Field Trip

Mon Jun 29 11:51 2020 NZST
GPS: 11 59.610N 120 12.007E
Run: 9.2nm (16.7km)
Weather: 0-5kts NE, flat anchorage, cloudy skies, 26C

We moved over here a couple of weeks ago, in front of Coron Town. We can now move around the Coron district with no papers, which is good. Here we have easy access to markets and even some places to eat that are open. All is going well. We?ve logged almost 70 dives since we?ve been locked down, so that is a bonus. Otherwise, it?s been fairly static. We are still waiting to hear from Malaysia on if we can get there as students since the kids are enrolled in the Penang School. Still waiting?and hoping for the best. We?ve also made a lot of friends here?so that has been great.


Mon May 18 13:00 2020 NZST
GPS: 11 58.319N 120 03.92E
Run: 0.9nm (1.6km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, partly cloudy skies, 26C

We have big news. We moved around the corner about 1NM from our last anchorage. :) All is still the same. Same resort, same restrictions, same people. No complaints. We?ve logged 45 dives here since we arrived, so that is fun. We did a nice dive yesterday, and found some more sea creatures we?ve never seen before, so that is all good. We plan on waiting here until Malaysia opens up for yachts. We?ll see how that goes?..


Mon May 4 11:39 2020 NZST
GPS: 11 57.735N 120 04.41E
Run: 0.1nm (0.2km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, cloudy skies, 26C

It?s about time for an update. While not much has changed with our location and situation?same place, same routine, same everything - we are looking to move over to another bay. The strict quarantine was lifted for this area three days ago?and we are considering a move. This has been a great location. Lots of diving, fun people and a great dog ashore. However, it?s probably due time for new scenery and to get rolling. The more time we spend in an area, the harder it can be to leave. We hope there will be positive changes in Malaysia later this month, as we really, really need to get rolling south. Fingers crossed??..


Fri Apr 10 20:42 2020 NZST
GPS: 11 57.746N 120 04.35E
Run: 0.8nm (1.4km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

We moved around the corner to the front of the resort. Here we will stay for a bit while the winds are down and it is more comfortable. It?s also closer to the resort so the kids can kayak ashore to play with the dog. All is good, as we wait for three more weeks for the travel restrictions to ?hopefully? be lifted??..


Tue Apr 7 12:54 2020 NZST
GPS: 11 58.325N 120 03.90E
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

All is going well here in Coron, Philippines. Nothing has changed. We are in the same spot. Doing the same thing, and overall we are just fine. We hope the restrictions will be eased so we can move around, but we won?t hear any news on that until end of the week. Certainly eager to get moving so we can get south and not beat when the winds change, but not so sure that will be a reality as we not only need Philippines to ease up restrictions, we need to have Malaysia open up to arriving yachts.


Wed Apr 1 12:51 2020 NZDT
GPS: 11 58.325N 120 03.90E
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

Little has changed here. The weather has been excellent every day, and the anchorage peaceful. We are eagerly waiting the middle of next month to see if the travel restrictions are lifted. In the meantime we are still diving and doing boat projects.


Tue Mar 31 15:24 2020 NZDT
GPS: 11 58.325N 120 03.90E
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

We are still in the same place. All is going well, and we feel fortunate to be here vs. other locations. It?s sunny every day, nice 15kts of breeze, and good diving and beaches?.so we will continue to be here for the next couple of weeks until hopefully the lockdown is lifted here in the Philippines?...


Tue Mar 24 13:12 2020 NZDT
GPS: 11 58.325N 120 03.90E
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

We had a good day yesterday. We found out from the locals more details on the retractions here in the Philippines. The government is restricting access to small villages and towns to only those that reside in those towns. For example, if there are two villages next door, there is a checkpoint between the villages and only people with ID cards that show they live in the village are allowed to enter/exit. In addition, one household member is designed the ?shopper?, and are given an ID card of some sort. Without the card, you cannot leave the house. If you leave the house, you can be arrested. At a minimum they are taking your picture and reporting the violation to the police. Very interesting times. While we enjoy this location, we are itching to get moving south?but will have to wait of course to see how this plays out here in the Philippines.


Mon Mar 23 13:48 2020 NZDT
GPS: 11 58.325N 120 03.90E
Run: 153.7nm (278.2km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

There?s been a HECK of a lot going on since our last update. I?ll do a better job updating our status. Currently we are in lockdown here in the Philippines. We arrived here 5 days ago from App Reef (an outstanding location, with serene beauty) to Coron, Philippines. Upon arrival we were greeted by the police that asked us what we were doing in Coron and that we needed to leave. We arrived one day before the official ?enhanced lockdown?. So, we decided it was best to leave Coron as we did not want to get ?stuck? in this town. We sailed around the corner, and eventually made it to Sangat Island Dive Resort. It is owned by an English guy, and he was very welcoming. The day before our arrival he was fully booked at 60 guest. When we arrived only two remained. All others had been evacuated. Andy told us we could stay no problem, and they had plenty of food on the island. Google the location. It?s beautiful. The bar is open every day for us and the two other guests, so we have a beer in the afternoon and stay in a ?quarantined? state for the next 30 days. All in all, we are in a great spot, good diving, hot springs about 100m behind the boat, and no one else is here?.so for now?all is great aboard Field Trip.


Sun Mar 1 13:30 2020 NZDT
GPS: 12 39.39N 122 13.85E
Run: 7.6nm (13.8km)
Weather: 5-10kts NNE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

We?ve logged three dives yesterday here, and overall it was good diving. We?ll be leaving this afternoon for a direct run to Puerto Galera. We?ll log one more dive today before heading out around 4pm for the 90nm passage.


Thu Feb 27 12:33 2020 NZDT
GPS: 12 32.96N 122 15.21E
Run: 256nm (463.4km)
Weather: 5-10kts NNE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

We?ve been on the move, and I?ve been delinquent on the updates. We are now in a bay on Romblon Island, and doing some diving. We?ll be here on the island for several more days before we head off to Puerto Galera. Diving overall has been average here in the Philippines. Some cool small critters, but the coral is poor. More updates later, but so far Indonesia is by far the best overall diving.


Fri Feb 21 21:18 2020 NZDT
GPS: 10 01.02N 125 00.64E
Weather: 5-10kts NNE, flat anchorage, clear skies, 26C

We are still here, diving and enjoying this area. We?ll be leaving in the morning for our next stop about 35NM to the NW. Light winds so probably a motor sail, but should be comfortable. More updates later.


Wed Feb 5 0:51 2020 NZDT
GPS: 10 01.02N 125 00.64E
Run: 15.5nm (28.1km)
Weather: 10-15kts NNE, flat anchorage, mostly sunny skies, 28C

We had some excellent diving the past couple of days, and have not moved to another anchorage that is also know for good diving. It is supposed to have good much diving by the pier, so we will move around the other side when the winds drop to give the pier a go for some diving. All good aboard field trip.


Thu Jan 30 14:45 2020 NZDT
GPS: 09 57.71N 125 13.91E
Run: 64.1nm (116km)
Weather: 0-5kts NE, 1013.5 pressure, flat anchorage, mostly sunny skies, 28C

Michael surfed every day while we were in Siagro. We checked into the country yesterday. It was easy, and only required Customs and Immigration. No port authority, quarantine or any other officials. I was surprised it was so easy. We are not anchored at a great spot near a great dive site. We dove it twice, once this morning, and it is close to Raja Ampat in quality. Better diving than Guam, Yap, Palau, and thrilled to be back in diving country.


Wed Jan 22 12:36 2020 NZDT
GPS: 09 46.19N 126 09.16E
Weather: 16-18kts NE, 1013.5 pressure, flat anchorage, mostly sunny skies, 29C

We had a good day getting settled here in PI, and found the food places and surfing spots. Michael, Sarah and I are going surfing this afternoon?and taking lessons?so it should be a blast. Weather is great, nice breeze and sunny skies. All is well.


Tue Jan 21 14:06 2020 NZDT
GPS: 09 46.19N 126 09.16E
Run: 134.9nm (244.2km)
Avg: 5.6knts
24hr: 133.8nm
Weather: 16-18kts NE, 1016.5 pressure, flat anchorage, mostly sunny skies, 29C

We arrived to Siagaro and dropped the hook about an hour ago. All is well, and it is a beautiful day. I?ll jump in bed for some rest and then we?ll head ashore. All good aboard Field Trip and we had overall a great passage, albeit a bit slower than expected.


Mon Jan 20 13:54 2020 NZDT
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 09 47.25N 128 08.00E
Run: 136.3nm (246.7km)
Avg: 5.8knts
24hr: 140.1nm
Weather: 16-18kts NE, 1015.5 pressure, 2-2.5m seas, partly cloudy skies, 29C

Well, it?s been a great sail so far. Finally, the wind has picked up significantly to 18-20kts. Good because we are now moving?but we don?t want to arrive at night so we are running with only our genoa to keep our boat speed around 5.6-6kts so we will arrive at daylight tomorrow morning. Everyone has had a great time, and in a way as usual after a long good passage, sad to be arriving as we are in a good routine aboard Field Trip. We?ll update tomorrow upon our safe arrival.


Sun Jan 19 14:33 2020 NZDT
Speed:
4.5kts
knts
GPS: 09 45.74N 130 08.10E
Run: 141.2nm (255.6km)
Avg: 5.8knts
24hr: 139.5nm
Weather: 7-10kts NE, 1013.5 pressure, 1m seas, partly cloudy skies, 27C

We are still having less than forecast winds?so it makes for some slow sailing. I know the winds are going to pick up?so when they do we?ll have more than enough. Until then, we are looking at an early AM Tuesday arrival to Siagro, Philippines. All is well onboard and we keep waiting for the winds to pick up?. :)


Sat Jan 18 14:15 2020 NZDT
Speed:
5.5kts
knts
GPS: 09 33.07N 132 11.78E
Run: 275.7nm (499km)
Avg: 5.6knts
24hr: 134.9nm
Weather: 3-5kts NE, 1011.5 pressure, 1m seas, partly cloudy skies, 27C

It has been a light air comfortable sail. We?ve been sailing slowly the past 36 hours, with light winds and calm seas. We just flicked on the motor about two hours ago when the winds all but died down to 5 kts out the NE. It?s not possible to really make much headway with the banging sails so we took a knee and started an engine. The winds should start to pick up soon?so it hopefully won?t be too long. Happy crew, happy wife?all is good. :)


Thu Jan 16 13:12 2020 NZDT
Speed:
6.3kts
knts
GPS: 09 24.42N 136 14.30E
Run: 141.4nm (255.9km)
Weather: 10-14kts NE, 1005.5 pressure, 1.5m seas, partly cloudy skies, 27C

We left yesterday around 2pm from Colonia, Yap, and are now well underway to Philippines. We?ve been having a great sail, with moderate trade winds, following seas, and happy crew. We expect to arrive Monday next week. The total passage is about 730NM, so it will be our longest passage in a while. Michael said he was sad this was his last long passage before school in the Fall. My mom is also aboard, so we have one extra crew. Watch schedule is easy with three adults, so we are enjoying the trip with extra time to read and rest.


Sun Jan 12 12:48 2020 NZDT
Speed:
5.3kts
knts
GPS: 09 32.18N 138 18.46E
Run: 102.7nm (185.9km)
Avg: 3.8knts
24hr: 91.1nm
Weather: 8-12kts E, partly cloudy skies, 26C

We had a great time at the village celebration and left around 3.30pm yesterday for YAP. We sailed all night and are now about 2 hours away from the pass. It was a great sail?light winds, following seas and overall very comfortable. We will be here for several days before departing for the Philippines.


Sat Jan 11 9:45 2020 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.07N 139 42.53E
Weather: 15-17kts NE, partly cloudy skies, 997.67 pressure, 26C

Today is the big day in the village. It is a full day of eating, dancing and playing games in celebration of their local church founder/priest. We made a couple of cakes and will be going ashore at 8am for church. It should be a lot of fun. We will probably leave this afternoon for YAP so we can arrive early in the morning on Sunday to clear in and get some things done before heading out to the Philippines.


Fri Jan 10 10:57 2020 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.07N 139 42.53E
Weather: 15-17kts NE, rain, 1000.7 pressure, 28C

We are still here at Ulithi and woke up to a blustery, rainy morning. We?ll take it easy today, and go ashore once this rain stops. Tomorrow is a big party, in remembrance of the founder of their church on the island, so it should be a blast. Lots of singing, dancing and food. We plan to leave either Saturday or Sunday afternoon form the 100NM trip to Yap.


Wed Jan 8 21:48 2020 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.07N 139 42.53E
Run: 24nm (43.4km)
Avg: 3.1knts
24hr: 75.3nm
Weather: 17-20kts NE, 2.5m seas, clear skies

We arrive to Ulithi and had a great welcoming from the local village at MogMog. All our friends were here, and the kids were on shore singing a song to Michael as we approached. It was great fun to be back with people we know. We?ll offload our stuff we brought from Guam, and get things started with fixing boats. All is well an we are thrilled to be back.


Wed Jan 8 14:09 2020 NZDT
Speed:
8.5kts
knts
GPS: 10 21.78N 139 55.16E
Run: 118.1nm (213.8km)
Avg: 7.3knts
24hr: 175.5nm
Weather: 17-20kts NE, 2.5m seas, clear skies

All is going much better as the sea state has settled and there are no 35kt squalls on the horizon. We are about 20NM from the entrance to the atoll, and should be arriving to the village in Ulithi by 2 or 3pm today. Everyone is doing much better and we are excited to see our friends here.


Tue Jan 7 22:00 2020 NZDT
Speed:
7.5kts
knts
GPS: 11 29.66N 141 13.41E
Run: 274.7nm (497.2km)
Avg: 7.6knts
24hr: 183.4nm
Weather: 22-25kts NE, 2.5m seas confused, partly cloudy and squally

We?ve been getting more wind than forecast. It?s been blustery and the sea state rather confused?so not great for comfort aboard Field Trip. We will be arriving tomorrow around noon to Ulithi. Otherwise, all is OK?but we will be glad to get there!


Mon Jan 6 10:03 2020 NZDT
GPS: 13 28.73N 144 45.037E
Weather: 14-17kts NE, 26C, mostly sunny skies

We are departing in about an hour from Guam, sailing to Ulithi Atoll and then off to Yap. We expect to trip to take just over two days at 370NM. We will have following seas and winds of 18-20kts then entire trip. Should be a nice ride with good trade winds. We?ve enjoyed the American luxuries of Guam, but they come at a price?so we are glad to get going although we are leaving good friends behind. More updates as we are underway.


Tue Dec 31 13:36 2019 NZDT
GPS: 13 28.73N 144 45.037E
Run: 5.2nm (9.4km)
Weather: 14-17kts NE, 26C, partly sunny skies

We?ve had a very busy several weeks getting Field Trip ready to go back to Yap. We have new engines! We had them in place before Christmas so it was a heck of a present. Volvo paid for everything, including dockage fees, wood, etc for all the lifts required to remove the engines on our boat. I?m thrilled. Literally, I probably spent a grand total of $25 for some extra wood to brace the engines, and cardboard, otherwise, that was it. The invoice to Volvo was $8,500 for labor and materials, not counting the engines?so it was a $40k+ present. We will be leaving on Friday for Yap. All is well and we are getting excited to get on the sea again!


Tue Dec 10 10:51 2019 NZDT
GPS: 13 27.96N 144 40.44E
Run: 1nm (1.8km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, calm anchorage, 1009.7, pressure, 26C,mostly sunny skies

An update from Field Trip. We?ve settled into Guam rather easily. Gotten plugged into the local community, and are enjoying some comfort food from the many different options that remind us of home. Sad news is one of our good friends that sailed with us around Borneo and through Sulawesi passed away over the weekend. We are in shock. We became fast friends on the rally, and it is just terrible to hear the news. We?re waiting for Volvo to approve the costs for engine replacement. It?s expensive here?so I am expecting some pushback from the local dealer as the costs seem extremely high. We expect to have the engine replacement start this week?...


Mon Dec 2 9:36 2019 NZDT
GPS: 13 27.08N 144 40.44E
Run: 84.5nm (152.9km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, calm anchorage, 1003.1 pressure, 26C, partly sunny skies

We are a day late on our update. We arrived safely to Guam. We had a great last 18 hours of beam reaching in 10-13kts of wind. It was a very good sail overall, and we made it here with 1 tack, and no close reaching. Seas were a bit rough, but very glad we took this window and are now here. Engines should arrive on Mon/Tue and we will hopefully be getting them replaced late this week or early next week. That the is plan.


Sat Nov 30 14:27 2019 NZDT
Speed:
7.5kts
knts
GPS: 12 48.96N 143 36.10E
Run: 185nm (334.9km)
Avg: 9knts
24hr: 217.1nm
Weather: 14-17kts ESE, 2 - 2.5m seas, 1003.1 pressure, 26C, partly sunny skies

We had three reefs last night to keep the boat slowed down as the rough seas made for uncomfortable ?fast? sailing. Today we pulled to all but one reef and are moving along nicely with a better sea state. Our max speed yesterday was 17.3 kts on a large swell?too fast and too uncomfortable and too ?shaky? for us. :) We won?t make a daylight arrival so our plans are to anchor in the harbor upon arrival around 9pm tonight. All is going much better as the sea state is a lot better and less confused.


Fri Nov 29 18:00 2019 NZDT
Speed:
7kts
knts
GPS: 11 22.440N 141 17.771E
Run: 95.3nm (172.5km)
Avg: 4.7knts
24hr: 113.8nm
Weather: 18-24kts SW, 3.5m seas, 1002.1 pressure, 26C, dark skies

Overall we?ve been having good sail. Seas are large and somewhat confused as expected from the tropical storm, but otherwise, we are making good progress. We will be arriving to Guam tomorrow.


Thu Nov 28 21:54 2019 NZDT
Speed:
7kts
knts
GPS: 10 15.340N 140 28.522E
Run: 53.5nm (96.8km)
Avg: 4.2knts
24hr: 100.7nm
Weather: 18-24kts SW, 3.5m seas, 1001.1 pressure, 26C, dark skies

We left around noon for Guam. It was to messy at anchor and much more comfortable sailing. All is going well. We should arrive on Saturday.


Thu Nov 28 9:09 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 28-34kts SW, big chop in lagoon, 998.6 pressure, 26C, dark skies

Let?s just say it is howling here. We?ve have a very bumpy night at anchor here in the lagoon. The winds have been howling during this tropical storm. We?ve seen consistent winds of mid 30?s with gusts in low 40?s. It made for a slightly stressful night making sure we don?t drag or have any equipment failures. Our secondary anchor rode broke in 40 knots. I wasn?t surprised as the one we used was smaller than our primary, but needed to use it for 100m of scope. Primary anchor has not budged, so our concern has been chafe, and making sure the bridle remains intact. Fortunately it is a new bridle I just put on several weeks ago. We?ll wait out the weather a bit more, but getting antsy to run with this wind vs. sit here on the hook getting smashed. ;)


Wed Nov 27 10:53 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 11-15kts N, small chop in lagoon, 998 pressure, 26C, cloudy skies

We had a great day. The village had a small ?going away? party for us, with large baskets of food, which included fish, coconut crabs, and local tarro. They sang songs and wished us well. Of course, we?ve been delaying our departure as this storm is going a bit slower than originally thought and we will end up waiting until Thur or Fri before we leave for Guam. The winds have clocked here as well to the N, and will continue to clock around as the low passes. We also had a dive yesterday.


Tue Nov 26 8:12 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 11-15kts ENE, small chop in lagoon, 1008.8 pressure, 26C, partly cloudy skies

The winds have died down here, which makes it very nice in the lagoon. The howling 18-22kts for the past several days made the entry/exit to the beach rough and wet. Now it is much better. We plan on leaving tomorrow for a direct run to Guam. We?ve really enjoyed our time here, and will probably stop back here after the engines are replaced on our way to the Philippines.


Mon Nov 25 9:21 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 11-15kts ENE, small chop in lagoon, 1008.8 pressure, 26C, partly cloudy skies

We had some kids come up and ask us if they could play on the boat. They did not make it with the other group?so?we said sure. It turned out to be another two loads of kids, about 20 more, who played on our boat until lunch. It was fun to see them going crazy, but it was loud and we were a bit tired. We hope to catch this window mid week after the low passes to Guam. Weather models have been mixed, with another low behind this one?so we will see, but really would like to make this window work.


Sun Nov 24 9:27 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 15-20kts ENE, small chop in lagoon, 1008.8 pressure, 26C, partly cloudy skies

The chief asked us to have another movie night, so we did. It was a big rough out on the trip to shore, but worth the effort as everyone showed up again and had a lot of fun. We also had the kids over to the boat for about two hours to play in the water. It was about 25 kids onboard playing, screaming and having fun. Needless to say we were tired by the end of the day. Church today with the village and hopefully some rest.


Sat Nov 23 11:03 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 15-20kts ENE, small chop in lagoon, 1008.8 pressure, 26C, partly cloudy skies

Another fun day with the village. Sarah and kids went to the elementary school to teach, and I stayed with the guys. We put on a movie night last night for the village. We have a small projector and speakers, so we had a movie night. Sarah made lots and lots of popcorn and Elizabeth made about 80 cookies. It was a blast. Today will be more low key, maybe even some diving.


Fri Nov 22 10:06 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 14-18kts ENE, small chop in lagoon, 1005.2 pressure, 26C, partly cloudy skies

The boat is fixed, top and bottom, and we used up all the resin. We are keenly watching the weather models. GFS shows a strong depression moving this way, the other models not so much?so we are in a holding patter for sure until we get into mid week next week. Kids are going ashore with Sarah to help at the local school. All well


Thu Nov 21 9:21 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Weather: 14-18kts ENE, small chop in lagoon, 1009.8 pressure, 26C, partly cloudy skies

We had a great day yesterday with the village. I?ve been working on fiberglass boat repair and the kids after school played with the local kids. We are closely watching the weather, as a potential low may drop over the top of us next week. We want a low to pass so we can have a change in winds?but we don?t want a big one on top of us either. Otherwise, more work in the village today, and hopefully later this week or weekend some diving.


Wed Nov 20 10:24 2019 NZDT
GPS: 10 05.067N 139 42.525E
Run: 39.9nm (72.2km)
Weather: 5-10kts NE, calm in lagoon, 1008.8 pressure, 29C, mostly cloudy skies

We arrived to Ulithi - Magnog island - yesterday around 2pm. It was an OK motor/sail most of the way. We received a warm welcome as we arrived. The chief had a VHF radio, and called us upon arrival. We were not sure if it was going to be a good welcome at first as we have already cleared out of the country. It was no problem. He was happy to have us and told us we could stay as long as we wanted. They are a traditional village here, like others in Micronesia. No cellular, no wifi, just SSB radio for weather and communication. Everyone wears the traditional outfits, bottoms only, men and women. We will be here waiting out the next low, to see what happens. Hopefully it will be a miss (and we don?t have to sail back to Yap), and we can ride the back up to Guam. That is our plan, we?ll keep YIT updated.


Tue Nov 19 8:45 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5kts
knts
GPS: 09 54.57N 139 08.99E
Run: 75.1nm (135.9km)
Weather: 10-12kts ENE, 1m seas, slightly bumpy, 1006 pressure, 26C

We left Yap yesterday during this small window to sail to Ulithi, about 100NM NE. We needed to get some miles under the boat and this will break up the trip to Guam. We will wait there until a window appears for the 350 mile hop. If a typhoon heads our way, we will jump back down to Yap. We expect to arrive in about 5 hours.


Sat Nov 16 10:30 2019 NZDT
GPS: 09 30.91N 138 07.35E
Weather: 0-5kts here in the anchorage, dead calm, partly cloudy, 27C

We had a ?Hippy Jam Session? last night aboard Field Trip. Our neighbors, self proclaimed hippies, came over toting a bunch of instruments, and we spent hours last night playing and singing aboard Field Trip. It was a blast?even though I am not musically inclined. Logged two dives yesterday, and spearfishing. Diving here is average, but we have not been to any of the ?good? sights just yet.


Fri Nov 15 9:30 2019 NZDT
GPS: 09 30.91N 138 07.35E
Weather: 0-5kts here in the anchorage, dead calm, partly cloudy, 27C

Yap is very low key, and that makes it nice. There is another boat here that arrived from PNG. Three POBs, all young, from Italy, France and China. They all met in NZ and started from there. We are having them over for dinner tonight. We?ll be staying here until the low passes early next week and then we will probably head over to Ulithi Atoll, and wait there for a window to Guam. We start diving today! My ears are better and we should be good to go.


Sun Nov 10 21:27 2019 NZDT
GPS: 09 30.91N 138 07.35E
Run: 28.8nm (52.1km)
Avg: 3.9knts
24hr: 92.8nm
Weather: 0-5kts here in the anchorage, dead calm, light drizzle, 27C

We arrived to Yap with no issues, and have cleared into the country, with the exception of Immigration. We will meet them tomorrow at their offices. They are having a Dengue outbreak, mainly on the outer islands, and some areas have been quarantined, and this villages are not allowed to travel to other islands. They seem to be taking it very seriously. Three deaths of children so far...


Sun Nov 10 14:00 2019 NZDT
Speed:
6.1kts
knts
GPS: 09 12.370N 137 50.39E
Run: 93.3nm (168.9km)
Avg: 5.9knts
24hr: 141.3nm
Weather: 4-7kts WSW, calm seas, partly cloudy, 27C

We had a good night of sailing, and then the winds dropped to about 5kts. We?ve had the engine on ever since, as the winds are very light out of the west. Sea calm with a slight swell. Our engines are not shipping until this week, so we will stop over in Yap for several weeks to a month or so, waiting for the next weather window to Guam and enjoy Yap. We still plan on returning to Yap from Guam on our sail back to Malaysia. All is well onboard, and we expect to arrive in the afternoon.


Sat Nov 9 22:09 2019 NZDT
Speed:
6kts
knts
GPS: 08 29.98N 136 40.56E
Run: 172.1nm (311.5km)
Avg: 21.4knts
24hr: 513.1nm
Weather: 8-10kts W, 1m swell, partly cloudy, 25C

Having a good sail today. Comfortable seas, light winds, mostly sunny skies. We expect the wind to start falling behind us soon?so that will slow us down a bit. We heard from Volvo our engines have not shipped yet?so we may stop at Yap for a month or so before heading up to Guam. More later.


Sat Nov 9 14:06 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5kts
knts
GPS: 07 20.393N 134 27.036E
Weather: 6-10kts SW, 1-1.3m swell from NW, partly cloudy, 25C

This is a correction to our Lat. Thanks Lanny from Swiftsure in letting my know I screwed up the N/S component?.We?ve had a decent trip so far. Less wind than expected. We were hoping for a bit more wind, but we?ve averaged less than 10 kts most of the way. The wind has been wobbly as we near the center of the low, so hopefully it will pick up a bit. Otherwise, all is well aboard as we head NE.


Sat Nov 9 9:54 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5kts
knts
GPS: 07 20.393N 134 27.036E
Run: 7.4nm (13.4km)
Weather: 6-10kts SW, 1-1.3m swell from NW, partly cloudy, 25C

We?ve had a decent trip so far. Less wind than expected. We were hoping for a bit more wind, but we?ve averaged less than 10 kts most of the way. The wind has been wobbly as we near the center of the low, so hopefully it will pick up a bit. Otherwise, all is well aboard as we head NE.


Fri Nov 8 13:57 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5.6
knts
GPS: 07 15.323N 134 31.00E
Run: 7.4nm (13.4km)
Weather: 5-7kts WSW, flat seas, partly cloudy, 25C

We?ve just left the pass in Palau and are heading NE to either YAP or Guam. We are waiting to hear back from Volvo if our engines are delayed?and if so, we?ll stop in Yap, otherwise we will continue on to Guam with this good weather window. Surprisingly we have only 5-7kts of wind out here. Yesterday at the same time around the corner we had 22-27kts of wind. We are in the lee, but we should be seeing more wind than this?hope it picks up! :)


Wed Nov 6 11:45 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 20.393N 134 27.036E
Weather: 10-15kts SW, flat seas in here, cloudy and rain, 25C

We are still at Sam?s location, and will be here for another day or two?.we are seriously considering taking this weather window and heading direct to Guam. More later, but that is our plan at the moment. Very messy we weather?but winds are favorable for a NE sail?...


Mon Nov 4 11:36 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 20.393N 134 27.036E
Run: 29nm (52.5km)
Weather: 10-15kts SW, flat seas, partly cloudy, 25C

We had a GREAT time in Peleliu, exploring the WWII relics and sites. We left yesterday for Koror, and had a nice sail with 15kts on the beam most of the 30NM to here. We?ll be here until later this week before checking out and heading to Yap. All is well.


Sat Nov 2 11:21 2019 NZDT
GPS: 06 59.096N 134 13.432E
Run: 11.8nm (21.4km)
Weather: 5-7kts NE, flat seas, partly cloudy, 25C

Yesterday was epic diving. Everyone was happy, especially Elizabeth and Sarah. They both said it was one of their best dives ever. 40+m water visibility, large manta rays swimming overhead, lots of sharks and schools of fish. We hated to leave, but the park pass was expiring and we needed to get going down to Peleliu. We are now anchored in the small harbor that was created during WWII. It?s very serene here, and we are looking forward to touring this historical island.


Fri Nov 1 10:45 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 07.904N 134 18.688E
Run: 1.5nm (2.7km)
Weather: 0-5kts NE, flat seas, partly cloudy, 27C

We moved over to Long Beach for the day/night to spend some time on the beach with the kids for Halloween. It was a fun night of costumes and trick or treat onboard. We?ll have one more dive this morning on German Wall, and then head down to Pelilieu and explore the WWII history.


Thu Oct 31 11:06 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 07.839N 134 17.411E
Run: 5.3nm (9.6km)
Weather: 5-7kts NE, flat seas, partly cloudy, 27C

We are anchored off the German Channel, and did a dive yesterday. To summarize the diving so far, we?ve been spoiled over the years. The diving here is good. The diving in other places so far is better, namely Indonesia, PNG and Solomon Islands. There are some dives we are not able to do that are known to be outstanding?like Blue Corner. We?re close to Blue Corner, but it?s a tricky current dive so we will pass on this dive for now.


Wed Oct 30 10:06 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 11.322N 134 14.422E
Run: 7nm (12.7km)
Weather: 0-5kts SW, flat seas, partly cloudy, 27C

This is called I believe Seven Islands. It is a nice spot with three beaches. Kids had fun playing in the afternoon. We are moving today since we want to dive and will be heading to German Channel for a couple of days. It is supposed to be great diving there.


Tue Oct 29 10:03 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 16.498N 134 17.712E
Weather: 5-7kts W, flat seas, partly cloudy, 27C

More good diving yesterday. This is a really nice spot, and we had some good rain last night to fill up the tanks. We?ll be moving this morning to what is called seven islands, and stay there for a couple of days, diving the wall and the kids playing on the beach. All is well.


Mon Oct 28 10:15 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 16.498N 134 17.712E
Run: 5.5nm (10km)
Weather: 5-7kts W, flat seas, partly cloudy, 27C

Sarah and E had a good dive yesterday in the Ulong Channel. My ears are still messed up so no diving for at least a week or two. Michael and I snorkeled the pass. It was similar to passes we?ve dived in PNG and Solomons. Nice pass, lots of fish, relatively clear water. More diving today and tomorrow here before we head south to German Channel for more diving.


Sat Oct 26 11:06 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 14.856N 134 22.219E
Run: 1.7nm (3.1km)
Weather: 5-7kts SW, flat seas, mostly cloudy with light drizzle, 27C

We moved over to ?Cemetery Cove?, a nice place near a good snorkeling spot. We?ll be here for a night or two before moving over to our next spot. It?s been rainy and cloudy, as forecast. Nice because it is cooler, but not so nice for snorkeling and diving as the light is not great.


Fri Oct 25 12:03 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 16.130N 134 22.956E
Weather: 5-7kts SW, flat seas, mostly cloudy, 27C

We had a decent night last night. It was a little rolly in here given the entrance and tide changes, but very mild, and overall OK. We will be moving today to another location and continue to explore this area. This whole area is very similar to Raja Ampat, Indonesia. There are also similarities to Fulanga, Fiji. All beautiful with similar landscape.


Thu Oct 24 18:12 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 16.130N 134 22.956E
Run: 6.7nm (12.1km)
Weather: 5-7kts SW, flat seas, partly cloudy, 29C

We finally left Sam?s Place and moved out to a nice spot as we start to explore the Rock Islands in Palau. It is beautiful here, and right behind the boat is a nice dive site and snorkeling spot.


Mon Oct 14 11:30 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 20.31N 134 27.036E
Run: 158.8nm (287.4km)
Weather: Clear skies, 1012.6 barometer, 26C, 0-5kts SW

We arrived no problems to Palau. I'm late on this entry. Officials were easy, and we cleared in about 15 minutes with all authorities. The biggest issue is price. It cost a total of $700 USD to clear, including the vessel tax, and everything else. Needless to say, very expensive to visit Palau, and it is only getting more expensive as the years click by. Next year it will cost $950 USD for us to clear...if we were to come back. That's not going to happen anytime soon. Too bad, as this place is pristine. The Discovery channel was here the past several days filming the red snapper spawing. It was supposed to be amazing...but we've not had a chance yet to jump in the water. We'll be here for about a month before heading north to Yap. All is well.


Wed Oct 9 11:06 2019 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 05 22.11N 133 15.62E
Run: 75.4nm (136.5km)
Avg: 3.7knts
24hr: 89.6nm
Weather: Clear skies, 1065.6 barometer, 26C, 10-12kts SW, lumpy seas, about 1m swell

We hoved to last night to stop the boat as we were going too fast and didn't want to arrive at night to Palau. We are now sailing again and should arrive around 8am tomorrow morning. We have 130NM left to sail, so we will still need to slow down a bit, but at least we will be arriving in the morning.


Tue Oct 8 14:54 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5.3kts
knts
GPS: 04 35.15N 132 29.91E
Run: 114.4nm (207.1km)
Avg: 4.6knts
24hr: 109.4nm
Weather: Cloudy skies, 1005.6 barometer, 26C, 8-10kts SW

IWe are still sailing, and have found the current to finally slow down and can now make better progress without the 1.5kts against us. We expect to arrive Thur AM, early. All is well.


Mon Oct 7 13:48 2019 NZDT
Speed:
3.8kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.62N 131 24.17E
Run: 100.4nm (181.7km)
Avg: 4.3knts
24hr: 103.4nm
Weather: Cloudy skies, 1007.6 barometer, 26C, 8-10kts SW

IWe finally have the motors off, and are now sailing. It's been hit and miss with the winds, more miss than a hit. We hope to be able to arrive by Friday at the latest saiing around 3-4kts with the winds behind us most of the way. Spinnaker was up yesterday and it was decent, but still only 6-8kts of wind.


Sun Oct 6 14:30 2019 NZDT
Speed:
4.2kts
knts
GPS: 02 43.94N 130 04.951E
Run: 192.9nm (349.1km)
Avg: 3.8knts
24hr: 91.9nm
Weather: Clear skies, 1009.5 barometer, 26C, 4-6kts SW

It's been motoring for the past 24 hours. Light winds, but beautiful weather. So far as expected. We'll get some building of winds soon as this low up north passes. We're tracking the low as it could form a typhoon and we are/will be in the middle of the passage to Palau with not much out here but space and lots of sea. So far no issues but we are watching closely. We expect to arrive to Palau late Thur or Friday AM sailing dependent...that is why we are motoring to get close enough to Palau so we can jump in and get shelfter if needed....


