6 October 2024 –Tahiti – Niue

Before I start I have another need. Someone now cannot make the New Zealand to Sydney leg in early January 2025 so I need ideally a sixth person. You would have to be in Auckland, New Zealand by about 3/4 January 2025 with a view to us leaving for Sydney, weather permitting, by about 7 January 2025. We should get to Sydney by about 14-16 January 2025. If anyone is interested please email me at hine.nick9@gmail.com  Thanks.

It was another quite rolly night and Sean and I were on at 5.00am and watched the sun come up. The waves were still about 3 meters plus and would rush under the boat every now and then causing us to roll but also were pushing us forward so we were making good miles. We had been sailing Northwest and after consulting the weather we gybed and headed straight for Niue. Initially we were able to maintain this course and it said 500 nm until the waypoint off Niue.

Over time the wind began to push us off course and pushing us southwest. The weather models changed on to the other tack and so did we. This meant we were heading Northwest again and I thought we will do this and go North of Palmerston Island. This should mean we should then make Niue on one final tack. However, this meant going on the Northwest course for about 75-80 nm which we have been doing all day.

We all settled in for another day with shifts, reading, sleeping and chatting. It was a lovely day with blue shy with white high-pressure clouds. The sea was relentless and charging along. We had good strong winds of about 18-20 kts with gusts up to 25 kts from time to time. We were averaging 8 kts and even had one 9 kts in one hour. This helped contribute to our best run on this passage of 174 nm to the 12.00 noon run.

We had a Greek type of salad for lunch and some of Keith’s loaf which he had made the day before. I had a rest and also looked at where we should go in Tonga and how to manage our time there. I also contacted Bob McDavitt who is a weather man in New Zealand who helps sailors work out the best time to do the passage from Tonga to New Zealand which is about 1,200 nm.

Sean and I came on at 4.00pm and we decided we would cook Bangers and Mash for supper with onion gravy. This was no mean feat in the roll of the waves. It makes everything so much more difficult and even having to hold the pan handle while things cook. The output was good though, where we had potato and carrot mash, with onion gravy and sausages. It went down well with everyone and cheers everyone up.

We continued sailing fast and will gybe probably about 2.00am when Sean and I come on watch. It had been a good day and we had made progress but we have still some way to go. These passages are enjoyable but quite hard work and everyone has to pull their weight and you have to act as a team. Even though you may be tired you have to stay positive, make your contribution and rest when you can despite the conditions.

The good news is that the generator has been working well and we have been charging the batteries about twice a day for about an hour each time. I also ran the watermaker today and that worked well too. In addition, we had lost the top of the pressure cooker which we noticed when drying up. We searched high and low for it but could not find it. Whilst Erika was cleaning the galley area, I noticed a black thing on the floor and it was the top which enabled me to put it together. That is good and it has now been press ganged into service again.

Hopefully, we will gybe in the early hours and be able to head direct for Niue without having to gybe again. It will be good to get there.

The picture of the day is some of the motley crew chatting in cockpit.

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