Tonga to Noumea

Tonga 11th to 15th June

Clearing in was an experience in itself, the quarantine officer arrived to sit and have a cold water and a chat about the rugby, then came the customs officer who also had a chat about the rugby, we then walked into town to the immigration department where they stamped our passports and sent us on our way, all a very pleasant and without any problems, all in all took about 3 hours and cost 154.20 Tongan dollars. We visited the Wine Bar for lunch and there were a lot of locals eating there so a good sign there is good local food. We visited a few local restaurants and attended a traditional feast, but the food at the Wine Bar was by far the best.

We next anchored in Port Maurelle, a very pretty place with good snorkeling even though the coral is dead there were plenty of fish to see. Jack and 13 others from Pahto,Ronja, Ocean Jasper, Crazy Horse and Gallivanter all dived Mariners Cave, across the bay . The entrance to the cave is under water, but all reported an awesome experience once inside, Rosemary (Crazy Horse) and I did the head count and watched from the dinghy.

After Mariners Cave we went to Swallows Cave by dinghy and floated around inside the cave for an hour, it was amazing, the adventurous ones climbed to the back of the cave in the pitch black and discovered sea snake nests, yes Jack and Kevin (Pahto) had to go closer and have a good look at the snakes.

In Tonga I picked up a tummy bug and saw a doctor but it lasted on and off for 3 weeks, several other people from other boats had the same, so am careful now and don't drink out of any glasses etc etc . We stayed in Port Maurelle for 3 nights then went in and cleared out, Pahto is leaving us here and heading straight to NZ, we will do a radio sked with him twice daily. We will be heading towards Fiji, spending the last night at Anchorage 17 where we met up with Crazy Horse and Ocean Jasper again. Sundowners on Windswept and a pleasant night it was.

Tonga to Fiji 15th -30th June

Next morning we got the grib files through and we head towards Savu Savu 390 miles away, Ocean Jasper and Crazy Horse are also leaving with us, it will be good to have company sailing across to Fiji. We won't leave until after lunch as we don't want to get to the reef at night, so anchored closer in towards the passé we will be leaving from and had a sleep ready for the next crossing, Crazy Horse was trying to make the passé in the daylight and motored as there was not much wind, but reached the passé about 8pm so waited until morning when we got to the reef (we had to slow the boat down the last 12 hours) . Ocean Jasper had to slow down as well and was not far behind, the passage was uncomfortable with big swells on the beam. On one occasion I was sound asleep when a wave hit us and landed on the floor in the same position I was on the bed, that was now twice I had been thrown out of bed with rogue waves, I enjoyed the night watches as the stars were exceptionally bright and I still find the same star constellation every night that I have found since leaving LA. We are thinking we might give up on windy passages.

We came through the reef about 4:00am with Crazy Horse and were escorted to our mooring buoys at Savu Savu. Then the formalities began again with quarantine, customs and immigration visiting the boat, this time it was all done in about 5 hours, and then we could leave the boat, however it was National Crime Free Day for Fiji and there was the Police Marching band and other entertainment right on the waterfront where we were moored so we had a great time listening and watching them while waiting.

We finally got off the boats and walked about 2 miles to the hospital to pay the health fee 33.75 fijian dollars, it was so hot and humid we caught a taxi back to town. We had drinks and dinner at The Copra Shed Marina, very nice atmosphere here and we met other Aussies heading back to Australia ( Ketchup 11) and a couple of others.

The lamb in Savu Savu was beautiful so got some shanks and chops, really good to have nice fresh meet again. The supermarkets were well stocked for most provisioning. We got the washing done (mainly sheets and towels) in Savu Savu by the laundry service there and it was reasonably priced and very efficient.

Overall Savu Savu was a lovely Island and the Fijian people were very welcoming. But we had to keep moving so we cleared out and off to Lautoka via Yadua island and Gana Point, for the same clearing in formalities, even though we are still in Fiji. Denareau Island was nice but very touristy, we stayed on the marina for 3 nights and we filled our diesel tanks here, before moving on to Musket Cove.

Now Musket Cove is paradise on it's own, the first night we had dinner at the restaurant and then I sat by the pool watching the stars and chatting with Rosemary and Maggie from Crazy Horse and Ocean Jasper. The following night we all took our own food and went to the common BBQ area and met up with many other yachties anchored there. We had a Karva party with Jack and Bob (Ocean Jasper) playing their guitars well into midnight, we were joined by people just holidaying on the island who came and sang along with us. We went to a Fijian restaurant on the last night and of course had to go to the NZ Ice Cream shop on the way back to the boats

22nd June, we received an email to say Tar Baby11 had been dismasted yesterday and Louie and Alicia had to abandon her 70 miles off Nuie, but both are well. Kevin in Pahto is still heading for NZ and checking in twice daily.