Fri Oct 4 12:06 2019 NZDT
Speed:
3.4kts
knts
GPS: 02 160.46N 128 04.40E
Run: 166.9nm (302.1km)
Avg: 6.7knts
24hr: 159.9nm
Weather: Clear skies, 1007.5 barometer, 26C, 3-5kts SW

We've had an intersteing couple of days. Friends of ours have engine problems on the monohull. The blew 2 impellers, and have some seawater cooling issues...so...we are currently towing them to Tobelo, about 50NM south to a port where they can fly out for spare parts to Singapore. Needless to say, they are stressed, but all is well. We've never towed a boat before with Field Trip, and she is doing fairly well. We are delayed in our departure to Palau. More later....


Thu Oct 3 11:03 2019 NZDT
GPS: 02 16.68N 127 46.74E
Run: 10.6nm (19.2km)
Weather: Clear skies, 1007.5 barometer, 26C, 3-5kts SW

We are at anchore here at Pulau Doi. It is beautiful here...no village, just fisherman and very nice clear water. We'll be here for another day or two waiting for the weather to pick up for our 500NM sail to Palau.


Wed Oct 2 15:33 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5.2kts
knts
GPS: 02 15.95N 127 37.56E
Run: 173.5nm (314km)
Avg: 6knts
24hr: 145.1nm
Weather: Cloudy skies, 1009.5 barometer, 26C, 3-5kts SW

We are almost to this small island where we will anchor for a couple of days waiting for weather. A cracking good sail for most of the way and then wind dropped to 0-5kts so motoring now


Tue Oct 1 10:51 2019 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 01 29.4260N 125 14.2654E
Run: 28.1nm (50.9km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 1012.6 barometer, 27C, 13-15kts SW

We are finally leaving the Lembeh Strait. It?s been fantastic here...with some of the best muck diving in the world. Incredible. We are now sailing to Palau via maybe one or two stops. Depends on weather...but for now we plan to arrive next week. All is well.


Thu Sep 12 11:21 2019 NZST
GPS: 01 29.24N 124 49.9E
Run: 7.4nm (13.4km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 1012.6 barometer, 27C, 13-15kts SW

We are anchored here at Manado, and it is a beautiful location. Good amenities on shore and overall calm. Only ding is the anchorage is DEEP. We are in 30m, and it drops of to 100m about 30m from our anchor. We have 110M out, and under the boat we are sitting at 40m as we swing off the shelf. The good news is the prevailing winds blow us off shore, so if we were to somehow drag (we would be drifting at sea with no issues.


Wed Sep 11 16:00 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.5kts
knts
GPS: 01 30.0N 124 43.5E
Run: 103.6nm (187.5km)
Avg: 4.4knts
24hr: 105.1nm
Weather: Sunny skies, 1011.1 barometer, 27C, 6-8kts W

We are about 8 NM from anchoring. We had a great night last night with good winds and a crisp sail. We should be anchoring in about two hours and get ready to check out this area for provisions and diving. The anchorage is steep and deep here, but should be OK for a night or two.


Tue Sep 10 16:21 2019 NZST
Speed:
2.8kts
knts
GPS: 01 39.0N 123 14.0E
Run: 202.4nm (366.3km)
Avg: 6.6knts
24hr: 159.3nm
Weather: Sunny skies, 1011.1 barometer, 27C, 4-6kts SSE

The sailing has been going well, even is a bit slow. It?s been beautiful weather, and we are enjoying the trip. We should arrive tomorrow at some point, depending on wind. Currently slow sailing at 2.5 - 3kts with 5-6kts of wind. All is well.


Mon Sep 9 9:51 2019 NZST
Speed:
6.7kts
knts
GPS: 01 58.40N 120 19.31E
Run: 118.5nm (214.5km)
Avg: 3.6knts
24hr: 86.2nm
Weather: Sunny skies, 1007.8 barometer, 25C, 2-4kts SSE

We left Maratha yesterday around noon, and so far have had a great sail. We?ve had to motor in small increments due to the wind dying out, but overall we?ve sailed most of the way so far to the NE corner of Sulawesi. We have about 280NM left, and should arrive in the AM on the 11th.


Sun Sep 8 0:51 2019 NZST
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 02 14.36N 118 37.653E
Run: 0.6nm (1.1km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 1009.2 barometer, 25C, 10-12kts SE

We?re still here at this atoll/island. It is beautiful here, with good diving and excellent scenery. This is a place you could easily spend a month. However, it will soon be time to move on, in the next day or two, to the next atoll about 30NM south of here.


Mon Sep 2 15:09 2019 NZST
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 02 14.84N 118 37.407E
Run: 147.3nm (266.6km)
Avg: 2.8knts
24hr: 67nm
Weather: Sunny skies, 1011.5 barometer, 25C, 10-12kts SE

We arrived safely yesterday morning to the atoll. It is beautiful here, and we are glad we had a great trip. We?ll probably be here for a week or maybe a bit more, as we explore this area, do some diving and then wait for a good window to head direct to Manado Sulawesi. There are about 20 boats here, most from the rally, using this as a stop enroute to their next stop. We are glad to be over with the rally...and hope they leave soon to give us some space. ;)


Sat Aug 31 10:21 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.8kts
knts
GPS: 04 07.97N 117 37.74E
Run: 85.4nm (154.6km)
Weather: Cloudy skies, 1007.1 barometer, 25C, 3-6ktsSE

We just picked up anchor here at Nunikan Island Indonesia. This was our first port to clear into the country and we are now officially ?not? with the rally. We are happy to be parting ways with the rally. It was not our deal, but we needed to do it to stay safe, so no complaints from there. We have about 135NM run to a beautiful atoll that is good for diving and relaxing. We will be there in about 24hrs, give or take depending on wind.


Tue Aug 20 10:51 2019 NZST
GPS: 04 35.73N 118 46.67E
Run: 65.3nm (118.2km)
Weather: Cloudy skies, light drizzle, 1007.5 barometer, 26C, 3-5kts NW

We are anchored here in a marine park, with the rest of the boats. The diving has been OK, but not great. However, we are seeing some amazing new nudibranchs, so that is good. We will be diving Sipidan tomorrow, for a total of three dives with the local dive operation. That should be good assuming the weather holds.


Tue Aug 13 10:51 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 05 27.3446N 119 10.30E
Run: 12.3nm (22.3km)
Weather: Clear skies, 1008.1 barometer, 28C, 3-6ktsSE

We are underway with 27 other boats, to our next stop in the ?ESSZONE? as it is called up here. Lots of security. We counted a total of 5 escort boats this morning as we sailed past the small village. All good, and looking forward to safer waters.... :)


Mon Aug 12 18:51 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 05 29.48N 118 59.8E
Run: 64.4nm (116.6km)
Weather: Clear skies, 1006.4 barometer, 28C, 12-15kts SE

We are sailing to our first ?high risk? anchorage with the 27 other yachts. The military and police are escorting with three black gun boats and one large cutter. We will anchor for the night and depart at 0500 for the highest risk area on the NE corner of Borneo. We?ll be in tight formation and should be fine. Otherwise, all is well.


Wed Aug 7 11:00 2019 NZST
GPS: 05 50.47N 118 07.73E
Run: 113.3nm (205.1km)
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1007.5 barometer, 29C, 3-5kts NW

We are still in Sandakan, on the northern tip of Borneo. We'll be leaving this morning (hurray) to head up to the Kinabantangan River to hopefully see the pygmy elephants, and other jungle animals. It is about 35NM from here, so should be an easy arrival with the group. We've really enjoyed Borneo...but not so mucn the rally. Ugh. Nothing worse than 28 boats being herded around to the same anchroages, under tight 2NMx4NM sailing box. Oh well, security is necessary, so it is what it is.


Thu Aug 1 9:09 2019 NZST
GPS: 07 06.9N 117 05.4E
Run: 101.6nm (183.9km)
Weather: Clear skies, 1007.5 barometer, 24C, 5-7kts SSW

We are at anchor, and have not officially started the ESCOM (military) escort around the top of Borneo. We are with 29 other yachts, and making this trip. It will take three weeks and we will have various stops along the way. I?m on the 4-6am night watch here in the anchorage. We have a coast guard vessel anchored on our SB side. There are also black military inflatables patrolling the water. So far so good. If not tune into CNN for an update. :)


Wed Jul 24 11:18 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.5
knts
GPS: 06 02.1N 116 05.21E
Run: 67.8nm (122.7km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 1011.1 barometer, 28C, 5-7kts SSW

We are on the move again from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia up to Kudat Malaysia. We were in an outstanding marina for the past 5 days. Fully equipped with 2 large swimming pools, covered tennis course, full gym, golf course, billiard hall, Brunswick bowling lanes, 4 proper restaurants. It?s the nicest marina we?ve ever been too. Hard to believe it was in Borneo!!!


Mon Jul 15 15:09 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.9
knts
GPS: 05 21.1N 115 22.8E
Run: 31.9nm (57.7km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 1007.6 barometer, 31C, 5-7kts SSW

We are underway from Labuan, Malaysia to the small islands called Pulau Tiga. It is here that the first Survivor series was filmed, and is supposed to be beautiful...with some good diving. We should arrive around 4pm today.


Thu Jul 11 11:06 2019 NZST
GPS: 05 0.2N 115 41.1E
Weather: Sunny skies, 1009.6 barometer, 27C, 0-5kts W

We are leaving Brunei this morning and sailing over to Labuan. We hope to arrive in Labuan by lunchtime, as it?s only 20 miles. We just haven?t really clicked with Brunei. Lots of reasons, none relating to the news about Sharia over the past couple of months. Regardless, we wouldn?t recommend this stop in the future assuming you spent time in Miri, Malaysia - which is GREAT.


Tue Jul 9 12:30 2019 NZST
GPS: 05 0.2N 115 41.1E
Weather: Sunny skies, 10010.3 barometer, 27C, 0-5kts W

We?ve been getting a weird vibe here in Brunei. Not sure how to describe it, but it?s very laid back, lots of the local women are obese, and while friendly, I would not call it warm as in Indonesia or Sarawak. For being a ?wealthy? country, the roads are fairly dilapidated compared to Malaysia.


Mon Jul 8 11:03 2019 NZST
GPS: 05 0.2N 115 41.1E
Run: 125.5nm (227.2km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 10011.1 barometer, 28C, 6-8kts SE

We had a great time in Miri, Malaysia, and are now in Brunei. We arrived yesterday afternoon after a great trip up here from Miri. We?ll be here for maybe a week or less, before heading to Labuan, Malaysia.


Sat Jun 29 11:27 2019 NZST
GPS: 04 23.17N 113 58.3E
Weather: Sunny skies, 1009.3 barometer, 28C, 6-8kts SE

We are still here at the marina, and enjoying our time getting things done. We fly out this morning and will be going to Mulu National Park, an UNESCO world heritage site for 4 days. It is in the middle of the jungle, and has some amazing caves and things to do with the kids. We return back to Field Trip on July 2nd.


Tue Jun 25 10:48 2019 NZST
GPS: 04 23.17N 113 58.3E
Run: 70.8nm (128.1km)
Weather: Sunny skies, 1009.3 barometer, 28C, 6-8kts SE

We are in the Miri Marina. We arrived yesterday morning after a night on the hook near the entrance. It is a decent Marina with easy access to town via Grab. There are lots of boats here that are part of the Borneo rally, probably 25 so far. About 40 in total are going around the top with military escort. All is well and we will get on boat projects this morning....


Sun Jun 23 14:18 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.3kts
knts
GPS: 03 58.9N 113 01.7E
Run: 142nm (257km)
Avg: 5.9knts
24hr: 142nm
Weather: Cloudy skies, rain, 1009.8 barometer, 30C, 6-8kts SE

The past 24hours we?ve been able to sail. Last night was a decent night, but we went through a large area of offshore oil platforms that were full of supply barges, over 20 in total, out pulling their loads. It was a little bit of dodging the barges last night, and the squalls. Fortunately all the action was during my 12-6am watch, so Sarah slept well. :)


Sat Jun 22 14:18 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 02 56.9N 111 15.0E
Run: 106.4nm (192.6km)
Avg: 6.2knts
24hr: 148.5nm
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 1009.1 barometer, 32C, 7-9kts SE

We?ve had a good motor sail...but over the past 12 hours, only enough wind to barely sail with 4-7kts from directly behind...so we chose to run the engine to make some progress. Now we are sailing with 8kts at 120 AWA with our big sail up. We plan to arrive Monday morning early if all goes well. :)


Fri Jun 21 21:06 2019 NZST
GPS: 01 42.84N 110 19.72E
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 1007.6 barometer, 27C, 5-7kts SW

This is about stopover anchorage for the next four hours as we wait until this evening before heading out for a direct sail to Miri, Malaysi. This sail is about 350NM and will take us two days.


Thu Jun 20 10:45 2019 NZST
GPS: 01 42.84N 110 19.72E
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 1010.3 barometer, 27C, no wind

We spent yesterday being tourists, and went to the national park to see some Orangutans, and then to a cultural village that highlighted how the local tribes of Borneo once lived in the jungle. It was very interesting and the kids had a great time.


Wed Jun 19 10:18 2019 NZST
GPS: 01 42.84N 110 19.72E
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 1007.6 barometer, 29C, 4-6kts WSW

Yesterday we explored downtown Kuching with the family and had a great time. This morning we are off to visit the Orangutans in the jungle along with a cultural village that show how the jungle ?tribes? of Borneo live and survive off the land. Kids are excited!


Tue Jun 18 9:30 2019 NZST
GPS: 01 42.84N 110 19.72E
Run: 102.4nm (185.3km)
Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 1007.6 barometer, 29C, 4-6kts WSW

We arrived no issues to Kuching, Malaysia. Yesterday we checked into the country and explored the town. This is a beautiful place, tucked into the jungle do Borneo. This morning we are off to see the Orangutans, and explore the city river walk. We?ll be here for another several days as we explore the area before heading to a national park via the boat.


Sat Jun 15 22:51 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.8kts
knts
GPS: 02 35.13N 109 07.79E
Run: 35.5nm (64.3km)
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1007.5 barometer, 29C, 3-5kts NW

We are underway, on the final leg to Kuching, Malaysia. We should arrive before noon tomorrow. We have flat seas and virtually no wind. We are motoring, with the main up...but the wind is mainly behind us at the moment.


Fri Jun 14 21:57 2019 NZST
GPS: 02 55.68N 108 44.79E
Run: 35.8nm (64.8km)
Avg: 5.4knts
24hr: 129.2nm
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1007.0 barometer, 29C, 3-5kts SSE

We just arrived to this spot for an overnight anchorage. We are not even sure if this island is Indonesia or Malaysia. :) We had a great sail here. It's now dead calm with sunny skies and 4:50pm. We'll be off tomorrow for another anchorage that Elizabeth wants to visit about 14NM from here. All well.


Fri Jun 14 15:18 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.5kts
knts
GPS: 03 00.80N 108 14.11E
Run: 139.9nm (253.2km)
Avg: 3.4knts
24hr: 82.2nm
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1010.3 barometer, 29C, 7-10kts SSE

We are underway, heading towards Kuching, Malaysia. We will stop along the way, for a night or two at an outer island. We've have great wind, until now. It has slowed down, and changed direction, making it a bit harder to head ESE. We plan to arrive at the first stop later today. It will be about 170NM from Tarempa.


Wed Jun 12 22:27 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 13.16N 106 13.15E
Run: 15.8nm (28.6km)
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1009.5 barometer, 29C, 0-5kts ENE

We arrived back to Tarempa to clear out of Indonesia for Malaysia. We will finish the process tomorrow and then leave for Kuching. All is well...sad to leave the Anambas Islands. It's beautiful here.


Tue Jun 11 20:15 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 14.93N 106 26.78E
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1010 barometer, 29C, 0-5kts SE

We are still here, and sad to say the diving is very poor in this location. It looks nice on the satellite imagery, but the coral is dead, in some cases knocked down by fisherman using explosives. Overall, not good. We plan to leave tomorrow for Tarempa to check out and then sail towards Kuching later this week.


Mon Jun 10 15:03 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 14.93N 106 26.78E
Run: 10nm (18.1km)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1010 barometer, 29C, 0-5kts SE

We've moved to a new anchorage. Let's just say it is like the Swiss Family Robinsons here. We met a very nice family, at the recommendation of our friends on Il Sogno, who live here with two kids. They are a French/Dutch couple that are living as 'Hunter Gatherers". In summary, they are subsiting off the land as much as possible, don't cook any food (yes, they eat raw everyting, from pork, to chicken, to whatever they find to eat). It was a fun converstaion yesterday about their lifestyle, and we will spend more time with them over the next several days. The kids hit it off very quickly and are excited to have some new playmates.


Sat Jun 8 12:12 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 23.57N 106 26.87E
Run: 57.1nm (103.4km)
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, light drizzle, 1008 barometer, 29C, 0-5kts SE

We are now anchored at a new place, and unfortunately there are six boats here. Ugh. Most are part of the Indo rally and will be heading off today/tomororw. The diving yesterday was OK, but not great. We hope to find some more spots that will be in the 'great' category. :)


Tue Jun 4 11:00 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 6.4N 105 40.334E
Run: 0.9nm (1.6km)
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, 1008.6 barometer, 31C, 4-6kts WSW

The weather has taken a dive, and we?ve had cloudy days the past two days. Yesterday was rain almost all day, while good for the water tanks, not as good for diving as we generally don?t dive if there are squalls and lightening in the area. So, we got in one dive in the morning, and then spent the rest of the day aboard, reading, working on photos and videos, etc. Today we?ll do one more dive before heading out to another spot.


Sun Jun 2 20:42 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 07.16N 105 40.56E
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, light drizzle, 1007.5 barometer, 29C, 0-5kts N

We are still here at the same spot. It's a bit rolly now as the wind switched to the N with a squall. It should settle down over the next couple of hours. We also did a couple more dives, all good, and some great photos.


Sat Jun 1 11:42 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 07.16N 105 40.56E
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1009.5 barometer, 29C, 0-5kts ENE

We had a another good day of diving and exploring the islands. We'll be here for another couple of days before we have to start moving east. Today will be more diving and some drone footage of the surrounding areas.


Fri May 31 12:48 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 07.16N 105 40.56E
Run: 11.9nm (21.5km)
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1009.5 barometer, 31C, 0-5kts ENE

We found our spot. This is the best anchorage we have been in in over a year. It's beautiful, stunning coral, lots of fish, sandy bottom for anchor and outstanding scenery. We did a great dive and lots of snorkeling yesteday. The islands around us are deserted, and there is a lot of exploring to do. We'll be here for a while.... :)


Thu May 30 14:18 2019 NZST
Speed:
5kts
knts
GPS: 03 6.96N 105 50.872E
Run: 7.3nm (13.2km)
Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 1009.6 barometer, 38C, 4-6kts WSW

We had two days of excellent diving, and are now underway to our next stop about 15nm away. The diving there is supposed to be excellent, so we will see. It?ll be hard to beat the last spot. The weather overall has been great. We had a good squall yesterday afternoon that filled our tanks. Looks like we may get another afternoon squall.


Wed May 29 11:30 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 5.618N 105 57.032E
Run: 18.3nm (33.1km)
Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 1010 barometer, 38C, 4-6kts SW

We moved over to here yesterday enroute to one of the top diving areas in this location. I dove our anchor and found some very interesting coral formations I?ve never seen before. Water was not super clear, but still a nice dive. We?ll stay here for another day, explore the outside diving and then head over to our next stop. So far we are loving the Anambas islands and the remote, beautiful cruising grounds.


Mon May 27 10:51 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 20.38N 106 2.9E
Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 1008.7 barometer, 37C, 4-6kts SW

We logged two dives yesterday and enjoyed the warm, clear water. The coral is pristine...but there are not a lot of fish. Hmmm...hope we find a spot that has both fish and coral. :). We?ll be moving back to the main town this afternoon to finish clearing with the port captain before we find another spot. Nice to be in a secluded anchorage!!


Sun May 26 11:24 2019 NZST
GPS: 03 20.38N 106 2.9E
Run: 98.4nm (178.1km)
Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 1009.5 barometer, 30C, 4-6kts SW

We arrived to the main town at 9am yesterday and was able to checking and do all but the port captain (closed until Monday). The formalities were very easy and everyone was nice. We then moved to our new spot, Turtle Island, for some solitude and diving. We were able to get in one dive yesterday afternoon and check out the anchor. The water is 31 degrees and 40m+ in visibility. More diving today.


Fri May 24 13:54 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.3kts
knts
GPS: 02 10.70N 105 13.5E
Run: 91nm (164.7km)
Avg: 5.8knts
24hr: 139.6nm
Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 1012.7 barometer, 31C, 4-6kts SW

It was a tough watch last night. Sarah said it was her most stressful ever. Lots of boat traffic, fishing boats dragging nets, squalls, etc. We had 105 AIS targets on the screen at one time. Needless to say, it was not a relaxing night. How things are much better. Sunny skies, calm seas and no boats anywhere. We?ll have to slow down to arrive in the light for tomorrow. Otherwise, all is going well.


Thu May 23 22:15 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.8kts
knts
GPS: 01 15.70N 104 16.78E
Run: 61.1nm (110.6km)
Avg: 5.5knts
24hr: 132.1nm
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, 1009.3 barometer, 31C, 4-6kts SE

We?ve just passed Singapore, and are now getting close to a course change for a direct run to the Anambas Islands, Indonesia. It has been very uneventful, while a lot of traffic, still all good. Our friends on another boat were struck by lightening yesterday in Singapore, and will not be making the Anambas islands with us. We expect to arrive early Saturday morning.


Thu May 23 11:09 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.4kts
knts
GPS: 01 11.99N 103 23.83E
Run: 193.5nm (350.2km)
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, 1011.3 barometer, 30C, 4-6kts NE

We are underway to Anambas Islands. We are just south of Singapore and heading across the straight. It?s early morning and VERY busy with traffics. All is well..


Sat May 18 23:54 2019 NZST
GPS: 02 53.10N 101 09.616E
Run: 97.1nm (175.8km)
Avg: 8knts
24hr: 192.6nm
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1010.9 barometer, 27C, 4-6kts NE

We just anchored. 12 hours of motorsailing and we chewed off 88NM! We were ripping today and had some good current. We?ll overnight here and then get off early in the morning for Port Dickson.


Sat May 18 11:48 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.65kts
knts
GPS: 04 10.10N 100 35.16E
Run: 155.9nm (282.2km)
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1010.5 barometer, 27C, 4-6kts NE

It?s been a long time since our last update. In short we were on the hard and getting our new coppercoat applied at Pangkor Marina in Malaysia. We had time with old friends, some we had not seen in years. Scotia, Perry, Gai and others were all at the marina. It was fun to catch up. Now we are on the way south to Ananbas Isalnds Indonesia. It will take a while as we have to transit the Malacca Straight, and that is tricky and can?t be done easily at night given the fishing nets, and general crap in the water.


Mon Apr 15 13:57 2019 NZST
GPS: 06 18.10N 99 51.00E
Run: 34.3nm (62.1km)
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 10013.5 barometer, 33C, 0-5kts ENE

We are checking into Malaysia, and are now in the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. We'll be here for a day or two before moving forward to Penang. All is well...and it is hot!.


Sun Apr 14 11:12 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.1kts
knts
GPS: 06 26.77N 99 22.30E
Run: 77.8nm (140.8km)
Avg: 2.7knts
24hr: 63.8nm
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1009.5 barometer, 30C, 0-5kts ENE

We made it to Koh Lipe Thailand. We had about 2-3 hours to spare on the port engine...so all it good. We bought overpriced diesel last night onshore ($5 USD gallon), and then had Thai food for dinner, a good nights rest and now we are motoring on to Langkawi. We expect to arrive in about 5 hours, and will top up with fuel and clear into Malaysia.


Sat Apr 13 5:57 2019 NZST
Speed:
4.4kts
knts
GPS: 06 15.50N 98 15.30E
Run: 68.5nm (124km)
Avg: 6.8knts
24hr: 163.6nm
Weather: Mostly clear skies, 1012.5 barometer, 30C, 0-5kts ENE

We are still motor sailing. The wind has been little at best. We found out this afternoon that our fuel levels on the SB side were lower by 80L than expected. :-) In other words, we ran out of fuel on that side. Not a huge problem, but we are fighting more current and having to motor more than expected when we left Thailand...so our fuel consumption has been a lot higher. We did not wait for wind, as the forecast was showing similar conditions for the next week, and we had to leave due to visas. So, we are cutting it close of fuel and hope to find some in Koh Lipe, a small island about 30NM from Langkawi. If not, we'll end up slowly sailing the rest of the way if we get low on fuel on the SB side. Otherwise, all is well.


Fri Apr 12 19:54 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.4kts
knts
GPS: 06 09.60N 97 15.80E
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1015.8 barometer, 30C, 0-5kts ENE

We've had a good 24hrs. Unfortunately, it's been all motor, but we expected that given the forecast. The biggest challenge has been countercurrent, knocking us down a knot over the past 20 hours. Now the current has subsided, so we are back on at 5kt+ motor. We are now planning to stop at Koh Lipe, Thailand on the way to Langkawi. We will arrive tomorrow around noon, grab some good Thai food and a massage...before continuing to Langkawi in the morning. Koh Lipe is only about 40NM from Kua, our port of clearance, so this gives us a nice stop for the night before getting to Langkawi.


Fri Apr 12 16:54 2019 NZST
Speed:
5.4kts
knts
GPS: 06 09.60N 97 15.80E
Run: 134.3nm (243.1km)
Avg: 4.7knts
24hr: 113.9nm
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1015.8 barometer, 30C, 0-5kts ENE

We've had a good 24hrs. Unfortunately, it's been all motor, but we expected that given the forecast. The biggest challenge has been countercurrent, knocking us down a knot over the past 20 hours. Now the current has subsided, so we are back on at 5kt+ motor. We are now planning to stop at Koh Lipe, Thailand on the way to Langkawi. We will arrive tomorrow around noon, grab some good Thai food and a massage...before continuing to Langkawi in the morning. Koh Lipe is only about 40NM from Kua, our port of clearance, so this gives us a nice stop for the night before getting to Langkawi.


Thu Apr 11 12:36 2019 NZST
Speed:
5kts
knts
GPS: 05 54.62N 95 19.52E
Run: 5.2nm (9.4km)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1010.8 barometer, 20C, 0-5kts ENE

We are finally underway from Sabang, and now heading to Langkawi. It was a wonderful 3 weeks here, and we are VERY sad to be leaving. We expect almost no wind, and will have to motor, but it is what it is, and we are now underway.


Wed Mar 20 3:15 2019 NZDT
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 05 52.85N 95 15.33E
Run: 105.5nm (191km)
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 1012.1 barometer, 27C, 0-5kts ENE

We are at anchor, arriving yesterday to Sabang around noon. We had a great checkin experience, with all the officials arriving at one time to the boat. We literally had 10 officials onboard doing the checkin process. For Indonesia, that was REALLY efficient. I was shocked. We even did a time lapse video for fun...showing all the commotion with the folks on and off Field Trip. We are just getting settled into the anchorage and are VERY happy to be back. I did my first dive in the afternoon, all is great!! :)


Sun Mar 17 23:30 2019 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 06 42.50N 96 32.72E
Run: 98.2nm (177.7km)
Avg: 5.8knts
24hr: 139nm
Weather: Clear skies, 1010.1 barometer, 27C, 10-13kts ENE

We've been having a smashing good sail. Using our Parasailor and 10-15kts out of the east with sunny skies and following seas. All is going well and we are actually ahead of schedule. We have spaghetti for dinner and everyone is comfortable and happy. :-)


Sun Mar 17 6:33 2019 NZDT
Speed:
5.3kts
knts
GPS: 07 27.317N 97 45.786E
Run: 46.8nm (84.7km)
Avg: 4.3knts
24hr: 103.5nm
Weather: Clear skies, 1010.2 barometer, 27, 5-7kts NE

We are on a rhumb line at the moment for Sabang. We just flicked on the engines as the wind is around 6kts out of the NNE and giving us a slow broad reach. It is calm and beautiful out here tonight. All is well.


Sat Mar 16 19:42 2019 NZDT
Speed:
3.9kts
knts
GPS: 07 47.897N 98 21.099E
Run: 80.5nm (145.7km)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1013.2 barometer, 31, 8-10kts NE

Finally, we are leaving Thailand!!!!!. We are heading out for Sabang Indonesia, one of our favorite spots in Sumatra. We will be there for about two weeks, and then continue our sail towards Malaysia. The BIG news for Field Trip is this journey begins our sail to Guam. Yep, we are heading to Guam to get new Volvo engines installed...for free...as part of the US emissions recall. So, our plans have changed dramatically, and we are now beginning a 6,000NM round trip from SE Asia to Guam and then back.


Wed Feb 20 16:09 2019 NZDT
GPS: 08 49.571N 97 47.917E
Run: 140.9nm (255km)
Avg: 5.3knts
24hr: 126.2nm
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1013.2 barometer, 28C, 0-5kts NE

We logged three more dives yesterday here in the Similans. One of the dives in particular was very unique and beautiful with large boulders and lots of fish. We got some good photos. We are now at the next island north - Ko Bon - and will be here until tomorrow AM, when we need to head back towards Phuket for boat projects. Bummed, as we would like to spend another week up here diving, but must get back to reality of getting items fixed while we have good vendor options in the marina. The weather by the way has been outstanding. Sunny skies every day, 0-5kts and perfect diving conditions!


Tue Feb 19 13:21 2019 NZDT
GPS: 08 39.925N 9]7 38.611E
Run: 6106nm (11051.9km)
Avg: 40706.7knts
24hr: 976960nm
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1013.2 barometer, 28C, 0-5kts NE

For most of the last month we've been in boat project mode, with some guests aboard for a week for diving and exploring. We are now on the move, currently in the Similan Islands diving with another boat. We've been logging three dives a day up here for the past two days. The diving is only 'OK', but any diving for us is good diving. We did have one of the better dives yesterday in the area. It was very good, but still nothing compared to Indonesia or PNG or the Solomons. So far, in all of Thailand the best diving has been in Ko Haa, an island group between Langkawi and Phuket. More updates this week as we move around and explore this island chain.


Tue Feb 19 13:21 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 12.948N 99 03.722E
Run: 6106nm (11051.9km)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1015.2 barometer, 28C, 10-12kts NE

We are anchored at Ko Rok, and had two good dives today. Our friends Laura and James are aboard, and we've been diving every day for the past two days. We are moving up tomorrow morning to Ko Haa, and will spend probably two days there diving, before we set sail for Ao Chalong to check into Thailand.


Tue Feb 19 13:12 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 12.948N 99 03.722E
Run: 6106nm (11051.9km)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1015.2 barometer, 28C, 10-12kts NE

We are anchored at Ko Rok, and had two good dives today. Our friends Laura and James are aboard, and we've been diving every day for the past two days. We are moving up tomorrow morning to Ko Haa, and will spend probably two days there diving, before we set sail for Ao Chalong to check into Thailand.


Tue Feb 19 13:12 2019 NZDT
GPS: 08 39.925N 9]7 38.611E
Run: 6168.9nm (11165.7km)
Avg: 7.6knts
24hr: 181.3nm
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1013.2 barometer, 28C, 0-5kts NE

For most of the last month we've been in boat project mode, with some guests aboard for a week for diving and exploring. We are now on the move, currently in the Similan Islands diving with another boat. We've been logging three dives a day up here for the past two days. The diving is only 'OK', but any diving for us is good diving. We did have one of the better dives yesterday in the area. It was very good, but still nothing compared to Indonesia or PNG or the Solomons. So far, in all of Thailand the best diving has been in Ko Haa, an island group between Langkawi and Phuket. More updates this week as we move around and explore this island chain.


Wed Jan 16 12:45 2019 NZDT
GPS: 06 18.101N 99 51.00E
Run: 1nm (1.8km)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1011.2 barometer, 28C, 0-5kts NE

We moved to the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club to get some more boat projects done. The new sails are on the boat, autopilot is fixed and we are working on other projects before our friends arrive Friday afternoon and we head back to Thailand.


Fri Jan 11 1:48 2019 NZDT
GPS: 06 18.872N 99 50.55E
Run: 148.4nm (268.6km)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 1012.2 barometer, 28C, 10-12kts NE

We arrived to Langkawi this afternoon after a two day 'hop' from Phuket. It was an overall uneventful sail outside of the wind gusts we got towards Langkawi. Our autopilot parts arrived today here at the marina, so I'll be repairing the autopilot tomorrow. There are a lot of boats here for sure...and we met a nice family with two teenagers who just bought a boat and are starting their journey.


Sat Jan 5 15:18 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 49.51N 98 18.25E
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 1011, 0-5 kts W, calm anchorage

The good news is the tropical storm was a dud. We never saw wind over 16kts, and it drizzled. We could get more rain today as the storm continues to pass, and the winds turn, but it's been very very calm. We actually are hoping for some rain as we would like to fill our tanks. Maybe later today....


Sat Jan 5 3:30 2019 NZDT
GPS: 07 49.51N 98 18.25E
Run: 3.5nm (6.3km)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1012, 10 kts NW, calm anchorage

We moved back to Ao Chalong to get into a better position for the tropical storm. This is the first storm like this to hit this area of Thailand in over 50 years. We are in a good position assuming the storm eye stays north of us. If it moves south, we will need to move a bit to get protected from easterly winds. Here is a link to a 360 Panorama that I took this morning with our drone: https://kuula.co/post/7YvTd .


Sat Dec 29 16:09 2018 NZDT
GPS: 07 46.48N 98 18.25E
Run: 5.1nm (9.2km)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1019, 0-5 kts NE, calm anchorage

We have been in Nai Harn bay for about a week. It's a nice place, with a good beach and decent surf. The kids have been ashore almost daily surfing the waves with their body boards. The food is also good here although there are a ton of tourists this time of year so it is very busy. We've been working hard to get boat projects finished while still trying to enjoy the holidays. We will be here for another day or so before we head out to maybe Padang Beach for New Years. All is well.


Fri Dec 21 13:45 2018 NZDT
GPS: 07 49.44N 98 21.54E
Run: 30.7nm (55.6km)
Avg: 307knts
24hr: 7368nm
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1019, 0-5 kts NE, calm anchorage

We are currently anchored in Ao Chalong. It's been a VERY busy week, with lots of boat projects, time in a Marina - the first time since NZ over 2 years ago, and getting to know Thailand. We made fast friends with Erik on another Antares who lives in Phuket. He's been VERY helpful for us and made our search for vendors much easier. Our list of boat projects include: new tubes for our dinghy, new cockpit enclosures, new upholstery throughout the boat, new set of sails, some woodwork fixes, and misc items that are not working that need to be fixed. It's going to be a busy month before more guests arrive. We've enjoyed having friends aboard, and are now enjoying getting back into our normal routines with school and projects. Overall we like Thailand (a bit more expensive than expected), but overall a nice area. We still prefer Indonesia...but that may change over time. :-)


Fri Dec 21 13:39 2018 NZDT
GPS: 08 11.47N 98 36.64E
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1017, 5 kts NE, calm anchorage

We've been exploring the Phang Na area of Thailand with our friends. It's been a busy but fun several days. We will be heading to the marina today so we can drop them off for their flights tomorrow night. All is well.


