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So we leave Minerva entrance and turn to head to Fiji?a nice Tuna for lunch decides to jump on and a small battle with Joel ensues. We slow Rayfiki down and land lunch. Soon afterwards the VHF goes and it is a nearby yacht "Where r u heading Rayfiki??" "Fiji" replies Rayfiki "Well u r going in the wrong direction" oh dear there is water all around - no trees or hills to take a bearing from - so we could be heading wrong way .mmmmmm. Check my old tools: Compass - thats showing we heading North.
"How do u know" I reply "Your position on our AIS has given yr course as 180T" Ahhh - someone else has spotted the problems we have been having with our brand new Vesper AIS transponder - and the item which has made the bad weather in Minerva rather welcome as I have been absorbed most of the time trying to figure out the problem.
Once we knew we are heading generally in correct direction, up went the screecher which we kept up most of the day That evening we received the twice daily Predict Wind weather routing. Our next few way point were South - WHAT !!! Is there BIG winds or something ahead??? An email to Predict Wind resulted in a response. We had not gone directly to a Waypoint off Minerva so the programme was taking us back to do it properly!!!

position 23 39.4s 178 54.1w Two days of sitting couped up on Rayfiki aint too bad - when u wonder how others are getting on in smaller quarters. However two days of having the wind howling so loudly that you could not hear the surf and most books on board getting exhausted, it was a welcome relief to hear the forecast that the wind was dropping this morning. Well it did subside but only really by lunchtime?when the sun came out as well. We were also joined by a Tongan Navy vessel who circled the reef so we could see how big the waves were as they ploughed up and down and rolled around. After demonstrating their naval skills they thought they should come into the lagoon to seek shelter and deal to their collywobbles?. Any thoughts of being invited onboard for Kava cocktails with the Captain were dashed when they anchored as far from us mere yachties as they could. Anyway wasn't long before the VHF radio crackled with the voice of NZ Airforce Orion heading to Minerva and he wanted all yachts to identify themselves and provide departure and arrival details. OOOPs on his first fly over and getting the first report he spotted said Tongan navy also ensconced in the lagoon. ooohlala,,,he tried to call them as well and got a rather mumbled kava induced and inane response. He advised us that he would get back to us. Sure enough he did 10 minutes later?..i bet there were frantic calls to Wellington as what to do next. (There is conflict between Tonga and Fiji as to ownership of Minerva Reef. At the moment with the whole Tongan navy protecting us and NZ fire force above it look like we are safe form Fiji invading - for the moment.) Once the diplomatic channels had cleared the way the interrogation continued. In all 28 yachts in N Minerva with a few more in South Minerva. Once our man in the sky had satisfied himself that all yachts were accounted for he (as requested by Ross) he put his lights on and did a low fly past and headed back to NZ and the rain and cold. We exhausted by all this excitement decided to cool off with a much needed swim.
At the weather sled on Radio Minerva in the morning I had suggested we all meet at low tide around 4.30 on the reef for a meet greet reunion and drink. What a sight: at 5pm with 50 people standing on the reef - dingies lining the reef wall and the water cascading off the reef. The wind had dropped but was still cool so we left to get back to Rayfiki and lift dingies, stow engines and get ourselves ready for a after breakfast departure tomorrow.

We loaded Betsie into the container at the port of Tauranga and said good by to her for nearly a month. We will be reunited at the Expedition Center in Sydney on the 22 June.
The voyage to Sydney will arrive on the 2nd June, and it should have cleared customs and been delivered to the Expedition Center by the 10th of June.
A Pop Top roof is being fitted at the Expedition Center, so it should be well under way when we arrive on the 22nd June.

Now 24 yachts inside North Minerva Reef, which is a huge oval "lake" measuring 5km by 5.5km across, so plenty of room for all. The rim of the reef itself is 900m wide and only has one small gap in it, just big enough for yachts to pass through into the middle, which is like a lake in the middle of the ocean. On the outside of the reef the ocean is 2000m deep but on the inside it is only 20m deep and a good anchorage. At low tide the reef is 1m or so above the water and at high tide the ocean waves trickle over the top, but the waves loose their force in the process. A large low pressure system is over us bringing 30-40 knots of wind and light rain, but everyone is safely anchored away from the ocean swells. Made some "William" bread today for lunch, it turned out perfectly(yum!)so it looks like we are getting used to this oven. Good day for reading and playing bridge! Yesterday was better weather, caught up on some washing, went swimming and snorkeling. Karl went for a dive t o retrieve a towel that had blown off the line. The towel that Steph gave Heather for her Birthday went to the bottom of Minerva Reef! Happily it was only 18m deep and Karl retrieved it easily. Weather clearing a bit tomorrow but we will probably stay here until Tuesday before departing for Tonga. The sea outside the reef will still be a bit lumpy on Sunday and Monday but inside is it nice and calm!