Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minuteI was woken at sunrise by my own drool on the pillow, the sound of crashing waves in the distance and birdsong overhead – this is going to be a good day! We drove for an hour to the trail access for New Chum Beach, allegedly one of the best beaches in NZ. Accessible only…
Author: Toni
Camping with cicadas
Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt was a staggeringly beautiful 2 hour drive from the suburbs of Auckland to the Coromandel Peninsula. Blue skies, green hillsides, live-stock out to pasture and a cacophony of cicadas so loud we actually rolled down the windows to check it was insects and not a problem with the car. After only 30 minutes I…
Captain’s hour
Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minuteBecause of the way the watch schedule works, you relieve or are relieved by the same people on every watch so it’s actually very easy for 5 people to be together on a 40ft yacht for a couple of weeks and only see other crew members in passing, like ships that pass in the night…
And we’re off to the Derby
Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe’ve been galloping along and making such good progress it was looking like we’d get to Kanehoe earlier than expected. But then Derby showed up on the scene and it looks like he may have the upper hand on our plans. A few days ago Derby was rated as a hurricane, the good news is…
Derby don’t you dare!
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesThe sun finally came out today and we were able to do our watches in shorts and tees rather than our foulies. Squalls come through with some regularity and give us a shower but it is not unpleasant. Talking of showers, in order to conserve our precious water on board, we wash down with a…
Fish envy no more
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutesDespite Mike putting a line out for days, we’d not yet hooked a fish and were growing unceasingly envious during radio check-in as many of the other boats told tales of their catches, some implying that they didn’t even need a line and that the fish we’re launching themselves onto the decks, sacrificing themselves for…
Please stop this incessant movement!
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesThe perpetual movement is starting to take its toll. Everyone’s in good spirits but the sheer effort it takes to do the most basic things is simply exhausting and being constantly thrown around the boat has us all black and blue. Yesterday we passed the half way point to Hawaii (yay!) and celebrated with rum…
Friday night foredeck party
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesMidnight Friday night and just about to come off of a 4 hour watch when the winds really started to build and the sails were becoming overpowered. I stayed up to help Mike and Greg make some sail adjustments so that we could sail smoothly through the night. Best laid plans and all that… We…
Eat, sleep, sail, repeat
Estimated Reading Time: < 1 minuteBeing in the cruising division of the Pac Cup we are not racing. Well, not officially. However there were squeals of delight yesterday when we heard we’d moved up from 7th to 4th. So, imagine our excitement this morning when we found we are in 2nd place. Rapture is very definitely a cruising boat and…
May the race begin
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutesTuesday, July 12th 2016 Up and about early to secure the jack lines, remove the anchor and to use a land loo (life’s little luxuries so many take for granted!) There was a sense of calm among the crew of Rapture and rightfully so, a lot of hard work has gone into getting organized for…