small atoll called Mopelia that is home to seven people. What a fascinating place!

Libbyf joined us in the Cook Islands and sailed to New Zealand. Here she is on Minerva Reef saving a baby lobster from the destructive hand of Mother Nature. Minerva Reef was amazing since nobody lives there and no tree or plants grow there. Much of the reef is underwater at high tide.

gHere's our friend, Jim surveying Minerva Reef. He joined us for the Cook Island to New Zealand leg of our journey. We had a great time and particularly appreciated Jim's willingness to climb high objects like navigation beacons and Quest's mast. Jim's history with the Quest include two trips to Mexico and Tahiti (as well as a trip to Hawaii on Scott's previous boat, "Significant Other") - let's NOT discuss THAT name or why Jean was NOT fond of that boat!

Quest's Crew in 2003

fScott, Bob & Jim (standing) Jean, Debbie and Ann (sitting) - our crew to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Just looking at this crew gives you confidence, doesn't it? I think it took us the whole trip to learn the systems on the Quest. In fact, after 25,000 miles Scott & I are still learning - it's endless. Perhaps that's one of the attractions to the cruising lifestyle. You're always learning.

Larry & Robertag work for their dinner outside of Prideaux Haven, British Columbia! Back to British Columbia! Once you visit there you can't stay away. Here we are trying to live off the sea. We actually caught some decent shrimp once we got the hang of it!

We take a side trip on Vancouver Island with Marty & Phylisf. I guess you could say that we weren't 100% successful at "living off the sea." We had to take a lifestyle break and visit a civilized restaurant. Boy did we appreciate it!

Jeff & Dedeg join us for tea at the Empress Hotel, Victoria, B.C. And what could be more civilized than tea at the Empress. I guess Jeff & Dede enjoyed their time with us enough so that they decided to become our "buddy boat" on our cruise across the South Pacific in 2005! You'll be hearing a lot more about "Lazy Bones" (that's their boat) on future trips.

I know we've missed Dan, Marie and Stacy who all helped us take the boat up and down the coast from MDR to the Pacific northwest. I vow to get some good photos of them and include them on this page (please excuse me in the mean  time).

Quest's Crew in 2002

Davidg was the first person to join us on the first leg of our shakedown cruise. That leg took us from the Cook Strait (between the north and south islands of New Zealand to Fiordland on the southern aspect of New Zealand. Here we're anchoring where Captain Cook anchored the Endeavor in the Marlborough Sounds (on the northern aspect of the southern island.! The boat was "splashed" for the first time in Waikawa in the Marlborough Sounds. It's a wonderful protected cruising area - one that we were hoping to have more time to explore. But as with all very big projects, we were doing well to get the boat seaworthy in the time we had. Our goal was to meet our friend, Bill in Milford sound and continue counterclockwise around the south island.

Billf joined us in southern New Zealand. Here, because we've anchored too close to the rain forests, we're prepared to battle the noseeums! Without Bill I don't know how we would have done our southern trip. He was stalwart, even in the face of storm conditions ( 60+ knot winds). Our trip from the fiords into Bluff was a test of determination. Without an autopilot we were hand steering for several days in 50+ knots of wind. We came into Bluff in the middle of the night and were greeted by a very friendly and helpful harbormaster who drove his truck over to the industrial dock to show us where to berth the Quest. Bill had to go home for a ski competition, but rejoined us on our leg from Auckland to Papeete.

Jean's sons, Drew & Bradg join us in Tahiti. Our first real "cruise" was Tahiti. What better way to enjoy it than with loved ones! Because these guys are not what you'd call "heavy weather sailors" we planned our trip to include a couple of the most beautiful islands on earth and visited historic bays that were within a day's sail.

Scott drives as Jim, Peter & Irisf watch us fly into Bora Bora.With an experienced crew we were able to fly our gennaker. It was great to finally experience the trade winds and have a downwind trip from Raitea to Bora Bora.

Mark & Janieg catch a few rays in Bora Bora! Though landlubbers, Mark & Janie were fast and eager learners. We were ecstatic with the clear, warm gorgeous water on the east side of Bora Bora. We had to twist through the coral heads to get there, but it was worth it! This was our first trip to Bora Bora and it was truly an unforgettable trip. What will always stand out in our memories is the color of the water - and because of its clarity and warmth it was most inviting.

I think there are certain memorable crew that have gone above and beyond. The trip from Bora Bora to Hawaii is an uphill (upwind) trip which ended up being a 28 day trip. Colin, Ariel and Danf joined us for this trip - none of us knowing what to expect. We sailed past Caroline and Starbuck Islands hoping to go ashore, but because of conditions that was not going to happen. In this photo Colin, Ariel and Dan look longingly at Starbuck Island. Not only could we NOT land, but there was no one there to serve coffee! With minimum experience we covered the 2300 (+/-) miles between French Polynesia and Hawaii. They were great: faithful to their watches, cheerful, and careful of their own safety and the safety of others and the boat.

July 28, 2002 Peery and Victorg seem eager to land in Sitka, Alaska after two weeks at sea! What a great trip we had from Honolulu to Sitka, Alaska. We set the sails in Honolulu and sailed all the way to Sitka. This was the trip from which the joke came: "Tack? We don't tack - we're cruisers!" An indeed we were cruisers this trip. We had to run the generator for power for the first time. Since the preceding trips were upwind we were using the big engine to propel the boat and generate electricity.

Debbie & Harmonf join us in Glacier Bay, Alaska. The most difficult thing about this cruise was getting our reservations. Debbie was persistent, and because of that we had reservations to be one of the few boats in Glacier Bay while we were visiting Alaska. Our entire cruise in Alaska was memorable, especially our view of the glaciers - up close and personal.

Tom & Annieg enjoy the summer sunshine in Alaska. All this inland passage is fabulous. It's protected, it's beautiful and no one's there - at least compared to Southern California! There's plenty of wild life. Lot's of fishing and crabbing. What's not to like?

Nearing Seattle, fJohn, Susan and other cruising guests join us. Continuing south through the Inland Passage took us to British Columbia. I had cruised this area a lot in my "previous life" and know what a wonderful cruising area it is. A person could spend a lifetime exploring all around Vancouver Island - and many do.

Peter & Sethg coming into S.F. Heading down the Pacific coast is always an adventure! At least coming south is better than going north. High winds and waves are the norm. Again though, we had a wonderful crew to get us safely to our destination.