Another big milestone - now in the eastern hemisphere.  Longitude will reduce now rather than increase!

Great nights sailing wind holding up until dawn and then we put up pinkie - our huge pink masthead spinnaker!  Had it up for about 6 hours until the wind filled in again.  Making very good progress given the large high that dominates the ocean around us.  Barometer is at 1023.

Forecast has less wind tomorrow then sailable winds from SE then S then SW.

Position: 26°14′S 178°26′E [-26.245,178.429]at local 16:00, GMT 03:00 November 6th 2009
24hr run:  148 miles by GPS,  145 miles through water. Expecting adverse current south of 30°South
612 miles to Oapu, NZ. ETA at 5 knots: 18:32 Wed 11th November local time
Wind: SE 12 knots Sea: Long S swell 0.8m
Sky:  15% cloud cover

We have left North Minerva reef on the last leg to New Zealand.  The norm for this passage is to have one spell off stronger winds.  Our forecast is very good with wind most of the way but no gales - I guess it can only get worse from here!  We’ll be ready with our smaller sails.  Our favourite is the trysail that will go up when the wind hits 30 knots.

We are off to a great start.  Covered 75 miles by 16:30 from our start at 7am.  Got a nice sized yellow fin Tuna so all set for fresh fish for most of the way to NZ.  When we loose the flying fish we won’t get the tuna etc.  Not sure what the best fishing technique will be then perhaps the mackerel lines but they require 2-3 knot boat speed.   We caught our last mackerel off Lisbon.

Fishing suggestions for 5 to 8 knots for colder waters welcome.

Position: 24°25′S 179°41′W [-24.420,-179.691] at 16:00 Local, 03:00 5th November 2009 GMT
761 miles to Opua, NZ. ETA at 5 knots: 00:25 12th November local time
Wind: ESE 15-18 knots
Sky:  30% cloud cover

We have 19 boats around us here in Minerva reef.  Still room for 100 more - big reef with all the inside at about 15 meters depth.

Some are here just because it a different place to visit.  Most are waiting for the wind to fill in.  The weather forecasts give hope that tomorrow morning will be the beginning of enough wind to sail rather than motor to New Zealand.

Had a bizarre walk on the reef at low water yesterday.  Reef nearly covers at high water and the boats move around more at high tide when some swell makes it over the reef.  Fish caught in the pools darting about sometimes flapping over the nearly dry bits to get to the next pool. The inside of the reef at low water would beat Lativa’s longest waterfall in Europe record both for length and for low distance of fall!

Yachts following us may like to know we used 23°37.382′S 178°55.806′W as an indication of the middle of the pass.  Plotter has the reef pretty accurate, big plus after the charting in Haapai and Vavau.

Position: 23°39′S 178°54′W [-23.654,-178.900]
835 miles to Opua, NZ. 7 DAYS AT at 5 knots
Wind: E 6 knots

About to stop in Minerva reef.  Wind forecast is for very little over the next day or so.  We will start again when there is more wind forecast.

Talked to the plucky girl on Pink Lady this afternoon.  She has started out from Australia to be the youngest person to do a non-stop circum-navigation.  Had bad luck on her test voyage down the Australian coast and was hit by a coaster.  Sounded in excellent form just getting out the fishing lines.  Her boat is an S&S 34.  Interesting she also gets lots of questions like “what about pirates?”, “How will you deal with pirates?”  I suspect she would have been more at risk living in a big city!  If someone reading this on the blog can put a link to her web site in the comments it would be great.

Just crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.  Crossed into the tropics on the way to Cape Verde last year on November 21st 2008.  Getting colder, duvets out now.

Position: 23°32′S 178°48′W [-23.533,-178.796] at local 16:00, GMT 03:00 2nd November
24hr run: 125.3 miles by GPS,
835 miles to Opua, NZ.
Wind: SE 13 knots Sea: SSE swell 3.0
Sky:  40% cloud cover

Looks more like we will stop at Minerva reef to wait for better weather.  Light head winds followed by strong winds off New Zealand if we go on.  Normally a deserted reef but I suspect with we read the weather as better to stop so will a lot of the other dozen or so boats around us!  ETA for the reef is this time tomorrow.

