11 October to December 2004

We had a very relaxing stay at Musket cove. Did lots of swimming, snorkelling and socializing. There are some amazing coral reefs and fishes very close to Musket Cove. We were feeling quite sailed out by this time and were ready to have a rest before the long sail home. We also spent over two days cleaning our hull, the second time since leaving NZ. We had applied new antifouling in November last year and it failed allowing an enormous amount of barnacles and marine growth to attach itself to our hull. That was a big disappointment to us and of course we are now having to pursue compensation from the company who supplied us with the product. We will also have to lift the boat out of the water soon and do the job again. Not something we are looking forward to.

We decided that it would be prudent to have one extra person to help us on the return journey to NZ and John Goldsbury from Opua had offered to crew when we met back in May. We contacted John and he was happy to join us. He arrived on 24 October and as the weather pattern looked great for the next week so we cleared customs and immigration the next day. That was no easy feat because it was Saturday. But Tony was able to use his charms, some kava and cigarettes to move mountains.

We cleared Fiji on Sunday, making our way out of the Navula passage on the south west corner of Viti Levu at about 1 PM, immediately running in to short, sharp seas and winds of up to 47 knots, but mainly about 30 - 35 knots. We had a disgusting couple of days, not much food was eaten and we were drenched even in the cockpit, which is not normal for Windspirit. After a couple of days the wind and seas gradually eased we started putting up more and more sail but after three days even they were not helping and we had to motor. Now, we are a yacht and it goes against the grain to motor but when out at sea it is best to get to dry land ASAP before more bad weather arrives and so we motored for nearly three days, finally arriving at Opua at 2 AM.

We were thrilled to have John with us, even though we had a very easy trip back to NZ. He fitted in to our routine really well and he and Tony spent hours chatting. They have so much in common. It is always a worry when you get crew but we picked it right this time. It was a great feeling to tie up and open the bottle of Bubbles that Janet and Colin from Tara Dawn gave us for that special moment. It went down very well. We couldn’t believe that after all those years of dreaming, planning and also lots of hard work, that we had actually done it and in no worse condition than before we left. However we were ready to get back to a real life and job (for a while).

Everyone asks us the same question. Would we do it again? The answer is a definite YES. Despite the hardships and fears we had a superb time and learnt so much about the countries and the people. We don’t know when we will next get the opportunity to go cruising but right now we have embarked on a new adventure.

Just before we left NZ Tony was approached by a head hunter company about applying for a senior role at Industrial Research in Wellington. Well the long and the short of it is that Tony was offered the role, resigned from Navman at the end of July and within three weeks of returning to NZ we had shifted to Wellington to live. Tony has taken up the position of General Manager of Research and Development at Industrial Research Limited. It is the ideal job for him as it draws on all aspects of his qualifications and experience and he is very excited about leading a world class team of around 300 scientists and engineers. IRL head office in Wellington and have offices in Auckland and Christchurch. He will miss Navman where he built the engineering team from 8 to around 200 staff over five years during which the turnover increased thirty fold.

Mary will once again become the boat lackey for a while (she loves it!)and then apply for a part time nursing job early next year. At present we are living in an apartment on the Terrace waiting for the delivery skipper to bring Windspirit to Wellington. We ran out of time and energy and decided to get her professionally delivered when the weather looks right. However since leaving Auckland (we each drove our cars down) the weather over the whole country has been awful and so we have to wait. We have arranged to stay in the apartment until Christmas anyway. We are looking forward to having Spike, the wonder cat, back with us.

Many thanks to Dave Annett of Annett Computer and Navman who hosts our website and has kept the site up to date despite being massively overloaded with his business and development responsibilities.

Many thanks also to Greg Storz and Matthew Laws for their assistance and shore support during our cruise – it is invaluable to have people that will chase things up in the real (?) world for us.

Thanks are also due to the many people that have assisted us in so many ways before, during and after our great adventure. They all have a special place in our hearts – the adventure is not just the trip but the preparation and the people you work with on the journey.

Back to reality
Windspirit left Auckland on Friday 3 December heading for Wellington via the east coast. We have secured a berth at Chaffers marina on the overseas passenger terminal right next to Te Papa museum. Visitors are most welcome. Our mobile numbers are unchanged. Our shore email address is still: windspirit at annett.co.nz

16 September to 11 October 2004

Our trip to Nadi went very well. While waiting for the bus to go to the main road where we needed to catch the bus to Nadi we were offered a ride by one of the local Fijians. He owned a sand blasting business and we had a very interesting discussion with him about business, politics etc. He actually took us to the Lautoka bus terminal where we could get the bus to Nadi rather than waiting on the side of the road hoping that a bus would stop for us. It is so interesting speaking to the locals whether they be Fijians or Indians. The conversation always turns to politics and of course each culture has a different view. Many locals feel that the majority of Fijians are lazy but that a few have thrown off the hold of kava and done very well for themselves. However most Indians appear to be very hard working but say that they are hampered by the system which prevents them owning land and so they get stung by the high land rentals.

Anyway we had a very pleasant day touring the city of Nadi, which is very much a tourist town. The shops sell mostly souvenirs or Palangi (white people) food and clothing. Lots of touts trying to coax you in to their shop. There is also a small market. We also took an 40 cent bus to have a look at Denerau Island which is about 3 Km from Nadi. This is a totally artificial town of hotels and resorts. Not at all our cup of tea but interesting to look at. There is also and exclusive marina there.

On 20 September we left the boat at Vuda point Marina in safe keeping and flew back to NZ for six days. Our youngest daughter, Naomi was having her graduation from university and as proud parents we needed to be there. We had a great but extremely busy few days, just managing to cope with the cold. We had left Nadi when the temperature was 33'C but it was only 10'C when we arrived in Auckland. Although we often find the temperature in the Pacific overwhelming we think we may have become used to the warmth and will find it hard to keep warm when we return to NZ. We also used the time while in NZ to buy some of the things which we were finding impossible to buy in the islands. Therefore our luggage was very overweight on the way back to Fiji but we were lucky and not charged excess baggage.

We returned to the boat at Vuda Point on 25 September and spent the next couple of days stocking up with fresh fruit and vegs at Lautoka. We also spent a day washing and scrubbing the decks which had become filthy from a combination of leaves, bird droppings and soot (from the burnt sugar cane). Then on 1 October we set sail for Musket Cove on the South Western end of Vitu Levu. We had a pleasant sail in sheltered waters, just like the Hauraki Gulf, arriving at about 3.30 PM in time to see the reefs which we had to negotiate on the way in to the sheltered anchorage. At that stage we had decided that we would stay put for a while and relax.

