Date: 9/10/15 Position: Oke Bay, Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand
We have spent a couple of glorious sunny days here in Oke Bay in the beautiful Bay of Islands. Today we had the company of a pod of six Bottlenose Dolphins. They spent the day swimming around Ambler and the other boats in the bay, occasionally putting on a great show of acrobatics. Between listening to the gentle 'pshh' sound of the dolphins as they surface and take a breath and the 'doof' sound as gannets dive bomb around us in search of fish it has been a very relaxing day. Oke Bay has a beautiful small sandy beach and is surrounded on three sides by high bush clad hills. We have made several dinghy trips with the curious dolphins cruising close by to the fresh water creek in the corner of the bay to fill up our water containers. As well as going ashore and following the walking tracks out and around the peninsula to enjoy the stunning view of the Bay of Islands.
Yesterday we enjoyed a short kayak before a south westerly change arrived. Wayne gathered some oysters off the rocks and we explored a neat little bay called Whapukapirau Bay with its own selection of beaches and a waterfall just beyond the beach. On our way back to Ambler we kayaked over to the other yacht anchored in Oke Bay. We got rather excited when we saw that the yacht 'Zeehaen' was from Sydney. Louise and Rob on board are one of the few Australians we have met in New Zealand. We have really enjoyed their company in the last couple of days.
Since it has been so long since the last blog....my apologies as we have been having too much fun, I'll just give you an overview of where we have been.
After spending three weeks on the hardstand in Whangarei Ambler went back in the water on the 15 August. We were out for longer than we expected due to quite a lot of rainy days which slowed our progress on outside jobs.
The next twelve days we spent enjoying Whangarei Harbour, moving around the different anchorages, kayaking, walking and surviving the tsunami. The tsunami warning came through soon after an earthquake off the coast of Chile occurred. It was expected that the east coast of New Zealand would have a 0.3 - 1.0 metre wave hit sometime around midnight. We chose the most suitable anchorage and monitored the situation. In the end we didn't feel anything. If the predicted wave height had of been higher than two metres we would of just headed out to sea. We also enjoyed catching up with Brad and Gloria from the yacht 'Kindred Spirits'. We had met Brad and Gloria on the hardstand in Whangarei.
On the 27 August we had a bouncy ride out of Whangarei Harbour with a strong run out tide against a 2m swell which created quite steep and short waves. That excitement only lasted for a short time before we rounded Bream Head and headed north to Tutukaka Harbour. We had a pleasant day sail up the coast with great numbers of Buller's Shearwaters flying across our track or resting in huge rafts on the water. We entered Tutukaka Harbour around mid afternoon and dropped the anchor in Pacific Bay.
We spent three nights in rolly Tutukaka Harbour. It wasn't too uncomfortable and provided us an opportunity to get our sea legs back again. The first day we spent walking from Tutukaka to Ngunguru around the headland and beaches and back along the main road. That evening we had a delicious meal with Richard and Susie from 'Siapako' who have now finished their circumnavigation of New Zealand and are back at home in Ngunguru. The next day Susie generously took us on a road trip otherwise known as a Tiki Tour to the area north of Tutukaka. We saw beautiful lush green rolling countryside which reminded us very much of Tasmania and stunning coastline with picturesque white sandy beaches and clear green water. It was a different aspect seeing the coastline from the land compared to the many miles of coastline we have seen from Ambler. It was great to see something beyond where our legs could walk or ride us and our arms paddle us. When we arrived back at Ambler we had great joy watching a Little Blue penguin swimming after a school of small fish nearby. Finally the penguin managed to catch a small garfish and we watched it only metres from the boat trying to get the fish into the right position to swallow.
On 30 August we had a brilliant day sailing north to Whangaruru Bay. It was sunny and warm with just enough breeze to keep the sails full. We lost count of how many penguins we saw that day. That evening we anchored in Mimiwhangata Bay in clear green water near a white sandy beach with cows grazing on the hillside beyond. The following day was calm with light winds so we made the most of the settled weather by kayaking back out around the headland and out around the outlying islands of Otawhanga Island, Wide Berth Islands and Rimariki Island. There were some stunning pinnacles, arches, reefs and pebbly beaches amongst these islands. We pulled up on one of the tiny beaches for a break and collected heaps of plastic bottles, thongs and other plastic paraphernalia that had been washed ashore. We were able to fill the whole front storage area of the kayak to full capacity with all the plastic we collected. On the seaward side of Rimariki Island we saw several seals in amongst the reef either swimming or soaking up the sun on the rock shelves. They hardly noticed us as we glided silently past their sleeping forms.
