Family snorkel w/ Field Trip and Lumbaz. Alex plays with kids, throws Noa in the water. T- spearfish (jobfish)
Quadcopter flyover
Et Voila arrives
Potluck on Lumbaz
Cat corner in South Minerva (from left to right: Exodus, Field Trip, Et Voila, Lumbaz)Snorkel day in the rainAlex (13) and Nils (5) sword fighting with dinghy oars.Having dinner together on LumbazSo many photos of the kids, here’s a rare one of the moms!
Logbook – May 16, 2015 (South Minerva to North Minerva)
Passage Log Highlights
0903 Engines on to move near the pass (at South Minerva)
0938 Engines off near pass
1227 Engines on
1248 Engines off. Main + genoa
1331 Main + genniker
1600 Engines on
1615 Engines off arrive N. Minerva
Daily Notes
B speared a 31 lb grouper
Wrapped a coral head while raising anchor
Sailed through the pass at N. Minerva
Lobster dinner
Alex found the biggest lobsterThe pass at South MinervaBrenden’s 31 lb coral trout
Email to Family and Friends May 16, 2015
Subject: Exodus – South Minerva
We had a great day here, but we were so spoiled with beautiful weather last year during our Minerva stop that it’s hard not to notice the difference. The snorkeling is, of course, amazing, and while Tim and Brenden didn’t shoot the tuna they were looking for, Tim did get a jobfish, which was a tasty addition to the potluck we had on Lumbaz last night. It is so much fun watching all the kids together, they reminded me of a group of cousins getting together. There were 8 kids last night, Alex the oldest and Nils the youngest (age 5) with boys and girls of all ages in between, and they were all singing and playing and the youngest and oldest were always together. The guys all went for lobsters last night, and Nils wanted to go so bad, and when they told him the other young boy (Michael from Field Trip) wasn’t going hoping then he wouldn’t want to go either, he said, “it’s OK, Alex is going!” So cute! Anyway, there are bags of lobsters hanging off the back of Exodus this morning so it seems they were successful! We intend to move 20 miles away to N. Minerva today. Love and miss you all, -D.
OK, I admit it. I AM a bit bitter now. I’m bitter over how my running experience turned out in New Zealand. New Zealand has sidewalks and roads and trails. So many trails. New Zealand has cooler weather, so runs could be longer and more comfortable. It was supposed to be a complete running extravaganza for me, and it started out in such a fine way. I quickly found good places to run in Opua and worked my way back into long run territory, my longest being about 15k. And then we were going on a road trip! While everyone else lounged around camp each morning I could don my running shoes and hit a trail without even a dinghy ride to shore. And how great would it be to run in so many new places around New Zealand.
Yeah, that’s not how it turned out.
Before our road trip really got into full swing I got sick. Really sick, with a chest cold and cough that would not go away. I wrote about it in the blog post “Sick in Taupo” but at the time I had no idea how long term its effects would be. It slowed us down on the road trip and the boys are probably happy over the fact that I ended up not pressing for lots of long hikes. I feel like I coughed for the better part of 2 months. When I started running again they were very short runs and my chest would often get tight and congested. Sadly, my last two runs during our final week in New Zealand I finally had strong lungs and was able to complete a full 5k each time. No, that’s not a typo. 5k.
And now we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on our way to Minerva Reef, where there’s basically just a reef and no where to run. After that it’s on to Fiji, back in the tropics and stiflingly hot runs.
Sorry for the big huge “wahhhhhhh.” Since the blog IS called cruisingRUNNER I thought I should write about running every now and then, and this is what’s on my mind right now from a running perspective.
(Did I really just complain about going to Minerva Reef and Fiji!?!?)
A great song by Toad the Wet Sprocket, and words I’m trying to continually remind myself of. About a week ago when we were still in New Zealand, our friends on the sailboat Novae decided to take an immediate weather window and were going to leave the next day. When Helen told me their plans over the phone, my immediate, spontaneous, impromptu response was, “well, you guys have to come over for dinner tonight, then!” Those that know me know that I am neither spontaneous nor impromptu, and even after living this cruising lifestyle for over two years I am still out of my comfort zone if I don’t have at least 24 hours notice when we are having guests over. That’s just me. But this was my genuine response to Helen’s news, because they were leaving, and who knows when we’ll see them again. Sure, they are headed to Fiji, and sure we’ll probably only be a week behind them, so odds are we’ll be with them again soon enough. Except maybe we won’t. You just never know out here.