It is a lovely place and you get the total run of the resort. We are enjoying swimming in the pool. Free use of BBQs and wood provided. A $3 bar runs from 11 am until late. Met up with a couple from Cambridge, NZ, and have had several good snorkelling expeditions with them. We also walked to the top of the island - pretty hard going but fantastic views once we made it. Also had sundowners on a 103 ft yacht - the people we had brought a large mat from Savusavu for. They had arranged for 3 containers of medical supplies to go to the hospital in the Lau group and the mat was the thank you card! What a boat. Two 5 cylinder 25 kw gensets and a 10 cylinder main engine - all Mercedes and immaculate. The boat is like nothing we had been on before. It was designed by Ron Holland.

Been pretty busy at Musket cove as the young Israeli couple next to us had their 9.9 Hp outboard motor fall off the back of the dingy while planing. The casting split across both screw holes for the securing bolts. It was quite a way away from the anchorage so I went to tow her back and ended up with me being boat boy while her husband used by dive gear and bottles to find the motor in 15 metres of water. Took 3 bottles of air over two days. he got it all going with a little help from me.

The bigger drama was a boat called Wayfarer (1936) from Dunedin that dragged her anchor in a blow (up to 41 knots from nowhere after several days of less than 10 knots, lasted about 8 hours) in the middle of the night. We were on anchor watch and saw it drifting past us so called on VHF and used the fog horn. They were in bed, got up but were too late to stop it going on the reef. A lot of the guys in the bay including me spent many hours the next day getting it off with expert help from the Fijian guys that work at the resort - turns out that they have done it many times!

We are trying to take things easy for the next week after which we will be waiting for a suitable weather pattern to sail to New Zealand.


Photos to September 2004

Whales at Nuitaputapu




Fire dancers at Apia


Vailimi - Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Apia


Wallis


Fish market, Upolo


Windspirit at Wallis Island


Police band at Apia


Rainforest on Upolu


Windspirit at Savusavu


Eastern side of Upolu



1 September to 16 September 2004

Samoa to Wallis Island
We arrived in the French territory of Wallis Island after a rather light and boring passage. We had to motor for the last 12 hours. Until then we were flying our multi purpose sail (poleless spinnaker), the first time on our trip and as you can see we finally got the wind behind the beam after 2000 miles of having ahead of the beam. Well after finally arriving at the entrance to Wallis Island the wind suddenly started blowing 20 knots and the seas built up within a very few minutes. The rain started over the island and the visibility dropped and we had trouble distinguishing the markers. After circling around several times and going in close to the reef we almost decided to head straight for Fiji but finally decided to give it a go and headed in to the pass. Apart from shaking in my (Mary)boots ( which I was not wearing ) and getting a huge wave break over the cockpit and dousing us we finally entered the calm waters of the lagoon. Even inside the lagoon the navigation is tricky, although true to French standards, very well marked, compared to all the other countries we have visited on this trip.

Wallis Island
It was nice to find a safe anchorage especially as it blew up more in the night and we would not have wanted to be out at sea. We went to the port and cleared in with the Gendarmery and Douane (customs)and got our passports stamped. They are very informal and don't even visit the boat. Then we want to do some sightseeing and expect stay here until the end of the week. If we had arrived a day later we would not have been able to enter the pass as the wind has been 25 knots since we arrived.

On Wednesday we had a great day ashore at Wallis. We need to know more French but everyone was very friendly and helpful and recognising the odd word helps. We printed off a couple of pages of French-English phrases and could point to them as well. Shopping was a challenge as the labelling is all in French. Bought some Baguettes and croissants as well as some French cheeses, pate and French wine. No trouble hitch hiking around the island. It has been blowing 25 knots since we arrived so a bit tiring on the boat and we do not feel that comfortable leaving the boat.

Wallis to Fiji
The trip to Savusavu, Fiji was a pleasure. We arrived in the river on Monday morning after a three day sail from Wallis Island. We made a seven knot average all the way with no motoring. There was a steady 20 -25 knot breeze and the boat just loved it, although the crew got a bit knocked about and bruised because it is hard to move about on a lively boat. Unfortunately we arrived too late to head in to a safe anchorage and at dusk the wind blew up and the sea state really came up. So we had to spend the night sailing 8 miles in one direction and 8 miles in another direction several times until day break and we were able to head in to harbour. Not good for one's nerves and temper! However it is really lovely here and despite all the information we had received, we had no problems with customs, immigration, etc. They were very pleasant and came out to the boat without us even calling. They even removed their shoes to come on board. Very respectful!

After a great night's sleep last night and were then ready to start exploring the town, looking for bakeries etc. We also visited the local hospital to collect a mat that we will deliver to Whirlwind, a super yacht that donated two shipping containers of medical supplies to the hospital in the Lau group. The mat was made by the ladies of Lomaloma to express their appreciation of his generosity. We expect to catch up with Whirlwind in Musket Cove soon.

Savusavu to Vuda Point
After an early morning departure from Savusavu on Saturday, we spent three days and two nights getting to Vuda Point. It was another annoying trip with the wind on the nose which ever way we went and then we arrived too late to enter the pass (that gains entry to the west side of Vitu Levu) and had to muck about all night again. That can be quite frustrating but it is too dangerous to enter passes when there is not good light and the distances are such that you just don't seem to be able to avoid it. It gave us a chance to play with heaving to, which worked quite well - lay about 70 degrees to the wind and slowly fore reached at 1 knot. Had the reefed staysail and heavily reefed main - wind was only 12-15 knots.

Vuda Point
We arrived at Vuda Point marina on Monday and are well settled in. Nice to have the power plugged in and unlimited water available, and being able to just step off the boat to land. It is not really a marina - each boat goes in bow first and has two bow lines to shore and two stern lines to mooring buoys behind with fenders between you and the boats on either side. It was scary coming in and so shallow and narrow.

We had a lovely time at Vuda Point on Tuesday after we were settled into the marina. It is not a true marina but you can get off your boat over the pullpit and water and power are supplied. There is a resort right next to the marina and for $25 everyone on your boat can use their very nice fresh water pool for a week and are free to use their bar, restaurant etc. We have paid for the pool and will have dinner there one evening - most nights they have special price deals. Last night we chatted to an American couple on their honeymoon staying at the resort and then had a shower and a drink (we have AFDs - Alcohol free days - when on passage)and then had lovely fish and chips with a bottle of Chardonnay (supermarket cheapie but cost $25 here). Then back to the boat and crashed - very deep sleep after two nights at sea doing 3 hours on and 3 hours off with the odd drama to get the other one out of bed.