Would expect to need 2 days at least for weather prospects to change.

Great sail last night with the moon right through to 4:00 am.  Wind is waxing and waning more than usual which leads to adjustments of the windpilot and weather helm.

Position: 22°7′S 177°3′W [-22.121,-177.055] local 16:00, GMT 03:00 1st November 2009
24hr run: 143 miles by GPS
960 miles to Opua, NZ.
Wind: SE 10-16 knots Sea: SW swell 3.0m with other swells on top
Sky:  30% cloud cover.  Wind waxing

One advantage of being at sea today is no children holding you to ransom for some sweets!  We do have a pumkin aboard but its being kept as good eating in a few days.  The islanders on Oua, our last stop in Tonga, as always want to give you food so we have pineapples, papaya, coconuts and both cooking and eating bananas.  The pumkin was bought in Neiafu, Vavau before we left exactly a week ago.

We have caught a mahi mahi fish which will keep us in fresh fish for quite a few days.  It has been good fishing in this area and all the boats are reporting catches.

Position: 20°32′ 175°07′ [-20.528,-175.119] at local 16:00, GMT 03:00 31st October 2009
1103 miles to Opua, NZ. ETA at 5 knots:  21:09 9th November local time
Wind: SE 10 knots Sea: smooth with SW swell 1.0m
Sky:  80% cloud cover, rain ahead

Wind has come around to East of South and we are off towards Opua, New Zealand [-35.317,174.117] (174E not west so a positive now for google maps).  Lots of other boats left today as the weather window looks good.  One of the faster boats that left on the last good window on October 20th was hove to for 3 days in 30 knot winds 150 miles off the North Cape so here’s hoping our forecast is better.  We may stop at Minerva reef [-23.657,-178.967] is the forecast is too light, too strong or too southerly - getting picky!

Normal updates will be at 16:00 local - 03:00 GMT.

Position: 20° 09′ 174° 45′ [-20.152,-174.749] at local 10:45, GMT 21:45 30th October
1085 miles to Opua, NZ. ETA at 5 knots: 22:10 09th November local  time
Wind: SSE 10 knots Sea: smooth

Mr Legoman, who has been with us from the start of our journey, now feels safe to come out and enjoy the trip. He has a walrus face and when we asked for a name back came John Lennon since he sang “I am a walrus”! Staying in the rope locker he felt trying to sneak out at night was become a bit of a bore. So now he’s out and about. [Read more →]

Humpback whales bread in Tongan waters but feed in the waters of the antartic.  They start to leave in October to go south and we are doing the same.  We did manage to see a small group with a baby, they were entertaining people from a sight seeing boat who were swimming with them by coming up really close!

We have left the Vavau group of Tonga and now at the next group south, Haapai.  Less boats here.  great sail down in 17-20 knots.  A few tacks to winward required in the last 20 miles.

Position: 19°44′ 174° 19′ [-19.738,-174.32] at local 18:00, GMT 06:00 October 25

The Apia marina dinghy meets you in the bay and escorts the yachts into their marina berth, they have been known to direct sailors to share a berth with a bommie , yes a bommie one of the large coral heads that can put holes in a glassfibre hull. The game starts when the dinghy rushes ahead and beckons you to follow, they try to get you into the bommie berth before the other sailors on the pontoons have time to rush down to warn you. They are quite happy when arriving yachts decline the bommie berths, they shrug their shoulders and then direct you to another berth. Just seems a slightly odd game.
So that’s the beginning, with yellow flag up, the Samoan authorities arrive dressed in their lavalavas, shirt and sandles, customs immigration health and quarantine. All close at hand as this is the capital of Samoa. No swine flu, we are not carrying illegal drugs, guns, spear guns or anything we shouldn’t have so we are free to go about as a palangi tourist. [Read more →]