Minerva Reef North
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Tue 2 Jun 2015 03:32
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23:37.073S 178:54.835W
Tuesday 2nd June 2015
Distance run so far: 605nm
Distance run Day 6: 120nm
Distance run Day 7: 102nm
Total distance run: 827nm
We are now safely anchored inside Minerva Reef
North after motoring for all but 5 hours since the last blog. Conditions
have been very benign, with no squalls at all over the past two days, blue
skies, calm seas - and no wind! Well that's not strictly accurate,
and I know there are some out there who just like to know the facts and
figures. Well, we had winds of between 4 and 8 knots, and whilst it is
possible for us to sail in that (at about 2-3 knots - she's a heavy old girl
filled to the gunwhales with all our old tot) with the wind on the beam and dead
flat seas, neither was the case. Although the sea was calm with only
little ripples for waves, there was an ocean swell running of maybe 2-3
metres. As each of these rolls through, we ride up on it and down the
other side, and depending on which direction it comes from, we either to-and-fro
up and down from stem to stern, or we roll from side to side. This
movement causes the wind to be tipped out of the sails, they collapse
and lose their draw and we slow down until they fill again, only to lose their
wind with the next swell that rolls in. Frustrating eh?
Even poling out the headsail would not have made
much difference, so diverting here was our best option. We entered through
the pass in the reef at around 1000 to find an eerie calm and quiet in the
middle of the ocean. It's good to see clear light blue water again,
and it's currently 27 degrees C, sunny with clear skies. Time for
some R&R.
Some photos from the passage:
  Both ends of the rainbow.
Marshmallow clouds?
 My favourite - a fiery
sunset.
 Had to record this - the only time we had
current with us - boat speed far left
and speed over the ground (from the GPS) on the
far right.
  Going in through the pass.
Water breaking over the reef to the side of the pass.
  Chartplotter showing us going through the
pass.
Anchored in clear blue water.
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