Anchored in Minerva - 5 October

Dear Family and Friends:

We had a safe and swift passage from Tonga to North Minerva Reef, covering 255 miles in less than 30 hours. Thanks to some friends who gave us precise GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates for the pass into the reef, as it was cloudy and raining when we arrived and the reef didn't show up on our radar until we were nearly on it. On top of that, we lost the large fish we had on our line as we were approaching the pass. Luckily we have a big chunk of wahoo in the freezer to tide us over tonight.

North Minerva reef is a nearly round shallow spot in the ocean about three and one-half miles in diameter that is surrounded by a barrier coral reef which just barely breaks the surface. There is a small pass, or gap in the reef which allowed us to navigate our way inside the reef into the relatively calm and shallow water inside. At the moment, we are anchored in 44 feet of water and experiencing winds of thirty knots and blinding rain, compliments of a stationary front just to the south of us. Better in here than underway in these conditions!!

Our next challenge is to choose a weather window that will allow us a safe and comfortable passage to Auckland, 865 nautical miles to our southwest, and give us reasonable conditions for landfall when we arrive. Given the plethora of highs, lows, fronts and convergence zones presently in this neck of the oceans, it is akin to threading a needle through a haystack. Thank God for local weather gurus Bob McDavitt and Des from Russell Radio (New Zealand), whose advice is critical for our safety out here at sea.

We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Cheers, George and crew