On the 25th June we received an email from Kevin's dad saying Kevin's distress signal had been activated last night and he had not kept his radio sked with us so we were all concerned, Jack kept trying the radio and finally made contact with him, he had a rough night with water coming into the boat when he was knocked down in very heavy rough weather, about 45-50 knots, he activated his distress signal on his SPOT. We emailed Dave and advised all is well now.

Rosemary Jack and I went into the local market from Denereau and got fresh fruit and veges, picked up more provisions and Karva as tomorrow we will up anchor and head back to Lautoka to clear out and head across to Vanuatu. Left Ocean Jasper and Crazy Horse in Musket Cove an dwill catch up with them again in Vanuatu.

30th June Lautoka to Baie de Mission - New Caledonia

Left Lautoka and motored to Waya Island as there was no wind, were planning on staying there the night before our passage to Port Vila, but the wind came up Northerly and there were no good anchorages so we put the dinghy on the deck and headed for Port Vila. No wind until midnight, then we had SE 15-25 knots with big swells breaking on our beam again, waves coming over the side of the boat and one leaving 6 inches of water dumped on the cockpit floor, one of the side curtains was ripped and this continued right through the next four days until we reached Port Vila. Anchored near quarantine buoy in Port Vila and waited until Monday morning for customs to clear us in, but the quarantine guy came (3000 vatu) and then we had to walk into town and find immigration and pay 4000 Vatu, and then a dinghy ride across the other side to the big wharf where the cruise liners pull in and see customs and pay 7895 Vatu, Vanuatu was the most expensive place to visit with clearance fees by far from LA to Vanuatu.

I will be going home tomorrow for four days and Jack is staying on the boat in Port Vila. Back from Oz, had a great visit with the family and Jack had a good few rest days in Port Vila with crazy Horse and Ocean Jasper crews'. Had the next three days looking around Port Vila, dining out and gambling at the casino. Jack got some good deep diving fishing lures so hopefully we will catch some good size fish when we put the lines out next.

Leaving Ocean Jasper and Crazy Horse on 15th June as they are continuing on their journey around the world with the World Arc and we are heading to New Caledonia for our eventual crossing to Australia.



We left Port Vila and went north to a Bay 30 miles away and anchored there for the night. We then decided we would head down to the Loyalty Islands and would visit the northern islands when we next flew over . We headed towards Maree, but the waves were rough and the wind was on the nose so went into Lifou and stayed there two nights. Lifou was an unspoilt Island with sandy white beaches and children playing and laughing on the foreshore. After Lifou we set off for Maree, but once again thw wind was on the nose and the swell was getting bigger so Jack decided to head for New Caledonia where we would have a more comfortable sail and we wouldn't be beating into it, good decision. We reached Baie de Mission at 6:00pm and dropped the anchor.

Moorea to Vanuatu

So it was the 16th May when Tar Baby 11, Pahto and Ourselves left for Baie Teonetere, the Blue Water Rally boats were coming in and 10 had arrived this morning so it was time to up anchor and move further west. The weather was rough, the swells were big and it was an overnight sail, but trying to slow the boat down so we could arrive at daylight was a hard task with the wind blowing 15 - 20 knots, we arrived at 4:00am and had to heave to until daylight. We then entered through the passé and Tar Baby 11 followed close behind, with Pahto arriving very shortly afterwards.

We were shown around a local plantation and botanical gardens by James who was the caretaker of the plantation and when we had finished the tour he gave us fruit and veges, he would not take any money and advised he just likes to show people around the beautiful gardens. We went to a local restaurant for lunch and it was very expensive for the standard of food and service.

18th May and Windswept and pahto left for Autora - Raietea just a few hours sail, where we finally found a restaurant that served traditional food, Jack, Kyle, Kevin and myself were looking at the menu and were about to order hamburgers as we ordered by the pictures when Jack asked what is that guy ( a local) eating and the waitress advised Polynesian food, so we tried a Porc dish and it was very tasty, so the next day we went back and had poisson cru au coco (raw fish) Polynesian style, it was outstanding. Autora is a good place to stop over as we anchored in the channel in 14 metres and took the dinghy right into the middle of town and tied up at the main docks. Another night of playing guitars and tasting the local beers as is required when you cross the humid and hot Pacific.

Tahiti yacht agents called to advise the parcel we were waiting for from Oz had arrived, it had taken just over 2 weeks to get there, so Nicole from "Grace" who were in Papeete picked it up for us and delivered it to "Lady Sunshine" who we would be meeting up with in Bora Bora - thanks guys, much appreciated.