On Wednesday we caught the local bus (90 cents Fijian for 15 km) to Lautoka where we explored the town and did a little grocery shopping. We had a nice Indian vegetarian snack for morning tea. The main market is very good - great selection of fruit, vegetables and fish. Everyone in Lautoka is very friendly. We only saw one or two other white faces all day - not exactly a tourist trap.

On Friday, we intend to get the bus to Nadi for the day - it is apparently very geared up for the tourists, having the international airport there, but should be interesting.

It is incredibly hot - 33C at 6pm and made worse by the lack of any wind - great for sheltering the boat but hell on the people.

We are looking forward to sailing around this western side of Vitu Levu as it is sheltered from the trade winds and has flat seas as it is largely enclosed by a barrier reef.

10 to 31 August 2004

Today we were snorkeling with some friends on the reef at Nuiatoputapu, the northern end of Tonga and a dinghy came passed us. They called that there were whales in the bay. Well, we jumped in to our dinghies and raced out of the bay to see three huge humped back whales. There were two adults, about 40 tons each and a baby. It felt like we were right next to them but in reality we were probably about 100 metres away. What an absolutely awesome sight. They must have known we were there because they played, dived out of the water into the air and broached several times. Oh how we wished we had our camera there. We can't stop thinking about them and how huge they were and so friendly. It was scary being close because our dinghy seems so small and they are so big but they never seem to hurt people unless you come across them when they are sleeping.

We are very lucky because we now have some good shots of the whales. They were given to us by an other couple who were in the bay. We will put some photos on the web as soon as we get to civilization, which will now probably be Fiji.

While in the Nuis we visited the local bakery. It is hard to believe how such great bread could be produced in such primitive surroundings. The building was a tin shed. The bread was all hand mixed and kneaded on a large wooden table. There was an earthen oven. To heat the oven they burnt a few small sticks and then heaps of coconut shells. When the oven was hot the embers were shovelled out and then the bread put in to bake.

We left Nuiatoputapu on 16 August and set sail for Samoa, passing several whales on the way. The trip was almost uneventful except for a couple of squalls which, in the daytime, you can see coming and prepare for them. But at night they arrive suddenly and you are not prepared. I cant believe how heavy that rain can be. The good thing is that up here one does not mind getting wet because it is a chance to cool down. The sudden wind changes can be a challenge. At one stage, while trying to reef the sails I (Mary) managed to steer the boat in two full circles before getting back on course. It is a bit like flying blind. At least in a boat you know which way is up!

We were at sea for two nights before arriving at Apia early in the morning of, believe it or not, 17 August (Crossed the date line). It is surprising though, that you can smell the fires of the countries quite a long time before you arrive. Also the rubbish can be seen in the sea about 20 miles off shore. We even saw a drum (musical) floating in the water. After we got to Samoa we saw that the local men use the drums to keep time in rowing their large canoes).

We entered the harbour at Apia after a wee fright. Our GPS gave us the route in to the harbour but our eyes did not like the look of the breakers and eyeball navigation beats the best electronics in the world. I am chief steerer and refused to watch the GPS and so we made a safe passage in to the harbour, instead of over the reef. Oh the temperature of Samoa is really oppressive. It is hard to do anything. But there is so much to do and see that it is essential to accept the sweating and wet clothing and get on with it.

The day we arrived we spent most of the time doing the customs, port authority, dept of health and immigration details. When we fly around the world we don't realize how easy all those formalities are, and cheap. This little lot cost about $100 just to clear in and out Samoa. It is a lot more civilized than Tonga, but a bit too Americanized for my liking due to the proximity of American Samoa. Their navigation markers are back to front (bit scarey that, coming in to port). The Samoans use the American buoyage system of red, right, returning and they drive like maniacs on the wrong side of the road.

While in Apia we met the family of one of our Auckland friends. They are Samoan and have little English. We were fortunate that their daughter and son in law did speak fairly good English which helped. The Samoan people are embarrassingly generous and when you want to repay them the just shrug and say 'It is the Samoan Way!' It is interesting visiting a family's home and having a meal with them and using bits of English and lots of miming. We were even given a tour of the island, all day. We were quite spoilt.

It is impossible to sleep in at Apia harbour because every morning the canoes (40 manpower) practice their rowing at 6 am and before that at 5 am the church bells start ringing. One thing you don't need is an alarm clock. In Tonga it was the roosters and the church bell that woke us up. Then at 7.45 am the police band marched up the main road, raised the flag in the government foreground and marched back to their centre. A bit like changing the guard really.

We had a very enjoyable day at the house of Robert Louis Stevenson. What a beautiful home, especially for the era that he lived and what an interesting life he lived. The Samoans hold his memory in revere and his local name was Tuisetala (story teller). A very rich American has bought the home and made it a museum. He pays for all the upkeep. We even climbed the hill, which took just under and hour, and really steep, especially in the heat of day, up to his grave. The view from there of Apia was grand.

We cleared customs and immigration on Friday 27 August, leaving at 6.30 am on Saturday.

On 31 Aug (after crossing the dateline again) we arrived at the French territory of Wallis Island after a rather light and boring passage. We had to motor for the last 12 hours. Until then we were flying our multi purpose spinnaker, the first time on our trip and as you can see we finally got the wind behind the beam. There is a saying that gentlemen never sail to windward which I guess does not make Tony a gentleman because we managed over 2000 miles before we got the wind behind us. Well after finally arriving at the entrance to Wallis Island the wind suddenly started blowing 20 knots and the seas built up within a very few minutes. The rain started over the island and the visibility dropped and we had trouble distinguishing the markers. After circling around several times and going in close to the reef we almost decided to head straight for Fiji but finally decided to give it a go and headed in to the pass. Apart from shaking in my boots ( which I was not wearing ) and getting a huge wave break over the cockpit and dousing us we finally entered the calm waters of the lagoon. Even inside the lagoon the navigation is tricky, although true to French standards, very well marked, compared to all the other countries we have visited on this trip.

We were pleased to find a safe anchorage especially as it blew up more in the night and we would not have wanted to be out at sea. Today we walked up the road and hitched a ride in to the main village of Mata Utu where we needed to clear in to the Gendarmerie and Douane (customs)and get our passports stamped. They are very informal and don't even visit the boat. We had in interesting trip. My schoolgirl French was really not up to scratch but with help from a page of French/English phrases from a Lonely Planet guide and lots of miming we coped. Actually we had a lot of fun and met a very nice local couple who brought us back to the boat. He is a TV cameraman and she a school teacher. One of the courses she teaches is English, but her English is really only a little better than my French.

