day 166: nek minnit , enzed
Naomi here, We are creeping ever closer to New Zealand, tonight is even chillier than it’s ever been before, and looking to be another night of hand steering. Today I grated all the last of our coconuts and Miriam squoze them all for gado gado sauce, and I also made a lime slice with some coconut in the base. Also this evening the thunking returned ! We have yet again tightened the screws on the rudder post, where it comes through to the attachment for the emergency rudder. We have examined the gooseneck which somehow today has leaked a lot of grease (???) at the base of the mast. It does have a bolt through it to hold the crack together, which seems to be working, so far at least. We are so close now, bluebird can’t give up the ghost just yet…
Miriam: I used a fresh clean pair of cotton underwear for the coconut cream project as our cheesecloth was solid mold. Here’s to the perpetual resourcefulness of life aboard. It is early evening here, half past mainsail reefing and rudder repair (during which I only closed Naomi into the stern lazarette for a brief moment) and quarter to dinner, a delicious tuna caught at dusk by Jamie who gutted and filleted it by headlamp and is frying it up for us now. I’ll make a dipping sauce for our sashimi momentarily and we will again eat like kings.
This whole passage has been largely overcast, the stars faint and hazy if visible at all. Until last night…I climbed up the companionway to a vast sparkling gloriousness, the myriad stars of the southern skies a breathtaking shining in the moonless night. Sailing south ahead a steady breeze with the Southern Cross marking our path, witnessing occasional shooting stars and the slow shift of clouds obscuring and revealing constellations, enthralled by the gradual lightening of the coming dawn. Black becomes indigo in the east brightening into clear blue and gleaming golden of an obscured sun seen in a hint of carmine and palest peach tinged low slung clouds overtaking high cirrus wisps faint in the heights. What a way to begin and end the day, sailing into the morning before curling back into bed for a few more hours of vivid dreaming. Waking in the midday to clear skies and and some last chance basking before the clouds returned; my afternoon watch was a slow rocking finicky sail with barely enough wind in chill mist flurries threatening rain. We estimate our Opua arrival sometime tomorrow, 128 nm to go and bets placed for arrival time with a drink for the winner. One more night of rising in the dead of night to stand watch; I will be relieved and wistful to sleep a night through and be done with the last big passage of this incredible journey.
Jamie ere: what a great weather window we’ve had. Absolutely smashed it all the way through. A great run. The fresh cold air reminds me of home, it’s going to be exciting to see land tomorrow. Two fish in two days bodes well. It seems our luck is beginning to turn. We’ve caught both fish on the cedar plug lures which Tom sent with Robin. This evenings fish was an albacore tuna and was such an amazing meat. It seems the fish are really keen on us. On my watch just now I was sitting down clutching the wheel and suddenly a flying fish jumped up and slide against my lower back and slid off back into the ocean. I got quite a shock. Tomorrow, meat pies and double browns. Todays WOD comes from uncle Pete in Whangarei. Uncle Pete, we sees ya! WOD: Summit. Summit - A high point. Used In a sennie: summit like beef and summit like chook but when you arrive, what ever you want, I’ll cook …