[password] fbs18940
[position] Vuda Marina, Fiji
[status] Went through Navula Passage at sunrise Wednesday, after heaving to in the lee of Viti Levu for a couple hours to await daylight. Spent most of the day waiting for and dealing with friendly Customs sorts, (total costs now $492 Fiji), and getting situated in a very full marina. Just now, 1845 NZDT, able to report status. Had very bad Tuesday night, with wind steady 30 gusting 40++, and 3-5+ meter confused seas regularly breaking down onto the boat as we quartered or went across the waves. Our fully enclosed center cockpit was regularly inundated. Down to reefed mizzen and quadruple reefed working genoa, still doing 8 kts on a 39 foot waterline, almost hull speed. Boat stood up well to gusts, no real problem there. We have significant clean up and repair work to do as a result of water damage from last night's waves, which found their way into places they really should not have been. On balance, a really uncomfortable, at times bordering on dangerous passage, due to sea conditions for the second half of the trip, after 3 1/2 days of motoring at the start. This was exacerbated by a steering failure in 3-4 meter breaking seas at sunset on day 4, which required an emergency heaving to so the boat was not left broadside to the breaking waves while the problem was investigated. The boat had to be left hove to for 1 1/2 days, even though the steering problem was diagnosed and repaired within a couple hours of heaving to. Overnight, sea conditions became so severe that the next day any deck work was unacceptably dangerous, precluding raising the quickly doused and hence messy sails and resuming our passage and requiring that we bear motion so violent that the only comfortable (and safe) place was in bed, until conditions settled enough after the second day and night to allow us to continue on our way. However, it all has already begun to fade to memory, and we hope to retain the positive parts of the passage and let the rest slip into the past, with lessons learned. This is the last of our reports on our passage from New Zealand to Fiji. I have not been successful in raising Taupo Marine Radio the past two days, and would appreciate GHR informing them we have arrived safely.
[speed] none
[course] stationary
[weather] no rain all day, despite threatening skies. Wind fairly light in marina. Cloud cover at 1845 10/10. Barometer, same time, 1010.
[END]