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So after our 2 year refit here in Fiji TURNING our Open 66 into a fast family cruiser in Fiji, it was finally time to head out into the open ocean
We are heading home back to Europe, but it will take us many MANY months to get there.
Our first stop is Vanuatu, which is a relatively short distance of around 500nm in the direction west.
And this was nemo and solo’s first passage at sea
The first 24 hours or so of a passage like this are usually the hardest as you’re adapt to the great grey rolling ocean waves, and the constant motion.
We left in May which marks the end of cyclone season in this part of the world, so we had the easterly trades blowing us downwind.
And as you may have seen from our last video, being detained by customs meant we missed our weather window and after a relatively rough first 24hrs, had pretty light winds for the rest of the passage
Cooking is a big part of our life onboard and we’re sure to eat well no matter how big the waves!
We did a mix of hand steering plus using the autopilot which was something we’d added during the refit, and was proving to be very reliable
Installing the autopilot meant working in our super skiinny only 60cm high stern!
We had steered more at night as we had less power then
Days like this make all the blood sweat and tears of the last few years worth every drop
Our speeds weren’t super high for this passage, partly due to the light winds, but also due to the fact that despite our best efforts to prolong the life of our big laminate main sail, it didn’t survive and so we’re left with our small delivery Dacron mainsail that only reaches the third spreader.
Sadly our Watermaker was still not functioning so we had to inboard a lot of water and use it wisely - so we showered with buckets of sea water.
This was a relatively short crossing and had been a good test passage for the longer ones coming up.
And luckily in the last day we caught a beautiful yellow fin tuna, so for our last night at sea we had delicious fresh sashimi and carpaccio
After 4 nights at sea, we had a mystical arrival, with the active volcano on the Island of Tanna smoking away in the distance, showing us the way.
And dolphins came to greet us at the entrance of the bay to and led us in.
Despite it being a short passage, this was an important step for us and a proud moment after many years of planning and preparation.
So this marks the end of our first passage, but the beginning of our long journey home, so stay tuned for our adventures, starting with this magical country of Vanuatu, so lost in the middle of the south pacific that many don’t even know it exists!
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Caio! We are Timo and Jo, an Italian and English couple with countless ocean miles under our belts. We're refitting an ex Vendée Globe Open 60 race boat originally designed & built & raced by famous Hungarian sailor Nándor Fa. He competed in her in the 1992 Vendée Globe (round the world single handed race known as “the Everest of the seas”), finishing 5th, becoming the first non-frenchman to finish.
We are currently in Fiji giving this old gladiator a new lease on life, transforming her from an ex race boat to a performance family cruiser, which we'll need to make both dog and baby proof! We’re planning to set sail again in Oct 2022, so with limited time&money we have plenty of challenges ahead to turn our dreams into reality&get back on the water!
Subscribe to our channel&track our progress as we release videos about our journey as well as "how to" videos about anything boat related.
Never stop to dream, never stop to sail!
You can find out more about the boat, us and our refit plans on our website www.sailingnv.com or follow us on
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#sailingnv #refit #sailing #boatlife #Open60 #raceboat #cruising #sailingvlog #boatwork #lifeinfiji #sailingfamily #fijirefit #boatrepair
1 окт 2024
