[password] radioactiv
[position] 31 43.178S 174 27.891E
[weather] Easterly 15knots - calm seas - oh yeah boy ?we a sailin now?
[speed] 9.6
[heading] 164
[status] GOOD MORNING VIETNAM! Or should I say GOOD MORNING all 3.4 of our loyal YIT subscribers. SV MOONFISH is back, we (well, really just Sasha) has ingested coffee for the first time on this passage and things are amping up. Settle in folks, boil the jug, gather round your loved ones and get comfy - this is what you have been waiting for, this is what has been missing this passage up until this point. A soliloquy of such epic proportions even Shakespeare would be impressed. But where to start? So much has happened, all of which is a jumbled, hazy, sea-sickish fog of memories from the first four days of passage, which felt much longer than 4 days.
There?s nothing for it, we should start with our tally. We believe it?s currently 7 or 8. That?s the number of yachts we?ve passed on this passage so far, not to toot our own fog-horn (we so totally are) but MOONFISH is one quick cat. We?ve heard more than one conversation on channel 16 over the past four days where sailors have shared that they left Fiji on Tuesday (16 Oct), and in the 20 to 25 knot easterlies they?ve been running their motors to hit an average of 6 knots (and in all seriousness good on them, as that is a safe speed to maintain to ensure they make best use of the weather window). We left on Thursday (18 Oct), two days later than most of the yachts we?ve past, and we?ve hurtled past so many yachts we actually have lost count.
For the first day we ran a three sail reach situation, with a double reefed main, our stay sail (a hank situation on our inner forestay - which we will look to upgrade to a soft luff furler on dynema as that?ll be easier to use) and our headsail on and off. Day four we shook out the reefs in the main, took the stay sail down and furled out the head sail 100 percent, this sail setup has seen us hit highs of up to 17knots, and kept our average speed around 9 to 10 knots. Depending on how light the wind is closer to NZ, this may well be our fastest ever passage home, with 200plus mile days every day so far.
DRAMA ON THE HIGH SEAS - yesterday was full of drama, drama, drama with our beloved auto-pilot, (lovingly referred to as Auto aka Sasha?s betrothed) going on strike. Auto had been complaining a lot, even wailing at times as he struggled to keep MOONFISH on course during the earlier, more lively days of this passage. But then like many overworked employees Auto just quit. Mike was on helm, he quickly put Auto on standby and started to hand steer. Having been in this predicament before Sasha scanned the crews faces to register if they had realised what this meant - they hadn?t (bless their cotton socks).
Now, Sasha is all up for some hand steering, but hand steering at night, with 100% cloud cover is hard (i.e. no stars to help keep you on course), and while this has not happened on MOONFISH (yet) hand steering overnight in dark starless conditions can often lead to drawing pointless, foamy whitewash circles on Neptune?s canvas. While Sasha?s mind quickly jumped ahead to long dark nights hand steering, Mike was on the job. Mike quickly diagnosed that a broken drive belt was the issue, and a plan was hatched for Sasha to hand steer utilising the new emergency tillers that Mike had fabricated earlier in the year, cue impressive, percussion-led, superman-like music dum dee dum - is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it?s Super-Mike. This would allow Mike and the lads to remove the steering wheel to get to the Auto pilot drive belt. While Sasha is always surprised at Mike?s preparedness, it won?t come as a surprise to people who know Mike that yes? he had a spare drive belt. So while Sasha (in full wet weather gear), sat on the beanbag on the port stern, tiller steering for the first time ever with mini compass in hand, with eyes glued to the woolies - the lads set to work on replacing the belt drive. As they worked, Ross kept an eye on the chart plotter and using his fingers only so as not to distract Mike and Tony from their work, would occasionally, silently share MOONFISH?s speed with Sasha. Much to Sasha?s disappointment the first couple of times Ross told her the speed it was 5 or 6 knots. Game on thought Sasha and they silently worked together to get a handle on tiller steering MOONFISH in the right direction to maximise speed. Out on the stern port in the wind, it feels like you are going much faster than you actually think - eventually Ross was holding up both hands, with only one or two fingers not used - we were back in the game. Eventually the lads had the replacement belt in, the steering wheel back on, and the team were very happy when Auto was turned on, and with far less whining left into action and saved us all from hours of dark night hand steering.
FOOD - so you know from our previous rather abrupt updates we haven?t been in the mood to eat much on this passage? well that all changed yesterday. With more boiled eggs being boiled and a massive chicken potato stew being gobbled down hungrily. We?ve chopped on the Choc Chip Cookies that Mum Watson sent up with Ross - thanks so much for sending those up Barbara. And eaten through most of the apples and oranges which have been more popular than Sasha expected. Boiled eggs are definitely been the preferred snack with everyone enjoying those for breaky. Tonight we shall feast on spaghetti bolognese, which may well be our last night at sea - all depends on how light that wind will be as we get closer to NZ, we have just downloaded the weather and while light it does look like we may get headed a little, so Mike is adjusting our course to adapt to this new information. Bring on a sunny Bay of Islands though, with lashings of cherry tomatoes, and broccoli and silver beat and baby spinach oooh and smoked salmon, any salmon, and Avocados, lots and lots of avocados. And Mike is ever so keen for a pork chop or two at the Opua Cruising Club. Gosh we are lucky to call NZ home, we really do live in an amazing country with so many delicious fresh easy to buy food items. One thing Sasha knows for sure is you won?t find a carrot or a cabbage in her shopping trolley for quite some time.
That?ll do you lot for a while we think. All very well on board - see ya when we get there!

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