How to fix your yacht around the southwest Pacific; Summary of 2.5 years cruising in the south west Pacific

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My Trip

or

How to fix your yacht around the southwest Pacific

Doug Nicol

Hakura

The Overview

• Left Whangarei 26 May 2014.

• Returned 28 Oct 2016

• Travelled 13 052 nautical miles (24 172.3 km)

• 42 crew (including Lorraine and John both twice)

Ocean Passages

• 5 830 nmiles offshore in 6 passages

In 2014

• 1^st Whangarei to Neiafu Tonga

– 1494 nmiles and 12 days @ average of 5.2 knots

• 2^nd Neiafu to Savusavu, Fiji

– 529 nmiles, 3.5 days @ 6.3 knots

• 3^rd Veda Pt Fiji t Noumea, New Caledonia

– 765 nmiles, 6.2 days @ 5 knots

• 4^th Noumea to Coffs Harbour Australia

– 896 nmiles, 6.2 days @ 6 knots

• In 2016

5^thGladstone to Noumea

– 970 nmiles 5.5 days @ 7 knots

And finally

• 6^th Noumea to Whangarei

– 1176 nmiles over 7.1 days @ 6.9 knots

Coastal Sailing

• Tonga - 467 nmiles over 84 days

• Fiji - 311 nmiles over 50 days

• New Caledonia - 10 nmiles

• Australia - 6434 over 680 days

Major Work

• Neiafu - engine rebuild

• Noumea - fixing battery charging

• Bermagui - gearbox (not) fixing

• Hobart - gearbox (better) fixing

- New engine room hatch (wonderful)

• Sydney - gearbox replacement

• Brisbane - gas jets on the cooker fixed

• Airlie Beach - engine stop switch needs replacing (still not done)

• Brisbane - New BRS (wonderful), plus bags (big red sail)

• Townsville - replace spray dodger (wonderful)



Highlights

• Getting there and back again

• Spending time with my kids

• Reconnecting with old friends

• Meeting and working with great crew

• Being in the warmth (tropics or subtropics for 19 moths, 14 continuously)

• Seeing lots of marine mammals

• Humpback whales – Tonga, Fiji and Australia (about 300 in 2 weeks Sept 16).

• Sperm whales – Fiji and New Caledonia

• Dugong – Australia

• Dolphins (bottlenose, common, Indo-Pacific humpback, spinner, Risso’s, Melon-headed, and False killer whales) and seals – lots

• Plus a Croc - Australia



A great big thank you for all the people that crewed with me, whether for a couple of days or several months. I would not have been able to do it without your help.





To all the fellow cruisers I meet long the way, including some several times, thanks for including me and sharing stories and good times.



If you want more details of the various legs of the voyage, please feel free to read my earlier blogs.





Thanks Doug

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Photos

Leaving Whangarei, NZ, May 14

Ready to clear Customs

Sunrise over the Kermadec Islands, 400 miles NE of Whangarei

Leaving the Kermadecs behind

Flare training once outside NZ waters (600 miles NE of Whangarei)

A visitor from last night

Making progress under sail.

Me at work in Neifau, June 14

the clear waters of Tonga

The engine coming out

The engine going back in

Some the bits to stop the water getting back into the engine.

Tonga

Eastern Fiji

Savusavu, Sept 14

No 021
Being attacked by fish

Me in Suva

off western Fiji

The new crew under training, Oct 14

They are getting the idea

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Cruising South Pacific
What an adventure. Loved the blogs.

[Home and Away]

I've enjoyed following you all the way...
I look forward to your next voyage!