Whilst we were having breakfast the next morning we heard the familiar 'pshh' sound of dolphins breathing close by. We went out into the cockpit to see a large pod of Bottlenose Dolphins busy herding fish in the bay. Dolphins work as a very efficient team to round up a school of fish. Before long the gannets arrived and the water was alive with splashing fish, dolphins and gannets. It was a great way to begin yet another beautiful day. Later that afternoon the wind shifted so we had a wet sail to windward across Whangaruru Bay and into Whangaruru Harbour to anchor in the lee of a peninsula in Oakura Bay. The shoreline of Oakura Bay was lined with baches, the New Zealand equivalent of shacks or beach houses.
Over the next several days we ventured further into Whangaruru Harbour anchoring in different spots and kayaking around the shoreline of the harbour and as far as we could reach upstream in the mangroves at high tide. We also had a walk ashore in North Whangaruru which is on a narrow isthmus.
On 6 October we left Whangaruru and alternated between motoring and sailing until we reached Whangamumu Harbour a short distance further north up the coast. Whangamumu is a gorgeous harbour surrounded by volcanic cliffs with many interesting caves of different sizes and shapes at the waterline, bushclad hills, a long sandy beach and the only sign of civilisation are the remains of an old whaling station. After dropping the anchor we were keen to get in the kayaks and go and explore the stunning cliff faces and caves close up. We had a marvelous time kayaking around the entire shoreline of the harbour and entering some of the bigger caves. Some caves seemed to go on for ever, others reverberated the boom of the surge as it came in contact with the end of the cave, a few had beaches at their ends and our favourite became a T intersection of two caves at the base of a sheer cliff. It was amazing scenery and just reinforced the power of nature. That evening Wayne got lucky with the fishing line, of course the big one got away but he did catch a small snapper that we had to throw back. At least the fish were biting as we haven't had much luck in the fishing department since Stewart Island.
The next day we had an awesome sail on almost flat seas north to the Bay of Islands. We tacked right under the impressive headland of Cape Brett with its lighthouse looming high up above Ambler's mast. After tacking we were able to shoot through the gap between Cape Brett and Piercy Island. Piercy Island is a magnificent lump of rock 159m high with a distinct arch bigger enough for charter boats to pass through. After sailing past the face of Piercy Island we tacked again and headed into the entrance to the Bay of Islands.
Our plan for this summer is to enjoy the Bay of Islands for a few more weeks. Then find a safe and secure mooring to leave Ambler on and buy a van to go and explore the inland areas of this beautiful country. We want to tramp in the mountains and ride the terrific MTB tracks and trails we've heard about.
All is great on board. Kathy and wayne
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Friday, 9 October 2015
Wednesday, 9 September 2015
Photos of Hauraki Gulf and Whangarei
Gannet
Flying the Code O in very light winds off Waiheke Island
Flying the Code O in very light winds of Waiheke Island
Flying the Code O in very light winds of Waiheke Island
Rocky Islets off the west coast of Great Barrier Island
The curious Teal Duck looking through our galley porthole at Great Barrier Island
The even more curious Teal Duck looking through our galley porthole at Great Barrier Island
View of Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island
Wayne and Charles
The Spirit of New Zealand anchored in Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island
Ambler anchored in Smokehouse Bay, Great Barrier Island
Ambler getting her straps in place ready to be lifted out by the travel lift at Docklands 5, Whangarei
Ambler out of the water
Ambler having her hull water blasted
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
Whangarei NZ
Date: 8/9/15 Position: Docklands 5 Boatyard, Whangarei, North Island, New Zealand
We are currently up on the hardstand at Docklands 5 in the lovely town of Whangarei. After a brief trip back to Australia to catch up with family we made our way north to here over a few days from Auckland. Our first anchorage was in the shadow of the 800 year old volcano Rangitoto as squally fronts crossed constantly. Then we had an exciting sail as we close reached to Gulf Harbour. Here we met up with Frank Holden and Jo who were a fund of knowledge and experience about cruising in Chilean waters. Our next leg was a slow sail in sunshine and light winds with the asymmetric spinnaker set as we covered the 18nm to Kawau Island in five and a half hours. The final 42nm run to Whangarei Harbour saw us beam reaching with a 15kn breeze and plenty of rain.
