We had hoped to be leaving for Fiji around the 12th of June but a series of setbacks has delayed us until the 25th.

We had installed a generator and dive compressor onto the boat before we left for the UK. All the electrical work related to this was supposed to have been done while we were away. It didn’t happen. So we returned to the boat yard to have the work finished. The first attempt at running the generator resulted in a burnt out inverter – a plug had been forced in the wrong way round! Fortunately the boat yard picked up the $5,000 replacement cost but this meant more delays.

One bonus in the delay is that the long list of boat jobs is well and truly complete. Engine oil and filters changed, sticky starter solenoids replaced, new AIS aerial fitted, solar, wind and hydro generators all tested, fuel tanks full and spare fuel safely stowed (we shouldn’t need it), provisions stowed into any available space, one fridge filled with cheese, maximum booze allowance carefully calculated, medical kit fully stocked (we are basically a floating hospital), all paper work completed and application to customs submitted.

We also made the most of our time at Port Nikau Marina to get everything loaded onto the boat easily rather than ferrying it out to the mooring.

Another bonus to the delay is that we did have plenty of time to complete our emergency drills, practising man over board recovery and deploying storm sails, parachute anchors and storm drogues. As a result we passed our CAT1 safety inspection with flying colours.

The downside to the delay is that Dan and Eryn have already booked flights to meet us in Fiji. We simply cannot get there in time to meet them – we will meet them for coffee today.

But we are now ready and enjoying a relaxing weekend (crew were sounding mutinous and demanding time off!) before some final provisioning and then we hope for a good weather window on Tuesday.

One day very soon we will be saying bye bye to New Zealand.