09-11-15 Monday
1145 Sadiqi departed Vuda Marina, Fiji.
Engine: 1746.4 hours
The winds close to Viti Levu, the largest of Fijis' islands, were onshore 10 to 12 knots westerly. These were local conditions.
1550 Sadiqi exited the Nanula Passage – the fringing reef or Vitu Levu. When in the open ocean the winds were 20 to 25 knots south east, seas were rough at 2 o 3 metres. I furled the mainsail to about 3 reefs. The yankee headsail pulled us to windward powerfully. Sadiqi's leeward rail was buried in the water most of the time. Both Sadiqi and the skipper had a good drenching from the green water that came over the deck.
1700 Beer o clock was skipped. The left over pizza from Musket cove, that I had for lunch, threatened to come up for a second tasting. The skipper was getting soft after too much of a good time at Musket Cove.
10-11-15 Tuesday (Day 1)
Over night the wind eased as did the seas. At around 0200 I unfurled the mainsail to about one reefing point. Sadiqi had travelled faster than I had planned. I had worked the passage plan for an average of 4 knots (100 miles/day). The Speed over the Ground (SOG) had varied between 4 to 6 knots.
0800 I reported in to Gulf Harbour Radio (GHR) in New Zealand giving a position and weather condition report.
Sadiqi's position can be tracked on the Yachts in Transit web site:
http://www.yit.co.nz/
Noon 1200 UTC +13 (Fiji on Daylight saving)
Wind 18 knots (T) ESE
Lat: 19 26.41 S, Lon: 0176 46.55 E
COG: 185 deg M, SOG: 5.5 knots
Engine: 1748.5 hours
110 miles since leaving Vuda Marina, Fiji.
Rolling along nicely on a close reach. Swell to 2 metres. Two reefs in the main.
It shouldn't be too difficult to workout where Sadiqi is headed.
1700 Beer o clock happened with libations to the ocean gods and reflections on absent family and friends.
Wind 12 to 15 knots (T) SE
COG: 190 M, SOG: 5 knots
Nice sailing on a close reach.
11-11-15 Wednesday (Day 2)
It was a very pleasant sail overnight with winds 10 to 15 knots SE.
0300 the winds eased and the boat speed started to fall below 4 knots.
I started the engine. I needed to maintain a minimum of 4 knots boat speed. I knew I was entering the subsiding air of a large high with little wind.
0615 winds 12 to 14 knots east south east. I stopped the engine and we were happily sailing again.
COG: 185 M, SOG: 4 to 5 knots.
It was a beautiful sunrise.
0700 I emailed my position report to Gulf Harbour Radio (GHR) in New Zealand and listened to the roll call and weather.
Many thanks to Patricia and David for providing the service.
http://www.yit.co.nz/
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| All sails up - heading south |
0830 I raised the small stay-sail – sweet.
Wind 8 - 12 knots (T) SE
COG: 195 deg M, SOG: 5 knots
Noon 1200 UTC +13 (Fiji on Daylight saving)
Wind 8 - 10 knots (T) ESE
Lat: 21 13.21 S, Lon: 176 04.29 E
COG: 190 deg M, SOG: 5 knots
Engine: 1752.4 hours
114 miles since noon the previous day.
Sailing on a close reach with yankee jib, stay-sail and full main – beautiful sailing in undulating seas.
Barometer rising slowly 1017mb.
Water temp 25.5 deg C.
1700 Beer o clock.
Fridge not working – tepid beer!
Wind 12 - 15 knots (T) ESE
COG: 185 deg M, SOG: 5 knots
Superb close reach sailing.
12-11-15 Thursday (Day 3)
0300 I was awakened, before the alarm, with sails flapping and Sadiqi bouncing around in sloppy seas. The wind had dropped to less that 8 knots.
I started the engine and tightened the sails. Ken, the autopilot took over from Smithy the windvane to steer Sadiqi southwards.
0700 I emailed my position report to Gulf Harbour Radio (GHR) in New Zealand and listened to the roll call and weather report.
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 5 - 8 knots (T) E
Lat: 23 03.48 S, Lon: 175 25.23 E
COG: 193 deg M, SOG: 4.5 knots
Engine: 1759.9 hours
116 miles since noon the previous day.
Barometer 1019mb, Sea temp 23.5 deg C
Motor sailing. Fishing line out.
I spotted a yacht on the horizon.
