28 October 2024 –Tonga -Tongapatu to New Zealand -Day 6

We sailed as best we could in the night and then in the early hours we put on the engine as we could not manage the angle required and did not want to go further south.

Watty and I were on watch at 5.00am and we saw the sun come up and it was a nice day. We hoped that the wind would come round enough but it did not so we motor sailed. We could use the main to give us some lift and some extra speed. It was such a shame as it was good wind being wasted but we needed to focus on getting to our destination and not being too far south with this extra front coming in tomorrow.

Watty cooked scrambled eggs and bacon which was just what we needed after the night and believe it or not there was quite a cool breeze. After our shift I tried to rest but it is not always easy to do so but I did have a shave and a shower. We chatted and read and I started looking at the Bay of Islands and where we can go there. This included various anchorages with lots of outdoor activities and it seems a beautiful area. It appears we shall get there one day early so I had to email customs to let them know.  

I have reserved a berth at the Bay of Islands marina for a few days and we shall go there and wait for customs. I have also been contacting some workmen as there are a few things to sort out, such as the heads which needs urgently doing.

The day passed quite quickly but it sunny and quite cool. We had to continue to motor sail which was frustrating. At about 6.00pm the wind started to move to the right direction and we sailed for a couple of hours but then it started moving back again. We therefore went back to motor sailing.

Carolyn and Erika made a beef teriyaki with noodles which tasted very good. The wind is expected to turn to be helpful at about midnight but we will see and then by 8.00am to turn Northwest which will be good and we therefore should be able to sail direct to our waypoint outside the Bay of Islands.

However, before we get there another front is coming in with strong winds of 23-30 kts which is unfortunate so we will just have to adapt our sail plan accordingly and grin and bear it as the reward is our arrival overnight tomorrow night or early on that morning. The waves and wind will be coming from the Northwest and we will be heading just west of south so the wind should be on our beam.

We went into night mode and shifts and tomorrow all being well should be our last night and then we have one more unpleasant night before our arrival.

The picture of the day is of the sunset and what appears to be the calm before the storm.

Opportunity Year Two

In year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025. I will need some more crew.

If there is any interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com