At about 2am some squalls are on the horizon. By 2:30am they have dissipated and are gone. The wind has now died completely. We have perhaps 2-3k from the NNW.

We now expect to arrive off the pass at about 11am. This is due to faster motoring which we have mixed feelings about considering no diesel will be available until we reach PNG. At 3am the wind shifts to the West but remains light at 5-6k. This actually has a positive effect on us keeping the main somewhat flat and not flopping as it does with the wind astern. Seas are very calm and the swell is less then 3ft. We have about 48 miles to go to the pass.

At 8:15am we are 16nm out. The weather remains the same. The skies have become hazy and cloudy overnight, but light fuzzy clouds (about 75% cover) not rain clouds. There is enough sun that we will have no problem seeing the coral when entering the pass. .

At 9am we are now 13nm from the pass into Nukuoro. Skies are still hazy but clear. The sea is flat calm with slight 2ft swell from the NE. Wind is about 8k from the WNW sometimes NW.

We entered the pass at 11:20. We took two circuits in front of the entrance to scope it out. We knew there was a 15-18ft bar in front of the pass, and also from the chart we knew it was narrow, but we were not really expecting it to be this narrow. I would estimate no more then 30ft wide at the narrowest and perhaps 60ft at the widest. Our boat is only 15ft wide, but, requires considerably more then 60ft to turn around in. Therefore, this was not something you want to call “do over” on. As I am fond of repeating from my experience as a glider student (Sailplanes) “every landing is a forced landing”. There would be no “go-around”.

We shot through the pass making turns for 5k. The GPS said we were making 7.5k over the ground, so a 2k current was running into the lagoon. If we slow down the engine any further, our speed through the water would go down and with it our maneuverability. In the end, a couple of quick turns here and there and we were in the lagoon like a shot. About 15 minutes more brought us to the shore of the largest islands in the atoll also called Nukuoro Island. This is where the village is located and as we anchored (in about 40ft of sand) about 150yds from the shore.