Whangarei Harbour is beautiful. We spent a few days anchored in Urquharts and Taurikura Bay which are just inside the harbour entrance. The scenery surrounding us was very picturesque with lush green farmland on the hillsides of the magnificent craggy hilltops and a scattering of houses along the foreshore. The water was a gorgeous greeny blue colour with a shoal of fish often breaking the surface of the water as they moved about near Ambler. We were also lucky enough to hear the sound of birdsong especially the call of oyster catchers as they flew past. It was a great spot to relax and also gave Wayne a chance to recover from a painful bout of sinusitis.
After a few restful days we travelled two and a half hours upstream on the incoming tide to Whangarei. The harbour reminded us both of the Tamar River back home with rolling countryside, areas of bushland and pockets of houses. Charlie, Doug and John from Docklands 5 did a marvelous job getting Ambler safely out of the water on the travel lift, her hull water blasted and securely held in her cradle. They were a helpful and efficient team.
We are positioned so that we overlook the Whangarei Harbour as it meanders its way under the new lifting span bridge to the town centre. It's nice to still be in touch with the water and its tides and birdlife even though we are on hard ground. Directly behind us along the waters edge are mangroves and everyday we see a beautiful kingfisher sitting silently in the branches watching intently for its next meal.
The weather hasn't been too kind to us lately with constant rain showers hampering our efforts on Ambler's outside jobs. But today has been a winner with no rain!
All is busy on board with preparations for the next leg of our adventure.
Kathy and Wayne
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We are currently up on the hardstand at Docklands 5 in the lovely town of Whangarei. After a brief trip back to Australia to catch up with family we made our way north to here over a few days from Auckland. Our first anchorage was in the shadow of the 800 year old volcano Rangitoto as squally fronts crossed constantly. Then we had an exciting sail as we close reached to Gulf Harbour. Here we met up with Frank Holden and Jo who were a fund of knowledge and experience about cruising in Chilean waters. Our next leg was a slow sail in sunshine and light winds with the asymmetric spinnaker set as we covered the 18nm to Kawau Island in five and a half hours. The final 42nm run to Whangarei Harbour saw us beam reaching with a 15kn breeze and plenty of rain.
Whangarei Harbour is beautiful. We spent a few days anchored in Urquharts and Taurikura Bay which are just inside the harbour entrance. The scenery surrounding us was very picturesque with lush green farmland on the hillsides of the magnificent craggy hilltops and a scattering of houses along the foreshore. The water was a gorgeous greeny blue colour with a shoal of fish often breaking the surface of the water as they moved about near Ambler. We were also lucky enough to hear the sound of birdsong especially the call of oyster catchers as they flew past. It was a great spot to relax and also gave Wayne a chance to recover from a painful bout of sinusitis.
After a few restful days we travelled two and a half hours upstream on the incoming tide to Whangarei. The harbour reminded us both of the Tamar River back home with rolling countryside, areas of bushland and pockets of houses. Charlie, Doug and John from Docklands 5 did a marvelous job getting Ambler safely out of the water on the travel lift, her hull water blasted and securely held in her cradle. They were a helpful and efficient team.
We are positioned so that we overlook the Whangarei Harbour as it meanders its way under the new lifting span bridge to the town centre. It's nice to still be in touch with the water and its tides and birdlife even though we are on hard ground. Directly behind us along the waters edge are mangroves and everyday we see a beautiful kingfisher sitting silently in the branches watching intently for its next meal.
The weather hasn't been too kind to us lately with constant rain showers hampering our efforts on Ambler's outside jobs. But today has been a winner with no rain!
All is busy on board with preparations for the next leg of our adventure.
Kathy and Wayne
----------
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Sunday, 2 August 2015
Island Hopping in Hauraki Gulf
Date: 2/8/15 Position: North Cove, Kawau Island
Over the last two weeks we have enjoyed sailing between the islands in Hauraki Gulf. We have had lovely warm, sunny days and settled weather. No gale or storms!
