Day 4
2am
Approaching Aneityum Island
Nothing like approaching a new anchorage in the dead of night during a new moon, just to rub salt into our wounds! Add to this the fact that our starboard engine has conked out (hopefully dirt or air in the fuel line) and a no radar, and your's truly has his work cut out for him. On the plus side of the equation are possibly two lead lights up on the hill, lets hope there is no power failures on Aneityum tonight and that my chart is correct. My possible anchorage is at 20deg14.327S by 169deg46.760E I am slightly less tired we are learning during our 3 hours off time.
We did good time, sailing at close to 9 knots the whole day with a reefed main and jib, just running the gennie occasionally to keep the batteries charged. The sea was very rough, our course was due west, so the SSE wind driven chop still pretty much nailed us on the side. It reminded me of doing a Padang-Playgrounds crossing during a potent north or south wind, which makes that channel a mess.
Now the wind is dropping and shimmi is wallowing like a drunk pig. I can see the southern cross, hanging low in the southern sky. The dark silhouette of Aneityum Island dominates the darkness to starboard. I can just make out surf crashing on the outer reef.
Wish me luck
G