Moorea Tahiti – 16 September 2009

We are leaving today bound for New Zealand!!!

We traveled over from Papeete Sunday to spend the last couple of days in French Polynesia in the lovely lagoon in Opunahu Bay. We have had a pleasant time doing some the last few jobs, dominated by the fact that Terry has worked long and hard to rid the genset of an annoying knocking sound which didn’t disappear with the initial new mounts brought from Australia by Ken (3rd Mate). However finally yesterday we were happy to report the genset is ‘quiet’!!

Ken arrived from Sydney on Thursday evening to join us which completes our crew of 4. I must admit it seems strange to have people with us preparing for passage, but it will be great to have their company and support.

The weather overall in the last two weeks has been fairly average, lots of wind, cloud and rain however like the first week after our arrival, this last few days it has been magical. We had cocktail ashore last night for a change and enjoyed the sunset looking back at AC. We are happy to report she is looking great. Brian and I have been doing lots of cleaning – let’s hope she looks as good on arrival!!

Estimate of time frame of our passage will probably be 15-18 days but of course it is all dependent on the weather. We will head mostly west just short of Tonga then south west. It looks as though Terry’s birthday may be spent at sea!!

We hope to clear in at Opua and then make our way down the coast to Auckland.
Naturally we want to orchestrate our arrival into Auckland on a nice day as we sail/motor up the harbour to Westhaven, so we may stay with friends Dean & Glynnis Ryder in the Bay of Islands to wait for the right weather.

As usual our friend Murray Aldridge will update the blog en route.

Looking forward to seeing many of you on our return – we are so excited!!

We have a NZ mobile number which will work once in range of land - +64 21 1175403

Hard to believe this is our final leg home! Excited that we are nearly at the end of the long journey which started in Corfu in December last year and sad, that our adventure is nearly at an end!!! But there will be more to come no doubt!


Love the Jolly Rogers on board Alpha Crucis….heading for the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’