After leaving Auckland we sailed to Waiheke Island and enjoyed anchoring in a few bays on the northern side. We kayaked in some of the bays, particularly enjoying the bays with less human habitation.
After Waiheke Island we sailed out to Great Barrier Island seeing many Little Blue Penguins on the way. We have spent the majority of the previous two weeks exploring the many sheltered bays and ports on Great Barrier Island with gannets diving about us for constant company.
There are numerous good walks on the island and we were able to do one nearly everyday. We even enjoyed the luxury of a soak in the islands hot springs. It was terrific being able to sail between and around the outlying rocky islands on the island's west coast in such settled weather. We were lucky enough to sail quite close to a gannet colony. These birds are very beautiful and are sensational to watch as they dive in search of fish. We met lots of friendly locals and enjoyed many a good chat. The highlight of our anchorages was in Whangaparapara Harbour where we anchored off the old whaling station.
Today we sailed to Kawau Island in great conditions and are now anchored in North Cove for the night.
All is great on board.
Kathy and Wayne
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Over the last two weeks we have enjoyed sailing between the islands in Hauraki Gulf. We have had lovely warm, sunny days and settled weather. No gale or storms!
After leaving Auckland we sailed to Waiheke Island and enjoyed anchoring in a few bays on the northern side. We kayaked in some of the bays, particularly enjoying the bays with less human habitation.
After Waiheke Island we sailed out to Great Barrier Island seeing many Little Blue Penguins on the way. We have spent the majority of the previous two weeks exploring the many sheltered bays and ports on Great Barrier Island with gannets diving about us for constant company.
There are numerous good walks on the island and we were able to do one nearly everyday. We even enjoyed the luxury of a soak in the islands hot springs. It was terrific being able to sail between and around the outlying rocky islands on the island's west coast in such settled weather. We were lucky enough to sail quite close to a gannet colony. These birds are very beautiful and are sensational to watch as they dive in search of fish. We met lots of friendly locals and enjoyed many a good chat. The highlight of our anchorages was in Whangaparapara Harbour where we anchored off the old whaling station.
Today we sailed to Kawau Island in great conditions and are now anchored in North Cove for the night.
All is great on board.
Kathy and Wayne
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Monday, 20 July 2015
Auckland
Date: 20/07/15 Position: Pier 21 Marina, Auckland
The southerly change come through around 3am on Wednesday night with thunder, lightning and heavy rain. Thankfully it was only a light southerly change of 15-20 knots and not gale force strength which seems to be the pattern lately when a change comes through. This southerly change gave us a two day weather window to reach Hauraki Gulf before another pre-frontal northerly was due to start.
On Thursday morning we left Tauranga Harbour on the high tide after waiting for the pilot to guide a heavily loaded container ship through the harbour entrance channel. Once in the outer channel we were met by a three metre northerly swell that had developed as a northerly gale had been blowing for the previous couple of days. The swell died down as the morning progressed and it was a really pleasant sail up the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula to Opito Bay where we anchored for the night. We saw numerous flocks of what we think are fluttering shearwaters and diving petrels. The diving petrels are quite entertaining little birds. As Ambler approached a raft of these little birds they would either dive under water and disappear like penguins do, or they would flutter their wings madly and lift themselves just off the surface. But some did not fly high enough as each wave crest would hit their belly as they fluttered over the water, before landing with a plop a short distance away. When the fluttering shearwaters were all airborne and flying in unison it looked marvelous as they were either all black or white depending which way they turned.
On dark we approached a channel called Hole in the Wall. This we passed through in the dark before conning our way into Opito Bay with the help of the radar, the depth sounder, the moving map display and our keen eyesight. It was a nice calm night on the anchor with just a gentle swell rolling in.
On Friday morning we departed at first light and as the sun rose we were greeted by views of a picturesque bay with lots of small rocky islands silhouetted by the morning sun. These islands dotted the outer entrance to Opito Bay with some larger islands offshore which helped to cancel any leftover northerly swell. On looking back towards the channel called Hole in the Wall we could see where it got its name from as we could see a huge hole in the cliff face.
