Yesterday's improved performance was because the wind had veered to the N. I was slow realising it. "Peers, you're an idiot! What are you, Peers?" "An idiot, Sir" "Yes you are, and don't you forget it!" Day 5 we repeated the improvement, and notched up another 160nm. Currently just above Cape Reinga, on heading of 140d towards Cape Brett (eastern point of Bay of Islands). 5 and a bit days. Not bad for an old tub, eh? ETA Auckland early hours Friday. May anchor off Waiheke, and come in for entry procedures 9am. And then hopefully proceed to berth at Bayswater Marina. Auckland friends and readers, expecting you all out in force! (All 3 of you). Last evening we finally shook out the 3rd reef. This morning huge yellow object in sky! Ray and I spent all morning in cockpit chatting. If only sun had come out earlier in trip, and breeze abated a little. Would've been so much more pleasant. Poor Ray is going to go home, be bathed, fed and rested, and then have the strange thought that he has just spent a week in a dark, industrial washing machine, in a continuous wash, rinse & spin cycle. I do wish he'd had a nicer time of it, cos he's a lovely chap. Hope he doesn't want us to pay for any counselling or anything. Ah well, at least it's been a very successful trip in terms of getting vessel & crew back safely and in good time. This morning I was helming towards white cloud on horizon. A very handy cloud, cos it wasn't moving. Then finally - seem to be a bit slow on the uptake these days - "ha! not moving. Aotearoa!"

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