Wed Dec 12 15:33 2018 NZDT
GPS: 08 11.47N 98 36.64E
Run: 10660.2nm (19295km)
Avg: 144.3knts
24hr: 3464.4nm
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1017, 5 kts NE, calm anchorage

We've been exploring the Phang Na area of Thailand with our friends. It's been a busy but fun several days. We will be heading to the marina today so we can drop them off for their flights tomorrow night. All is well.


Sun Dec 9 13:42 2018 NZDT
GPS: 07 48.6N 978 21.24E
Run: 10792.5nm (19534.4km)
Avg: 282.2knts
24hr: 6771.7nm
Weather: Partly cloudy, 1015, 5 kts NE, calm anchorage

We arrived to Phuket yesterday around 3.30pm after 30 hours of hand steering. It was really no issue as we had enough crew in rotation to make it easy. We are now checking into Phuket this morning and plan on exploring as much as possible with our friends before they leave on Friday evening.


Fri Dec 7 23:27 2018 NZDT
Speed:
3.4kts
knts
GPS: 07 01.1N 97 05.05E
Run: 148.2nm (268.2km)
Avg: 19.2knts
24hr: 461.9nm
Weather: light rain, 26C, 13-17kts NE, 1012 pressure

Well, we had our autopilot go on the blink. We are getting a short somewhere in the system and it is tripping out breaker. I looked at it for an hour to no avail, so will wait until we are in flat water and I can pull the unit to check it out. So, we are hand steering the last 24 hours of the sail. Good news is we have plenty of crew aboard to help, so it is going OK. We'll be arriving tomorrow late afternoon at this rate to Phuket. Winds are also a little stronger than we expected and the forecasts were a bit off from our departure so it is more of a bash now, but all is well.


Fri Dec 7 15:45 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 52.8N 95 15.32E
Run: 87.5nm (158.4km)
Weather: mostly sunny, 26C, no wind, 1010 pressure

We've finally checked out of Indonesia with the boat. We are back at our anchorage for another night or two before we head to Thailand. Kate's mom is finishing her open water course today, and we'll get the bottom of the boat cleaned. The weather is looking reasonably good for the trip. While not loads of wind, it is at least not a full 200NM bash..so that is good.


Fri Dec 7 15:45 2018 NZDT
Speed:
4.4kts
knts
GPS: 06 31.1N 96 21.32E
Run: 87.5nm (158.4km)
Weather: light rain, 26C, 12kts NE, 1012 pressure

We left around 10am yesterday for Phuket, Thailand with 7 POB. The sail has been overall very good, with vairable winds, and mostly motoring. That is OK given the winds are normally out of the NE, and we are heading NE....so all is well aboard. We literally just had a wind shift of 180 degrees from a dead run at 12kts to 12kts on the nose. We expect to arrive to Phuket Saturday late morning if all goes well.


Mon Dec 3 15:06 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 52.8N 95 15.32E
Weather: mostly sunny, 26C, no wind, 1013 pressure

Good news is everyone is back in the water and ears are fine. I finished the Rescue Diver course. Probably one of the best courses I've taken in a very long time. It was rigorous and fun. I was very tired after all the scenarios and 'search and rescue' components, but glad to be finished and have it off my list. We did a half day tour around the island on rented motorbikes. It was great fun. Some are doing a night dive tonight and Kate's mom is in the middle of her open water class. Weather has been outstanding.


Thu Nov 29 13:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 52.8N 95 15.32E
Weather: mostly sunny, 26C, no wind, 1014 pressure

Kate's ear infection is still going strong. She went to the hospital yesterday and was told to take essentially the same meds she is currently taking. Hopefully it will clear up by this weekend. I finished the first of four days for Rescue Diver. It was an intense day, but a lot of fun as well. The weather has been great, sunny skies and warm weather. In the afternoon, the kids spotted a forming waterspout, but fortunately it didn't make it to the anchorage.


Wed Nov 28 13:57 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 52.8N 95 15.32E
Run: 2764.6nm (5003.9km)
Avg: 55292knts
24hr: 1327008nm
Weather: mostly sunny, 26C, no wind, 1016 pressure

Elizabeth finished her Advanced Open Water certification yesterday. She was excited. Kate still has an ear infection, so hopefully after the antibiotics and meds she will be better later this week. The diving here is good, and I hate to see her miss a great opportunity. We have some friends coming to town Friday as well, so we are excited to have more arrivals. We've really enjoyed this location, and plan on coming back for a month or two next year while I get my DiveMaster certification. We hope to have our friends from Lumbaz join us for a week or two up here as well...as we know they'll love this spot and the diving. Our plans are to be here until late next week, when the winds start to change for Phuket. All is well.


Wed Nov 28 13:54 2018 NZDT
GPS: 045 52.8N 95 15.32E
Weather: mostly sunny, 26C, no wind, 1016 pressure

Elizabeth finished her Advanced Open Water certification yesterday. She was excited. Kate still has an ear infection, so hopefully after the antibiotics and meds she will be better later this week. The diving here is good, and I hate to see her miss a great opportunity. We have some friends coming to town Friday as well, so we are excited to have more arrivals. We've really enjoyed this location, and plan on coming back for a month or two next year while I get my DiveMaster certification. We hope to have our friends from Lumbaz join us for a week or two up here as well...as we know they'll love this spot and the diving. Our plans are to be here until late next week, when the winds start to change for Phuket. All is well.


Mon Nov 26 4:24 2018 NZDT
GPS: 045 52.8N 95 15.32E
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, no wind, 1015 pressure

Michael and Kate finished their Open Water certificates. Michael was beaming all day. It was great. We logged three dives today, including a night dive. The fish here are dense and diverse. Some of the largest populations of fish I've seen in a very very long time. We have our Emergency First Response certifications probably tomorrow and then Rescue Diver Tuesday- Friday. It will be a busy week for sure, but we are having a blast meeting new people and exploring. Four boats arrived here in the past 24 hours. A couple of them we were diving with in Komodo earlier this year. All are heading to Langkawi or Phuket in the next week or so.


Sat Nov 24 13:36 2018 NZDT
GPS: 045 52.8N 95 15.32E
Run: 2866nm (5187.5km)
Avg: 24.5knts
24hr: 588.7nm
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, no wind, 1011 pressure

Oops. I was remiss in giving an updated on our safe arrival several days ago. We've been so immersed in our surrounding, diving and exploring that I've been skipping the updates. Michael and Kate are taking their Open Water certifications. They finish their class today. It's been great to see them both enjoy the chalenge. The water is outstanding here with clarity and fish. The reef is not great, but everything else is good, much better than our stops along the west coast of Sumatra. We found the reefs better in Mentawai (so far), but the sheer volume of fish here and variety is great. I'll be doing my Rescue Diver this week, Sarah and E will get up to Advanced, and maybe Rescue if they are up for it. We have more friends arriving Friday, so we are hoping to get our extra certifications finished before they arrive. We plan on being here until probably the second week in December before leaving given the current weather patterns. All is well!


Mon Nov 19 16:45 2018 NZDT
Speed:
6.1kts
knts
GPS: 04 24.8N 95 24.8E
Run: 159.5nm (288.7km)
Avg: 6.4knts
24hr: 153.1nm
Weather: light rain, 24C, 1014.9 pressure, 5-7 kts SSW, 1.5m SW swelll.

We've been having a good overall sail/motor. We caught a nice wahoo yesterday and had that for dinner. This morning, after my watch, we got smashed with a 30kt squall. It was 12NM x 24NM in dimension and push us along at 12.1kts. I was asleep for most of the action, but Sarah was on top of it and had the Code Zero furled and we were running with a reef in the main. After the squall passed after over 2 hours of hard wind, Kate and Elizabeth saw a pod of dolphins on our bow and spent 15 mins up front, in the rain watching the dolphins play in our wake. We expect to arrive tomorrow morning. All well, and calm aboard. :)


Sun Nov 18 15:45 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5.5kts
knts
GPS: 02 11.77N 96 03.29E
Run: 161.5nm (292.3km)
Avg: 3.1knts
24hr: 73.2nm
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1016.9 pressure, 8-10 kts SW, 1m swell.

It's been an eventful 24 hours. We arrived to a great spot for some diving. While the water initially was not that clear, I was confident it was going to be good out on the reefs. We did 2 small dives with Kate, our crew, getting her up to speed on basic diving water skills. That went great. We cleaned our gear and left some of it outside drying overnight. We woke up in the morning to find two wetsuits, all booties, dive gloves and one mask stolen off the back of the boat. I was very agitated that we forgot to turn on the security light overnight, not to mention that we had a person onboard stealing stuff out of the cockpit and off the lines. We've NEVER had any issues in Indonesia, so this was our first...and hopefully last. After checking out the reefs yesterday by dinghy, I found that they were beaten up, poor visibility and some of the least attractive reefs we've seen in Indonesia so far. So, we picked up the anchor and have been sailing since 1pm yesterday. Our plan is to go direct to Pula Weh (north tip of Sumatra) for diving, diving, diving....and to replace some of our stolen gear. A real bummer, not to mention it was my birthday. Otherwise, all is well and we are off and sailing nicely with following seas and a comfortable ride.


Fri Nov 16 10:48 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 34.525N 97 44.29E
Weather: cloudy, 25C, 1016.9 pressure, 0-5 kts W, slight swell in anchorage.

We are leaving at 5am to head around the corner to a small group of islands for diving. We should get there around noon or 1pm. We are sad to be leaving new friends here in Nias, but must get going as the weather is good.


Thu Nov 15 12:51 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 34.525N 97 44.29E
Weather: rainy, 25C, 1016.9 pressure, 5-7 kts NW, slight swell in anchorage.

The past two days have been jammed packed with exploring Nias and their ancient megalith culture. The villages are some like we've never seen before in their architecture and use of stones. We are going back today for some drone footage of a couple of the more unique villages and hopefully some stone jumping if weather permits. Our hike yesterday was 10km through all sorts of terrain to the oldest known village in Nias. It was very very interesting and challenging at times as it drizzled most of the day and the trail in places was VERY slippery. We plan on leaving Friday for the next set of islands for diving, as we have been waiting out the NW winds in this cove. A


Mon Nov 12 11:39 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 34.525N 97 44.29E
Run: 161.4nm (292.1km)
Avg: 3knts
24hr: 73nm
Weather: rainy, 25C, 1009.9 pressure, 5-7 kts NW, slight swell in anchorage.

We arrived at 6am yesterday to Nias Island. It was a slow but comfortable trip, for a total of 203NM in 48 hours. We had a very good and interesting day on Sunday after our arrival. We spent some time watching the surfers and then went ashore to fly the drone. In short, I ended up having my iPhone stolen on the beach. There were literally 50-75 kids around, and I accidentally left it near the drone bag. I went back to the boat, looked up the iPhone location using the Find my Phone feature, found it moving around the village. I went ashore, found some 'police' and told them what happened using Google Translate. There were amazed that I could see the phone moving almost in realtime on Sarah's phone. They called in other criminal police, and we were off in a police van chasing the moving dot, and making a big scene. I was not hopeful as it is very hard to find the phone amongst of bunch of kids. The police frisked some kids that were near the moving dot, and long story shot, it spooked the kid who stole it as he ditched the phone behind an outside 'toilet'. We found the location, and used the 'alarm' feature of the phone to hear it ring...and found it!!! We then took the police back to the beach, and bought them a round or two of beer as a thank you. This is primarily a protestant island, so having a beer was no issue and the were happy to have some free drink. We ended up having dinner with them last night and had a small 'dance' party with the kids. It turned out to be a blast, and memories for sure.


Sat Nov 10 6:36 2018 NZDT
Speed:
4.4kts
knts
GPS: 00 48.173S 99 37.37E
Run: 54.1nm (97.9km)
Weather: mostly cloudy, 25C, 1013.9 pressure, 5-7 kts NW, lumpy seas

We are underway heading WNW to Bolo Island. We hope to arrive mid day tomorrow. The winds have been very flaky up here with 180 degree shifts and 0kts - 21kts depending on the squalls. Overall though comfortable even though we are having to motor more than we would like. The good news is we have our updated visas and are going to spend the next month or so working up towards Aceh before we leave early December for Phuket Thailand. Our goal is to find some new dive sites and explore. Kate is aboard, a friends daughter, who is in college studying marine biology. She is excited to explore the ocean with us and has been a pleasure to have aboard.


Tue Nov 6 14:36 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 00.004S 100 22.86E
Run: 96.4nm (174.5km)
Weather: drizzle and clouds, 25C, 1013.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm

We arrived back to Padang yesterday with our guests. I flew out to KL for a visa renewal hop and our other guest arrived...so it was a big day aboard swapping out guests and getting visas renewed. We are waiting here for weather and hope to be out of here Thur or Fri heading north. Until then I am finishing up our new Orangutan video for the blog and getting caught up on internet items.


Sat Nov 3 13:33 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 53.904S 99 18.86E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1013.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm

We had a very good day diving. There was a spot we tried to find last time - a seamount - but could not. I figured I may have slid the waypoint by accident on my laptop, and I did. We had the wrong waypoint last week. We found the mount and dived it. Tons of fish, and the most Nudis we have ever seen on one dive. They were everywhere. It must be the currents in the area. Of all the nudis we saw, we saw one we had never seen before and a flatworm that was new to the area. Elizabeth was not on that dive (she loves Nudis) so we will go there again I suspect today before we leave tonight. All is well.


Fri Nov 2 13:27 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 53.904S 99 18.86E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1013.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm

It was a calm night last night. No rain, just clouds and minimal breeze. Today we will be heading out for a dive in about 30 min, and plan to get three dives in today so we can get our guests in the water a couple of times today.


Fri Nov 2 0:45 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 53.904S 99 18.86E
Run: 19.5nm (35.3km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1013.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm

It's been a busy couple of days. First, we moved today to our other favorite spot by the sand island. We are here with another boat - sv/ Perry and their kids. We did a nice dive this afternoon after arrival. The big news was our friend at Aloita Resort - Roc - had his 6.5m aluminum resort surf boat sink. He had just put two new Suzuki 150 engines on the boat three days ago and woke up in the morning with the boat on the bottom of the ocean in 8m of water. We spent most of the morning with our scuba gear diving and helping get the boat lifted up and put onshore. Long story short, it required dumping about two full bottles of air into the bilge to blow out the water and get the boat buoyant enough for the crew of about 15 guys on shore to pull the boat forward and slowly get is to shallow water. Finally, it was rightside up (it was upside down on the bottom) and they got the water pumped out. The engines are still being salvaged and hopefully by tomorrow they will be up an running - probably without a starter motor but we shall see. Otherwise, all is well and we will be here until Saturday night.


Sun Oct 28 13:39 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 59.771S 99 34.78E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1013.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm seas

We've enjoyed being back here in the Mentawais. Our new friend and owner of the resort here - Roc - was happy to see us and invited us to lunch. We had drinks last night and he also invited us to go on a video shoot with the female 2017 World Champion long board surfer who is staying at his resort. The film is being shot mainly with drones, and he has a team of 3 here doing the filming. We hope we can join them but we have other sailing friends arriving today - so we don't want to bolt to another island too early. We'll see what happens. All is well and I have a small dive class to teach with our guests for some shallow water diving today.


Fri Oct 26 15:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 59.771S 99 34.78E
Run: 88.3nm (159.8km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1012.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm seas

We are now back to the Mentawais after a smooth motor all night with our new guests. It was an easy trip. We'll be here for 3-5 days exploring this area some more and waiting for friends to arrive on there boats. We expect to have 2-4 more boats arriving over the next week to this area. All friends of ours we've met while diving in Komodo, and all wanting to dive. Sad to be here without our friends on Lumbaz. It's


Mon Oct 22 13:12 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 00.100S 100 22.969E
Run: 96.4nm (174.5km)
Weather: mostly sunny, 28C, 1014.9 pressure, 0-5kts W, calm seas

Well, we've been in Padang now for 24 hours. We had an excellent time with our friends and are sad to have them gone. Kids are sullen as they miss their friends..but school is now underway onboard so they will be back in their normal routine. We pick up Sarah's nephew Thursday morning and then head back to the Mentawai islands for more exploring and diving. All well onboard.


Fri Oct 19 21:48 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 53.934S 99 18.843E
Weather: mostly sunny, 27C, 1012.9 pressure, 0-5kts W, calm seas

We leave in an hour from the beautiful spot to sail to Padang. We've had an outstanding week with our friends and it will be sad to see them leave. The winds will be low and variable so we'll probably have to motor most of the way. It's about 85NM, so we plan on arriving in the morning so they can catch a flight.


Fri Oct 19 2:00 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 53.934S 99 18.843E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1012.9 pressure, 5-10 kts W, calm seas

We had another great day here. This anchorage is excellent. We can swim to the sandy beach island or the island to our south. The diving has been the best we've seen in Sumatra, and everyone is doing great. We have on final day tomorrow before we have to sail back to Padang for s/v Lumbaz to catch their flight back to KL. The kids were on the beach all day making forts and clean up all the plastic. They are having a great time playing on the beach while the 'adults' dive... :)


Wed Oct 17 23:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 53.934S 99 18.843E
Run: 19.5nm (35.3km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 65C, 1012.9 pressure, 5-10 kts W, calm seas

We moved today after our morning dive to a spot about 20NM north. It is beautiful here, with a small 'all sand' island and lots of waves. There are a ton of surfers in this area and the waves around the corner are around 3m+. We'll explore more tomorrow diving and spend some more time on the beach. The kids are having a blast and it really does not feel like 10 POB. All is well.


Tue Oct 16 13:06 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 59.771S 99 34.78E
Run: 88.3nm (159.8km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1015.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm seas

I've missed a couple of days doing the update. We arrived no issues to the Mentawai islands around 9am on Sunday. We were in the water diving at 11am, and logged a couple of dives after arrival with our friends from Lumbaz. We have a total of 10 POB and it has been great. The diving is not spectacular, but any dive is a good dive, so everyone is having fun. All 10 are divers, so we are rotating and are trying to make three, 4 person dives a day. It's all about schedules with early dive at 7am, 10am and 2pm. :) This place is beautiful and the surf resort we are anchored next to has been very very nice. We'll be here another day or so before moving up to the next island in the Mentawai for some more exploring before sailing back Padang on Friday night.


Sat Oct 13 12:57 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 00.108S 100 22.99E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1015.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, calm seas

Yesterday was the wettest day we've had since leaving New Zealand over two years ago. It rained and rained and we got soaked going to Immigration for our visa renewals. The good news is the outlook is now better and we leave late PM for the Mentawai islands for diving. I can't wait to get back in the water and dive with friends. We will be there for about a week before sailing back here to swap out guests and pick up Sarah's cousin...for more diving.


Thu Oct 11 12:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 00.108S 100 22.99E
Weather: cloudy, 26C, 1010.9 pressure, 0-5 kts E, .calm seas

We've enjoyed being in one spot for a bit. We've been on the move the past two weeks covering 1,100NM, so we are taking a break and getting some things done on the boat like fixing water catching system (lots of rain here), sorting out visas, and getting provisions and fuel. While not a great spot regarding anchorage, it's got 4G data and it is a low traffic area so overall it's nice. We leave Saturday evening with our friends from s/v Lumbaz to head offshore for diving and water activities.


Tue Oct 9 15:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 01 00.108S 100 22.99E
Run: 25.8nm (46.7km)
Weather: cloudy, 26C, 1011.3 pressure, 0-5 kts E, .calm seas

We had a good motor/sail into the harbor yesterday afternoon. We are now getting ourselves familiar with Padang as we prepare for our friends and get ready for some diving. The weather has been a lot more rainy than we are used to, but this is how things are at this latitude. We were spoiled with clear sunny skies for over a month, no rain and lots of solar for the batteries. We will be going to Immigration this afternoon for visa renewals and begin to plan our next journey.


Mon Oct 8 16:03 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5.3kts
knts
GPS: 01 22.08S 100 18.65E
Run: 143.8nm (260.3km)
Avg: 5.2knts
24hr: 124.1nm
Weather: cloudy & drizzle, 27C, 1019.3 pressure, 6-8 kts E, .5m swell

We had to motor overnight as the winds dropped and we got slammed with lots of squalls. We are now sailing again and should be arriving later today to Padang. It is wet, wet, wet outside, but otherwise all is wel.


Sun Oct 7 12:15 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5.3kts
knts
GPS: 03 12.81S 101 16.25E
Run: 167.8nm (303.7km)
Avg: 6.2knts
24hr: 149.2nm
Weather: cloudy, 27C, 1019.3 pressure, 8-10 kts SE, 1m swell

It's been a good sail. Almost all a dead run, wing on wing. We hit our first squall in over a month, with some decent rain to wash the boat. We decided to make a run straight for Padang vs. stopping along the way so we can get some items sorted and visa renewals underway in Padang. We expect to arrive tomorrow afternoon.


Sat Oct 6 9:15 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 04 55.60S 102 59.71E
Run: 127.4nm (230.6km)
Avg: 6.1knts
24hr: 145.6nm
Weather: party cloud skies, 26C, 1017.3 pressure, 10-12 kts SE, 1.5-2m swell

So far the sailing has been very good. Following seas and an almost dead run. We are sailing wing on wing and hope the wind continues for at least another 24 hours as we sail farther north towards Padang, Sumatra. We plan exploring some of the outer islands before working our way to Padang by Thursday for visa renwals and picking up some friends. All is well.


Fri Oct 5 12:15 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 54.60S 104 33.71E
Weather: party cloud skies, 26C, 1018.3 pressure, 7-10 kts SE, 1m swell

WOW. What a day we had. We spent a total of 14 hours exploring the jungle, seeing the tigers, and learning all about their natural habitat. We had one of our best days we ever had, and our best day in Indonesia so far. It was just great. First class service, proper 'safari' jeeps with seats on the roof, excellent guides, great food and lots and lots of exploring. We even had horseback riding to look for tigers and rare monkeys. It was just great. Regardless, we now have to leave to continue our journey north to Padang. We'll make 1-2 stops along the way looking for good diving spots before our friends from KL join us next weekend. We plan on a week of diving with them and then Sarah's cousin arrives for 10 days to Padang for more exploring and diving. All well aboard FT other than we had to leave this beautiful national park.... :)


Thu Oct 4 11:57 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 54.60S 104 33.71E
Run: 61.5nm (111.3km)
Avg: 3.2knts
24hr: 75.7nm
Weather: party cloud skies, 25C, 10135.3 pressure, 7-10 kts SE, calm seas

We arrived last night around 7pm to the national park. We were greeted after a lot of flashing lights ashore by a park ranger and some guys in a boat. Very nice chaps, but insistent I go ashore to meet with the manager. So, by now it was 8pm and I went ashore. The security guard was carrying a baseball bat. I found out while walking to the station that the bat was to keep animal 'away' if they came too close. This place was crawling with wildlife as we walked to the ranger station. We sorted out the details of this place, finding out it is a no anchoring marine reserve as well as a land based reserve. So, for a fee of $60USD we get to use the large park mooring. We signed up for the jungle trekking for today, including the tiger rehabilitation station. All told, it should be a good day today,but was not inexpensive... :)


Wed Oct 3 16:27 2018 NZDT
Speed:
4 kts
knts
GPS: 06 03.44S 105 26.64E
Run: 47.4nm (85.8km)
Avg: 5.2knts
24hr: 125.7nm
Weather: party cloud skies, 26C, 10135.3 pressure, 7-10 kts ESE, calm seas

We are slowly sailing past the volcano, which is currently erupting. We decided to check online for any warning before anchoring at the base of the volcano for a close up experience and diving. Unfortunately, it is a tad bit too active for us, rated yesterday a 4/5 on volcanic activity....with warnings not to be closer than 1km to the crater....so...we are being prudent, dont' want a ton of ash on the boat or sails...and are going to sail off to Sumatra. I am very bummed as I really wanted to dive the new reefs around the edge of the volcano. We dove the reefs in Banda Island and they were really amazing....UGH!!!


Wed Oct 3 7:24 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5.5kts
knts
GPS: 05 48.17S 106 05.09E
Run: 177.7nm (321.6km)
Weather: party cloud skies, 26C, 1013.8 pressure, 0-5 kts ESE, calm seas

We had to update you YIT account to post. We were offshore and just now got some land based cellular internet. We are having a great sail, and all is well onboard. The winds have died so we are now motoring, but the crew is happy. We will be arriving to Kracatau this morning for some diving before we push off towards Sumatra. We plan on stopping to a reserve that rehabilitates the Sumatra Tiger...should be interesting.


Wed Oct 3 7:24 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5kts
knts
GPS: 04 04.67S 107 59.96E
Run: 86.7nm (156.9km)
Weather: party cloud skies, 28C, 1014.1 pressure, 5-67 kts ESE, calm seas

All has been going well. We were averaging 8 kts until about 5 hours ago when the wind dropped out. We are now motoring.


Mon Oct 1 16:45 2018 NZDT
Speed:
8.3kts
knts
GPS: 04 17.321S 109 14.333E
Run: 179.3nm (324.5km)
Weather: party cloud skies, 28C, 1014.1 pressure, 12-16kts ESE, 1m+ seas

Well it's been flat out aboard Field Trip. We spent three days up the river with the Orangutans - which was amazing. Upon returning our friends aboard s/v Perry had arrived from the other side of Borneo. We had not seen them in almost 4 months. We spent a day and a half getting caught up before we left them and began our sail yesterday to Kracatau - the volcano between Java and Sumatra. We've been having a cracking sail, good winds and generally OK seas given or speed so all is good. We will arrive early AM on the 3rd or late PM tomorrow. We will probably have to slow down if the wind does not so we don't arrive in the dark. All is well.


Tue Sep 25 12:18 2018 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 03 14.096S 111 36.856E
Run: 118.9nm (215.2km)
Avg: 5.5knts
24hr: 131.5nm
Weather: party cloud skies, 28C, 1018.5 pressure, 8-10 kts ESE, calm seas

We dropped the hook here last night around 4am to wait until light before heading farther up the bay and into the river. There was a LOT of barge traffic last night so we decided to wait until morning and give me a couple of hours of sleep before beginning again. We will pull up the anchor in about 30 minutes and complete the last 20NM of travel from here up the river to Kumai.


Mon Sep 24 14:36 2018 NZST
Speed:
7kts
knts
GPS: 04 37.843S 112 37.381E
Run: 154.3nm (279.3km)
Avg: 6.7knts
24hr: 160.3nm
Weather: party cloud skies, 28C, 1019 pressure, 14-17 kts ESE, 1.5m following seas

The winds have finally picked up nicely and we are moving along towards Borneo. We should be arriving tomorrow morning. We are zipping along wing on wing and are having a nice comfortable sail. All well onboard except we have caught NO fish.... :(


Sun Sep 23 15:30 2018 NZST
Speed:
5.1kts
knts
GPS: 06 12.099S 114 13.046E
Run: 146.1nm (264.4km)
Avg: 3.8knts
24hr: 91.6nm
Weather: party cloud skies, 28C, 1019 pressure, 8-12kts ESE.

It's been a good but slow 30 hours since we left. The winds have been from behind and very light ranging from 6kts to 12kts. The good news is the seas are following and comfortable. It looks like we will be arriving later than expected due to the slower sailing and in some cases head current. Otherwise, all is gong well and we are excited about the jungle in Borneo.


Sat Sep 22 1:12 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 09.588S 115 01.304E
Weather: starry skies, 1017.4, no wind.

I've been several days delinquent on updates. Sorry, I had to fly to Kuala Lumpur for visas and got lost in boat projects. We leave tomorrow for Borneo to meet up with friends and see the Orangutans. Speaking of friends, there are now 22 yachts anchored here in Lovina. Most of them part of the Indonesia Rally. We were able to meet up with some sailing friends we sailed with since the Caribbean over 5 years ago. They just got here from Australia. The last time we saw them was in New Zealand over two years ago. In addition Erie Spirit are in the area as we talked on the radio as the were passing by. Its busy busy busy here in Indonesia...and we'll be glad to get 'out' of here to a quieter anchorage tomorrow (no offense to the rally folks, but just not our style.... :) ). More updates as we sail.


Sun Sep 16 11:48 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 09.588S 115 01.304E
Run: 143.5nm (259.7km)
Avg: 2.9knts
24hr: 69.4nm
Weather: sunny, calm seas, 1013.4

We arrived yesterday to Lovina, Bali. The stretch of water between Lombok and Bali was nasty with large confused seas and 20-25kts of wind agains the current. We took water over the bow multiple times and had it smash into the cockpit as well. We are glad we arrived, and are now licking our wounds from some gear chaffe issues on our furling line. Nothing major, just need to repair. All is well and this is a nice town with several other boats at anchor.


Fri Sep 14 10:09 2018 NZST
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 07 56.667S 117 06.410E
Run: 148.7nm (269.1km)
Avg: 5.9knts
24hr: 141.1nm
Weather: 10-12kts SE, bumpy seas, clear skies, 1013 barometric pressure

We've had an overall decent passage so far. The seas at the moment are sloppy and beamy, but we are making nice progress. We should be arriving tomorrow AM to Lovina, Bali. All is well.


Thu Sep 13 8:51 2018 NZST
Speed:
5.5kts
knts
GPS: 08 18.637S 119 14.874E
Run: 228.9nm (414.3km)
Weather: 10-12kts SE, calm seas, clear skies.

We finally had to leave our favorite spot in the Komodos. It was sad to leave as we could have spent weeks in the location diving...but we must push on. We are underway for Lovina, Bali and plan to arrive Saturday. All is well and the seas comfortable.


Wed Sep 12 11:51 2018 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
Weather: slight breeze SSW, calm waters and sunny skies.

We are still here enjoying this anchorage. The morning dive was the best dive we've had on the other side of the lagoon. We went over with 5 other divers and a total of three dinghys so it was nice to be so far away from the boat and be with other divers. We will be here for today, our last day before we sail out early tomorrow morning back to Bali. Ugh. This is our favorite spot in all of Komodo and we could spend weeks here exploring but unfortunately I have to get cracking on our visa renewals and we must start heading west to meet friends in Borneo.


Tue Sep 11 10:24 2018 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
Weather: Dead calm, glassy waters and sunny skies.

The boats keep on arriving. Yesterday we had 4 Indoensian dive boats arrive here full of divers. It's been full on with diving for sure. We had three great dives and have enjoyed getting caught up with our old friends from five years ago. We plan on being here for another couple of days before we sail to Bali for my flight to Kuala Lumpur. One more thing we noticed last night was the volcano on the adjacent island was dripping red lava at night down the side. It had not done that before, and was beautiful watching the fingers of glowing lava dribble down the side to the sea.


Mon Sep 10 10:21 2018 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
Weather: 7-10kts gusty various directions, sunny skies.

Let's just say we are SHOCKED at all the yachts we've seen. In fact, we are in a remote area, or so we thought, just outside Komodo park and there are SIX yachts anchored around us. All of them divers, so the word must be out that this is a great location for diving. It's been fun meeting new people, but we do like the serenity of our last visit when it was just us. One of the yachts we actually know, and met them 5 years ago in the Caribbean. They are just now getting here, so it was fun to see tem again and have them over for drinks last night. The spear fishing has been crazy good. One of the yachts shot three dogtooth tuna and one wahoo....so we're going out today for some spear fishing!! :)


Sat Sep 8 21:06 2018 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
Weather: 7-10kts gusty various directions, sunny skies.

FINALLY, we are back and going on Field Trip. We spent 2.5 months back in the USA to see family and friends. I had not been back in 3 years, so it was great to see everyone. We just finished a two day sail from Lombok back to Gili Banta near Komodo for some diving. We loved this spot several months ago, and are happy to be back. We did our first dive today after arrival and water is relatively warm at 27C. All good aboard Field Trip and we are happy to be back on the water!!!


Tue May 1 11:30 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 45.807S 115 55.813E
Run: 144.9nm (262.3km)
Weather: 10% clouds, 28C, 1008.2 baro, 0- 5kts SE

We arrived safely to Lombok after a quick stop at Gili Air. We are on a mooring at the 'marina' - and will be leaving to Kuala Lumpur in two days. There are 12 other yachts here on moorings, and all is well.


Sat Apr 28 14:45 2018 NZST
Speed:
3.4kts
knts
GPS: 07 59.423S 117 54.008E
Run: 101.3nm (183.4km)
Avg: 3.5knts
24hr: 84.1nm
Weather: 10% clouds, 28C, 1008.2 baro, 0- 5kts SE

Our first 24hrs of sailing have been generally OK. We've had a number of patches of no wind so we've had to motor more than we would like. The biggest pain has been opposing current of 1.5-2kts. We knew this was in the forecast, but still painful to be hammering into that much current on the nose. The skies are sunny and the seas are calm so the crew is very happy. We plan to arrive Monday morning or possibly Sunday evening if we get more wind later today.


Fri Apr 27 9:51 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 24.511S 119 19.170E
Run: 6nm (10.9km)
Weather: 2% clouds, 28C, 1006.2 baro, 0- 5kts SE

This has been one of our favorite anchorages in the Flores Islands. Clear water, sandy bottom, and beautiful diving. We're anchored in 8m of water, and have really enjoyed the snorkeling and diving over the past couple of days. We're doing one more dive early this morning before we pull up the anchor and sail to Lombok. It will be a 245NM sail. In light winds we expect this to take 2.5-3 days. The weather here continue to be excellent with sunny days and clear skies. it's hot, but the water keeps us cool.


Wed Apr 25 13:21 2018 NZST
Speed:
4.7kts
knts
GPS: 08 24.938S 119 24.449E
Run: 11.2nm (20.3km)
Weather: 60% clouds, 30C, 1006.6 baro, calm seas, 5kts SE

We are underway heading out of Komodo National Park. It's sad to leave Komodo as we've really enjoyed the beauty and serenity. Our first stop is a small island just outside the park that has some excellent diving. We'll do some more diving there over the next couple of days before we head out for Lombok later this week. All is well aboard.


Mon Apr 23 22:03 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 26.842S 119 34.076E
Run: 15.6nm (28.2km)
Weather: 30% clouds, 30C, 1005.1 baro, no wind.

We've had a very eventful several days. In short we are in our favorite spot so far in Komodo. The diving in this area is outstanding, and the water is warm! We frankly got tired of the cold (23C) water with poor visibility in central and southern Komodo. It was just 'OK' diving and in our opinion not worth the full wetsuit, hoodie and still freezing cold. The diving up here is warm (29C) and the water is crystal clear...and the fish life is excellent. We did two dives yesterday and three today. We've extended our stay another day at this anchorage to dive our favorite spot one more time before we move to another area. All is well aboard.


Tue Apr 17 16:42 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 40.355S 119 33.506E
Run: 354nm (640.7km)
Avg: 7.3knts
24hr: 174.1nm
Weather: 30% clouds, 30C, 1005.1 baro, no wind.

We logged two dives early in the morning yesterday so we could make the tide change and sail up to the next stop for more diving and exploring ashore. We did a 6am hike this morning to the top of the 'mountain' and had beautiful views as the sun rose over the bay. I was able to even fly the drone for a bit for some photos. It's beautiful here....but BUSY with tons of boats delivering tourists. We'll dive three sisters divesite this afternoon. All well.


Sun Apr 15 15:54 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 347.581S 119 39.621E
Run: 365.6nm (661.7km)
Avg: 6.9knts
24hr: 165.9nm
Weather: 10% clouds, 30C, 1006.1 baro, no wind.