Friday was another pleasant day of sailing with warm sunshine and a light south westerly breeze. Throughout the day we passed a few seals sleeping with a flipper raised in the air and spotted a few Little Blue Penguins swimming along. In the afternoon we rounded Cape Colville at the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula and sailed into Hauraki Gulf. Here the breeze became too light and turned more to the west becoming a headwind so we motor sailed for a time then sailed again. Wayne spotted a whale spouting about a mile away but unfortunately we weren't able to see the whale itself. The rest of the afternoon was spent soaking up the warm sunshine and reading. As it grew dark the lights of Auckland lit up the skyline as we made our way to Whangaparaoa Peninsula which is 15nm north of Auckland.
The AIS watchmate system came in very handy as we had to cross the main shipping channel. We chose a gap between three outbound ships which were almost impossible to see due to the profusion of lights of Auckland in the background. We entered Gulf Harbour Marina just before midnight and tied up easily in our pre booked berth.
The northerly hit hard on Saturday with heavy rain and gale force winds in the morning and evening. We managed a walk in the middle of the day when there was a lull in the weather.
Sunday was spent further insulating areas of the boat against the dreaded onslaught of moisture and mould as well as a general clean and tidy up.
Today we left Gulf Harbour about mid morning and sailed to windward with a 25 knot south westerly blowing as we headed to Auckland. It was a fast trip with a double reefed main and full headsail. We saw lots of shearwaters scooting over the waves as well as flocks of terns and gannets diving. We had a few rain squalls pass over and before we knew it we had covered the 19nm to Auckland. We are now tied up alongside at Pier 21 Marina which is a stones throw from the city centre.
All is well on board.
Kathy and Wayne
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The southerly change come through around 3am on Wednesday night with thunder, lightning and heavy rain. Thankfully it was only a light southerly change of 15-20 knots and not gale force strength which seems to be the pattern lately when a change comes through. This southerly change gave us a two day weather window to reach Hauraki Gulf before another pre-frontal northerly was due to start.
On Thursday morning we left Tauranga Harbour on the high tide after waiting for the pilot to guide a heavily loaded container ship through the harbour entrance channel. Once in the outer channel we were met by a three metre northerly swell that had developed as a northerly gale had been blowing for the previous couple of days. The swell died down as the morning progressed and it was a really pleasant sail up the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula to Opito Bay where we anchored for the night. We saw numerous flocks of what we think are fluttering shearwaters and diving petrels. The diving petrels are quite entertaining little birds. As Ambler approached a raft of these little birds they would either dive under water and disappear like penguins do, or they would flutter their wings madly and lift themselves just off the surface. But some did not fly high enough as each wave crest would hit their belly as they fluttered over the water, before landing with a plop a short distance away. When the fluttering shearwaters were all airborne and flying in unison it looked marvelous as they were either all black or white depending which way they turned.
On dark we approached a channel called Hole in the Wall. This we passed through in the dark before conning our way into Opito Bay with the help of the radar, the depth sounder, the moving map display and our keen eyesight. It was a nice calm night on the anchor with just a gentle swell rolling in.
On Friday morning we departed at first light and as the sun rose we were greeted by views of a picturesque bay with lots of small rocky islands silhouetted by the morning sun. These islands dotted the outer entrance to Opito Bay with some larger islands offshore which helped to cancel any leftover northerly swell. On looking back towards the channel called Hole in the Wall we could see where it got its name from as we could see a huge hole in the cliff face.
Friday was another pleasant day of sailing with warm sunshine and a light south westerly breeze. Throughout the day we passed a few seals sleeping with a flipper raised in the air and spotted a few Little Blue Penguins swimming along. In the afternoon we rounded Cape Colville at the northern end of the Coromandel Peninsula and sailed into Hauraki Gulf. Here the breeze became too light and turned more to the west becoming a headwind so we motor sailed for a time then sailed again. Wayne spotted a whale spouting about a mile away but unfortunately we weren't able to see the whale itself. The rest of the afternoon was spent soaking up the warm sunshine and reading. As it grew dark the lights of Auckland lit up the skyline as we made our way to Whangaparaoa Peninsula which is 15nm north of Auckland.
The AIS watchmate system came in very handy as we had to cross the main shipping channel. We chose a gap between three outbound ships which were almost impossible to see due to the profusion of lights of Auckland in the background. We entered Gulf Harbour Marina just before midnight and tied up easily in our pre booked berth.
