Tiare Taporo III's first ocean passage

Hi,

We are sitting in the marina cafe in Noumea using their "hotspot" internet and it is time to start on the account of our voyage from New Zealand.

Day One - 16/07 We slipped out of the marina at Opua, Bay of Islands at 1200 with no fuss or fanfare after much frustration with the ludicrous bureaucracy surrounding Cat One which we have already well documented. We still have not received a reply from Maritime NZ to our email of 3 days ago!! We encountered a SW of 15-20 knots and felt reasonably buoyed that we would have a good passage with fair winds. How wrong that prediction was going to prove to be. We passed outside the Cavallis at 1700 and settled into the night with reefed sails. Position 34 degrees 37 minutes S 173 degrees 45 minutes E

Day Two - 17/07 the wind dropped all day although maintaining a SW to S direction. This evening was down to 5 knots. Position 32 degrees 51 minutes S 172 degrees 57 minutes E. Motorsailing

Day Three - 18/07 easterlies started during the day which suited us and were never above 15 knots. Good sailing. Position 31 degrees 06 minutes S 171 degrees 10 minutes E

Day Four 19/07 wind tending NE and increasing to 25 knots +. Starting to be concerned at being on the wrong side of Norfolk Is. but never came closer than 60 miles. Position 29 degrees 35 minutes S 169 degrees 49 minutes E Not looking so good for an easy sail!!

Day Five - 20/07 wind 30 knots + with rapidly increasing sea.  Sometimes gusting up to 40 knots. Finished the day at NW 15-20. Exactly what we didn't want with wind right on the nose. Our Smart Charger no longer charging from the engine which is causing a problem because we can no longer run the freezer or fridge. Lightning storm all around us in early part of night - concerning when you are on the only tall object (mast!!) for miles. Got caught in a 35 knot squall after dark with full genoa out and most of the starboard side in the water until we furled the beast. Jim sitting in the cockpit up to his waist in water winching the furling line with Gina tailing from the companionway! These things are very real at the time but they tend to fade into distant memory fairly quickly.  Position 28 degrees 11 minutes S 169 degrees 22 minutes E

Day Six - 21/07 wind from N - NW all day up to 20 knots making northerly progress very difficult. Steering NE in the end straight towards Fiji!! Early this morning before dawn our AIS receiver picked up a ship heading straight towards us! We called them on the VHF and established that they had seen us. They altered course to pass well clear. Don't know whether they would have seen us if we hadn't called them. Position 27 degrees 09 minutes S 169 degrees 16 minutes E

Day Seven - 22/07 NW winds all day up to 20 knots and continuing to steer NE. Not our preferred course!! But at least making progress north. During daylight another ship was picked up on the AIS. This time a tanker "British Liberty" coming up from astern. We called them again and they said they had us on their radar and they also altered to pass well clear on our starboard side. The AIS is great and vindicates our faith in installing it. No substitute for actual Mark I eyeball lookout though. Position 25 degrees 52 minutes S 169 degrees 58 minutes E

Day Eight - 23/07 slight wind change to WNW but up to 30 knots making progress towards New Caledonia very difficult. Still steering just east of north. Hove to tonight as needing some rest from the constant bashing into big head seas with gallons of water sweeping over the boat constantly. Windvane broke so lost ability to self steer by Mrs. Fleming! Have to use the autopilot and accept the diminishing of power although we find that the wind generator and solar panels are keeping up.  Position 24 degrees 44 minutes S 169 degrees 51 minutes E

Day Nine - 24/07 Hove to most of the day but signs the wind is at last turning south of west. Hove to again tonight and forereached at about 1.5 knots - fortunately in the right direction! Position 24 degrees 19 minutes S 169 degrees 48 minutes E

Day 10 - 25/07 wind now SW - yayyy!! And dropping down below 20 knots - yay again. The seas starting to drop as the wind changes and blowing at an angle to the old swell - still over 2 metres though so still a bumpy ride. At last reeling off the miles and being careful to stay sufficiently south to avoid the southern reefs of New Cal!! Position 23 degrees 53 minutes S 168 degrees 39 minutes E

Day 11 - 26/07 wind now dead astern (SE) so sailing more difficult. Also dropped to 10-15 knots. Decided to lay our waypoint directly under power. Just want to get there!! Some concern at fuel reserves but we have been keeping an eye on engine hours so should be well within safety margins. Plotting our position every 1/2 hour after dark as we are getting close to the reef near the Boulari Pass. Decided to heave to at 0200 tomorrow morning when we would be about 15 miles from the Pass. Then enter in daylight. Position 23 degrees 12 minutes S 167 degrees 05 minutes E

Day 12 - 27/07 great excitement at 0200 as we got going again on a course of 050 True for the Pass. Nearly there. Blowing 20 knots + from the SE but we decided to just motor - probably should have at least motorsailed but we were exhausted by now and just wanted to get there the easiest way possible. We arrived off the Pass at dawn and visibility was almost zero. Raining with low cloud and a real grey dawn - just like NZ in winter!! Some very anxious moments as the reef is indented just there so one is inside a bit of a "horseshoo" as one approaches with huge breakers each side roaring on the reef. Then we saw the Amedee Lighthouse looming out of the murk and thankfully turned towards. We could see quiet water in the Pass itself which looked very welcome. Disconcerting to see the depth sounder suddenly come to life and start recording 150 then less than 100 feet. The sea floor drop off outside the reef is very steep. The contour lines rise very sharply towards the reef itself from over 3000 metres deep only a couple of miles off, if that. Then we were through and in relatively calm water - hung a left just before the lighthouse and set course for Noumea about 15 miles distant. The New Cal reef/lagoon system is very extensive and rivals that of the Barrier Reef in Australia. We had 80-60 feet of water all the way in so no worries.  Anchored in the Baie d'Orphelinat to clean up the boat and stow and furl sails then called the marina on VHF 67. We had already emailed them so they knew we were coming and they met us on the dock to take our lines. VERY thankful to be here at last.

It was a pity to put it mildly that Gina's 1st. passage was so frustratingly slow with adverse winds. She was great though and came through as the trooper that she is. It's the worst out of 5 that Jim has sailed but it can only get better. Getting to and from NZ is something of a lottery and we are very glad that our plans do not include returning on the boat.

MAINTENANT NOUS SOMMES ARRIVEES EN NOUVELLE CALEDONIE!!!