May 21-25, 2015
Logbook – May 21, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
- 1407 Engines on
- 1415 Depart N. Minerva
- 1434 Engines off. Main + genniker
- 1814 Main + genniker
Daily Notes
- Quadcopter as we sailed out the pass
Logbook – May 22, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
- 0320 D watch start. Main + genniker
- 0600 Main + genniker. Vessel on AIS – Capitaine – 15.6 nmi, SOG 14.4 kt, COG 253 deg T
- 0700 Gulf Harbor
- 1058 Spinnaker
- 1416 Spinnaker
- 1609 Engines on to raise main
- 1632 Engines off. Main + genniker
- 1655 Generator on
- 1702 VHF call from Windstar. Rob, Margie, friend Mark. Heading to Savusavu
- 2000 B on watch
- 2200 B off watch
- 0000 A off watch
Email to Friends and Family dated May 22, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 1
We pulled up the anchor and departed through the pass around 2:30 yesterday afternoon. It’s been a pleasant, slow sail overnight, but it feels now like the winds might be freshening. We were sad to leave friends behind in Minerva (Field Trip, Caminante, Lumbaz) and even more sad that we will be missing friends arriving soon (Fluenta). But on the bright side we look forward to connecting with friends already in Fiji (True Blue V, Nautilus). We are planning for a Monday arrival, and we are excited because this will give us plenty of time to get organized in Savusavu and head over to see Tim and Fran while they are on the island of Taveuni. Fun times await us in Fiji…
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Logbook – May 23, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
- 0322 D on watch. Main + genoa
- 0730 Gulf Harbor weather
- 0800 Isabela Net. NC = me
- 0909 Main + genoa
- 1415 Main + genoa
- 1445 Generator on. 1725 off
- 1445 Heard Lumbaz on VHF ch 16
- 2000 B watch start
- 2200 B watch end
Email to Friends and Family dated May 23, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 2
After a beautiful spinnaker run most of the day yesterday, we took 20 kts on the beam most of the night. Exodus has gotten a little lively, nothing crazy, but more motion than we’ve been used to in awhile. I have to hold on to move around the boat this morning. At this point, I am desperately missing land. We left New Zealand over 2 weeks ago, and aside from about 20 minutes of standing on a dry patch at low tide in Minerva I’ve just been bobbing about on Exodus. I love Exodus and all, I just really need to be on land. We still have 2 more days until we get to Savusavu, and the winds are supposed to die, so maybe my urgent need for land will subside a bit. We had VHF contact yesterday afternoon with a boat we met at Minerva, but other than that it’s been just us out here. Kind of strange after the passage from New Zealand where we had at least one boat, usually more, within VHF range almost the whole.
Anyway, the sun is coming up, and with it some higher spirits for me, I’m sure.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Grandma asked for it, so here it is. I’m going to have the boys write something for these emails from time to time, and here is what was on Brenden’s mind yesterday. I guess he and I both have a little cabin fever:
Brenden’s Beat
It’s boring having to wait on a rocking boat with almost nothing to do. At least in Minerva I could spearfish. There, I shot a gouper that was 3 feet long and 31 pounds! I also shot an Almaco Jack that was 3 1/2 feet and 40 pounds! It was huge. Both fish I shot were bigger than all the grown ups. But here on the boat all I can do is school, legos, read, or play iPad. And there’s no kids around to play with, only Alex, and all he does is watch movies. I hope we get to Fiji soon, or else I don’t know what I’ll do!
