Day 2 - In It
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 11 Dec 2013 13:30
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24:49.21S
178:19.62W
Day Two of Our Journey to New
Zealand – In the Thick of It
 Tuesday the 10th of
December: We had a good afternoon and I did finally get a win at
backgammon after losing three on the trot, I do seek a buffer at this time of
year you know......Mmmmm. I took a few bob
off Bear in Rummikub and a win at Upword – but I got trounced at Sequence. Oh
well.
We knew before we left Tonga, that
during the later part of day two, we were due a low pressure system with winds
around twenty eight knots, gusts predicted to thirty four. The reckoning behind
leaving when we did, was that as soon as we had gone through the grotty bit,
things would be pleasant for the rest of the journey or you wait and wait. This
journey always has a patch of grotty weather, so once out, get on with it.
No sooner than Bear had gone to bed
at two than the heavens opened and the wind ‘did as it said
on the tin’. The sea was not unkind and by the time Bear came on at six,
things had settled into solid rain, grey skies and Beez trotting along at quite
a lick. Goodnight Sweetheart.
 Wednesday the 11th of
December: I came up at ten to find the rain had worked its way through
the zip above where I sit – no problem – out came a
brolly, problem solved.
 Things
deteriorated a touch and Bear did quite a bit of hand steering,
always a cheery smile, though.
 Outside the sea
got rougher.
 I missed the one gust of 50.1, only
snapping 43.0. Likewise, I missed the new World
Record for Beez Neez at a speed of eleven knots for one second (previous best
10.6). I did manage to snap her happily shifting along at 10.4 though. Our twenty four
hour run saw Beez complete 156.3 nautical miles, bringing our total covered to
292. Despite conditions, we enjoyed sweet and
sour chicken and rice for lunch.
 Dare I say that, at the time of
typing this (14:30) things have settled to a kinder sea – although still pretty
big, is that a tiny bit of blue......, ever the optimist, winds around twenty
eight knots and Beez averaging around eight knots, rain very heavy. I don’t mind
admitting that when this weather passes, I won’t mind a bit if the sun comes
out, the wind drops to nothing and we end up motor sailing the rest of the way.
All well aboard, although our
afternoon games may or may not happen, I’ll let you know tomorrow.
ALL IN ALL
TESTING TIMES BUT PREDICTED
CHALLENGING SAIL AS
EXPECTED
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