#109 NOW July 16, 2006 1010UTC +12 hours (New Zealand Standard Time) Anchored in Opunga Cove S3515.6 E17412.4 Temperature 60, Wind NE @ 5-10 kts. Good Morning, The sun is shinning and Opunga Cove is warming up to a new day. I have spent the last couple of hours researching and plotting the best route to Hawaii, one of the more fun things that I enjoy. Unfortunately, this will not be a leisurely trip through the South Pacific as my crew has obligations, which they must meet. I am fortunate to have Rainer Staudt with me as far as Samoa and my nephew Kirk Pettis, all the way to Hawaii. I hope that we can complete the trip in about six weeks. It looks like we will leave Opua, NZ about the 4th or 5th of August and head directly for North Minerva Reef. We will spend one day there, and then proceed on to Nukualofa, Tonga. After Tonga, we continue to Samoa where Rainer will be leaving us and I plan to refuel for the leg to Hawaii. If time permits, I hope to make a stop for a day or two at Fanning Island. This is an ambitious schedule, but subject to weather, quite doable. For the last couple of weeks I have been playing "Mother May I" with the insurance company. After several e-mails and phone calls, I finally convinced them that the boat could be operated just fine with a two-man crew. After all, I did cross from Puerto Vallarta Mexico to Brisbane Australia with only one other crew member. In addition, most of the coastal runs in Australia and New Zealand have been single-handed. Three is nice, but the boat is small and I like two better. The additional fee for the trip endorsement from the insurance company was substantial, but still it will be considerably cheaper to cruise it back than ship it back. Besides, it will be a lot more fun. I did not buy an ocean going boat so that I could ship it to my next destination. I have really been enjoying the Bay of Islands area, anchoring out whenever I can. The other evening I received an invitation to dinner at the OpuaYacht Club. It was fun to socialize with these down-to-earth enjoyable people. One couple had sailed their boat around the world from England, stopping at the Bay Of Islands on the way. When they got back to England, they sold everything and immigrated to New Zealand. They have made this there permanent home for the past 15 years. An American couple flies down here every year and spends time cruising the North Island, Tonga, and Fiji, leaving their boat in Opua during the cyclone season. Wendy will be arriving next Thursday. My "To Do" list is almost complete, and I look forward to spending time with her exploring the North Island by car and boat. I think she has a lot of me in her as she enjoys traveling about. We use to call her Wendy the Wanderer when she was little. Much to the consternation of her parents, she was an expert at doing a disappearing act. One time we found her carefully walking down the yellow line in the middle of the road in front our house. Well, I have turned the heater off and the sun is keeping the boat warm enough. Perhaps I will pull out a good book and read for a while. Although a mid-morning nap sounds good. Is this old age creeping up on me, or am I just becoming lazy? Life is a Cruise, Larry -- Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm