Entry Date: 13.10.2018, at 12:00:00 hrs (local)
Nuku´alofa - Whangarei
Arrival in Minerva Reef
| PRID: | 11638 |
|---|---|
| LegID: | 314 |
| LegNo: | 63 |
| Latitude: | S023°39.49' |
| Longitude: | W178°54.01' |
| Day#: | 813 |
| Course: | 230 ° |
| Speed: | 6.2 kn |
| Log (Day): | 139 nm |
| Log (Leg): | 274 nm |
| Log (Total): | 46287 nm |
Covered distance: 264 nautical miles
Distance to New Zealand: 763 nautical miles
Weather: 3 knots S-wind, 6 feet swell, sunny
Mood of the crew: curious
Just in time, with the developing South wind, we enter at noon the lagoon of the northern Minerva Reef and anchor later on the eastern side of the lagoon.
The Minerva Reefs are a group of two submerged atolls. The reefs were named after the whaleship Minerva. It was wrecked on South Minerva after setting out from Sydney in 1829. Many other ships would follow to ship wreck on both atolls since there is no island and not a single palm tree which would warn an aproaching mariner about the danger ahead.
From the weather forecast we know that the current south wind will increase to 20 to 25 kn. Later the wind will shift to southeast and to east. We intent to wait here until this has happened. Then we will continue our passage to New Zealand on a beam reach course.
