Day 8

Friday 8th May 2009 17:00

Position: 23deg 56min South, 179deg 06min West � Minerva South

We could see the breaking surf on South Minerva by 8 am and as we got closer could hear the roar of the surf like an express train. It took us a full two hours to arrive, negotiate the coral heads (with Matthew up the mast pointing out the obstacles) and find a suitable anchorage � in 12m on a clear sandy bottom. The visibility is just phenomenal. We�ve been swimming, snorkeling and walked on the reef. Managed an afternoon nap and planning to spend the night at anchor. Mom�s cooking a nice curry. From a fish viewing perspective � a dive around any coral head reveals a plethora of brightly coloured fish, giving the illusion of diving in a tropical fish tank. There were three vessels here when we arrived and 2 Tongan fishing vessels (plundering the reef) another 6 have since arrived � mostly big cats around the 50 to 60 foot mark and mainly American.

It�s now high tide and some of the 3m swell is breaking over the reef and a small swell is now apparent in the anchorage. The reef area is enormous all very confusing (all of 3nm across � we could accommodate all of the Westhaven yachts here and still have plenty of room)� how you ever negotiated this in the past without a chart, I just don�t know. This is quite surreal � in the middle of the ocean here we are anchored for the night.

Skipper

Day 7

Thursday 7th May 2009 17:00
Position: 24deg. 50min South , 179 deg 43min West (note we are now in the Western hemisphere. So the date should read Wednesday the 6th but we will leave it as it is, as Tongan time is NZ plus 1 hour)
Better day today � low wind speeds � have had the spinnaker up all day � have made 80Nm today (not our expected 120) but the winds have been no more than 5 kts. Presently doing 2 -3kts with winds about 4-5kts from the South West. We have decided to make South Minerva by late morning and attempt the entry � although the prevailing winds and swell are not ideal � from the south west the conditions are very settled � there is a front approaching from behind with a promise of wind and rain and no doubt a wind change. Still looks a while off. � This same front gave the yachts behind us wind speeds of 30 kts. We have read books, watched movies on the ipod etc. Had a great radio sked with our friends Tom and Vicky on SunStone � they had invited Josh for dinner and we all had a good chat � hogged the channel a bit I am afraid but very nice to do. Very excited, if not nervous about South Minerva (just 60 nm away)

Skipper

Day 6

Wednesday the 6th May 09 19H00,
Position:26degrees 04min South and 179degrees 35mins east
A day essentially with out wind. We know that the yachts behind us have winds up to 30 knots. There's a front behind us & we can see the cloud and there's a stationary one ahead  & more cloud  & we have a soft breeze from the south east alone with a big swell from the winds behind. We have only managed to do 90 nautical miles today, really pathetic and that includes some motoring when charging batteries.

We hoved too for about an hour to have a swim & the water is beautifully clear and warm 24 degrees now. I am however a little frustrated at not moving and a little worried about going to Minerva reef . I am afraid that the swell might prevent entry because at present it is not from the expected South East. We have decided to just continue and have a look. Presently boat speed is a paltry 2kts.

Skipper

Day Five

Tuesday 5th May 09 1800hrs
Position: 27 degrees 38min South, 178 degrees 45min East

We found the wind at 2am in the morning � a mild Southwesterly about 12 to 15 knots. We currently have the jib poled out and am making 5 to 6knots. We are officially half way. We have celebrated with butter chicken and homemade rolls for dinner. The evenings are getting darker earlier as we are moving slowly east. Just can�t believe we are so far from any where. We had originally planned to be in the middle of the Tongan fleet but they are one and half days behind. No boats or aeroplanes seen in the past few days. Beautifully clear night skies when its not raining with such a clear view of the Milky Way. Shooting stars have been a treat too. We are enjoying the opportunity to chat on night watches. We are however missing the contact from family and friends. � we hope the blog is up and running because its something we cannot see. Joy enjoyed being on deck with her favorite music (Pavarotti) on her night watch and no one to complain. Being a good day some of the crew (skipper included) stood on the deck and had a good old wash � can�t believe how good that feels.

Are keeping contact with a yacht �Liberation� on her way up. One of my colleagues Lars is on board � all well on that front Felicity.

Missing Josh so much we made our first and very expensive satellite phone call � very good quality and surprisingly little delay. Won�t be doing that again though. Satellite mail is fantastic and we look forward to contact. (as long as there are no pics).

Lots to do especially for the skipper � between watches, logs, blogs, pulling down radio faxes, keeping skeds, listening to weather forecasts, continually assisting members of the crew with little crises day and night the inevitably occur.

Skipper

Day Four

Monday 4th May 1700hrs position 29degrees 24min south 178degrees 19min east currently under motor doing about 6 knots wind slight no more than 5 knots southerly

Well a good night sail with the wind southerly 15 to 20knots doing on average over 7knots, swell no more than 2 meters . The winds died down this morning and the sea a deep blue and became south westerly for a while and then south easterly. With great effort we put the spinnaker up (not because its was difficult but because every thing at sea is done with such effort even going to the toilet or writing in the log.) We've chased the wind with the spinnaker for last 8 hours and admittedly made a respectable 6knots on average but both Matt and I am exhausted and when the spinnaker finally hang limp on the deck and I could not coax any more life out of it we went the iron sail. We are quite mindful that we do not have enough fuel on board so am trying to keep motoring down to a minimum - 22 hours in total so far.

Mom has made spaghetti bolognaise ' for dinner ' great. As were in for a quite night we shall thin the shifts out to all get some good sleep. Still 3 days to Minerva. Sea temp already 21 with a promise of things to come. Missing Joshua heaps.

