This is the most motor sailing we have done on any passage to date. Colin is prepping the symmetrical spinnaker so we can ride it a bit today. We sailed the other spinnaker yesterday for awhile, but it was short lived; simply not enough wnd to keep it full. We both really love the feel when the spinnaker is pulling. Its such a great ride!I remember one sail back in the Marquesas when I was told not to go over 10 knots, so I was holding 9.9 knots (that's not over 10) for an hour or so, before he came and leaned over my shoulder. The ride was so smooth, he had no Idea we were sailing that fast. No hope for anywhere near double digits today, but If we can keep our speed up, we might be able to arrive into Opua Tuesday night and sleep at the quarantine dock before clearing in on Wednesday morning. But more importantly, we want to beat the strong easterlies that are due on Thursday. So we are in agreement, there truly is a need for speed.

The temperature is dropping little by little, but it is still nice during the day. I am glad we decided to stay in New Caledonia for another couple of weeks to let the weather settle a bit more. It was warm and sunny and there was lots of interesting things to do (that I may never have a chance to do again). Opua is familiar and we have our favorite spots and a big list of things to do while we are there, but I am dreading being cold again. I remember arriving last year and actually having to put on socks!! I hadn't worn socks in over 2.5 years before that, so my system was a bit shocked. I know whah whah whah....but we have both gotten soft in the tropics and I just needed a little bit more time to adjust. I am ready now, bring it!!