With no apparent weather window taking shape for French Polynesian from Auckland, we decided to head north for the Bay of Islands where it’s looking like something just may be opening up on Friday.
We were all woken up by an early morning tap on the hull.. Darren had noticed we had left the hand cart I had used to get the batteries. So he delivered it by kayak. The whole bay was calm so I took the opportunity to go up the mast to repair a light. After breakfast we left the comfort of our Tindalls Bay anchorage around 10am Tuesday into a comfortable 22 knot southeastern breeze with following seas off the rear quarter. Not only would the 18-20 hour journey put us in good position for what may come, it also meant the first chance for crew to practice the “2 hours on/8 hours off” helm shift rotation intended for the passage to French Polynesia.
After tucking into Whangerei for a quick examination of a leaky hatch and a quick bite to eat, we made good time on our northward journey with winds reaching 35 knots as we rounded Cape Brett. Luckily only one crew member was taken down by sea sickness, with others stepping in to cover shifts as required.
We arrived at Paradise Bay to a beautiful sunrise, where a bright and day allowed for rest and relaxation alongside completion of necessary tasks before the next leg of the adventure.
