[password] grace40

[position] 23 38.617s 178 53.599w

[status] 1030 23 May 2019. The dominant issue continues to be weather. Whether and when the weather will moderate. Since yesterday and up to now, and what looks to continue through tomorrow we have 25-29 kts E winds. Has gusted to 33 kts. During low tide, when the reef is exposed and blocks the incoming surf and surge, the boat sits comfortably still, only sailling around on the anchor chain because of the wind. High tide is a different matter. The water surges over the reef causing very choppy conditions and the boat bobs, sways, jolts, and rocks around as if at sea. After 3 days of these conditions, we are used to it. Forecasts don't show much of a break in the weather until after the weekend. I guess there are worse places to be. Give me a moment and I'll come up with a few.

Since yesterday, our community has grown by 4, to a total of 23 yachts. The 3 who came in yesterday and 1 today all got thrashings in the horrible weather conditions. They would have all left 2 - 3 days after we did. At that time the weather forecasts would all have shown conditions to be unfavourable to depart NZ. One has to wonder whether the yachts were actually watching the weather. We know of one more yacht trying to make Minerva. Yesterday at 1600 hrs it was 180 nm S of us and taking a beating. We have been told conditiions were so bad the yacht hove-to (meaning it stopped its progress and is essentially drifting). It's a heavy weather technique to wait out storms at sea, give the crew a rest, and minimise possibility of boat damage. Unfortunately conditions will not be improving until after tomorrow. I really feel sorry for them. As we who go to sea all know, but for the grace of Neptune, there goes us.

Tomorrow one of the yachts is starting the N. Minerva Cruiser's Net. Cruiser's radio nets are popular in many places where yachties congregate. The moderator gives weather, social, and any other kind of announcements that would be of interest to the yachts. On some nets, there is a "buy-sell-trade" section. Leilani realised she hard boiled all our eggs. Now she wishes she had saved a few raw ones to make a cake or brownies. So tomorrow she is going to offer to trade hard boiled eggs for raw ones, but only if they will deliver. I'm hoping to find out where the lobsters are hiding.

Again, with no opportunity to get off the boat, it's reading, movies, and nappiing on our crowded agenda. Cheers John

[END]