Happy birthday Elyse.
It’s been a long day – we set the alarm so we’d get away early and we did! Left Barrier at about 6:30 this morning.
Rob on watch – not!
It has been a glorious day weatherwise – clear, hot and sunny. And very little wind so it was a motor across from Great Barrier. I love the way that the detail on whatever you are approaching emerges and if you look back – wherever you are leaving becomes less and less distinct until it can’t be seen at all.
Little Barrier receding into the distance off our aft deck
Whangarei Heads in distance off out port bow as we approach Tutukaka coast
We are securely tied up at Tutukaka and no doubt it has been of great concern to you but we can confirm that the beers are still cold at the boating club and the pizza’s are as good as ever at the marina pizzeria.
We did 52 nautical miles (about 80 km’s) on slight sea’s, took us 9 hours with full main, genoa and engine.
Ernie/ Fred our schizophrenic tiller pilot who did all the hard work today
As per usual, we dragged a lure and had a really good strike and would have been a really good fish – but it kept most of our lucky lure and only left us with the metal part attached to the line. Clearly our lucky lure is no longer. Pity – it is a rapaela and we have caught kingfish, tuna, kahwai and a bloody great big mako shark on it. Oh well we have new shiny ones – will have to give them a go.
Tomorrow we do washing and Friday we will sail up to the Bay of Islands.