[p]beale12.4
[s]=20
pos: 35 15.2s 174 11.9e
date: 15/05/2017 GMT+1300
It's been a long week of watching the weather and trying to guess what cyclones Donna and Ella would do. Also trying to figure out if we could leave before the window of opportunity ran out for my crew.
Sadly, the delay got too long, so it has been a busy time trying to sort out replacement crew for the trip. Still trying to sort it out now.
Along the way, Joanne finished work last Friday, and came up to join me in Opua Saturday. It is a real pleasure to have Jo here, being part of the adventure again. Makes it all seem much more like the real thing.
It has been a very social few days.
A few drinks at the Marina on Riada Saturday night, with the Dunedin team from Caprice, turned into a Limoncello appreciation society raucous party that didn't finish until real late. Then we left the marina and sailed out into the bay on Sunday, to Opunga cove, which is absolutely gorgeous. We had eight for dinner in Manutaki on Sunday night, with a shared dinner and me trying out the new old BBQ for the first time. Managed to cook most of the meat mostly right, and it was a great evening. We are one of the smallest boats in the fleet but we are very cosy, and we have one of the largest dining tables!=20
Tonight if was fresh fish on Lola, the big Beneteau, with eight again. Mike and Sasha from. Moon fish caught some lovely snapper, and so did Justin and Linda from Lola. We are the only non fishing folk in the group. We consume guiltily but with great pleasure. Our planned spag. bowl for tonight went into the fridge when we got offered the snapper.

So the socialising is awesome and it's great to get to know everybody, but we are all keen to get going.=20
I hate to put a hex on things by getting too optimistic. But it does look like we are getting close to a "go" decision. There is a small hint of badness on one weather model, sometime next week, but otherwise everything is looking aligned and ready to go maybe this Friday or saturday. If I can only get my crew sorted out.
More in that ongoing saga tomorrow. =20

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