Miller High Life Sailing -- The Champagne of Beers

30 s 174 30 E
Conditions have been surprisingly reasonable and as we get north of 30 south it should get better.  We are averaging about 10 knots and today the sun is out between the scattered squalls that keep us on our feet with sail changes.  Hoping for bikinis and board shorts by this time tomorrow.

Rolly Polly

21 37 s 171 57 e
300 nm SE of Port Villa Vanuatu

It id 2:45 am and we are rolling gunnel to gunnel.  Yesterday was probably the nicest day of sailing on the Pacific one could imagine..beam reach in 12 to 14 knots of breeze, flat seas, a mahi mahi in the morning and tuna in the afternoon.  This evening the wind has come around right on our stern and we are rolling like crazy in the swell coming up from south of NZ.  Still, it is warm, clear sky, and we only have about 36 hours to go, hopefully a little less as we really want to be in by midday on thurday to allow time to get the boat clean and ready for the owner who is coming thursday (they will probably stay in a hotel thur night to allow Toby and Ayla time to prep.  My left shoulder (separated in car accident) feels like it is ready to fall off after 4 days of holding on to things so the lack of heel is nice but it is hard to sleep when rolling back qand forth.  We have modified the watch (was 3 hours on 4:30 off with 2 people on at a time on 1:30 hour blocks but in the calmness your 2nd 1:30 can be taken sleeping in the pilothouse.  Makes for a short but boring watch without anyone to talk to.  All for now as my first half is cominng to a close.  Time for a log entry and then try to catch some Zed's.

F'ing Boats

Pacific ocean. 600 miles south east of Vanuatu

A fairly booring day with winds easing though of course coming from the exact direction we need to go.  Excitement was added then the engine start battery was dead just 10 minutes after the engine had been running (shut down to drain fuel/water separator).  Parallelled the genset batt to start it and seems as though the 12v alternator has died as it isnt ouputting any juice.  Toby and I looked through the manuals to discover that there is an emergency 24 to 12 volt Newmar converter (same as on visions), but we then dicovered it has been left on preumably for years and is deas so we are stuck running the genset and main engine in order to charge the start batteries.  Wind has in the meanti me built and we are pounding pretty baddly as we try to make miles north to get across this frontal boundary and into light southerlies.

Leaving shelter

35 23.4 s 174 14.6 w
OFF CAPE BRETT

Last chance for cellular data for a while so not sure how much I will update from here out. But I will try.  Passage so far has been easy as we are in the lee of the island hugging the coast. In the next few hours we will bear away to the north and get out into some real seas...hopefully not too bad though.  Eta is currently late wed night but I wouldnt be surprised if we have to slow the boat down in the larger seas expected.

The Lady K is off

36 41s 175 50e. HARAIKI GULF NZ

We got off the dock at 4 and will have a fast night hugging the coast in 20 to 25 knots of wind with gusts to 40 from the port quarter in flat water as we will be in the lee of the north island till some time in the wee hours of the morning.  Forecast is then for about 2 days of pretty big seas before we get far enogh north to get away from the big low in the Souther Ocean.  Wish us luck--Gram

Last minute trip

Toby and Ayla had a last minute crew cancelation and I actually seem to have everything under control on the boat so I am leaving tomorrow for Vanuatu.  Should be a 6 day passage and I should be flying back on Sat the 16th.  I will post as much as I can.  It should be nice to get away from the cold for a few days.

A nice day for a round

Weather and schedule cooperated to duck out of the yard for 9 nice holes.  Actually got a bit sunburned but had a great time