[password] Ridingmore
[position] 32 07S 176 20E
[weather]20-25 knots from W
[status] Kia ora katou, wonderful people!
So, yesterdays plan was to hook into the northern side of the low ripping over the North Island right now,and smoke our wake home in 30 plus knots of beam reaching madness. Sounded like fun. Ok, it sounded like fun, mainly to me. Ok, only to me. So common sense prevailed, after the SW swell which was coming straight at us, built to 3m, and was of sufficient height and period to underline the physics of particle movement within a wave, namely how fast the top part of an unbreaking wave circulates in the direction of movement. Fascinating stuff you say? Yes! We were moving at 6-7 knots, and although we dropped 2 knots through-water velocity whilst climbing each of these monsters, due to the circular, forward motion of the particles within the wave, particularly the crest, our over ground speed would drop to less than 1 knot - so that's about 4-5 knots of horizontal motion at the top of each of these monster waves! Then we would accelerate down the backside of each wave, but due
to the wave motion acting against us on the way down, we would barely hit 8-9 knots! Fascinating! But I do digress..
So prudence did prevail last night, and with Kaths stern look (=sensible) we chucked the handbreak on, fully reefed the main and had a hanky out front, then proceeded to play for position, heading West at 3-4 knots to better position ourselves for a run home, with the forecast wind expected to drop to the 20s from the SW, and hopefully allowing a more reachy angle home, in less clench-inducing winds and a hopefully less washing-machine-esque sea state. Consequently, with Patea slowed to a gentle lollop, I think everyone got a reasonable nights sleep for a change - woop woop! Anyhoo, it looks like the low has passed sufficiently now that we can now bear away and run straight for Opua, which is what we are doing!
Some stats, for the stats inclined
Time: 1200 Tuesday 101120 (NZST)
Position: 32 05S 176 22.4E
Speed (SOG): 3-8 kts
Course (COG) 215T
Distance to Opua (great circle): 220NM
Average over ground speed this trip: 6.65kts
Average VMG this trip: 5.98 kts
Wx: Wind: 20-25 kts from 270, waves: 3m from SW, 1m from SE. 1m wind chop from NW. Its like a f@#king washing machine! Water temp has slunk to an all time low of 19.7 last night, and now a (slightly) more respectable 20C. Did someone say brrr???

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