[ password] Tsar12
[position]20 32.04S 176 80.78E
[weather]cloudy temp 28 wind S 5-8 knots sea 0.5-1 m E swell
[status]our northerly yesterday slowly dwindled to the point we dropped the screecher and flattened the main out and sailed a direct course just under main making better vmg albeit still painfully slow especially taking in to consideration the 1 knot tide we were pushing . Into the afternoon the wind subsided enough for the motor to come on ( I hate motoring on passage!) then we motored just before dark into a frontal system that completely enveloped us in a horse shoe before letting loose with rain and would you believe a 15 knot Southerly at which point we kept motoring hoping the wind may swing to SE which never eventuated so out we decided rather than keep motoring into that we would set the jib and take a starboard tack which really only had us laying Minerva Reef way out of our course . After dinner the jib was furled and motor started hoping we would motor to some breeze we could sail in however during the night the wind which died away to 5-7 knots is direct Southerly
- every now and again we get a glimmer of hope it is swinging to SE for it to come back - at least the 1 knottide against us yesterday has turned to 0.8 knots in our favour at the moment which is greatly appreciated :)
I imagine it is going to be more of the same today ie motoring before we are able to pick up any useful wind.
Our hopes of getting into Opua by Wednesday are fast fading as our speeds have been painfully slow for us on a passage .

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