We were told by the park rangers that this island we are anchored next to is 'dangerous' as the Komodo Dragons will swim after your boat. So far we've not see a Komodo yet down here, only a monkey onshore. Evidently some operators used to feed the Komodos down here, and the sound of a boat engine prompts them to swim offshore towards the boat. Regardless, we had a great dive this morning at Cannibal Rock, and plan on another dive this afternoon after lunch. All well aboard. THANKS P&H for your info as well about Komodo! :)


Fri Apr 13 11:00 2018 NZST
GPS: 08 30.221S 119 42.630E
Run: 49.2nm (89.1km)
Weather: 10% clouds, 29C, 1006.1 baro, no wind.

We arrived safely to Komodo yesterday morning around 6am. We averaged 77NM/day on the slow but very comfortable trip. No complaints from crew as everyone enjoyed the calm sailing. We are anchored in a nice place, and is very reminiscent of a dryer version of the Bay of Islands...at least from this anchorage. We did a dive yesterday afternoon and will do some more diving today before moving to Rinca to check in with the Rangers and do a Komodo Dragon walk. All well.


Wed Apr 11 16:03 2018 NZST
Speed:
1.7kts
knts
GPS: 07 56.993S 120 09.759E
Run: 90.8nm (164.3km)
Avg: 3.6knts
24hr: 86nm
Weather: 20% clouds, 31C, 1007.6 baro, 3-6kts E, calm seas

We're still 'sailing', but very slowly as we have 1-1.5kts against us in light winds. However, we are only 40NM from Komodo, so going slow at this point is fine as we don't want to arrive at night. The kids have been researching Komodo, and are now scrared to go ashore. No because of the dragons, but because of the 3 species of deadly snakes that live there, including the Javan Spitting Cobra. :) We'll work through the trepidation I'm sure, but funny to hear the kids reading aloud about how dangerous the animals are on the islands of Komodo.


Tue Apr 10 14:42 2018 NZST
Speed:
3.7kts
knts
GPS: 07 06.823S 121 11.055E
Run: 82.7nm (149.7km)
Avg: 3.7knts
24hr: 88.2nm
Weather: 20% clouds, 30C, 1007.6 baro, 5-8kts E, calm seas

It's been a slow but comfortable 24 hours. We caught a barracuda at 6am, and let him go...otherwise no more fish just yet. It's another beautiful day with lots of sunshine and calm seas.


Mon Apr 9 16:12 2018 NZST
Speed:
3kts
knts
GPS: 06 32.000S 122 14.238E
Run: 101.9nm (184.4km)
Avg: 4knts
24hr: 96.5nm
Weather: 30% clouds, 30C, 1007.1 baro, 4-6 kts ENE, calm seas

We've had a very good 24 hours. Slow sailing, but comfortable and beautiful weather. We caught a 1.2m wahoo this morning to top off a good night watch. Kids were very happy to see fresh fish as well. We still plan on a direct route to Komodo, but....if we still have decent winds the rest of the week we may stop at a remote atoll for some snorkeling and diving in the middle of the Flores sea...so we'll see how things progress.


Sun Apr 8 14:51 2018 NZST
Speed:
4.4kts
knts
GPS: 06 01.147S 123 37.688E
Run: 38.5nm (69.7km)
Weather: 20% clouds, 29C, 1006.0 baro, 8-10 kts ESE, calm seas

We decided to leave this morning for a direct sail to Komodo as the winds are good (8-10kts) for this 2.5-3 day passage. We did a nice dive yesterday before leaving this morning. The coral was pristine and there were lots of fish...but it wasn't anything better than we've seen in other ares of PNG and eastern Indonesia.


Sat Apr 7 9:21 2018 NZST
GPS: 05 28.777S 123 45.919E
Run: 159.1nm (288km)
Avg: 3.3knts
24hr: 78.6nm
Weather: 20% clouds, 29C, 1006.0 baro, 3-6kts E

We arrived yesterday around 9.30am after a comfortable passage. This is a nice location, but we decided to move about 25NM farther SW to an atoll that is secluded and has good diving, so we'll be anchors up in about 30min for that short trip. There are about 40 students from Essex University UK here studying marine biology for two weeks. The local dive shop is crammed as well, another reason for us to move to another spot since we'll be diving sans guide.


Thu Apr 5 8:48 2018 NZST
Speed:
4.1kts
knts
GPS: 04 38.789S 125 55.156E
Run: 177.6nm (321.5km)
Avg: 3.8knts
24hr: 91.6nm
Weather: 20% clouds, 29C, 1007.0 baro, 3-6kts NW

We are currently making slow but comfortable progress. We have about 1.5kts of favorable current that is keeping us going nicely even in very light winds. We expect to arrive in about 30-36 hours at this rate with about 110NM left on our sail.


Wed Apr 4 12:36 2018 NZST
Speed:
5.1kts
knts
Weather: 20% clouds, 29C, 1007.0 baro, 3-4kts NW

We've had an uneventful calm sail/motor after leaving Ambon yesterday morning. Last night was about 50% sailing, on the beam so it made for a fast sail while we had wind. The winds have died down as forecasted, so we are now motoring.


Tue Apr 3 10:15 2018 NZST
GPS: 03 37.572S 128 17.069E
Weather: 40% cloud, 28C, 1004.9 baro, dead calm

We leave in about two hours for Wakatobe. We're doing some last minute provisioning, and will be underway by about 10am. We expect this light sail to take 3 days, maybe a bit more, and should have calm seas with light winds. We're looking forward to our next destination.


Mon Apr 2 11:33 2018 NZST
GPS: 03 37.572S 128 17.069E
Weather: 10% cloud, 28C, 1005.9 baro, dead calm

We're still here! We had a good Easter with a bunch of expats here in Ambon. It was fun meeting other people living here in Ambon, some have been here for 30years, and understand the culture, issues, etc. that has occurred over the years. We're learning a lot about Indonesia, and have been enjoying our time here. We'll be leaving tomorrow(ish) and heading for a three day passage to Wakatobe Marine Park. It's only 280NM, but the winds are very light (or will be later this week) so we expect a slow sail/motor most of the way. Sad to leave good friends here behind but very excited about the new locations we have to visit. All well onboard!


Sat Mar 31 10:45 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 37.572S 128 17.069E
Weather: 10% cloud, 28C, 1005.9 baro, dead calm

The kids have made fast friends with this other family. We are going to explore more of the island with the family today and go to a hot springs. The diving is still good, and we plan on moving around the corner Monday for some diving on the outside. We'll leave Tuesday heading for Wakatobe National Park - about 300NM from here SW.


Tue Mar 27 12:09 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 37.572S 128 17.069E
Weather: 10% cloud, 28C, 1005.9 baro, 5-7kts WSW wind

We've been doing more diving while here and it continues to be very good. The dive we did yesterday was not 'great' as it was on a seamount and there was about 2kts of current so we could not stop much and search for the small critters. We've had very good weather, but still westerlies...so we continue to wait for the winds to die down. We also met a very nice American family with four kids that have lived in Ambon for 7 years. We'll be spending more time with them while we are here in Ambon.


Fri Mar 23 12:36 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 37.572S 128 17.069E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1004.9 baro, 5-7kts WSW wind

Sarah and Elizabeth logged three dives yesterday with Dive in Ambon dive shop. All three were muck diving, and they saw some great things, including the mimick octopus (use google to check this guy out). While they were diving, I was in immigration working on visa renewals. Fortunately it went well, and had no issues. I'll be going back today to pick up the visas. So far we really like Ambon, and in particular this dive shop in the north bay. It's owned by an English guy and an Australian gal who are very nice and helpful. The bonus is there is a pool here at the resort so the kids are happy!


Wed Mar 21 11:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 37.572S 128 17.069E
Run: 116.2nm (210.3km)
Avg: 2.6knts
24hr: 62nm
Weather: 40% cloud, 28C, 1004.9 baro, 5-7kts WSW wind

We arrived to Ambon yesterday around 4.30pm after a great trip from Banda. We really miss Banda, as it was a great place to stay with good diving and crystal clear water. However, we had to move on due to weather and get farther west. We'll work on visa renewals this well along with some provisioning before we head out to our next stop.


Mon Mar 19 14:54 2018 NZDT
Speed:
3.3kts
knts
GPS: 04 27.795S 129 44.758E
Run: 11.6nm (21km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 29C, 1007.5 baro, 5-7kts WSW wind

We left Banda this morning and are sailing to Ambon. We have very calm seas, with light winds, but are making decent progress. We plan on arrving tomorrow late in the day at this rate, but all is well and we are happy we're not having to bash into 20kts to get our visa's renewed.


Wed Mar 14 16:57 2018 NZDT
GPS: 04 32.096S 129 53.929E
Run: 139.9nm (253.2km)
Avg: 2.8knts
24hr: 67.2nm
Weather: 70% cloud, 29C, 1005.5 baro, 10-15kts WNW wind

We arrived this morning at 6.30am to Banda. It was a generally good motor/sail despite making very slow progress as we had 1-1.5kts of current against us most of the way along with the wind so it was a slow slog, but surprising comfortable and we made a lot of westward progress. We'll be here for about a week before taking the next weather window to Ambon for passort visa renewals and then a 600nm journey to Komodo. All well aboard.


Mon Mar 12 15:00 2018 NZDT
Speed:
4.2kts
knts
GPS: 05 04.265S 131 51.448E
Run: 11.7nm (21.2km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 29C, 1006.5 baro, 6-9kts WNW wind

We decided to head out straight to the Banda islands as the winds are still low and it will be a beat later this week as the winds pick up...so we are off for a 24hr motor/sail to Banda. It should be just fine and at least now it is very comfortable as we head farther west.


Sun Mar 11 14:36 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 07.519S 132 01.089E
Run: 60.6nm (109.7km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 29C, 1005.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We took an opportunity in the weather to leave last night in calm winds (5-7kts NW) and head NW from Tual working our way towards Banda and Ambon. It was a slow but comfortable motor all night to get here to our first stop on the way. We will be here for a couple of days and when the winds subside again we'll work our way NW and then SW in a very large tack covering 750NM. We have 7 weeks left in Indonesia before we have to fly out for visa renewals. All is well and we are looking forward to exploring this area.


Mon Mar 5 11:51 2018 NZDT
GPS: 05 37.961S 132 44.174E
Run: 151.1nm (273.5km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1005.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We had a good sail Saturday/Sunday back to Tual. We are now at anchor and heading ashore to renew our visas this morning before we wait for weather to sail towards the Banda islands and then towards Ambon and Komodo. The clock is ticking for us as we have 60 days before we fly to Kuala Lumpur to visit our friends on Lumbaz and then renew our visas for Indonesia. It's hard to believe we have been here almost six months (two unofficially as we worked our way to Sorong). There is so much to see in Indonesia and the country is so vast that it would take years to get a good sampling of the different areas. So far Triton Bay is our overall favorite location.


Mon Feb 26 11:27 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 56.267S 134 07.270E
Run: 2.2nm (4km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We are back now at Triton Bay Divers as we wanted to log some dives here with a guide to see the small stuff. We're glad we did, as our dive yesterday was awesome for macro. We saw five species of pygmy seahorses in one dive..along with a rare small octopus. It was great and Elizabeth in particular had a blast as she loves seeing the small macro animals. We are off today for a two tank dive with the resort far south on what is supposed to be one of the best dives in the area...so we'll see how it goes. All is well and the weather is still great.


Fri Feb 23 11:21 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 54.341S 134 07.335E
Run: 18nm (32.6km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We arrived back to Sarah's favorite spot here in Triton. We did a good dive in the afternoon - Bo's Rainbow, and will be doing a couple of dives this weekend with the resort before we head back to Tual for visa renewals. Sarah and I were saying this morning just how amazing the weather has been the past three weeks. While we can always use rain, we've only had one day that was cloudy most of the day with some rain. Otherwise, it has been very much like the western side of Fiji, sunny days, light breeze and just beautiful.


Thu Feb 22 11:00 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 44.782S 133 55.001E
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We are underway heading about 20NM farther SE back towards Triton Bay Divers. There are some more dives we want to do, and a couple with TBD that are far away and hard to dive with the dinghy. The weather continues to be outstanding, and has been now for over three weeks. I'm not sure if this is normal, but if it is, this is really a great place to spend a lot of time. Sunny every day, and cool at night with the mountain breeze coming off from the east at night.


Wed Feb 21 14:24 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 44.782S 133 55.001E
Run: 12.6nm (22.8km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

WOW. We just finished swimming with three whale sharks and a pod of dolphins here in Triton Bay. This was our second time swimming with whale sharks here in Indonesia, and by far the best experience as we had relatively clear water and three sharks, one very large (about 10m+) with dolphins that were literally swarming around us as they at the fish being dropped in by the bagans. The dive shop that is about 20 miles south of here came up after we were there for about 30 min and dropped off seven divers who were also thrilled. It was a lot of fun and we were glad to be there alone initially without all the scuba bubbles.


Mon Feb 19 20:30 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 39.571S 133 45.413E
Run: 31.6nm (57.2km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We've missed several days due to a busy and frustrating time. We are now in Kaimana as we picked a good window to get up here and motored overnight. The frustrating part is my underwater camera leaked when elizabeth did a drive with the resort for the flasher wrasses. So, we presently have two cameras that bit the dust. I was able to sort our a replacement camera being express shipped from Bali to Kaimana. It should be here in several days and that will be a major relief as I thought there for a while I was going to be without any uderwater camera for the next couple of months. The amazing part is the price was very good, they gave me an additional 20% off on the camera and the express air shipping was only $6 USD to Kaimana. So, I'm relieved and happy.... :)


Wed Feb 14 11:09 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 56.266S 134 07.266E
Run: 2.2nm (4km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 276C, 1006.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We've been here at Triton Bay Divers for two nights, and are having a great time getting to know the people at the resort. We had dinner last night ashore and made some new friends. There is a group here from the BBC that shot the BBC series The Blue Planet and several other BBC series. It was fun talking to them about how they found the locations and shot the footage. I was surprised to find out that most of the footage was shot with 100% natural lighting and the primary videographer had a specially built setup that he made himself to electronically adjust the colors on the fly underwater for each lighting situation, as they did very little post production color editing. No small feat and why I supposed they were saying he was the best underwater videographer in the world. Fascinating people with amazing stories to tell.


Mon Feb 12 10:42 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Weather: 250% cloud, 27C, 1006.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We are going to move over to Triton Bay Divers this afternoon after school. We'll spend a couple of days there at the resort. The weather continues to be beautiful, with a shower or two at night.


Sat Feb 10 11:30 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1006.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

Sarah has declared this is her favorite anchorage in Indonesia. We are completely in the lee, and the water is 4m deep at low tide with a sandy bottom. The kids love swimming here and the diving is easily accesible. We'll be here for a bit longer before we start to explore other areas. We have abbreviated school today and then we'll try to log a couple of dives since we know we'll be leaving this area soon.


Fri Feb 9 10:48 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Weather: 40% cloud, 27C, 1006.8 baro, 0-5kts W wind

The weather continues to be very good. The birds here are abundant and we had dinner last night outside watching lots of hornbills fly over the boat along with parrots. We have found the people here to be very nice and they remind us of PNG and the Solomons. In this area virtually all the people are native Papuan vs. Indonesian so it has a similar feel to the Melanesian culture we've been living in for the past 18 months. We also did our first family scuba dive and it was fun to have all four of us diving. Michael is doing great on the scuba and he is almost ready for more advanced dives, but we still need to work on his buoyancy control a bit.


Thu Feb 8 11:18 2018 NZDT
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1006.5 baro, 5kts W wind

We moved into the bay that was 2m deep at mid tide and put Field Trip on the hard for a day. We got the bottom cleaned and dried out for a day before moving back here for the evening. Today we'll do some diving and enjoy this weather.


Wed Feb 7 11:24 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0 A
knts
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1006.5 baro, 5kts W wind

We've been lucky as the weather has been outstanding. Nice breeze in the afternoon and sunny days. We actually need some rain, but will be content with the sun. We did two dives yesterday. Sarah and I dove Aquarium and it was just 'OK'. I am sure it was partly due to the water vis not being that great so we will keep trying during different tide cycles. It was the first day I had both kids diving on scuba yesterday. Michael is still learning so we are doing shallow dives but the both had a blast. We'll beach Field Trip this morning for cleaning the bottom. All is well.


Tue Feb 6 10:54 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Weather: 40% cloud, 27C, 1006.2 baro, 5kts W wind

It was a beautiful day and our first formal lesson with Michale went great for diving. Another cat showed up from Australia. They've been cruising for 20 years and are heading back to Cains from the Phillipines. A nice family and they seemed very passionate about sailing with kids as they raised their three kids aboard from a very early age. We plan on beaching FT today so we can do a good job on cleaning the bottom of the boat and let it dry out a bit. Seems to help the coppercoat if we can get it out of the water a year or two. All well.


Mon Feb 5 13:06 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 03 54.373S 134 07.409E
Run: 152.9nm (276.7km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1006.7 baro, 5kts W wind

We had a great sail to Triton Bay. It's been nice to sail to places vs. motor. No doubt the winds have kicked in full force from the W, NW monsoon so it will make some of our travels tricky as we work our way towards Bali in another month or two. Our anchorage here in Triton is dead calm and beautiful. There is a lot of diving in this area, and we plan on getting started this afternoon. Michael is going to get full lessons from me and begin doing some of his first scuba dives here. He's excited.


Thu Feb 1 11:39 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 05 38.009S 132 44.199E
Run: 127.2nm (230.2km)
Weather: 10% cloud, 27C, 1005 baro, 0-5kts NW wind

I just realized we never logged our arrival in YIT. We arrived safely to Tual, and really enjoy this town. It's clean, the people are great and immigration was very easy. It's been windy here until today, but overall nice weather. We'll be here for another day, and then leave tomorrow for Triton Bay. There is one other boat here - s/v Adamaster, friends of ours that crossed the pacific at the same time we did in 2014. It's been fun to catch up with them while we were here.


Fri Jan 26 14:39 2018 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 04 07.485S 131 40.796E
Run: 103.5nm (187.3km)
Avg: 6knts
24hr: 144.4nm
Weather: 60% cloud, 26.5C, 1003.3 baro, 26-30kts NW wind, 2m+ following seas

Wow. We just went from 12-14kts of wind to 40kts of wind in about an instant. What is odd is we have partly cloudy skies, and no squalls anywhere with no majore pressure drop and we just hit a wall of wind...and still have high 20's low 30's almost an hour after the 40kts. I'll have to read more about the weather patterns to figure this one out as we had no visual indication from the clouds, etc that this was on the way. Fortunately Sarah was calm and collected (I was taking a nap) and we were only running our Genoa since it was almost a dead run and we are not in a rush to arrive tomorrow. She was able to start reefing as I came running up on deck to help get the sail triple reefed. No harm no damage, just a quick rise in adrenaline for sure. We plan on arriving early AM tomorrow to Tual.


Thu Jan 25 21:27 2018 NZDT
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 02 52.419S 130 51.258E
Run: 54.9nm (99.4km)
Avg: 5.1knts
24hr: 121.4nm
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1001 baro, 10-13kts NW wind, .5-1m following seas

We've been having a great sail today, and I wanted to update our position. We have mostly sunny skies, and just outstanding weather. It's rare for us to have this kind of wind so we took the window and headed out for Tual. We plan on arriving early morning on Saturday with about 200 miles to sail.


Thu Jan 25 10:36 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 12.502S 130 25.146E
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1005 baro, 0-5kts W wind

It's a sad day toady for Field Trip. We are leaving Raja Ampat after almost three months of exploring and diving this outstanding area. Of all of our travels over the past six years, this has been our favorite location for diving and raw beauty. We did our last dive yesterday on another beautiful site, and will be leaving here for our 270NM sail around 8am. The weather should be good for a sail almost the entire way assuming forecasts are correct.


Mon Jan 22 12:00 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 12.502S 130 25.146E
Run: 0.3nm (0.5km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1005 baro, 0-5kts W wind

Our nice spot was vacated for an even nicer spot around the corner. This is a GREAT location, dead calm flat in the prevailing westerlies, no current and beautiful. We'll be here we think until late this week when we head out for a direct 'sail' to Tual. All is well, and we hope to log a dive or two today.


Sun Jan 21 12:24 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 12.354S 130 24.942E
Run: 9.2nm (16.7km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1005 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We found a fairly nice spot to tie up on port and sb side of the boat to rock walls. We are in 45m of water with 80m of width between islands and reefs so it is tight. However, it's a lot more comfortable than the previous spot. We are surrounded by more dive sites and will start exploring those for the next 4-5 days as we wait in this area for wind to head SE to Tual. The big news is we had our high pressure valve fail in the Bauer. Fortunately our friend Daryl in Brisbane who we purchased the unit from included a rebuild kit for this valve, and I was able to rebuilt today and it's working great. If we didn't have a kit, we turn into snorkelers for the next 3 months...UGH!.... :-) :-)


Sat Jan 20 11:36 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 13.132S 130 32.903E
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1005 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We are leaving today for another location here in Misool. Our dive yesterday was perhaps the best dive yet. It was just outstanding with excellent wide angle photography. Some of my best shots yet. Sad to be leaving here for another location but we must continue to move as we have to be in Tual in a week for immigration. Hard to believe we've been almost three months in Raja Ampat!


Thu Jan 18 11:21 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 13.132S 130 32.903E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1005.5 baro, 0-5kts W wind

The diving continues to be excellent. We did two dives in the morning at Boo Windows and Boo Point. Both were excellent. We are going to be here for another couple of days and then start working our way south(ish) towards Tual and then Triton Bay.


Tue Jan 16 11:27 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 13.132S 130 32.903E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We logged our first dives here at Whale Rock. Let's just say it was the best single wide angle dive we've ever done. We got some amazing photos and the fish AND sharks are abundant...which is rare in Indonesia. We'll be here until this weekend at least, and will then start moving around some more in Misool. No joke, the diving is 'that' good!


Mon Jan 15 11:12 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 13.132S 130 32.903E
Run: 15.9nm (28.8km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We are in the land of Misool Eco Resort Reserve, which basically means this area is a 'No Take' zone, and preserved for diving. It's supposed to be spectacular, and we are eager to get diving today. Kids are still a little sick, Sarah has a bit of a cold, and hopefully they will all get better soon. Elizabeth was in tears thinking she may not be able to dive some of these areas. We assured he we would stay in the area until she gets better to dive some of the premier sites here. We are tied up between two rock walls, as the area is 50m deep...so not possible to anchor. We've gotten used to tying up to rock walls the past couple of weeks as this seems to be the best method to secure vessels in these bays. It takes a lot more work than anchoring for sure, and you don't always swing into the wind, but it's the only answer to be able to dive in some of the areas and not anchor in 50m+!


Fri Jan 12 10:54 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 01.527S 130 40.456E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1006.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

I was finally able to get back in the water and do a couple of dives. The dives are OK, but not as good as the diving north of here near Martha's Garden. We are looking forward to further exploring the area, and will leave in the next day or two. Both kids are sick with a cold and mild fever. Not fun, and we hope they will get better soon.


Thu Jan 11 11:18 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 01.527S 130 40.456E
Weather: 20% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

The day was beautiful. We unfortunately have three sick people onboard with colds, so Sarah was the only diver today. We hope to be able to get rid of the colds soon as this is the first time we had a sick boat since NZ. Today I'll get in the water and try to dive. We'll be here for another couple of days before heading over to our next spot. We have three more weeks left in Misool before we have to head to Tual. All is well.


Wed Jan 10 10:18 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 01.527S 130 40.456E
Weather: 20% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

It was a bit rainy yesterday, and I was still a little sick. Sarah was able to get in another couple of dives and Elizabeth went as well. Hopefully today I'll be able to jump in and get in a dive or two. It looks like a beautiful day, and I'm excited to get into the water. There are three dive boats that arrived this morning, so this must be a busy dive location for the diveboats.


Tue Jan 9 12:00 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 01.527S 130 40.456E
Weather: 100% cloud, 29C, 1006.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We had a good day diving. Sarah logged two dives, but I was not able to do much with my cold, so I'll have to wait another day before diving. We had a strong storm last night that really slammed us with rain, lighting and wind. We are in a sheltered area, but we still had 17-20kts on the beam and that put a lot of strain on the lines we have run on bow and stern. No issues, but still kept us awake just in case something went amiss. Today looks a little dark, the rainiest we've seen in weeks, so we'll have to see how it pans out for diving today.


Mon Jan 8 13:54 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 01.527S 130 40.456E
Run: 107.1nm (193.9km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 209C, 1007.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We finally made it to Misool, Raja Ampat. We are here in a beautiful location tied bow and stern to shore. It is 45m deep, so we can't feasibly anchor when the bay is only 100m across. I've been fighting a cold and small fever that last couple of days so I won't be able to do any diving for another day or two. Sarah is diving with our friends on Perry who are here with us. The weather has been just fantastic the past week.


Tue Jan 2 13:30 2018 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 28.545S 130 41.738E
Run: 8.2nm (14.8km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We left the marina after one night so we can get back in the water with some diving and snorkeling. Sarah and I went for a snokel after arrving to the anchorage to find ourselves swimming with a dugong! The dugong was not skittish and stayed with us for about 15min. It was a beautiful creature and we've never swam with one before. We are going to dive today with our new gear that santa delivered from Bali, and hope to see the dugong again. All is well.


Sun Dec 31 23:00 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 25.988S 130 48.393E
Run: 43.8nm (79.3km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We left Sorong for Wasai. We arrived at the new Marina today and took on fuel. It was a luxury to be on a proper fuel dock and put triple filtered diesel directly into our tanks. We've not had that luxury since New Zealand a year and a half ago. Every fueling effort has been jerry jugs and all forms of lugging jugs from shore to boat. We are heading into town tonight to have some fun on New Years Eve!!!


Thu Dec 28 15:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 52.914S 131 15.184E
Run: 68.8nm (124.5km)
Weather: 99% cloud, 28C, 1006.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

Well we've been VERY delinquent is our updates. Perhaps it is because we've not had much to report as we've been in the Sorong area now since Christmas. We've had a number of trips to the airport with guests and with myself flying to Bali to get my passport renewed. The interesting news is we have had four yachts anchored here together in Sorong, all with kids aboard. It's very rare to find any boats at all cruising around here, much less boats with kiddos. We've had some joint walks/hikes ashore with all four boats and kids in tow, along with fun times aboard during the holidays. We are going to be refueling tomorrow and getting our visa renewed early next week before departing to Misool for several weeks of diving. Happy New Year to all our friends.


Sun Dec 17 14:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 35.224S 130 18.127E
Run: 11.8nm (21.4km)
Weather: 99% cloud, 28C, 1006.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We are beginning to wrap up our two week tour of diving with guests aboard. We burned through 17 dive bottles in two days, so we are diving a lot and everyone is amazed as the beauty of the dives. It has been a great experience and fun to have five divers aboard as we explore the vast area of Raja Ampat. Our anchorage here is nice, but exposed to the N and NW where we can get a lo tof gusts so we have to be careful as we are stern tied to shore and a beam gust of 20+kts puts a LOT of load on the ground tackle and stern line. We'll be in this area for a couple more days before doing an overnight sail to Sorong for flights. All is well.


Fri Dec 15 10:54 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 30.714S 130 27.287E
Run: 16.7nm (30.2km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 28C, 1006.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We continue to move around and explore Raja Ampat and the diving. The past two days we've had outstanding diving. We are now anchored in a mangrove in about 25m of water with a stern tied to shore. Michael this morning thinks he saw two crocs swimming in the water. While not surprised, it certainly makes us want to be cautious. We were discussing a night dive for tonight, but may pass given the potential for crocs. We'll be here another day/night diving and will move on tomorrow to our next stop. We need to be back in Sorong by Dec 20th as I fly to Bali on the 21st to pickup my passport and Kerry flies back to Australia.


Tue Dec 12 11:57 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 32.50S 130 41.70E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007.3 baro, 0-5kts W wind

We had two excellent dives yesterday and had a blast taking lots of pictures. We'll post some soon on our FB page. The currents have settled some as we have not been seeing the ripping currents we had during our first day here. We have a sunny day and are expecting to do 2-3 dives today depending on weather. We are also having a great time with my mom and Kerry (s/v Cel Citron) onboard along with s/v Perry. In total we have on average 4-5 divers per dive so it makes diving fun and we have generally two boats in the water for each dive.


Mon Dec 11 11:39 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 32.50S 130 41.70E
Run: 3.9nm (7.1km)
Weather: 100% cloud, 28C, 1009.3 baro, 5kts W wind

This new location is interesting. We are anchored in 34m of water, with ripping currents on either tide of 3-4 kts. However, the location is great for several very good dives up here in this area...so we are going to make due for now. We have two guests aboard, so we are having fun playing dive coordinator as we have been focused on diving and more diving the past 5 days. There is not much more to report, other than the weather has been very good until this morning.... :)


Sun Dec 10 11:27 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 29.65S 130 43.546E
Run: 111nm (200.9km)
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts wind

We are anchored off a small island with a couple of good dive sites. It is a busy place as we generally have 2-6 dive boats here diving with tourists aboard liveaboard boats. We are going to do 2-3 dives today and explore the areas. Our dives yesterday were interesting, but not as good as some of the dives we have done father north. All is well and we are still enjoying Raja Ampat.


Thu Dec 7 12:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 125.85S 130 49.364E
Run: 137.2nm (248.3km)
Avg: 2.8knts
24hr: 66.9nm
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts wind

We arrived to Wasai after an overnight on the E side of "The Passage" a very tight channel (30m wide) that can have ripping 5kt currents. We were fortunate to have it timed close with only 1.5 knots of current pushing us along the channel. Wasai is very nice in our opinion. We like the feel of the town, and we found a GREAT place to eat. 3 adults and 2 kids had a huge lunch with drinks for $12USD. Needless to say we were happy! :) We'll do some provisioning today at the fresh market and pick up some more supplies before heading off to more diving. Our plans are changing a bit, and we are now planning on spending a total of 3 months in Raja Ampat and 1 month in Triton Bay (SE of Raja Ampat) for more diving before working our way to Bali by late April(ish)....


Tue Dec 5 10:48 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 11.63S 130 15.708E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts wind

We are leaving our friends here at the Pearl Farm and the good diving to move towards Wasai. We did three dives yesterday, one a night dive, and it was a great day. Elizabeth did the night dive with us and she had a blast. We expect a motor most of the way, but are excited to get to a new place to explore.


Mon Dec 4 11:30 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 11.63S 130 15.708E
Run: 7.5nm (13.6km)
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1004.3 baro, 0-5kts wind

It's been a great couple of days here at our new location. We are on a mooring ball here by the pearl farm in Raja Ampat. The people at the pearl farm are great. It is managed by two Australian guys and they told us we could use their beefy moorings at no charge. The diving has been excellent and the snorkeling some of the best we've done. On our dive yesterday we got caught in a vortex of current, and our bubbles were actually going 'down' as we were hanging on the line for our deco stop. I let go of the line to just see how much suction there really was, and I went from 4m to 10m in very short order. I had to inflate my BC to swim up. It was a unique experience for sure. We went fishing yesterday with the Australian manger of the pearl farm after our two dives. It was great. No complaints and we are loving Indonesia and Raja Ampat!!!


Fri Dec 1 19:21 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 06.49S 130 11.664E
Run: 15.2nm (27.5km)
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1004.3 baro, 0-5kts wind

WOW. We decided to come to this location for a quick dive and snorkel. Only a day stop, and are we glad we did!!! It was a great dive with TONS of fish and pristine coral along with some great snorkeling. We dropped the hook in 23M and then backed up on the reef to 7M. It is just beautiful here. We are going to leave however for a better overnight anchorage. We highly recommend this as a day stop or even an anchorage with a stern line to the small island.


Wed Nov 29 10:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 06.228N 130 15.292E
Run: 14.6nm (26.4km)
Weather: 190% cloud, 38C, 1005.3 baro, 0-5kts wind, light drizzle.

We continue our move slowly to the south, and are anchored in the beautiful little bay. We are stern tied to shore, and are enjoying this location. There are a number of good dive in this area, one is supposed to be the premier dive site in North Raja Ampat. We'lll check out that dive later today weather permitting. We've had some strong swells coming in for the NE, so that will make in particular the cave dives on the SE corner untenable. Bummer as we wanted to do those dives.


Sun Nov 26 13:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.150N 130 02.959E
Run: 1.5nm (2.7km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 30C, 1004.3 baro, 0-5kts wind.

We moved around to the outside for better access to the four dive sites down here. It's a nice spot with a white sandy beach. We'll be here another couple of days before working our way south. All is well onboard and we are loving Raja Ampat.


Thu Nov 23 11:00 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.850N 130 01.869E
Weather: 30% cloud, 30C, 1004.3 baro, 0-5kts wind.

Happy Thanksgiving! The interesting news is the m/v Octopus came into the area. It is a mega yacht owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. There are 60 crew aboard, and they were the only ones with no guests. They are up here exploring the area, diving, etc finding spots that Paul may like some day. Tough job! We also logged more dives and still are finding new things we've never seen before. Excited to post some photos as it is hard to describe the beauty without pictures. We'll be here today and tomorrow, moving about 5NM south to an anchorage on the souther side of this area for diving. All is well.


Tue Nov 21 21:45 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.850N 130 01.869E
Weather: 30% cloud, 30C, 1004.3 baro, 0-5kts wind.

Candidly, I was a little pessimistic about how good the diving would be up here in Wayag. We were VERY happy to find the diving here to be outstanding. There are not a lot of fish, but the coral and macro photography is amazing. We did two dives today, and each one we saw new things we've never seen before and were amazed at the beauty. We will stay here through the week and start working our way slowly south.


Mon Nov 20 11:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.850N 130 01.869E
Weather: 40% cloud, 30C, 1004.3 baro, 0kts wind.

We had a great hike yesterday up the pinnacle to view Wayaga. It's beautiful. We will be doing some more drone footage and photos so we can post when we get internet. We plan on staying here through or until the weekend as we are in no hurry to leave. Diving today!


Sat Nov 18 9:27 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.850N 130 01.869E
Weather: 60% cloud, 30C, 1002.3 baro, 0kts wind.

OK, so here is the reality of being in Raja Ampat during the prime diving season. There are LOTS of boats around. Last night, after a nice dinner, we had visitors. About 20 people arrived to our secluded little beach that we are stern tied (25m off the shore), built a fire, brought food and chairs and music, and had a loud party that lasted until 10pm. Yep, so much for having this small little beach to ourselves. Evidently the charter boats use this beach as a party base since there are very few beaches in the area. Oh well, we'll see what tonight brings....hopefully peace and quiet....


Fri Nov 17 20:24 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.850N 130 01.869E
Run: 0.2nm (0.4km)
Weather: 60% cloud, 30C, 1002.3 baro, 0kts wind.

All we can say is WOW. This is a BEAUTIFUL location, and we've enjoyed the serenity of this location. We have not been diving yet, but plan on doing that in the next day or two. I'm in the middle of a couple of large boat projects, and need to get those done before we get in the water diving every day. There are a lot of charter boats here. We've seen four so far, so you can tell this is the diving season as it is a busy place. All good aboard.


Thu Nov 16 21:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 09.72N 130 01.93E
Run: 9.9nm (17.9km)
Weather: 80% cloud, 30C, 1003.0 baro, 0kts wind.

We arrived safely, and are anchored in an idyllic location, with a sandy beach, stern tied to shore. It's beautiful here. More updates later once we get in the water. Kids are ashore with paddle board playing on the beach.


