[password] grace40

[position] 34 07.030s 173 58.876e

[weather] as at 1345 hrs 19/11/19. In a word, HORRIBLE. Up to yesterday we enjoyed motoring in light winds and calm seas. Last night we hit the front, or I should say it hit us like a brick wall - that's accepted meteorological terminology. Winds SE 18-25 kts. Swell SE 2 mtr, but somewhat confused, lumpy & bumpy. 100% cloud cover. Baro plummeted to 1010 from 1015 24 hrs ago. Temperature has dropped to point I can't sunbathe in the cockpit anymore. Welcome to NZ.

[Status] as at 1345 hrs 19/11/19. As you can see from the weather report, we are getting some uncomfortable weather. Nothing we, and the boat, can't handle. But after so many calm days, it is a bit of a culture shock to be bounced around as if we are in wash cycle. Our plans to enter NZ at Marsden Cove Marina have been dashed. The wind is pushing us away from there and if we tried to make it we couldn't arrive tomorrow. So, as happens in cruising, plans changed solely due to weather considerations. We are headed for Opua., only 72.6nm away. We will be banging into this weather front most of the way, and based upon our current speed and course, our GPS has miraculously calculated arrival at the check-in dock at 0630 tomorrow morning. That time could slip, but it shouldn't be by much. That means breakfast at the dock. Once checked in we will go out to an anchorage at one of the islands in the Bay of Islands and wait for a good window to head south to home port.

I did end up bringing a Fiji souvenior with me - a head cold. I haven't had one in years. I'm convinced the Customs lady gave it to me. I went to the customs office at the marina, which is a small temporary building. Throughout the check-out procedure she coughed, hacked, sneeezed, and spewed constantly into a hankerchief. Now I'm coughing, hacking, sneezing, and spewing constantly into my shirt sleeve. Okay, I know, TMI.

Next post from land. Yeeee Ha.
John

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