[password] 23Twelve
[position] 40 41.940S 174 58.09E
[weather] 10knts S, 2.0m swell S, 20% cloud, 1016 baro
[speed] 4-5knts
[heading] 200T
[status] On passage, Opua to Mana marina, Plimmerton. An interesting night... Coastal forecast noted that conditions S of Otaki were considerably worse than North. We made landfall just at Otaki and can confirm that the sea got easier close inshore and North; wind still gusting 30 kn though. Tried everything [including drogue: useless at low speed but a bugger to haul back in!] and finally ran downwind up the coast under a scrap of staysail: still doing 5+ knots! Better than hove to, doing 2.5 knots broadside on to the waves!! Turned around at Ragitikei and motored back. Now motoring dead into wind and sea toward Man; about 10 miles north of Kapiti now. Decided to come outside Kapiti to avoid tidal current inshore, but may have been quicker to got there if the sea was flatter. On top of that, Otto packed a sad twice during the night. Marg heroically hand-steered for nearly 3 hours downwind with big, erratic following seas. Interestingly, the autopilot failed both times [going North then going South] just off Manawatu entrance: trying to draw Marg home perhaps??[END]