Thu Nov 16 15:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
2.3kts
knts
GPS: 00 01.28N 130 00.29E
Run: 105.5nm (191km)
Avg: 3.9knts
24hr: 92.9nm
Weather: 20% cloud, 30C, 1005.0 baro, 5kts SW wind.

We just crossed the equator from S to N. This is the third time Field Trip has crossed the equator in the past six years. We are about 10NM from Wayag, so we should arrive this afternoon. We're excited to get back into the diving groove and start exploring Indonesia underwater.


Wed Nov 15 11:57 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 52.95S 131 14.09E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1007.0 baro, 0-5kts SW wind.

Anchors up and we are off to Raja Ampat. We'll be spending the next six weeks there before heading back to Sorong for visa renewal and then we will sail to Misool. All is well aboard and we are ready to get to remote areas and away from the crowds.


Tue Nov 14 11:30 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 52.95S 131 14.09E

We've been delinquent in giving updates. Yes, we are still in Sorong. We had to fly to Bali to get a passport renewed, do some shopping for the holidays and run a lot of errands around Sorong. We have not been much civilization and decent provisioning since Honiara, and that has been a LONG time ago...so needless to say we've had fun running around shopping and finding nice places to grab lunch. Overall we've been having good first impressions for Indonesia, and we are arguably in one of the least 'nice' places


Tue Nov 7 10:15 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 52.95S 131 14.09E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1004.0 baro, 0-5kts SW wind.

We had a successful and busy day with all the Indonesian formalities here in Sorong. It was time consuming, but easy to clear into Indo from here. We'll be doing a Noonsite update as it was a very pleasant experience with no issues. We pick up my mom in about an hour and will do final provisioning before we leave later this week for Raja Ampat!


Sun Nov 5 20:06 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 52.95S 131 14.09E
Run: 31.7nm (57.4km)
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1001.5 baro, 5kts SW wind.

We are anchored in Sorong off Doom Island. We will clear into Indonesia tomorrow morning, and pick up my mom who is flying in on Tuesday morning before final provisioning and heading off to Raja Ampat. We are excited to check out the provisioning and town. There is a lot to do here so we should be busy for several days.


Sun Nov 5 7:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
3kts
knts
GPS: 00 32.54S 131 32.60E
Run: 67.9nm (122.9km)
Avg: 4knts
24hr: 95.3nm
Weather: 30% cloud, 27.5C, 1004 baro, 0-3kts SE wind.

It's a beautiful morning, with starry skies. We are motoring slowly as there is no wind and we are wanting to avoid any potential issues with logs in the water. We received an email from some friends 100NM behind us that went through an area over 10 miles that had 'hundreds' of floating logs. Ouch. We'll be arriving in the morning to Sorong. All is well onboard.


Sat Nov 4 14:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
4.8kts
knts
GPS: 00 15.00S 132 28.91E
Run: 119.1nm (215.6km)
Avg: 4.1knts
24hr: 98.4nm
Weather: 50% cloud, 28.5C, 1004.4 baro, 5kts W wind.

It's been an uneventful motor/sail the past 24 hours. The biggest items we have to watch out for are logs and the occasional FAD. Believe it or not we passed a FAD in 3,500m of water, and that rattled us a bit as we didn't thing the locals put homemade FADs that deep. Regardless by the FAD we hooked up with our Mahi Mahi in years...so that was fun! We plan on arriving tomorrow afternoon to Sorong.


Fri Nov 3 9:09 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 00 53.43S 134 04.91E
Run: 31.8nm (57.6km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1004.6 baro, 0-5kts SW wind.

We are as close to the equator here in this anchorage as we have been since the Galapagos over three years ago. This is our last stop before we set sail in about an hour for Sorong. We've not been in such populated areas in a long time and it is odd to look out the windows at night and see a small city of lights all around us. We're excited to get officially cleared into Indonesia and off to Raja Ampat for a couple of months of diving. We plan on arriving Sunday to Sorong.


Thu Nov 2 10:54 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 01 19.01S 134 15.27E
Run: 59.4nm (107.5km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 27C, 1004.0 baro, 0-5kts SW wind.

We are anchored in a beautiful spot as the winds are from the WSW. The beach is black sand and there are towering mountains in the background. From our location you can't see any signs of life or industry, even though we are anchored on the other side of a small town. It's a great spot, and we slept very well last night. We will leave today as we stage for our final 200NM run to Sorong. We have been in debate about our best strategy as there are logs in the water, and we don't want to run over them at night...so we are trying to figure out our best plan to minimize potential damage. My mom flies into Sorong on Tuesday, so we will be there no later than Monday. All is well.


Wed Nov 1 8:36 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 01.34S 134 44.73E
Run: 11.8nm (21.4km)
Weather: 60% cloud, 26.5C, 1006 baro, 8-10kts SW wind.

We had a nice sail up here to a new location for Haloween. We are with another kid boat and had a fun time last night with the kids. It's beautiful here, and we wish we could stay longer, but we have to be in Sorong by Monday, so we are off again today for a short 50 mile sail. We have changed our sailing plans and are not doing any more night sailing. This is due to the logs in the water, as many friends have run amuck with these, some boat incurring damage to their props and struts.


Tue Oct 31 10:54 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 02 11.41S 134 46.77E
Run: 9237nm (16719km)
Avg: 384.1knts
24hr: 9217.8nm
Weather: 60% cloud, 26.5C, 1005.5 baro, 8-10kts SW wind.

We are currently at anchor, and will leave in about an hour for the next small island that is about 20NM north of here. It is supposed to have good diving and it looks like a nice place to spend Haloween. All is well.


Mon Oct 30 10:51 2017 NZDT
Speed:
5.8kts
knts
GPS: 023 03.80S 1354 51.86E
Run: 9180.8nm (16617.2km)
Avg: 369.4knts
24hr: 8866.8nm
Weather: 80% cloud, 26.5C, 1005.5 baro, 8-10kts SW wind.

We are currently underway, leaving the whale shark area. We are heading for the Pulau Archipeligo here in the bay...not to be confused with Pulau the country. Swimming with the whale sharks was amazing. It was challenging to find the fishing platform that had whale sharks, but once we did, we got up close and personal to two whale sharks. They literally would swim around you and you could ride them. If you were not careful you would get bumped by their very large tail. The biggest downside was the visiblity. It was poor about 5-7m on the surface, which is where the sharks were. So...pictures and video were not great, but it was still an amazing.


Sun Oct 29 10:00 2017 NZDT
Speed:
5.2kts
knts
GPS: 02 56.00S 135 14.86E
Run: 126.6nm (229.1km)
Avg: 5.4knts
24hr: 129.8nm
Weather: 50% cloud, 26.5C, 1005.5 baro, 3-5kts SW wind.

We are underway, motor sailing as we approach the area where the whale sharks are supposed to live. We got the waypoints from some friends on another boat who were here four months ago. They said it was great...so we shall see. Overnight we had some more squalls with wind shifts of 180 degrees. Amazing how the wind can be equally strong within one hour between squalls going in the opposite directions. All is well.


Sat Oct 28 10:36 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 01 49.71S 136 42.59E
Run: 27.5nm (49.8km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 26C, 1006.5 baro, 0-5kts SE wind.

We are at anchor, arriving to this location yesterday around noon. We wanted to find a nice calm spot to spend the night and lick our wounds from the challenging morning. After the updates to YIT, we again got hammered by a large squall. This time it was massive. We had 40kts forward of the beam as we were reaching at 60 apparent. We were already double reefed, but the boat loaded up and we put in a third reef. No real damage other than a ripped leech cord on the genoa. After anchoring here we were greeted by a nice man who only spoke Indonesian. He offered to call the police, and did. We had the arrival within 30 min of two very formal police officers. No one spoke English. Fortunately we had our Google Translate on the phone and we shared 'text messages' back and forth about what was needed. Evidently this is a restricted area due to previous rebel activity - hence the large police presence. We were given permission to stay here for one night, and we leave this morning. They were very nice and we had no issues other than translation. We'll be off in about an hour for the southern part of the bay to dive with the whale sharks.


Fri Oct 27 9:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
3.8kts
knts
GPS: 01 42.20S 137 05.26E
Run: 85nm (153.9km)
Avg: 3.4knts
24hr: 81.4nm
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1006.5 baro, 6-8kts SE wind.

We missed getting this report in before the net. We got slammed with a very large squall and a 180 degree wind shift. We filled up our water tanks as we got more rain than we have seen in months. In fact, it was the first rain we've had in over a week. In addition to the large squall we encountered an Indonesian vessel underway with no lights. It was hard to distinguish the vessel from the patchy squalls. Fortunately the vessel flashed a white light to alert us to the postion, and we got a radar lock...but NO running lights. We are heading for a village built on stilts over the water that we saw on satellite images. We don't think many vessels go there as it is off the beaten path. We expect to arrive in about a day depending on wind.


Thu Oct 26 8:00 2017 NZDT
Speed:
3kts
knts
GPS: 01 17.7S 138 14.9E
Run: 92.5nm (167.4km)
Avg: 4.1knts
24hr: 99.3nm
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1005.5 baro, 6-8kts S wind.

We've been having some good sailing. With the exception of our 10 hour stop in Vanimo for clearance and Indonesian Visas, we've been sailing for six days. We've been averaging about 3.5kts for the entire trip, so we are not sailing fast, but we are sailing. Everything has been good except for yesterday morning when we got slammed by a large squall. Our prized bottle of wine we've been saving since we left Argentina six years ago broke on the floor and flooded the bilge. UGH. Needless to say we were not happy as we planned to drink the wine after our circumnavigation. Otherwise, all well onboard.


Wed Oct 25 9:39 2017 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 01 45.898S 139 30.11E
Run: 328.4nm (594.4km)
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1007.8 baro, 15kts S wind.

Finally! Our email is back online after over two weeks. Our subscription expired with Xgate, and we needed internet to renew...and we had no internet. We are off the coast of Indonesia, heading for diving with the Whale Sharks in the Cenderwash (sp?) Bay. We've had an excellent sail overall. Tonight was our first night in 5 days at sea with squalls. It's been slow sailing, but very comfortable save the last couple of hours where we have been hammered. We expect to arrive to a small deserted island for a night or two of rest later this afternoon. All is well.


Wed Oct 25 9:39 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 21.971S 144 14.26E
Run: 222.8nm (403.3km)
Avg: 6knts
24hr: 143nm
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1003.8 baro, 0-5kts E wind.

The eastern pass is not good for diving. In fact there is not much there at all so we moved to the western pass, and had a GREAT dive. For the first time in a long time we had friends diving with us, so it was four divers, and we had a lot of fun. Afterwards we went to a small deserted island for a beer and let the kids play on the beach. We look to leave late next week for Vanimo. All is well.


Mon Oct 23 20:14 2017 NZDT
GPS: 02 41.11S 141 17.63E
Run: 164.7nm (298.1km)
Avg: 2.9knts
24hr: 68.4nm
Weather: Sunny, no wind, and very nice.

We arrived safely to Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. We arrived at 6am this morning, got a small bit of sleep, procured our visas for Indonesia from the consulate and checked out of PNG. We leave in about 30min for Indonesia. We will not spend the night here as it is unsafe. A boat was robbed at gunpoint 3 months ago while at anchor, so we are opting to get out of here ASAP before it gets dark. All is well. Email issues should be sorted out, and our updated should begin tomorrow.


Sat Oct 21 10:27 2017 NZDT
Speed:
4
knts
GPS: 01 38S 143 26E
Run: 54.7nm (99km)

Good to hear them, via relay from Aradonna and know that all is well.


Thu Oct 12 8:59 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 20S 144 10E
Run: 5.4nm (9.8km)

Just in case you think a shark got the main scribe - all is well but their email system is down. Will try and get updates but they are quite a long way away and so they are hard to pick up.


Wed Oct 11 9:48 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 21.971S 144 14.26E
Run: 3.9nm (7.1km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1003.8 baro, 0-5kts E wind.

It is a beautiful morning, with sunny skies and light winds. Our friends on s/v Perry arrived yesterday, and we both moved to the eastern pass for diving. It was blowing 15-18kts E yesterday, so the outside was too rough for diving. Today looks great and we hope to see some large sharks on the outside. All is well.


Mon Oct 9 10:00 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 24.06S 144 11.56E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1005.6 baro, 0-5kts ESE wind.

We said our goodbyes last night to the village and plan on leaving this morning for the next village. We won't stay there for more than a day or two before moving to the pass for diving.


Sun Oct 8 10:03 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 24.06S 144 11.56E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1004.6 baro, 0-5kts ESE wind.

It was a beautiful and sunny all day so we spent most of the time in the village with Thomas. He gave us several lobsters that he caught as a gift and we played cards and the kids played football and volleyball. We must leave here soon to visit the pass for diving and two other locations that are suppose to be excellent dives. All is well aboard.


Sat Oct 7 9:18 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 24.06S 144 11.56E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1007.6 baro, 0-5kts ESE wind.

We had our best visit to a village since we have been cruising. We had good weather and decided to go over to the other atoll via dinghy. We figured they did not get a lot of visitors as there is no pass into the lagoon. We let a couple of folks here know we were going so they alerted the village. When we arrived we were greeted by the entire school on the beach singing us a welcome song and providing hats with flowers along with a table of refreshments. The children did some dancing while we had some food (this is 8am in the morning). After the songs we were asked to talk to the school about where we were from so we did a presentation. Afterwards, we were provided a tour of the entire island, meeting each clan. The clans provided food at each stop as we spent lots of time talking and getting to know the villagers. We were the first yachties to ever visit the island, and they were very excited to have us. They pride themselves in being a friendly village, and wanted us to encourage others to visit their atoll. This reinforces our desire to find those spots that are rarely if ever visited by yachts. It was our best village visit in six years living aboard Field Trip.

After a long day of socializing and making new friends, we left around 4pm. While we had our dinghy anchored, the family that lived on the beach cleaned the bottom of our dinghy. We were shocked at their generosity and NEVER have had our dinghy cleaned while ashore. Heck, I don't even clean the bottom of the dinghy very often (grin). We did not have anything to give them for appreciation so we will go back with something to say 'Thank You'. All well and looking forward to another day.


Fri Oct 6 8:54 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 24.06S 144 11.56E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.6 baro, 0-5kts ESE wind.

It was a busy day. We had three local kids aboard at 8am for school. Their teacher was off the island so a family asked if Sarah could teach the kids fractions. It was a fun morning, with the kids all going ashore for lunch and then playing on the beach. In the evening we put on a movie for the kids with our small projector. Everyone had a good time. Today we go visit another atoll via dinghy. It is about 10km SW of Mal. Should be fun as they don't get visitors from yachts since there is no pass into the lagoon.


Thu Oct 5 8:39 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 24.06S 144 11.56E
Run: 1nm (1.8km)
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.6 baro, 10-12kts NE wind.

We moved closer to another village on Mal island. It was a fun day spending time with Thomas and his family. He asked us if we could send an email for him to his friends that were here in 2011. We did, and received a reply with a picture. We printed the reply and picture out for his family and they were VERY excited. His son gave us a chicken (thankfully not alive and well plucked) as a gift. We will stay here for another several days before moving to another village in the lagoon. All is well.


Wed Oct 4 9:48 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 23.59S 144 10.82E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.6 baro, 8-10kts SE wind.

They say leave the best for last. The Ninigos are in our top two spots in PNG that we have visited, and we've only been here a couple of days. It's rare to find a place where the locals are so generous, and insist on nothing in return. We received yesterday oranges, limes, coconut crab, lemon grass and papaya from the village. We asked what the wanted in trade and they said 'nothing, this is a gift'. We were a little surprised as we rarely get this response. We'll be working on baking some items and giving them some gifts today. We look forward to meetig more of the village and finding ways to show them appreciation for all their kindness.


Tue Oct 3 9:51 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 23.59S 144 10.82E
Run: 59.9nm (108.4km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1007.3 baro, 8-12kts SE wind.

We finally made it to the Ninigos. We averaged 2.9kts for the entire trip but it was a good trip. The kids loved the overnight drift and thought it was 'cool'. We caught the biggest giant trevally we have evert caught at about 20kg. Took me 20 min to land the fish as it was huge. The locals have been very nice and came out to greet us after arrival. All is well.


Mon Oct 2 9:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
1.5kts
knts
GPS: 01 28.24S 145 02.63E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 0kts wind.

It has been a slow drift to the Ninigos. We have had zero wind for the past 12 hours and drifted all night. Current is 1.5kts so we are making some progress. It is a glassy lake out here. All is well.


Sun Oct 1 9:30 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 28.24S 145 02.63E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 0-5 kts ESE

We had another great day. The reef and anchorage was smooth as glass as we had no wind almost all day with sunshine. We did two dives, and unfortunately they were just average as the visibility here is not great. We plan on leave tonight for an overnight sail to the Ninigos. Today looks like a nice day as well.


Sat Sep 30 10:00 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 28.24S 145 02.63E
Run: 4.5nm (8.1km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1008.8 baro, 0-5 kts ESE

It turned out to be a very nice day. We moved to the NW pass and did two dives and some snorkeling. We saw a large octopus eating something, while three grouper tried to attack the octopus to eat whatever it was eating..or maybe eat the octopus itself. It provided 15 min of entertainment before we had to ascend due to decompression limits. Today we plan on doing a pass dive and the wall dive where there are sharks, including at times hammerheads. We shall see....


Fri Sep 29 9:03 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 32.18S 145 02.41E
Weather: 90% cloud, 28C, 1008.7 baro, 0-5 kts ESE

It rained most of the day so we spent time aboard doing projects. We will go to the NW pass today. Not much else to report other than we are waiting on wind before we head to the Ninigos. All is well.


Thu Sep 28 10:27 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 32.18S 145 02.41E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1008.4 baro, 0-5 kts ESE

We finally had some rain last night with a squall. The s/v Fleur de Passion moved over to our location. It is the largest sailing vessel under the Swiss flag, and has onboard nine crew. They are sailing the Magellan route, and plan to be back in Seville Spain by 2019. We will move over to the NW pass later today and do some diving. It is supposed to be an excellent pass dive.


Wed Sep 27 9:36 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 32.18S 145 02.41E
Weather: 50% cloud, 29C, 1005.8 baro, 0-5 kts ESE

The swim with the mantas was excellent. We got some great photos and videos. The big news is we have seen our first yacht in PNG outside of being in Kavieng. There is a 34m wooden schooner that pulled in yesterday. They are heading to Raja Ampat and are here diving. We are not sure on the details just yet as they are anchored 3.5miles from us, but are moving to our spot later today to dive with the mantas. We'll have more to report tomorrow. The weather continues to be excellent...and we find ourselves wishing for some rain, but we'll take the sunny days while they last.


Tue Sep 26 9:03 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 32.18S 145 02.41E
Run: 6.2nm (11.2km)
Weather: 60% cloud, 29C, 1007.4 baro, 8-10 kts ESE

We have a lot to report this morning. We moved to 'Manta Pass', so we can dive/swim with the mantas one more time. Yesterday morning we did a dive in another pass, and it was outstanding. One of the best pass dives I've done (besides Fulanga South). Lots of large fish schools, and several types of sharks. I saw the largest grouper I'd ever seen, about 1.5-2m in length. It was almost as big as I was, and not afraid. He just sat there as I came in close for a look. Evidently this species of grouper can get over 2m in size. The other new news, is Bob, the person who lives here at Manta Pass, likes to feed Silver Tip sharks. He calls them up with empty water bottles that crackle under water, and then feeds these large 3m+ sharks by hand. We have not seen this just yet, but he says it took him two years to learn the tricks to do this 'safely'. I rather feel guilty paying someone to feed sharks, so not sure we are going to do this dive...but interesting for sure. They also have schools of scalloped hammerheads in the southern pass. We have not ventured there, other then our entry into the lagoon, but we may go back to dive if the weather holds out.


Mon Sep 25 9:21 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 31.89S 145 07.79E
Weather: 60% cloud, 29C, 1007.4 baro, 8-10 kts ESE

The pass dive was beautiful. It was a smooth 1kt of current going in, and this made it a nice slow dive, with the ability to actually stop in areas and explore without being swept too quickly inside. We'll do one more dive this morning and then head to the manta ray area for another swim there before working our way to the last pass in the NW corner. The weather has been overall very good, and we've been enjoying the quiet anchorages and clear water.


Sun Sep 24 9:39 2017 NZDT
GPS: 01 31.89S 145 07.79E
Run: 2nm (3.6km)
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1007.4 baro, 8-10 kts ESE

We moved to the middle pass and did some snorkeling. There are a lot more fish in this pass than the NE corner. The weather looks a little dreary today, so we will have to see how things shape up. Our plans are to leave mid week for the Ninigo islands. All is well.


Sat Sep 23 8:57 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.18S 145 08.01E
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1007.4 baro, 8-10 kts ESE

We had another gorgeous day. Unfortunately, I got wrapped up in boat projects and spent most of the day changing oil, and fixing a number of small items on the boat. So, the only water time was cleaning the bottom of the boat. Nothing much to report other than this is a great anchorage and it's been beautiful.


Fri Sep 22 9:09 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.18S 145 08.01E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1008.2 baro, 5-8 kts ESE

It ended up being a beautiful day, with light wind and lots of sunshine. We did a lot of snorkling and decided not to dive as the current was just a bit much and it would not be overly safe without someone in the dinghy to pick us up in case something went wrong. :) We'll try again today to see if we can get a dive in near the pass. We also made some minor repairs to the mainsail. All is well.


Thu Sep 21 9:33 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.18S 145 08.01E
Run: 3.8nm (6.9km)
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007.2 baro, 5-8 kts ESE

We said our goodbyes to the village, and moved off to anchor at the NE pass. It is beautiful up here and the water is crystal clear. We will do some more exploring underwater this afternoon after school. We hope to strap on some tanks, but need to be very careful as the current RIPS up here and we are the only yacht...so caution is advised. We will hopefully see the silver tip sharks, but all depends on current and weather.


Wed Sep 20 8:21 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.91S 145 04.79E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 100.2 baro, 5 kts ESE

Finally, the winds have died down, and we will be swimming with the manta rays this morning. It's been a good stay. We prefer to be off the beaten path as the village experience is more genuine and less 'what can you give me' as with locations where lots of yachts visit. We'll push on to some of the remote areas of the lagoon before heading off to the Ninigo's. We've tried to find a remote island to visit, but the anchorages are less than ideal so we will probably stick with the beaten path until we get to Vanimo.


Tue Sep 19 8:30 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.91S 145 04.79E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007 baro, 10-12 kts SE

It was a very windy day yesterday. We had 17-20kts for a lot of the day, and not much rain. We did more fiberglass work and fixed a couple of other items in the village. We still have not had calm enough weather for diving the pass in the NE corner. This pass is supposed to have silver tip sharks, and we are eager to get diving, but need the wind to drop down to 10kts or less. Looks like we should have calmer weather later this week. We will also dive with the manta rays.


Mon Sep 18 9:03 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.91S 145 04.79E
Weather: 100% cloud, 28C, 1009.3 baro, 10-15 kts SE

We did some fiberglass work, and spent some time working on a petrol generator. The weather has been rather windy and squally, so we have not done any diving just yet. We hope this will change soon so we can move around the lagoon and explore other areas.


Sun Sep 17 10:06 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.91S 145 04.79E
Weather: 70% cloud, 29C, 100.57 baro, 5=10 kts SE

There is not much to report other than we had a rainy day most of the day, and stayed onboard, read some books and took a nap. We plan on swimming with the Manta rays today, and work on a fiberglass boat. All is well.


Sat Sep 16 8:45 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.91S 145 04.79E
Weather: 90% cloud, 29C, 1007 baro, 0 kts

It was mostly sunny day, and we got a lot of projects completed on the boat. We also delivered the new engine to the village. They were very happy and excited. Today we wil get some more projects completed and maybe do some snorkeling. It is an SDA village so being Saturday there is not much else going on until tomorrow. All is well.


Fri Sep 15 8:09 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 30.91S 145 04.79E
Run: 6nm (10.9km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1006.7 baro, 0 kts

We moved to anchor by the village. It's deep, and we are in 35m of water. We could anchor farther away in about 10-15m, but decided for now to be up closer to the village vs. 1km away. The village has been great. Some friends of ours who were here last year made some very good friends here. They asked us if we would bring a new Yahmaha 15 as a gift to Ben here in the village. We said sure, and have had the new engine onboard for over 4 months. This morning is the day we will present the gift. Needless to say, it should be fun. We told our friends we would video the presentation. Stay tuned for an update on how this goes tomorrow. Otherwise, all is going well, and the weather is very calm.


Wed Sep 13 22:27 2017 NZST
GPS: 01 33.42S 145 00.2E
Run: 29.5nm (53.4km)
Avg: 4.4knts
24hr: 106.5nm
Weather: 50% cloud, 27C, 1006.4 baro, 5-7 kts ENE

We just arrived safely and dropped the hook. Given the large entrance and open area inside we came in under satellite charts no issues at dusk. We will get some sleep tonight and then head over to the Luff Island anchorage. There is a lot to explore here with some good diving. Stats from the trip were 67hrs for 324NM, averaging 4.5kts. That is not terrible given we spent a lot of time drifting at 2.5kts waiting for wind. We got a nice punch of wind the last five hours today, 18kts out of the NE (forecast was SE winds 10-12kts) that moved us at 7-8kts to the entrance of the reef.


Wed Sep 13 15:48 2017 NZST
Speed:
3.5kts
knts
GPS: 01 37.43S 145 25.5E
Run: 317.3nm (574.3km)
Avg: 5.4knts
24hr: 128.4nm
Weather: 80% cloud, 29C, 1007.4 baro, 5-7 kts ESE

We've had email client issues and were not able to send or receive email for the past two days. Bottom line the email database was corrupt and I had to download a fix over the satellite internet connection (not cheap), but it is fixed. We are still underway for Luff island, and are about 25NM from the entrance. Let's just say the sailing at these latitudes can be challenging. The forecasts (and we use four different models each time we plan a trip) are just flat out inaccurate at best. We might get the forecasted wind for 3-6 hours and then it will swing 180 degrees, drop to dead calm, or get smacked with 25-30kts 90 degrees off the prevailing breeze. It's expected, but frustrating at times. We have boycotted using our engines, because we like the challenge of sailing up here, but it is SLOW going. In the past 14 hours our average SOG is 2.7kts....with 1kt+ of favorable current. We drifted for 5 hours with zero wind and all sails down. We're not in a hurry so it is actually rather nice and on a positive not the sail changes every 3-4 hours keeps me busy. The big news is we got to test out our Parasailor spinnaker in a 27kt gust of wind. I'm happy to report it did not blow out and we had a fast (12kts), but white knuckled run for about 15 minutes.


Mon Sep 11 4:30 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 27.9S 149 56.5E
Run: 14nm (25.3km)
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.7 baro, 5-7 kts SE

This anchorage has been just OK, but not great. I came down with a small cold and was not able to dive, so Sarah and Elizabeth decided not to go without me. We have to leave today as the winds are good for our trip to the Luff islands, so we are leaving without doing any diving. The sail is 325NM. Sailing downwind we don't expect to make great speed, and are planning on a 5-5.5kt average SOG. Otherwise, all is well aboard.


Sat Sep 9 7:45 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 22.3S 150 07.3E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007 baro, 5-7 kts SE

It was another great day. Junior, the chief's brother wanted to go diving with us. He is a dive master and used to work on a live aboard here in PNG. He had not been diving in a while and had a blast diving with us and being our guide. After the diving, he took us with his family up the river on the mainland to his mother in laws house. It was a beautiful ride up the river and then we hiked to a waterfall. The kids had a great time as well. Elizabeth enjoyed the hike, but said "Dad, this is a good hike, but not as good as the hike with Sel Citron to the Ambryn Volcano". The hikes were not even similar, but she remembers that as her best hike ever and compares all hikes to Ambryn. We leave today for Chapmans Reef, about 12NM from here on the tip of the big island. This is supposed to be the best dive in all of PNG according to the local dive masters. Schooling hammer head sharks, lots of pelagic fish, etc, etc. We'll provide a report tomorrow.


Fri Sep 8 7:54 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 22.3S 150 07.3E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1008 baro, 0-5 kts SE

The wreck dive here is excellent. It is a very large Japanese armored transport ship that as sunk in an American air raid. We will dive the submarine this morning. The big news about this anchorage is the super yacht owned by Eric and Google was here three weeks ago. They had a wedding on this island, and both Eric and Larry were here in attendance. It was very hush hush, and the chief of the island was not allowed to advertise or tell anyone about the event. The PNG newspaper in Port Moresby heard about this and asked permission to run a front page story but permission was declined by Eric. We have been surprised at how many super yachts actually come to this anchorage by the log in the guest book. There have been about six yachts anchored here this year, and of those six four were super yachts. The surfing here is excellent in Nov-Mar so that is maybe some of the attraction.


Thu Sep 7 8:21 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 22.3S 150 07.3E
Run: 20.2nm (36.6km)
Weather: 20% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5 kts SE

Well, we decided to unexpectadly move yesterday before we did any diving. We went ashore to meet the head official (they dont' use chiefs in this village, only government officials). He insisted on a 100K (equivalent to one weeks wage here in PNG) anchoring fee from us for one or two nights of anchoring. It was not a good vibe, as we've never been asked for anything like this in PNG or the Solomons, so we left, and sailed about 18NM to a great place. This island was VERY welcoming, brought out fruits and assured us we were safe and there were no fees for being here. There are two wrecks here, a WW II Japanese submarine fully intact and another Japanese supply boat of some sort. We plan on doing these dives over the next day or two.


Wed Sep 6 9:39 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 25.4S 150 24.6E
Run: 27.9nm (50.5km)
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1008.9 baro, 0-5 kts SE

We've moved up north to another nice spot for some diving on the outside of the reef. We had a heck of a messy sail up here. When we left it was 0-5kts of wind, dead calm, and partially sunny. Within 2 hours we had 20-25kts of wind from the NNW, gusting 30, and rough seas. Needless to say with the wind on the nose, we cracked off and headed to the inside of the reefs and worked out way NW to our current location. We are hoping to see some silver tip sharks up here, but not sure as they have mostly been killed off by the locals for shark finning. An ugly trade that has hurt the shark population in this area.


Sun Sep 3 11:03 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 35.2S 150 46.8E
Weather: 30% cloud, 29C, 1008.5 baro, 0-5 kts SE

We've been exploring some of the diving around the area. I have a small cold, so I was not able to equalize my ears below 10m. Sarah however was fine, and she ended up doing two dives yesterday. Her second dive was on a WWII Japanese plane wreck about 100m from our boat. Very cool to be able dive a wreck this close to our boat. The people here are very friendly, and we have had no issues or felt in the least bit unsafe. We did some more exploring in town, grabbed ice cream and in general had a good day. It has been especially hot, as every day has been mostly sunny, with not much wind. That means it has been 34C-35C onboard. Luckily we do have A/C and run it about an hour an night to cool off the boat before going to sleep. Our plans are to leave probably tomorrow for some more dive sites along the northern side of the island before heading north.


Fri Sep 1 10:33 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 35.2S 150 46.8E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 0-5 kts SE

Kavieng has been good. We've met a lot of people here in the past couple of days. Clearance was super easy, the people are very nice, and overall a safe place. We've been gathering local knowlege on dive sites, and are organizing a dive with the local dive operator to explore some of the wrecks. The weather has been excellent...and most importantly our new drone arrives today...so we will have a drone again! Our plan is to stay here over the weekend, and begin our journey almost due north to some remote islands that are off the beaten path of yachts. We found some real nice areas that I am willing to bet rarely ever get yachts. We also found that using satellite images from ArcGIS have proven to open up a lot more detail and remote possibilites as Google and Bing are lacking in these more remote areas. This means more exploring than previously possible as the islands we plan to visit are virtually not visible on Google or Bing.


Wed Aug 30 7:12 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 35.2S 150 46.8E
Run: 83.1nm (150.4km)
Avg: 3.4knts
24hr: 82.8nm
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 5-8 kts SE

We arrived to Kavieng around 1pm yesterday after a great sail. We checked into PNG "officially" and it was the easiest checking we've done. It took about 15 min for customs and immigration. Quarantine was 10 mins of paperwork and we were finished. Total cost $18 USD. We will be here for 3-4 days before leaving for our next stop on the outer islands. More updates later.


Tue Aug 29 7:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
4kts
knts
GPS: 02 52.2S 151 57.0E
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1006.5 baro, 5-8 kts SE

We are currently underway to Kaveing, PNG. We expect to arrive in the afternoon. The sail has been good, but slow with light winds. We have been wing on wing most of the way, with the occasional broad reach on port and starboard. Needless to say we've been busy working the sails in these light and variable winds, but no complaints as we have been able to sail everywhere since leaving the Solomons, with zero motoring in the past six weeks. We will clear into PNG tomorrow, pick up a package, buy some provisions and head out probably over the weekend to the NW outer islands of PNG for more diving. All is going well, and everyone is asleep.


Mon Aug 28 8:12 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 52.2S 151 57.0E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007 baro, 0-5 kts SE

The diving and the weather have been excellent. Sunny with scatter clouds each day, and the water had been clear with some very nice reefs. Last night the locals had a dinner for us onshore that was very nice. It was a going away event as we are leaving today for Kaveing. We'll get in one or two more dives today before we leave. All is well.


Sat Aug 26 9:36 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 52.2S 151 57.0E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5 kts SE

It was a beautiful day yesterday, and it looks like today will be another very nice day. We did some exploring underwater for some dive sites and found a couple worth exploring today. We also fixed a fiberglass boat and did an oil change in an outboard engine for the chief. All is well, and we plan on heading to Kaveing to officially clear into PNG early this week.


Fri Aug 25 7:54 2017 NZST
GPS: 02 52.2S 151 57.0E
Run: 18.4nm (33.3km)
Weather: 40% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 0 kts SE

We arrived safely to Tabar Island. It was a slow but very comfortable sail. We averaged 4.1kts for the 88NM journey. Not too bad given the wind was aft of the beam and it was light. The village here is not off the beaten path. They are nice, but used to yachts...so that makes for a TOTALLY different experience. The past six weeks we have been where few boats venture, and that makes the villages in our opinion more pristine and simple. Here in this village we have received a number of 'asks', like for clothes, or cigarretts, etc. While we are happy to help, clearly they are used to asking and getting stuff from yachties. We never received one ask in the past six weeks until yesterday. Again, we are happy to help, but don't want to feed the expectations of asking and getting stuff for nothing.


Thu Aug 24 8:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
3 kts
knts
GPS: 03 03.2S 152 08.6E
Run: 79.3nm (143.5km)
Avg: 3.4knts
24hr: 81.5nm
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.7 baro, 5-7 kts SE

Overall we have had a good sail. It's nice to be sailing at these latitudes, even if it is a little slow right now. We had one squall last night that packed 12kts of wind, and gave us a good boost in our sail. Otherwise, a very peacful and calm night sailing. We plan to arrive in the next several hours wind permitting. All well onboard.


Wed Aug 23 8:54 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1008.9 baro, 5-10 kts SE

We didn't leave yesterday. We decided to stay one more day as the winds were still hopping around 20kts in the morning. However, we may regret our decision as the winds have died down...so it will be a slow sail for our next destination that is 90NM NW of here. We did some diving (as usual) and saw some more nice fish. We will do one more dive today before we leave around 1pm. All is well.


