[password] grace40

[position] 29 08.382s 173 57.556e

[weather] As at 1230hrs 17/11/19. Wind variable 0-4kts. Swell SW 1mtr with long rolling periods. Sea state silky smooth. Bright sunny sky 0% cloud cover. Baro 1020. COG 167T. SOG 6.25kts.

[status] As at 1230hrs 17/11/19. Another 24 hrs of glorious weather. Still warm enough to lay in the cockpit to work on maintaining my George Hamilton bronzeness. The only issue is lack of wind. But getting lots of exercise turning on motor when wind dies, then turning off motor when enough wind comes along to sail. Then there are the attendant sail changes for each of the conditions. Coupling all the excerise with my lack of appetite, I should be buff when I arrive in NZ. Or not.

This morning was an extra workout. We transferred 98 litres (25 gallons for my metric challenged American readers) from deck jerry cans into the main ship's tank. That topped up the main tank. This represented 40hrs engine run time since leaving Fiji. We carry 100 gallons in the main ship tank, and 45 gallons in deck jerry cans. Based on years of my religious fuel consumption calculations, we burn about 0.64 gallons per hour. So we can almost motor the whole way from Fiji to NZ. After what we've consumed so far on this trip, we have about 6.5 days of fuel left. With only 2.5 - 3 days left to go, we are fuel happy. And with the way the winds are going, we may have to motor much of that time.

Now for the latest trip statistics. We have 411nm to go to Marsden Cove Marina. Our average speed since leaving Fiji has been 6.25 kts. For us this is ahead of all previous years of 6 kts. Using 6 kts, our ETA is 0900 hrs on Wednesday 20/11/19. If that time holds, we will match last year's trip of exactly, and I mean exactly, 8 days & 0 hours.

With sun setting at around 2030, it has screwed up our watch schedule, Up to now, for night watches we do 3-hr watches starting at 1800 and ending at 0600. Day watches are 4-hrs. Leillani has been doing the first night watch which means she'd be up in any event because it's still light. The result is she is really doing only one night watch, and I have to do two. As the captain, I find that wholly unacceptable. I offered to do all the day watches and she could do the night. That's fair. Every one of my watches would be 4-hrs, and her's would only be 3-hrs. Somehow I couldn't get her to go along. I'm sure we'll work out something mutually agreeable as soon as I issue the order. Or not.

Now for my favourite passage pasttime - sleeping.

Cheers, John

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