Sand Dollar tied up to the quarantine dock at 11 o'clock last night at Opua, NZ to conclude the last passage of a 7-month cruise of the South Pacific. The passage was 1149 miles covered in nine days of mostly upwind sailing with two days of motoring in light winds. The sailing was "spirited" and, at times, uncomfortable. There were several days of high anxiety concerning a severe weather system that was forecast to bring storm conditions. Fortunately it did not occur. All-in-all it was a very good, fast trip and lived up to its reputation of not being for the faint of heart.

I am happy to be in New Zealand, one of my favorite places on earth and look forward to five months of local cruising in the Bay of Islands, fly fishing for trout in the South Island, and working on the boat. There are many cruising friends here whom I have met along the way and I feel fortunate to be among such a great group of people. We all rely on each other for technical assistance, aid in times of crisis, information of any sort, and emotional support. It is like one big international family following the same dream. Many of us do not yet know what we will do when the offshore cruising season resumes next April. There are many choices and lots of time to think about them.

This blog will be taking a break from regular reporting while I am land-bound and, except for occasional log entries describing inland travel, fly fishing, and wine tasting, will not resume until next April. I appreciate all of the comments sent and will finally be able to respond to them now that decent internet service is available. In the next few weeks I will be adding more photos to the gallery and inserting images into the existing daily reports. If you have enjoyed this blog and have not commented, please let me know who you are and send any suggestions you may have for improving its content. I would love to hear from you. Thank you for your interest and support.

Don Pratten s/v Sand Dollar Opua, New Zealand