We are thinking of staying here 4-5 days before heading to Fiji. We wont have time to go to Futuna Island because we need to get to Fiji in time to get the plane back to NZ for Naomi's graduation.


26 July to 10 August 2004

Whilst waiting for the anchor winch to arrive we went to TePana Island for a few days to attend another cruiser's 50th birthday dinner at the Spanish restaurant there. It was a great evening with the woman of the house doing the flamingo and her husband and sons singing and playing guitar, drums, castanets and tambourines.

The night after the party, there was a huge electrical storm which lit up the sky like day and it went on for over an hour. We were very pleased that we were moored and not out at sea, because it was quite scary. Then to top it off we finally had hail the size of marbles, the first time Tonga has ever had hail, and then it poured down with rain. We even managed to get a couple of photos of the anchorage lit up with the lightening. We disconnected the antennae from our electronics to reduce the possibility of lightning damage.

The anchor winch arrived on the fortnightly container ship service from Auckland. The ship has all its own container loading and unloading facilities. It took less than three hours to clear the winch (two large cartons) and the total charge to customs including wharfage was only T$9.90

A couple of guys from other kiwi boats spent two days helping me fit the winch. Had a few challenges getting it to fit - had to add two layers of 12 mm marine ply on top of the existing plinth to get the underdeck clearance and had to bet some plastic waste pipe and fittings to remodel the chain tube. Only problem now is that Maxwell sent me the wrong chain gypsy wheel despite me giving them accurate (digital vernier) measurements. They have now sent the correct (I hope) wheel to Savusavu for us and we are coping with the one they supplied for now.

We then had several days blobbing out in anchorages that we had been unable to visit with no winch, had a beach BBQ with some friends. We then spend a couple of days getting the boat ready for the next ocean leg to Niuatoputapu group, the most northern group of Tonga. We then cleared customs and headed up to Nuiatoputapu Island where we are presently anchored. Went ashore yesterday and gave the villagers a large Tuna we caught on the way up. We had also caught a Kingfish and that filled up what space we had in the freezer. Today we walked to the other two villages on the island. It is very unaffected by the western world. Only two government buildings (which look like they are about to fall down) have generators. There are a lot of traditional fales made from local materials - straight stems from trees and covered in coconut fronds although a lot of them have incorporated corrugated iron into the lower parts of the walls. There are a number of more normally constructed houses but only to a very basic standard. I had to make a phone call so walked 10 km round trip to the satellite station which has 105 solar panels and used the phone at the counter to call Fiji. Telephone service only came here in 1998.

Sitting on the boat, we look out across the sea to Tafahi Island about 3 miles away - it is a classic volcano island and landing there is a wet business through the swell, with rocks and coral on all sides.

The anchorage mainly has boats from Europe heading to NZ for the cyclone season. There are boats from Germany, Sweden, USA, Canada, Finland, Scotland, Belgium and Australia.

We expect to head for Apia at the end of this week, once the winds are favourable. It is another 160 mile leg which we can do in a day and a half if the wind is suitable.


Photos 3 August 2004


Rowena


Naomi


Sunset at Pangimotu


Friends from Nuapapa


Blue lagoon, Vava'u


Naomi


Local bartering with us at Hunga lagoon


Naomi - Hunga lagoon


Daniel - teacher at Nuapapa


The girls at the Mermaid


Rowena


Tony on local boat


Daniel's boat


17 to 25 July 2004

We packed a lot of things into the last few days that Naomi had with us. We went to Hunga lagoon again, this time getting a mooring on the northern side by the game fishing lodge. The lodge is run by some kiwis that used to do big game charters in the Bay of Islands. It is easily the nicest facility (or building or any kind) that I have seen in Tonga. The day we went ashore, they had landed a 139 kg marlin which they would normally tag and release but a shark took a great bite out of it so it was done for. The lodge give the fish to the local villagers so it does not go to waste.

We have had further sightings of whales, some individually and some in groups. One was lying at the surface and seemed oblivious to our approach on our autopilot steered course. In the end we had to take avoiding action. Even then he did not bother to move but later turned around and dived.

We went to Mariners cave with friends from four other boats (all kiwis that we have got to know). Being as our anchor winch is dead, we went on Pied a Mer who kept station close to the cave entrance while we all went into the cave. The entrance to the cave is underwater (1.2 - 2.5 metres depending in tide state) just along the cliff face of the island. You have to dive down and swim about three metres to get in. It is a bit scary as you are diving into the hole and cannot see where you are going - it is all on trust and a case of mind over matter. Of course once we had done it, it was no problem going in and out. The air pressure goes up and down as the sea level goes up and down with the swell and the atmosphere gets quite misty at times.
We anchored off Kapa Island near Nuku and snorkelled on the best coral we have seen so far, pretty shallow and teeming with a wide variety of brightly coloured fish. Some of the coral was iridescent blue.
On Wednesday we returned to Neiafu so Naomi could get the plane to Nuku'alofa and do some sightseeing down there before flying back to NZ on Saturday. I spent Wednesday and some of Thursday fitting the spare circulation water pump on the Volvo main engine as the seal was leaking. Just as well that I had a reconditioned pump and the puller etc to replace it.

Our anchor winch is totally dead now so we are anchoring in shallow water (is less than 15 metres up here)or getting on a mooring when one is available. We are going to another cruiser's 50th birthday on Tuesday, she has arranged dinner at a Spanish restaurant on TePana island. Looks like there will be at least five boats worth of guests, most of which we know, so promises to be a great evening.

Filled up with water on Friday and got 60 litres of diesel to tide us over until we leave when we will buy duty free diesel (T$1.03 cf $1.56 retail/litre) as we will take on close to 500 litres then. Used some of our water to do several loads of washing yesterday. The washer/drier is great to have on board. We only use the drier if we it is raining - because then we have the water to run the machine. We have caught a lot of water since we got to Tonga but it has not rained in weeks. Friday was only the second time we have put a water hose in the tanks to fill up. Other than that, we have relied on the 1300 litres we took on at Opua and a total of 400 litres put on board in jerry cans, the rest coming from rain.

Hope to take delivery of our new anchor winch on Wednesday (thanks to Matthew for his leg work to make all this happen) and have it fitted by the weekend. Then we will be planning our trip from here to Fiji via Nius, Samoa (where we will visit Roger's in-laws), Wallis and Futuna Islands (where we will have to rely on Mary's rusty school girl French) and then Fiji where we will spend 6-8 weeks before returning to New Zealand.