The northerly hit hard on Saturday with heavy rain and gale force winds in the morning and evening. We managed a walk in the middle of the day when there was a lull in the weather.
Sunday was spent further insulating areas of the boat against the dreaded onslaught of moisture and mould as well as a general clean and tidy up.
Today we left Gulf Harbour about mid morning and sailed to windward with a 25 knot south westerly blowing as we headed to Auckland. It was a fast trip with a double reefed main and full headsail. We saw lots of shearwaters scooting over the waves as well as flocks of terns and gannets diving. We had a few rain squalls pass over and before we knew it we had covered the 19nm to Auckland. We are now tied up alongside at Pier 21 Marina which is a stones throw from the city centre.
All is well on board.
Kathy and Wayne
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Wednesday, 15 July 2015
Tauranga
Date: 15/7/15 Position: Pilot Bay, Tauranga Harbour
We had a great time in Napier. It's a small town on the foreshore of the beautiful Hawke Bay. We spent ten days tied up alongside the visitors pontoon at the friendly Napier Sailing Club. There are many great cycle trails in and around Napier and the surrounding countryside. We made the most of the sunny days and either walked or rode these trails. One day we rode into Hastings visiting a few markets on route and rode to the top of Te Mata Peak. The views were stunning and the climb well worth it. After the glorious warm, (16-17 degrees) sunny days came a polar blast from the south with plummeting temperatures and snow falling to 200m in the Hawke Bay area. The higher mountain ranges surrounding the bay were completely white. It was the most snow they have had in 35 years and resulted in lots of road closures. Along with the cold weather came the inevitable strong southerly winds that kept us and the whole fishing fleet securely tied up alongside for several days. The fishing fleet consisted of mainly long line fishing boats and I watched in amazement as a crane lifted individual tuna over a metre in length out of the fish hold and into the back of a waiting tipper truck lined with ice. Whilst at the Sailing Club we had regular visits from what appeared to be either two or three resident seals in the small harbour. They would often swim alongside or bask on the boat ramp or pontoons. It was nice to watch them each day.
On Saturday the 11 July we took advantage of the moderating southerlies and attempted to leave at first light. Once all the shorelines were cast off we discovered our keel was stuck in the mud as it was low tide. With limited maneuverability we managed to turn to face deeper water. We then employed our Perkins Tractor motor to do what it was originally designed for and plough a furrow through the mud to deeper water.
After leaving the small Inner Harbour we had a fast passage across Hawke Bay with a 25 knot wind directly behind us but, a 3 metre swell from the south east on our beam which made this passage rather rolly. Mid afternoon on Saturday we rounded Portland Island and shaped a course north towards East Cape. Ambler immediately settled down with a 25 knot wind off the stern quarter and the swell was taken more comfortably on the stern. We romped along at a brisk 6.5 - 7 knots boat speed with 1.5 knot current on top of that, averaging about 8 knots all through the night to East Cape.
At first light we rounded East Cape the most easterly point of New Zealand. The southerly breeze which had helped us up the east coast began to weaken, perhaps due to the high mountain ranges now to windward of us as we tracked west towards the Bay of Plenty. Our familiar cruising companions the Cape Petrels and the occasional Albatross regularly flew around us. There were also several large rafts of what might have been fluttering shearwaters. They looked similar to the shearwaters we had seen in Marlborough Sounds.
On nearing Cape Runaway the wind fizzled out so much that even the asymmetric sail wouldn't fill. So we motored out of the influence of the mountain ranges past Cape Runaway and into the more open waters of the Bay of Plenty. Only to discover a light 5 knot westerly headwind had developed. It was a pleasant afternoon so we shut the engine down and made the most of the sunny conditions. On the horizon we could see plumes of smoke rising from the active volcano which is called White Island.
At dusk the breeze redeveloped as a southerly and built up to about 15 knots. We experienced a pleasant night of sailing, passing White Island in the dark and arriving at the leads into Tauranga Harbour at dawn on Monday. The channel was quite busy with lots of small fishing boats heading out to make the most of the calm conditions forecasted for that day. Unfortunately the tide was flowing out at about 3.5 knots so we had the engine on hard to make our way in. We motored into Pilot Bay which is behind Mt Maunganui and dropped the anchor.
