Leaving New Zealand

Sea Topaz
Duncan Briggs
Mon 21 Jun 2010 12:32
33.35.912 S 174.34.732 E
 
Yes!! We are on our way. We left Whangarei on Monday, waved goodbye to many friends. We had an overnight stop at Marsden Cove Marina (a wild windy wet night) and the left around midday having checked out with customs. We have a new crew on board, Fenn Anderson, who is the grandson of our good friend Neil. He is an eighteen year old sailor. It is great to have an extra pair of hands on board. We all took the precaution of taking some seasickness pills and we survived the first night out  at sea. It was a boisterous and very cold night, but the winds have calmed down today and we are sailing along nicely with the two front sails poled out and the wind behind us.
We worked hard for the two weeks we were in the water prior to leaving, had the front windows taken out and re-sealed and some work done on top of the mast, which turned out to be one of those small jobs that become a big one.
We were sorry to leave Riverside Drive Marina, we have been very well looked after and made many new friends. But we are on our way to Fiji and the sun.
 
 
                 
 
                Taking the windows out for repair                                Duncan supervising work on top of the mast