We are just about to fly back to the UK for Christmas. Be back in New Zealand in February to finish some jobs and get back on the water. Plan for 2011 at the moment is to get around to Thailand via Vanuatu, Solomon, Sail Indonesia rally from Darwin through Indonesia.

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By now you all know my love hate relationship with airports, well I’m here waiting at the most laidback relaxed airport in the world when I see the “fire truck” creep forward till his bonnet is out of the shed, there’s a buzz in the air like a trapped bluebottle and out of the air [...]

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Averaged 8.3 knots over ground for the last hour.  Half a knot of current helping us in that number.  A fabulous sail all night.  A near full moon made it all the better. Wind should hold now until we get in.  This should allow us to clear customs on Thursday at Marsden Cove, Whangarei.  If [...]

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Finally got to sail at Noon yesterday.  Fabulous run with the pink spinnaker up.  Left it up into 18 knots so was hard work to drop as the sock was stuck and didn’t come down over the sail. Then it was through the front at 02:20.  Only light rain and a modest wind increase.  Wind [...]

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What’s the best thing about being past the halfway mark?  The glass is more than half full?  The glass is no longer half empty?  Its getting cooler by the day?  The fresh fruit and vegtables are getting scarce?  No, the best thing is I get to start my second bar of Chocolate.  We only got [...]

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Cold enough on watch last night to need trousers. Very light breeze from the SE was enough to have us motor sailing most of the night.  The action is more comfortable and the fuel consumption lower.  68 miles to half way and we should have enough fuel for the whole trip if the light winds [...]

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Salt water in the bilge spotted when doing the engine checks.  Cause was the engine raw water pump.  I repaired this one in the Marquesas Islands in June last year and Kirsty brought a new spare to Tahiti so this was fitted and away we went.  Next the battery monitor was showing no battery charge [...]

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Managed to keep the boat speed up but with the light winds coming from where we want to go the true progress was slow. Wind has died now so motoring.  The forecasts have quite a bit of calm areas.  We have fuel to spare to repeat the current pattern of motoring and sailing – that [...]

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Motored until we got to the front just south of Fiji at 18:00 last night.  This front comes off a low a long way south close to New Zealand!  Now got good winds and we are close hauled on the port tack heading off to the SW to get westing in before the wind shifts [...]

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Tito at the customs in Savusavu took time out from his Church’s sports day to clear us out on Fiji Day (Monday 11th October).  We left at 15:00 and very little wind so far.  Red ferry from Savusavu came up close to see who we were in the middle of the night – I think [...]

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