After a hot shower, eggs on toast and a few hours of sleep we rowed ashore and stretched our legs with all the holiday makers. In the sunshine we enjoyed a walk along the beach and completed a circuit of Mt Maunganui on a nice walking track.
Yesterday we walked from Pilot Bay into Tauranga, dropping off a gas cylinder for testing and refilling as all three of our gas cylinders are due for their ten year retest this year. It was a long walk into the city itself so we caught the bus back in the early evening.
Today was wet and windy so we stayed on board and watched ships entering and leaving the harbour with the assistance of two tug boats only a few hundred metres from our anchorage.
Tomorrow we plan to head north up the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula.
All is prepared for another passage tomorrow.
Kathy and Wayne
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We had a great time in Napier. It's a small town on the foreshore of the beautiful Hawke Bay. We spent ten days tied up alongside the visitors pontoon at the friendly Napier Sailing Club. There are many great cycle trails in and around Napier and the surrounding countryside. We made the most of the sunny days and either walked or rode these trails. One day we rode into Hastings visiting a few markets on route and rode to the top of Te Mata Peak. The views were stunning and the climb well worth it. After the glorious warm, (16-17 degrees) sunny days came a polar blast from the south with plummeting temperatures and snow falling to 200m in the Hawke Bay area. The higher mountain ranges surrounding the bay were completely white. It was the most snow they have had in 35 years and resulted in lots of road closures. Along with the cold weather came the inevitable strong southerly winds that kept us and the whole fishing fleet securely tied up alongside for several days. The fishing fleet consisted of mainly long line fishing boats and I watched in amazement as a crane lifted individual tuna over a metre in length out of the fish hold and into the back of a waiting tipper truck lined with ice. Whilst at the Sailing Club we had regular visits from what appeared to be either two or three resident seals in the small harbour. They would often swim alongside or bask on the boat ramp or pontoons. It was nice to watch them each day.
On Saturday the 11 July we took advantage of the moderating southerlies and attempted to leave at first light. Once all the shorelines were cast off we discovered our keel was stuck in the mud as it was low tide. With limited maneuverability we managed to turn to face deeper water. We then employed our Perkins Tractor motor to do what it was originally designed for and plough a furrow through the mud to deeper water.
After leaving the small Inner Harbour we had a fast passage across Hawke Bay with a 25 knot wind directly behind us but, a 3 metre swell from the south east on our beam which made this passage rather rolly. Mid afternoon on Saturday we rounded Portland Island and shaped a course north towards East Cape. Ambler immediately settled down with a 25 knot wind off the stern quarter and the swell was taken more comfortably on the stern. We romped along at a brisk 6.5 - 7 knots boat speed with 1.5 knot current on top of that, averaging about 8 knots all through the night to East Cape.
At first light we rounded East Cape the most easterly point of New Zealand. The southerly breeze which had helped us up the east coast began to weaken, perhaps due to the high mountain ranges now to windward of us as we tracked west towards the Bay of Plenty. Our familiar cruising companions the Cape Petrels and the occasional Albatross regularly flew around us. There were also several large rafts of what might have been fluttering shearwaters. They looked similar to the shearwaters we had seen in Marlborough Sounds.
On nearing Cape Runaway the wind fizzled out so much that even the asymmetric sail wouldn't fill. So we motored out of the influence of the mountain ranges past Cape Runaway and into the more open waters of the Bay of Plenty. Only to discover a light 5 knot westerly headwind had developed. It was a pleasant afternoon so we shut the engine down and made the most of the sunny conditions. On the horizon we could see plumes of smoke rising from the active volcano which is called White Island.
At dusk the breeze redeveloped as a southerly and built up to about 15 knots. We experienced a pleasant night of sailing, passing White Island in the dark and arriving at the leads into Tauranga Harbour at dawn on Monday. The channel was quite busy with lots of small fishing boats heading out to make the most of the calm conditions forecasted for that day. Unfortunately the tide was flowing out at about 3.5 knots so we had the engine on hard to make our way in. We motored into Pilot Bay which is behind Mt Maunganui and dropped the anchor.
After a hot shower, eggs on toast and a few hours of sleep we rowed ashore and stretched our legs with all the holiday makers. In the sunshine we enjoyed a walk along the beach and completed a circuit of Mt Maunganui on a nice walking track.
