The tropical low passed just south of us bringing 35-40 knot
sustained winds and 20+ foot seas. Sabbatical III handled it
all very well. Unfortunately, dodging this weather system took
us a couple of hundred miles west and north of our intended
course and now we are contending with strong headwinds trying to
get back. The angle we can sail with current wind gets us no
closer to Opua. At least it gets us no further. There is a lot
of complaining on the SSB. Our French friends on Galdus just
abandoned their passage to New Zealand altogether and decided to
make for Fiji. Indeed, Fiji and New Caledonia are really not
further and there is wind to take one there. We will continue
to slug it out for Opua. There are 17 other boats in the same
predicament.
M.