Category: Duet Travel Log

Tuesday, 05 May 2009

Gulf Harbour Marina

Duet may have some brand new covers but we still have the same old problems!

36:37.42S
174:47:28E

Sunday, 03 May 2009

We’re still here finalising all the jobs on the To Do List. Just as you think you have finished the last job another one jumps up to take its place. This is normal boating practice. When we first bought Duet she was dressed inside and out in a particularly virulent green. It had to go! Nearly two years down the line we have made some improvements.

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We are very pleased with the end results even though it has taken quite a while for it all to happen.

36:37:43 S
174:47:28 E

Yes, we are back on board in Gulf Harbour. Simon sailed single-handed from
New Caledonia to Opua in August then back down here. Since then we’ve been
to UK and back. We have 2 new grandchildren and another on the way. We
have visited China, by air, train, bus and car; Hong Kong for the most
fantastic wedding and now back to earth and getting Duet ready for the
coming season. We plan to head up to New Caledonia and cruise that area
thoroughly before heading off ….. well no plans as yet. We hope to meet
up with old friends and make new.

The diary will be kept up to date – oh and a happy new year and Easter to
you all.

31:48.67S
172:05.54E
25th May 2009.

We are close to the magic 30 S where the ocean turns blue and dolphins play in your bow wave – yeah right. At least the water temperature has improved from a miserly 12 to 22 degrees and I’m not wearing 2 layers of thermal knickers. We have been motor/sailing as the wind is too light for anything else. It’s a new moon and the stars wash across heavens in a waterfall of light. That is the magic of a clear pacific night.

34:38:129S
173:59:27E

There was a penguin in the cockpit this morning: that’s how cold it is. Southerly winds bring refrigerated air up from Antarctica but that’s the wind we need to send us on our way up to the islands. An armada of yachts left this morning all heading to either Fiji, Tonga or New Caledonia. The wind is light which is kind to allow us to settle into passage making mode.

22:16:60S
166:26:40E

Numea. Wednesday 23rd July 2008.

When we tell our friends that we are cruising in the Pacific they all think that it is, well, peaceful – no it isn’t. It took us 4 days to cover 734 miles from Fiji to New Caledonia which works out as an average speed of 7.6 knots. It was quite the most unpleasant passage we’ve made for some time. The trade winds far from being benign were constantly strong to gale force, the swell huge with a nasty cross sea running to make it seriously unpleasant. So to balance it all out we have just spent a couple of days inland with friends getting away from that salt water, wind and swell.

21:15:02S
171:40:25E

Day three.

The wind and seas have moderated and we continue to make excellent progress. We have already hit the magic 200 nm days run. We are disappointed not to be able to contact Russell Radio, could it be propagation? We are in contact with friends sailing from Australia also on route to Noumea – they are beating all the way whilst we enjoy a fast if wet beam reach. One of the jobs on the to do list is to have a better spray hood and protection in the cockpit. Top speed today 11.4 knots and since noon we’ve been averaging 8.5.

18:59:10S
175:05:38E

You have to have a plan B. We departed Fiji with all intention of heading to Opua, New Zealand. The weather looked pretty good, 20 knots from ESE. However the grib files were not telling the truth. Once out of the pass the wind was SE and 25-30+ with even higher gusts. It took less than a minute to look at each other and decide to turn right and head for New Caledonia. Our friend can still fly back from there and we can have a bit of cruise before heading south again. For a cruising boat to spend 5 days in one place must be some kind of a record.

17:46:27S
177:22:91E

Fiji

Bula! We arrived on Monday 7th July at about 6 in the morning through the pass. For the last 3 days we’d had gale force winds, heavy squalls and very rough seas. We had a triple reefed main and staysail and Duet was flying. We were exhausted by the motion and thoroughly glad to be in. Now the sun is shining, the wind blowing still strongly but Simon has been up the mast to do the repairs!

20:15:55S
176:27:54E

The sea temperature has risen from 10 degrees to 25 in the last couple of days. We have seen little of the sun and even less of the stars. The nights have been as black as a witches tit. There have been achingly long hours of light winds and motoring under a sullen sky but now the trades are accelerating and Duet flies over the water. So far top speed is 11.5 knots and we are currently averaging 9 – what a ship!