Temperature at the moment (5pm) is 33 degrees and not much wind to cool us. Got the Hella fans running - great devices, draw almost no current and have a long service life.

Update 10 July 2004

Naomi arrived today and is with us until 22 July.  This gave a few days
overlap with Rowena who flew to Nuku'alofa today after spending a little
over two weeks with us.  She flew on a 43 year old DC3 which is a unique
experience.  She is spending a couple of days in Nuku'alofa sightseeing
before flying back to NZ.

We all had a great time when she was here.  Saw a whale. We went to
Swallows cave, did some scuba diving, went to a church service and had a
meal with the school teacher of a tiny two roomed school.  The school
was demolished by the 2001 cyclone and the New Zealand government
provided the materials and paid for the labour to build a new school.
There is no power so they have one 36 watt solar panel and a battery
which provides power for the teacher and his family (who live on the
premises) to operate a radio and a light.  There is no lighting in the
classrooms.  Toilets are long drops.

Our anchor winch is beyond repair despite a lot of effort so we have
ordered a new one to come up on the fortnightly cargo ship from
Auckland.  Thanks to various friends in NZ that helped make the
arrangements.  It should be here in 8-9 days time.

We are starting to plan the next stage of our travels.  We will probably
leave Vava'u around the 8 August and go to Samoa via the Niu's and then
to Fiji via Wallis and Futuna Islands.  We were going to also visit
American Samoa but are told that it will cost us US$150 in fees to clear
in and out which is a big expense for a visit of several days.

EPIRB activation (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
Had a drama up here a couple of days ago.  On Thursday there were a
couple of pretty unofficial announcements that a 121.5/243 MHz EPIRB
beacon had been detected in the Vava'u area by the NZ satellite
monitoring station.  Everyone was asked to check their EPRIBS which we
did.  Later in the day, they said it was thought to be in the Nuapapu
area which is where we were so we checked again (we have 2 of that
model).  Later that day we moved to Hunga Lagoon.  The next morning
around 7:30 am we heard an aircraft and saw it was an NZ Air Force
Orion.  He did a low turn over the lagoon and then a few sweeps over
Nuapapu, the next island.  He then did a low sweep over the lagoon and
then called all yachts in the lagoon.  I responded and he asked me the
names of the boats in the lagoon - the lagoon is about 4 x 1 miles.  He
then did another low sweep and called me and said that he thought it was
coming from the SE bay and then said he was pretty sure it was from the
ketch.  This was the bay we were in so we volunteered to go over in the
dinghy.  Rowena and I did that.  The people were barely out of bed and
pretty stunned about it all.  Sure enough their EPIRB had fallen off the
shelf and turned itself on.  They were horrified that they had caused
the Orion to fly from Whenuapai to Tonga (1200 nautical miles) because
of their stupid storage.  I hope that they get a bill!  I was later told
that it is likely that the Orion trip was done as a training exercise.
Everyone knows to keep their VHF on channel 16 and yet they did not
monitor it, even when the Orion was flying over them several times.  If
they had heard the earlier announcements, they would have turned it off
and all would have been well.

Photos 10 July 2004

Some new photos from Tony & Mary.

Market at Neiafu


Pigs at Neiafu




Yacht swept ashore and now a houseboat behind the Mermaid

22 to 28 June 2004

Tuesday 22 June
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent working on the anchor winch which was suffering from being well washed in salt water many times on the trip up from NZ. We also found some time to look around some more and met an American couple off Sea Crane while having dinner at the Mermaid. They are heading from here to Alaska via Samoa and Hawaii from here. It will be their third trip to Alaska on their yacht.

On Thursday we left Neiafu and went to Swallows cave. There are actually 2 caves near each other, both have very clear deep water which is an outstanding blue colour. The sailing guide said that you feel like you are floating in air and that is just what it felt like, with all the rock formations etc below you. I have since read that there is also a dry cave accessible from Swallows cave which we will have to explore when Rowena is with us. We then went to Matamaka Island which is about 10 miles away from Neiafu. It is a well sheltered anchorage on the western side of this narrow sliver of an island. It is reasonably easy to get into other than a narrow gap between two reefs, one of which had a small buoy at its end. As we came closer we saw there was one boat already in the anchorage and it turned out to be some friends of ours from Tauranga who had arrived earlier that day from the Ha'apai group. There boat is called Icy Red and flies a large Lion Red flag and Ian's favourite drink is Lion Red! Their autopilot died just after they left NZ so they have been hand steering for the last 1300 miles and will continue to do so from here to Fiji and on to Queensland.

On Saturday it rained all day and we caught a few hundred litres of lovely fresh rainwater. Good opportunity to do the washing and catch up on some reading and lots of emails. On Sunday we visited the northern village on the island (there is another village on the southern end). The track there was very muddy from the rain and lot of the ground had been broken up by pigs which are everywhere in Tonga. Everywhere you go there are pigs, piglets, dogs, puppies and roosters. The village was very poor with simple run down houses and sheds, no formed paths or power. There are two churches, one being constructed in concrete which served as the cyclone shelter during the last cyclone (2001). A young boy and his sister that we met showed us where their school was and we met Daniel, the head teacher. There are only 2 teachers and 2 classrooms. One classroom has years 1-3 and the other years 4-6. The latter has a total of 18 students.
English is taught as a subject so all Tongans that attend school have at least some English. Schooling is free but not compulsory. They largely follow the NZ education system. The classrooms were wiped out during the 2001 cyclone and NZ provided the materials and expertise to build the new two classroom school. We had brought up three boxes of school text books from NZ but they were for high school so we had already given these to Anna at Pangiamoto Island who will send them to her brother who is the headmaster of the high school at Nuitoputapu Island, 150 miles north of Vava'u. Daniel has invited us to come to their church with Rowena to hear the singing and then have lunch with him and his family. We will be doing this next Sunday. We have already attended a church service at Atata Island and the singing is certainly something special.

On Sunday we slowly got the anchor up after finding that we still had anchor winch problems. It was now pulling the chain in very well but was overheating on the back plate. I had emailed Matthew Laws about this and he phoned Maxwell winches and got some useful information for me confirming that the problem was the thrust washers.
We returned to Neiafu and picked up a mooring again, almost right outside the Mermaid again. I spent several hours on the winch, checking end float and clearances and fitted new thrust washers. Some limited testing indicates that it is working ok but the real test will come when we go to an anchorage and put out 40 -50 metres of chain. I am now fairly confident that it will survive the cruise after which I will buy a new winch.

