Sunday 20 November 2016

Fiji to New Zealand 2016


Sunday November 20 - Day 0
1115 Sadiqi departed Lautoka after clearing with Customs. I motor sailed south in 10 knot westerly winds.

Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 10 knots W
Lat: 17 37.57 S Lon: 179 23.53 E
COG: 218 deg M SOG: 4.5 knots
Engine: 2012.0 hours
4 miles since departing Lautoka.

1600 Sadiqi exited Navula Passage like an excited Champagne cork, with the falling tide, at 7 knots.
Then the fun began. Winds 20 to 25 knots ESE with short, sharp, nasty and very wet seas in the lee of the islands. Most things inside and outside the boat got a thorough soaking. I hand steered for several hours in an attempt to ease Sadiqi through the nasty short steep waves.

1700 Beer o clock was skipped. Soggy skipper not feeling too cheerful.

Monday November 21 - Day 1

Sadiqi powered through the night on a beam reach doing SOG of 5 to 6 knots in 25 to 30 knots Easterly winds. Very small mainsail and half furled jib.

Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 18 to 22 knots ENE
Barometer: 1016 rising
Lat: 19 37.31 S Lon: 179 29.80 E
COG: 182 deg M SOG: 6.0 knots
Engine: 2015.0 hours
130.0 miles since noon previous day.
Rolling along.

1700 Beer o clock was skipped. Soggy skipper still not feeling too cheerful.

Tuesday November 22 - Day 2

Another fast and boisterous night. 

Day 2 Boisterous conditions
Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 20 to 25 knots NE
Barometer: 1018 rising
Lat: 21 29.92 S Lon: 175 23.83 E
COG: 185 deg M SOG: 5.5 knots
Engine: 2015.0 hours
129.0 miles since previous noon
Sadiqi bouncing along in breezy, boisterous conditions.

Managed to miss Conway Reef out in the middle of no where.

1700 Beer o clock was acknowledged and libations made to family and friends. The skipper soon became very soggy again when, while enjoying libations, an errant wave crashed over the deck. The skipper beginning to wonder when do we get to the good bit.

Wednesday November 23 - Day 3

Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 18 to 20 knots ENE
Barometer: 1019 steady
Lat: 23 34.51 S Lon: 174 14.69 E
COG: 190 deg M SOG: 6.0 knots
Engine: 2015.0 hours
140.0 miles since previous noon
Sadiqi bouncing along in breezy, boisterous conditions.
Swell 2 metres.

1500 Wind eased to 15 knots ENE.

1700 Beer o clock was acknowledged.
The wind picked up to 20 knots ENE. I reduced mainsail again.
Sadiqi seemed to be coping fine with the 100% Yankee jib.
Smithy the WindPilot seemed to be happy maintaining a beam reach.

Thursday November 24 - Day 4

0430 Woke to flapping sails. A small front had passed to the east.

1015 Wind 10 to 15 knots (T) ENE
Raised little stay sail. SOG back around 5 to 6 knots.
Cutter rigged
Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 12 to 15 knots ENE
Barometer: 1017 falling
Lat: 25 41.46 S Lon: 173 17.43 E
COG: 175 deg M SOG: 6.0 knots
Engine: 2015.0 hours
137.0 miles since previous noon
Nice sailing with full main, jib and staysail.
Swell 1.5 metres.

1700 Beer o clock
First beer I've had this trip where sea water has not been splashed into it.

Friday November 25 - Day 5

Overnight Sadiqi was pushing against a half to one knot current.
Winds gradually dropped swinging to the north.

1030 Hoisted Big Bertha the asymmetrical spinnaker.
Big Bertha
Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 10 (T) knots NNE
Barometer: 1015 falling
Lat: 27 32.17 S Lon: 173 14.24 E
COG: 160 deg M SOG: 5.0 knots
Engine: 2015.7 hours
110.5 miles since previous noon
Still pushing against a half knot current.
Swell 1.0 metres.

