Gary's Deliveries

Today is Monday here (Tuesday in NZ) and we have so far covered about 650nm since leaving Bora Bora.  Weather has obviously been very warm and until last night very calm seas.  AC has been working hard to keep us cool and the seas have picked up as expected to keep us lively on our toes. Over the last couple of days the boys have managed to catch 2 small black marlin, 1 slightly larger black marlin and 2 decent sized (girthy) tuna all of which were sent back to the deep blue sea again as we don’t need the food.  One of those tuna alone would have feed the 3 of us for the whole trip. We were struggling to set up the Fijian charts on our nav system but after a call to the guru in Florida he managed to do his magic and I am very pleased to say we now have them on the big screens on the bridge and not having to rely on my iPad for navigation around and into Fiji.   

 Just over 24hrs into the trip and all is going smoothly. We have the luxury of air conditioning thought out, 2 large capacity water makers, 3 generators as well as 2 big alternators and vessel stablerlisers which do a very good job of stopping the rocking side to side motion so we only have to handle the rocking back and forth motion which at the moment is very limited so it's been a very comfortable ride so far. I have planned our route to go further north than the direct line to Fiji as there is some nasty weather further south causing decnet sized waves to head our way so the further north I can go the more those waves will dissipate, we are actually going to go over the top of Samoa before heading back towards Fiji. The conditions so far are fairly decent, we have wind off the starboard bow at about 10-15kts and seas are around 1/2 to 1 metre mainly aft of the beam.  We have had a bit of rain but that's all good as we are a motorboat not a yacht so we are snug inside with...

I arrived into Papetee, Tahiti from Auckland on Wednesday morning around 02:30 after a flight from Auckland where I left at 21:30 on Wednesday night!  So arriving earlier on the day I actually left! Always a strange experience crossing the date line and going back a day!     I had a night in a "dated" hotel at the airport before my late morning flight to Bora Bora. Interestingly the airport at Bora Bora is on it's own island so you have to get the airline's ferry.  Got picked up and taken to the boat which is a Nordhavn 76 trawler launch.  A beast of a globe trotting boat more like a mini ship with all it's systems onboard including 2 large water makers and 3 generators.  Talk about redundancy! So the day was spent being shown around the boat making sure I know how systems work and where all the important items are.  Then it was on to the paperwork for clearing out of here and into Fiji.  Clearing out was pretty easy, I just set up an account...

Arrival in Denarau – A Seamless Welcome for the Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 By Gary, Delivery Skipper at Yacht Delivery Solutions Date: Friday, June 20th, 2025 We made excellent time during the final hours of our passage, and I'm thrilled to report that we safely arrived in Denarau, Fiji , yesterday, Friday. Our estimated arrival was spot on! The approach to Denarau was straightforward, and the process of checking in was, as always, a pleasure. Fijian Customs and Immigration officials are consistently welcoming and efficient, making for a very smooth and positive experience after a long offshore passage. This seamless clearance process is something our yacht delivery skipper teams appreciate greatly, as it means a quick transition from sea to shore for the crew and the owner. The Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 looked pristine as she pulled into her berth, a testament to her robust build and the care taken throughout the journey. This catamaran delivery from Auckland to Fiji has been a ...

  Moderating Seas and Anticipation Builds for Fiji on the Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 By Gary, Delivery Skipper at Yacht Delivery Solutions It's now 19:00 on Monday night, and we're pleased to report that conditions are slowly but steadily settling down. The forecast indicates that both the wind and sea state will continue to drop a little through the night, promising a calmer approach to our destination. This moderation is a welcome relief after several days of intense and dynamic weather. The Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 has continued to perform in her stride through everything the Pacific has thrown at us. This catamaran has proven itself to be an incredibly capable and comfortable offshore cruiser, giving us full confidence as we approach the final leg of this yacht delivery. The ability of the vessel to handle significant seas while still providing a relatively stable platform for the crew has been a defining feature of this passage. As the weather improves, a palpable sense of ...

  Continuing the Dynamic Passage – Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47's Resilience By Gary, Delivery Skipper at Yacht Delivery Solutions Date: Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 Today, the dynamic conditions persisted, though not quite with the same intensity as last night's peak. We continued to experience 20-30 knots of wind and substantial seas, often exceeding 4 meters. Fortunately, these waves remained predominantly from aft of the beam . You can see the angle of the hull. While this still meant a lively ride, throwing us around a bit, it prevented the jarring impacts of head-on seas that can be so punishing on any vessel. The Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 continued to handle these conditions with impressive resilience. Her robust construction and stable catamaran platform meant that even as large waves built and occasionally broke into the cockpit, the boat remained composed, shedding water quickly through its efficient drainage system. These are the moments that truly test a vessel's desig...