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At sea: Make up your mind, Wind!

November 10th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Weather now very changeable in wind speed and direction.  Constant sail changes and several tacks.  Wind from 5 to 30 knots and direction from SE to west.  David’s slept in oilskins to allow fast changes in sail plan overnight.  Had a great period with the staysail and 25 knots of wind for a few hours early last night.  I think we are through the worst of the adverse current which cost us most of a knot over the last 24 hours.

Enjoying the fruits of the baking yesterday.  Cheese on oat bread for lunch. Chocolate oat cookies for tea.

There are lots of yachts (50-100) on their way to NZ at this time of year.  We have been with many of them as we have gone across the Pacific.  We are talking with quite a few that have already got in, quite a few around us and a few still to leave Tonga.  Many have stories to tell of this sail to NZ.  It will be fun catching up with those that have made Opua their landfall.

Position: 32°43’S 174°21’E [-32.720,174.353] at local 16:00, GMT 03:00 November 10th
24hr run: 98 miles by GPS, 117.3 miles through water.  Adverse current now obvious.
157 miles to Opua, NZ. ETA at 5 knots: 23:34 wed 11th November local  time
Wind: SSW 12 knots Sea: big swell but OK for sailing
Sky:  20% cloud cover

Tags: At Sea · Pacific Leg

1 response so far ↓

  • 1 becky // Nov 10, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    Hello!
    soUNDS LIKE YOU ARE Having an amazing time- I am very impressed at the sound of your baking efforts given you are on a yacht. It is nice to see lots of smiley pictures too in many diferent exotic locations. i AM neck deep in work but enjoying it a lot. I am having serious issues remembering left and right sides of the body though :-& – and this lack of coordination was again higlighted this evening when I tried out a dance class here in Derby. Oh dear.
    Wishing you lots of excellent wind for your travels.
    Beckyxx