[password] Ridingmore
[position] 22 28.9S 167 49W
[weather]12-18 knots from SE
[status] Kia ora all!
Patea is doing well - we collectively decided that hand steering isn't too onerous, and especially Selma has come leaps and bounds, and is now providing a perfectly steady (and not nervous at all) hand on the ship!
With good SE breeze over the last 18 hours, and a forecast that suggests any arrival into NZ in 7-10 days will be faced with headwinds no matter which direction you come from, we've put the bow down and are reaching directly for home, cutting the corner considerably over the original, conservative plan. So we'll use the next 4-5 days of good breeze driven by the tropical low-pressure system that is bearing down on Northland currently, and will smash into northern New Zealand in the next couple of days, to make (hopefully) as many miles SW as possible. We've had friends on other boats using routing software and professional weather routing experts, which also suggest cutting the corner as a prudent move, and are now also doing the same. Time will tell if this will be good for us, or an enormous error! We're gambling that Patea can gallop home before the breeze drops and turns, as purportedly in about 7 days, 30-35 knot headwinds are forecast around northern New Zealand, so whe
re and when (or if?!) we run into that will be critical! I'm hoping that we can smash out 200 mile days and be passing Cape Brett when it arrives..... Dreams are free and the reality will unfold!
Patea stats to the end of day 6:
Time: 1300 Tuesday 031120 (NZST)
Position: 22 29.6S 167 49.8W
Speed (SOG): 6-10 kts
Course (COG) 227T
Last 24hr distance: 185NM
Last 24hr VMG distance: 182NM
Distance to Opua (great circle): 1204NM
Average over ground speed this trip: 6.67kts
Average VMG this trip: 6.06 kts
Wx: Wind: 14-18kts from 150, waves: 1.5m from S, water temp: 23.3, and dropping!
Fish to date: 1

Righto, keep smilin' out there!

Patea pushing passionately and pointed to oPua

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