Tasman Sea, (Lat 40 11S, Lon 165 11E), Course 75 degrees (compass)
Saturday 1 February 2020
Our dream run, with wind of 15-20 knots coming in over our left shoulder, continued through last night and all of today. Our speed rarely dipped below 6 knots, with occasional flashes of 9 knots, as we surged down the face of the small 2-3 metre swells that advanced from the stern in regular intervals.
Our good ol’ faithful Perkins has been given a break, with the fuel tanks remaining untouched. And this looks like continuing for the next few days, based on the continuing forecast
It was a bread-baking morning today, which, if I say so myself, I rate my best effort yet; achieved through subtle changes to the process, after seven days of practice. The whole process can take an hour or two, and since I was already up helping with some sail adjustments, there were two steaming loaves on the bench as bodies began emerging from around 8:00 onwards – and a couple were going back to bed after completing their watch.
Sea-life routine has definitely taken hold, with each person finding their rhythm, largely based on ensuring they are bright and sparky enough to stand their 3-hour night watch. Days are filled with reading, eating, sleeping and generally lazing around, or solving the world’s problems. Conditions remain stable enough for work on the foot space below the nav table, and this has really made a difference to comfort levels.
With the wind strengthening through the night we felt it necessary to shorten sail on two occasions. Before the sun went down we had already wound in the big (light-conditions) genoa sail, replacing it with the working jib. This was then reefed to less than 50% of its size, before then needing to reef the mainsail on two occasions, leaving us flying three little sails – double reefed main, staysail and reefed jib – with minimal reduction in speed, of 7-8 knots, but a significant lift in comfort and stress on the rigging; which after all is still being run in.
John did a magnificent job with dinner tonight – a combination of baked vegetables, hamburgers and salad; seemed a shame somehow to squeeze tomato sauce over it, but some habits are hard to kick.
The occasional wave hit the side of the boat today, sending small dollops of water where you least expected them. Jorge was reading a book in the cockpit and the open pages scored a direct hit. How, I don’t know. Now that it’s dark we’ve zipped up the covers to enclose the cockpit, making it very cozy indeed.
With New Zealand looming large on our chart plotter, and just a few days away now, I started completing the necessary arrival and notification forms today. Unfortunately, once completed, they exceeded my file attachment limit, so I’m now in the process of breaking it up into lots of smaller bites … or is that bytes ? So long as I give 48 hours notice I should be fine. At this stage we are planning to be at Picton Wednesday 5 Feb at 9:00am
Smooth seas fair breeze and sea-life routine …
Rob Latimer
NZ2020 
It is great to receive your updates and I am so pleased it is such a smooth sail thus far, it sounds wonderful.
43 degrees here today and the change has come through with wonderful rain and a cooler night for sleeping.
Happy safe sailing
Beverley
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Thank you Bev ! lovely to hear from you and thanks for your comment. We are currently enjoying sunny Picton. We start to hear sound on Monday, down the east coast take care
Rob
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Enjoying the updates. The plan is still to be in Akaroa 17/18 Feb? Andrew and Daphne
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Hi Daphne and Andrew, great to hear from you. Yes, we leave Picton Monday and might even get into Lyt on Fri or Sat next week.
I’ll let you know and will have the kettle on when we arrive. Look forward to catching up
cheers
Rob
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Fabulous reading, what a great start to the amazing adventure. We look forward to joining the hardy crew very soon… better brush up on my bread kneading technique. Hopefully our arrival in Picton around feb 8 th will not hold up progress of the mighty Chimere… you are ahead of schedule and our flights are locked in as originally planned. Warm regards Dean.
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Hi Dean, great to hear from you. We are preparing your cabin for your arrival … balcony with ensuite? wasn’t it?
That was truly a Tasman passage made in Heaven, although the last few hours made it very clear who’s boss out there. We certainly took a beating, but kept standing to fight another day.
cheers
Rob
PS we’ve booked good weather for the trip down the east coast next week??!!
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G’day Rob, I’ve been following all your logs since 17 Jan – your descriptions would do justice to Patrick O’B which is right Christian of you. I feel almost as if I was on Chimere and certainly wish I was. I went to Alistair’s brother’s (he was Rosie’s twin) funeral and passed on your condolences. Rosie and Isabelle expressed interest in the Sydney return leg but may waiver over the proposed 12 day cruise. Meanwhile, I’m having physio for a neck problem which developed following my unexpected upside-down inspection of the bilge under the floor of the starboard cabin. It is odd that the bilge resulted in a bulge! It is now improving. Looking fwd, cateris paribus, to joining Chimere at the CYCA. Fair winds and following seas and long may your big jib draw! Cheers and blessings, Fr William
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Thank you Father Bill for your kind words. I feel bad that I missed writing last night’s blog, but I claim extenuating circumstances … As each crew member departed it required a celebratory toast, then there was the arrival champagne, followed by the customary red, plus of course the neighborly couple of cans with the marina locals, not to mention the farewell dinner at an Irish Pub last night … it was getting late, but we still found the boat, but as a result, I thought I’d better go to sleep rather than tap away loosely on the keyboard…
Thanks again for your note and the adventure continues Monday when we start heading south down the east coast Hopefully it’s stopped raining down south by the time we get there at the end of the month
Good health to you sir
Rob
PS and a bit of advice from our friend Jack … “Never mind manoeuvres, always go at them.”
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