20th May saw us sail alone to Bora Bora where we will catch up with the others in a couple of days, there was no wind so motor sailed and took a mooring at The Bora Bora yacht club where we had sundowners with many other yachties from many varied nationalities, the next night we experienced "Bloody Mary's" restaurant as advised to do in an email from Ivor Young "Breezly". This is where we met Bill and Rosemary from "Crazy Horse" and Jim from Ocean Jasper'. We stayed in Bora Bora for the next 5 days where we snorkeled, fished and dived, Jack went on a night dive with Kevin (Pahto) and Dan and Pele (Lady Sunshine), there was no live coral but some marine life so it was a relaxing 5 days. Most of the resorts at Bora Bora were closed due to the cyclone in February and signs of destruction were still everywhere. Bora Bora was also the place we met Lance "Emma Gail" another single hander from the USA, who is headed around the world. Bora Bora was also the place we had unfortunately had our camera stolen, but luckily I had downloaded the photos and have only missed the last couple of weeks.



26th May we set off for Raratonga with "Pahto" leaving for New Zealand and "Lady Sunshine" heading for Rartonga leaving earlier as we were still waiting on an email from "Crazy Horse" who had left 3 days prior and still hadn't been able to contact Tar Baby 11, we were just about to leave when over the radio came Alicia's voice "Windswept, Windswept this Tar Baby" so we waited for them to come around to the yacht club and then said our goodbyes as we weren't sure whether we would see them again on this journey and left for Raratonga, unfortunately that was the last time we would see Tar Baby 11, but will continue with her story further as it unfolds.

The swell was on the beam again but we had 10-15 knots breeze. The following day the swell had dropped slightly but the wind hadn't, we did 186.3 miles for the first 24 hours, we are keeping a daily radio sked with "Pahto" now as this is his only contact at the moment , tried calling "Tar Baby 11" daily on SSB - no contact. We will arrive in Avuati harbor tomorrow morning and we can see "Lady Sunshine about 8 miles in front of us. We arrived 29th May.

Mooring was certainly interesting with Jack reversing towards a concrete wall while I was dropping the anchor out the front and crossing all toes and fingers as we had not moored like this before, but Jack maneuvered the boat like he had done it a hundred times and we were tied up in no time. Raratonga is a place you would keep coming back to, we hired a scooter and went right around the island looking at all the resorts and beaches etc, three of the Vuckers which had sailed from Fiji to New Zealand and back to Fiji were anchored, they were bigger than I expected and more modern, was expecting dugout canoes. We spent some good times here with The Lady Sunshine crew and this is where we will leave them as they can't leave until 7th June for Tonga, this is also where we had drinks and guitar playing with "Ocean Jasper", "Crazy Horse" and "Brown Eyed Girl", all part of the World Arc round the world rally, they are all leaving 31/5 for Tonga. We will clear out of Rartonga and leave on the 1st June for Tonga.

We prepared for the passage to Tonga via Niue and set off just after lunch on the 1st June expecting to be there in 5 days about 700 miles, however the wind dies and we did 4 knots all night, Jack spoke to Kevin "Pahto" and he has decided to stop off in Tonga now and spend a few days with us as we will be there the same time he is passing. The following days were light winds and we continued to slowly head towards Tonga, it took 7 days and it wasn't until the last 3 that I got used to the idea that the wind wasn't going to blow any harder and enjoyed the calm conditions. This was the first time we had, had a slow passage so it took some getting used to. We passed by Niue at night so continued to Tonga, cleaning out cupboards, cooking delicious meals in the smooth waters and arriving in Tonga 10th June, which now became the 11th of June as we lost a day here and cleared in with Kevin from "Pahto".

Tahiti - it was an experience, the snorkeling was nice seeing all the different colored fish, sea slugs, puffer fish etc , but the coral was all dead so a bit disappointing,
We (6 of us) took the bus into Papeete for a day trip and walked the streets, buying Tahitian Pearls, fuel for stoves and other required boat supplies, the bus was the only inexpensive part of Tahiti with it being just 130 francs each way ( about 20 mins) each way. We found the food to all be based on Hamburgers and fries so are still trying to get an authentic Polynesian meal.
Hinano is Tahiti's very own brewed beer and we all grew quite accustomed to drinking it, very refreshing in the hot tropics, it is still very hot and humid so are looking forward to moving west where it is supposed to be cooler.
Marina Taina was a nice place to eat and has a small chandlery where we purchased a small anchor for the dinghy so we can dive and snorkel easier, the Carrefour supermarket was a great place to reprovision, and purchase a French, English dictionary, although as with everything in French Polynesia, very expensive.
Once they reach high school age, all the children from the islands around are sent to Papeete for their schooling so Papeete was full of teenagers on every street, we have never seen so many young kids just hanging around.
We met Nicole, Neisha, Jessica and Jackson from "Grace" (another Mooloolaba boat heading home)so along with Kyle and Kevin from "Pahto" and Louie and Alicia from "Tar Baby 11" we all hit the Casa De Bianca at the Marina for a Pizza night where we had a very enjoyable night, the next day we filled up our diesel with tax free fuel and petrol for the dinghy as well as water tanks ready for the next passage. We spent a week here while waiting for a parcel to come from Oz but after a week and it didn't arrive so we moved onto Moorea.

