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
