Monday February 28, 2000 Opua, Bay of Islands, NZ

Greeting cyber crew,

Yet again your faithful STARSHIP crew has been hard at work “down under”.  We arrived in Opua last night and anchored at a familiar spot near the marina.  It is nice to be back in here.  I am having flashbacks from when we first arrived in New Zealand three months ago.  When we sailed into Opua, after the rough passage from Fiji, I was just giddy with excitement to be in New Zealand.  All my expectations were filled and surpassed and I will have to return again because there is still so much more to see and do. 

We passed off a reluctant Ezra to his parents.  He had become a valued crewmember and playmate on STARSHIP.  His family’s boat Attu is tied up just next to us at the dock so I’m sure he will be in and out of the boat while we are here.  I just found out that we will be having all his classmates over for a visit on STARSHIP tomorrow.  We have invited his sister, Hannah’s class as well.  So if there is no journal tomorrow it is because we have been stampeded by a herd of 11 year olds.

Monika is a very happy camper today.  She is the one who makes sure STARSHIP stays looking shiny and new, but the teak cap rail just hasn’t been looking its best lately.  She tried every possible method of bringing the teak back to its old self but there was no denying that it had come time for a good sanding.  A crew of four arrived (including Willy, our buddy from Rotuma) and sanded off the top layers of dead wood grain.  Now the teak is the most beautiful red and the decks smell like sawdust, one of my favorite smells.  The railings are smooth to the touch and STARSHIP can hold her head high once again.  In the morning the deck crew will be applying a coat of Teak Wonder, a dressing and sealer.   Maintaining the teak was one of the last big jobs we had to take care of in New Zealand and now we are set for the next leg of our journey. 

The STARSHIP galley ablaze with activity following 
Monika and Enrico's provisioning spree.

Monika and Enrico caught a ride into the town of Kerikeri with Ezra’s mom, Gayle.  They loaded up all the grub we need to keep us happy during our passage to Lord Howe, Australia. Enrico bought some new tunes so we are prepared for the long hours on passage. He is testing out the new CDs and dancing around the galley while making bleu cheese tortellini dinner. Caroline, the French-woman, is the only one who appreciates the smell of hot Gorgonzola cheese.

A screenshot from Bon Voyage, a weather analysis and 
forecasting programme displaying Easterlys of 20 knots 
and relatively small swells for our passage to Lord Howe.

Michael and DJ are enjoying their time in Sydney.  They will be expecting us soon in Australia so I hope the weather hold for our passage.

STARSHIP signing off,

Anne-Lise