We made it! Five days, 90% headwinds, 80% motoring, minus one headsail, two dozen hard boiled eggs, three bags of scroggen and eight little bruises.

I’m about to have a nana nap – night shifts are very tough. Feels worse that jetlag. Dean is running the radar cable and contemplating our prop issues. Our crew, Glenn and Ian (amazing, amazing people) have gone back to Wellington and we’ll be in Auckland until next Monday. We’re doing the offshore medic course over the weekend so I can learn how to sew Dean up and shove a pen in his neck. Then it’s off to Opua (via Waiheke and other gorgeous islands) and leaving for Tonga 2 May.

Here’s a little bit from my journal and photos are below:

Not many people get to see the world from this view. Apart from the a few slithers, the landscape is rugged with no access. Big cliffs fall into the sea with treacherous rocks as toes.

We’re in precious cell phone range and Glenn has just received a text. His text receiver sound is of a door bell. That’s either going to drive me nuts or be comforting.

Soon I’ll be doing my first night shift sailing, ever. Are you kidding me? They’ll find out soon I’m a fake and throw me over board.

I’m faffing around: Sunglasses off, sunglasses on, neck warmer off, can’t find neck warmer, snack, drink, snack, feel sick, do I need to go to the loo again? Where’s Dean? oh god he’s overboard, rearrange snacks box again. Just relax! Relax? I’m in a plastic boat about to go around the bloody east coast a 35 knots headwind. Get me off.

And here are some pics. Only happy, nice calm ones! Will work out how to orientate portrait ones soon.