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| "Zest" motor sailing in flat seas |
1215 Chris on “Zest” called up on VHF. I had met Chris and his three crew on the Beaneteu 50 “Zest” at Musket Cove. They had left Vuda Marina the day after I had.
1350 “Zest” came along side for a chat and photo opportunity.
In the calm conditions I took the opportunity to fill the diesel tank from a jerry can. There were several rain cells near by.
1450 Wind increased to 15 knots from the east. I was able to give the Volvo engine a well earned rest.
COG: 170 deg M, SOG: 4.5 knots.
1700 Beer o clock – no fish.
13-11-15 Friday (Day 4)
Sadiqi motor sailed through the night in light winds.
At sunrise the wind was from the SSE at about 7 knots. The barometer was beginning to fall or so I thought.
0800 Wind increased to 10 knots SSE. I gave the Volvo another well earned rest while I sent a position report email to Gulf Harbour Radio and listened to the weather from David. David suggested I should look at an arrival time on Thursday 19 November, before the next cold fronts came through. This meant that Sadiqi had to make an average speed of 4.6 knots, which was doable.
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 8 - 12 knots (T) ESE
Lat: 24 47.62 S, Lon: 174 33.31 E
COG: 176 deg M, SOG: 5 knots
Engine: 1774.5 hours
114.5 miles since noon the previous day.
Barometer 1018mb, Sea temp 22.5 deg C
Motor sailing in short duration, choppy seas.
1300 Winds increased to 15 knots ESE.
Turned off the engine – sailing again - ah the silence.
Several rain cells around.
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| Beating to windward - jib, stay-sail and main. |
1700 Beer o clock
Wind 18 to 20 knots SE
COG: 180 deg M, SOG: 5.5 knots
Rough seas.
14-11-15 Saturday (Day 5)
Just after midnight Winds 20 to 25 knots ESE
Rough uncomfortable seas.
I furled the head-sail. Sailing with the small stay-sail and equivalent of 3 reefs in the mainsail.
Boat speed 3 to 4 knots – much more comfortable.
Sunrise winds 18 to 20 knots ESE
Swell and seas 2 to 4 metres from the SSE.
0730 I managed to email a position report to Gulf Harbour Radio. It was too uncomfortable to update the blog and email it.
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 18 - 20 knots (T) ENE
Lat: 26 45.41 S, Lon: 174 05.53 E
COG: 180 deg M, SOG: 6 knots
Engine: 1776.3 hours
120.4 miles since noon the previous day.
Barometer 1020mb, Sea temp 20.5 deg C
Sadiqi rolling along on a beam reach.
1700 Beer o clock.
Wind 15 to 18 knots ENE.
Nice sailing with the wind slightly abaft the beam.
The fridge is working again – intermittently. When the boat is level enough for me to get to the bottom of the fridge I'll find what ever smells like it died in there and throw it over the side.
There is a chill in the early mornings and evenings with air temperatures in the teens.
The Standard Horizon Chart plotter is is playing up. Well, the GPS antenna is. Several times a day the antenna looses the satellite fix and beeps. I recall this happening in the cold conditions off the west coast of South Africa. The antenna seems to be temperature sensitive.
15-11-15 Sunday (Day 6)
It was a lovely sail over night with the winds predominantly from the north and east at up to 18 knots. The skipper managed to get some good lengthy periods of sleep.
Sunrise winds 18 to 20 knots NE
Swell and seas 1 to 2 metres from the SE.
0800 Emailed GHR position report and downloaded GRIB weather files.
0900 Winds 16 to 18 knots (T) NE
Poled out the Jib – nice sailing downwind.
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| Sailing downwind with poled out jib, stay-sail and main |
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 15 - 18 knots (T) NE
Lat: 28 43.79 S, Lon: 173 30.34 E
COG: 182 deg M, SOG: 5.5 knots
Engine: 1776.3 hours
122.4 miles since noon the previous day.
Barometer 1019mb, Sea temp 20 deg C
Great downwind sailing with poled out jib, stay-sail and nearly full main.
1700 Beer o clock.
The wind was forecast to swing to the north west and increase to 25 knots overnight.
I dropped the cute stay-sail, gybed the main and poled out the jib to starboard.
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| Beer o clock with poled out jib and main |
16-11-15 Monday (Day 7)
Sunrise. It was a fast and roly sail downwind over night.