Logbook – May 24, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
- 0313 D on watch. 78 deg F!! Shorts and tank top on night watch. Sea temp 80.8
- 0701 VHF call to Lumbaz. No answer
- 0754 Main + genoa
- 1225 P engine on
- 1248 P engine off. Main + genniker
- 1415 Main + genniker
- 1421 P engine on
- 1524 Watermaker on 4 hrs (+2)
- 1820 P engine only
- 2000 B on watch
- 2200 B off watch
Daily Notes
- Squall – T/B shower in the rain
Email to Friends and Family dated May 24, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 3 – Hot and Humid
78 deg F and 81 percent humidity, and the breeze blowing in through the open salon door has lost it’s bite. And this was at 3am this morning. We have definitely arrived in the tropics. Lucky for Tim, because “Naked Man” made an appearance last night. This happens when Tim is riled out of bed during my night watch by a noise or boat motion that for some reason has him concerned. This time Naked Man threw open the cabin door, grabbed a flashlight, and started looking all around the starboard deck. Not finding anything, he returned to the salon, mumbled something about hearing a large creature squirming around on the deck, and then went back to bed. I decided NOT to investigate myself until the sun comes up.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Logbook – May 25, 2015 (Minerva Reef to Fiji)
Passage Log Highlights
- 0151 P engine only. D on watch
- 0559 P engine off. Genoa only
- 0739 SB engine on
- 0823 P engine on
- 0835 Arrive on mooring in Savusavu, Fiji
Daily Notes
- Bird in the cockpit
- Calm conditions for arrival
Email to Friends and Family dated May 25, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji Day 4
We sailed as long as we could yesterday, but when the autopilot started complaining because we were going so slow it couldn’t keep its course, we decided to engine up. That was about 2:30 in the afternoon, and we’ve been motoring on a glassy sea ever since. Right now at 3am the boat motion is calmer than while at anchor in Minerva! We had a squall pass over us yesterday, which was exciting because Exodus, Tim, and Brenden, got a fresh water shower au natural. Alex and I, on the other hand, opted to take our showers inside.
We are super excited to arrive in Fiji, although I’m always a little nervous clearing in to a new country. Everyone says it’s easy to clear in to Savusavu, so let’s hope it’s easy for us too.
Email to Friends and Family dated May 25, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Minerva to Fiji – The End
Departure from North Minerva: 21 May 14:15
Arrival at Savusavu, Fiji: 25 May 08:35
Days at sea: 3 days 18 hours 20 min
Max wind: 20-24 kts from the beam the entire night our second night out. The rest of the passage <15 kts.
Engine hour summary: 16 hrs 22 min with one engine (motor sailing or motoring with no wind), 1 hr 10 min with both engines (departing, arriving, and main sail changes.)
I have to say, overall, this may have been our best passage yet. We haven’t had too many opportunities to sail in light winds and flat seas with no pressure of being somewhere (or pressure of getting out of bad weather zones). With the exception of our second night, it was mostly light air sailing. This morning I got up for watch earlier than usual because I knew Tim would need to get up earlier than usual due to arriving, so I figured I should share the pain. I was glad I did. This turned out to be a total zen watch for me. Ok, to be honest, when I first got up I was grouchy and I hated the darkness being so close to land, and OK, this grouchiness went on for a few hours as darkness persisted. But then dawn approached and the breeze started at about 10 kts from the stern, so I unfurled the head sail and turned off the engine, and these are the moments that cruisers treasure. Sunrise behind a new island sailing calmly along. Normally, sailing in light winds isn’t that great because the seas knock you around enough to cause the boom to slam back and forth. But this morning was pure calm. Tim got up and eventually we were only moving along at 2 kts, but we enjoyed our coffee together with no hurry of getting anywhere.
We engined up just a mile or 2 outside of Savusavu, and our arrival reminded me a lot of our arrival in Atuona, The Marquesas. Not just our own bliss at arriving, but the sights, smells, and even the shape of the clouds reminded us we were back in the tropics. Our check in process was smooth, BUT, a few of you know that I was a bit stressed because we never received a confirmation email back from Fiji customs on our advanced paperwork before leaving New Zealand. I externally stressed about it for awhile, even brought it up on our SSB net, and everyone told me not to worry. They don’t always respond. It will be fine. Well, today it wasn’t fine. So, after that I just internally stressed about it. So, today the customs lady looked at me and told me we did not send in our advanced paperwork and did we not know the requirements? Since we didn’t send our paperwork, they would have to search the boat. For a split second I actually thought someone had gotten to Fiji customs to play a joke on me or something. Well, no joke. I showed her the filled in form that I had emailed and I told her how I had emailed periodic updates on our estimated arrival date since we left. She asked me to show her what email I sent to, so Tim suggested I show her on the computer, which I did. I realize I’m making her sound kind of stern, which she wasn’t at all, I was just horrified at our situation, and I wasn’t mollified by her friendly demeanor. Anyway, to cut to the chase, they “searched” our boat which turned out to mean “poke our heads in the cabins and open the silverware drawer.”
I have no idea why they didn’t get our paperwork, but I’m just glad to be fully legal in Fiji now. We had a great day catching up with our friends on True Blue V. They even greeted us with fresh bread as we were motoring into the harbor.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
Gresham Family Exodus 