Day 5

The last 24 hours have involved a 100% effort for sailing; however, due to the lack of wind we have had to resort to motor sailing on and off. We are currently doing 5.1 knots with following winds and no motors, with the views of Mt Camel on starboard side. The sea is mostly calm with little white horses.

Yesterday, New Zealand the weather and the wildlife were very welcoming. We sailed past Gannet Island, aptly named due to it being covered by gannets, we were greeted by ‘Bobby’ the sea lion (distinct from the seal due to its ears), and saw a couple of dolphins later in the evening. Collin even heard the sound of a whale – hopefully we’ll get to see some later in the trip!

Last night was beautiful to start off with, we had put away the headsails, sunset was on our port beam, and the sea was specked with phosphorescence. However, then the rain came… in big drops. We came across a big rain cloud, it dropped its contents on us, and the winds blew. The radar showed the Lord Nelson directly under the cloud; however, instead of changing course, we maintained the same speed and direction as the rain cloud for 2 hours.(Thanks Rob) Felicity and Sylvie were fortunate to leave for bed just before the brunt of the weather hit.

This morning we put up the spanker, squared the yards, and were relieved of ‘happy hour’. To add a bit of spice, we had spicy sausages and veggie for lunch, followed by a yogurt.

Having a good working voyage, meeting a nice crowd, and enjoying the good weather.

Aft Starboard Watch. Felicity, Sylvie, Amy, Liz, Gina, Sarah and Brian