We arrived in Opua on April 20, ready to depart from New Zealand in
the first good weather window. We'll be looking for a high pressure center over
the Tasman Sea with corresponding SW winds here
(to carry us off the coast), with no low pressure cells (= potential cyclones)
forming up in the tropics. Though right the forecasts don't look promising, veterans of this trip say these conditions usually
occur for a short time in late April/early May--a good thing, since our visas
expire on May 10.
We should arrive at Minerva Reef about a week after leaving New Zealand --so
if it looks like we've stopped in the middle of the ocean, it's because we
have! From there it's about 3 days to
Tongatapu (Tonga 's main
island), then on to spend about a month in Tonga 's Ha'apai Group of small
islands.
The following couple of months--approximately early July to
early September--we'll be in Fiji .
As always, weather and local activities will shape the itinerary, but right now
we plan to spend much of October in Vanuatu, then make a couple of stops in New
Caledonia before heading back to New Zealand in early November (2016).
When we are making a passage, I send daily position reports
via SSB radio to the Pacific Seafarer's Net. You can track us by going to their
website:
http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps_reporting_boat_list
Search for KG7HKF (the list is organized by ham radio call
sign, then vessel name). Like last year, I won't send daily reports when we're
anchored, though I do update the location when we move from one anchorage to
another. I'll also upload photos on the blog whenever I find good internet
access, which can be a rare thing...
We do think of our family and friends out there, and we
enjoy knowing you think about us!
Is a blog post complete without photos? Here are a couple
peeks at voyage preparation:
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| 6 months of staples: planned & purchased, soon to be stowed |
 |
| A visit to the hairdresser |
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