sailing between New Zealand and Fiji

[Hot Sausage]

Good day all sailors, are there any sailing between New Zealand and Fiji each year, I am in Australia and considering purchasing a yacht to sail between the two countries when I retire soon, anyone sailing the route at present, it will be great to chat with someone with experience, thanks Dave.

[Paul L]

There's probably 50+ boats sitting in Opua now waiting for a weather window to get NZ to the islands. The 1,000 mile passage is a serious passage with lots of opportunity to catch less than desirable weather. There are a number of good weather resources, such as Met BobHome and Gulf Harbour Radio http://www.yit.nz

[Hot Sausage]

Hi Paul, thanks for the reply and info, much appreciated, cheers.

[barnakiel]

It is a serious passage each time.

If I were to sail this stretch again, I would ask for a fast and powerful boat.

Cheers,
b.

[robert sailor]

Did it twice and it was a boisterous sail for the first half, certainly not a cake walk.

[Hot Sausage]

would a Lagoon 400 make it comfortably?, as this is the type of yacht that has caught my eye so far, or are all Lagoons marina queens such as I have been told.
Are there any Lagoon owners that have made the crossing?, or other cats.

[Paul L]

There are many cats including a fair number of Lagoons. There's a slightly larger Lagoon just across the anchorage from me waiting to go.

And no, a cat is not going to make the passage comfortable. It is still a long offshore passage with lots of variable weather..

[Hot Sausage]

Thanks Paul.

[Olorin]

We've sailed from the Bahamas to Australia via Panama. We went from NZ to Tonga and then to Fiji. We sail a 39' catamaran. It was a serious passage but nothing that can't be handled on a Lagoon 40. Go for it!

[BlueSlue]

Originally Posted by Hot Sausage

would a Lagoon 400 make it comfortably?, as this is the type of yacht that has caught my eye so far, or are all Lagoons marina queens such as I have been told.
Are there any Lagoon owners that have made the crossing?, or other cats.

These folks went from Fiji to New Zealand (with stops in Vanuatu and New Caledonia) in 2011 on a Lagoon 440.
LeuCat Adventures

Layout of their blog is not great, but they have near daily entries for their 10 years of cruising which give a great feel for the cruising life. Check out their "Techno Tips" document linked on the sidebar.

[Paul L]

Here's a blog entry from friends who did the passage on their Lagoon 38
Passage to New Zealand: Day 1-2 | Errantries