Since yesterday the wind steadily increased. We started with the
drifter, which is appropriate for light air, As the wind increased we
changed headsails; drifter to jib to reefed jib and then no jib and just
the stays’l. In parallel we reefed the main in steps down to the third
reef. That was the sail plan overnight, and has continued today. As the
wind stayed constant in magnitude but clocked around from the west to
the south, so we’ve gone from a broad reach with following seas
(comfortable and fast) to beating into the wind and confused seas
(uncomfortable and slow). Our weather forecast has been amazingly
accurate and the luckgrib weather router has worked well. We expect to
beat into the wind until midnight, tack and then beat into the wind some
more. We’re hoping to clear into New Zealand sometime on Saturday.

We’re all looking forward to the end of the passage, and what it will
bring. Everyone is looking forward to ice cream, beer, fresh vegetables
and a nice meal in a restaurant. Some of the crew is REALLY looking
forward to dry land, and an end to the incessant motion of the boat.

Some of the crew will be meeting family in New Zealand, while for the
rest of us it’s a step toward a reunion with loved ones.

For me, the end of the trip will be bittersweet. It’s the end of a
journey that started in April, and could be the end of the relationship
with Rover that started 10 years ago. The future of Rover is up in the
air; we’re hoping to sell her in New Zealand. My immediate plan is to
put the boat to bed in Whangarei, NZ, so I can head back home for
Christmas. Prepping for a sale will be a lot of work, and will start in
earnest in February. If she doesn’t sell, the tentative plan is another
season (March to November) cruising in New Zealand and the South
Pacific, ending in Australia, and trying to sell her there.

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