Net Picking - Day 7

Yes, net picking not nit picking! In times past I am sure many would have had to deal with the latter. Try to find a copy of a documentary series called "Ring of Fire" in which the crew of the Bogeys in Indonesia sit around examining each other's heads. The series has some brilliant footage of sailing in the Celebes Sea by two documentary-making English brothers.

Getting back to Ladybug, we are still drifting along with the pumice at speeds varying from 0 to 3 Knots. The winds have been 0-5 Knots from SSE to SSW and we are doing our best to keep the sails happy. Last night we took them down altogether to sleep for five and half hours. Ladybug rolled gently in the slow one meter swells and drifted for a few miles. We peered out every 20 minutes or so to check if anyone else was around. Two other yachts were in the periphery of our horizon but none came close enough to worry about.

Under these mild conditions we have time on our hands, so we spend a lot of it listening to weather forecasters and chatting with our cruising buddies on the single sideband radio. We even have friends within VHF range to commiserate with while we are all stuck in the middle of the "high" for at least another 36 hours. Then we may have to wait for another "low" to pass over the top of New Zealand before we sail for Opua.

Some of the bigger yachts with bigger engines and more diesel have been motoring since yesterday to reach NZ before the "low" transpires next Wednesday. These boats can average 150 miles per day going full tilt with their longer waterline whereas we average nearer 100 miles.

Since we have little chance of beating the front, we are enjoying the summer weather - sunshine and blue skies, flat seas. Good conditions to do some baking. I made a batch of almond squares yesterday, a favourite recipe from my lovely sister-in-law, Jasvir, in Vancouver. No doubt we shall be waddling ashore when we reach Opua!

Our 0745 position this morning was 26 00 South 178 15 East. We made a whopping 69 miles' progress in the last 24 hours.