Leg 2: Raoul Island - Tonga

Weather situation 9 May 17
(click to enlarge)

Our shore-based weather team had been watching TC Donna with interest.

It was still building over Vanuatu, but the forecasts had it eventually moving south to New Caledonia, then rapidly SE. If it stuck to that route, it would pass safely to the west of us.

However, another slow-moving depression had now been identified over northern Tonga: TC Ella. Although less powerful than Donna, this one was a lot closer and it's path uncertain. And we would be sailing right towards it! Best get going before it made up its mind...

NZ ensign drop #2

So at first light, on Saturday 6 May, after a 24-hour break, we dropped the New Zealand ensign for the second time, and departed Raoul for Tongatapu, a distance of about 530 nm.

High-speed dash

With two cyclones to our north, and a High to the south, we could expect heavily reinforced trade winds as we sailed north of 25 S - and that's exactly what we got!

With 30, rising to up to 40 kts on the beam in reasonably flat waters (at least to start with) it was easy to crack on at 175 nm per day.

Hammering along at 9 kts under 2 reefs can be quite noisy though...!