You can't get there from here. When last you heard from SV FullCircle, we were trying to get south by going west. Unfortunately our day continued to progress with no end in sight from our folly. I re-reviewed the grib files, re-read the forecast and guidance from our weather router, and reviewed our limited options. We could continue going west to get south. We could tack away and go east to get south, or we could pack up the sails and motor headlong into the seas and wind to get south. Since I didn't have anything else to do we tried each option to see which would be the best. Motoring into the seas and wind was slow, and the measured VMG (Velocity Made Good) confirmed that this option was slower than going west to get south. We tacked and tried going back east (from where we came) to get south and found that the current was against us making the course ove ground terrible, as was the boat speed. Again, the VMG confirmed that this option was not an option. That lef t us with our answer - keep going west to get south. This option emphasized a specific personal characteristic that I seem to be lacking - patience. After a second round of discussion with our weather router we were assured that we would get to the calm winds which we would then motor for several hour and then re-emerge in a favorable wind to carry us southward. Well gues what? By 11PM (local Fiji Time) our wind died. We turned south and motored for 2 hours and then at 1AM (local Fiji Time) as if by majic, the winds filled in and we began sailing off in a "southerly" direction. We now accept why the shift took so long to get to us - it was the fact that we were still "on Fiji Time" (as in no worries - it's Fiji Time).

After today, and the new grib (weather) forecast, I'll be happy if we make Opua by Sunday! Patience - have patience .....