1630 Wind less than 8 knots northerly.
Dropped Big Bertha.
Started engine.

1700 Beer o clock.
Skipper went for a swim and wash in the mild sea conditions.
Water temperature a chilly 21 degrees C.

Saturday November 26 - Day 6

The engine rattled and rumbled all night. Winds were less than 8 knots from the north.

Fuel tank was topped up with 20 litres from a jerry can.

Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind less than 8 knots (T) NNW
Barometer: 1014 falling
Lat: 29 16.44 S Lon: 173 13.35 E
COG: 170 deg M SOG: 4.0 knots
Engine: 2034.5 hours
105.0 miles since previous noon
Strange stuff. I was in my bunk reading a book when I smelt something different and not altogether pleasant.
Not having anyone else on board there was no one else to blame. I checked the composting toilet. I pumped the bilges. Finally, I went up on deck and looked around. Sadiqi was around 300 miles from either Norfolk Island or New Zealand. I noticed two large hulks astern. I can only assume they were basking whales. Maybe, two humpback whales or two humping whales. I also, assume that the smell was their breath.

1605 Winds 12 knots (T) NW
Barometer: 1012 falling.
Turned off the engine. (The sounds of silence:)

1700 Beer o clock. Beer was skipped as the likelyhood of a long night. The GRIB model files had forecast a front passing during the night.
Sadiqi was beating to windward on port tack.
Winds 15 to 20 knots (T) SE, raining.

The small front passed, the wind swung to the SE.

Sunday November 27 - Day 7

0200 Winds les than 10 knots (T) SSE
Sails flapping. Started the engine.

Fuel tank was topped up with another 20 litres from a jerry can.

Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 8 - 10 knots (T) SSW
Barometer: 1016 rising
Lat: 30 27.19 S Lon: 172 50.06 E
COG: 150 deg M SOG: 4.0 knots
Engine: 2048.7 hours (way too many engine hours)
75.0 miles since previous noon
Motor sailing with full main, jib and stay sails.
Sadiqi seems to still be pushing against a current.

1700 Beer o clock. Winds 8 - 12 knots (T) SW
Turned off the engine to send and download emails on SSB.

Monday November 28 - Day 8

Overnight winds 12 - 18 knots (T) SSW
Sunrise
 Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 12 - 15 knots (T) S
Barometer: 1017 steady
Lat: 32 19.53 S Lon: 173 15.50 E
COG: 130 deg M SOG: 5.0 knots
Engine: 2054.9 hours
114.5 miles since previous noon
Beating to windward again.

1700 Beer o clock. This has not been the best beer drinking passage.
Winds 10 to 15 knots (T) S
150 Miles out of Opua, NZ

Tuesday November 29 - Day 9

Winds decreased overnight.
0600 Wind 8 - 10 knots (T) S (where I was headed)
Motor sailing to windward - again.

0930 New Zealand Air Force Orion contracted Sadiqi on VHF 16.
Asked to give arrival details for NZ.

Noon 1200 UTC +13 hours
Wind 8 - 10 knots (T) SSW
Barometer: 1019 steady
Lat: 33 56.11 S Lon: 174 09.40 E
COG: 130 deg M SOG: 4.5 knots
Engine: 2057.9 hours
107.0 miles since previous noon.

1315 Wind 8 knots (T) S
Started the motor again.

1700 Beer o clock. Winds 8 knots (T) SSW.
Motor sailing - still.
63 Miles out of Opua, NZ

Wednesday November 30 - Day 10

0400 Winds 8 - 10 knots S
Started the engine and headed into the wind toward Opua, NZ

0750 Arrive Quarantine Dock at Opua, NZ
Engine: 2065.8 hours
Temperature was decidedly cool compared to Fiji.

Clearing into New Zealand was almost effortless.
No vermin was found on board. All rubbish, meat, vegetables and seeds were handed over to Bio-Security for disposal.
Ding on "Chiquita" who had left a day before and arrived in Opua 2 days before Sadiqi. 
Total engine hours: 54.7 hours.