Category Archives: Real-Time

NZ Bound #3: 896 nm left to find Champgne

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Well 24 hrs down, plenty to go. The search for champagne sailing continues. Stomping grapes more adequately describes the seas out here. We did have a few hours of sparkling wine, not even Prosecco, where the wind and waves agreed on which direction to bounce us around. We all got some good solid rest during those precious hours before returning to the salt mine.

We might be starting a new business. Deep Water Salt, made from only happy salt. Happy salt jumps out of the ocean, sun dried and delivered fresh to your table. Since Deep Water Salt is happy, its also good for all your friends with high blood pressure.

New batch of happy salt jumping onboard.

Stop by in NZ and you can claim your very own.

Ps. Thats a puny small splash, that’s all I could get a picture of without getting drenched

All well onboard, knocked out 186 miles direct to NZ, the boat traveled 197 miles so even if it is bouncy we are doing well with barely 1/3 of our available sails. We have had 2 reefs in both sails since we started.

Anchor down in “Fun” town Tuvalu

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All good in Tuvalu 🇹🇻, anchor down, engines off, anchor beer in hand

Anchor beer

Now to find customs and immigration to check in.. 😎

How cool is the name “Funafuti”, even has “fun” right in the name!

Will we be able to walk on solid ground without grabbing for the nearest palm tree?

Looks like we might chill out here for a week or so, looking for a bit better wind forecast. We will be heading south, and the forecasted winds are south east, we will wait for more east than south in the winds.

So time to explore a new place..and of course ponder/investigate the steering repairs.

All well, all good

Cheers!

Nearly there, 50 miles left, all is well to Tuvalu

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In the doldrums of the ITCZ, light winds, small seas, gray and mostly overcast. Luckily not much in the way of rain, lots of rain on the horizon in every direction, but we managed to stay dry. Just hot and sticky.

We should arrive Tuvalu shortly after sunrise, which is should help in navigating the reef and make our way across the atoll to the main town to do the formalities of clearing customs and immigration.

We kept the engine pushing us forward to make a Friday arrival as the “word on the streets (internet)” is the official offices are closed on the weekend. So technically we would be confined to the boat till Monday till we could go through the process of clearing in. A stretch of the legs dictated the drone of the diesel we have been enjoying. “Get there, get cleared in!” sounded so much better than arrive and then wait around in quarantine till Monday

On the bright side, batteries and water tanks are topped to the max, but the diesel tank did suffer some loss all in the name of getting there. 🙂

Christine worked magic and has lined up a few options for getting our pieces put back together once we arrive Fiji. Will also ask around Tuvalu if there is any welders equipped for stainless work to see if we can get the drag link sorted and return the port rudder to service.

Cooked up a big batch of “pot stickers/dumplings”

All good on board, no drama, just chillin.