0700 emailed GHR position report.
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 18 - 22 knots (T) NW
Lat: 30 51.96 S, Lon: 172 50.32 E
COG: 162 deg M, SOG: 6 knots
Engine: 1776.3 hours
133 miles since noon the previous day.
Barometer 1015mb falling, Sea temp 18 deg C
Fast roly downwind sailing.
1700 Beer o clock was skipped. The forecast was for changing winds overnight.
17-11-15 Tuesday (Day 8)
Good downwind sailing in 18 to 20 knot NW winds until 0200 (Dark, cold and wet o clock).
The wind started to shift from the south.
0430 Winds 20 knots SSE.
I tacked toward Tasmania to get further south.
0700 emailed GHR position report
1015 Spotted yacht “Pacific Spray” on AIS. Tried to contact them on VHF CH16 – no response.
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 15 - 18 knots (T) ESE
Lat: 32 37.93 S, Lon: 172 41.64 E
COG: 220 deg M, SOG: 4.5 knots
Engine: 1776.3 hours
106 miles since noon the previous day.
Barometer 1015mb rising, Sea temp 17.5 deg C
Bouncing along toward Tasmania.
1515 Wind 15 – 17 knots (T) SSE
Tacked onto Stbd – raised stay-sail
COG: 120 deg M, SOG 4.5 knots
1730 Tried to contact NZ Maritime radio on HF 4125, 6215 to give ETA in Opua– no response.
18-11-15 Wednesday (Day 9)
A breezy beat to windward overnight with wind ranging 15 to 22 knots (T) from the SSW.
Seas are choppy and cold.
0700 contacted Kapranga Maritime Radio on VHF 16 to provide ETA Opua for midday Thursday.
0730 emailed GHR position report
During the morning Sadiqi past through several local squalls with winds to 30 knots SSW. I found a few more leaks on the boat. When the port rubbing strake is in the water it leaks into one of the lockers.
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| Close reach - jib, stay-sail and main |
Noon 1200 UTC +13
Wind 12 - 15 knots (T) WS
Lat: 34 07.09 S, Lon: 173 25.40 E
COG: 2134 deg M, SOG: 4 knots
Engine: 1776.3 hours
96.5 miles since noon the previous day. (Distance is straight line – does not take into account any tacking etc.)
Barometer 1017mb rising, Sea temp 16.5 deg C
Bobbing along in choppy seas.
North Cape, New Zealand visible 30 miles to the SW.
1700 Beer o clock – beating to windward.
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| Beam reach with stay-sail and main |
19-11-15 Thursday (Day 10)
In the early morning the wind decreased ad shifted from the SE.
0500 I tacked toward Opua.
Winds 8 to 10 knots SE.
It was a beautiful clear sunrise.
Started the engine and motor sailed to make the arranged time of arrival – midday.
It was cold. I welcomed the warmth from the engine for the first time since leaving South Africa.
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| A beautiful chilly sunrise at 35 south |
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| Bay of Islands, New Zealand |
1200
Arrived Opua, New Zealand – quarantine dock.
Engine.
1784.4 hours.
All
things considered it was a pretty good passage from Fiji to New
Zealand. Approximately 1100 miles in 10 days, 38 engine hours (38
litres of Diesel).
Sadiqi
arrived alongside the huge quarantine dock near the Bay of Islands
Marina, Opua. There was quite a tidal flow. I was grateful for the
assistance from MPI Bio Security with line handling. There were 4 to
6 yachts waiting to be cleared in. The customs officer boarded Sadiqi
– 15 minutes later I was cleared. Two guys from MPI Bio Security
looked through most lockers on the boat. Sadiqi's garbage, onions,
potatoes, cabbage, garlic, popcorn, mung beans, meat etc were
confiscated for disposal. Sadiqi had to be fumigated after arrival,
small ants were found on-board. I did declare that I had a gazillion
weevils in the rice - none were evident though. There were no
charges for clearing into New Zealand and no charge for fumigation
and re-inspection. Even if a boat arrives on the weekend to clear in
there are no overtime charges. New Zealand is pretty much the first
"first world" country Sadiqi has arrived in since leaving
Australia.
Opua
is chilly! Seriously, I hoped it was going to warm up soon - it's
supposed to be summer. There's no palm trees here - that's a worry:-)
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| Cool sunrise in Opua |
