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Reefs, Rigging, and Refueling

We're making good progress, which is always a relief. We just passed a tiny little reef that was not even visible when we were a mile off. It makes you wonder about all the shipwrecks that must litter the area. It makes me feel sorry for the sailors of a hundred years ago who must have thought 'ah, another night at s......" before crashing straight into it. We've got another 50 nautical miles to go before we navigate through another set of reefs at the top of New Caledonia, and then we'll finally turn southwest towards Brisbane.

The forecast has been playing ball, which is a nice change. The wind is even starting to swing around to the east, right on cue for our turn south. The plan is to head slightly east of Brisbane. The prediction is for southwesterly winds in a few days, so having that "east in the bank" should let us bear away and head pretty much straight for our destination.

Actually, that's not entirely true. My real destination is Brisbane Airport and the first flight home that isn't Air Asia, Jetstar, or anything of that ilk. I have some very strict rules about flying, and "never fly on the cheap and miserable airlines" is right up there at the top. I saw the other day that some budget airline had the tagline "now anyone can fly," which I suspect is part of the problem.

We've got a few maintenance tasks to tackle later today. First up, the fuel transfer pump has decided to take a break. I'm pretty sure it's the switch in the panel. The weird thing is, you need a ladder to reach into the panel! I'm used to having to source unusual parts or carry a bunch of extras just to be on the safe side, but who the heck is going to bring a step ladder on a boat? And why didn't they build in some small fold-out steps or cut out foot holds? How hard would that be? We wouldn't normally need the transfer pump for regular motoring, but "reasons" dictate that we do now.

We also need to tighten up some of the rigging. It's a little loose. It hasn't been a problem with the off-the-wind sailing we've been doing, but for the last 24 hours, we've been motoring with the main and headsail up, about 60 degrees off the wind. Even though the apparent wind is only around 12 knots, the rigging is literally flapping around on the leeward side and moving a good 300mm. Again, no big deal, but a few turns on each lower will take the slack out.

So, it's a mix of smooth sailing and minor boat-related frustrations. Just another day at sea!


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