Yesterday we cleared out of PNG with Customs and Immigration for Australia. We did some last minute shopping and this morning at 8:30am we raised the hook and motored out of Bwagoia Harbor on our way to Kimutu Island in the Renard group. This island lies about 12 miles to the SE of Misima so is dead upwind. Conditions were fine when we departed with 11-12k from the SE and clear skies with some light puffy clouds covering no more then 20% of the sky. Bright sunshine and blue were everywhere.

After clearing the reef by a half mile we raised the mainsail with a single reef in it and headed SSE on a course of 155-160M, just to starboard of the rhum line. We motor sailed for about 40 minutes at a speed of about 4.5k and then switched to the other tack. Wind was up to about 17-19k and we let out the jib about halfway and cracked off to about 40 degrees apparent wind angle on a course of 65-70M. We throttled back on the engine to about 1700rpm and were making 6.5-7k over ground. Sea state was moderate with 4-6ft swells, some bigger, and many whitecaps. We motor sailed this tack for about 30 minutes, getting well to the East of the rhum line and then tacked again back to our first course of 150-155M.

At 10:40am we have 5.3 miles to go to reach Kimutu Island. Wind has remained in the 16-18k range from the SE or even ESE and we are making about 4.5k over ground on a course of 155M. The anchorage is on a course of about 147M so we are a bit to starboard of our course. We hope that as we close the island sea conditions will moderate allowing us to pinch up a bit more to port and reach the anchorage on this tack.

At 11:10am we are about 3 miles from Kimutu. Weather conditions remain stable with 15-18k from the SE. Seas are moderate though we are beginning to come under the calming influence of the islands of the Renard group and things seem to be calming down a bit. We expect to be anchored by 11:45am, just in time for lunch.

At 12:15 we anchored in 35-40ft of water. We had to drop twice as the first time we missed the sand patch and hooked a coral head. The skipper went in to check it with mask and snorkel and decided it was not in the sand and not well enough hooked. On the second try we hit the sand patch well and are nicely anchored now.