We docked at Riverside Drive Marina this afternoon after a slow and pleasant cruise from Opua and down the coast to Whangarei, taking five days for an 80 nm trip. Velic will remain here while Rand & Ruth fly back to the USA for a visit with family and friends. This concludes the 2018 cruising season.

Landfall North Cape lighthouse around 0400 (and that's a comfort; GPS doesn't replace everything). ETA Opua around 2100.

Now sailing in quiet lee of N. Cape without SW swell. Good sailing due south since 0230, with weird F5 blasts between 0400-0530. Motored 15.5 hours, sailed 8.5 hours in past 24. So will likely have enough fuel to reach Opua Q dock. Every hour sailing is 2 litres diesel fuel in tank + peace and quiet. Cabin 21.0c & 74%RH. Long sleeve fleece, pants and cabin slippers. Rand dug out his fleece beanie cap. All is well aboard.

Opua, New Zealand: Safe and tired on the Quaratine dock after a 9 day 9 hour passage. Now 20:45, and accomplished goal of docking at dusk. Will clear in tomorrow morning. Landfall made at 04:30 North Cape lighthouse. Strong SW wind built by mid-day, as predicted, so we had fast close reaching until Bay of Islands. Motor sailed with only double reefed main into BoI, wind on the nose. Hand steering the last three hours: too rough for the toy tiller pilot and too tight an angle for the windvane.

Beautiful blue sky morning finds us motoring since midnight in lumpy seas and very light breeze, wind at lower end of forecast range. Rand is beginning to check the fuel "gauge" (consumption calcs) regularly, neurotically? 120 nm to North Cape, another 72 down the coast to Bay of Islands, plus 12 inside BoI to Opua: Not enough fuel to motor the whole way. At least there's good coffee while we wait for wind. All is well aboard.

North set current that has been against us at 1 ~ 1.5 knots for two days seems gone.

Cabin 22c & 80% RH, so much cooler. Long fleeces and warm slippers now. Still sunny days and yesterday was glorious sailing reaching with yankee jib, staysail and reefed main, tempered only by that pesky north current. Now racing to the barn before the south winds. All is well aboard.

Sailing south on starboard beam reach. Wind direction stable, but variable speed, plus squalls. Yankee jib and double reefed main since yesterday afternoon. 434 nm to Opua. Cabin 23c & 78% RH. All is well aboard.

Motor-sailing SW, West wind developing - should be sailing before breakfast. Clear skies and sun welcome after clouds, rain, and confused wind as trough passed over Friday evening to Saturday evening. With 567 nm to go, we're just shy of half way. Now south of the tropic of Capricorn, ~23? 26S, and out of the torrid zone. All is well.

Sailing! Finally, after two days of motoring. Starboard broad reach directly to next waypoint. Busy night with sail changes and squalls. Now under reefed main and yankee jib. Main house batteries may need TLC, or more. They don't seem to be holding a charge. 678 nm to Bay of Islands (Opua). Otherwise, all is well on board.

Motoring southwards, monitoring fuel consumption. SE winds brought welcome cooling yesterday. Amazing 3m swell from SW yesterday from Southern Ocean, long and very deep, but very long period so unnoticeable in boat motion. Now gone by. All is well aboard.

all is well aboard. 940 nm to Bay of Islands

As of 0500: Probably one the best departures for a passage ever. Left Port Denarau at 1135 Tuesday with afternoon sailing in moderate NW winds on a broad reach nearly on the rhumbline to NZ, with minimal swell and wave from behind. A very large squall brought fickle and confused winds and rain in the middle of the night. All is well aboard.

In Port Denarau Marina. Planning to check out tommorrow, 27 Nov, heading for Opua, NZ.

In Denarau waiting for a weather window to appear for the passage south to NZ.

In Vuda Point Marina preparing to depart for NZ. Waiting for acceptable weather window

Anchored in Albert Cove, NE tip of Rabi Island. Arrived yesterday. Hope to stay a few days. Beautiful spot and well protected from SE tradewinds.

