Tag: liveaboard

  • Day 8: Passage & Arrival to Fiji

    The consistency of winds on this passage has been remarkable; steady 20-27 knots, have not changed out our sails at all, just changing the amount of reefing. The passage itself is a notorious one due to various high and low pressure systems, as well as where those systems interact with these trade winds. The goal…

  • Day 7: Passage from NZ to Fiji

    Conditions remain the same, slightly forward of the beam seas and winds, making for a chunky passage. We average 155-175 nm days. Our average speed is about 7 knots. We tend to slow the boat down at night for comfort against these waves (holding her back by reefing both the main and genoa), then let…

  • Day 3: Passage from NZ to Fiji

    This morning, Code Zero up in light winds. Ahhh, now this is lovely sailing! Not going as fast as before, but feels more peaceful and able to move about the boat much easier. It’s calm enough where Calder can attack the mountain of dishes in the sink. Every morning and evening we check the weather,…

  • Day 2: Passage from NZ to Fiji

    Woke up to no sight of land, still some seabirds about. We can visually see one sailboat in the distance and are in a “lump” of about 8 boats on our radar and AIS system with many other boats pouring out of NZ behind us. Continuing on with beam seas and winds, which gets a…

  • Day 1: Passage NZ to Fiji

    Enjoyed our cozy night in our quiet, warm boat. Watching boats leave about every 30-60 minutes, as they check out with Opua Customs. The weather window is looking better and better; we have our normal pre-departure anticipation, excited and a bit nervous to go. 1pm appointment with Customs – the Customs Agent who checked us…

  • Day 6: Passage Tonga to NZ

    Monday, November 11, 2024:  Passage Tonga to New Zealand Day 6 Conditions continue to be lovely this morning, sailing with our main and Code Zero in 15-20 knots of wind, seas only 1.5 meters.  This is the life!  Scattered squalls about.  At noon, wind disappears.  We have been advised to keep a 6.2 knot average…

  • Goodbye Tonga

    Back to the Ha’apai Group in Tonga for another week of adventures; this one topped off with 52 knots of wind…read on! Our arrival to the Ha’apai was just after sunset, as we wove between coral bommies at a snail’s pace in the dark, trusting in the track we had created our last time to…

  • Weather & Wanderings in Tonga

    Anchored off Ofolanga Island in the Ha’apai Group in Tonga, we spent a few nights enjoying this remote calm-weather-only anchorage.  A sandy walk around the island, watching a turtle streak through the water on a drift snorkel, and enjoying a beach fire with friends and family.  The Hyer family got to experience the “thrills” of…

  • Passage from Marquesas to Tuamotus: First Half

    Day 1  We spent the morning getting ready for the passage, planning to leave in the afternoon.  We dinghied over to the local valley farm, picking fruit with the owner and loading a wheelbarrow and two bags FULL of green bananas, green mangos, limes, starfruit, green papaya, coconuts, pamplemouse, and basil.  This is our fruit…

  • Sharks, Fruit, Friends, & Nightwatch

    We continue to explore the Marquesas islands, planning to spend about 4 weeks here before our next passage to the Tuamotus, about 500 miles away.  Our trip across the Pacific Ocean is only about 1/3 complete and the next 6 months will be passage-making between island groups, each passage with its own challenges.  Thankfully, we…