Yesterday we walked from Pilot Bay into Tauranga, dropping off a gas cylinder for testing and refilling as all three of our gas cylinders are due for their ten year retest this year. It was a long walk into the city itself so we caught the bus back in the early evening.
Today was wet and windy so we stayed on board and watched ships entering and leaving the harbour with the assistance of two tug boats only a few hundred metres from our anchorage.
Tomorrow we plan to head north up the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula.
All is prepared for another passage tomorrow.
Kathy and Wayne
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Friday, 3 July 2015
Escaped the Roaring Forties
Date: 3/7/15
Position: The visitors pontoon, Napier Sailing Club
We enjoyed a week in Wellington and had the most consecutive sunny days that we had experienced in a while. It was easy to hop on and off buses and trains to get around and explore the city and surrounding areas. The three highlights of our stay were visiting Te Papa which is the museum of NZ, having a tour of the Metservice office and joining Titus and Nicole on their yacht Gypsy Girl for a Saturday sail in the harbour.
On Tuesday morning we departed Wellington with a gale warning forecast for the northern section of sea area Castlepoint ahead of us, although the grib files only indicated winds of west north west up to 30 knots. The conditions over the following 5 days looked even less favourable with strong head winds, so it was either go now or stay until next week.
We like the detail given by the grib files forecast of predicted wind speed and direction every 3 hours, but it was impossible to ignore a gale warning. Gale warnings are transmitted over the marine radio regularly for those of us foolish enough to be sailing in the sea area affected. The other reason we decided to go was that the wind would be coming off the land and would not build as big a sea as if it was experienced mid ocean.
The tactic we planned to employ was to stay far enough offshore to avoid the wind funnelling through the valleys and to keep east of the steep drop off of the sea bed, thereby avoiding the shallower coast that tends to shorten the wave frequency. This would also avoid the turbulence of the southerly swell as it steepens at the underwater drop off area.
On exiting the harbour channel entrance we again met three inter island ferries. But at least we had the wind with us this time. Once clear of the shipping channel, we turned for Cape Palliser and set the poled out head sail to run wing and wing. It was a clear sunny day, not a cloud to be seen, the snow capped mountains of the Kaikoura range visible again with the occasional Cape Petrel and Albatross carving their circuitous flights in search of a feed.
We rounded Cape Palliser and re shaped the sails to take advantage of the land breeze abeam of us. This point of sailing is called beam reaching and Ambler hits top speed from beam reaching to close reaching where the wind is forward of beam on.
The afternoon wore on and once the sun had set with the full moon already risen to the east we saw two very bright stars, actually planets, above the horizon to the west, one was Venus, the other we later found out was Jupiter. In the evening the breeze began to build and the sail area was suitably reduced to match the conditions.
All went to plan except that we experienced gale force wind for three hours south of the forecasted gale area and were almost becalmed for an hour once we crossed into the actual area forecasted to cop the gale. The wind then built up gradually to gale force again over the next three hours as we transited through. Then the Metservice issued a new gale warning after midnight, this time for the southern section of sea area Portland, which we had just entered. This second gale blew hard for the next five hours and had us surging along at over 6.5 knots with a heavily reefed main and staysail set. It was forecasted to reach 45 knots. We regularly found potholes in the ocean to fall into and breaking seas continously thumped onto the deck. The full moon illuminated the wild ocean as we took turns to huddle under our bombproof hard dodger. Ambler took it all in her stride and stood up and powered through the wind and waves admirably.
By mid Wednesday morning the wind had dropped to around 20 knots. The warm sun shone and highlighted the incredible contours of the rise and falls of the coastal escarpment. At 1045 hours we crossed the 40 degree parallel of latitude and bid farewell to the roaring forties that had just given us an appropriate send off!
The breeze continued to die out as we rounded the spectacular spires and pinacle of Cape Kidnappers and into Hawke Bay. At Cape Kidnappers there is a Gannet colony and although we couldn't see it from Ambler we saw many gannets diving offshore.
At last light we arrived at the entrance to the small vessel basin to the west of Napier Harbour. Not long later we were tied up alongside the visitors pontoon at Napier Sailing Club.
After a much appreciated hot shower and a good hose down the next morning all is well and salt free on Ambler again. Till next time....
Kathy and Wayne
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