Pacific Diamond's Fiordland Trip

Arrival to Opua

We arrived at Mangunui dock around 16:00. Our plan was to fill up the diesel and keep going. The weather was too good to miss. First, we lost over half an hour trying to figure out how to make the pump work. Then Brent realised that there was another pump around the corner, and we were putting the wrong pump number on the payment screen. Finally, it worked.
Before we left the dock, we heard someone calling Haydn's name. It was a good friend, Marty. The plan changed in minutes. Next thing, Pacific Diamond was anchored, and we celebrated this remarkable passage in the pub. But maybe the celebration was a bit early.
We started the next day early. The weather looked beautiful in the bay. The wind began to pick up in half an hour. We cut a corner in the Cavalli Islands, and then it turned into a nightmare. The wind increased to 30kts; breaking waves started to grow, and they had very short periods between them. Possibly current against the wind... Long story short, we had our worst passage in the last 40nm.
We arrived at the Bay of Islands around midday. Back in the calm waters, we celebrated our arrival again. Joanne was waiting for us on the dock when we arrived at Opua Marina.
We finished the trip after 34 days, leaving 2000 nm behind. There were some fearful moments with harsh weather conditions and maybe some frustration with a few technical problems, but there was always beautiful scenery, delicious seafood, new friends, and tons of laughter. Once more, Pacific Diamond arrived home from a fantastic adventure with great memories. Thank you, guys. You are all awesome.

The first night of the passage was good. Then, we rolled a bit with westerly wind and waves during the next day, but not too bad. Then, it calmed down and stayed that way. There is not much to report. Everything went smoothly. The only trouble is that no fish were caught.
We arrived at Cape Reinga this morning after a three-day trip. The sea is still calm. We transferred the last diesel from jerry cans to the tanks. We are considering stopping in Manganui for diesel.
Depending on how it goes with fueling, we will arrive in Opua today or tomorrow.