Last evening we turned north and put the last few thunderstorm cells behind us from the nasty trough that decided to crash our passage to Fiji. The breeze filled in nicely and we had a quiet night with minimal motion (compared to the prior nights). This moning we turned to the northeast and started heading more directly towards Fiji. Unfortunately the trailing ridge that was associated with the trough and low, is keeping the wind speeds down, so we are motor-sailing today as the winds turn to the SW, Southerly and hopefully before too long back to the SE where all of this started. There are always breakdowns on a passage, and this one has been no different. A few days before we left Opua, we discovered that our Maretron WSO100 weather sensor was not providing valid Windspeed or Direction information (temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, etc were ok). The factory had replaced the unit over the winter when it had failed last season, and all was working just fine af ter I re-installed the unit at the masthead. It has really been a challenge to sail this passage without the WD/WS information constantly in front of us on a back-lit screen. I actually had to go outside and feel the wind on my face, and if I was really curious look up at the masthead fly (Windex). And at the most challenging times, like when it was raining or at night even. I don't know how I sailed all those years in dinghies and keelboats without an electronics package! And yet another important milestone was reached on our passage north - we put on the solar shades over the windows, and I changed to shorts and a t-shirt, with no socks. So I guess we are officially in the tropics!