/clarabella/index.rss Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:56:18 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/19/58-day-15-we-ve-arrived-in-new-zealand-yay- Position: 35:18.924S 174:07.272E
Day's run: 125 nm
Course: 195
Distance to run: 0 :-)

We've arrived in Opua, NZ. The trip was grim, but we've done, we're here at last! And my parents were waiting on the dock when we arrived - a really excellent surprise! ]]> Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:56:18 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/19/58-day-15-we-ve-arrived-in-new-zealand-yay- (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/17/57-day-14-yet-more-headwinds-on-the-final-approach Position: 33:21.2S 175:11.2E
Day's run: 106 nm
Course: 155
Distance to run: 130 nm

SE winds have been forecast for the last run in to NZ, so we've spent the last 36 hours carefully making southing and easting to enable us to sail in. Now we find that the SE winds are more to the S, so we're not able to make the Bay of Islands as I write without more tacking or motoring into lumpy seas. I'm fed up with this trip at the moment and am looking forward to it ending. I'm fed up being a whingeing Pom, and we haven't even got there yet!

It is possible that we'll arrive in Opua tomorrow at some time: Yippee!]]> Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:37:39 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/17/57-day-14-yet-more-headwinds-on-the-final-approach (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/15/56-day-13-calms-motoring Position: 31:36.2S 174:56.1E
Day's run: 101 nm
Course: 165
Distance to run: 214 nm

We can almost smell the sheep! Today we've got calm winds, flattish seas and we've been motoring now for over 24 hours. We're making a bit of easting as SE winds are forecast for our approach but this will keep us at sea longer.

Earliest possible ETA is now Sunday lunchtime, depending on winds.

During the night there was a lot of chatter between a group of boats on the VHF, VHF is line-of-sight only so there are other boats heading eastwards a bit as well, which makes me feel better. Decision-making when tired is a fraught business!

Morale is good on board today as we hear that Monica's sister will be in Opua on Tuesday! ]]> Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:30:46 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/15/56-day-13-calms-motoring (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/14/55-day-12-headwinds-slow-progress-again Position: 29:56.3S 174:37.1E
Day's run: 76 nm
Course: var
Distance to run: 320 nm

Headwinds again, with lumpy seas we tack through 140 degrees (!) and cannot
make any effective southing.

At the moment we're motoring, but it is frustrating.

The boat is COVERED in salt and we've (re)discovered leaks in various places over bunks (mine, Jonty's), clothes lockers (all of Jonty's clothes are sodden in salt water) and other less irksome ones. It's also cold, for the first time in my life I'm wearing borrowed ladies' thermals! (first time for thermals of either gender!). ]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:49:36 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/14/55-day-12-headwinds-slow-progress-again (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/13/54-day-11-finally-on-course-for-nz Position: 28:40.3S 174:29.7E
Day's run: - nm
Course: 150
Distance to run: 439 nm

The strong southerlies have blown through the seas are down and the wind is in the SW so, thanks to our decision to spend all yesterday going west, we are now pretty much on course for NZ. Morale is high once more and we allk have had a good night's sleep.

Southerly winds are still forecast for the next few days, but hopefully not too strong. ]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:24:23 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/13/54-day-11-finally-on-course-for-nz (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/12/53-day-10-strong-head-winds-now Position: 27:51.4S 174:46.5E
Day's run: - nm
Course: -
Distance to run: 439 nm

Strong head winds and large seas have stopped our progress, we cannot make our way south until they go away.

The past few daily positions have been wrong, the longitude should hjave been East not West. ]]> Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:05:11 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/12/53-day-10-strong-head-winds-now (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/11/52-day-9-plugging-on Position: 26:58.4S 174:50.8W
Day's run: - nm
Course: 230
Distance to run: 491 nm

We're still 500 miles N of NZ with the wind dead on the nose and fairly strong. We've spent the last few days trying to avoid a low and yesterday we were down to storm canvas all day but in the night the wind slackened and I don't yet know what has happened to the low!

Slow going.]]> Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:20:00 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/11/52-day-9-plugging-on (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/10/51-day-8-still-lumpy Position: 27:03.9S 176:21.2W
Day's run: 102 nm
Course: 230
Distance to run: - nm

We're now getting ready to tackle a low pressure system. All OK on board.]]> Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:55:00 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/10/51-day-8-still-lumpy (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/9/50-day-7-a-bit-lumpy Position: 26:09.9S 178:19.2W
Day's run: 102 nm
Course: 230
Distance to run: 589nm

Yesterday we had flat calm seas, cloudless skies and we mwt up with Myrdinn for a chat and photo session. Last night the wind got up to 20knots or so and a horrid lumpy sea, rain and cloud. We're now heading much more west than we planned to go over the top of a nasty Low that has formed and which should pass south of us. This will then leave us with a very long hard slog to windward to get down to NZ.

We're now in the Eastern hemisphere! ]]> Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:15:00 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/9/50-day-7-a-bit-lumpy (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/8/49-day-6-variable-winds Position: 25:22.4S 179:59.7W
Day's run: 118 nm
Course: 197
Distance to run: 692nm

Motoring, then sailing, now motoring again. There's a low pressure system ahead that we're keeping an eye on. We're now very close indeed to moving into the Eastern Hemisphere! ]]> Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:14:08 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/8/49-day-6-variable-winds (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/7/48-day-5-under-way-again-light-winds Position: 23:51.0S 179:04.5W
Day's run: n/a nm
Course: 197
Distance to run: 796nm

We had a great, if short, stay in N Minerva and now we're underway again. The forecast is mixed and contradictory so we don't know what we're going to get as we head south, but we expect strong winds in a couple of day's time.