On Monday, Rowena, our middle child arrived from NZ to spend 2 weeks with us. She brought us essential supplies like cheese, drinking chocolate, gin and some relays for the autopilot. The air service between Nuku'alofa and Vava'u terminated shortly after we arrived in Tonga when Royal Tongan Airlines went bankrupt. About 3 weeks ago a local hotel owner somehow leased a DC3 which is now providing an air service. You can only book in person and must pay in cash. All bookings are simply recorded in an exercise book, not a computer in sight. Anyway I phoned the airline four days before she was due to fly and found that here flight was now leaving at 6 am instead of 6:45 am. Rowena phoned us at 5 am Monday morning from Nuku'alofa to say that the plane was delayed as the airport had no aviation gas on hand and had to send a tanker to the fuel wharf. She eventually arrived at 1pm, five hours late.


Photos 29 June 2004

Jetty at Neiafu



Arriving in Vava'u early morning from Ha'apais


The Mermaid at Neiafu


Windspirit at Neiafu



11 to 22 June 2004

We left Uoleva on Sunday 13th June at 3 pm so we still had suitable light to avoid coral bommies on the way out. The total distance to Neiafu, capital of Vava'u, is 82 nautical miles (1 nautical mile = 1.51 statute miles or 1.85 km). In order to arrive at the beginning of the Vava'u group shortly after daylight, we kept the boat speed down to around 3.5 knots - very easy to know the required speed as the time of arrival shown on the Navman chart plotter is updated continuously. Had a 1-2 metre beam sea and only had about half the genoa rolled out so it was a rolly trip. We stood watches, 3 hours on - 3 hours off. On autopilot all the time. We have seen dolphins several times but no whales yet. The whales are just starting to arrive. People come from afar to do whale watching around here.

We knew that the GPS positions do not correspond with the charts so used radar to measure actual distance off islands etc from which we could be sure of our distance from submerged reefs. The chart plotter is great for knowing roughly where you are so there is not confusion over which island is which.

We arrived in Neiafu harbour around 9 am and picked up a mooring owned by the Mermaid Café which is a local institution. Most of the day was spent finding the customs office (have to get a coastal clearance from Nuku'alofa when leaving for Vava'u), sort out airline bookings on the DC3 service for Rowena, buy some bread and fresh fruit and vegetables. Met several other cruisers we knew from NZ or up here. Had dinner at the Mermaid with a couple off Jorum, another boat from Auckland.

When we were in Neiafu harbour we accurately determined the position of the boat and then applied map shift on the chart plotter which has been very useful. The GPS is approximately 0.16 nautical miles (about 300 metres) out, almost equally divided between latitude and longitude at this reference point. From subsequent cruising around Vava'u it is obvious that the GPS/chart discrepancy varies somewhat but at a second order level.

We had been having problems with our anchor winch overheating and lacking pulling ability so I did some work on the wiring, earthing etc on Tuesday and we generally spent the day tidying up the boat and doing regular maintenance. On Wednesday we went to the local hospital as we had a backpack full of medicines and dressings which Mary had got in NZ at no cost as they were close to date or out of date, or had been opened in error and resealed. The hospital is very basic and they were thrilled to receive the parcel.

On Thursday we explored around Neiafu and around the old harbour (very shallow) and went back to the market. It is very hard to buy fresh produce in Tonga. The shops are pretty basic although there is usually a cooperative shop in most sizeable places which sells tinned foods and basic items. Tinned food is very expensive. We managed to buy some carrots, potatoes and cabbages there. At the market, we bought bananas and pawpaws as well as some chockoes and Pele (bit like a cross between silverbeet and spinach). Bought a pumpkin that was the shape of a long watermelon but just like ours inside. Unfortunately we have not seen them again and are told it is the wrong season now. The market has some nice handcrafts but we are not really into that sort of thing.

We had a guy come out to our boat trying to sell large shells which we were not interested in (not collectors of anything except memories). The general advice is to not buy these shells as a market results in them being killed for selling risking the future viability of the species.

On Friday we went to Port Maurelle for a few days. It is a big well sheltered bay which we shared with two other boats. We snorkeled every day, sometimes more than once. Really beautiful, took some underwater photos on a disposable camera but will have to wait until we get back to NZ to see how they came out. We had a nice walk ashore on the lovely white beach and then along the track inland. The track was not a good idea as it was very muddy, rutted by pigs and heaps of insects. On Monday (21st June) we pulled up the anchor and headed back to Neiafu as the anchor winch was still a problem.


Photos to 16 June 2004

Royal Sunset resort, Atata Island


Atata Island


Fau harbour, Nuku'alofa


Stellite at Luangahu


Mary and Tony


Kelifesea



Report 11 June 2004

We left Ha'afeva Island last Sunday (6th June) as the wind was going to the North and we would not have had any shelter. We sailed with another boat, Stellite from Auckland, to Luangahu Island. We caught a skipjack tuna on the way. The island is uninhabited and is an absolutely classical South Pacific Island, basically a forest of palm trees fringed by a lovely white beach.
What you do not see, unless you are a yachtie and study the charts, is that the reefs surrounding the island are often more than five times the area of the island so navigation is hard work. This island offers a little shelter but the surrounding reefs offer a lot of protection from the swell so you sit with the wind screaming through the rigging in flat water. The entrance to this anchorage was very nerve racking (yet another!) with eyeball navigation from the bow at 2 knots with hand signals to the helmsman (Mary) and the depth sounder showing as little as 800 mm under the keel. Stellite, a steel boat drawing 700 mm less than us gallantly offered to overtake us and take the lead at that stage. He touched some coral going past us and no other problems. You literally have shallow coral bommies within 3-4 metres of you on either side at times.

Once you have anchored in these islands, you need to hop in with your snorkel (and togs) and see that you have anchored in a sandy patch rather than on some coral (which is not good holding and damages the coral) and also check that there are no large coral bommies within swinging distance of your boat. The bonus is that while you are in the water, you can snorkel on the bommies which are teeming with a wide array of brightly coloured reef fish. Have not had a need to scuba yet with such easy snorkeling but we have considered getting the gear on and just sitting on the bottom and watching the fish for a longer period.

There were two other boats in the bay, one we knew and the other we had shared an anchorage with a few nights before. Unfortunately the wind was forecast to shift to the south so we left the next morning and headed to Uoleva Island on Tuesday 8th June. Had a nice easy sail here. It is very well sheltered from the westerly semicircle so we have been able to relax a bit. We invited everyone in the bay (5 boats) to a pot luck dinner on our boat - we smoked the fish and others brought various yummy treats. It was a lovely social evening.

