We arrived safely to Tonga after two very challenging passages. We have broken and lost a few things due to the crappy weather and huge seas, but nothing that can’t be fixed. It’s just time and money.
Our blogs will pick up where we left off on 25 July so please stay tuned!
This is a photo at Minerva Reef South.
Please remember that our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind actual live events.
On the move. Heading north till the butter melts. We have been cold long enough, so in search of warmer tropical coladas.
First 100 miles toward the destination of Minerva reef done and dusted. Started off slowly with scraps of the new sails providing enough power to shake out the 8 months of cobwebs with regard to sailing. After a couple of gusty conditions some more canvas came out and just like that we are making good time north.
We check lots of things related to weather before heading off. Wind, wind direction, waves and their direction, rain, cape (energy that creates havoc), and even phases of the moon. Full moon passages are sweet cause it helps spot the dark clouds even at night. What sealed the “time to go” on this voyages was the thermometer would be rising, the forecast showed a nice steady increase day after day. So we set off to watch the New Zealand butter melt.
We have left New Zealand after spending just over 8 months in Whangarei, Town Basin Marina! Technically, we took a 2-week trip to Great Barrier Island so Sugar Shack didn’t spend “all of that time” in the marina! After many, many projects we are finally ready for the next passage!
This trip will begin on Tuesday, 4 July 2023 where we will depart Marsden Cove Marina and head toward Minerva Reef. This passage should take us between 6-8 days.
We hope to spend between 4-6 days at Minerva Reef which are two submerged atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! During high tide, the reef disappears and we will be anchored in the middle of nowhere. More on this to come in a future blog.
Minerva in the middle of the Pacific
The next passage will take us from Minerva Reef to Nuku’alofa, Tonga. This should take us betwen 2-3 days at sea.
During this passage time we will do “live blogs.” So, I have suspended all previously scheduled blogs.