Minerva Reef
We left Tauranga, New Zealand on June 1st. Seven days later we arrived almost 900 miles north at Minerva Reef. Minerva Reef is a large circular reef (about 3.5 in diameter) that sits more or less smack dab on the Tropic of Capricorn. Sitting at S 23* 37.029 and W 178* 54.775, we were anchored in the middle of nowhere (technically belonging to Tonga), in thirty feet of gin clear water. The day we arrived, it was flat calm. As we came through the pass in the reef, we could instantly see all the way to the bottom at about eighty feet. We ended up spending seven days at Minerva waiting for the north winds to pass before we could continue the last 400 miles to Fiji. We spent our days fishing, snorkeling and just enjoying being at anchor after a week at sea. We even celebrated my birthday at Minerva Reef. Mark baked me a wonderful carrot cake and the champagne flowed freely in the company of our friends on the yachts, Asylum, Rasa Manis and Nomzano. Next on to Suva, Fiji
Leaving NZ, all bundled up
We had on at least 5 layers for the first 5 days at sea 
Mark doing some repairs to the mast at Minerva Reef
We left Tauranga, New Zealand on June 1st. Seven days later we arrived almost 900 miles north at Minerva Reef. Minerva Reef is a large circular reef (about 3.5 in diameter) that sits more or less smack dab on the Tropic of Capricorn. Sitting at S 23* 37.029 and W 178* 54.775, we were anchored in the middle of nowhere (technically belonging to Tonga), in thirty feet of gin clear water. The day we arrived, it was flat calm. As we came through the pass in the reef, we could instantly see all the way to the bottom at about eighty feet. We ended up spending seven days at Minerva waiting for the north winds to pass before we could continue the last 400 miles to Fiji. We spent our days fishing, snorkeling and just enjoying being at anchor after a week at sea. We even celebrated my birthday at Minerva Reef. Mark baked me a wonderful carrot cake and the champagne flowed freely in the company of our friends on the yachts, Asylum, Rasa Manis and Nomzano. Next on to Suva, Fiji
Leaving NZ, all bundled up
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