Back in September after spending about a year and a half together, we said, “see you later,” to our buddy boat, Lady Carolina. They were heading to Fiji, and we were staying in Tonga, but we’d meet up again to spend cyclone season in New Zealand. Except we didn’t. For a variety of reasons, they decided to stay in Fiji for cyclone season. While that was disappointing, at the time we thought, “no big deal, we’ll meet up again in Fiji later.” Except, now we won’t. The timing of their Fiji visa expirations and our departure from New Zealand means we are going to totally miss each other, and now they are in Pago Pago, American Samoa and from there on their way home. We tried to work up a deal to meet in Tonga, but that didn’t pan out, and now it’s pretty certain we won’t cross paths again. I regret the loss of their companionship, but I also regret the fact that I clearly took them for granted when we were together. They were always there. But now they’re not.
So, I treat good-byes with a little more seriousness these days. I even hugged my friend Briana not once but TWICE when leaving Opua (and those who know me know I’m not a hugger). And then I got totally crazy and even hugged my friend Sarah, who would be leaving New Zealand within a day of us, and we’d meet up with in Minerva Reef. OK, to be honest at first, I tried to get out of the hug, but then I remembered that I don’t even remember if I hugged Carolina good-bye or not. I will not take these things for granted.
Logbook – May 8, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Passage Log Highlights
1139 Engines on
1150 Depart
1309 SB engine off. Main + genoa + Port engine
Fish on! 25 lb yellowtail
1600 P engine off
1800 SB engine on + Main
1945 B watch
2139 B watch over
Opua, New Zealand to South Minerva ReefSo happy after our duty free alcohol deliveryWhat is wrong with this picture? Why am I in foul weather gear and the boys without shirts?Leaving Opua in gray conditions
Email to Family and Friends May 8, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva Day 1
We had a smooth departure process, and after we had loaded up our duty free alcohol delivery and did final stowing, we pushed away from the dock in Opua around noon. We stayed just one night at the dock, because that way we could get our duty free diesel the day prior to leaving and didn’t have to worry about it on departure day. Overall, it hasn’t been a bad start. The sea state is bigger than the corresponding wind due to the low that just blew by, so we are rolling around a bit. But when I was laying in bed earlier I noticed that at no time was I catching air, so in that case this doesn’t even come close to some of our worst seas. Even though the winds are pretty light, we are still reefed, because we have quite a bit of squall activity around us. Just as we were leaving the Bay of Islands, Tim put the fishing poles in the water, and not two minutes later we had FISH ON! It was about a 25 lb yellowtail, and it put up a good fight, but it’s now filleted and resting in the fridge for our sashimi day tomorrow. Our freezer is full of beef and lamb, so we will need to eat the fish quickly. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 9, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Passage Log Highlights
0155 Squall – 28 kts
0410 P engine on to raise main
0436 Engines off. Main (1 reef) + genoa (1 reef)
0449 Second reef in genoa due to squall
0530 Unreefed genoa
0800 Isabella net (net control)
0810 VHF call to Caminante
0815 VHF call from Waratah Lass (boat off of our port stern)
0830 Main (1 reef) + genoa
1200 Main (1 reef) + genniker
1730 Engines on to shake out the reef & jibe
1745 Engines off. Main + genniker
1900 Generator on
2000 B on watch
2200 B off watch
Genniker flying!
