3rd  November 2009 – Passage to Opua.

01.30hrs

Well we're past the Jakima! (Under Perkins power). Rest assured, we are focused on the task at hand. On Don’s suggestion we even carried the storm jib inside the old# 4 genoa today to try and give us some extra grunt. Don’t think it did anything but we were happy that we were doing something. Admittedly part of Dons focus is on fishing and we have had some debate as to the effect of the lures on our boat speed, however the prospect of a mahi mahi or wahoo has led us to accept the handicap and continue fishing.

The wind fell away yesterday at 1700 after a superb days sailing with the breeze at 15-20 out of the SE. Clear sky and flat sea. Champagne sailing all day. Just then I had a radio sked with Opua Offshore and gave our position, after which a call came through on the VHF clear as a bell (VHF being line of sight communication). It was Jakima and they were only 6 miles ahead, so we were pretty pleased with our performance bringing them back 6 miles in "bigger than #4 headsail" conditions.

Anyway that was that the wind died to less than 10 kts and our boat speed died to less than 5 kts so the Perkins was awakened and some fossil fuel set alight. At 10 last night and 25 degrees south, we steamed past them 200 meters away. They only carry half the diesel we do so can't afford to use more than they have to and were battling on probably doing 3-4 kts, I see on the radar as I write this at 0130hrs, that they are keeping station about 4 miles astern so they must be motoring also now as the breeze has died completely.

Don, pensive in the evening light.

 Chris likewise.

Didn't hear from Innovation with (Rod & Viv) last night but they would have been enjoying the light airs yesterday and have probably put time on us. The cat Ishka (Ian & Ida) was 6 miles behind us yesterday morning but haven't head from them since either.

Another bloody sunset.

 Having had another set back in my claim to be the worlds greatest exponent of pressure cooker use, I have mulled over the problem and come to the conclusion that perhaps you shouldn't thicken stews before you cook them in a pressure cooker. You should first cook the meal, then thicken it after, otherwise it will catch on the bottom of the pot and burn! Fortunately I smelt it before it became too unseemly and it became an acceptable meal which otherwise would have been sensational.

We past Conway reef at night which meant we didn't have the lures out, and as we progress south the prospects of a decent fish diminish. However we remain hopeful that “Fishguts” (Don) might come up with the goods tomorrow, otherwise it will be Mediterranean chicken (in the pressure cooker of course).

My idea of bogging up the anchor chain hawspipe with playdough to stop the water getting down into the anchor locker and hence into the bilge, although meritorious in concept proved less than successful. Splash Tango having the mindset of a torpedo rather than a cork as she does, buried her nose into the waves which immediately punched the playdough straight down the hawspipe to become a mush amongst the chain at the bottom and have me on regular bilge watch. Don is on whittling duty today with a bit of closed cell foam to make a plug which might alleviate the problem.

As a final note, I see the Italians have drifted slightly beyond the 4 mile ring on the radar, must be conserving fuel, but something tells me, they will be back!