Rapturous!

We're here, safely docked and vetted. This voyage has seemed much longer than 12 days. Most significantly it was mostly upwind or no wind and it was discomforting to be constantly aware of slowing the boat down instead of letting her find her balance and
go at her own speed. At one stage I remember saying to Greg, "We need to untrim the sails."

The final 140 mile sprint down to North Cape of NZ was a different story. We needed to get into the lee of the Cape before the front came over, expected at 11:00am. At sunset we trimmed for Westerly winds at 45 degrees. Rapture sailed through the night
at 6 knots with hardly any swell until the wind abated at dawn and then we revved the motor trying to keep above 5 knots for the next 24 hours. We arrived into the lee in the early hours and could finally throttle down and cut the noise. Now we were in no
hurry. The passing front was uneventful with hardly any increased wind or rain. We heard on the radio that out at sea there were gusts to 35 and 2 meter short period waves so we had planned it right. It was perfect San Francisco Bay winter sailing - gentle
winds on the beam, sunshine, sparkling water and a new land to Starboard. Later, just when Greg was trying to get some badly needed sleep, the wind did come up to 25 knots on the nose and we were bashing into waves. It only lasted about 3 hours until we
were again sheltered by a headland.

We arrived at the Bay of Islands in the morning and turned in to chug the last 18 miles to Opua. At about 11:00 the Customs' launch pulled alongside. With smiles and a friendly welcome they explained the upcoming process and told us to slow down so that
we arrived at the dock after 3:00pm, otherwise we would be sent to a manage facility in Auckland to compete the 14 day quarantine period. We only had about 5 miles to go so we had to keep a speed of 1 knot trying to make way against wind and tide.
Wrapped up under several layers of fleece and gortex, we sat behind the helm alternating between low revs and neutral looking out at pods of dolphins hunting followed by diving petrels and terns and many, many fishing boats and yachts wondering what
the hell we were doing. This truly is a boater's playground.

At the quarantine dock we were waved into place by the Customs officials who clumsily handled the lines so we didn't get off the boat. They handed us a stack of forms, checked documentation and signed us in. What a contrast to the experience the German
boat had when they arrived without permission, without authorization. They were immediately hustled off their boat and deported leaving everything behind. That endless application process and all that waiting suddenly paid off.

Biosecurity followed customs. Again, the man was so polite and respectful. He went through the list of the food we had on board and asked to see items. He did not get onboard to inspect anything. All fresh fruit and veg, meat and cooked frozen products
with meat had to be discarded. We didn't have much left. He asked to see grains and beans. Opened, loose grains had to be discarded but unopened and sealed packages we could keep. He did not ask about dairy products, shells, wooden items or spices. If I
had known, I would have stocked up in Fiji. I think the regulations have been eased significantly because of Covid and their reluctance to being exposed to the virus. Stripped of fresh food, we faced the prospect of two or more days on canned rations but our
friends from Tango, who have been in NZ for a year already, saved us. They had gone shopping for us and the marina delivered two bags of groceries to the forbidden Q dock. Thanks Janet and John. Finally, we could relax and have a beer or two. We were so
tired. By eight o' clock we were asleep.

So we are now in New Zealand, excited to explore for the next 6 months. This has been our goal through all the changes of the last 3 years. It's a victory. We each have learned and changed and become much better sailors. The last 3800 miles have been
without crew, just the two of us relying on each other. And don't forget wonderful Rapture who is about to get the spa treatment. In this Covid age, it is better not to make definite plans. But the goal post has moved and in May, we hope to return to the
tropics, Fiji, Tonga maybe, before spending next cyclone season in Australia.