Date: July 8, 2014
19° 21' S 165° 34' W
24 hour run: 135nm
Previous 24 hour run: 134nm
Water Temp: 77.9. Brrr!
Log: 15020
Distance to go: 130nm
The previous two noon-to-noon runs were pretty decent, the wind had picked up and I made some good progress. The motion of the boat was not as relaxed as it had been, but it felt good to be making better speed through the water and the gurgling sound as Luckness created her wake and left it behind was nice to hear again. The forecast has been fairly accurate for these last few days. It predicted the stronger wind for the previous couple of days and that it would fall off today, as it has. Progress has slowed today. I was thinking I may have made it into the reef tomorrow, July 9th, but that won't happen now. I'm hoping to enter the reef on the 10th, although the conditions at the time will dictate my go/no-go decision. There is predicted to be a westerly wind on the 10th, and the pass faces west. I'm expecting that tonight the wind will start backing around to the north, with my ending up with an upwind sail by tomorrow.
Life here is good. Its warm out, although perhaps cooling down somewhat. Its winter here - the air temperature was below 80 degrees today - maybe even cooler than North America these days?
All continues to be well onboard.
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Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Passage to Beveridge reef, day 6
Date: July 6, 2014
18° 35' S 160° 57' W
24 hour run: 128nm
Previous 24 hour run: 73nm
Water Temp: 80.6
Log: 14773
Distance to go: 398nm
The wind stayed away for a while, then came and blew for a while and has now gone away again. It was nice yesterday, sailing along at 6+ knots in 16-18 knots of wind. I'm currently sailing at 4.5 kts in 10 knots of wind, with a poled out genoa and a double reefed main. The main is deeply reefed as there is too little wind to keep the sail full in the swell, and reefing it stops it from banging back and forth as the boat pitches and rolls. There is a lot of pitching and rolling going on.
With any luck, I should be arriving on the 10th. I'm looking forward to my 'landfall' - as there is no land, only submerged reef. It should be an interesting stop.
All continues to be well onboard.
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18° 35' S 160° 57' W
24 hour run: 128nm
Previous 24 hour run: 73nm
Water Temp: 80.6
Log: 14773
Distance to go: 398nm
The wind stayed away for a while, then came and blew for a while and has now gone away again. It was nice yesterday, sailing along at 6+ knots in 16-18 knots of wind. I'm currently sailing at 4.5 kts in 10 knots of wind, with a poled out genoa and a double reefed main. The main is deeply reefed as there is too little wind to keep the sail full in the swell, and reefing it stops it from banging back and forth as the boat pitches and rolls. There is a lot of pitching and rolling going on.
With any luck, I should be arriving on the 10th. I'm looking forward to my 'landfall' - as there is no land, only submerged reef. It should be an interesting stop.
All continues to be well onboard.
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Friday, July 4, 2014
Passage to Beveridge, day 4
Date: July 4, 2014
17° 44' S 157° 24' W
24 hour run: 94nm
Previous 24 hour run: 115nm
Water Temp: 80.6
Log: 14584
Distance to go: 608nm
This is a slow, meandering, relaxing passage. The wind has stayed light but hasn't gone away completely. For the last three days, as darkness falls, the wind picks up to the range 13-15 and the boat moves well all night. During the days, the wind has been falling below 10.
I'll be picking up today's weather forecast in a few minutes, as this email goes out. Yesterdays forecast didn't turn out to be very accurate - the wind strength was in range, but the direction was forecast to be from the north and that didn't happen, it stayed NE. The forecast has been showing winds growing in strength over the weekend into the 20's, which would be nice.
All continues to be well onboard.
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17° 44' S 157° 24' W
24 hour run: 94nm
Previous 24 hour run: 115nm
Water Temp: 80.6
Log: 14584
Distance to go: 608nm
This is a slow, meandering, relaxing passage. The wind has stayed light but hasn't gone away completely. For the last three days, as darkness falls, the wind picks up to the range 13-15 and the boat moves well all night. During the days, the wind has been falling below 10.
I'll be picking up today's weather forecast in a few minutes, as this email goes out. Yesterdays forecast didn't turn out to be very accurate - the wind strength was in range, but the direction was forecast to be from the north and that didn't happen, it stayed NE. The forecast has been showing winds growing in strength over the weekend into the 20's, which would be nice.
All continues to be well onboard.
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Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Passage to Beveridge, day 2
Date: July 2, 2014
16° 58' S 153° 48' W
Previous 24 hour run: 104nm
Water Temp: 82.4
Log: 14403
Distance to go: 815nm
I left Bora Bora yesterday, July 1st, in the afternoon. My visa had expired on June 30th and I had to move along. Goodbye French Polynesia! There are informal rules about being able to stay a little longer if the weather looks bad, the boat is not in order, etc, but for me none of that applied. The weather looked like it was going to be on the light side, but sailable, and Luckness is in fine shape.
The seas out here are comfortable and the winds are light - something like 7-12 knots from the E to ESE and I'm making slow progress. The winds are forecast to improve soon, then fade away again, and then pick up. I'm now sailing in an area where the normal trade winds no longer dominate. There is actual weather down here - with low pressure systems crossing a few hundred miles to the south, west to east, on a regular basis. As the lows pass by, the weather where I am is affected and the trades go away.
I'm heading to Beveridge reef, which is something like 140nm SE of Niue. I believe Niue is the worlds smallest country - a smallish outcropping of coral that sounds absolutely charming. Niue is associated with New Zealand and there appears to be many hiking trails on the island, along with decent beer and other things you would expect from NZ. Beveridge reef is a reef out in the middle of nowhere without any land. At high tide the reef is completely submerged and at low tide the reef is exposed slightly. I understand its an atoll in the very early stages of being formed. It is reputed to have water clarity which is outstanding, along with great snorkeling. As I approach, if the weather is unfavorable I will skip Beveridge and head straight to Niue.
All is well onboard.
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16° 58' S 153° 48' W
Previous 24 hour run: 104nm
Water Temp: 82.4
Log: 14403
Distance to go: 815nm
I left Bora Bora yesterday, July 1st, in the afternoon. My visa had expired on June 30th and I had to move along. Goodbye French Polynesia! There are informal rules about being able to stay a little longer if the weather looks bad, the boat is not in order, etc, but for me none of that applied. The weather looked like it was going to be on the light side, but sailable, and Luckness is in fine shape.
The seas out here are comfortable and the winds are light - something like 7-12 knots from the E to ESE and I'm making slow progress. The winds are forecast to improve soon, then fade away again, and then pick up. I'm now sailing in an area where the normal trade winds no longer dominate. There is actual weather down here - with low pressure systems crossing a few hundred miles to the south, west to east, on a regular basis. As the lows pass by, the weather where I am is affected and the trades go away.
I'm heading to Beveridge reef, which is something like 140nm SE of Niue. I believe Niue is the worlds smallest country - a smallish outcropping of coral that sounds absolutely charming. Niue is associated with New Zealand and there appears to be many hiking trails on the island, along with decent beer and other things you would expect from NZ. Beveridge reef is a reef out in the middle of nowhere without any land. At high tide the reef is completely submerged and at low tide the reef is exposed slightly. I understand its an atoll in the very early stages of being formed. It is reputed to have water clarity which is outstanding, along with great snorkeling. As I approach, if the weather is unfavorable I will skip Beveridge and head straight to Niue.
All is well onboard.
----------
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