Position: 35 degrees, 26 minutes south; 175 degrees, 01 minutes east

We left Marsden Point at 1230 today just behind a little front that brought rain and a nice southerly wind to push us northbound on our 1200 mile journey back to Fiji.

We hate to leave New Zealand as it’s such a lovely place where we’ve made many new friends, but it’s easier knowing we’ll be back in November. In the mea time there’s so much to look forward to for the next five or so months back in the tropics.

As always, leaving the coast means dodging big ships and true to form we have just been passed by two very large cargo ships. One going north and one south. The southbound one was aiming right at us and I called them on the VHF and got an “English-challenged” mate. I was having a tough time communicating that we were at their 12 o’clock and did they see us, so finally turned on the engine – “just in case” and turned on our masthead strobe-light to aid in identification. I don’t think they saw us on radar, but they did see the strobe and passed a mile behind us which at sea when you’re talking about a large container ship, is very close.

It also means we’re back to living on a platform that’s rolling 30 degrees to each side over about three seconds. Hang on is all I can say. Some of them (the rolls) are easy and you can anticipate them, but others sneak up on you and if you’re not braced – look out!

Anyway, we’re doing about 5-6 knots with just the jib up in about 18 knots of wind and maybe five foot seas. It’s supposed to lighten tomorrow and we’ll probably put up the main but it’s nice to start a trip like this by easing back in and not having the main to worry about as the wind goes up and down is nice.

So that’s it for now, stay tuned for the next ten or so days and remember; your comments on the blog are our evening entertainment ; -) so keep ’em coming.