Silver Fern crew made it to the Kermadecs! We’ve been blessed by the weather gods throughout the first leg of our journey. Our first evening at sea we ran like bats out of hell trying to miss the forecasted backing winds due the next morning, which would make maintaining our heading to the Kermadecs extremely difficult. We were all far too excited to be sailing for anyone to get any rest, so it wasn’t until after dinner we saw everyone settle into their watches. We had to keep the engine on to make our course, until early in the morning on Monday, before we found ourselves with enough breeze and the right wind angle to turn the engine off. Adjusting to life at sea always takes a couple days, but the crew is making that adjustment look natural, everyone taking to the navigation and boat management on watch extremely well.

Monday we steadily plodded along, averaging 7.5 knots under sail most of the day. We played around with a variety of sail plans that day, shaking out a reef and putting it back in, hoisting the staysail and then bringing it down again. Tuesday we found more of the same conditions, the wind direction swinging between an apparent wind angle of 20 to 50 degrees all day. The upwind battle we had been trying to stay on top of was beginning to wear on us, with quite a few of the crew beginning to feel the motion of the ocean, and not in a good way. John made his famous fish and chips for dinner, which was extremely popular and a great morale booster. And our first destination was in sight, with only 100 nautical miles to our waypoint at the Kermadecs after dinner last night.

We were able to sail all morning today, spirits high as we ticked off the miles. We’ve become a bit of a betting boat in our boredom, all of us guessing how far out we’d be able to see the first of the islands today. They were spotted 21 nautical miles out, which is exactly what I guessed but managed to stay humble about.

We planned our route of attack, which was to sail up west of the islands, then tack back down to the south of them, and set ourselves up for another tack directly through the Stella Passage, between Curtis Island and Cheeseman Island (excellent name). As we sailed closer, the smell of sulfur and the presence of the birds on the islands really hit us, which was such a contrast to only smelling the sea for the last few days. Curtis island is actually an active volcanic crater, and as you sail through the passage from the south the crater becomes visible, and one can simply pray that isn’t the moment it decides to erupt. The passage is plenty wide enough to sail through, however there is considerable swell and no wind in the lee of Curtis island, so best to make the passage with the engine on.

Scott navigating us through Stella Passage!

After the excitement of seeing Stella Passage, we carried on another 18 miles to see the next of the Kermadecs, Macauley Island. Another round of bets were placed, this time Scott taking the cake with the closest guess to the height of the island. Though we didn’t get quite as close, the view did not disappoint. The islands are absolutely worth seeing on the way up to Minerva Reef or the islands, as there aren’t many other places where one can see a volcano sticking its head out of the ocean, without any other land for miles and miles around.

Silver Fern crew made it to the Kermadecs!

We’ve now set our sights on Minerva Reef! Another 400 nautical miles to go, we are hoping to make a beam to broadreach run the whole way, which we are really looking forward to!

Cheers!

Liv

Say Cheese(man Island)!

Onward to Minerva

Back to the Islands!