Patience

Miss Molly 4
Bob & Peggy Wilkerson/Geoff & Merel Pettifer
Thu 8 Oct 2009 04:38
29:17.31 S
176:51.24 E

Here we are again! Last night we had a great sail. It kept us busy though, because it was kind of squally the whole night. One minute we would be doing 5 kts and than it would build up to 9.5 kts boat speed and blow 25 kts for 10 - 15 minutes before dying down and start all over again. We still could not lay the rhumb line, but we made some more Westing. At least the seas seemed to smoothen out a bit more - less slamming.

This morning we started motoring down the rhumb line and we are still motoring on the same course now. The wind has left us the whole day, apart from the 10 kts blowing on the nose. It looks to be a relatively calm night with lots of stars in the sky and phosphorescents in the water.

A boat nearby spotted an albatross today, so we have to look around more to see if we can spot one too. In the mean time we are waiting patiently for the forecasted Northerlies to arrive. At the moment we think we will arrive in Opua on Friday, most likely later in the day.

There is so much fish in the freezer that we have not bothered putting the rod out again. Don't want to be greedy.

Hope we can report more sailing to you tomorrow.

Cheers from us,

Geoff, Merel & James