Tue Aug 22 8:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Weather: 970% cloud, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 10-5 kts SE

The village had a 'going away' dinner for us. They cooked a meal, and we prepared some food and had an early dinner with the chief and his clan. It was very nice, and he made a nice speech telling us we were part of his new family and he wanted us to always remember his village. The people here have never asked for anything, and have been just great. We did two dives as well. One in the morning and one night dive last night. We saw some very bizarre fish during the night dive, and snapped some good pictures. We will probably leave today. All is well.


Mon Aug 21 8:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Weather: 70% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 12-16 kts SE

The diving continues to be great. We found more fish and nudibranchs we have never seen before. Elizabeth found a rare anglefish, and was very excited when she snapped a good picture. We also had the chief and some of the ladies over to the boat for tea. They ended up spending several hours aboard talking and sharing stories. The ladies played the ukelele and sang traditional songs. Overall a very good day. One quick funny story. We were somehow talking about coconut milk. The ladies were talking about using it in everything they cook. We said we did not, but used canned coconut milk. They looked bewildered. We showed them a can of coconut milk, and the local ladies just laughed, and laughed, and laughed. To them it was bizarre that anyone would buy coconut milk in a can. The chief even talked about trying to make some money selling coconut milk. Very funny.


Sun Aug 20 9:45 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Weather: 100% cloud, 28C, 1007.9 baro, 8-10 kts SE

We had a great day, hiking to the market in the morning and diving in the afternoon. The market was 5km each way, and a very unique experience. Rarely does the village on the other side of the island get white visitors, and we were a spectacle for everyone. There was a large crowd that followed us around as we looked for items to purchase. The market itself was average as best, consisting mainly of beetle nut, but we did find some pineapple, capsicum and bananas. The dive was excellent, and the water clarity pristine. We plan on doing another dive today.


Sat Aug 19 7:24 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Weather: 50% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 8-10 kts SE

The birthday party went well. We did some snorkeling around the island. The water is crystal clear. The reef is again average. It must had to do with the type of island this is, as with the atolls...since both seemed to be average at best with actual reef structure. We will do a dive this afternoon. This morning we are off to the market on the other side of the island.


Fri Aug 18 7:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Weather: 50% cloud, 29C, 1006.5 baro, 5-8 kts SE

Today is Elizabeth's birthday, so I am up early to make doughnuts for breakfast. No rain last night, and all is well. We'll do some diving today and get to know the village this afternoon. There is a Japanese graveyard here as well, so we will check that out from WW II.


Thu Aug 17 19:18 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 22.6S 153 14.8E
Run: 98.7nm (178.6km)
Avg: 2.8knts
24hr: 68.1nm
Weather: 30% cloud, 29C, 1004.5 baro, 5-8 kts SE

We had a great sail last night and arrived to Boang Island just after lunch. We caught a nice yellow fin tuna around sundown. After arriving to this new anchorage we were greeted by a lot of canoes. They rarely get yachts here according to the locals and there were a lot of curious people checking out the boat. The chief is very nice, and speaks good english. The villagers however speak very little english, so ti will be some work to get our pigeon up to speed to communicate. The water here is also crystal clear. It is similar to the clarity at Rancador reef, so we hope the diving will be good.


Wed Aug 16 8:30 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.4S 154 40.6E
Weather: 40% cloud, 28C, 1006.6 baro, 5-8 kts SE

Today we are leaving. It is a beautiful day today, as it was yesterday as well. The winds are light, and we will be heading almost due East, so it should be OK for a slow but calm sail. I went for a dive yesterday and it was nice to be back in the water, even though the reef was below average. The village is putting on a cultural show with the 80 kids from the school as a going away celebration for us. Should be fun, and it begins at 9am.


Tue Aug 15 8:18 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.4S 154 40.6E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1008.6 baro, 5-8 kts SE

Sarah and the kids taught about 80 kids in school for 3 hours. It went very well, and everyone seemed to enjoy the class/presentations. I worked on fixing 10 fiberglass boats, and got those sorted for the village. Today we will begin looking for a window to sail to the next island, about 85NM from here. We plan on leaving either tonight or tomorrow night. The village has been very good, and and we are sad to leave, but we must get moving. If only the pass here was good for snorkeling/diving we would probably stay here for another week or two....


Mon Aug 14 8:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.4S 154 40.6E
Weather: 80% cloud, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 5-8 kts SE

The time changed for us here at Nuguria. The locals use PNG time, which means we went back an hour. That puts the GHR net at 5am for us, so we will not be on the net daily as we were before. We'll still make the net, but not every day. On another note, we took the dinghy and explore the final two passes to the atoll. Needless to say it was not great, and overall we have been disappointed in the marine life here. It would be nice to know what is so different than the other two locations as it looks lik this place shoud be teeming with fish, but it's not...and the coral is average at best.


Sun Aug 13 10:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.4S 154 40.6E
Weather: 80% cloud, light rain, 28C, 1008.8 baro, 5-8 kts SE

We had an excellent day yesterday with sunshine all day. Unfortunately the snorkeling/diving is not great. I was amazed at how barren the passes were. We went to three of them and they all were gray, few fish, and the coral was poor. This was true on the outside as well. It was a real bummer as we expected that we would have great diving here. We will go an explore the final pass that is NE of here about 6NM. We hope here it will be better as it is farther away from the village and on the other side of the atoll. We are starting to look for another weather window so we can sail to the next spot, and hope we will find better reefs. The past two were atolls/reefs were excellent so we are sure we will find another spot for lots of diving!


Fri Aug 11 9:30 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.4S 154 40.6E
Weather: 100% cloud, light rain, 28C, 1008.8 baro, 5-8 kts SE

The villagers are very friendly. We spent part of the morning fixing a large solar charging station that was installed by the government. It is 360watts, and has not been used for two years as the chief thought it was no longer working. We did some diagnostics, found the problem and got is going. Sarah met with the head master and is working on a teaching plan for this week for English. She starts today, teaching the teachers how to best teach the language to the 80 students. Today looks a little rainy, as we had squalls most of the night and it is drizzling this morning.


Wed Aug 9 18:54 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 03 20.4S 154 40.6E
Run: 68.5nm (124km)
Avg: 4.7knts
24hr: 113.8nm
Weather: 80% cloud, 29C, 1006.5 baro, 15 kts SE

We arrived safely to Nuguria Atoll about 3pm today. We had a great sail, all downwind, with comfortable seas. The bad news is the fish won the tournament. We landed two nice yellowfin tuna, but lost three Rapalla lures to three other very LARGE fish. Ugh. We just checked in with the chief after we arrived. They are a very nice Polynesian village. Similar to the Mortlocks (our last anchorage), and they speak the same language. We asked about yachts, and they have only had one yacht, a year ago, that stayed here for two days. Again, we found another spot off the beaten path, and are excited about spending time with the village and getting to know the locals better. All well, and I'm off to a good nights sleep...so we won't be on the net in the AM.


Wed Aug 9 4:27 2017 NZST
Speed:
5 kts
knts
GPS: 03 53.6S 155 30E
Run: 113.7nm (205.8km)
Avg: 5.3knts
24hr: 126.3nm
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1008 baro, 10 kts SE

We've been having great spinnaker sail for the past 12 hours. We just did a sail change as squalls started popping up. We plan on arriving to Fead Island late this afternoon, and hope the winds pick up a bit. All is well aboard.


Tue Aug 8 6:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 42.4S 156 56E
Weather: 40% cloud, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 7-10 kts SE

We are leaving at 0630 this morning for Nuguria Island (3 22S, 154 41E). We expect a spinnaker run for most of the trip with light winds. This atoll and village has been one of our top two locations in the South Pacific. We are sad to leave here, but must get going towards Kaveing to officially clear into PNG. All well aboard.


Mon Aug 7 7:36 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 42.4S 156 56E
Weather: 40% cloud, 28C, 1009.5 baro, 5-7 kts SE

The weather has been excellent. Sunny skies, light winds and some great diving. We logged three dives yesterday and about 2 hours of spear fishing. The kids played for hours on the sand spits near this anchorage and also had a great day. Today we will do some more diving, and get ready to leave for the next island. Still waiting for the winds to pick up, so that is out biggest item at this point. All well aboard.


Sun Aug 6 7:36 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 42.4S 156 56E
Run: 7.5nm (13.6km)
Weather: 30% cloud, 28C, 1009.5 baro, 0-5 kts SE

We had a great day yesterday, with beautiful weather. We moved to the small island, called bird island, in the northern part of the atoll. It is beautiful here with thousands of birds that nest on this island. We did a very nice drift snorkel in the pass, and will do some diving today. This morning is also beautiful, with mostly sunny skies as the sun pops up.


Sat Aug 5 7:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 0-5 kts SE

We had an excellent day. Early in the morning I went to the giant taro garden, and spent a couple of hours working the taro, and learning how village grows them so large. It was infested is mosquitoes. We wore face nets, long sleeves, long pants, and looked like bee keepers. I've never seen so many mosquitoes! After this, the school had a big event celebrating the last day of book week. This consisted of dancing, skits, music, food and a beauty contest. I was asked to be a judge, and was a little surprised when the high school age contestants were topless...but I managed to be a fair judge (I think). Finally the paramount chief provided some beautiful gifts for us, as we prepare to leave today for the small island in the north of this atoll. Overall and excellent day. We are humbled by the generosity of the local people. They were all sad that we are leaving, as are we!


Fri Aug 4 6:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 60% cloud, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 5-10 kts SE

It was a very good day. One of the elders of the village invited us to dinner with his family. It was a big dinner made with local food. It was great, and the warmth and hospitality of the family was amazing. The dinner took three hours, as we spent lots of time talking, sharing stories about our travels, and listening to family histories and village lore. Tomorrow we will leave for bird island, the northern side of the lagoon to do some diving outside the pass and wait for more wind before sailing to the next atoll. It will be sad to leave the village, but we need to get moving to the next location.


Thu Aug 3 6:57 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 70 cloud, 28C, 1007.1 baro,5-10 kts E

We had the most rain in months. It rained most of the day. Almost felt like NZ... :) The other news is I crashed the drone while filming the canoe race. The race started after the rain stopped. Not more than 15 min into the rain, while I had the drone videoing, it started to rain. While flying the drone back to the beach I guess the rain was too much for the drone and it landed in the ocean. We were able to recover, but the drone is dead. A big bummer as we have been using the drone a lot documenting these remote atolls. Ugh!!!!


Wed Aug 2 7:03 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 100% cloudy skies with squalls and rain, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 20-25 kts NE

It's currently raining, with lots of wind in squall after squall. We've had the most rain since arriving to PNG. We are going to be heading to the taro garden at 7am, in about an hour. All well aboard.


Tue Aug 1 7:33 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 8-10kts ESE

We had our best day since being in PNG. It was sunny all day, and we had a great time with the village helping with the school and projects. We are going to the gardens tomorrow to learn about how they grow the giant taro and will also visit the cemetery. All is well.


Mon Jul 31 7:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 70% cloudy skies, 28C, 1007.7 baro, 8-10kts SE

Today we will be presenting to the school. This week starts a week of learning about books across all of the PNG schools, so we will be donating some books to the library and giving a presentation about the importance of books. The weather is calm this morning. We had 20-23kts for several hours last night, but no rain. All is well.


Sun Jul 30 18:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 100% cloudy skies, 27C, 1007 baro, 8-10kts SE

The weather has been a little more rainy than we have had in the past couple of weeks. Today in particular we have virtually no sun. We had a good time in the village, getting to know more about their Polynesian heritage, and how this island, and the three other atolls in this chain are all very different than the typical Melanesian culture of PNG and the Solomon Islands. We will be visiting their gardens and learning how they grown their giant toro this week. Evidently the method used here at the Mortlock islands is unique in all the South Pacific. It takes 10-15 years for the taro to grow, and it is VERY large. Only men are allowed in the giant taro fields, and it is very much part of their custom/culture.


Sat Jul 29 7:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 60% cloudy skies, 27C, 1008 baro, 10-12kts SE

The wind has picked up this morning a bit. We had two nice days of low to no wind, with nice days and little rain. This morning seems to be another fine day. Ozzy Osbourne is no longer with us. After some tears being shed, he is now safely back in the village. Today should be a more relaxed day with no projects scheduled ashore. I hope to take the weekend off from projects and do some snorkeling, diving, etc with the family. All well aboard.


Fri Jul 28 7:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 70% cloudy skies, 27C, 1008 baro, 0-5kts SE

It was another good day, with some small squalls but overall a very nice day. The wind is down < 10kts, and it's very calm here. There were more small projects in the village, some with fixing fiberglass, others with soldering radios. The kids named the chick "Ozzy Osbourne". Fitting for a chick that isn't 'quite right' we suppose. :-) All is well aboard.


Thu Jul 27 8:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 60% cloudy skies, 28C, 1008 baro, 5-10kts SE

We have a new temporary pet aboard. The kids found a baby chicken and adopted it for a week or so. The chick is deformed. It has only one eye and the beak is twisted in different directions. Michael said "Daddy the chick may look deformed, buy he is the cutest person onboard." Besides our temporary pet, we did a lot more fiberglass work in the village. We've been learning a lot about their culture, customs and history. It is a fascinating story. Up until the late 1900's, organized religion was not allowed on the island. This was because the chief wanted to keep the village isolated and preserve their customs. Bouganville, when needing custom dancers, would send a boat to this island group and bring back dancers because they were very authentic. This all changed during the civil war. Today we'll be doing some final fiberglass work, and probably start some work with the school. All going well, and we plan on being here for at least another week.


Wed Jul 26 7:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 28C, 1007 baro, 8-12kts SE

The weather was great yesterday. Sunny most of the day, with the occasional squall. It was a very busy day as well. We fixed 11 fiberglass canoes and one long boat. Sarah went with 35 ladies in the village to collect clams for a clam bake with the village. They were on the reef from 8am until 4pm, collecting clams. This morning she leaves at 6am to go ashore and help the ladies clean coconut shells for baking the clams. A very busy day yesterday, and it looks like a busy day today as well. This is perhaps one of the nicest villages we have been to in Melanesia.


Tue Jul 25 7:39 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 70% cloudy skies, 28C, 1006.5 baro, 8-12kts SE

All is well. Yesterday was a holiday in PNG, and we spent the day celebrating with the locals. The highlight of the day was the canoe race. Each canoe was rigged with a sail and they had about 15 canoes in the race. We got some great video with the drone and shared it with the village after the awards ceremony. Today we will work on fixing some items, and the kids will go to school with the locals.


Mon Jul 24 8:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Weather: 60% cloudy skies, 28C, 1006.5 baro, 10-15kts SE

It was an interesting day yesterday. The locals here are very generous. We had a canoe pull up to the boat with 35 fresh green coconuts. They insisted we take them as a gift. They would not accept any trade items. Later we had a family give us a stalk of bananas. Same thing, I told them we would be happy to trade some kids clothes for the bananas. They insisted for us to keep the bananas, and there was no trade. We have not been to a village like this in a very very long time. They people are just generous with what they have and don't ask for anything. We are still in mild shock at how nice they are in this village.

The kids here go to school from 6am - 3pm. We've never seen a village do this much school with their kids. It's part of their local culture to educate. They even have a decent library on the island. In addition, their English is excellent. Better than most villages we have visited. Our first impressions of PNG are excellent. I am sure however, this is due in part to us going to the remote areas that are not influenced by the larger islands where we know it can be not as safe.


Sun Jul 23 8:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0 kts
knts
GPS: 04 45S 157 02E
Run: 97.5nm (176.5km)
Weather: 60% cloudy skies, 28C, 1007.5 baro, 15kts SE

We arrived yesterday in the morning after drifting most of the night since we got here so early. It was a very good sail. This island is very remote, and our first stop in PNG. They rarely get supply boats from Bougainville, PNG. They went at one point over two years before a boat arrived with supplies. Needless to say, they rarely get boats here, and haven't had a cruising boat in the village in years. They people are very nice, welcoming, and just happy to have visitors. The village has a very unique culture, mainly Polynesian. There are five clans that live here, with a total of about 300 people packed onto the small island. The larger island here in the atoll is uninhabited, except for a grave yard. This village was made 'famous' when a documentary was made in 2008 about part of the island being washed away in an unusual high tide. The documentary I believe was made by NZ. They do have researchers visit here from the Auckland to study the affects of 'global warming'.


Fri Jul 21 7:03 2017 NZST
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 05 33S 158 12E
Run: 91.6nm (165.8km)
Avg: 3.8knts
24hr: 92nm
Weather: 60% cloudy skies, 27.5C, 1007.5 baro, 15kts SE

We've been having a great sail. We are making faster progress than expected as the winds are stronger than anticipated. We will probably arrive around 8pm and hove to for the evening before entering the pass at the Atoll. All well onboard.


Thu Jul 20 7:09 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 10.93S 159 22.27E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 27.5C, 1007.5 baro, 5kts SE

It was a great day yesterday, with sunny skies most of the day. We have moved down to the SW corner of the reef, for hopefully some final diving before we leave for the PNG Atoll, about 180NM NW of here. We are going to wait for more wind before we depart.


Wed Jul 19 7:33 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 10.93S 159 22.27E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 27.5C, 1008.3 baro, 10-14kts SE

We had an eventful day to say the least. After a couple of dives, while back to the boat, we noticed our dinghy had drifted away from the back of Field Trip. The painter had chaffed and let our dinghy break free and drift across the reef. I had to paddle board over to rescue the dinghy. Fortunately it was stuck on the reef at low tide and we were able to recover. If it has been high tide, the dinghy would be gone, and we'd have to sail back to the Solomons to order a new one. We are feeling very blessed to have recovered safely. Otherwise, all well onboard. We plan on leaving probably Friday for the next atoll.


Tue Jul 18 7:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 10.93S 159 22.27E
Weather: 70% cloudy skies, 27.5C, 1007.3 baro, 10-15kts ESE

The weather has been typical of the past month or so. We get sun, clouds, and a squall or two during the day. It's been cool with the breeze, and generally nice. The outside of the reef was very interesting. We had a large squall line approach, so we decided to keep the snorkeling short and head back just in case we got hammered, as we didn't want to leave the boat unattended out here. We are still planning on being here 3-4 more days, and will keep track of the weather for a good time to leave for the next atoll.


Mon Jul 17 7:03 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 10.93S 159 22.27E
Run: 7nm (12.7km)
Weather: 70% cloudy skies, 27C, 1008 baro, 15-18kts ESE

We had another good day with overall good weather. We've received very little rain, only one small squall in the past 48 hours. We actually would like more rain so we can put more water in the tanks as we are using a fair amount washing off ourselves and gear every day after diving. We built a makeshift rope ladder to scale the wrecked ship. It was eerie walking around the vessel, and the smell was nasty. We got some good video and pics and will be making a short video of the excursion. We had another dive, but not as good as the prior day. The visibility up at this end of the reef was not great compared to the southern end. We had about 30m of visibility up here vs. 50+m on the southern end.

Today we will venture to the outside of the reef for snorkling and diving.


Sat Jul 15 20:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 16.82S 159 20.88E
Weather: 40% cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 12-16kts SE

It was a GREAT day today. We had sun most of the day, and so far not a drop of rain. I am sure that will probably change in the future, but we'll take the nice day for sure. We spent three hours today in the water. We did a nice snorkel on several reefs, and a good dive after our snorkeling. It was such a nice day we wanted to make sure we spent as much time in the water as possible. The water clarity and coral is pristine. It was a beautiful dive with lots of fish. What was odd however, was seeing a tire on the reef. We are fairly sure this came from one of the several shipwrecks here on the reef, or maybe a fishing trawler came in here and dumped the tire. Regardless for such a remote area, it was odd seeing rubbish on the reef. The kids are excited because they are having their three week break from school, so needless to say they too were very happy to have a full day messing around our new anchorage.


Sat Jul 15 7:09 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 16.82S 159 20.88E
Weather: 80% cloudy skies, 26C, 1009 baro, 12-16kts SE

We had a great night sleep last night. Happy to report the reef is still comfortable at high tide. We will be exploring the large the reefs today, and will provide a full report tomorrow. All well onboard.


Fri Jul 14 15:54 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 06 16.82S 159 20.88E
Run: 45.8nm (82.9km)
Avg: 5knts
24hr: 120.8nm
Weather: 100% cloudy skies, 26C, 1009 baro, 5-7kts ESE

Well, we finally made it to Roncador Reef. The winds were spot on during the first half of the trip, and then completely died down to 8-10kts ESE for the last 70 miles. All four models we used, the two PredictWind and GFS and ECMWF all generally agreed with wind from 14-19kts SE for the entire trip. We got that for the first half, but absolutely did not for the rest...so it was slower going for us. In fact the last 25 miles we had winds 7-9kts. ARG. We ended up having to motor sail some as we needed to arrive here during prime time for light. More later as we explore this beautifil spot. The only other boats here are three shipwrecks on the reef. I very old, and two probably within the last several years. Much to do and see...now off to bed for a nap.


Fri Jul 14 6:48 2017 NZST
Speed:
4.8kts
knts
GPS: 6 41.1S 158 49.2E
Run: 130.2nm (235.7km)
Avg: 5.4knts
24hr: 130.5nm
Weather: 8-10kts ESE, 61 COG T, 1-1.5m swell, and 1007 pressure.

We r still underway for Rancador Reef. We've had some sloppy seas and less wind than expected. We plan on arriving around noon today. We hope we can see the entrance and have decent visibility.


Thu Jul 13 6:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 59.01S 157 26.694E
Run: 24.4nm (44.2km)
Weather: 60% cloudy skies, 27C, 1009 baro, 5kts ESE

We spent the night here at Wilsons Bay. The locals have been very nice. They told us the last yacht that came here was over two years ago...so needless to say we had a number of visitors. When we told them we were leaving today, and could use some more fresh produce, we had several canoes bring over some excellent fresh produce. They were happy to make a trade and we were happy to have the produce since the market in Noro yesterday was very poor. We are off in about an hour for a direct sail to Rancador Reef. This should be like Minerva Reef, but a lot less travelled as there are very few yachts up here....more later as we expect to arrive tomorrow around 9 or 10am.


Wed Jul 12 7:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 14.11S 157 11.734E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 27C, 1009 baro, 5kts ESE

Everything is complete with provisioning, and we are checking out this morning for PNG. Our plan is to sail to a small village this afternoon, and then leave around 8am tomorrow to sail direct to Rancador Reef, about 150NM.


Tue Jul 11 7:18 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 14.11S 157 11.734E
Run: 8.4nm (15.2km)
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 27C, 1010 baro, 8kts ESE

We arrived to Noro yesterday. We are clearing out of the Solomons either today or tomorrow and then we head off to PNG. The big issue we have today is NO EGGS here in the stores. We are going to get this sorted as best as possible and get cleared out. Needless to say, Sarah is not happy. On a postitive note, the diving has been very good in some new spots we found. All gear is stowed for our passage to Rancador Reef. We'll give more updates as we progress.


Wed Jul 5 8:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.94S 157 16.23E
Weather: 70% cloudy skies, 28C, 1009 baro, 5kts ESE

We had a great 4th of July celebration aboard Field Trip last night. In total we had 16 people aboard, grilled on the BBQ, and had a great time socializing with old and new friends. The weather was rather wet yesterday, so we were stuck not diving. Today there is some hope with the sun popping up this morning. All well aboard.


Tue Jul 4 8:54 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.94S 157 16.23E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 28C, 1009 baro, 5kts ESE

We are still here in Munda. Nothing much has changed. The weather is on and off, but the diving is great, so we are happy. A couple more boat projects to get sorted, and we hope to get rolling soon towards PNG. There is a boat here that arrived yesterday from NZ. They too are divers and have loved it here in the Solomons. They head out for Australia today.


Thu Jun 29 7:09 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.94S 157 16.23E
Weather: 90% cloudy skies, 28C, 1008 baro, 5kts ESE

Yesterday was a beautiful day! It was sunny most of the day and we had a beautiful dive. Today we will begin to help rebuild the dive compressor for SDA Dive along with Daryl from Brisbane. All well aboard.


Tue Jun 27 6:42 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.94S 157 16.23E
Run: 29.2nm (52.9km)
Weather: drizzle, 100% cloudy skies, 28C, 1008 baro, 5kts ESE

We left Tetapare and sailed to Munda yesterday. It was actually a motor/sail but all was OK and the seas calm. We will be here in Munda for about a week before departing for Noro and then checking out of the Solomons. All is well except for the trough that keeps hanging over our heads giving us cloudy days and rain. It's literally been the wettest we have seen in almost 8 months.


Mon Jun 26 8:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 43.23S 157 26.40E
Weather: drizzle, 100% cloudy skies, 28C, 1008 baro, 5kts ESE

The anchorage here is just OK at Tetapare. We get some roll when the tide is high as the swell has been up the past couple of days. The diving here is less than spectacular. In fact, I would say it is underwhelming. The outside may be great, but given the swell, it is not workable. We are going to leave today and go to Rendova for some wreck diving. That will be a much better anchorage. Otherwise, all is well aboard.


Sat Jun 24 8:30 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 43.23S 157 26.40E
Run: 41.8nm (75.7km)
Weather: drizzle, 100% cloudy skies, 28C, 1008.5 baro, 5kts SE

We finally left Mbili, and made our way to Tetapare. We had a decent sail yesterday, with a mix of motoring given the up and down winds. The seas have been surprisingly large up here. We had 2-2.5m seas and it was a little messy as we made our way to Tetapare. We've not be used to needing to check swell, but we will do a better job keeping our eyes on the swell and swell direction. Tetapare is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific. We met the rangers yesterday, and will do some exploring. They have a large diversity of wildlife here on the island. We're excited to explore both above and below the water. The diving fee here is very reasonable. You are required to have a guide (national park rules) but the guide is $100SBD/day (about $12 USD, unlimited divers). You can dive all day for that price, AND the guide will be in the boat to pick you up when you are finished with the dive. Overall a very fair price. Now we just need the weather to clear...as this trough is balmy at best.


Fri Jun 23 7:39 2017 NZST
Speed:
5.8
knts
GPS: 08 46S 158 03E
Run: 6214.1nm (11247.5km)
Avg: 87.7knts
24hr: 2104.9nm
Weather: se7, 1007 LIGHT RAIN

Tue Jun 20 8:48 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 098 40.53S 158 11.47E
Weather: drizzle, cloudy skies, 28C, 1010 baro, 5-8kts SE

We didn't get this out before the net. We are beginning to wrap up our projects here in Mbili, and are planning on leaving later this week. We hope to get a couple more decent days for diving. It's currently drizzling. We've had the most light rain/cloudy skies we've seen in our almost 8 months of being in the Solomons. This trough will hopefully leave us alone later this week.


Mon Jun 19 8:21 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 098 40.53S 158 11.47E
Weather: drizzle, partly cloudy skies, 28C, 1009.5 baro, no wind

Well, it's been a great couple of days. We've been able to do a lot of work with the village and Lisa helping get items fixed. I've learned a lot about Bauer dive compressors as I pulled apartt a large Mariner for Lisa helping diagnose the issues. Daryl with Divetek in Oz has been great as he's helped diagnose issues over the sat phone using SMS. We also had a decent dive, even though it was overcast. Today will be another dive or two between projects. The big issue now is the water temp. It is 28C vs. 31C, so we are all wearing shorties while diving as the water is cold! :-) All is well.


Thu Jun 15 19:57 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 098 40.53S 158 11.47E
Run: 6168.1nm (11164.3km)
Avg: 72.4knts
24hr: 1736.5nm
Weather: drizzle, cloudy skies, 28C, 1009 baro, no wind

We arrived today from Honiara to Mbili. It's our favorite village in the Western Province, and our third visit. The sail was good. We did have a new experience, as we hit a squall that was 18NM edge to edge, circular, and absolutely ripping with wind. We had 30kts consistently for almost an hour, with gusts of 38kts. I was surprised to see the sustained strong wind. The gradient wind was 10-12kts when we got clobbered with the big squall. We saw it on radar, and doused the sails ahead of time, and we are glad we did as the wind went from 10kts to 30kts in seconds. We plan on staying here in Mbili over the weekend before heading out to Tetapare, the largest unihabited island in the South Pacific! The diving is supposed to be excellent as the entire island is a national park/marine reserve.


Mon Jun 12 6:42 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.65S 159 57.27E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1009 baro, no wind

Our compressor arrived this weekend. We hope to have it through customs and delivered to the boat today. We had a great weekend. On Saturday evening we were invited to a dinner at the headmaster's house for the international school. There we met several other families living in Honiara, and had a great time learning more about the culture and life in the 'big city'. Our plans are to depart Honiara for Marovo Lagoon mid week and get back to more diving as we work our way up towards Noro for clearing out to PNG late this month.


Fri Jun 9 6:48 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.65S 159 57.27E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1008 baro, no wind

We've had a good couple of days getting provisioning sorted out. Sarah and the kids are spending the day at the internation school today. Sarah has become fast friends with the Dutch principal, and they are going to be doing workshops with the teachers in the morning. All is well aboard Field Trip.


Wed Jun 7 7:21 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.65S 159 57.27E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1008.3 baro, no wind

All is well here in Honiara. It has been a very pleasant stay so far, calm seas and wind, and clear skies. We are working on our long list of provisioning items. It looks like we will actually head back to Marovo Lagoon next week for more diving, and then over to Tetapare - an uninhabited island for about a week before moving to Munda and then checking out for PNG.


Mon Jun 5 6:57 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.65S 159 57.27E
Run: 131.1nm (237.3km)
Avg: 2.7knts
24hr: 65.6nm
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 25C, 1007.8 baro, no wind

We arrived back to Honiara yesterday around 5pm. It was an easy and generally comfortable motor from Mbili. The seas were a little rolly for the first 8 hours, but they calmed down, and we had 6-8kts of wind from the SE. We will now do final provisioning and pick up our dive compressor when it arrives. All well aboard.


Sat Jun 3 7:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 25C, 1006.9 baro, no wind

It's hard to believe, but we have been almost cold. It was 25C yesterday at 11am, with a water temperature of 30C. Chilly for us for sure, especially after diving. We have been wearing shorty wetsuits, not because 30 is too cold for diving, but it is down right freezing when we get out of the water! Today sadly is our last day here in Mbili, before we head south to Honiara tomorrow. We have made some very dear friends here in the village. They kids are sad to be leaving, as they said yesterday "Daddy, we have some good friends here, why do we have to leave??". The life of cruising.


Fri Jun 2 6:57 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 26C, 1007.0 baro, no wind

Still waiting for the winds to die down before heading SE to Honiara. Looks like we may be able to leave this weekend. We did a 1:35 min dive yesterday along a nice wall. Saw some great stuff, and a new species of Clown Fish that are endemic to the Solomon Islands. We have a couple more projects to finish with the village and dive shop before we are finished.


Thu Jun 1 7:09 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 5kts ESE

Another good day yesterday with diving. Village kids came over to the boat and they swam for a couple of hours. Today we will wire up a new MPPT controller for the dive shop and do another dive. All good aboard Field Trip


Wed May 31 7:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.3 baro, 10-15kts ESE

We had a great day yesterday diving. We saw three different Nudibranches on our dive. The weather overall has been nice with good breeze from the ESE. We've decided to stay a little longer as they kids are having a great time (this is the only place we have been in the past year since NZ that the kids have both said they want to 'live' here...WOW). We are tracking the weather for a possible window next week to sail back to Honiara to pick up the dive compressor. Any info David has on the net about the big picture weather patterns up here would be great on the net.


Tue May 30 8:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 5kts SE

We missed the net this morning. Argh. It was a late night last night so we slept in past 6am this morning. Today is the big day when the marine conservation conference starts. The kids will be attending for at least a day to learn from the guest lecturers. Hopefully we will have time to get a dive in this afternoon weather permitting. Our plan is to probably leave for Tetapare in a couple of days. We are waiting to see how the weather patterns shape up for next week as we need to get back to Honiara by June 10th or 12th, and don't want to beat into the trades.


Mon May 29 7:33 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.2 baro, 10-15kts SE

It's been a busy couple of days doing fiberglass work. We will hopefully get the last of the fiberglass work finished today. It is a little rainy with wind out of the SE. Sarah baked a cake yesterday for a birthday party with a six year old boy in the village. He was all smiles when she showed up with the chocolate cake. All well aboard Field Trip...it's going to be hard to leave. We plan on being here until late this week.


Sun May 28 8:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: partly cloudy, 28.5C, 1008.5 baro, variable breeze

We had a strong thunderstorm last night. The loudest we have had since being in the Solomons. Last night we had a movie night with the village and setup our projector and speakers to show a kids movie. Everyone had a great time. Today we are diving with Lisa on a new site. Should be fun.


Fri May 26 9:03 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 27C, 1008.2 baro, no wind

The fiberglass work is coming along slowly. We've had more consecutive rain than we have seen since being in the Solomons the past 6 months. Today is another drizzly morning. Elizabeth helped Lisa at the dive eco lodge paint some signs after school and Michael played with the village kids and swan for most of the afternoon. Overall a good day. The United Nations is sponsoring a reef management seminar next week here in Mbili. Six or seven eco lodges/dive operators will be in attendance. There will be three guest speakers arriving on Monday for the three day event, and staying here with Lisa and her dive operation. They will cover coral planting, reef management and other topics. We plan on attending most of the event next Tue - Thur. Should be very interesting and educational.


Thu May 25 8:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 26C, 1007.2 baro, no wind

Overall it was a good day. Lots of work on Lutans boat with grinding and general prep work. The kids made cookies for the village and then played ashore in the afternoon. We had a rain overnight. A first in almost three weeks. It was nice to get some rain. We'll have to wait today until things dry out so we can do more fiberglass work.


Wed May 24 8:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 40.53S 158 11.48E
Run: 276.5nm (500.5km)
Avg: 11.7knts
24hr: 281.2nm
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 26C, 1007.5 baro, 5-8kts out of the SSE.

We had a warm welcome from the village when we arrived to Mbili. Everyone was excited to see us. The Paramount chief - Lutan - was the first to greet us ashore with a big smile and hugs for the kids. He said we were part of his family, and we could dive all we wanted for no fees. He also asked about s/v Perry, and where they were. We told them we thought they were in Munda, getting ready to check out for PNG. We also have three fiberglass boats to repair, as people slowly came up to us and asked if we still had supplies to fix boats. We stocked up on resin and matting, so we are good to go and begin on the first boat this morning.


Tue May 23 8:39 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 04 40.53S 158 11.48E
Run: 273.6nm (495.2km)
Avg: 262.2knts
24hr: 6293.7nm
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.2 baro, dead calm

We have an uneventful 120NM trip from Honiara to Mbili in the Marovo Lagoon. We motored the entire way, but had .5kts - 1kt of favorable current so we made good time and had to sit at the entrance of the pass for about an hour until dawn. We will be here for a week or two diving and seeing old friends in the village from January this year. The kids are excited to see some of their friends again...and do a lot of diving. All good.


Tue May 23 7:36 2017 NZST
Speed:
3
knts
GPS: 08 38S 158 13E
Run: 131.8nm (238.6km)
Avg: 5.4knts
24hr: 129.9nm
Weather: 10SE

jogging around waiting for good light to enter the pass of an un spellable lagoon


Mon May 22 7:15 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: beautiful sunrise, mostly clear skies, 27C, 1007.6 baro, dead calm

And there were none. All boats have left Honiara. We are picking up the anchor in about two hours and will be going to Marovo Lagoon. It has been overall a very good stay here, meeting lots of new friends. We plan on staying in Marovo for three weeks until our dive compressor arrives from Brisbane...and then we sail back to Honiara to pick it up and then leave for PNG. All good aboard.


