160 miles to Majuro!

still trying to steal E, light winds, head winds, currents all conspiring but still heading for Majuro if conditions allow!

plugging along!

Head winds and currents have plagued us for days making it hard to make Majuro! Now on course between Majuro and Kwajalein. Next day or so should determine where we land! Surrounded by ITCZ with thunderstorms and gusty winds. Steady E 15 at the moment, hoping it holds! Long days and stormy nights!

so near yet so far

350nm to go, no wind and enough fuel for maybe 240nm..please send 15 kts from the E or SE!! Would be much appreciated!

Equator!

Left the S Pacific behind about 2AM crossing the equator under clear skies with a billion stars, the S Cross setting below the stern. Toasted Neptune with a St. James sparkling Chardonnay, requesting fair winds and safe passage! Light Nlies continue to dog us making it hard to gain Easting.

ITCZ

Motoring overnight and all day into light NE, burning precious diesel. ITCZ not very active, some lightning, small cells with rain and brief gusts. Blue skies, puffy clouds. Very hot and humid! 120nm to the equator!

bashing

going hard to windward day and night...very tiring..wind not too strong though just constant beating...

on to Majuro!

Motored out in flat calm to leave Solomon Islands...heavy rains and some lightning overnight but nothing close. Now clear skies with very light winds from SE. Slow sailing but pleasant after the sound of the iron genny! No fish...yet!

leaving Solomons!

Have cleared customs and plan to leave late tonight or early AM. 

some pics...

caught a mahi mahi on the way to Tulaghie...fruit and
crayfish were about 20 bucks from a local dugout....the walk and
kids were a much needed break....too tired for words...:)

Honiara!!

Well, we made it to the Solomon Islands! The passage started out tame
enough but a few days into it, the seas became large on the beam and
the motion was uncomfortable. There was wind though so we sailed most
of it. Caught a nice Yellowfin Tuna a day out of Aus and
feasted on that for a couple of days. Ran into squalls in the night
and gusty winds with heavy rain but came through it to flat calm so we
motored the last two days. Our welcome to Quadalcanal Island was
rain, wind and more squalls in the night but a fleet of dolphins
escorted us around the point and up to Honiara. The new autopilot was
mounted so poorly it drove the quadrant up and overloaded the
hydraulic pump. Lucky we still had any steering at all. Not too
happy with the idiot in Townsville that installed it. But we found a
couple of great kiwis here starting up a yard and with their
facilities, I managed to make a new bracket. It works but still has
issues! Queen's bday here so everything is closed down. We hope to
take on diesel and clear customs Monday, then head for Majuro in the
Marshall Islands. This leg will involve an equator crossing so we're
hoping the SPCZ, a nasty bit of weather system, stays clear of us till
we get far enough N. Will attempt updates underway but radio
connections are a challenge (as are eating and sleeping).....have
managed to join Pacific Seafarer's Net daily though and posted our
position to Yotreps.
Caught a young Mahi Mahi the other day and feasting on
crayfish(lobster) and mud crab from the locals.
Have pics but internet too slow and flaky here....more later!!!

Arrived Honiara, Solomon Islands!

After one day in the thriving metropolis of Honiara, we have retired 20 miles N to the small island of Tulaghie where we hope to repair the mess the idiot in Australia made of the autopilot hydraulic drive! My fault completely, should never have paid him or accepted the job. Was not happy with the end result then...sure was anxious to get out of Dodge though! At least here there are Kiwis who know what an autopilot is.

Solomon Sea!

Motoring in flat calm overnight and all day! Some tropical showers in the distance but no rain over us yet. Would welcome a good shower at the moment! Seeing lots of coconuts float by! Expect to make landfall early AM! A/P has been christened 'Austin Powers' (Arnold Palmer was too boring). But it failed 1st day out due to engineering(glorified welders) incompetence in Townsville! Will attempt repair in Honiara.

Western Spaghetti!

I think our wx router on Orcas Isl said it best, "the good, the bad, and the ugly"! We thought the 3 nites was bad enough but last nite was 'ugly'! Hope there is land ahead as Noah never saw such rain! Winds to 30+kts! Good thing we were reefed and ready! Now motoring into weak headwinds with just over 200 miles to Honiara!

boisterous!

3 nites and 2 days of big big swells breaking on the beam, strong winds, rockin n rollin...

squally night

winds over 20, gusting 30, three reefs in main and couple turns on furler, still doing 6 kts, making good time!

Trade Wind sailing!

Pretty idyllic so far....touch wood...winds coming up to 20 now, one reef in...hitting 7 knots!!

Toketie offshore!

We are about 200nm offshore! Very light winds from the SSE! Peter hooked a nice yellowfin tuna first day out!! Sashemi!