Email to Family and Friends May 9, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva Day 2
The sailing has been great yesterday and all night. 12-15 kts of wind on the aft quarter, and since the seas have calmed down quite a bit it’s become almost comfortable. The wind is supposed to die today and then be nonexistent tonight, so we are enjoying the sail while it lasts. The air and water temperatures are going up ever so slightly, and we have heard from boats ahead of us of nice warm water in Minerva, so we are getting excited. Leaving New Zealand would have been a much more sad affair for me had it not been for how cold it was getting. The boys are doing their night watches so I don’t have to get up for a watch until 3-4 am, and it’s great. I think today I’ll be fully in the swing of things and may even think about cooking some of that fish in the fridge for dinner. Typically, on passage I precook several meals and put them in the freezer so I don’t have to cook the first few days out. Last night we had pasta bake. Fish will be good tonight… Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 10, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Passage Log Highlights
0130 A off watch
0308 D on watch. Main + genniker
0800 Isabella Net. NC = me
0815 VHF call to Chiquita (Vessel on AIS < 1 mile away. Dean + 2 crew on board)
0820 VHF call to Caminante
0825 VHF call from Waratah Lass
1425 Main + genniker
1330 Generator on. 1520 off
1600 VHF call to Waratah Lass
1804 Main + genniker
2000 B start watch
2200 B off watch
0000 A off watch
Exodus at sea (taken by s/v Chiquita)
Email to Family and Friends May 10, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva Day 3
After a lovely 2 days of sailing we are now motor sailing again. Overall, it’s not too bad though, the seas had gotten a bit lively again yesterday afternoon, and now it’s pretty flat. The big news for me this morning is that I didn’t need a comforter to sleep last night. I think I may have found Tim a new spear fishing buddy over the VHF radio yesterday. I guess that’s like the cruiser spear fishing version of internet dating. I think he’s still mourning Jack’s departure (s/v Iguana), and I’m thinking, you know, he just needs to get back out there. Anyway, this is just a boat in the vicinity that I’ve been talking to, and hopefully we’ll meet at Minerva. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 11, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Passage Log Highlights
0331 Main + port engine
0345 Chartplotter reboot
0457 Caminante on AIS (18.2 nmi, brg 233 deg T)
0658 Realigned compass +15 deg
0720 Gulf Harbor Radio
0750 Port engine off
0756 Main + genoa
0800 Isabela Net (NC = Field Trip)
1152 Fish on! Dorado (Alex & B bring it in. No help from sleepy dad)
1400 VHF call to Caminante
1413 VHF call from Waratah Lass
1458 SB engine on. Furled genoa
1832 Genniker + port engine
2000 B watch start
Daily Notes
Tim starts filming “Happy Video”
Pass the fish to Caminante
Dorado!Pass the fish to Caminante
Email to Family and Friends May 11, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva Day 4 – Pass the Fish
Today’s excitement was a 4.6 ft Dorado (Mahi Mahi) that the boys landed while Tim was asleep. Brenden was the only one up when I saw the fish being dragged behind us on the handline. I told Brenden, he harnessed up and clipped on, and then started the business of pulling it in. As it got close and we saw how big it was, we realized we couldn’t handle it just the two of us, so I woke Alex. And let me be clear… I was the weak link in that operation, not Brenden. Well, Alex and Brenden managed to get it on board, but not after I annoyed the hell out of Alex asking if I should wake Dad. He was struggling to lift the fish up after he got it on the stringer. But I think my suggestion of waking Dad opened his reserve fuel tank, because his next heave up was successful. Brenden cleaned the whole thing, and we enjoyed BBQ Dorado with Creole seasoning. Just like old times. But that’s not the best part. Our friends on Caminante were only about 5 miles away when Tim told them we had fish and if they catch us they can have some. Just before sunset they arrive only a couple hundred meters away, and it was quite a sight, because Caminante is a huge (60+) metal sailboat and they had 3 sails still up, needless to say the photo op was priceless. Tim was able to pass them the fish by tieing a line to a float and trailing the float behind us. Then Caminante picked up the float with the boat hook, and with the bag of fish secured to the other end of the line, Tim tossed that in the water. It was so much fun to be that close out here in the middle of the Pacific! Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 12, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Passage Log Highlights
0357 SB engine, no sails
0700 Rag of Air Net
0715 Gulf Harbor Radio – checked in
0800 Isabella Net (NC = Judy, checked in)
1010 SB engine off, P engine on
1208 Genniker + P engine
Watermaker 3 hrs (stopped after 1.5 hrs due to leak, port bilge started running)
1327 SB engine on to raise main
1336 Both engines off. Main + genniker
1826 Main + genniker
Email to Family and Friends May 12, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva Day 5
Today the temperature reached 80 deg F (~27 deg C, I think) and I sat at the helm in my underwear. That is all for today. -D.
Logbook – May 13, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Passage Log Highlights
0327 Main + genoa
1200 Main + genniker
1635 P engine on
Daily Notes
Engine stats as of 13 May (Wed) 0430 – Port only – 13:58, SB only – 30:18, Both – 1:58
Email to Family and Friends May 13, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva Day 6
After sailing for a day and a half on mostly a nice beam reach, we just turned an engine on. The wind is dying and shifting behind us, so we decided to motorsail. We’d really like to make it to South Minerva tomorrow by about 3 pm to have light to navigate the reef, and we have 122 miles to go at 5pm local time. We are just about to cross back over the dateline again, but unfortunately that doesn’t help. Last time we only went to North Minerva, so we’d really like to maximize time to go to both south and north minerva before the weather tells us it’s time to leave. We should be converging with at least 2 other buddy boats tomorrow, maybe more, so it should be a lot of fun again. This is a pretty special place. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 14, 2015 (New Zealand to South Minerva Reef)
Bombie – 23 56.378 179 07.571 = Vessel wypt w/ bombie on port side
Day 7 stats – Hrs underway 2:33, miles = 827-814 = 12
Engine hrs since 13 May 0430: Port only – 16:11, SB only – 4:42, Both – 1:30
T/B – spearfishing right away. Alex manned the dinghy. Trevally got away from B
D – drinks with Sarah & Jenny on Exodus
Email to Family and Friends May 14, 2015
Subject: Exodus – NZ to Minerva The End
Departure from Opua, New Zealand: 8 May 11:50 Arrival at South Minerva Reef: 14 May 15:58 Days at sea: 6 days 4 hours
Max wind: Mid to high 20s briefly during a squall our first night out. Other than that, max wind ~18 kts. Wind mostly in the 8-12 kt range.