13 May 2020. We arrived in Moorea
Moorea is a very pristine island but anchoring in 26 metres of water wasn't that great when we had a severe squall come through late one afternoon and a boat dragged it's anchor about 500metres but couldn't re-anchor for quite a while until the storm had gone through. We met up here with Jarred, Floss and Ben from "Dream Catcher" and had drinks at the Bali Hi - very welcoming and accommodating.
Next day we were going to go up the river to look at the much written about Botanical Gardens when James (local)in his kayak came along and beckoned us to follow him, he could speak a little in English and we had picked up a little French so we followed. He took us up the river right through the Botanical Gardens and then to a boat landing where we left the dinghies and went on our own personal tour of the plantation James was caretaker of. He gave us coconuts, vanilla beans, green beans, limes, pappelmoose, start fruit etc. This plantation also grew Noni fruit which they harvest for the famous Noni juice, The Noni fruit were very unpleasant smelling and tasting raw - so must be good for you. We then went back to the Baie and James showed us to a local restaurant where we enjoyed fish, chips and salad for lunch.
While we were in Moorea a dinghy was stolen from the back of a Yacht and later found slashed and the brand new outboard missing - be aware - keep your dinghies up on davits in Moorea, a local told us this was very rare but had happened twice in the past two weeks.
Lunch at Bali Hi restaurant with several other yachties and then sewed some pockets in the bimini to put strengtheners in as the wind blows it severely. Another 10 boats from the blue water rally arrived in Moorea today so a good day to move on.

16 May 2010
Overnight sail to Teonetere Bay at Raietea with "Tar Baby 11" and "Pahto",very uncomfortable passage, but well worth it once we got there, one night there and then we went to Autora in Raietea and stayed 3 nights. Raitea was well worth the stop over and we will stop there again`next time, you tie the dinghy up right in the middle of town at the main dock, there is planty of room. We had the first real Polynesian dish - Poisson cru au cocoa - raw fish and a porc dish, both delicious. We are still in search of a gas refill, Jack has taken the gas bottle in the dinghy and headed up to the marinas near the airport. Success at last, not many places fill LPG bottles. Kyle went home from here so his last night was a big one with music being played into the late hours and I awoke in the middle of the night to wind blowing several Hinano cans around the cockpit floor. Finally our parcel from Oz has arrived in Papeete so Nic from "Grace" has picked it up and handed it on to "Lady Sunshine" who will arrive in Bora Bora the day after us. The mail took 2 weeks from Australia and was held up in customs in Tahiti.

20 May 2010
From Raietea we sailed to Bora Bora just a nice 6 hour sail where we went to Bloody Mary's for dinner and the first night on one of their moorings, as long as you go to the restaurant the 4 moorings are free but it is first in best dressed and then took a mooring buoy at the Bora Bora Yacht club for the next 4 nights. Once again when snorkeling the coral was dead, but there had been a big cyclone in February and Bora Bora was still under repair. Jack, Kevin Dan and Pelle went for a night dive but Bora Bora is fished out and they didn't see much life except a couple of small sharks and a stingray. Out of all of the islands so far in my opinion Bora Bora was the least spectacular and least welcoming, the first island since leaving the USA that the locals didn't wave as they went by the boat or smile when they served you in the town. The Bora Bora yacht club was great for a sundowner and meeting other yachties with mooring buoys only 10 dollars a night. We lost our camera here so are now using the video camera.
Had dinner and drinks on "Lady Sunshine" as 2 of their crew are flying home in the next couple of days. Cooked all meals on the boat here except for the first night at Bloody Mary's as there was nowhere to go unless once again you wanted hamburgers etc. Met Lance on "Emma Gail" another american single handing around the world and had not had a lot of experience but learnt a lot as he went along, well done Lance.

25 May 2010
Just about to leave Bora Bora for Raratonga when Tar Baby called on the radio so waited for them and said our goodbyes as we will probably not see them again until OZ. Pahto left for Tonga this morning and Lady Sunshine also left for Raratonga a couple of hours before us.