On Wednesday Stellite and ourselves each zoomed up to Pangai in our dinghies with large outboards on. It is about 5 miles, traveling inside the reef so reasonably flat water. It is a bit dodgy taking the big boat in there due to reefs and shallow water. It is a tiny place although it is the capital of the Ha'apai group. One bank, one post office and a telecom office is about it other than a couple of cooperative shops and very poor houses. We bought some bread (usually make our own using the breadmaker), some oranges and some green capsicums - that was all the fresh produce available other than taro.

On Wednesday night we had a meal at the local backpackers "resort". It is very native but a memorable evening - eight of us from four boats were told to arrive at 6:30pm sharp which we did to find the table set and the food set out in the middle. It was in a very basic shed, largely built out of local materials and lit by 2 kerosene lanterns. Had crumbed chicken, curried lamb (all fat and yuck), fried fish and raw fish with rice and breadfruit and caramelized fried bananas (my favourite). Other than the lamb?, very pleasant, all for NZ$10 each.

Yesterday we walked around the island a bit more and had lunch on another boat. Each day there are jobs to do - either maintenance or general chores. Last night it rained heavily all night and we caught 600 litres which filled our tanks (we hold 1300 litres) so Mary now has the washing machine on washing our bedding etc while we have water to spare.

We have plotted a course to Vava'u on the trusty Navman chart plotter (absolutely wonderful instrument and working faultlessly) and will leave here in the next day or two.

The air service from Nuku'alofa to Vava'u has been out of service since mid May but started again yesterday. They have somehow found a DC3 (or DC4 as it has twin rudders) which they have pressed into service. Yesterday I managed to get bookings on it for Rowena, our middle child, so we will not now have to sail back to Nuku'alofa to pick her up when she flies up later this month to spend 2 weeks with us. It is now Friday 11th June.

I am told that the website is getting an average of 12 hits a day so it is worth preparing copy for. Should be able to send a CD of photos by mail next week for the website

Report 11 June 2004

We left Nomuka Iki on Thursday last week after sitting out strong winds for the entire time there with about 8 other boats. Even going to visit people on other boats was a mission - wet weather gear and life jackets to go 200 metres in a nasty choppy sea.

From Nomuka Iki we had about a 30 mile sail to Ha'afeva Island. Had a nice beam reach sail and had a very big fish hook on to the lure but it broke the line before we could reduce the drag. We saw it leaping out of the water 6-8 times - he must have been really mad about getting a lure in his mouth. We were disappointed to not catch him but were a little relieved as I do not know how we would have landed it. Also saw a lot of flying fish - they have lovely coloured bodies and wings - blue and black mainly. I had always thought that they only flew for a few tens of metres but they were flying for 300 + metres, upwind.

We anchored off the west side of Ha'afeva Island. It was a very rolly anchorage because of the spate of SE winds - as noted by Colin Robinson (PCN) in the Tonga guide he lent us. We went ashore and walked around a lot of the island. Were surrounded by lots of children from 5 - 14 years of age that followed us everywhere. Got invited to the home of a family and were offered a plate of bananas to eat. She cooks on wood fire with stones in it to hold the pot, all on a concrete ledge in the kitchen which is a separate building to the living/sleeping building. They eat their meals in the kitchen. The kitchen is surrounded by a fence with step over low barriers at the gateways to keep the pigs out. Self foraging pigs and piglets are everywhere in Tonga, even Nuku'alofa. We managed to buy some bananas, breadfruit and paw paws from them this family but almost impossible to buy vegetables anywhere.

11 June 2004

We left Nomuka Iki on Thursday last week after sitting out strong winds for the entire time there with about 8 other boats. Even going to visit people on other boats was a mission - wet weather gear and life jackets to go 200 metres in a nasty choppy sea.

From Nomuka Iki we had about a 30 mile sail to Ha'afeva Island. Had a nice beam reach sail and had a very big fish hook on to the lure but it broke the line before we could reduce the drag. We saw it leaping out of the water 6-8 times - he must have been really mad about getting a lure in his mouth. We were disappointed to not catch him but were a little relieved as I do not know how we would have landed it. Also saw a lot of flying fish - they have lovely coloured bodies and wings - blue and black mainly. I had always thought that they only flew for a few tens of metres but they were flying for 300 + metres, upwind.

We anchored off the west side of Ha'afeva Island. It was a very rolly anchorage because of the spate of SE winds - as noted by Colin Robinson (PCN) in the Tonga guide he lent us. We went ashore and walked around a lot of the island. Were surrounded by lots of children from 5 - 14 years of age that followed us everywhere. Got invited to the home of a family and were offered a plate of bananas to eat. She cooks on wood fire with stones in it to hold the pot, all on a concrete ledge in the kitchen which is a separate building to the living/sleeping building. They eat their meals in the kitchen. The kitchen is surrounded by a fence with step over low barriers at the gateways to keep the pigs out. Self foraging pigs and piglets are everywhere in Tonga, even Nuku'alofa. We managed to buy some bananas, breadfruit and paw paws from them this family but almost impossible to buy vegetables anywhere.

27 May 2004

New Zealand to Tonga

We have now left Nuku'a lofa and are anchored in a beautiful bay on the Island of Pangaimotu. See www.pangaimotu.to Yesterday we walked round the island and only met 2 people. We were able to slip off our clothes and have a swim with no one else around. The seas are beautifully clear and the colours of the fish are unbelievable.

The other day while we were in Nuku'alofa we went on a day tour with some friends, $30 Tongan each for the full day. Some of the sights were Ho hum but some were magnificent. We saw absolutely beautiful beaches and surf, huge blow holes, flying foxes (actually a form of bat), a
million churches, graveyards and villages. Most villages were filthy with pigs and scrawny dogs running wild. None of the dogs are spayed and are continually pregnant or feeding a litter of puppies. The highlight of our day trip was a visit in to a huge cave just like the Waitomo
caves with stalactites and stalagmites. We were the only people there and the guide took heaps of candles. We navigated through the cave with weak torches and candles until we came to a large underground fresh water pool. The guide dived in to the water with the candles and then
swam around the pool placing candles in strategic places which he lit. We then had a wonderful swim in the pool with only the light of the candles and one tiny opening of natural light from the opening of the cave which was a long way above us and really didn't give any light on
the pool. We did manage to get a couple of photo's but there do not do justice to to experience but serve as reminders thereof.