Engine hour summary: 2.9 days with only one engine (motor sailing or motoring with no wind), 3.5 hours with both engines (departing, arriving, and main sail changes.)
It was a good passage, and I’m breathing quite a sigh of relief that we made to NZ and back without getting hammered. Once again we picked a good weather window, even if it meant doing more motoring than we normally would do.
We arrived with great sunlight to enter the pass and navigate across the atoll. It’s very rolly for an anchorage, but more than tolerable given we’ve been at sea for 6 days. Tim and the boys are already in the water hunting, and I’m waiting for friends from two other boats (Field Trip and Lumbaz) to come over for safe arrival drinks. We arrived ahead just a bit ahead of them, but they left a day later than us, both being bigger and sleeker catamarans than Exodus.
We waited for a good weather window before leaving New Zealand.
Logbook – April 30, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Back to school
Drinks and dinner at OCC w/ Field Trip, Tusitala, Caminante
Kid fun at the OCC (Opua Cruisers Club). Parents are at another table, probably drinking.
Email to family and friends dated May 1, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Final Preps
Well, it’s a sad momma that dropped Andrew off at the airport on Wednesday evening. Now, we are back in Opua taking care of final preps for the passage north and waiting for weather. Weather looks like crap for at least the next week, so we aren’t really pressed for time for the last few boat projects and final provisioning. We are happy there are still a couple other kid boats here, and we will all likely be taking the same weather window, so maybe we’ll have company in Minerva Reef again. There is a big, organized rally starting from here, and it’s about 50 boats all leaving tomorrow, so it will be nice and quiet again in Opua until we leave. So, why are they leaving when the weather looks like crap? I really have no idea. Maybe they know something we don’t, and maybe this is as good as the weather windows get, but it looks to me like bashing into a head wind for 5 days, so we will wait and see. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 1, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Tim fixed port sail drive
Dinner on Exodus with Novae
Fixing the port saildrive AGAIN
Logbook – May 2, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Bye to Novae
D- Kerikeri shoping
Loving Spotify
Messing around on Spotify, I’m sureBrenden, cleaning the speedometer paddle wheel
Logbook – May 3, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Laundry day
D- run
Logbook – May 4, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Tim up the mast
Photos of Opua from the top of the mast
Logbook – May 5, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
D- run
D/T to Paihia, drinks w/ Andy & Lynette
Email to family and friends dated May 6, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Trying to get out of NZ
I slept with 2 sweatshirts on last night and I pretty much wear my Uggs all day long on board, so yeah, we are ready for warmer weather again. Finding a good weather window for departure is turning out to be very challenging though, much more so than any of our previous passages, even the trip down here. We have submitted forms to customs for a Friday afternoon departure (2 days from now), but we will have to keep watching the forecast and decide at the last minute if we really leave. Today, all four of us are headed to the grocery store to provision and then tomorrow we will take the van down to Whangarei to leave it on a lot to be sold. That’s pretty much all we have left to do in order to leave. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – May 6, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Holy Provisioning!
Dute Free @ New World
Logbook – May 7, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Diesel
Stayed night @ marina
Pouring rain
Briana over for drinks
Tim to Whangarei to sell the car
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 6 months since we first pulled up to this Q dockI’m thinking Brenden doesn’t really need the stool anymore
Email to family and friends dated May 7, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Departing NZ Tomorrow
We are still planning to leave tomorrow, but we will be leaving right on the tail of a cold front, so it will be a bumpy start. We hope to stop at Minerva Reef again and the go to Savusavu, Fiji. Some of our friends are there already and we are jealous of the warm weather. Will keep you posted if things change. -D.
T/Bryan – dive for lobsters. Yellowtail gets away.
D/Heather/Boys – island hike on Motorua Island. Saw Tuis for 1st time.
