Stony Bay - ahh the serenity...

Rain and strong winds from all around the compass kept us awake much of Sunday night as we swung and rocked on the anchor.   At one stage we both jumped out of bed when a thump was heard against the hull - 'twas only the inflatable dancing in the wind! You can see the movement in the YB track (which was inadvertantly left on during the night!)

The weather gradually cleared during the day as the strong northerlies gave way to a light westerly.

We rowed ashore and walked up to the General Store - which stocked a fair range of goods, but only received deliveries from the mainland every three and a half weeks on the winter, so no bread but some frozen pita pockets would suffice (along with the required licorice and kettle chips!)

Skipper and crew taking their ease....

Back onboard we motored quietly over the bay and anchored in a lovely spot on the south shore of Kawerau island, recently bought by DOC for $10.5 million and is being reinstated as a national reserve - we'll head off for a walk around the perimeter track after morning coffee...

Later in the day we cleaned the hull and the inflatable, attached the new Bay of Islands decal on the stern, freed up the sink valve, cooked a very fine beef curry (with enough for another day) and relaxed on a still, calm anchorage!

Mt Hobson

Stony Bay

Saturday, 1st November

A leisurely start to the day with light winds predicted early - good excuse for a nice hot shower and breakfast.  Barrington the Merciful arrived mid-morning with some home baking (Thanks, Ruby!) and we headed off just before midday.

The plan was to head toward the Mokohinau Islands to explore and then perhaps on to the Barrier (Aotea) later - winds permitting.

Light westerlies had us on a broad reach and Bru the Tiller Pilot took over duties with minimal fuss as we took our ease.  

Leaving the 'Hen and Chickens' to the South, the cliffs of the rugged Mokohinau coast hove into view.  It looked like there was, according to Pickmeres, limited anchorages amongst the rocky defiles - particularly for craft with keels!

We arrived early evening and motored through Edith Passage to check out "the Landing" and "Maori cove" - both of which failed to inspire and looked untenable for us.  Back to the
"Arch" - a beautiful and dramatic cove almost surrounded by high cliffs with a narrow north-facing entrance.  A little but of 'rock and roll' from left over swell was still present but we hunkered down for the night feeling reasonable secure...   a fine chicken Pad Thai was enjoyed by SkipperG and First Mate Canny

Around 2200 the swell became noticeable more pronounced and we could feel an onshore 

breeze causing some angst being on a lee shore with nowhere to go.  

So, Plan B quickly was enacted as we donned lifejackets and night-lights, hauled anchor and followed our previous track back through Edith passage and set course for Aotea, a distance of 22 nm.  A bright half-moon gave us plenty of light to see and we raised the genoa in 5-8 kts of westerly and edged our way at 3-4 knots across the open sea toward Port Fitzroy.

It was difficult to stay awake and keep focus as the night grew colder and visibility dropped.

The sea was a tumbled mess of westerly and northerly swells and produced an awkward motion with, at times, not enough breeze to steady us.

By 0200 hrs we were within sight of the mountainous terrain of Aotea as the moon set in the west... the night darkened perceptibly and we edged our way into the bay with all gps systems firing.  Just inside the entrance was a welcoming Nagle Bay, sheltered from the west and north and we gratefully dropped anchor after slowly inching forward into the head of the bay around 0300 hrs.  

Welcome deep and lasting sleep followed soon after...

Sunday, November 2nd

Understandably it was a leisurely start to the day as we woke around 0900 to a gorgeous sunny morning.  A bacon and eggs breakfast and some afternoon fishing off the inflatable outside the heads filled out the day (caught 4 - only one legal size!)

Late in the day we headed around the bay to Port Fitzroy with rain predicted (and fulfilled) last night with strong Northerlies whipping around the steep surrounding hills sending us every which way and rattling the cages most of the night...

Sailed, Docked, Aotea bound...

Friday, October 31st

A beautiful cool morning with a faint mist on the surrounding hills as at 0730 we motored gently out of the dock en route to southern destinations.













A brief hello and goodbye to Gannet and Webb on the mooring before we motored smoothly down the channel towards Tapeka Pt. Turning east we continued to motor past Roberton island and towards Cape Brett where a faint westerly started to fill in.

We motored past a huge flock of frantic sea-birds (Fluttering Shearwaters?), several thousand strong, as they dived and swooped below the surface to feed, surface, re-group and dive again.

Rounding Piercy Island we raised Herbie the Gennaker and headed south in a strengthening breeze.  Speed rose to over 8 knots at times before the gennaker became overpowered and we swapped to the new 135% Genoa.  


On past previously possible destinations of Whangamumu, Bland Bay and Whangaruru we ripped along in a consistent 15+ kt westerly at 6.5-7.5kts.

A quick call to Dylan at Tutakaka marina booked a berth for the night and by 1645 we were dousing sails and lining up the markers for the narrow passage into the harbour. 50.5 nautical miles (94 kms) at an average of 10.1 kph (5.5kts) was a record for us - a great days sailing!

Tying up at C16 we rang Barry and Ruby in Ngunguru to invite them over for dinner - they were just on their way out for the "Fish and Chips" meal with friends and promised to drop over afterwards.

A fine Pinot Noir with "Poor Knights" pizza selection from the local cafe went down well.  

B & R arrived around around 2100 hrs for a Peppermint tea and chat - they both looked well and we had to shoo them out at 2230 so we could get some sleep!

Barrier or bust!

As I sit here in Port Fitzroy sipping on a pepermint tea, the wind 'bullets' have finally stopped belting down the valley and out into the main bay here on the west side of Great Barrier Island.  Rain is expected overnight - the first in the three days I have been back in NZ...

