GHOST

With the rig fixed we were seriously ready to get moving and following a test sail and a final check over by the rigger we left Tahiti heading NW to Mo'orea for the final time. Now with a fully functioning rig we had hopes of sailing under full mail and headsail (the first time in 3500nm) but as usual this stretch of water was pretty rough and the wind fresh so as sunset approached we found ourselves with the same sail configuration the saw us across the Pacific, good'ol 3rd reef in the main and a scrap of headsail!! We were keen to make up some ground so decided to head towards Niue passing close to various islands along the way in case any problems materialised with the rig that needed attention or if the crew needed a rest - this being our longest two-handed passage of the entire trip so far. Previously Brad and I had tackled various 2-night/350nm stretches across the Med but since then we've had mates or extra crew for our longer trips, so this was a new challenge!

The first couple of days of the trip presented no issues from a weather perspective although it is often the hardest by way of settling into disrupted sleep patterns, but once established you sleep when you have to and stay awake when necessary. We headed straight past Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora having visited them in July with Delos and finally left the French Polynesian group after two and a half months, a place that even through "hardship" will always hold fond memories for us.

Then as per the weather forecast we approached a slow moving easterly trough, while in any other part of the world this would be nothing abnormal, here in the South Pacific the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ - the largest of its kind in the world) can magnify the effects. As it approached we could see a solid line of heavy cloud across the sky. We had expected a period of calm as the winds gradually changed direction so what happened next was a shock. With the autopilot set at an angle to the wind as we crossed the cloud line GHOST did a 120 degree turn as the winds backed almost instantly from N to SW and before we knew it and literally within minutes we were heading SE with 15 to 25 knots of breeze.

Before long we had the swell and wind on the beam and the winds were gusting 35 knots which meant that the cockpit along with the rest of GHOST was regularly bathed in swathes of salty water - going up to switch on Harry Potter (the chart plotter who is missing the regular TLC from Jay) was a bit like running the gauntlet and we spent almost two days of the trip with the on-watch crew huddled in the companionway wishing we had a more protected area to helm! Sleeping was difficult as the boat was being thrown around a bit and it certainly takes more of a toll when there are only two of you on watch, how do single hander's manage we wonder?

So eventually 48 hours later the winds backed to the SE, gradually died down to a more manageable 20 knots and the sea state calmed a little - what a relief! We shook out a reef, headed past Aitutaki (the first of the Cook Islands) and after a conversation with Delos who had left Palmerston a few days before, decided that this would be a good place to stop for a rest for a couple of days. The trip from Tahiti to Palmerston is about 850nm and we were tired after the rough weather. With lots of help from Delos who gave us the co-ordinates of the mooring buoys on our nightly SSB radio calls, and a friendly voice on Palmerston radio (with a very charming NZ/Polynesian accent) we decided it was possible to come into Palmerston at night and finally tied up by 12.30am. Delos had warned us that the buoys were close to the reef which comes up very quickly so at least we knew what to expect but it was still a bit scary tying up that close at night, especially as the moon had already set so it was pitch black. We knew Delos had helped the locals set the mooring buoys during their visit the week before so trusted in them to keep us safe that night although it is a bit unsettling to see the depth under the boat go from 30m to 2m depending on which way you are facing - the reef here is seriously steep! We then settled down for a well earned rest....