Kingfish Lodge at Whanguroa Harbour to Waiaua Bay at Cavalli Islands – Total distance 18 nautical miles.
Cast off at 10.30, arrived at 16.40.
Didf docking practice with Marla – reversing stern in to dock for stern tie and springing on and off the dock. Not easy in a 42 foot boat!
11.00 raised the main in the mouth of the inlet and sailed out along the same route back to Cavalli Islands. Light NW winds at 10kn – broad reach most of the way. Helming again (yay!!) and sailed wing and wing (main sail on same side as wind hitting the boat, with foresail on opposite side – the most difficult point of sail) Gybed and sailed wing and wing on opposite tack. Long, slow sail with average of 3 knots downwind all the way! Marla slept on deck, Nancy read her book, I sat on bow enjoying the panoramic vista. Back on helm after lunch in cockpit and sailed us into anchor in bay at Cavalli Islands – finally finding wind and making 6.2knots with sails still set on a board reach but sailing a beam reach! Couldn’t be bothered to adjust the sails – just loving the wind. Passed tiny atolls with sandy coves and turquoise reefs surrounding them. Secured anchor at 16.40 and returned to sit on bow in the sunshine with a vodka, limoncello and guava juice and read my book. Deserted bay – only us 3 boats. I imagined finding us on google earth – these 3 tiny specks in the universe, alone on the sea.
4th and last night at anchor – watched the sliver of moon on top of the ridge.