Our passage from Los Angeles to Hiva Oa took 18 and a half days covering 2,874 miles with an average of 155.35 miles each day
W e spent 3 nights in Hiva Oa, luckily we had Eric (SAM) with us when we checked in as he spoke French and the Gendarmerie was closed as there was a freighter in the dock unloading supplies, we walked to the banque, and looked at the other shops before having a cheeseburger at the local bar where we met up with "Serenity" and "Solar Planet", we then went back to the Gendarmerie, which was now open and checked into French Polynesia. Met Louie and Alicia from "Tar Baby 11" also heading back to OZ, did the washing on a purpose made washing bench on the dockside in an open air laundry and had a shower in the outdoor showers, no door , but 3 walls around, it was so hot it didn't matter. Jack helped fix the boom on "Pincoya" which had come loose and then helped Louie fix his outboard that kept breaking down.
We bought a 20 litre water container and filled 2 tanks for washing and showering only, Jack went into town with Tar Baby and they decided to do a beach landing - the dinghy tipped over and all were soaking wet, so a wet walk back from town it was. Both fuel tanks are full and all jerry cans are now empty - will fill them up in Papeete. The people from "Pincoya" and "Secret Agent Man" came over for drinks and a fun night was had with all the happenings of the passage across from the US being discussed. Jack and Eric had a jam session on their guitars. We found Hiva Oa to be reasonably priced with their groceries etc considering their location.

16/04/10 We then moved to Tahuata Island for the next 3 nights and did lots of exploring, fishing, snorkeling and coconut gathering, which we then took back to the boat and cracked a couple of them open for all to eat. All the boats in the anchorage (8) met for drinks on the beach at sunset - what a nice setting for drinks. Left Tahuata Island for Oa Pau Island where we once again were anchored in Paradise, only "Tar Baby 11" and ourselves for the whole anchorage, Jack caught a few small fish but let them go again, on the way over Louie caught a 4 foot Wahoo and as they didn't have refrigeration we did a ship to ship transfer at sea and cut it up and put it in the fridge - fish for dinner and lunch and dinner and it was beautiful.
19/04/10 left Oa Pau Island for Nuka Hiva, the last of the Marquesas group we will visit, it was a hard 6 hour sail into the waves all the way, took some Wahoo to dinner on "Further" MV with Brian, "Pahto" Kevin, it was nice to meet Kevin as he was just a voice on the radio on for the past 4 weeks and he had single handed from Mexico to the Marquesas, and "Tar Baby 11", that Wahoo is feeding a lot of people. Nuka Hiva was more expensive than Hiva Oa with less facilities or services, the crepe and ice cream van on the dock side quickly became a place to visit daily. It was unusual weather and a local advised us they had not had rain there for over 3 months now and they were in the middle of their wet season. The pappalmoose on Nuka Hiva were delicious.
21/04/10 The wind was 20-30 knots but we sailed 6 miles from the main anchorage at Nuka Hiva to Akoua Bay ( Daniels Bay) with "Tar Baby 11" in company, this is where Survivor was filmed in 2002, it was an unspoilt Paradisewhere Jack, Alicia and Louie did the walk up to the waterfall and met some locals who gave us pappalmoose and papaya, we went to the lagoon and had a swim, went back to the boat and saw Stingrays playing in the edges of the reef, turtles and fish were plentiful and sharks came swimming by the boat just for a look, we decided not to swim in that bay anymore. The next morning the seas had calmed down, I cleaned the boat ready for the next leg which is 590 miles to Tahiti, we had a slide show of the Marquesas with Alicia and Louie viewing all the photos we had taken so far.
24/04/10 Left Nuka Hiva for Tahiti via Ahe Atoll in The Tuamotu Island Group. We started with good wind for the first 5 hours sitting on 7 knots, then the wind decreased and it was very rolly and uncomfortable. "Tassajarra" emailed and they will be leaving Tahiti for Bora Bora on Monday so will not catch up with them until probably Tonga. "Skylight" is in their 20th day from Mexico to the Marquesas and have no wind ,so will leave their starter motor for them in Tahiti as they will not catch up with us now, look forward to seeing them in OZ. We arrived at Ahe Atoll where the passe was churning, went in and looked for somewhere to anchor for the night but the water was very deep and pearl buoys were strung out everywhere, so decided to go through to Tahiti. The wind died and we were motoring so Jack looked at the charts and we decided to head to Rangiroa Atoll for a rest stop on the way to Tahiti.
28/04/10 Arrive Rangiroa Atoll and it is very humid and hot, a warship is anchored, and you can't see the other side of the Atoll it is so big. Coming in the passe was beautiful with waves crashing both sides and dolphins surfing the waves in the middle of the passe, The last 4 days have been tough and we will rest up here for a couple of days or so, we got a water taxi to the village across the passe and walked across the Atoll to the ocean, checked out the cemetry, and used the ATM. The locals spear fish with floating fish boxes all the way around the reef fringes and there a 3 dive shops here as the drift dives across the passe are world known and divers fly in from all over the world to do it. We snorkelled and went walking, Jack took the dinghy down to the village at the other end of the island about 40 minutes away. There are plenty of fish but not sure what you can eat so threw them all back. The water is so clear here it is like having your own aquarium with many species of tropical fish in it.
3/05/10 left Rangiroa Atoll with "Tar Baby 11" and "Lady Sunshine" from Denmark. This passage was the worst so far with the wind on the nose and turning onto the beam but a 4-5 metre swell was on the beam the whole time. Was glad to see Tahiti.
5/5/10 Arrived Papeete and pulled into the main harbour dock for the night with "lady Sunshine" and "J Sea", our agent came to the boat and did all the immigration clearances and then we walked around the town where there are lots of stores selling Tahitian black pearls. This was right in the middle of town with McDonalds just 100 metres away. Next day we went 3 miles south to the Lagoon and anchored there waiting for a parcel to come in from Oz.

