Almost there
18 August 2013 | Rarotonga, Cook Islands
. After 4 1/2 days at sea we are arriving at Rarotonga in the Cook islands. The trip has been relatively easy - more motoring than we would like but you can't have everything. Our second morning out we woke to glassy seas. The forecast winds hadn't arrived and the only hint of breeze was a light texture on the swells - one from the SE, one from the NE, and one from the SW - lazy rolls that intersect to form planes of crescents. The early sun was caught in clouds to the south and turned the sea to gold. It was easy to imagine yourself stepping over the safety lines and walking across these fields - only the occasional tuna jumping signaled that the surface was not solid. Around 8.30am all this changed. The front that Bob McDavitt had forecast spread from the south west and within 15 minutes the seas had turned from placid to fitful. The crescents had become potholes and the swell sharp peaks - still, we had our wind. The front passed late in the day and we were back to lightish winds and pottering along at 5-6 knots. We passed Atiu to the north the next morning and headed south to Rarotonga. The winds dropped and we were down to 3-4 knots. The iron sail came back on last night and is still on. Paul is running the watermaker and washing down the deck and stainless which is covered in thick salt. We have talked to the Harbour Master and they expect us around midday. Perhaps we will go to the cinema if we are allowed off the boat today.
The photo is of Rarotonga which looks remarkable like Tahiti.