Today has been a bit of the same. At daybreak we set the Staysail with the main sail reefed and we have been traveling at between 5 and 6kts. Everyone got excited when a boat appeared on the screen. The first sinse leaving NZ waters. We were beginning to think there had been a holicost and we were the only ones left.
The sea has been messy and the sky grey (gray for you Americans).
Thanks to Dannie, Greg and Sue for sourcing and organising a new outboard for us. It’s being delivered by my hero brother.

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We ended up motor sailing most of the night. This morning with blue sky and only 10kts of wind, we put up the Jeniker (the big red sail out the front). After a couple of hours the temperature dropped clouds came over and we thought it was time to bring in the Jeniker. As the wind had increased slightly, we put the headsail back out and continued sailing. That didn’t last too long, before the sail started calapsing as we went over the large swell and we had to turn on the motor. We could have sailed with the waves but we would have ended up in Fiji.
Emma thought it was wash day, so out on the back deck she went with a bundle of clothes. She got a bucket out and it wasn’t long before the clothes were hanging on the line.
The girls saw flying fish sailing off the crest of the waves.
We have less than 200nm to reach Vanuatu waters. With another 100nm to Port Vila. Nearly there! This meant putting up the Q flag, Vanuatu flag and the New Zealand flag. Now we look official.
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Last night just on dusk, we dropped the main to reef to number 2 for safety during the night. Once the main was down and reef set, I waited for Tony to point into the wind so I could tighten the sail. I could see him turning the wheel back and forth and that we weren’t going anywhere. Now, I know the engine is on because I turned it on before coming out on deck. I know what’s happening! I headed back to the cockpit where Tony told me he’s got it at high reves. I quietly said you need to put it in gear. I think we are all a little tired.
As the evening went on the squalls started. It was the choppiest night we have had. None of us got any sleep.
Today was a bit of an avarage day, but in the right direction. We now have 4 days to go.
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A nice days sail. Using only the main and head sails we cruised along averageing 6kts all day. Tony took the record of 8.1kts off Emma and smashed it 8.5kts. Andrew is band from the compitions as he knows the boat so well. The compitions was so fierce they forgot the Vberth hatch was open. As the swell grew of course a wave came over the bow. Emma has found a dry spot in the Vberth after changing all the bedding. Iris is sleeping in the saloon tonight.
Other than that there is nothing else to report.
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From Emma – Shift handover at midnight and the report was nothing much at all. Nothing as in the winds were in our favour still, the speed we were on was also good and no close Cargo encounters. The day kept going this way with the predicted wind changes being wrong again but alas this was still in our favour. Steady 6 knots for most of the day and in the right direction. Some of our highlights today was Iris able to through her banana peel over the life lines into the water rather then leaving a Mario Kart banana skin on the deck. I successfully put the kettle on an made coffees in the galley, all small but big wins. My 2pm shift felt like about 10 hours, being dubbed the longest shift ever. All in all, a great day of steady sailing, small wins and uneventful. The water temp is up to 21 degrees, air temp in cockpit up to 32 degrees, it’s getting tropical.
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This morning about 2am we had used all the fuel in the first tank. In the dark with no lights on the fuel gauge we didn’t know until the engine stopped. We had been motor sailing to make up time. So now we sailed at a slower speed, while Tony and I changed over the tanks and primed the engine. Unfortunately a Fuel filter had blocked at the same time. It took a couple of minutes to figure that out. With the filter changed the motor started and we were back to motor sailing. It was only for another couple of hours, then the wind picked up enough to just sail.
About 8am Iris and I went out on deck and unreefed the main sail. Back inside the cockpit and we the put out the big head sail. We have been doing 5.5 to 6kts all day in the right direction.
The clouds cleared and we have had sunshine all day.
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I was woken up in the middle of the night (Friday night). “We are on a colission course with a Cargo boat”. Emma was on shift and a Cargo boat was coming across our path. Everyone was awake and in the cockpit waiting for the impact. At this point the boat was 10 nautical miles away. Emma looked a little worried when I said “stay on our course till we get closer. We don’t want to loose too much ground.” Ten minutes passed as the girls were glued to the chart and the Cargo boat and impending doom. There was several mentions of “do we turn now”. When we were two nautical miles from impact, I told Emma to swing 10 degrees Port. We watched the Cargo boats lights in the distance pass across our bow. As it did there was a loud sigh from both Emma and Iris. A few minutes later we were back on course.
It wasn’t Iris’s night either. With the rocking and rolling of Imagine the emergency till had slid out of it home and partly across the floor. When she went to the toilet in the dark Iris kicked the tiller and cut her toe. Tony (the medic) jumped into action bandaging her toe.
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Saturday 6th May
This morning started out with squalls and 30kt winds by 3pm we had 5kts. From too much wind down to not enough to move. Still no sign of the easterly 20kt wind that’s been forecast. So on comes the motor. At lease we are now heading in the right direction. We now have an undulating 1m swell and overcast.
Emma had her first Saltwater shower while helping unreef the main sail and waves crashing over the bow. She was ready for it stripping down to her bikini before venturing outside. With life jacket and reef shoes on of cause.
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The weather is getting better and we are now making progress. The swell is down from 4m to 2m and the wind is down to 23kts. Everyone is good and getting in a routine. Sleep being the most important.
The starlink is not working so the only communication is the blog for us to you. You can email any of us at imagine56@myiridium.net This email WILL NOT handle files or photos.
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3rd May – From Emma- We cleared customs from Auckland and after a tricky manuever off the docks we were on our way. The rain had hit us by then and made for a bumpy ride out of the harbour and along the coast. Feeling confident I offered to make lunches down in the saloon, two wraps in and I went from hero to zero real quick. Back up in the Cockpit I had my head out in the fresh air taking some deep breaths. Andrew then said I should take another sea sick tablet as I was the colour of someone that should. First round of shifts went pretty well considering the conditions and Tony prepped our dinner of spag bol. My second shift started at 10pm and I quickly learnt that coming from downstairs to the Cockpit did not go well for me and up came mums spaghetti. With that done I was able to finish out my shift with Tony by my side for reassurance.
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