Wednesday 29th October

Finally packed the last gadget(!) Tuesday night after a hectic last few days getting organised for some serious coastal sailing across the deetch... Am taking my old Vitus converted Cycle-Cross bike over, so carefully weighed bags before leaving home - 200g to spare, I reckoned!

Usual smooth Emirates Big Bus trip across and met Canny at the airport and spent a couple of hours catching up with he and Jen at theor little one-bed unit before heading into town to stay with Roger and Ryoko for the night.

Rog is looking fit and was out on a gentle three hour ride before I arrived - I feel like having a lie down just thinking about it.... 

Dinner at the little Japanese eatery on the gorund floor and an early night ready for the 0730 Naked Bus north.

Thursday 30th October

All loaded and on the bus at 0720 - it's an easy way to travel Northward.  Soon after 11 we were desending the steep hill into Opua carrying bags and bike.  The friendly folk at JB Marine (Thanks, James!) agreed to store the bike until I return to reassemble it in a week or so...

Out to E63 and Kalai looks good - with a little bit of growth under the waterline, but not too bad.

Visits to the Marina office to sort out replacement keys (they changed the locks), to the sailmaker Roger to say gidday and thank him for his latest work (new Genoa), to the chandlery to check the deck paint had arrived, the fuel dock for some spare diesel and finally to the General store to provision for the week ahead.

Westerlies 30kts plus at Cape Brett meant no early start, but a better day was predicted for Friday...

Emailed Webb Chiles, who had recently arrived on his Moore 24 ultrlaight all the way from USA via Hawaii, Tonga and Samoa and was hooked up to our mooring near the club house and arranged to meet for Dinner that night.

It was great to meet after exchanging emails the past couple of years and to hear of his adventures on the journey south... it's not hard to admire his determination and courage in coming so far in such a small vessel.  He heads home for a few months and we hope to reconnect when he returns to continue his travels next year sometime between May and June.

Some video clips...

Herbie's first outing

Sailing with new Gennaker

Herbie Reaching

tight reaching in 20 kts

reaching toward Opunga cove

Waiwhapuku bay

Winter cruising... tough life!

I thought they said that winter was no time to go sailing - well, I reckon it's some of the best times... albeit a little chilly but with great consistent winds if you are a sailor.

I left Opua early Tuesday morning with a likely weather window promising only scattered showers - which around here in the summer is no biggy, but in the winter these are often accompanied by winds of anything from 20-35kts (just saying - need to be prepared... more on that later)

While exiting the marina, who should I spot but Robert from Sea North in his barge along with Blake from NRC loitering around the spot where our mooring was last seen...

Ahh, I think, it looks like they've hooked something!

Sure enough - up she comes... mooring chain including the missing 'Fergie' Buoy (no relation!)

sunken fergie buoy sees the light of day

Mud coated 2 tonne concrete block

See the gash in the buoy...

Looks like it was found right about where it used to be, so can't have dragged very for if at all before the buoy was holed and the tethers severed by the 30 tonne wrecking machine that destroyed Sala.  

Robert has since reinstated the mooring back in place (with a 'normal' mooring buoy this time!

Meanwhile I headed back down the estuary and on past Tapeka point in 10-12 kts of fresh SW breeze.  Emboldened I pulled out 'Herbie' the Gennaker and set him loose!  Even managed a gybe as I headed north and the speed gradually climbed through 6 to 7 and over 8 knots as we flew along... and rounded up in a huge broach!
(Which felt a little like this picture!)  Quickly dropped the main and went forward (Where's Canny when you need him?) only to find the retrieval line for the sock was merrily streaming horisontally approx 12m above my noggin.  Plan B consisted regretfully lowering the halyard slowly and hauling in yards of nylon the old fashioned way - did I mention the squall was helping considerably by blowing like stink while I was hove to?


Somewhat chastened and lesson learned about large sails and single-handed sailing...

Anchored in a deserted Waiwhapuku bay for the night.  Very peaceful. Has one of my favourite views out to the SE...

Next morning was spent drying out aforementioned Herbie from his unforeseen early baptism and taking of ease...

Motor-sailed across to Parorenui bay, just opposite Omakiwi cove for the night.   This shot is looking due North-East out the channel which leads to Cape Brett. 

Beautiful spot.

  This view is more NW back towards Waiwhapuku bay.

This morning (24th) I decided to make a sailing day - ended up arriving 'home' around 7 hours and 60 kms later having begun in benign breezes and finished in  brisk 15-kt Sou-westerlies with squalls accompanying.  Reefed the genoa a fraction and flattened the main - 6+ knots hard on the nose - no wurries! Even managed to get the inclinometer to nearly 40 deg (fully under control, of course:)

Up from the grave...

Spirit of Nami Nami, the 60ft, 30 tonne ketch was finally raised in the early hours of Saturday morning from where she had sunk and lay submerged alongside the attenuator last week.  The salvage team worked all night and she now sits forlornly on the hard stand at Ashby's boatyard.  It appears that she dragged her mooring and, after hitting several other vessels, crashed into the marina pier stern first then swung side on and within an hour was holed and sunk.

Don, who lived aboard is not insured, but has a number of mates around Opua who have pledged to get his boat back in the water... must have been a strongly constructed craft (Cedar core woven through with glass?)as she has sustained surprisingly little damage compared to Sala which looks like will be written off.

Quiet day today with showers, southerlies and grey skies... managed to get the original solar panel reconnected but little sun to test it!  It should give another 50w  and a 25% increase to my 'off-grid' capacity.  As they say... we shall see!