Land Ahoy

Woke this morning to see the light from 3 Kings Island off the northern tip of NZ and we were abeam of North Cape by early morning being welcomed by a pod of 10 dolphins.

Our Iridium Go satellite system has been great for emails. As well as being able to do text updates to our blog, we have been getting daily AIS Satellite tracking screen shots of MarineTraffic.com from Ann's brother Matthew showing a picture of the boats within a couple of hundred miles of us. Not that we are racing but it is good to know what other vessels are around us. Another thing happened where the satellite system was a great help. I broke a tooth 3 days out from NZ. The side wall of a mollar broke off. I wasn't suffering from hot or cold sensitivity but was concerned what might develop from that. We were able to email a photo of the broken tooth to our dentist, Ros Shaw, with a description of the situation and an hour later we had a reply from Ros. She had checked her records of the work she's done on that tooth over the years and the latest x-rays taken just before we left and was able to advise that it should be stable to leave until we see her in March. So on Ros's advice I used some 400 grit wet & dry sandpaper to smooth the rough edges and all is good. A dental consultation in the middle of the Tasman Sea via satellite - how good is that? Technology has come a long way in the 9 years we have been cruising.

We have had a good trip considering the reputation of this passage heading into the southern waters of NZ. The last 2 days we have had very favourable winds. Great angle for our boat and strong enough to keep us moving along at a good pace. Our expected arrival at Opua is this evening and at present John is busy trimming the sails to get the most out of the boat so we have a chance of getting to the Quarantine Dock before dark. It's not that we are afraid of the dark, the channel is well lit and our electronic charts every detailed, but like most sailors we would prefer to arrive in a port for the first time while there was some daylight or twilight. Especially after a 6 and a half day passage.

No matter what time we arrive, once we are tied up at the Q dock it will be time for a celebratory drink. We run a dry ship on passage i.e. no alcohol until the anchor is down or we are safely at dock. This trip has been quite an achievement for us and it's a milestone in our cruising adventures that calls for a celebration, plus it's Friday night. Need we say anything more than "Bubbles night"...!