Anchored in the middle of the ocean
01 June 2017
Vandy
Not really, but if you look at our position on Google Earth or Google Maps, it looks that way. It looks that way from SCOOTS' deck, too...nothing but ocean in every direction, except for half a dozen boats who have also decided to anchor here. "Here" is North Minerva Reef, and SCOOTS is anchored in 40 feet of water at 23 37.114'S 178 54.502'W. Zoom in really far, and you might be able to see the 3- mile-diameter ring of submerged coral in which we're anchored.
We arrived just after 1pm local time today, six days after leaving Marsden Cove Marina in Whangarei, NZ. We had to motor into a headwind or no wind for most of the last two days. But we really enjoyed the comfortable conditions we had on passage. Waiting those three weeks for the right weather window served us well.
We crossed the International Date Line last night. Just as when we crossed the Equator last year, it was too dark to see the line when we went over it. I knew we had crossed it when our GPS clicked over from 179 59.999 E to 180.00.000 W. Supposedly we also lost a day, but since our next destination is back on the other side of the date line, we're not going to bother with that.
Our weather forecast is predicting a front to pass over us tomorrow, bringing wind from a direction we can't use, and rain. Minerva Reef seems like a good place to stop and let it pass over. Right now, six other boats are anchored nearby; we know of at least that many more who are on their way here. It'll be fun to see our friends and catch up on how everyone's passage went.
In a few days, we'll pull up our anchor and continue on to Fiji, 450 miles to the NW. For now, we're going to enjoy the peace and quiet, the clear turquoise water, and the warm wind. We're both in shorts for the first time in months. I even painted my toenails in anticipation of wearing sandals or nothing on my feet for awhile.
Here are the numbers: Our position: 23 37.114 S 178 54.502 W Distance in last 24 hours: 154 nm (motor) Average speed last 24 hours: 6.42 knots Distance from Marsden Cove in Whangarei: 819.9 nm Average distance per day: about 136 nmiles