14.58S 147.38W

Day 5  20/5/2009

03:45

I can see the loom of Rangirora 20miles ahead so, unless we hit it, calmer times are nearly here.

Crew (ie her indoors) has not had her finest day. First, having moved our fuel from cans to the much safer tank, she dropped the Baha filter overboard (it’s 12” in diameter and floats). We then spent at least 9 passes under engine in a flat calm sea with no wind trying to get it back. If the RYA could have seen us they’d revoke our Competant Crew MOB certificates (which we haven’t got). Having missed many forward passes, we finally caught the little fella by reversing over him. Second, on the first overnight watch she thought to improve things by turning off the engine and sailing. On the face of it a good idea until the wind got up and she realised we were going to arrive too early (v.i.). Furling the genoa at 11pm proved a disaster which ended up with the lazy line wrapped 100 times round the sheet, the jib flogging in 16kts of wind and then I snapped the furling line. How pleased was I?

Pilots and cruising guides are not terribly useful round here (unlike Cherbourg where they guide you every inch of the way), but they seem a bit concerned about a tidal race into the lagoon at Rangirora which can reach up to 6kts. Since Clare has taken us through the Needles, the Alderney Race, the Point du Raz, Chenal du Four, Cap de la Hague, and off Barfleur without spilling as much a ml of our pink gins, I’m not exactly scared, but a) time will tell and b) Clare sez we must be there at slack water at 7.30 am.

Apart from the jib furling line and 1 block – no breakages!

Keith

We have anchored safely and I still don’t know why the furling line jammed and caused all the mayhem. We were thinking of replacing it anyway but I hadn’t intended to precipitate matters at midnight in the Pacific. After it snapped Keith freed it from the bow and we got the genoa stowed away.

We arrived here 5 hours after moonrise at 07:00 following low tide at 6.22 (for those who follow!) which should have been slack but 4kts of tide were still ebbing and the pass was a bit choppy but o.k..

Haven’t really sussed the place yet. It seems nice and we will sleep first and explore later.

Clare