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.