Skipper

Don't know where the days have gone. In between a blur of seasickness when the boat turned into a vomit comet, I lost a couple of days. Matt and I took our Pahia Bombs (seasick tablets) at lunchtime on day one, thinking that was way too early, as the going was so easy. However by the following morning, matt was complaining that they weren't working too well, and, a little later we were all competing with him for the side rail! Day two with confused lumpy seas made everyone seasick. We hardly ate anything and couldn't keep anything down, I only had two segments of mandarin all day - great for crash dieting! Unfortunately it also meant that the seasick tablets woudn't take hold either, so day two blurred into day three. Matt and Charles did a sterling job keeping us going thoughout the second night. We had anticipated sailing into a storm that was to "sling shot" us into the pacific and had reefed our main all ready. however, the storm never seemed to arrive and eventually, as everything was looking good, we shook out the reef and got back to some real sailing. Naturally, the storm then came up and we had to get back to being reefed and battling it! With just the storm jib up, the boys sailed four hour watches throughout the night. It was wet and cold, with poop waves coming into the cockpit and the wind gusting up to 50 knots. When they weren't on watch, they would just lie down and rest in the wet cockpit, so they could help each other out when needed. Very heavy going for both of them, but they did a great job. Mom on the other hand, was OK lying down but was sick every time she stood up. So, despite valiant efforts to get the boys something to snack on, or drink, felt guilty at not being capable of very much. The only thing I could do was to pray for the seas to calm and the winds to ease, which I did with all my might!! They eventually did and the next day was easier going. 

We felt deserving of the delicious chocolate cookies that Kendall made for us, as we tucked into them. I must admit, although the weather was awful, we all felt completely safe and not in any danger. When we are in the cockpit, we have our lifejackets on and are always clipped on, so we can't fall out if a freak wave comes over the side. Day three and calmer weather meant that we could keep our seasick tablets down and all return to being functional again, yay! It's amazing to think we're so far away from land. 

All around us is sea, we see the odd seabird from time to time, and Charles and Emma saw a big ship on the horizon last night but it didn't come our way. The stars in the sky were magnificent last night and the winds are definitely getting warmer, which is nice.We had an easy tea of spaghetti and pesto last night to give us energy for the night, and we're enjoying the fresh fruit on board, which I realise we do not have enough of. I didn't think we could carry it all, but our hammocks actually hold a lot and i wish I'd brought more apples and oranges as we're having to ration them out to everyone except the skipper and first mate (matt). 

Matt found a flying fish had landed on the deck during the night, if only he hadn't have thrown it back overboard, we could've had fish for breakfast! Instead we had cuppa soups and bread (very boring, but nice when you've been up all night!)

We're looking forward to our first real tea since we've been at sea tonight, spaghetti bolognaise. We tend to eat early, about 4.30pm so we have time to clean up afterwards before it gets dark.

We're envious of you and your showers - there's only so much that wetwipes can do and even the teenagers don't spend long in the heads (bathroom) when it's lurching from side to side!! 

-- Joy

1st Days At Sea

Hi all,

Position 34 deg 38 min south 175deg 31min east at Saturday 1300hrs 2nd May 09

We left Auckland in the great excitement of our trip and had to motor sail for the beginning expecting to find the start of the gale through the night that was forecast to intensify on Saturday morning. And indeed we had at one stage 3 slabs out the main, storm sail up, and very reduced head sail peaking speeds of 9.4kts. But not too sure what has happened but we have found our selves motor sailing for half of the past 24hours with lumpy seas that at one stage were 4meters. The crew have had periods of excitement but at the moment of writing are all laying around the deck having all consumed various remedies for sea sickness and have been feeding the fishes with our precious provisions. We are some 70 nautical miles north east of Brett in stunning blue seas. I am sitting at the chart table downloading a weather fax bravely typing a short first entry into our blog. At our morning schedule with Opua offshore communications, Des told us that the Tongan fleet decided to delay their departure till Sunday because of the gale warnings. Wise because this is certainly a rough bit of sea and our hope to have been �sling shotted� out into the pacific with the strong South Easters is now just 4 knots of wave wind.

We are grateful to our good friends the Pah�s that brought bacon and egg pie, quiche and apple pie. A good start to the trip and not something we would have whipped up in this weather.

Skipper

Sunday 3rd May 09 1600 hours: Position 31degrees 57 min south and 176dgrees 55min East. Wow I could eat my words � the wind picked up after writing the above and we had some wild seas with breaking waves up to 6m high and peak wind gust of 50 kts with sustained wind in excess of 40 knots for a lot of the time. We took down all the sail bar the storm jib and ran before the wind with a few waves breaking over the stern. At the time of writing the winds have now settled to a comfortable 20 to 25knots from the South East and we are heading 020 degrees true for Minerva reef. The moral has improved and everyone has started to eat food and show some good humour. Its stopped raining feels warmer, no vessel or anything sited for the past 2 days. We are now 250 nautical miles north east of North Cape (top of the north island) truly far away from anything. Still haven�t quite got my sea legs as this writing is still taking a bit of effort. Matt
is still trying to catch up on sleep, he and I had steered the Carenza through all this stuff. Even now still too much swell in a following sea for the autohelm. Tom has been fantastic this morning by taking the helm for nearly 4 hours and proving himself quite a good helmsman.

Skipper

Preparation Photos

Just some photos of the preparation of the boat - mainly stocking up on food.

The photos are off my moms phone so excuse the bad quality.