Sunday 11  November, On passage to New Zealand  South Pacific Ocean 28 31.0S  167 48.40E 

Today’s Blog by David (Time zone GMT+11.00; UTC +11.00)

With thanks to Peter for the title for this blog. We are motor sailing under spinnaker (sic) trying to get to Norfolk Island in daylight, so that we can anchor and shelter from a cold front (cold, wet and windy) as it passes tonight.

Cold is a word that has not been much used in the last few months, other to describe a desirable quality of beer (or of our freezer which is still playing up on port tack). However, when the sun is not shining it is a word that is becoming more frequently applied to the general environment. Indeed, when Peter arrived on watch at 05.00 this morning he had donned his Musto middle layer AND his Dubarry Goretex sailing boots, something which I don’t think I have seen since Ushant. But there is no doubt that there is a nip in the air.

Our exit from Noumea went according to plan, save that it was blowing old boots and so we decided  we needed to take the bimini down. Rather than trun back, or do it at sea,  I decided to anchor temporarily at Amedee  for the last time:

It turned out to be an excellent idea because Lenie found that there was a leak in the fore-cabin hatch seal which was a lot easier to deal with at anchor than it would have been bouncing around on the oggin had we found It a few hours later.  It was also and opportunity to prepare our lunch in advance before we set out through the passage in the reef and out into open water.

We had a bouncy time of it. Two reefs in the main and the staysail was plenty to move us along at 7.5knots pretty much in the direction we wanted to go. By yesterday morning the wind moderated somewhat and backed a little so we could sail ‘full and by’ at 8.0+ knots with a deeply reefed genoa added to the  sail plan.  That rig we carried through last night as we sailed into a passing tropical ridge resulting  in the wind gradually declining.  Engine on at about 02.00 until we raised the frog at 08.00.  By 11.00 the wind backed and died further, hence we are motor sailing in order to get to shelter before dark.

It’s not a life or death issue, just that we would rather not be outside in the rain at night, particularly because someone thought it would be a good craic to take down the bimini! 

Assuming we get to Norfolk Island safely and in good time, the plan now is to let the front pass, and then set off Monday night/Tuesday morning heading SE, then hopefully be in the right place for the eclipse on Wednesday morning (not Monday, as I reported earlier).

Opua, New Zealand on Thursday or Friday.