Fri May 19 8:30 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: mostly sunny, 27C, 1007.6 baro, dead calm

We missed the net this morning. Sarah and the kids were up at 6am getting ready for their presentations at the private elementary school here in Honiara. They are giving two presentations today to 4th and 6th grade levels about what it is like living and going to school on a boat. They are a little nervous as most of the kids will be expats and not local kids. We will be leaving Honiara on Sunday for Mbili in Marovo lagoon. We'll be up there for about three weeks before sailing back to Honiara to pick up our dive compressor, and then we will be off to PNG.


Wed May 17 7:45 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1008.0 baro, dead calm

A lot of boats have arrived to Honiara. We had a total of seven yachts here in the Honiara anchorage. It's been overall a good stay. One of our two packages arrived yesterday. We are still waiting for our final package, and will get out of here and head back to Marovo. Welcome back David! Glad you are doing better!!!


Tue May 16 6:33 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1007.5 baro, dead calm

We are still here in Honiara. Packages are still no here, so we continue to wait. Three more boats arrived in the afternoon. Two of the three boats have kids aboard. This is the most kids we have seen since being in NZ. We are surprised so many boats have kids up here in the Solomons. We had a fair amount of wind the past two days, in the 15-20kt range, all from the SE.


Sat May 13 7:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1007.5 baro, dead calm

The weather has been great. Every day is sunny, and the evenings seem to be a lot cooler. We plan on staying here for a bit longer as we continue to wait for our package. All is well. The other boats are still here as well, and don't plan on leaving until next week.


Fri May 12 6:57 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1007.5 baro, dead calm

We are still waiting for some packages to arrive. The weather is still very good for the anchorage, with the water very flat. We are in the lee of a SE wind, so we 'may' just be here next week as well. Tomorrow a friend will be here from Brisbane, so we have drinks scheduled Saturday night at the yacht club. They kids have been having a great time playing ashore with their new friends as well...so not much incentive to move just yet....


Thu May 11 6:48 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: clear skies (actually stars only at this point), 26C, 1008.5 baro, dead calm

It's been overall a very good stay so far in Honiara. We've found some great places to grab a good lunch, and have enjoyed civilization and socializing with our new friends on the yachts here at the anchorage. We expect the winds to pick up a bit from the SE later today and tomorrow, but we should be OK here at our spot. On some sad news, a french boat that we met earlier this year - a single hander - lost his boat here in the same anchorage. Evidently while he was off the boat a squall came up and his boat broke loose from and drifted to the seawall. It has been abandoned, and stripped by the locals. He flew back to France. Very sad, as he was very excited about sailing to Vanuatu. This anchorage is known to have holding issues, and get VERY rough in a squall. We don't leave our boat unattended while on the hook at this spot. There are two moorings here that are solid, both are currently being used, so we are on the hook, and have someone aboard 24/7 just in case a nasty squall creeps up.


Tue May 9 6:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 26C, 1007.5 baro, 3-5kts W

The weather has calmed down and we had a good night with calm weather. There are a total of three yachts here in Honiara. All are heading south to Vanuatu. It was nice to get some provisioning done and a nice lunch at the Waterfront Cafe. All is well here, and we hope to get our additional packages later this week.


Mon May 8 8:18 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.87S 159 58.22E
Run: 184.1nm (333.2km)
Avg: 3.7knts
24hr: 89.2nm
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007 baro, 3-5kts W.

We arrived to Honiara yesterday. Sorry for missing a day on the updates. It was overall a great sail. We were able to sail a majority of the way...which was a first in a long time up here at 8S. PredictWind was spot on with the weather. Upon arrival we had 18-20kts of wind out of the NW as predicted by PW. I knew this would create a crappy anchorage here so I almost delayed our trip by a day, but instead relied on the ECMWF which showed virtually no wind(<8kts W). This made for a rolly anchorage last night, and not very happy crew. I won't second guess PredictWind in the future as they seem to be the most accurate, especially with the high res models....:) . We plan on picking up our shipments today. We are awaiting a couple more shipments that have been delayed, so we will move over to Roderick Bay to await their arrival.


Sat May 6 6:45 2017 NZST
Speed:
5.5kts
knts
GPS: 07 52.23S 157 47.20E
Run: 484.3nm (876.6km)
Avg: 20.1knts
24hr: 482.3nm
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1006 baro, 8-11kts SSE.

Enroute to Honiara. Overall we have had very good conditions and have been able to sail most of the way. All is good aboard. We plan on arriving to Honiara on Sunday.


Fri May 5 6:39 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 0 56.72S 156 42.76E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1006.8 baro, 5-7kts SE(ish).

We leave around 3pm today for Honiara. It is is about 240NM SSE of Liapari. We plan on the trip taking about 40-48 hours depending on the winds. Hopefully we will be able to sail at least half of the trip. We copy GHR 3/5 and 4/5 up here, which is great. If David can give us an overview of weather on the net this morning for this weekend that would be great.


Thu May 4 7:03 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 0 56.72S 156 42.76E
Run: 490.4nm (887.6km)
Avg: 20.6knts
24hr: 493.5nm
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1006.2 baro, light and variable breeze about 5-7kts.

We made it on a nice run up to Liapari yesterday. We picked up some items that were shipped to fix our freezer. Freezer is now fixed, and working great. We are planning to sail down to Honiara on Friday when the winds swing to the N to pick up some items that have been shipped. One according to UPS appears to be damaged during shipping, so we have to go and sort that out on Monday. Ugh. Anyway, all is well up here. There are a total of four yachts in Liapari, some doing boat projects, others just waiting for weather to move on. All boats here are heading up to PNG and then Indonesia.


Wed May 3 7:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 02.17S 156 57.47E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.6 baro, dead calm, with no wind

The winds died down in the afternoon to about 5-7kts. Hopefully they will pick up again later in the morning as we head up to Liapari, about 15NM NNW of here.


Tue May 2 7:03 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 02.17S 156 57.47E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, the wind is howling at 10kts from the south... :)

The biggest update for us is we are watching the weather to make sure the depression stays south of us. This will bring some good wind in the 10-15kts range, something we haven't seen in a long time. We hope to get to Liapari before the wind swings to the north.


Mon May 1 7:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 02.17S 156 57.47E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 28C, 1008.3 baro, 0kts wind

We had some local kids as tour guides yesterday in the village. We hiked to a small lake, and then went for a dinghy ride up the river. It was beautiful, and the water was very cool given it was a river. We did not swim in the river as there are crocs. The local kids would not swim in the water either...so that was a definite sign to be careful. Evidently there is a large croc that lives up the river according to the locals. Fun fun. We had some nice rain last night that put some water in the tanks. All is well, and we are still the only boat here. Most boats have gone different directions as the cyclone season is ending and people are moving. All good.


Sun Apr 30 11:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 02.17S 156 57.47E
Run: 8.9nm (16.1km)
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 29C, 10078.3 baro, 0kts wind

We moved yesterday to a nice village called Iri. We were excited to get to a village and reconnect with the locals. We had a warm welcome ashore yesterday with a bunch of local kids, and they were excited to see Elizabeth and Michael. One of the boys had been bitten by an eel on his foot...so Sarah helped get him some medicine and bandaged up as it was a messy looking wound. They invited us to a fundraiser last night in the village at 8 or 9pm. That was a big late for us, so we told them thanks, but we would see them tomorrow. We are finally getting some wind up here, and actually had a great sail over from Gizo. We sailed the entire way, which was a first in a long time. No engines...just wind...albeit light in the 7-9kts range but on the beam so we managed about 5kts of boat speed.


Fri Apr 28 9:33 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 05.70S 156 50.51E
Run: 7.6nm (13.8km)
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 28C, 1007.8 baro, 0kts wind

We moved back to Gizo yesterday. We needed 3G connectivity to make some final orders online and follow up with items shipped to Honiara. We hope to have this sorted in the next day or two and get back to the remote locations and more diving. It's great not having connectivity, but not great when you need to get something ordered or done online.


Wed Apr 26 8:33 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 01.01S 156 45.86E
Weather: partly sunny skies, 28C, 1009.0 baro, 5kts NW wind

We started off with a couple of email alerts regarding the Chile earthquake. Fortunately no Tsunami warnings for here. We are still in the same spot. We met some more locals today, who fish and garden on this deserted island. They were very friendly, and one guy brought over lots of cucumbers and capsicum for trade. It is nice to get some interaction with the locals. We had a couple of dives, one was 1:37 minutes. It was back over at Grand Central Station. Lots of fish, but the viz was not as good as a couple of days ago. We did a second dive with the kids. We called the dive a scorkel because it was on the hookah and in 3m of water. We need to move soon to get some 3G to finalize shipping a couple more items here to the Solomons from Australia...so we may depart later today.


Tue Apr 25 14:24 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 01.01S 156 45.86E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 29C, 1009.3 baro, 0kts wind

It was a good day yesterday. We had a nice dive, albeit with a fair amount of current, and ended the day with drinks and dinner on the beach with a campfire. The kids played all afternoon on the beach. Its a beautiful spot here, and will be hard to leave. We plan on staying here longer than expected. The fisherman are very nice that are in the area, and the diving is excellent....so we will stay a bit longer.


Mon Apr 24 9:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 01.01S 156 45.86E
Run: 0.4nm (0.7km)
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 29C, 1009.3 baro, 0kts wind

After a great dive, and some good snorkeling, we moved our boat to one of the best spots we have seen since the Reef Islands. We navigated around some coral heads to this small lagoon with sandy bottom and an island with a beautiful sandy beach. We are in 2m of water, and it is beautiful. The kids loved playing off the boat in the shallow water. Time to do a quick bottom clean today. We also had some good rain last night that filled up our water tanks!


Sun Apr 23 11:21 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 01.29S 156 45.99E
Run: 3.4nm (6.2km)
Weather: mostly sunny skie, 29C, 1008.9 baro, 5kts N wind

We found another great spot. We just dropped the hook in 25m of sandy bottom near two islands with sandy beaches. The diving here is supposed to be outstanding...and we look forward to getting in the water later today for our first dive here. It's a beautiful day, sunny and nice. Our only wish is for some rain. It has not rained in almost over a week and a half...and we would like to get the boat washed. Arg.


Sat Apr 22 11:06 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 02.70S 156 48.61E
Run: 4.3nm (7.8km)
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 28C, 1008.9 baro, 0kts of wind

We moved over to this nice spot near a small village. It is very nice here. We are anchored in 30m of water, and had two great dives on a Japanese vessel. It was the best wreck dive I've ever done. Sarah had a great time diving as well, and it was excellent. We will be moving soon to the dive site Grand Central Station to check that out either later today or tomorrow. The weather is a little balmy today, so we may wait a day or so for more sunlight. We are in the process of sorting out a Bauer compressor for the boat as well, since we now have three certified divers onboard, and we like the freedom of bottle vs. the Brownie. All is going well.


Thu Apr 20 10:27 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 05.89S 156 50.63E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1008.5 baro, 0kts of wind

And then there were 5. Half the yachts left yesterday. We plan on leaving soon, once we get some items sorted out online using the 3G connection. Once done, we will go and dive the Maru wreck. Visibility yesterday was reported at 40m++ so it should be outstanding. The weather has been outstanding.


Wed Apr 19 8:42 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 05.89S 156 50.63E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1008.5 baro, 0kts of wind

The boats keep arriving. We now have 10 yachts anchored here in Gizo. A bunch will be heading off today, mainly heading south. We are waiting for some dive items today, and hope to be off soon as well. Overall Gizo is OK, but we actually prefer Noro for provisioning.


Tue Apr 18 9:36 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 05.89S 156 50.63E
Run: 4.1nm (7.4km)
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 27C, 1008.5 baro, 0kts of wind

We moved up to Ghizo to connect with some friends up here. Wow, there are a lot of boats here. Presently we have NINE yachts anchored here. It is the most yachts we have seen since leaving Luganville in November. WOW. We hooked up with our friends on s/v Iolea, who we haven't seen since Vanuatu. They are excited about exploring the Solomons, and we plan on meeting later today to go over some of the highlights as the work their way back to Vanuatu. All the yachts are anchored off the small island, and not off PT-109, which has a reputation for theft. So far no issues here in this anchorage, and some boats have been here for months.


Mon Apr 17 9:18 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 07.40S 156 53.89E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 26C, 1006.3 baro, 0kts of wind

We had a good day. The big news is we had two crocs off the back of our boat last night here at Fat Boys. It was a striking reminder that we are indeed in croc country and we must always be vigilant. Regardless of what the locals may say. There are tourists here swimming in the water from the resort. It can become very easy to be relaxed and think we are safe because we are near a resort...when in reality, there are crocs, and they don't avoid tourist areas. We are working on our plans for the short term. A quick exploration of Gizo to find provisioning and then off for diving on the wall outside and a wreck dive before heading over to Iri village.


Sun Apr 16 10:42 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 07.40S 156 53.89E
Run: 29.2nm (52.9km)
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 26C, 1007.5 baro, 0kts of wind

Happy Easter! We had a great motor sail up to Fat Boys from Munda. It was beautiful, and we were actually able to sail a bit with the wind. We are the only boat here, and it is nice and quiet. There are eight boats currently anchored in Ghizo. Evidently a lot of boats have arrived from Micronesia. We will be here for a day or two before working our way up to a village called Iri. Finally, we got word that our solar panels are shipping on Monday to Honiara. In addition we have ordered a couple of full dive kits for Sarah and Elizabeth to have onboard, which should be delivered around the same time as the solar panels.


Thu Apr 13 9:00 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.93S 157 16.16E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 276C, 1009.0 baro, 0kts of wind

Sarah had a great day in the bush with the English teacher. She was impressed with the program this lady is putting in place to help the village kids (and parents) learn English. Our visas are finally finished, and should be arriving today to Munda. Our plan is to get rolling tomorrow, head up toward Ghizo for a short trip to scout the area for provisioning options and drop off visas for Perry. We will then move out back to Marovo for diving. The diving in Marovo was better than up here in Munda, and our friend Lisa at the new dive shop in Mbili has a great small operation and we are keen to get E on more tank dives while it is fresh. We will probably spend 2-3 weeks in MBili before heading back up here to get our stuff at Liapari and sail out towards PNG in mid to late June.


Wed Apr 12 8:18 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.93S 157 16.16E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0kts of wind

It's official! Elizabeth is a certified Open Water diver. It was a great to have her certified and see her really excel at the process of learning details of diving from an instructor. While I have enjoyed teaching her to dive on our sytem over the past four years, and she has logged about 40 dives with me on the hooka, having her certified for full scuba is great. I can now strap on a tank and dive with more confidence with her has a dive buddy. Today I head to Noro to get some supplies and Sarah is heading into the bush to help teach English with Michael in a school. That's it for now.


Mon Apr 10 8:12 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.93S 157 16.16E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1003.3 baro, 5kts of wind NW

It was a good day, with Elizabeth out diving for her class and a nice happy hour last night with s/v Rehua and an Italian boat and the dive instructor from Munda Dive. Today is the final day for Elizabeth as she does her final three dives and will become a certified open water diver...assuming of course she passes the class. We hope to get our visas today for PNG, and get moving Tue or Wed this week! Yeah!


Sat Apr 8 7:39 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 19.93S 157 16.16E
Run: 7.5nm (13.6km)
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1006.5 baro, 0-3kts of wind NW

We had a nice motor over to Munda yesterday. What a different a clean bottom makes. We added 1-1.2kts of boat speed by cleaning the bottom. Elizabeth has her class at 8am this morning. There are a total of four boats at Munda. Looking forward to E getting certified and then getting out of here. We are TIRED of resorts and want to get back to village life. The sooner the better!!!


Fri Apr 7 11:54 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 18.43S 157 09.77E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1006.5 baro, 5kts of wind NW

A second night of great rain, filling our tanks. We have done five loads of laundry in the past two days. We only have two more to do, and we will be all caught up. That means Sarah is happy. When Sarah is happy, we are all happy! :) We are moving to Munda this afternoon. It's been a beautiful day.


Thu Apr 6 8:30 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 18.43S 157 09.77E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1005.5 baro, 0kts of wind

We had a deluge of rain last night. It was great to fill up our water tanks. We have laundry in store for today. We have been getting up to date on blogs and other items while we have reasonable connectivity. All is going well. We plan to leave tomorrow for Munda.


Wed Apr 5 8:51 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 18.43S 157 09.77E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1005.5 baro, 0kts of wind

We went to skull island to view the skull shrine that the villagers made. It was interesting to see all the skulls. The surf was not safe enough for the kids...so we did not do any surfing as we had hoped. Today some boat projects as we get ready to head back to Munda in the next couple of days. Otherwise, looks like the beginning of a nice day.


Tue Apr 4 11:45 2017 NZST
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 18.43S 157 09.77E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 3kts of wind NW.

We spent the last two days doing diving off the back of the boat, both cleaning the bottom of the boat and letting Elizabeth work on her diving skills. The resort here has been very nice. We should be moving back to Munda on Friday this week. Saturday is the first day of E's dive class. s/v Perry is here with us, and this afternoon we are going to explore some more, and maybe even get in a surf on a nice break. We will see.... :)


Mon Apr 3 11:23 2017 NZST
GPS: 08 18.45S 157 09.77E
Run: 7.7nm (13.9km)

We are at Lola resort. It is nice and there have been basically no visitors here...so very quiet. We've been doing some diving and plan to explore the outside reef probably later day. The weather has been good overall. We will be moving from here back to Munda for Elizabeth to get her open water certification. While we don't have a need to do this as we dive with our own equipment...I feel MUCH better knowing that she will be certified by someone besides myself..... :)


Tue Mar 28 9:36 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 20.01S 157 16.30E
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, 0kts of wind.

We went out to dive and had an equipment malfunction. The o-ring on one of the dive tanks was not working, so we ended up just snorkeling. It was a very good spot, lots of fish and the most sharks we have seen since French Polynesia. Today, weather permitting, we plan on giving the dive site another chance, and hope to get in a good dive. We will be in this are for a bit longer before we head to the northern side of the lagoon for more diving and exploring.


Mon Mar 27 9:21 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 20.01S 157 16.30E
Run: 0.1nm (0.2km)
Weather: mostly sunny skies, 27C, 1008.2 baro, 0kts of wind.

It was a good day yesterday as we got settled into our new anchorage here in Munda. We spent some time ashore exploring the WWII artifacts. The locals told us they killed a 3-4m croc in the bay two days ago. Yikes. That was a big one, and not far from where we are anchored. So, we will be extra vigilant regarding swimming. Hard to see a croc when they can spent 2 hours underwater waiting for their target. :) Plan is to do some diving. Behind our boat there is a Japanese bomber that was shot down during WWII. It was thought to be the bomber that was sent in to rescue the stranded Japanese pilots after the US Marine invasion. Regardless, the bomber is in 15m of water, and somewhere behind our boat according to the locals. So, we will go and see if we can get more info and do a dive or two. There is an American plane crash on the island not far behind us as well...so we may check that one as too.


Sat Mar 25 16:01 2017 NZDT
GPS: 8 20.04586S 157 16.34248E
Run: 62.3nm (112.8km)

We just arrived to Munda after two days in Noro. We were lax on giving updates the last couple of days. We've been very busy getting re-provisioned and actually getting some slow but usable 3G connectivity. All is good and we plan on staying here for a bit before moving up.


Thu Mar 23 10:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 32.51S 157 42.39E
Run: 19.6nm (35.5km)
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 28C, 1007.7 baro, 8kts from the north of wind.

We found a new anchorage that has crystal clear water and a sandy bottom. We are anchored in 18m, and can clearly see the hook. This is probable the clearest water we have seen in a long time, mainly due to the fact that we have been in lagoons for the past month. Oh, and....we actually had a nice sail today. Yup, our sails work, and we had great wind - 12-17kts out of the north during the entire trip. It was great to be under full sail. We also landed two of the four fish we had on our line. A nice tuna and wahoo. We lost the second wahoo as we tried to gaff. The fourth fish was a large barracuda. We released him as we were unsure of ciguatera in this region of the solomons.


Wed Mar 22 9:42 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 26.31S 157 58.41E
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, 27C, 1006.6 baro, 0kts of wind.

We saw two very large megapode nest areas. The rangers dug in deep and pulled out an egg for us. It is not egg season, so we could not keep the egg, but it was neat to see how large the eggs were given the megapode is about the sam size as a chicken. Today we head over to Choiseul. It will be about 25nm, and from there we will see how things go before heading towards Noro.


Tue Mar 21 9:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 26.31S 157 58.41E
Run: 3.8nm (6.9km)
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1006.6 baro, 5-7kts out of the NW.

We moved to a new island and anchorage yesterday. It is stil part of the same marine reserve. Normally yachts are not allowed to anchor here, but if you get special permission from the rangers, and pay our anchoring fee (100SB) in advance, you can come up here. It is a beautiful spot. The biggest issues are crocs and mosquitoes. The rangers told us 'not' to swim here as there are many crocs. So, we spent the afternoon exploring by dinghy. We are being picked up today by the rangers to go and visit an island that is a nesting area for megapode birds.


Mon Mar 20 9:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 27.38S 158 01.59E
Weather: partly cloudy skies, 27C, 1009 baro, 5-7kts out of the north.

One of the park rangers - Rudy - who has been here for about 10 years, along with another 10 year veteran, went diving. Rudy had never been before, and to see him fall in love with diving was just great. It was very cool to see someone who has worked here in the marine park for 10 years finally get a chance to dive this beautiful place. We did a 1:10min dive on the west side of the island, and the coral was pristine, and the fish abundant. It was like Los Angeles rush hour, but with lots and lots of fish in very large schools. It was beautiful. The most fish I have seen so far in the solomons. Since this is a marine reserve, and has been for the past 20 years, the fish were generally not afraid of divers (not very many divers come here as you must supply your own equipment and compressor), so that made it extra special to dive with these rangers. The Uepi dive resort said the diving here was 'epic', and I have to agree....but will probably disagree once we get to Raja Ampat! :)


Sun Mar 19 11:36 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 27.38S 158 01.59E
Weather: mostly clear skies, 27C, 1008.5 baro, no wind.

The 'dive class' went well. A total of three rangers wanted to go diving, but I was only able to accomodate two. It was fun to see them experience breathing underwater for the first time. They had a lot of fun and we did an hour dive along the inside reef in shallow water. Two more rangers want to learn today, so I will do one more class today for the shallow reef dives. I plan on taking them around the corner to the outside wall. Today is looking very nice. We have not had much rain, and would like to get some as our water is about half full, and I would like to top up vs. using the water maker. We may move today to the other island after lunch. It will depend on the weather.


Sat Mar 18 8:42 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 27.38S 158 01.59E
Weather: mostly clear skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, no wind.

We had another good day here with the park rangers. They are very nice guys and helpful in explaining the habitats. We went snorkeling with three rangers. They took us in their longboat about 2 miles away to a spot that was nice, but not great. However, the fish were abundant. The coral seemed damaged due to the surf, so it was just OK. Today we will be teaching a diving class to the three rangers. They have never been diving, so we are going to spend a couple of hours doing some water work off the back of the boat and then do a shallow dive. They are excited so we will see how it goes. We plan on staying here through the weekend before going to the next island that is also part of this same marine park.


Fri Mar 17 8:45 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 27.38S 158 01.59E
Weather: mostly clear skies, 27C, 1007.5 baro, no wind.

It was a great day yesterday. Unfortunately I missed the best part while taking a nap. Sarah and the kids went ashore to socialize with the park rangers while I took a nap. The rangers took them to the beach and they got to help baby green turtles that had just hatched get to the water safely. It was surreal to see the pictures and video they took, but I was fast asleep. ARG. Regardless, they had a GREAT time, and it made this trip well worth the effort. In the late afternoon we had to manta rays swimming around the boat to top off a great day. All is good aboard FT. Today we are going to go snorkeling on the reef with a ranger. This reef has been protected from fishing for 20 years, so it should be very good snorkeling. We will probably dive tomorrow.


Thu Mar 16 9:54 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 07 27.38S 158 01.59E
Run: 66nm (119.5km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, 1008 baro, 3kts of wind out of the south

We made it to the island, and had a great trip. We had a lot of current against us, so it took us 12 hour hours to go 64NM, but it was worth the effort. We were fortunate and landed 5 fish, with the sixth fish getting away with our lure and chummers. That fish was a sailfish of some sort that took the line and snapped the lure and chummer away. It remained jumping and splashing as we sailed on with the lure dangling from its mouth. ARG. We were glad to catch the fish that we did as we had been on a drought for a long time with fresh fish. We checked into the ranger station here upon arrival and gave them a freshly caught tuna. They were happy, and showed us around the station. We will explore more this afternoon after school. Two nights ago they had a baby turtle hatch on the beach...so we will see if we can witness this tonight.


Wed Mar 15 5:30 2017 NZDT
Speed:
5.5kts
knts
GPS: 08 24.55S 157 57.31E
Run: 1.6nm (2.9km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, 1007.5 baro, 3kts of wind out of the south

We are underway, leaving our anchorage at 3am this morning for the Arvanon Islands. We stayed three nights at Uepi. Overall a nice resort, but not the most yacht friendly. They were nice, but not excited to have yachts anchored near their resort...and understandably. They are generally booked out a year in advance, and just don't want or need the yacht business. We are excited to be heading up to Arvanon. It is a marine sanctuary with excellent diving and fishing. The owner of Uepi said it was a great place. His son told me it was 'epic'...so we will see. :) We expect to arrive around 2 or 3pm today.


Mon Mar 13 9:12 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 25.81S 157 56.7E
Run: 12nm (21.7km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, 1007 baro

We finally moved from our great spot up to Uepi yesterday. It was a mixed feeling aboard as some wanted to stay longer (kids) while the captain and commodore needed some form of internet. Looks like there is not much internet here, but we will try today to see if the resort has fast enough internet for us to do our bills online. We plan on only staying here for a couple of days as we generally don't like resorts, and want to head up to the turtle and marine sanctuary NE of here by about 60NM. We will see how it goes today, and will begin to get ready to leave there assuming we get our internet items completed.


Sun Mar 12 7:30 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 28.16S 158 07E
Weather: partly cloudy, 256C, 1007 baro

We had a cloudy morning that was not great for diving, so we did school on Saturday, waiting for the weather to clear. In the end we decided to go ashore and build a fire to burn some rubbish. The kids had a great time stoking the fire and building sand castles on the beach. It's been nice here, as we have not had a visitor in about a week, and it's been just us and the uninhabited island. Maybe today we will head up north towards Uepi, or we may stay here a little longer to wait for good clear weather. No rush, and enjoying the anchorage.


Sat Mar 11 9:21 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 28.16S 158 07E
Weather: light drizzle, but sun is poking through, 25C, 1007.7 baro

The sqaull blew through and around noon the sun was shining and we headed for the reef. We went fishing with squid we caught off the boat, and caught was we believe was a shark. We had it on the line for about 15 min before the line snagged on coral and broke. Glad it broke vs. spooling our line. We had movies last night aboard FT with s/v Perry. Overall a good day. Today is squally, with the sun poking through at 7am. The good news is our water tanks are filling up again, and hopefully we will be able to hit this new spot we found for diving and snorkeling. We may move the boats up a bit, about 1-2NM to a spot closer to this area Matt and I found for more diving. Not sure yet when we will head farther north as the diving is great, and the anchorage excellent is shallow water with sandy bottom. Kids are loving doing swim parties off the boats in the shallow water.


Fri Mar 10 6:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 28.16S 158 07E
Weather: rainy, 26C, 1006 baro

We had a heck of a squall this morning. It blew off one of our petrol cans, and was blowing in the high twenties, possibly low 30s. I jumped in the dinghy in torrential rain to try to find the can. No luck. Just goes to show if a MOB happens in bad weather, at night...forget about it. I was in the water within a couple of minutes to find the floating can (it was empty) and could not find it after 20min of searching. Oh well. As for diving, we had another good dive, and plan on diving again today - one final dive assuming the weather is decent before we begin to head north sometime this weekend.


Thu Mar 9 8:57 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 28.16S 158 07E
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, 1005 baro

Elizabeth and I did a couple of dives yesterday. The first dive was only 15min because we actually had too many gray sharks circling around us. They are genearlly not a problem, but with 4 circling around us and my 11 year old in the water, I decided it would be prudent and leave the area. We moved to another spot farther down and had a great 1 hour dive. The water viz was not excellent as we were diving in the afternoon during the outgoing tide...but it was still nice and she had a blast. Today more diving assuming the weather holds, and it looks good.


Wed Mar 8 8:30 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 28.16S 158 07E
Run: 3nm (5.4km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, 1007 baro

We moved here a couple of days ago because the wall and reef are excellent. In general the water clarity is very good and the snorkeling/diving is the best we have seen so far in the Solomons. A very good spot. We are anchored in about 4m of water with sandy bottom. I think we will be here until the weekend before we head up farther north.


Mon Mar 6 8:45 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 29.8S 158 09E
Weather: partly cloudy, 26C, 1006.5 baro

We had a full day of rain yesterday...and now we have full water tanks. It was actually nice to have the cool rain as the rain is literally cooler than the ocean water. The ocean is between 28 - 29 degrees, with the rainwater in the 26-27 degree range. Today looks nice this morning with partly cloudy skies. Hopefully we can get in some diving on that amazing wall!


Sun Mar 5 11:21 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 29.8S 158 09E
Weather: light rain, 26C, 1007 baro

It was a beautiful day yesterday. Sunny all day and we found the best diving/snorkeling site we have seen so far in the Solomons. It is epic...and will be a great place for us to spend the next week exploring. This is a great place to anchor, and plan on moving a little farther north. All sandy bottom and the people that we have met have been very nice.


Sat Mar 4 9:33 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 29.8S 158 09E
Run: 358nm (648km)
Avg: 5knts
24hr: 118.9nm
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1005.5 baro

We missed updates for the past couple of days. s/v Rehua joined us from Tulagi and there are now three boats up here. We moved to this anchorage as it is supposed to have good diving and there are no villages. We spent one day in Mbatuna for the fresh market, which was good, and then moved over here. All is good, and we hope to knock out some diving today.


Wed Mar 1 9:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: cloudy with light drizzle, 27C, 1006 baro

It was a beautiful day yesterday. Matt and I left for a nice wall dive, only to find out that our dive compressor was on the blink. We did a snorkel instead and I ordered parts to fix. We must have this working, as the diving is great here in the Solomons, and it will only get better as we move towards Indonesia! We plan on moving today..although the weather is rather balmy right now, so we may wait another day to sun as we navigate the inner lagoon of Marovo.


Tue Feb 28 9:15 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1006.4 baro

Another day, another dive. ;-) Lisa at the local dive shop organized a Crown of Thorns collection spree on the reef here. In total 210 were collected in bags and removed from the reef. Today, another collection spree will begin to help protect the reef. In addition finally Matt and I were able to get the other boats fixed...so we only have one more today and we should be done. We leave tomorrow for Mbutana. Maybe we will finally get some 2G service vs. Iridium... :)


Mon Feb 27 8:42 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1006 baro

We had a day of diving yesterday. It was another good dive. Sarah and Elizabeth really enjoyed the wall and coral. We will be leaving this anchorage on Wed to head up to a good market in Mbatuna. It's hard to believe we have be here almost two weeks. The village is very nice, and the anchorage overall very protected.


Sat Feb 25 9:33 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1007.1 baro

The weather was not great for diving yesterday, so we went ashore and spent time with the villagers and had a movie last night onboard with s/v Perry. Today is the sabbath for the village, so there will be no diving today, even if the weather breaks and the sun comes out. We plan on staying here until probably Wed...when we will move up to Mbatuna for the market on Thursday. Tomorrow we will attempt to fix three aluminum boats.... :)


Fri Feb 24 9:15 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1007.1 baro

Another great dive yesterday. We had sunny skies in the AM and had a nice dive with good light and some great photos. Today is a little more overcast, so we will see if we get out for another dive. We plan on moving farther north sometime soon, but have three more aluminum boats to fix in the next couple of days...so we will be here a little longer.


Thu Feb 23 9:30 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1008.1 baro

We went to the village school and did a two presentations about where we are from, where we have been and sailing. It went well, even though the kids were very shy and did not ask too many questions. Diving is on the agenda for today weather permitting. So far a sunny morning!


Wed Feb 22 9:27 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1007.5 baro

Well, word is out in the villages in the area about stuff getting fixed. We had another person come over from Mbili island and ask for the 'fiberglass man'...who is Matt. He said he heard there was a good fiberglass guy here and wanted something done to his boat. We dont' have enough supplies to fix everything so I said no, we can't. Regardless, he was very nice and happy to at least talk. Today we head to the school to teach. They asked Sarah to teach in the afternoon so we will be heading over around noon. Report tomorrow.

Regarding weather, it is very consistent, sunny in the mornings, and a rain shower or two late afternoon.


Tue Feb 21 9:42 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1007.5 baro

We had a great day yesterday, with lot of items fixed. Two boats were fixed, one aluminum and one fiberglass. In addition we fixed a couple of solar charging stations so the locals could charge batteries, etc. Previously they were charging batteries off of 19V and 21V panels with no controllers. It was boiling the batteries, and we explained to them the could not do this. So we had a couple of extra controllers, made some trades and they are very happy. We have one more aluminum boat to fix, probably not until tomorrow, otherwise it should be a slower day today and hopefully we will get in a dive or two! :) Weather has been steady, partly sunny skies, with the occasional squall. Very pleasant.


Mon Feb 20 9:06 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 340.6S 158 11.5E
Run: 346.6nm (627.3km)
Avg: 7.2knts
24hr: 173.8nm
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1007.5 baro

We moved over to another anchorage near the paramount chief's village. We spent most of the day working on his long boat that was damaged in a wave on the reef. Most is now fixed and today we will do a little more work. This is a calm spot, and all is well. We hope to get in some diving, but not sure it will be today.


Sat Feb 18 9:15 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 39.7S 158 11.3E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1008.8 baro

We had a very busy day yesterday. We had another carving show of sorts with the paramount chief, and helped figure out ways to fix a long boat and another aluminum boat. We are scheduled to fix the fiberglass boat beginning tomorrow in trade for carvings. We also did a great dive yesterday after we did our village visits in the morning. The chief was very happy, and gave us full run of diving in this area. We have been told that sometimes he will not let boats dive here so we were happy to get the green light for diving, and plan on diving most days while here. It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday, and looks like another beautiful day today.


Fri Feb 17 9:06 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 39.7S 158 11.3E
Run: 9nm (16.3km)
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1010 baro

FINALLY, we moved to a new spot. It is about 10NM from our previous anchorage, inside the Marovo Lagoon. It was a busy afternoon after anchoring as we received a number of canoes with carvings to sell/trade. s/v Perry was with us and we requested that we do a show on the beach. As seems to be typical for this area the carvings were very good. Similar in quality to carvings we saw in Peava, and in some particular cases even better. The hardest part is picking which ones to trade/buy as there are so many carvings and carvers that you want to buy something from everyone, and given there are no ATM machines here, it is rather difficult when cash is low. Generally they will trade for stuff without cash if you don't have cash, but their going in position is we are 'white guys' with 'money'...so this can be an obstacle. Regardless very nice people that are very skilled at carvings. Today we will look at some more carvings, see if we can fix the chief fiberglass longboat and engine...and maybe even get in a dive! WHEW, tired now even typing this! :)


Thu Feb 16 9:09 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1008.5 baro

The sun never came out yesterday, so we decided to stay here another day and wait for better light before we go inside the lagoon. Today looks better, and we plan on heading out after lunch. Nothing else interesting to report, other than this is a nice spot, even after 2.5 weeks.... :)


Wed Feb 15 9:00 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1009.1 baro

Another great day yesterday with more dolphins. We dumped the kids off in the water as the dolphins were swimming around the dinghy. We got some great video of the dolphins. Again, will share more when we have 3G. So far only satellite. We are leaving this village in the afternoon for a whopping 5mile journey to our next anchorage. It has been a nice 2+ weeks stay here, but time to get moving again as there are a lot of places and dive sites to visit in Marovo. We will update on our next anchorage once we get there. The weather has been great.


