Now in the SW airflow and the adverse current.  Made as much west as possible overnight hence poor progress towards Opua.  Tacked at 10:00 local time and making good progress but need a wind shift into west to get into Opua without tacking. Mary and Kirsty have excelled themselves with baking.  They don’t get thrown […]

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Wind filled in about midnight and then from dawn we have been tripled reefed with a reduced headsail.  Sea is very lumpy.  Still making good progress though.  Still heading SW ready for the SW winds Position: 29°46’S 175°15’E [-29.763,175.257] at local 16:00, GMT 03:00 November 8th 24hr run:  130.5 miles by GPS, 131.6 miles through […]

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Wind died this morning.  We put up the big reacher for a while.  Wind filling in again but from the direction we want to go!  I suspect we will be hard on the wind now until the last short stretch into Opua. Tactics are to stay on the port tack well out to the west […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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How often does a custom’s official thank you for your help at your previous destination?  He was really concerned for his fellow Tongans at Niuatoputapu. We have a mobile SIM for Tonga.  You can skype this number as well as it accepting normal phone calls (send us an email for the number). Position: 18°39′ 173°59′ […]

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