SORRY for the delay in update. I have a great time in Vanuatu and am now back to reality of work, work and more work : ) Here's how mum and dad's adventure is going...

Day 1
Woke up in beautiful Avalon Harbour on Santa Catalina Island where the previous evening we officially named our Catalina 470 "Windswept", we would have liked to have done this in LA with our friends Pat and Carol attending, but we ran out of time so just Jack and myself were present for the naming.
Left Avalon at 6:50am with light winds. Checked in with the Pacific puddle Jump (PPJ) radio sked and skylight advised they were in Carbo (Mexico) and fine after having 3 days of rough weather - Skylight will be leaving for The Marquesas about 14th April, motored for about an hour before the wind turned around and then we sat on 5-6 knots for the next couple of hours, then in came the 20-30 knots which lasted right through the night maintaining 7 knots most of the night. The wind was freezing and sleep was very hard to get. Sailed 152 miles for the first day.

Day 2
Dad has advised we are naming our Autopilot hungry as it uses so much battery power. There is a storm front coming down in front of us so we discussed heading for Guadaloupe Island for the night or keep on our heading to The Marquesas. There would be more storm fronts to dodge and weave so we decided to head for The Marquesas. Good decision, the storm didn't hit us and we had a rough but another good night with 152 miles being achieved the second day. We check into the PPJsked morning and night with location and weather etc, tomorrow Windswept is net controller fro the PPJ.
Passajarra has checked into the PPJ net and left LA the same day as us and is only about 40 miles behind, it is good to have someone else so close, we will talk each night on the SSB radio after the net check in. Today I predicted it will take us 18 days to the Marquesas and Dad has predicted 24. Hope I'm right.

Day 3
Windswept did net control for the PPJ today am and pm. Will do each Saturday until near Marquesas then another boat will take over that is further back in the fleet.
The weather was kinder today as the wind had lost it's bitter cold, we had french toast for brekky, we have set the sails for the day and have 2326 miles to run. We managed to get some sleep last night, the winds decreased in the afternoon and all night boat speed 4-5 knots with the wind directly behind us. We tried the whisker pole for the first time, it worked but we need to get better at that. The dolphins swan along with us for half an hour or so today and the number of birds with us has decreased as we are getting further away from land. 157.3 miles sailed today

Day 4
Dad is getting the weather off the radio fax as the wind is still light and directly behind us not what we want to start a 3000 mile passage, Will have to run the motor today for a couple of hours to top the batteries up as the freezer is using a lot of power, will use all the food out of it first so we can turn it off and just use it as a fridge. Forecast 25 - 30 knots again for the next couple of days. Have got onto Don Andersens weather ( local guy) and it is really accurate. We had contact with Passajarra again today and they are sailing home to NZ. There are about 14 boats now on the check in sked with about 10 more leaving this week and many more in the next month. We used the whisker pole again today and it worked like a dream with the wind behind us. Rees off to Vanuatu today - have a great holiday hon. 137.2 miles today - that will take our average down

Day 5
Rough night no sleep and four sail changes due to wind shifts and a container ship crossing our bow heading toward Panama, winds are forecast 25 - 30 knots for the next 48 hours so have made some rissoles, easy to grab when it is rough. Today I made little paper boats with post it notes and put them on the big chart in their positions and will change them each update so we can see how everyone is going. Had 6-7 knot boat speed all afternoon but it did not last throughout the night. There are plenty of flying fish around.
The gyro compass on the autopilot has decided to change itself 90 degrees, but at least we can still use the autopilot it is just not showing the right direction, thankfully we have 2 back up hand held GPS's 137.5 miles today

Day 6
Well I feel like I have gone through the permanent press wash cycle and heavy duty dryer cycle after last night, we rocked and rolled all night, slept for about 5 hours but woke up aching all over from the tossing, fell out of bed a couple of times. Went through the provisions today and sorted out the menu for next week just in case it gets rough. We are both exhausted but enjoying the sail, the moon has been bright every night and last night was the full moon so we will have a good bright sky for most of the rest of the way.
Today we spoke to Don Andersen about our position and the weather and he advised coordinates to head for to cross the equator as we had now hit the North east trade winds, the boat is cruising along nicely at 7 knots while I cook braised steak and onions and mashed potato for dinner. 151.5 miles today - need to do better tomorrow to get our daily average to 150 miles per day for the week.

