240nm from Port Vila

FYI hand steering only.

Thurs am early bracket holds new u beaut auto pilot attach very dodgy way, came loose...sigh... no indication til failed. Will be straight forward repair. Meantime exhausting job steering esp since lots rain and wind.

AWOB

End week 4 not too flash

Going nowhere 2days Xmas & Boxing Day

Total week 480nm worst day -4nm!

Wind arrived Wednesday pm in 18hrs did 216nm

Moonlite sails well in wind

Heading 220T ENE 8k

Squalls about lots lovely rain this am

Gonna stop Port Vila, Vanuatu then whooska says weather guru Mark, Aus

Wind again end 27th day

Wind SE10k 5.5k seas 1m 80%cloud

Course 236T

Going to stop Port Vila Vanuatu

Lovely night, gentle breeze

6k

Moonlit water, stars, calm sea,

Listening to Xmas music on radio national NZ

Watching for Santa.

Love to all

Merry Christmas to Alana, Ahlia, Juliette, Margaret & Kevin, Simon & Kirsten, Cooper n Pippa.

Merry Christmas to Ben & Lucie, Renee, Emily, Eloise & Joseph, Marcelle & Max, Maija, Amelia & Aria. Claire & Rob, kids & grandkids.

Merry Christmas to all the lovely friends near and far, wish we were there to share the prawns n ice cold beer. See you soon.

Gene n Bill

End week 3 21 days + 28 days from Panama

Ghastly week. 515nm but kept away from low.

Last few days squal lots wind, rain.

Sunny now, hatches open.

Lay 'a hull' last night n drifted 12nm probably more than sailed during the day.

Quite comfy.

Sailing nicely now.

3.2nm to date line.

COG 225 SOG 6.2k NNW 18k 1.5m seas

75% cloud

1750 to Bundy

Diabolical night. Heaps of rain n wind.

Pouring rain not a breath of wind.

Good overnight, no squall then 1 massive shower

Progress slow yesterday squalls n lulls all day.

50k in 1 but short duration

End 18th day out of Marq

2123 astern

Slow progress trying our patience but necessary as low below us affecting wind

Consistent wind NNW direction, strength up n down.

No squalls, 1 rain shower.

AWOB

Plenty food water gas to cook but wish for landfall Aust.

Looking Nth cloud higher lighter thinner. Looking Sth cloud darker thicker esp on horizon.

Last night lots of stars, wonder if be the same tonight. Hope so.

00 00 UTC 14/12

End of week 2

COG 273 SOG4k, slow!

10% cloud, less than 1m seas

Weeks distance 871nm

Due North of Tokelau by 100nm

Enjoy the school holidays!

End of day 9 passing above Northen Cooks.

NNE8k managing 4.9-5k despite light breeze.

Hot sunny

AWOB

Long way to go yet

End week 1 out marq.

Week run 962nm

Thanks Sue n Brian 4 message

Congratulations Renee Hons 2018

Had to slow down, reduce sail. big following sea was uncomfortable. Better now tho.

Check Sth n West of us 25nm Karoraina Island.

Explains the birds.

4700m deep here

266T 6k ENE

1738 to go

Underway 24hrs @ 11 11 utc 2pm local 1 dec.

266T 6k, E18 2m seas 10% cloud

distance to next way point off Samoa 2155

Daily run 156

Anchor down!

27days 4hrs 50mins

Interesting scenery

Small village

Checking in and resting!

299nm to go but wind eased overnight. Progress a tad slow but as it is only Wednesday morning we should make Friday eta.

Last 4 days 166, 166, 161

wind died at sunset, veered NE before midnight gybed, last 24hr 136nm

Wind return breakfast.

255T

6.5-7k

437nm

Looking forward to getting to Nuku for wifi & emails, fresh fruit & veg and a still bed to sleep in!

End Week 3 total 1100nm av 157/day.

Pos at 1900 18.11.17 5d54.3S 125d15.5W

COG 255T SOG 8.6k E 22/22k 1.5-2m swell 10% cloud

900 to Nuku

Daily run 166

Sailing wind on wing

Reef hail & main

AWOB

Bacon n egg blast chased eggs round pan

Difficult to sleep, good speed but rolling, noisy in follow sea.

Seas really testing

Some good 2.5m and why is it always has to be a rogue one closer to 3m! Just when think need to take another reef they soften off again.

1900 UTC 15th Nov,AWOB - All Well On Board

1547 to go

Dreaming of Steak!

At the end of 15days COG 251 T SOG 7.3k Wind SE 12k

Past halfway 1850nm

AWOB All Well On Board

Not much sunscreen used this trip. It's cool out here.

Interesting fact : after 2 weeks OOTB 1860nm Moonlight 1800nm but on week 3 OOTB did 1500nm! Not sure Moonlight can match that!

Happy 17th bday Hazel. Happy 71st bday Bill.

Long lazy swells, light SSE breeze, spinnaker flying. Clouding over again...sigh.

2257 to go a end of 12th day

1900 UTC

Thanks for all the bday wishes. Bill got peppermint chocolate & red wine.

Thanks Mark for weather update we look forward to a good run next week. Hope we make sweet spot. LOL

Slow night, breeze died down, not much this morning either.

Back to doing 7k

11th nite out finally clouds gone. You should see the stars, sky absolutely clear. Very bright stars shining path on sea. Stunning. Will Cross equator tomorrow!

1900 UTC 6th Nov 2017

COG 250 T

SOG 7

wind SSE 15k

1-1.5m seas

70% cloud, finally some sun.

AWOB (All Well On Board)

Day run 155. Current with us now for 2 days instead of against.

2745 nm nuku hiva

FYI crochet going well.

Awob

UTC 1900 3/11/17 4deg 09.61 N 88 D 38.89 W

COG 251 T SOG 5.6k

Wind S 18k 1m seas 100% cl last 4 days

3176nm Nuku Hiva

All well onboard. 2137 UTC 1537 Saturday 28th Oct Panama time

Anchored behind the Protection of Amador Causeway. Moonlight had green fur on water line from Shelter Bay marina and many fish yesterday eating it all way. Boobies would dive down with a great splash right beside us after the fish. Big noise. Lots of fun. They dive quite deep. A few fishing pelicans too. I love the way they hit the water in a steep dive and bob up very quickly cos of their fat body. There is a new dingy dock now at Isla Perico for getting ashore. Huge improvement from last year when we tried to stay dry getting ashore after tieing the dingy to a rickety collection of floating polystyrene platforms, half sunken dinghies, and a few drums cobbled together. It was a miracle if you kept your balance and your feet dry. The anchorage area is called Las Brisas (breezes). There are a lot of local boats, yachts, fishing boats, big posh charter boats and work boats in the area. There is a bus service or you can take a taxi to the city via the Causeway.

We are at The Flats. We are the only boat here at the moment. It is ten thirty p.m. Wednesday. The Measurer is coming tomorrow to measure and inspect Moonlight. We arrived in the dark. We have been here a few times before, twice with OOTB once to be measured and once to start the process of going through the Canal. Bill did two in Blue Dream as well. Therefore we were familiar with the lay of the land as it where, so coming in with many ships everywhere was not a problem.

Going to The Flats this afternoon, to be measured tomorrow.

Moonlight is just behind the little island you can see. It is a small but very sheltered marina. You can see the marina complex and the dirt road to the little village of Cacique.

Moonlight is sitting at Panamarina at Panama On the Caribbean side waiting for us to arrive, Transit the canal and sail her across the Pacific. Sue and Brian on Sea Rose are right near by, as are George and Rebecca on C-Level and Corrine and Gerwald on Bellatrix are expected any time soon.