Thursday, May 25, 2017

TOMORROW

After fits and starts, stress over "to leave or not to leave" and looking at weather four times daily...tomorrow (Saturday, May 27) looks like the departure date. We aren't alone, there will be a flotilla leaving over the weekend heading to the warmer latitudes. From Marsden Cove where we are, there are at least a dozen boats waiting for the right passage weather. In other parts of NZ, more are chomping at the bit to take off. We had two other dates we thought looked good – but this one is the best so far so we'll take it. The last two ended up being quite boisterous runs for the boats that did leave....big headwinds and monstrous seas. So we are glad we waited...and are hopeful this will be a more pleasant run. We did have to apply for an extension for our visitors' visas...for what will end up being be two days! This extended wait also meant provisioning, cooking...re-provisioning, re-cooking and baking.

We have enjoyed the time with all the other waiting boats – we've had two sausage sizzles (one tonight), two rounds of Mexican Train dominoes games (one with nine boats) and pizza night. Michael took a tour of the nearby oil refinery with a group. He also finally spotted the leopard seal (see last entry) and it was chomping on a dinghy! His description was it was huge with enormous teeth.

So we leave – please send all your best thoughts for a safe and easy passage. We will keep up with position reports on the YIT site as long as all systems work on board. So feel free to follow our progress. There will probably not be many entries during the passage unless it is flat calm.

Finally...
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At 5/15/2017 8:41 PM (utc) S/V Astarte was located at 35°50.22'S 174°28.12'E

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Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Departure in Sight

Well at least we hope it is! It is now Wednesday in New Zealand and we are anticipating getting away from the dock in Marsden Cove on Saturday morning. Some boats are taking off on Thursday and some on Friday and Saturday. The winds are still pretty strong with big seas on Thursday – and Friday is … well it's Friday. There is the old superstition about not starting a passage on a Friday. Our two experiences of leaving on a Friday have been the two worst trips we've had... so we'll go on Saturday.

Here in the Marsden Cove Marina we are hoping to see the Leopard Seal that has been spotted here. It has come up from her home ground in the Antarctic. It isn't exactly your friendly ball-tossing seal. This one seems keen on chomping inflatable dinghies. She has gotten four so far – one was up on a dock finger, one was hanging on the side of the boat, one hanging on davits (that's quite a leap) and one floating (but not now!). She also has taken a bite out of a few fenders as well. Perhaps they look like food or she is just a juvenile delinquent. They are a protected species so nothing can be done – though the marina has told the Department of Conservation that they probably should do something to protect her because there are four pretty mad people in the marina. We just hope to see her – keeping our distance from her mouthful of sharp teeth.

We have the boat pretty ready and if the weather holds over the next few days we'll be on our way to Fiji. It should take us ten to eleven days. So if anything big happens in the news – you'll have to e-mail us as we won't be able to get online! Remember, you can track our progress on the YIT site. www.yit.co.nz and look for Astarte. If the radio works we'll send a daily position report to them.

So now just the last minute off shore cooking, baking, tidying and securing the decks and below decks.

Fingers crossed for a great passage – and before our visas expire!
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At 5/15/2017 8:41 PM (utc) S/V Astarte was located at 35°50.22'S 174°28.12'E

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Friday, May 5, 2017

The Same Old Story

Waiting for weather. That is the mode aboard Astarte right now. Waiting and watching the ever changing weather patterns. We were all set to leave this weekend for Fiji – but then this late tropical cyclone "Donna" kicked up between Vaunuatu and New Caledonia. And because these systems can change their minds without a thought to the cruising sailboats out there – we chose to not take that window and wait. We are in good company as the boats are piling up here in Whangarei as well as in Opua – all waiting for the weather to dash north out of what is getting to be a very cold New Zealand.

We awoke to 45 degree (F) this morning and winter is definitely coming here. Have to go and buy an extra blanket today! Hopefully we will be able to leave next weekend but with the systems changing so quickly – we can't make that call yet. We are pretty much ready to go – fueled and provisioned up – just the last minute breads and veggies for the passage. We may head down towards Marsden Cove later in the week to be ready to check out and leave.

For now we are just getting little projects done.

Buy your May/June copy of "Ocean Navigator" today. We have another article in it!

Start wishing for good weather for us.
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At 4/18/2017 9:33 PM (utc) S/V Astarte was located at 35°50.88'S 174°31.86'E

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