Currently we're motorsailing and taking care not to run into South Minerva Reef!

We've just opened our last coconut with our machete, a fitting farewell to the tropics that we've now left 20 miles or so behind us, and that we've enjoyed for the last two years or so. ]]> Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:57:15 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/7/48-day-5-under-way-again-light-winds (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/7/47-day-4-minerva-reef Position: 23:37.284S 178:55.499W
Day's run: 93 nm
Course: 210
Distance to run: 851nm

Another first! Minerva Reef is one of those places that I first read of as a fairly small boy; it always sounded awful, basically an anchorage in the middle of the ocean that was a refuge against the foul weather en route to NZ. As it happens we're in a perfect circle of coral 2.5 miles in diameter, anchored in 10m of azure water in flat calm water. It is peculiar because we are, too all intents, anchored in the middle of the South Pacific but it is beautiful here in an eerie way. There are 5 other boats here all waiting for a Low to move out of the way over NZ. We don't expect to have to stay long.

In the last 24 hours we've had some of the lovliest sailing, close reaching at 6.5 knots in flat seas - lovely. Overnight it went very light and we had a gorgeous night ghosting along under the stars. ]]> Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:47:38 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/7/47-day-4-minerva-reef (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/5/46-day-3-easy-going Position: 22:29.8S 177:45.6W
Day's run: 117nm
Course: 210
Distance to run: 942nm

We've enjoyed some lovely sailing in the last 24 hours, winds up and down and always forward of the beam but generally good seas.

Tomorrow we decide whether to stop in Minerva Reef as a Low builds in our path in the next few days. ]]> Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:45:35 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/5/46-day-3-easy-going (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/11/3/45-day-1-light-head-winds Position: 19:32.8S 174:57.1W
Day's run: 90nm
Course: 220
Distance to run: 1180nm

We finally got the green light from our NZ weather forecast chappy so, along with about 10 other boats, we left Tonga yesterday lunch time. Since then we have had to do a fair bit of motoring, quite a lot of drifting, some sailing, and some brisk sailing under a squall last night. It's good to be at sea again, but it'll be better once get a little more breeze. As I write we're sailing at a whopping 1.9 knots! ]]> Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:29:39 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/11/3/45-day-1-light-head-winds (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/10/12/44-tonga Position: 18:39.59S 173:58.88W

We've now been in Tonga for 3 weeks; it's a beautiful place! There are very many fine, protected anchorages in the area and the town of Neiafu is pleasant too. We've had lots of grotty weather but now we're starting to get ready for our trip down to NZ. ]]> Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:37:58 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/10/12/44-tonga (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/9/15/43-niue Position: 18:03.29S 169:55.46W

We've been in Niue now for nearly a week, and we're enjoying being here a lot. We feel, for the first time, that we're near NZ; the accents here are Kiwi, the food is Kiwi, the money is Kiwi.

I've done some very good dives here; the water is absolutely crystal clear and the local sea-snakes make for a bit of novelty too!

Tom's 9th birthday is in a couple of days, and we expect to move to Tonga soon after that. ]]> Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:06:19 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/9/15/43-niue (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/9/7/42-day-1-jonty-s-birthday Position: 18:23.2S 165:34.1W
Day's run: 136nm
Course: 249
Distance to run: 246nm

Good sailing ion the last 24 hours as we head for Niue.

Today is Jonty's 7th Birthday so we've got a good lunch coming up...!]]> Fri, 07 Sep 2007 23:15:47 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/9/7/42-day-1-jonty-s-birthday (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/9/7/41-at-palmerston-atoll
We spent over a week at this remarkable atoll; the population all have the surname Marsters, being descended from William Marsters from Glos, UK who came here and took 3 wives...

Eddie Marsters and his family 'adopted' us during our stay, showing us this tiny island, sharing their food and making us feel very welcome.

Near the anchorage a pod of Humpback whales was in residence, and we frequently saw them leaping out of the water! ]]> Fri, 07 Sep 2007 23:12:31 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/9/7/41-at-palmerston-atoll (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/8/28/40-day-5-full-lunar-eclipse Position: 18:03.8S 162:47.7W
Day's run: 136nm
Course: 249
Distance to run: 21nm

Full moon last night, really bright. Whilst I was reading my book by head-torch I looked up thinking it was dark. The moon was 3/4 eclipsed and after another 15 minutes it was totally eclipsed. What a sight; no cloud, no light pollution of any description and a totally clear sky, oh for a steady platform for some photos! It took me 3 attempts to wake Tom up to see the eclipse which, coincidentally, he had talked about earlier that evening! The eclipse lasted a good hour and a half before the moon uncovered. To see this in the middle of the Pacific is unforgettable!

21 miles to go to Palmerston. ]]> Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:28:01 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/8/28/40-day-5-full-lunar-eclipse (@author) /clarabella/posts/2007/8/27/39-day-4-wild-night-out- Position: 17:50.8S 160:24.8W
Day's run: 155nm 2nd best day's run ever!
Course: 249
Distance to run: 157nm

We've eaten up the miles in the last 24 hours. With 2 reefs in the main and a well rolled jib we've been hurtling along under strong SE trades. With the jib poled out we remain dry but drop to leeward of our track. With the jib and main out to starboard and harder on the wind we take water in the cockpit, this is how we spent the night! Still, we're going well and will hopefully reach Palmerston tomorrow. ]]> Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:13:19 UTC /clarabella/posts/2007/8/27/39-day-4-wild-night-out- (@author)