Day 2, Tonga to New Zealand

Wow, what a difference a few hours can make. Shortly after writing the previous post, the barometer started to rise fast, as predicted. A high pressure ridge was approaching, and it brought with it "reinforced tradewinds", gotta love that phrase! Winds built to 25 or so, with gusts in the low 30's, and seas were around 12 feet. We're on a heading which has the apparent wind at about 50 degrees off our port bow, so the seas were continually smashing over us. Green water would cover the boat, at times all the way back to our solar panel arch at the stern!!! We discovered deck leaks below that we'd never seen before, and it bot pretty swampy down here!!! The spray dodger over the cockpit also had water squirting in through the zippers, snaps, anywhere it could find!!! We ran with a staysail and a double reefed main for the night, and by morning the winds and seas were down a bit, also per the forecast.

Now, Friday afternoon, the winds are around 20, with seas of 10'. Not too bad a ride, and we're making good time toward NZ. Should last another day or two, before the winds are predicted to die.

Had an interesting piece of deck flotsam come aboard in the seas...a ROCK! We've found some pumice floating in the water, from an underground eruption somewhere in the pacific. Hopefully it won't get thick, as it makes it tough to run the engine, genset, fridge, or watermaker without fouling the filters.

Fishing report: Who're ya kidding??? No way we feel like fishing in this sea, or even worse, cleaning the catch! (did have one good sized flying fish come aboard last night, but we're not THAT hungry!!!)

That's all from the good ship BRAVO. We're fine, the boat is fine, if a bit leaky on deck, and we're ready for another rock and roll night. Oh yeah, that includes foul weather gear....got down to the mid 60's last night.....brrrrrrr.......

Distance to go: 706 miles, we're nearly 1/3 of the way there!