We have been listening to the weather reports and also consulting with Kiwis and other cruisers that have made the passage to New Zealand numerous times. We need to wait a bit longer before contemplating this often rough passage. Cyclone season starts the first of November. After researching storm patterns, we discovered that cyclones rarely occur in the Tonga area before December. New Zealand is still experiencing winter weather patterns and the boats that leave too early get a rough ride. The longer we can wait, the better likelihood that we will have a smoother passage. The boats on passage now are experiencing some nasty weather. By the way, it is still snowing in New Zealand. We are not ready for those temperatures! We have no problem waiting for it to warm up a bit! We prefer to remain here in Vavau where the anchorage is pleasant and protected. Once we head south, we will be stern tied to a rock wall at Nuku Alofa. I expect it will be quite crowded with many others also waiting for the right weather window to go south. We will be joining the crowds soon enough.

After much soul searching, and probably too much time on the internet, we've decided to throw caution to the wind, and get a dog. I have picked out a puppy. She is a toy poodle about 4 weeks old. She waiting for us in New Zealand. The reason we chose a toy poodle is because she will be small enough to be comfortable with long stays on the boat, intelligent, and non-shedding. Her is a blue (dark grey), the color of the black pearls, so we are calling her Pearl. The breeder shows and breeds poodles, so she is already starting with early training....like recognizing her name and early grooming. She will be ready to be picked up when we get to New Zealand....so we will have something to look forward to on this rough passage. It will take a lot more work, time, and money to have the dog because of customs regulations we will have to conform with. This has been a difficult decision, but both Chuck and I really miss having a critter around. It's hard to believe, but it has been almost 5 years since we've had a dog. Even Chuck is making noise that we need the pitter-patter of doggie feet around. We will be training her to bark when the electronic alarms go off because Chuck can't hear them...and I am tired of all night anchor watches! I can't hear the anchor alarm when sleeping either. So our new friend will also have a very important job on board. We can't wait to bring her home!