Ahoy!
You have stumbled upon a travel blog that chronicles the journeys of two nomadic professionals who live their lives by cycling between working their butts off in science and medicine and goofing around in a boat!
Here you can follow our journey aboard the spectacular 2017 Leopard 48 catamaran The Intrepid Jerry. In Nov 2025 we left the US for the Caribbean and made our way west through the Panama Canal in April 2026. We plan to explore the Pacific Ocean and beyond as we attempt to circumnavigate over 3-5 years.
Below you will find our travel map, blog, and information about our first voyage aboard The Amazing Marvin from 2015-2017.
Happy exploring!
Where is Jerry?
Offshore, making way from Tangatapu, Tonga, to Opua, North Island, New Zealand. Anticipating a landfall Oct 28 or 29.
Pacific Ocean
Last update: Oct 20. 2026
Jerry’s Journey:
Blog Ahoy!
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Some Whales…
The Burnetts have been thoroughly enjoying Aitutaki, an island in the southern group of the Cook Islands. This is the first new nation they have sailed to since arriving in French Polynesia in May. Once again Mel finds herself docked…
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A Society Island Excursion With Your Intrepid Tour Guide, Jerry!
Cruisers gotta cruise. This truth about the nomads that make up our community is one reason why we weighed heavily the decision to go through the time and effort to extend our allotted 90-day visa to a full year in…
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Hotel Jerry
Mel hasn’t posted much lately as her role has been transformed from free-wheeling, blogging cruiser to Mom and concierge to four visiting Gen-Z’ers. To imagine what this is like, take the logistics required to live on a sailboat in a…
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Load moreDay 6 Tonga to New Zealand. Less than 200 nautical miles to go! All we have left to do is contribute to the Great Pacific Pork Belt and do a second sweep of the boat to ensure that we are not harboring any dangerous pasta salad.
WTF? you may ask. This behavior was prompted by rules made by the Ministry for Primary Industries, which runs biosecurity for NZed. To clear in, you must comply with hundreds of rules regarding what you cannot import. Chiefly, no pork or fresh fruit and veggies. And specifically, pasta salad?? Must.Learn.Story.
Mel is pretty sure that the sharks have gotten word of this, and, in Sharkland, The Great Pacific Pork Belt is a well-known phenomenon. This is where cruisers dump their contraband. Although it pains her to waste food, and she has always abhorred littering, Mel is looking forward to the weird dopamine hit you get from hurtling things into the sea.
Distance in 24 hrs: 169 nm. We are motoring now as the winds have died.
Dinner: homemade spaghetti and meatballs. 🍝
Entertainment: Reading MPI’s website and imagining how they came up with all those rules — was there a “mooncake” task force? #hungryforpastasaladDay 5 Tonga to New Zealand. Meetiversary! Greg and Mel met at a crazy Halloween party in college on Oct 24 many years ago. Greg looked big and scary with a fake snake draped over his neck, so before agreeing to a dance, savvy Mel bluntly asked him, “Are you safe?” Greg’s answer, “What do you think?”, aside from establishing him as the cool one, opened the door for frequent re-evaluations of that question over the years as Mel found herself sitting on the back of his motorcycle climbing a mountain in California, holding his hand during her height-induced panic attack at the top of Chichen Itza, or peering down from the right seat of a Cessna taildragger as it flew over the Luxor. It is therefore fitting that this meetiversary, Mel once again finds herself in another not-so-safe situation with her love, this time dodging whales and Calamity on a fiberglass cork in the middle of the Pacific. She wouldn’t be here with anyone else. ❤️
Distance: 210 nm in 24 hrs.
Seas: It’s a much better ride, and a sunny day made for some lovely sailing. Winds are dropping down to 11-14 apparent now, and so now we are searching out favorable current. Haven’t had to start the dinosaur eaters just yet.
Dinner: Home-cooked beef tacos! 🌮
Entertainment: Mel accordingly loves Halloween season and is contemplating throwing a Halloween party once on land, so she is editing her Spotify Halloween music playlist. Alas, her 12-ft skeleton did not fit on the boat! #RiceOwls #NightOfDecadence #MeetiversaryDay 4 Tonga to New Zealand. Jerry is zooming along. Mel has Day 4 Blues. This kicks in when she is used to the watch schedule, but the tedium and restricted movement starts to drive her crazy.
Jerry is the most western boat of his WhatsApp flotilla with plans to ride the wind southeast when it shifts early next week. We shall see…
Distance: 200 nm in 24 hrs. We have averaged 8.5 knots on this trip!
Seas: Supposedly down to 6 ft. That improvement has had the effect of putting lipstick on a pig. Looks better, but it is still a rough ride. Seasickness 2/10. Wind 15-21 knots apparent. Double-reefed main, single-reefed jib overnight.
Dinner: Chicken meat pie instead of beef. Mel is hopeful she can make tacos tomorrow.
Entertainment: Being bored. Bored bored bored. Listening to podcasts with legs bicycling in the air. Time for a new audiobook: Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. Greg is watching the Nebraska Women’s Volleyball team trounce everyone. I hope they can hear all the whooping and hollering from the middle of the Pacific. #NebraskaVolleyball