Day 7
Yeah 154.9 miles - we are up .9 of a mile for the daily average being 150 miles per day for the first week.
It's amazing to see how close we are all getting to each other as we get closer to the equator on my chart with post it note boats. There are at least 6 of us within 3 days of each other. Dad has discovered a noise in the rudder so we have slowed the boat down and will monitor it, it may be nothing but worth keeping an eye on.


Day 8
The ICTZ (Intercontinental Convergence Tropical Zone) an interesting place where the northern and southern weather patterns meet and there is no wind, gale force winds, lightning shows that illuminate the skies day and night, rain squalls that you think will never end and very confused seas. We are still running our rhumb line which is working out really well weather wise, Tassajarra (the KIWI boat) which we have been in contact with since day 3 has passed weather information on to us, we are doing twice daily radio skeds with them, it is good to have someone close - within 90 miles when you are 1500 miles from land in any direction. We had no wind and motor sailed for about 5 hours today. 155.3 miles today
Day 9
It is still dark at 7:00 am as we are still working on US time, need to try and adjust as we are only getting a couple of hours sleep at night. Windswept is net controller today for the Pacific Puddle Jump boats that are on their way to the Marquesas on the HF radio, it is good to hear where everyone is and how they are going, one lesson learnt by several boats is to take more diesel - they had underestimated the ICTZ and were becalmed, some for several days. Others motoring through only to get to the other side and barely having enough diesel to get into the anchorage. Today I cooked up rissoles for tomorrow as the weather looks rough and when it is rough it is easier to eat pre made food . A rogue wave hit us on my watch today and water a foot deep came down the side deck and landed in my lap, also ripped a couple of buttons off the side curtain so will repair in Papetee. The moon is shining less and less each night and there are no stars at the moment so it is quite dark at night. Pleasant sail doing 7-8 knots with 2 m swells. 165.8 miles today .
Day 10
The weather is getting warmer and with the seas so confused we can't open the hatches below so are both sleeping in the cockpit where it is cooler. Cleaning day today, did washing and mopped floors etc. 6.5-7 knots all day, the storms are all around and it rained lightly, one squall crept up from behind us and just licked our transom for about 5 minutes. Jack has checked the grib files and it looks like we are in for a nice nights sailing. 160.4 miles today
Day 11
Beautiful night with the stars shining bright, 7 knots all night just cruising along nicely, the weather ahead is for squalls and rain, am closing on Pincoya, SAM and Patcho - all left from Mexico, we should all arrive into port within a couple of days of each other, it will be good to put a name to the radio voices. As the days get hotter heading south, the fridge and freezer are using too much power as they are both less than a third full of food so today Jack blocked the fridge off completely and we are just using half the freezer as our fridge and freezer, power consumption has halved as it is not cycling as frequently. 163.7 miles today
Day 12
W are almost through the ICTZ now and the storm clouds are still gathering, the squalls hit with fury for about 10 minutes and then it is all clear again, we have current running both east and west as we are nearing the equator and very confused seas. We had wind from 10-15 knots NE and then 0-5 knots due south. There are four sets of currents as you pass through the equator and ICTZ. One minute the sea id dead flat and the next we had 1.5 metre swells all within a minute of each other and then just as quick the seas are calm again, Tassajarra are going well but don't like the sultry air "bit stiffling" says John with the four of us in the cabin as the rain squalls hit through the ICTZ. Looking forward to crossing the equator and heading south for cooler weather. 168 miles today
Day 13
We had a nice sail today sitting on 6-7 knots, we are both tired with lack of sleep and the heat, it's certainly challenging sailing this passage. Feeling a bit home sick so went through the photos the girls had put in my album and put them up so I could see them, feeling much better. 1:00pm and the wind has gone, so we are motor sailing now. (6 knots dead on the nose) and 1.5 knots of current against us, at least we could open the hatches as the seas were calm which made it more bearable in the cabin, but yes then it started raining and all hatches were closed again, both still sleeping in the cockpit as it is cooler and we are intermittently sleeping. 154 miles today
Day 14
We have motored for about 30 hours in the past 48 to get us through the ICTZ, filled the starboard tank with diesel, 6 jerry cans, so both tanks are full and we still have another 5 jerry cans in reserve. Checked the grib files and there is no wind until after the equator, our gyro compass for the autopilot did a 90 degree turn in the night and we went 8 miles off course, luckily Jack caught it at the hourly check. Jack did the washing up today and yes out went a knife and fork with the washing up water, that's one way of getting out the dishes as he is not to do them anymore. The passage from 4 degrees north to the equator has been frustrating with no wind, lots of wind and rain squalls. Crossed the equator at 11:58 pm 144.5 miles today
Day 15
Crossed the equator at 11:58 pm last night and took some photos of the GPS, it is 90% cloud cover, 15knots SE and we are finally sailing again, the grib files say good wind ahead all the way to Hiva Oa - Isles Marquisis. The day started well and then no wind so motor sailed for a couple of hours then the wind kicked in again. 2 squalls came through and there are storm clouds all around us, it seems as we get closer to them they just move to each side and let us through. Tassajarra are only 60 miles behind us and getting lots and lots of squalls and heavy rain, there is no pattern in the weather. Checked the emails and replied. There are a lot more birds around now so we must be getting closer to land. 152.8 miles today
Day 16
Last day for net control on the UHF for Windswept today as we will have reached landfall before next Saturday. We had our first man overboard drill today and rescued a shampoo bottle that went over. We had a big ship cross our bow today so are nearing the shipping lanes again from Panama to the eastern ports. Am getting quite excited as the degrees click over on the GPS and the numbers heading south are getting higher. 147.2 miles today
Day 17
An interesting night, we reefed four times with once again little rain and the squalls slipping around us, we have been exceptionally lucky with this. Several big fish followed us all day, not sure what kind they were, but it was good to see marine life again, the flying fish are a lot bigger and many more of them, looking forward to landfall and a good nights uninterrupted sleep. 183 miles today - It's like Windswept knows we are almost there.
Day 18
A couple of squalls but a pleasant day, we had to slow the boat down otherwise we will reach HivaOa at midnight . We came across a light in the middle of nowhere with no islands around and no ships in the area, we assume it was a fish platform of some kind as it had a horn on it as well. We are now doing 4 knots and slowly heading towards Hiva Oa for a morning landfall. 187 miles today
Day 19
On the 15 mile sail down the Island towards Hiva Oa, the dolphins swam in the bow wave and played with the boat for about an hour, they were the biggest and cheekiest dolphins we had ever seen, Spoke to Secret Agent Man as he is due in today late and will monitor for his arrival for anchoring. Once we were anchored just outside the break wall we put the dinghy in the water and had a long shower. Pincoya called us on the VHF and asked if we would like some Marlin they had caught for dinner, we went over and had as drink then came back and cooked the fish - very nice. SAM hasn't made it yet and is becalmed 15 miles out so will probably get in early morning. 66 miles today