Opua to Sunset BayMotorua is the larger island, and Motoruaiki is the smaller islandWe found a nice spot tucked between two islands (Motorua and Moturaiki)On the ridge hoping to see Nautilus sail by on their way out of Bay of Islands bound for FijiWhy yes, that IS Heather McCrary here with us in NZ
Logbook – April 21, 2015 (Sunset Bay)
Daily Notes
Everyone hikes Motorua island. Track goes all the way around the island. Tim makes friends with “the help” at the house at Sunset Bay
Heather and Bryan strolling along the beach
Logbook – April 22, 2015 (Sunset Bay to Opua to Russell)
Passage Log Highlights
0650 Engines on
0705 Depart
0905 Arrive Opua
1645 Engines on
1650 Depart Opua
1737 Engines off Russell
Daily Notes
Andrew here! Lunch in Whangarei (If I remember correctly Andrew took the train from Auckland to Whangarei and I went alone to pick him up.)
Afternoon motosail to Russell
Dinner @ Stone Grill
Good morning Bay of IslandsWhy yes, that is ANDREW sitting here on ExodusDinner in Russell
Logbook – April 23, 2015 (Russel to Opua)
Passage Log Highlights
1400 Depart Russell
1500 Engines off Opua
Daily Notes
Hike to sundial & flagstaff
Sailed off anchor – raised manually
The whole family together
Logbook – April 24, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
McCrarys leave
Lazy boat day
T helps Novae with weather routing
D/Boys play games and relax
Windy & Rainy – max 26 kts
Email to family and friends dated April 24, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Hello Again
Hello friends and family, Our time in New Zealand is winding down, and when we leave, our internet presence will diminish once again, so I thought I’d start getting in the habit of sending these status emails again. We are still in The Bay of Islands, and we just had a great visit with The McCrarys, who were able to pop over to NZ to see us after their work travel to Australia. It was so good to see them after so long! We were able to show them a bit of the cruising life anchoring off the small island of Motoruaiki. We were the only boat there and had the whole island of Motorua (a slightly larger adjacent island) all to ourselves for a hike. We also showed them the social aspect of the cruising life thanks to s/v Novae for hosting a potluck last night. We are also really excited, because… Andrew is here! He arrived 2 days ago, and I am one happy momma having all my boys here with me. The weather is crappy, and it’s looking like Monday we’ll get to show him what gale force winds are like, but no matter. We are just so happy he is here. Some of our friends have already departed for Fiji, and we hope to catch the first weather window opportunity in May ourselves. We have just a couple boat projects remaining and final provisioning to take care of after Andrew leaves. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, and we’d love to hear back from people. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 25, 2015 (Opua)
Daily Notes
Anzac day, wineries closed
Hike up Opua Forest, picnic lunch
Treaty grounds for cultural show – Tim got to be chief
Haruru FallsTim got to be chief at The Waitangi Treaty Gounds Cultural Show
Logbook – April 26, 2015 (Opua to Orokawa)
Passage Log Highlights
0852 Engines on
0802 Depart Opua
0929 Main + genoa + both engines
1109 Engines off Orokawa
1155 Engines on
1215 Engines off re-anchor
Daily Notes
Anchor @ Orokawa to weather the storm
Afternoon happy hour on Exodus w/ Field Trip
Alex was loving Andrew’s noise cancelling headphonesBack with Field Trip
Logbook – April 27, 2015 (Orokawa)
Daily Notes
Storymy day, max wind 35 kts
Lazy day. Phase 10.
Logbook – April 28, 2015 (Orokawa to Opua to Auckland to Matamata)
Passage Log Highlights
0656 Engines on
0705 Depart
0853 Engines off Opua
Daily Notes
Road trip!
Auckland Bungy
Drive to Matamata – stay at O’Reilley’s Motel
Preparing to bungeeDowntown Auckland from the bridgeWatching TV in the hotel room
The boys had a great time yesterday jumping off the Auckland Bridge. Both Alex and Brenden said this was better, well scarier at least. This time the bungy was attached to their ankles, and they had to penguin walk out to the end of a ledge (plank?), hang their toes off, and then jump. They thought it was easier to jump with the blind running start they had at the Ledge Bungy in Queenstown. Andrew requested his head dunked, but he didn’t quite make it that far. They had said they might not be able to, not sure why. The walk up to the top of the bridge was pretty scary for me, since the wind was howling, and it was a pretty far walk. Today, we are going to bring it down a notch and go see some hobbit holes. It’s raining right now, so hopefully, that clears up. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 29, 2015 (Matamata to Hobbiton to Auckland to Opua)
Gresham Family Exodus 