New Zealand to Fiji

Our return to SEA CHILD was filled with anxiety at the winter in the waters around New Zealand and excitement at returning to the tropics of the South Pacific Ocean. We arrived in Whangarei on May 24, after a brief layover in Viti Levu, Fiji. We had stopped in Fiji to inspect the various marina options that could accommodate SEA CHILD, either in Denerau or Vuda Point. We found Fiji to be inviting, hot, and well worth the expected 7 day journey north east from New Zealand.

Once we landed in Auckland, we continued north by rental car to Whangarei Town Basin Marina, where SEA CHILD had been berthed for 2 months. The winter was bringing rain and cold, windy weather to Northland. When we opened up SEA CHILD, we found her sound and welcoming and after a few days at the marina provisioning and changing out house batteries, we found the chill of winter to be overbearing. Off we went to the store, in search of down comforters and space heaters, items that we would never need in the warmth of the tropics! Yet SEA CHILD was so cold at night that the interior cabins would weep with moisture once the cabin doors were closed. After a quick week provisioning and studying weather, we found an excellent opportunity to head up to Marsden Cove Marina, check out of New Zealand, and set sail on a course of 20 degrees for the dateline and Fiji, approximately 7 days away.

The sail north was bittersweet. Our time in New Zealand was filled with adventure and good friends were met along the way. Our sadness at saying farewell to Marsden Cove, our first home in New Zealand, was compounded when their sleek helicopter happened to fly over us as we sailed out towards Poor Knights on our first afternoon at sea. The evening chill stayed with us for our first 2 days at sea, weather conditions were mostly favorable with winds 20-30 knots from the SW. On the 3rd day at sea, the winds died on us and we motorsailed for about a day before the brisk northerly winds filled in. By Friday, June 4, we had raced up the dateline and at the dawn postion we were within 83 miles of the reef at Viti Levu. On this day, we hit our speed sailing record for the crossing, 19.6 knots, racing down the giant swells between Kauala Island and Viti Levu, during our final hours of open ocean sailing into Fiji.

The rhumbline from Whangarei to Lautoka, Fiji was 1,079 miles. SEA CHILD actually sailed 1,321 miles in 6 days, 7.5 hours. Average boat speed 8.7 knots. Our watch system was 3 1/2 hours on, 7 hours off, with 3 of us holding a watch. Our 4th passenger, a friend from California, floated between the various watches. We prepared many meals in advance in New Zealand, expecting the weather to be cold at first (it was) and busy at the end of the crossing (fantastic sailing). Preparing meals in advance was a fantastic idea, since the watches were easy to handle and the meals simple to pull together.

SEA CHILD has now sailed over 10,000 miles with us from Trinidad in January, 2008 to Fiji in June 2010. We have seen familiar faces along the way, and made new friends as well. The next leg includes continued exploration of Fiji, as well as Tonga, Niui, Vanuatu and Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Kula, Maui, Hawaii

20 degrees, 77 minutes NORTH

156 degrees, 32 minutes WEST

SUP at Poor Knights, New Zealand

Cruising the world with our SUP boards and two-man kayak are the must have toys on this journey. Combined with our bicycles, we can pretty much explore any location that Sea Child takes us to. In Northland

, NZ, there are a series of islands just offshore, call the Poor Knights. These rocky islands are clustered, two major islands with several smaller peaks and rocks throughout the chain. About 5 miles long total, the Poor Knights makes for a wonderful day destination from Tutukaka, about 12 nautical miles across the South Pacific Ocean.

We were determined to explore every cave and crevasse of Poor Knights, by SUP boards and our dinghy, lovingly called the "kid". After our arrival, around noon this third visit, we immediately launched the two SUP boards, one an Ali'i and the other a Naish which we recently picked up in Tutukaka marina. We were told there that no one had SUPd the Knights, and boy were they bummed to hear that both Eric and I had done just that the other day.

This time, though, we took two boards, Eric's brother and his wife, and with effort and determination, we were set on passing through all the arches on Arches Island, the most southern group in the Poor Knights chain. We suited up, in our 3m wetsuits, as the water here is a bit chilly, much cooler than even what we experienced in the Galapagos. Away we went, toward the smallest arch nearest Sea Child, through the rocky cavern about 10 meters long. Emerging from the other side, we encountered the agitated waters of the center of the southern end, the open ocean just beyond the eastern arch, the current and waves pressured through the narrow arch openings.

Around the corner, and the giant arch, tall enough for most boats to drive through, awaited us as we continued our focused efforts. Just staying on the boards without a fall took all our attention, the agitated water more pronounced as the water would bounce off the sides of the the arches. The water would come at us from all sides, making no sense of its movement, as we continued onward. Exiting the arch, we rounded the corner to the lee shore of Arches Island, just another km to reach Sea Child and the completion of the first circle of Arches Island. Our adrenaline was spiked, our legs were aching to stay steady, and at last, after what seemed an eternity but in reality was maybe 40 minutes, we had done something no one else could claim to do. SUP the giant arches at Arches Island, Poor Knights, NZ.

While cruising the world is the most exciting definition of any life, ours is blessed by these momentous occasions. We are bound to Sea Child by our love of the sea. We are sailing the waters first documented by Captain James Cook. We have our tales to tell. And now, we have our firsts as well.

Bora Bora to Rarotonga, Cook Islands

We are now 211 miles southwest of Bora Bora, on a rumbling rushing ocean filled with wind from the east, waves from the south and east, and enough spray to wash Sea Child several times over. Yesterday morning around 11:30 am we cleared the buoys at Bora Bora, bidding our farewell to French Polynesia and their beautiful lush islands. We enjoyed our time there, even had the reef fish literally eating out of our hands while snorkeling the popular Bora Bora spot called, ironically, "Coral Gardens". This coral gardens was different from the one on Maui, the snorkel boats actually feed the reef fish who have no fear whatsoever, and when you swim into the area, they come right up to your mask and poke at your hands. It was the closest I've ever seen reef fish, and is definitely one of many wonderful memories of our time in French Polynesia.

The sailing we are experiencing right now is intense, plenty of wind thats for sure! We have made 211 miles from Bora Bora, and it has not yet been 24 hours since our departure. At this rate, we expect our arrival in Rarotonga to be tomorrow afternoon. With this sailing experience, I must say that it is intense, the seas are wild out here, powerful, rolling past us, throwing us around a bit, and Sea Child is responding with all her power, as Eric says, she can take this stuff way easier than we can! It's an impressive ocean, and when we left Bora yesterday, it was like we were shot out of the starting gate, big screecher up with full main and we saw 15 knots instantly! For the night, Eric decided to double reef down the main and reef the jib, and as I sit here writing this email, we are still sailing a steady 12 knots. Talk about power!

Writing on the computer inside this powerhouse of a vessel, things are scattered here and there, Sandro's forward bunk is soaked and things are finding new homes all over the place. We are all trying to get our rest, not an easy thing to do on a sea like this. At this rate, our arrival into Rarotonga will be total sailing of 2 1/2 days. Now that's fast. We are not ones to complain about speed and distance, but this crossing is turning out to be the fastest yet on this leg of our Great Adventure.

CURRENT POSITION:
18 degrees 18.131 minutes SOUTH
155 degrees 00.088 minutes WEST