Lisa is a trooper although for a while I was wondering.

This morning our alarms go off at 0630, earliest we have gotten up since last fall coming down to NZ, and the morning started out with some second thoughts by Lisa. Her "gone mad" question from yesterday was really hitting home. She weathered through it and we headed out to Marsden Cove Marina where Charisma and her crew were patiently waiting for their crew mate and the customs agent. There was much to do about the dock with good buys by fellow sailors who are not quite ready to depart along with all other well wishers.

The trip back up to Fiji is not all that short. Some 1200 miles and if all is in their favor they might be able to make it in 10-11 days. It has been a long time since Lisa has been on a monohull sailboat and especially in the open ocean.

The weather looks pretty settled for the next couple of days and Bob figures he can motor at about 6 knots for at least 24 hours so that should get him about 140 miles north. Wind will probably be a quartering beam after that but he plans on pushing hard for at least the next two days to get about 300 miles North by Wednesday evening. After that he should be on the North side of the low that is running across the Tasman sea and heading directly for the North Island of NZ. At present the winds are predicted to stay below 30 knots but might turn out of the Northwest which will be a little uncomfortable for a day.

So the picture is their departure at Noon NZ time. I fly up to Fiji on the 1-2nd of June to meet up with them and Lisa and I both return on the 9th.

So far all is well.

John