32:32S 175:29E

24 hour run – 124 mls...still achingly slow!

conditions 12knots nw, flat seas, brilliant sunshine

 

After yet another frustrating night motoring, the wind – albeit light - returned at dawn.  I was on dawn watch and sat with mounting impatience as the wind increased from 4 to 10 knots – enough to sail in!  At 8am David and Alastair woke and up went the coloured sail and we poled out the genoa to starboard.   We’d tried to go through the night with that configuration and we trickled along nicely until about 11pm when the wind completely died.  Alastair’s logbook entry at midnight summed it up “OMG – motoring again.” No cruising sailor likes to motor but with impossibly light winds and a rolly sea it would have been awful trying to sail so on with the engine. 

 

Yesterday was one of those magical days that puts a smile on faces.  Light winds, flat sea and wall to wall blue sky.  As we ate lunch around the cockpit table – a rare occasion at sea – we all commented on how perfect the day was.  Of course we would have all liked a little more wind but with Bandit drifting along at between 4 and 5knots we were all content.

 

The boys embarked on their usual game of chess late afternoon.  David and I don’t drink at sea – for no reason other than we are usually on our own so like to refrain. It’s become a bit of  habit and we see it as a good opportunity to have a few alcohol free days.   We certainly don’t impose that rule on guests and fully expected Alastair to indulge.  He opted not to but after losing three games of chess in a row to David we told him he may have been showing the effects of not having a wee dram to help him along.  When we make landfall we will all be making up for our alcohol free days!

 

Today is another one out of the bag and once again the shirts are off as we make the most of the sunshine.  We’re still expecting the weather to turn to the south later tonight making our entry into Opua sometime tomorrow a rather wet and wild one so we’re just enjoying the warmth while we can.  Interestingly, we haven’t seen anything exciting on this trip – no whales, no ships, no fishing boats and not even much birdlife.   We did see planes overhead yesterday so obviously the world is still turning out there.

 

We finished the last of the fresh tuna last night so I’ve finally been able to take out one of my freezer meals.   The rest will no doubt be confiscated by biosecurity at Opua but, as our good cruising buddies Mark and Amanda on Balvenie say – “a full freezer equals a good passage”.  No complaints this end.