Tue Feb 14 9:27 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1010.5 baro

It was an amazing day yesterday. We started out with a great dive. In fact it was one of the best dives I've had in years. We got some amazing photos (which we will post once we have internet). The dive time was 1:22 minutes, and well worth the trip out to the island. It was about 5NM from our anchorage so about 30min by dingy. On the way back we ran into a pod of about 30 dolphins that swam off the bow of the dinghy. We stopped and jumped in the water to swim with them. As we stopped they stopped swimming around so we pulled each other behind the dinghy and the dolphins came back swimming around the boat as we slowly pulled a person behind. It was great fun and the kids had a blast! To top off the day we had a nice 30min squall with lots of rain to fill up the tanks and wash the boat. Great day!!


Sun Feb 12 9:51 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 10078.5 baro

Yesterday was a mild day with some rain, and general cloudiness. We didn't do much but read and relax while the kids had art class. Today is sunny, partly cloudy and no wind.


Sat Feb 11 9:45 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1007.5 baro

We had a good day yesterday. We did a nice dive off the small island and we had enough rain to fill our water tanks. We are still here with s/v Perry, and will probably be here for another couple of days. We would like to get in some more diving...and if it clears up a little today, we will head out. The village is SDA, so we are careful to honor their beliefs and are not going to do a lot of swimming, etc around the village. It was a big chilly last night and the night before. I may have a small cold as the covers fell on the floor and I woke up in a chill. Funny, because normally 26C inside the boat would not mean chilly, but it does now for us. It was 30C last night inside, and the commodore said she was cool, and no need to cool off the boat any further... :-)


Fri Feb 10 8:00 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1004.7 baro

Sarah and the kids had a 14km hike while I stayed aboard and did some work. It was overall a nice day. The biggest complaint we are having at the moment is we are not getting much rain. We have had rain in the forecast but have not received much if any in the past week. Our plan today is diving now that the winds are really dropped. Stay tuned for a report in the morning.


Thu Feb 9 9:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 25C, 1004.7 baro

We had a great day yesterday. The wind was nice, about 10-15kts keeping the weather cool with partly cloudy skies. We did some hiking ashore while the kids on s/v Perry and ours played ashore with the village kids. The village was happy we did not leave yesterday. Our plans are to stay here probably through the weekend as the winds are dying and we still have a lot of diving to do. Evidently the wall dive on the small island south of us is one of the best dives in the Solomon Islands...so today hopefully will be the day with lighter winds and partly cloudy skies.


Wed Feb 8 9:42 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: partly cloudy, 27C, 1004.3 baro

We decided to stay a little longer here as the weather has calmed down and the roll has abated. We had at one point 20kts of winds yesterday and full break on the reef outside. We went ashore yesterday to say our goodbyes, and by the time Matt and I got back to our boats - 4 hours later - it was fairly calm and the commodore said it was OK to stay a little longer. We are going to be doing a lot of diving over the next several days.

The village put on a carving show two days ago, and needless to say there were some really great carvings....and....we ended up trading for even more. Four in total. We need to get out of here so we don't burn any more trades on carvings...as each village will have some more carvings and want to trade.


Sat Feb 4 10:39 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Weather: wind 0-5 kts NW, partly cloudy, 25 degrees outside, 1003.8 baro

FINALLY, we have our Iridium working! We have been without email, weather, etc since Wed last week, and we are now back in business and connected. Not fun not having weather during cyclone season...even though we are reasonably north.

The village here is great. The carvings are amazing. We have been happy with this location and are in no hurry to move on. We are going to be doing some diving and snorkeling over the next couple of days. All is well.


Tue Jan 31 11:18 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 08 47S 158 14E
Run: 132.9nm (240.5km)
Weather: wind 8-10kts NW, partly cloudy, 25 degrees outside, 1004.8 baro

We sailed overnight - or motored mainly - and got to this new spot. It was about 120NM, and a very comfortable sail/motor. We had wind from all directions, but it was less than 12kts except for one squall where we saw 19kts. This is a very nice place and we are looking forward to some village time. The crocs are in another area, so we are told there are no issues here. However, around the corner is a lake, and a young girl last year was eaten...so we still need to be careful.

On another sad note, we learned yesterday that a sailing couple we met in Luganville had a tragedy three days ago. They were diving and the wife drowned. She was 35 years old. We don't have specifics on the death, and will update more once we get exact details. I am leaving the boat name out of this for now, until all details are confirmed. It was a very sad day to hear about this accident.


Sat Jan 28 10:51 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 06S 160 09.2E
Run: 6.1nm (11km)
Weather: wind 0-5ts W, partly cloudy, 25 degrees outside, 1007.3 baro

We picked up Sarah in Honiara and are now in Tulagi. We are anchored in about 30m of water off the resort. It has been overall very calm weather, with sunny days and afternoon showers. While hot at times, it is overall good. The biggest issue here is there are crocs in the area, so we have to be careful when swimming. They rarely come over to this side, but at night they have been spotted roaming the waters in the anchorage...so we are VERY careful. Our plan is to head towards Morovo Lagoon next week...probably on Tuesday when we have some wind. Too hard to tell now if it will be close reaching or reaching, but so far looking good to get rolling NW.


Thu Jan 19 10:33 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Weather: wind 8-10kts W, partly cloudy, 26 degrees outside, 1006.5 baro

Well we had a heck of a night last night. At 12.30am our anchor alarm went off. We are tied to a mooring here, and have been careful to make sure it is relatively secure. I dove the mooring a week ago, fixed the chain and 'thought' it was all good. The line broke, and we drifted off in a squall. FORTUNATELY we did not go on the reef and we managed to get things under control with the help of the two kids...as Sarah is still in the USA. So, single handing, with two kids in a squall with a drifting boat at night wasn't fun but the kids did GREAT in helping get the boat sorted out. We are all fine now, and I will be diving the mooring this AM to see exactly what failed. Regardless, we never trust moorings and prefer to anchor, but here is is challenging in 30-40M of water with lots of coral. Stay tuned as we find out more we will share our experience. One thing I will say...ALWAYS use your anchor alarm, even if you are on a mooring. It could save you from being on a reef...especially since you drift faster when a mooring breaks vs. generaly a slow drag on an anchor slipping....


Tue Jan 17 9:24 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Weather: dead calm, partly cloudy, 26 degrees outside, 1008.5 baro

Nothing much has changed here in our anchorage. We are still in the same spot, and will be until this weekend when we head back to Honiara to pick up Sarah from the airport. All is going well. It is just Field Trip here now, as the other boats have moved on. It's nice as the village is quiet and the location has been very good. Weather is still great up here. No complaints. Looking forward to heading farther north to the Western Province later this month!!


Fri Jan 13 11:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Weather: dead calm, partly cloudy, 26 degrees outside, 1007.7 baro

We have another BEAUTIFUL day here in Roderick Bay. Sunny skies, and nice overall weather. We are going to stay here for another week awaiting Sarah's return to Honiara. No complaints, as things are going well aboard with me as teacher, chef, parent and mechanic. Kids are doing great and are enjoying being here with friends. I dove a mooring yesterday to repair for Johnny. The reef was beautiful. The mooring is not 'green' as it is tied to a large coral head, but that is the best the locals can do given they don't have funds for a proper concrete mooring. I felt a little guilty working it as its not good for the coral, but there are trade offs, and helping the local village keep a safe mooring for visiting boats is probably OK.

Thanks Patricia for keeping an eye on us as we experience earthquakes. Crazy how many we have had this year. WOW.


Tue Jan 10 10:03 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Weather: dead calm, partly cloudy, 26 degrees outside, 1007.5 baro

We made a quick trip back to Honaira so Sarah could catch a plane. She is gone for two weeks back in the USA to visit family and friends. I am not back in Roderick with the two kids. Rehua is around the corner on another island that has a good dive on a WWII wreck and Perry is still here as well. We plan on being in this area for the next two weeks until Sarah get back, and then we will head north. All is going well, and we are in the hot weather groove, so no issues with the heat other than drinking a lot of water to stay hydrated...


Wed Jan 4 10:54 2017 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Weather: partly cloudy, 29C, 1005.5 baro

We are still in Roderick Bay. We have had great weather, and a good time with the locals here. We fixed three of the four moorings, and Johnny is very happy. We will be leaving on Thur for Honiara, as Sarah is flying back to the USA to be with her sister after the death of her mother in law. I'll stay with the kids, and sail/motor back to Roderick for two weeks until Sarah flies back to Honiara...and then we will finally get moving north to Marovo Lagoon!


Wed Dec 28 9:30 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Weather: dead calm, partly cloudy, 26 degrees outside, 1005.5 baro

It's been a great stay here in Roderick. We are still here with s/v Rehua and s/v Perry. We had a great Christmas with our new friends onshore, and have found the location to be excellent. We have 3G internet, which makes it all good for staying in touch with family and friends. Yesterday we dove two moorings that the local chief has put in to retrieve the mooring lines. One mooring was in 38M of water, so it was a deep, short dive. Needless to say the chief was very happy to have help from us in getting their moorings inspected and fixed. Today will be an easy restful day, as we don't plan any major boat or shore projects. The village wants to put on a New Year's celebration with food, dance and lights. It is a very small village, but they are very warm and friendly. It's great.


Sat Dec 24 9:54 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 01S 160 07.4E
Run: 30.6nm (55.4km)
Weather: dead calm, mostly sunny this morning, 26 degrees outside, 1008 baro

We just arrived to Roderick Bay on the Florida Islands yesterday afternoon from Honiara. It was an easy motor, dead calm, and unfortunately no fish. We were very happy to be leaving Honiara. It was very poor for comfort. In fact, it was the most uncomfortable anchorage we have ever been in fives years of cruising. It's great for convenience as it is easy to provision....but painful for comfort. This time of year it's calm, but the squalls really kick up the sea and blow 25kts. It makes the sea very uncomfortable when they are coming from the E, NE. From a security perspective it was fine. We've heard mixed reviews from others over the years about potential issues. The problems seem to be people leaving stuff on deck, and making it too easy for someone in a canoe to grab and go. Clear the decks, lock up at night, and know you are in a city. Simple stuff.


Tue Dec 20 15:00 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 25.6S 159 57.2E
Run: 68.6nm (124.2km)
Weather: 10knts SE, slight seas, partly cloudy, 1002.4 baro

We arrived to Honiara this morning at 6.30am. It was an overnight motor, but dead calm seas, almost lake conditions and favorable current the entire way. We are getting our visas sorted and provisioning done. We don't expect to be here long as we are not keen on Honiara as a place to hang out more than we have to. We have some items to pick up. It was sad to leave the last village as we made some great friends and the anchorage was beautiful. The other side note is we have been experiencing a number of earthquakes out here. Surprising to actually feel some of the on the boat. Tsunamis are our concern...and thanks for the updates Mike on YIT.


Sat Dec 17 9:21 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 50.1S 160 52.29E
Run: 0.1nm (0.2km)
Weather: 5knts S, dead calm anchorage, partly cloudy, 1005 baro

We are still anchored here by the village. It's been very nice, and the weather overall good. We get afternoon squalls, that cool off the boat. Our plans are to head to Honiara Monday night, and do an overnight motor since there is no favorable wind at this time, and we need to get there prior to Christmas for some last minute shopping. Francis the village chief asked us if we can stay longer, and we can't. He even offered to build us a small hut so we can sleep in the village with their family. Very nice offer, but we just need to get up a little farther north for Christmas. All well onboard. The other two boats - Rehua and Perry - are also planning on leaving soon. Probably today and tomorrow.


Thu Dec 15 12:54 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 50.2S 160 52.3E
Weather: 5knts NW, sunny with some clouds, 1005 baro, dead calm at anchor

We are still at the same anchorage. We have become fast friends with the small village (only three families) ashore. They are very kind, curious and helpful. We told them we needed fresh veggies and they put the word out to other villagers, and we had an abundance of fresh produce for trade. After further discussions, we found out we have been the only yacht ever to anchor here. This is probably due to the fact that it is exposed to the SE in trade winds, but December, the winds are very light and variable. In the NW winds this is also a great spot. Sandy beach, kind people and six kids ashore. Every day we go ashore after school and play football or volleyball with the kids. They LOVE to play with other kids and it is an afternoon of coaching kids sports. :) The other two boats, s/v Perry and s/v Rehua are anchored on the other side of the island, about 2NM from here. We will head north to Honiara sometime next week. Plan is to be there for 2-5 days and then off to NW Florida Islands for Christmas!


Mon Dec 12 15:48 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 09 50.2S 160 52.3E
Run: 80.6nm (145.9km)
Avg: 2.7knts
24hr: 63.9nm
Weather: 5-7kts S, 31C, 1005.7 Baro, partly sunny skies, no squalls, and almost a little 'hot'.... :)

We had a great sail last night. One of our best in a long time. We had following seas, and wind 8-14kts fromt the SE, almost a dead run up here to Guadalcanal. We were wing on wing the entire night. Comfortable and easy. No squalls and the stars were out in abundance. We are anchored on this great little spot that apparently other yachts don't anchor...which is great. We are in 10m of water and near a small village with only three families. The 'chief' was very welcoming and happy to have us here. He is apparently the older brother of the other two brothers who live in this area of the island. Again, we are happy to find a place less frequented by yachts. It's great.


Sun Dec 11 9:33 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 10 16.06S 161 58.37E
Run: 0.1nm (0.2km)
Weather: 5k-10 nts SE, mostly cloudy, light drizzle, 1006 baro

We are heading out this afternoon for the southern tip of Guadalcanal. It is only a 70NM trip, but with light following wind, we expect a slow sail. Plan on arriving early AM tomorrow. We are sad to leave this anchorage. The people here are great. We had visitors last night around 7pm in their long boat. They just got back from Karikari and saw our lights on. It was the son of the Chief and his cousin. They talked for about an hour about the history of this island, the people and the current disputes with the government. They don't get a lot of boats here, and very few catamarans (we are the first this year). They work hard to make the boats feel welcome, and are very generous with their time and fresh coconuts. There is not any pressure to trade, there have been no 'ask ums' about free stuff, and in short just a great place. William asked to borrow 1 gallon of petrol two days ago. I said sure, as he wanted some extra just in case he ran out while fishing. I am always suspect about 'borrowing' fuel. Well, the good news, is William came back with the fuel he purchased in Karikari, and was very apologetic it took him 24hrs to get me the fuel 'back'. He was very nice, and told me he didn't want me to think he was dishonest...that is why he worried about it taking 24hrs for him to return. These are the kind of people we have met in the Solomons, and so far the experience has been excellent over the past 6 weeks.


Fri Dec 9 10:27 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts {weather] Partly sunny, 28C and 1006 on the barometer, 0-5kts SE and variable
knts
GPS: 10 16S 161 58.4E

We just experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 located about 60NM from our anchorage. Let's just say we woke up around 4.30am with a startle as the boat shook violently. I first thought we somehow lost our anchor and slammed into a reef. Finally, we realized it was an earthquake, and a big one. We were worried about a Tsunami, but did not have a good way here to know if there was a warning much less get out of the way quickly. Next time we have a shake like that, we will let our anchors go, and leave immediately for deep water as a safety precaution. We have two anchors out here to keep us from swinging into the reef in a squall. We are secure, but it would be a time consuming effort to pull up two anchors. We will simply tie a float to both and go. The last time we had a serious Tsunami warning we were in the Galapagos, and they had a mandatory evacuation in the late evening after the Chile earthquake. It was a scary thing. Anyway, all is well here, and THANK YOU Patricia from Gulf Harbor Radio and our Friends on s/v Lumbaz in Malaysia for emailing us the details of the earthquake.


Wed Dec 7 13:39 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts{weather] Overcast with some squalls, 30C and 1006 on the barometer
knts
GPS: 10 16S 161 58.4E
Run: 50.8nm (91.9km)

We arrived here to the Three Sisters island chain yesterday on our slow sail north to get out of the cyclone areas. We've been waiting for weather to sail, which at this time of year has been sparse. Mainly we have been seeing light and variable winds <7kts with scattered showers. Overall nice weather but not great for sailing. We are here with the other two boats - Rehua and Perry. This is a great spot, with few people. The entire southern island is owned by one man and his family. Everyone here is family and they are very friendly. We plan on doing some diving and exploring as we wait for more wind. All is well.


Sat Dec 3 9:27 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts{weather] Dead calm - 0kts of wind, sunny skies, flat water and a barometer of 1008
knts
GPS: 10 50S 162 27E
Run: 264.1nm (478km)
Avg: 3.6knts
24hr: 87.3nm

We arrived safely to Santa Ana yesterday and recevied a very warm welcome from about 30 kids swimming in the water to greet our boats. We sailed with s/v Rehua and s/v Perry. All arrived within the hour after leaving the Reef Islands. The trip took about 48 hours due to light winds most of the time. We did bump into the squash zone after six hours of sailing on the first day. We got slammed with 30kts and Rehua got smashed with 40kts. It was a big wall of clouds zapped the big winds. Rehua and Perry had ripped Genoas - one due to the wind and the other due to chaffe on the halyard. Both are going to be sewn today at the Field Trip sweat shop with our Sailrite sewing machine. We will be posting a blog update later today. Still no internet so we are working off satellite communications.


Wed Nov 30 8:51 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 10 11.6S 166 16.9E
Run: 1.4nm (2.5km)

We moved to this spot several days ago and are glad we did. It is beautiful and we are anchored in 3m of crystal clear water with sandy bottom. Today is the day we depart for Santa Ana. We plan on leaving around noon today, and will arrive Friday morning. The weather is looking like NNW winds with will be reaching and overall fairly good. We decided to take this window vs. wait until next week for possible SE winds. We need to get rolling as it is late in the season and we need to get up to the Western province of the Solomons. All well onboard and we will update with progress daily. We are sailing wtih s/v Perry and s/v Rehua.


Wed Nov 23 9:15 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0
knts
GPS: 10 12.5S 166 17.7E
Run: 6.3nm (11.4km)
Avg: 14.9knts
24hr: 357.2nm
Weather: 5-8kts E, partly cloudy skies and 1005 pressure.

This is our last stop in the reef islands. Beautiful here and the people are great. We r waiting for more wind before leaving for Santa Ana island a two day sail. We need to get rolling north. We r very sad to be leaving this area. It has been one of our favorite areas so far. The kids and people are just great and it is fun having a couple of friends sailing with us with kids.


Wed Nov 23 8:49 2016 NZDT
GPS: 10 18S 166 17.8E

still in Reef Islands. Looking to go north


Wed Nov 23 8:46 2016 NZDT
No position sent.

still in Reef Islands and looking to go north.


Sun Nov 20 8:09 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 10 18S 166 17.8E
Run: 1727.9nm (3127.5km)
Avg: 77.1knts
24hr: 1851.3nm
Weather: 3kts ENE, calm seas, partly cloudy, 1005 baro

Very good day yesterday at reef island football match. It only rained once in a squall. We r going to be moving north soon. Waiting for more wind. It will be hard to leave this area as the people are very appreciative of out help with fixing outboard engines. The paramount chief asked us to stay longer if we possibly can. They want to have a big village party for the three boats here before we leave.


Sat Nov 19 9:45 2016 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 35 18S 166 18E
Run: 1727.9nm (3127.5km)
Avg: 2341.2knts
24hr: 56187.6nm
Weather: 8-10kkts NE, overcast skies, few squalls

It's about time we jumped back on YIT. :) We have had an amazing time in the Banks and Torres islands. We have been in the Solomons now for two weeks. We decided to go off the beaten path (even though there is not much for beaten path up here other then the Western Solomons). The reef islands are beautiful. There have only been 4 yachts here all year. Three of them are here now (s/v Perry, s/v Rehua and us). The people have been so excited to see us. They have not had a supply ship since August, and are running low on basics...so we have been busy. There are lots and lots of kids here. Every day after school no less than 10 canoes come out with little kids laughing singing and just looking. The other two yachts here are also kid boats, so we have a total of 6 yacht kids in this village. More updates later, and we will be doing detail updates on our blog svfieldtrip.blogspot.com by tomorrow. We only have Iridium connection here so no pics as of yet. The bottom line, I hesitated to even give this area a mention because it is truly unspoiled, and has been one of our highlights this season. We don't want it to become spoiled by too many yachts....so, in hindsight this areas is not very good, the people are mean and unfriendly, and the water is murky and yes, they still eat white men here....... :)


Sat Nov 19 9:00 2016 NZDT
GPS: 10 18S 166 18E
Run: 390.5nm (706.8km)
Weather: not near wx problems, but a bit of troughing so wet

Reef Islands in the Solomons. heading north to Guadelcanal


Thu Sep 1 7:32 2016 NZST
GPS: 15 39.9s 168 07.1e
Run: 130.3nm (235.8km)
Weather: 1012.4, cloudy with a few blue spots growing

 Llongtong Pentecost but I cannot find the coords


Sat Aug 20 7:34 2016 NZST
Speed:
8
knts
GPS: 17 33S 168 07E
Run: 99.1nm (179.4km)
Weather: 1012, sunny, 12ESE

on their way from Port Vila to Ambrym for the festival


Wed Aug 10 7:41 2016 NZST
GPS: 16 7S 168 7E
Run: 101.2nm (183.2km)
Weather: partly cloudy 1014

Rodds anchorage, Ambrym and a good place to celebrate Sarahs birthday


Tue Jul 26 7:38 2016 NZST
GPS: 17 34.372S 168 16.480E
Run: 12.3nm (22.3km)
Weather: 1013, 70%cc, calm, ESE

Havannah Hbr Efate Vanuatu


Wed Jul 20 7:34 2016 NZST
GPS: 17 44.80553s 168 18.69654e
Weather: 20%cc, 1015, calm

very pleasant on the mooring ball


Sat Jul 16 7:40 2016 NZST
GPS: 17 44.80553s 168 18.69654e
Run: 43.7nm (79.1km)
Weather: 1016, 80%cc, calm

port Vila on a mooring


Thu Jul 14 7:36 2016 NZST
Speed:
6
knts
GPS: 18 19S 168 36E
Run: 102nm (184.6km)
Weather: SE10-12, sloppy seas

on passage to P Vila, Efate, Vanuatu


Tue Jul 12 7:35 2016 NZST
GPS: 19 31.64562s 169 29.5794e
Run: 52.4nm (94.8km)
Weather: SSE10-15, 1015,

17 ARC boats due in P Resolution today. The trip up to the volcano last night was awesome


Thu Jul 7 7:33 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14.200S 169 46.558E
Run: 0.6nm (1.1km)
Weather: 012.6, 70%cc, 22C, light NE

still in Aneityum!


Tue Jul 5 7:35 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14s 169 46e
Weather: 1015, E10,

They have settled into Aneityum. Children at schol. Yesterday they took a group out fishing and landed 4 yellow fin tuna


Wed Jun 29 7:34 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14s 169 46e
Weather: 1014, 20%cc, NE light

6 boats in Aneityum


Mon Jun 27 7:33 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14s 169 46e
Weather: 1015, 10%cc, light ene,

All well. Sounds like they are enjoying Aneityum


Sat Jun 25 9:18 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14s 169 46e
Run: 259.6nm (469.9km)
Avg: 21734knts
24hr: 521614.9nm
Weather: 20%cc, 1013.8, E but probably NE outside

7 boats in Aneityum at the moment. Probably waiting for not NE winds to get further north.


Sat Jun 25 9:18 2016 NZST
GPS: 22 12s 166 20e
Run: 259.6nm (469.9km)
Avg: 2.7knts
24hr: 63.9nm
Weather: 20%cc, 1013.8, E but probably NE outside

7 boats in Aneityum at the moment. Probably waiting for not NE winds to get further north.


Tue Jun 21 7:50 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14s 169 46e
Weather: 90%cc, 1014,

6 boats there and one more coming today


Sat Jun 18 7:05 2016 NZST
GPS: 20 14S 169 46E
Run: 50.4nm (91.2km)
Weather: 18-20kts SE, 3m seas, 1014 baro, 70% cloud cover

We arrived yesterday around lunchtime to Aneityum. We had a good last two days sailing. We were able to do a complete checkin since both immigration and customs were here with unfortunately a large cruise ship. This ship has left so we are now happy. :)


Fri Jun 17 8:03 2016 NZST
Speed:
7.5
knts
GPS: 20 56S 169 59E
Run: 186.8nm (338.1km)
Avg: 8.2knts
24hr: 196.8nm
Weather: 18-20SE, partly cloudy

all well


Thu Jun 16 9:16 2016 NZST
Speed:
7.5
knts
GPS: 23 28S 171 00E
Run: 205.3nm (371.6km)
Avg: 7.3knts
24hr: 174.6nm
Weather: 18-21 se

great radio signal - their KISS and dynaplate doing a good job.


Wed Jun 15 5:03 2016 NZST
Speed:
6.5kts AVG
knts
GPS: 26 18S 171 59E
Run: 152.2nm (275.5km)
Avg: 6.9knts
24hr: 166.5nm
Weather: 18-22kts SE, 3-4m seas, 1018 baro, 90% cloud cover

Winds settling along with seas. We still have slop and roll with the sea state, but things are calming down. We have a number of squalls last night, hit 33kts in one, but settled quickly. All well onboard, no issues and well rested.


Tue Jun 14 7:07 2016 NZST
Speed:
7.5kts AVG
knts
GPS: 28 11S 173 16E
Run: 135.1nm (244.5km)
Avg: 7.5knts
24hr: 178.8nm
Weather: 22-25kts SE, 3-4m seas, 1026 baro, 90% cloud cover

Seas are still a little confused, making for a rolly passage. All well onboard and should make landfall Thur PM or FrI AM. We shook out a reef to pick up some speed. We've been sailing very conservatively given the conditions. As winds ease later today/tomorrow we will pick up some speed.


Mon Jun 13 12:59 2016 NZST
Speed:
7.5kts AVG
knts
GPS: 29 55S 174 18E
Run: 187nm (338.5km)
Avg: 7.6knts
24hr: 183.2nm
Weather: 22-25kts SSW, 3m seas, 1024 baro, 70% cloud cover

Winds picked up nicely yesterday afternoon. Seas were confused last night and early AM today. Settled now, and a good comfortable sail. All good onboard. We currently hear NZ Orion doing a search and rescue on the radio. Very sad as there is a MOB in our area and one reported death onboard a vessel called Platino. Not sure on spelling, but very tragic. Our thoughts and prayers for the crew and family as they continue their search.


Sun Jun 12 12:29 2016 NZST
Speed:
6.8kts
knts
GPS: 32 36S 174 42E
Run: 155.1nm (280.7km)
Avg: 7knts
24hr: 167.3nm
Weather: 6-8kts SW, 2m seas, 1015 baro, 20% cloud cover

We are motor sailing. Winds are still very light and variable. We expect the winds to pick up considerably tonight around midnight and will sail the rest of the way. We are expecting 25kts+ out of the SSE by AM. Should be a fast and relatively comfortable ride with following seas and wind.


Sat Jun 11 14:14 2016 NZST
Speed:
6.8kts
knts
GPS: 34 48S 174 10E
Weather: 6-9kts SW, 2-3M rolling swell (confortable), clear skies.

A smooth start as expected. Motor sailing and keeping to the east. Preparing for the larger winds and plan on keeping the TWA at 150. Will make for a fast but confortable sail when the winds pick up.


Sat Jun 11 14:10 2016 NZST
Speed:
6.8kts
knts
GPS: 34 48S 174 10E
Run: 31.7nm (57.4km)
Weather: 6-9kts SW, 2-3M rolling swell (confortable), clear skies.

A smooth start as expected. Motor sailing and keeping to the east. Preparing for the larger winds and plan on keeping the TWA at 150. Will make for a fast but confortable sail when the winds pick up.


Thu Jun 2 8:24 2016 NZST
GPS: 35 15.461S 174 08.027E
Run: 4.2nm (7.6km)

We'll be sailing around the Bay of Islands for at least a week or maybe two waiting for a decent window. No rush yet, visas are good until the end of June.


Tue May 31 8:07 2016 NZST
GPS: 35 19.048S 174 07.486E
Run: 3.5nm (6.3km)

At anchor. Waiting for a Furuno part to arrive this week. We would have left yesterday if we had the part. BUMMER.


Sat Nov 28 8:03 2015 NZDT
Speed:
0kts
knts
GPS: 35 20S 174 04E
Run: 211.5nm (382.8km)
Avg: 4.4knts
24hr: 105.3nm
Weather: 10-12kts, overcast skies, light rain.

We arrived yesterday at 3.30pm. Sorry for the missed check-ins. We had fish on the line! :)


Thu Nov 26 7:51 2015 NZDT
Speed:
6.kts
knts
GPS: 33 01S 176 29E
Run: 172.3nm (311.9km)
Avg: 7.2knts
24hr: 172.1nm
Weather: 4-6kts NNE, calm seas, 1022.8 baro, 70% cloud cover, two squals last night around 3am NZT

Happy Thanksgiving to all the US boats! We are motoring sailing. We expect to arrive to Opau tomorrow midday. All well onboard!


Wed Nov 25 7:49 2015 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 30 50S 177 54E
Run: 162.5nm (294.1km)
Avg: 6.8knts
24hr: 162.6nm
Weather: 4-6kts NE, .5m seas, 1022 baro, 70% cloud cover

We are motoring, and have been since 4am this morning. The winds have completely died down. We had a huge fish on the line yesterday, but lost it. The fish literarily bend the treble hook. Oh well, better luck today we hope. All is well onboard.


Tue Nov 24 7:50 2015 NZDT
Speed:
6.2kts
knts
GPS: 28 40S 178 57E
Run: 59.9nm (108.4km)
Avg: 15.1knts
24hr: 362.4nm
Weather: 10-13knts NE, 1m seas, 1020 baro

Winds have died down this morning. We are still moving along, but not nearly as quick as before. We are hoping the winds will clock more to the E vs. the current ENE.


Tue Nov 24 3:52 2015 NZDT
Speed:
7.5kts
knts
GPS: 27 48S 178 56.1E
Run: 143.2nm (259.2km)
Avg: 7.2knts
24hr: 172.8nm
Weather: 10-14kts NE, 1.3m seas, partly cloudy

having a great sail. All is well and comfortable onboard.


Mon Nov 23 7:59 2015 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 25 50S 179 40E
Run: 46.8nm (84.7km)
Avg: 8.8knts
24hr: 211.3nm
Weather: 10-13knts NE, 1.5m seas, 1017 baro

Winds have died down over the past two hours. The ride is comfortable and all is well onboard..


Mon Nov 23 2:40 2015 NZDT
Speed:
8.5kts
knts
GPS: 25 12S 179 56E
Run: 105.6nm (191.1km)
Avg: 5.7knts
24hr: 136.1nm
Weather: 15-18knts NE, 1.5m seas, 1015 baro

One of the best sails in a long time. All is going well, and we are making better time than expected. We are on track for about 180NM/day while broad reaching.


Sun Nov 22 8:03 2015 NZDT
GPS: 23 56.6S 179 06.6W
Weather: 12-15knts ESE, 20% cloud cover, sun shining, 1016.1 baro

Calm conditions this morning. We had two great dives yesterday. Will dive two more times today before sailing for Opua this afternoon.


Sat Nov 21 7:03 2015 NZDT
GPS: 23 56.6S 179 06.6W
Weather: 12-15knts ESE, 40% cloud cover, sun shining, 1014.4 baro and rising.

Calm conditions this morning. We are moving to anchor near the pass for more diving today and tomorrow. We plan on leaving for Opua tomorrow afternoon.


Fri Nov 20 15:32 2015 NZDT
GPS: 23 56.6S 179 06.6W
Weather: 22knts SE, 100% cloud cover, light rain, 1010.6 baro

Blowing nicely - 22-27kts with rain. Boat is getting a good wash as we wait for the front to pass. We did checkout dives this AM with Carlos and James, and are ready to knock out as many dives as possible before we depart. Currently looking at leaving Sunday PM for Opua...but dependent of course on weather updates. We'd like to get in 4-6 dives before departure... :-)


Fri Nov 20 10:28 2015 NZDT
GPS: 23 56.6S 179 06.6W
Weather: 17knts SE, 100% cloud cover, light rain, 1011 baro

Correction to our Longitude...West, not east. We arrived to South Minerva last night. All is well onboard. Overall we had a great passage from Fiji and will be diving today and tomorrow.


Fri Nov 20 7:50 2015 NZDT
GPS: 23 56.6S 179 06.6W
Run: 105.6nm (191.1km)
Avg: 3.8knts
24hr: 91.2nm
Weather: 17knts SE, 100% cloud cover, light rain, 1011 baro

We arrived to South Minerva last night. All is well onboard. Overall we had a great passage from Fiji and will be diving today and tomorrow.


Thu Nov 19 4:03 2015 NZDT
Speed:
6.5kts
knts
GPS: 22 41S 179 57E
Run: 131.8nm (238.6km)
Avg: 7.4knts
24hr: 176.9nm
Weather: 5knts NE, slight seas, 1011 baro

Motor sailing, all well onboard. We caught a nice Mahi Mahi in the evening for dinner. We expect to arrive Minerva South around 5pm today - Thur.


Wed Nov 18 10:10 2015 NZDT
Speed:
7kts
knts
GPS: 21 00S 178 59.1E
Run: 127.9nm (231.5km)
Avg: 7.1knts
24hr: 169.6nm
Weather: 10-13kts NE, 1.3m seas, partly cloudy

having a great sail. All is well and comfortable onboard.


Tue Nov 17 16:04 2015 NZDT
Speed:
7.5kts
knts
GPS: 19 23.7S 178 00.2E
Run: 50nm (90.5km)
Avg: 7.5knts
24hr: 180nm
Weather: 15kts E, 1.5m seas, partly cloudy,

Having a great sail to South Minerva. Three POB, crew doing great and looking forward to some diving. Our time may be short in S Minerva as we are tracking to get to Opua, NZ by Nov 27/28(ish).


Tue Nov 17 9:24 2015 NZDT
Speed:
7kts
knts
GPS: 18 45.8S 177 37.8E
Run: 279.4nm (505.7km)
Weather: 17kts E, 2m seas, partly cloudy, 1012baro

Sailing well. Winds are holding E. All well onboard.


Sun Nov 16 8:45 2014 NZDT
Speed:
6.6kts
knts
GPS: 22 14S 175 25E
Run: 324.2nm (586.8km)
Avg: 6.7knts
24hr: 160.4nm
Weather: 8kts E, cloudy skies, 1016.5 Baro, calm seas

winds died last night, and flipped on engines. All is well onboard. Using PredictWind for weather and so far spot on since we left Fiji.


Fri Nov 14 8:14 2014 NZDT
GPS: 17 51.214S 177 12.238E
Run: 12.6nm (22.8km)

Leaving anchor heading to New Zealand. All well onboard.


Thu Nov 13 11:58 2014 NZDT
GPS: 17 43.55S 177 20.42E

Motoring to stage for departure from Fiji tomorrow.


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