We Made It.

What a last 24 hours, the wind picked up to a strong 30 knots NW with 2 reefs in the main and jib, BWR was flying up to 20 knots boat speed. As the wind started to change to the SW and increase to 37 knots we put in the third reef, by then the sea was getting nasty with very short steep waves. BWR was handling it very well and all we had to do was hang on tight as we approached New Plymouth in the dark. We dropped the jib to slow down a bit and to get our bearings before entering the port. The Port Taranaki Harbour Control put on the main shipping lead lights for us to come in, then had a security car with a flashing light on the wharf to show us where to dock for Customs clearance. We spent the rest of the night tied up to a old fishing boat, then in the morning MAF cleared us. It was still cold and wet when Harley showed us to our mooring and said welcome to bastard harbor. Overall a great crossing of the ditch in what was mostly moderate winds.

Are We There Yet ..... You Betcha!

Arrived@ 2213 AEST Wednesday 24th March 2010. (NZDT 0113 Thursday 25thMarch 2010.)

We had a very wild ride into the Port for the last 24 hrs,it’s cold and bloody wet.

Cleared Customs @ 1330 this morning and we spent the morning rafted up to a fishing boat on Motoura Wharf.

MAF cleared us @ 0825 and we are now on our allocated mooring.

Nm’s Sailed 1,350 Ave= 210.93 nm’s/8.78 knots

Are We There Yet? ....... Not Quite!

As at 2000 AEST Wed 24/03/2010:

Position: 38 55.6’S, 173 37.3’E COG: 70 SOG: 12.9 knots Wind: WSW 30kn
Barometer: 1025 Swell:3.5M Sea Temp:18.2 Cabin Temp:16.9

Day 6 Run:236nm Ave: 216.5 nm @ 9.02 knots DTG:20 nm to New Plymouth Sailing with Triple Reefed Main & Jib

Lots of Rain Squalls, 4 M Swells, Maximum Wind Gust 37 kn BLOODY Cold and Wet.

New Boat Speed Record = 21.3 knots under Double Reefed Main& Jib (SORRY JESS.)

Bruce is having a Radio Interview with John Stokes on CoastFM (ABC Radio) at 6.20 am AEST Thursday 25th March 2010.

Still running on those rails…SURFING.

As at 0821 Wed 24/03/2010:

Position: 38 17.6’S 171 22.7’E COG:94 SOG: 11.7 kn Wind: WNW 25-30 kn
Barometer: 1028 Sea Temp:19.0 Cabin Temp:21.5 DTG: 132 nm from New Plymouth
Sailing with Triple Reefed Main & Jib, Cloudy 45% with Sun Out, Rain Squalls overnight.

Getting There.

The last couple of days we have made great progress towards New Plymouth, the wind has been up and down a bit, but not too bad. It’s been between 10 and 30 knots and the right angle for BWR to sail fast.

We have had some great sailing, nice sunshine blue sky, full sail, down to two reefs and stay sail, speeds up to 19 knots and down to 6 knots. Sunday night we had some cloud and rain move in with a bit of lighting also. By Monday morning the SW change had come in at about 15 knots and wet. Monday night saw the wind drop right out and the great progress has slowed a lot, just hoping the wind gets up today.


SV Big Wave Rider @ Sea

As at 0800 Tue 23/03/2010:

Position: 37 20 S, 167 06 E Wind: 4-6 kn NW Barometer: 1032 Sea: 1.5m
Boat Speed: 6.2kn one motor on.

A nice sunny day, a very calm night.

Big Rail Rider?

As at 2010 Mon 22/03/2010:

Position 36 41.7’S 165 52.4’E COG 100 SOG 12 knots Wind SW 13.5 knots
Barometer 1028 Sea Temp 20 Cabin Temp 19.6

Day 4 Run 225 nm Average 9.29 knots DTG New Plymouth 412 nm
Sailing with Full Main & Jib Clear night ½ Moon and lots of stars

Still sailing on rails like a runaway freight train doing what BWR does best SURFING…….

Keeping on Keeping On

As at 1023 AEST Mon 22/03/2010:

Position 36 01.8'S 164 08.5'E Wind 17 kn WNW (overnight 25-30, 2 reefs in Main + Staysail)
Seas 2.5m COG 110 Speed 8 kn Wet 8/8 Cloud Cabin Temp 24.6 Sea Temp 21.7
500 nm to New Plymouth

Hi Guys,

As at 2000 AEST Sun 21/3/2010:

Position 35 16.7'S 161 45.7E Wind 22 Knots NW Course 108M Sea 1M
Barometer 1030 Cabin Temp 23.8 Sea Temp 23.9 Cloud 2/8 Moon Ist Quarter with Stars
Days Run 207 nm

Still running on rails, three sail reaching most of the day. Top speed just on dark of 18.9 kn in 24 kn of wind. Sailing now with full main and staysail, reacher rolled up at night.

Eating Up The Miles .....

As at Sun 21 Mar 12:20 pm AEST:

Speed 9.7 knots
Heading 128
Latitude 34.654 S
Longitude 160.301 W

198.4 nm SSE of Lord Howe Island
706.0 nm from New Plymouth

BIG WAVE RIDER Back in the Deep Blue

Hi everyone BWR is back on the move after a hectic 2 weeks of prep to get ready for offshore. The weather wasn't kind to us at all but we managed to get the boat stripped out, antifouled and ready to go. A big thanks to Roger, Julie, Pat, Judy and Dave who gave us a hand and also to Bill for picking up the life raft.

We departed Mooloolaba on the 17th March to head for Southport to clear Customs and had a beat then a motor through the channels of Moreton Bay to anchor at Jacobs Well for the night. Then on the 18th motored the rest of the way to Southport, had another tidy up of the boat then Customs arrived and cleared us out. We decided to have a last shower and lunch with Bruce's sister Teresa at the Southport Yacht Club.

Departed through the Southport Seaway at 1700 it was very bumpy and only had one wave break in front of us. We had a beat all the way to the Danger Reefs then the wind backed to the east and gave us a very fast and bouncy ride two sail reaching down the coast with the East Australian Current giving us up to 2 knots more speed.

The next morning the wind went more North and the sea calmed down so we got the Code Zero out and had a great days sail in sunny conditions. Have kept the Code Zero up all night and today have put up the staysail as well and are still having a great three sail reach, it's like being on rails.