Today is going to be a new experience for me (Mary) because we are going to go ashore where there is a lovely swing chair and Tony is going to have a go at cutting my hair. Hmmm! Well we don't have any choice and it is that time again. I will also trim his hair and bushy beard. That
is not new to me because I always used to do it when the kids were little and the finances were even smaller. Then we are going to wash all the hair off by snorkeling around a wreck which should be interesting. (Both haircuts went well) We will leave for the Ha'apais in about 2 days, maybe, if the mood takes us.

As you can imagine we are having a wonderful time fulfilling our dream and do not regret any of the hard work and sacrifices it took to get here. Every time I think of our first sight of land after 7 days my heart fills with emotion. It is just an amazing feeling, quite overwhelming.

Mary.








Report 20 May 2004

Thursday 20th May. Nuku'alofa.
We went to the markets this morning - very traditional polynesian marketplace, really interesting, bought some baby bananas, some mangoes, pawpaws and watermelon but some funny looking tomatoes - we think they save the seeds and sow them, got an enormouse basket (made of plaited palm tree fronds) of Kunaras for $4 tongan. Get taxis everywhere for $3 and they are happy to wait for you at each place. Had a taxi this morning for about an hour, from the market to the (only) hardware shop to the only building shop and back to the boat for $10 (about NZ$8). Imported goods are expensive, $4.50 for a can of baked beans, $9.50 for 2 litres of icecream. Only 2 supermarkets in Nuku'alofa (ie all of Tonga), both very small and often run out of things. Had to order eggs for the next day. Went to the bank - bit like Burger Fuel in NZ - you get a number and then watch the LED sign for your turn. There are about 30 seats in rows where you sit and wait. We waited about 15 minutes.


Report 13 May 2004

We are now anchored just off Atata Island and will be spending a few days enjoying the facilities of the Royal Sunset Resort once we have caught up on some sleep. We anchored just less than 7 days after we left Opua marina so had a fast passage - about 1020 nautical miles.

Presently cleaning the boat and ourselves up before customs arrive. We had a great trip but never get more than about 4 hours sleep at a time, typically much less due to crewing the boat, radio, navigation, eating etc.

Tony.

Report 11 May 2004

The weather has not been suitable for sending emails but has improved enough for a short one to go on the website.

We have been close reaching at 40-50 degrees of the wind in 3-4 metre seas, wind speeds 25 -30 with gusts to 35. We set the staysail and reefed the main to the upper spreaders and made good speed. Some of the wind was caused by a low to our east so we changed heading overnight to due north to avoid getting closer to it. By this morning the low had moved enough for us to resume our course to Tonga.

We are typically getting daily runs of 140 - 160 nautical miles and expect to arrive in Tonga this Thursday afternoon. Getting weather faxes and satellite pictures on board and weather looks pretty reasonable for the next 2-3 days.

Tony.

Report 8 May 2004

Good to get your messages. Sorry I can not reply individually because we don't get enough computer time and also it is quite hard typing while the boat is rocking. We are doing very well here. It is our third day out and we have clocked up over 300 miles of the total of about 1000. The weather has been fair and the seas kind so far and we are hoping for more of the same. Well we could do with about another 5 knots of wind but must not complain. The only thing which is a bit off putting is the size of the swells but that just takes a bit of getting used to. When on top of the swell you can see for miles ( just sea, nothing else) and then when you are in the dip you cant see more than about 50 feet. We left Opua in calm weather and had to motor out of the Bay of Islands and then we set sail. For most of the first two days we had to motor sail because there wasn't enough wind to get us far enough away from the next NZ frontal system. The breeze finally built up in the wee hours of this morning and when I went off watch at 6am I managed to help Adam to set the genoa and we turned off the motor. We are now sailing at about 6-7 knots with the wind on the side and ahead of the beam. Beautiful. Clear skies and I am now into wearing shorts again. But at night it is still a bit nippy and so I need my trackpants and sweater.
We have now got in to the rhythm of watches and sleeping odd hours. We are also in to the habit of putting on our harnesses as soon as we get out of bed and clipping on to the safety lines before going in to the cockpit. My watches are 4-6am, midday - 3pm and then 9pm - midnight. But I usually get out of the midday - 3pm watch because I prepare meals and do the motherly thing. I prepare dinner for 5pm when it is still light and then go to bed from 6pm til 9pm. Then I sleep from midnight for 4 hours and then again from about 6am til about 9am.
None of us have so far been seasick ( touch wood) and we feel Ok. I have read a book a day. Tony says I cant keep up that pace. We will run out of books. I will have to get my embroidery out soon.
We haven't caught any fish yet even though I bought a flash new rod and reel and we have it out from dawn to dusk. We don't keep it out at night because it would be a bit tricky to bring in a fish in the dark and also dangerous.
Well I had better get off so that Tony can get a weather fax.

Mary.

Report 7 May 2004

HI Everyone

We left Opua at 9:30 am Thursday and have done 175 miles since then. Light winds and a bit of a sea running so spent quite a bit of time motorsailing yesterday but are now sailing at around 5 knots in the right direction.

We are doing 2 hour watches between midnight and 6 am, then 3 hour watches - Tony - Mary - Adam.
Mary is doing most of the food preparation. Tony is doing the weather info and radio schedules and is on call if the person on watch needs a hand. Adam is on call for Tony when he is on deck. Adam also does some of the galley cleanup.

Looks like a 7-8 day trip, depending on wind speed and direction and how much we motor. We have used 80 litres so far and have about 450 litres left, do about 1.5 nautical miles per litre.

Adam has had the fishing line out during daylight but no fish on the menu yet.
We have not seen another boat since leaving the bay of islands.
We are all feeling well with no signs of seasickness.

Our position is being updated once per day on the link on our website.

Tony.

Report 1 May 2004

This is just a note to say that, even though we were scheduled to leave NZ today, there is a gale warning and northerly winds. Therefore we have chosen to rest and relax at Opua marina until such time as the weather is more favourable. We have finished all the important jobs related to going off-shore but, because it is a boat there are always heaps more jobs for us to do.
Thank you for all the good messages. Please keep them coming. We enjoy hearing from you all.

Tony.

Report 29 April 2004

Windspirit left Bayswater on Sunday late afternoon, spend the night at Kawau Island before leaving at 9 am Monday morning to sail to Russell, arriving at 2:30 am having endured intense rain squalls from Cape Brett to Russell. Windspirit is currently berthed at the Opua marina where Mary and Tony are doing the "last few" jobs while waiting for a suitable weather pattern to head for Tonga. Adam is on call to bus up to meet the boat when the call comes. Long term forecasts are suggesting Monday or Tuesday departure.