Well yesterday was a bit of a bummer. I’d tried to put the starboard engine into gear for a short bit of forward movement a small charge to to top up a meagre sun but no propulsion. Short of stripping it down, the gear box, I can’t find the problem. Never mind the wind was piping up and we have a second engine.

We thundered along at 9 knots with the wind gusting to 25 knots when the main suddenly trotted down the mast and arranged itself neatly in the stack pack. The halyard had parted at the mast head. Neither Jo or I are going to the top to attach it.

A little before that happened the main sheet block wrecked itself, thank God the preventer was on. A jury rig of strops and ropes is no longer needed.

So on we sailed with just the jib, and very pleasant it was too with 20 knots of broad reach we were still doing 6k for a lot of last night. This AM the wind has gone to almost nothing so the port engine is taking up the slack and we move toward Opua at a less than ideal speed conserving fuel, still 275 miles to go. And, would you believe it, the port side has stopped charging.

But all is well, the food is great, we have good books and the sun is shinning.

Cheers from Breeze