Team Zen Earns Entrance to NZ via Pacific Ocean
09 October 2009 | Customs Dock Whangarei, NZ
Monique
The past 24 hours have certainly entertained Zen and her crew. We saw 18-20 foot seas freight-training behind us like moving mountains. Winds gusting to 40-knots, whipped Zen into making 20 knots of boat speed, with only a tiny piece of the jib flying. Autopilot did a magnificent job, needing only a few hours of hand steering, during the height of the beating. After 8 hours of challenging weather, we gained entrance into NZ with 25 knots of wind on the beam and stars overhead.
Now, we are about to experience NZ Customs and Immigration. We understand it is one of the most thorough in the world. Thus far, communications have included faxes, 48 hour in advance SSB, and emails. And, I think they had a spy plane out there, because at exactly one hour before arrival into the harbor, they hailed Zen on the VHF.
After our voyage from Newport, RI to the Caribbean, South America, Panama, Galapagos, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga, we are excited to enjoy THIS spectacular destination. New Zealand, as shown in the photo, looks like it will beat all our expectations.