Alex only had to wait until Saturday morning for a window to head north. It was a bit rainy and lumpy seas to start, but he soon got in his stride and, with engine thrumming, crossed Foveaux Strait.
From there the seas eased considerably and he motor-sailed on through the night, and the next day and the next night, without much to report about other than seeing whales (first of the trip!), dolphins, and a lot of albatrosses. This is the longest he has ever sailed single-handed and I had been worried how he would do without sleep, but he managed to nap in short stints (the longest being 2 hours) throughout the day and night and so felt able to handle the boat.
Humpback whale
The morning of the third day saw Rusalka off the Banks Peninsula, just 50nm from Lyttelton. Alex had been monitoring the weather forecasts and decided not to continue on to Waikawa (another 30 hours or so), but to leave Rusalka in Lyttelton for a while and then move her closer to Nelson (the eventual point for departing NZ) closer to his departure date. This decision also allows Alex to fly home on Christmas day – which made me very happy!
Banks Peninsula
He finally reached Lyttelton about 2:30pm and got into the marina berth without incident.
The plan now is to spend today and tomorrow putting Rusalka to bed and getting some rest himself and then catching a flight to Hobart on Christmas day. But Rusalka won't be left alone for too long - I can foresee a mid-summer visit to do some work and maybe cruise around for a bit. Incidentally, the only thing that broke on the expedition was the hook for the tea towel!
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