Docked at Coprashed Marina in Savusavu, Fiji. Arrived 10:00 am yesterday, Monday, after 14 day passage from NZ - including two day stop at S. Minerva. Hot Showers! Coffee cups not sliding across the table! Paw-paws and Guava in season! And a mixed blessing: Internet access. Rand delayed reading the news for 22 hours after arrival.

Sailing in near perfect conditions. Main with one reef, Yankee poled opposite; wing-on-wing all night. 14 nm from entrance to Savusavu Bay. Should be in before noon. All is well aboard.

Sailing well on Yankee jib and double reefed main. Almost sedate after very boisterous sailing overnight. Now between Navutu Reef and Tavunasigi Island. Entering the Koro Sea. Specturlar full moon and bright red Mars last night. All is well aboard, but brownies are getting to the point where they benefit from a dunking in the cup.

Broad reaching starboard tack, deep reefed main left from last night, yankee poled to leeward. Will shake out reef after coffee. Squalls this morning bring rain, then leave light wind behind them. Rolling in Southerly swell incommensurate with winds. Fabulous clear sky last night with bright full moon and big bright red Mars. Zero urban light pollution.

Hove To - beginning at 0130. Sequence of squalls and no wind. Waiting for stable easterlies.

At anchor in South Minerva Reef. Depart today, Thursday, for Savusavu, Fiji. It's a 460 NM passage that should take us about four days. Watched 12 Monkeys last night. About questionable reality in a post apocalypse dystopia. All is well aboard.

At anchor in South Minerva Reef. Arrived yesterday mid-day. Low did pass over yesterday with wind and rain. Watched The Lion in Winter last night. Great acting about a disfunctional family. All is well aboard.

At anchor in South Minerva Reef. Arrived yesterday mid-day. Low will pass over today, bringing wind and rain. All is well aboard.

Motoring for 15 hours in zero to very light breeze. Passed through band of squalls yesterday afternoon with light showers. Otherwise clear and fine weather, but for no wind. Hoping for South Minerva Reef today. All is well aboard.

Close reaching under yankee and double-reefed main after dry squall last night. 117 nm to S Minerva, so slow is good for arrival tomorrow, maybe.

All is well.

Great sailing past day starboard broad reach, fast and comfortable. Wind now easing and backing. Nearly making rhumb line to S Minerva reef. Crew feeling much better aboard.

All is well aboard.

Correction: Position 19 July s/b 29°51E.

Close reaching in bouncy seas. Double reefed main and staysail only overnight due to gusts and squalls. Rough day yesterday close-hauled. Wind is now veering to SE. Should be more comfortable and faster sailing later today.

Close-hauled stbd tack, Yankee jib and double-reefed main. Uncomfortable. Looking forward to wind shift as low passes by.

Motoring since 1800 yesterday evening. Brilliant sky with starlight reflecting off the glassy ocean. Making water. Light and variable winds yesterday daytime, bringing two sail changes in attempts to keep sailing. Hot coffee, a banana and a brownie for breakfast.

Sailing well. Windvane working perfectly. All is well aboard, albeit with lot's of fleece. Milky Way bright white across the sky and Mars a bright red disc at midnight.

In Marsden Cove Marina. Planning to check out and depart tomorrow, again, for Fiji via Minerva Reef.

The past two weeks have been spent at Riverside Drive Marina, tearing down and refurbishing the recalcitrant Aries wind vane, and then tuning up various other sailing gear.

Back in Whangarei, NZ. We checked out on Wednesday and motored to sea in beautiful but calm weather. Breezed picked up late afternoon and we set sail. But the Aries windvane would not cooperate. It worked perfectly on the passage from Fiji to NZ in October 2017. Hand steering to Fiji was not attractive, so we returned for repairs and are now looking towards the next weather window. All safe and sound, but disappointed.

In Marsden Cove Marina tonight. Planning to check out Wednesday for Minerva Reef and Fiji