On Passage New Zealand to Fiji- Day 5
Macushla
Mark & Sue Owen
Fri 17 May 2019 23:05
Day 4 at sea turned into a maintenance day, as I has issues with the loss of power from my main domestic battery bank. These batteries take care of just about everything involved in running the boat and its instruments, with the exception of the engine start which has its own seperate unit. As is usual, half the problem is tracing the fault before you can even start focusing on any repairs, never easy when bouncing around in a sleep deprived state. Luckily, this proved a straightforward one to find as one of the battery cables that connects the 6v cells together in series, to give the 12v required had failed at the crimp fitting, hidden corrosion inside the lug had finally won the day. Finding the required spares and tools to complete the repairs was much more time consuming, as all were packed well away for the trip in the least accessible lockers. But by late afternoon everything was reconnected, charging and all systems were once again operational. Having a combination of solar panels, wind turbine and hydro generator I am normally able to sail Macushla without needing to rely on running the engine to recharge the batteries, and since I have left New Zealand this has been the case, although at times it has been tempting when the wind dropped off and my speed was barely 3 knots.
I am sailing east of the direct rhum line course to Fiji as there is some weather potentially developing in the area that might mean a change of plan. I am now heading towards North Minerva Reef ( google the image) , a small atoll in the middle of the ocean with a narrow entrance on its nw corner, where I can shelter for a few days if needed. This place is always popular with cruisers as it is teeming with huge crayfish, (though not such a pull for the vegans) and gives a rest stop when passaging either from or to NZ.
From the radio Net it sounds like there could be a dozen or so boats headingthat way over the next few days, so could be entertaining. However, my provisions are staring to dwindle so the menus over the coming days might need to be quite experimental, but I'll not starve!
All is well on board, weather and winds are being very cooperative, long may it last.