New Zealand to Fiji - Day 8

Day Eight: Passage Opua to Savusavu
0730 Sunday 20 May 2013 NZST/1930 UTC
South Pacific Ocean 17 43.2 S/ 179 06.4 E
WInd ESE 12 knots/SOG 8 kn/COG 032 mag/Sea state choppy
187 nm motor and sailed 6 AM to 6 AM.  59 nm to go.

Nice sailing overnight for Visions of Johanna. We are currently making passage into the Koro Sea between Batiki and Wayaka Islands. Charts are not  typically spot on here, and Fiji is infamous for a myriad of small (but very hard) off island reefs. For those who might be interested, in order to feel confident about my route, I did the following:

Using google earth geo-referenced charts, I reconciled reef borders on my C-Map Expedition charts with the satellite views. Using Fiji gov't Light House waypoints sent to me by my shore support (aka Gram) team, I reconciled positions of navigation lights on Expedition and Captain programs. I measured and cross checked distances between hazards and my route on Expedition and satellite pictures.

I drew my course on Expedition and Captain, and reconciled my "runway and avoidance zones" on Captain with my Expedition route. I then ran a course using google earth views with a third program, openCPN, on my laptop, and cross-checked waypoints with EXP and Captain.

I ran Captain and Expedition side by side on the pilot house video display while also viewing satellite charting on my laptop. Radar targets and first light of morning confirmed positions real time.

The wonders of technology! It was time consuming but somewhat easier to do than to explain.

As for other news: we caught a small yellow fin tuna yesterday. Lines are out as we speak.

For our al fresco dining in the cockpit at sundown last night, we enjoyed chicken curry with dahl and rice and green beans, and boysenberry ice crean for desert. We continued our ritual and watched an episode of House of Cards in the pilot house together before turning in.

I anticipate arrival in Savusavu at about 1400 hours - early afternoon today, and  look forward once again to the reunion of my two precious Johannas.

Crew and vessel continuing to do well.
Bill