Direct for Cape Reinga
Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sat 29 Aug 2026 01:41
Course: ENE Speed 6 knots
Wind: S, F4 moderate breeze
Sea state: moderate Swell: SW, 2 meters
Weather: sunny, mild
Day's run: 148 nm
For the last 24 hours we have continued on a beam reach with a reef in the main and for most of the time the jib rolled up to 80% . Occasionally the wind has eased slightly and I have unrolled the jib. I have contemplated shaking the reef out of the main but the wind invariably picks up again before the idea has progressed beyond merely a thought.
I downloaded a grib file yesterday afternoon which indicated that the wind will veer into the SW tomorrow forenoon and the weather fax I received this morning supports this forecast. Consequently, I think I can relax about staying South of my rhumb line and can start heading directly for Cape Reinga, which is what we are doing.
The forecast has us continuing to make good 150 mile days until we get to Cape Reinga, so we should have New Zealand in sight around this time on Monday. From there it is about 100 miles to Opua, so, if all goes well, we should arrive Opua on Tuesday.
Now I have to attend to a rather unpleasant task. The breather tube on the holding tank has once more blocked up. While I discharge the heads directly over board when at sea, I think Sylph's continuous motion over the last few days has stirred up whatever contents remain in the tank, causing them to froth and bubble, blocking the breather, than continuing to create gases that cause the flexible tank to bloat like a dead corpse (an unpleasant simile entirely appropriate to the nature of the task I am afraid).
Oh well, it is shower day today and the sun is shining.
All is well.