Sand Dollar passed through the barrier reef at Navula Passage around noon today to leave the waters of Fiji until, perhaps, next season. I have enjoyed this island group as much as any other in the South Pacific. The scenery is beautiful, the diving superb, everyone speaks English, and the people are truly wonderful. I can see why the Kiwis come here year after year.

The wind was light and variable today so we made only modest progress toward the port of Opua, NZ. The trip is about 1100 miles and will take anywhere from 9 - 15 days, depending on the wind speed and direction. There are currently at least 12 boats that started the passage in the past two days. Most of us keep in touch on the single sideband radio. Although this can be a challenging passage, the weather outlook is favorable and we receive updates daily. Of course, we are planning a big party when we finally make landfall.

All else is well onboard except that I hooked and lost a huge fish that broke the 50 lb test line. I am guessing it was an 80 lb tuna.