I am going away to Vanuatu for a couple of weeks... so here is mum and dad's updated adventure, until I return. Stay safe over Easter... and HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!!

28/03

First night uncomfortable with winds 20-30knots seas 4 metre swells, but managed 152 miles for the first 24 hours, second day winds eased slightly but still swells managed 1757.3 miles for that 24 hrs- very pleased with the way Windswept sails and just keeps going along. Yesterday we had a small fish on the deck and this morning there were a few squid on deck.
We are enjoying the Pacific Puddle Jump check ins on the HF Radio as we are getting weather in front of us as well as longitude and lattitudes of other boats, we should be seeing other boats in the next week as we all head to The Marquesas from the US and Mexican shores.

29/03
Day four, we have been making 150 miles a day so far, the wind just keeps blowing, we are starting to feel like we live in a tumble dryer,position 25,52,178 N 121,38,671 W, look it up on google we are a long way from land our course is 197 deg True. The first 2 nights were not so nice with winds howling to 25-30 knots and us both sleeping intermittently - dad on the deck and me in the forward cabin.
last night he came down to sleep for about an hour. He is getting used to it now as there is no-one else in sight maybe tonight we will have a good nights sleep, just 4 hours straight would be fantastic. They say the first 3 nights at sea take some getting used to and they are right, today the wind has dropped and we are having a very nice sail towards the Marquesas (will be there in 15 more nights as per my calculation and bet with dad).
I am then planning on flying home for a few days to catch up with you guys, I'm giving you warning so you keep time free for little old me. I haven't been eating since we left just nibbling but this morning had french toast for brekky so must be getting used to it and tonight I will be making a curry for dinner, the first 2 days we couldn't even boil the jug..
Make sure you check our place while Ree is away at least once please, go up and spend a couple of days if you like and have a mini holiday

Well I have some washing to do so look after each other