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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Sunday, 2 August 2015
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
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Photos of Queen Charlotte Sound and Cook Strait
Looking down at Inner Queen Charlotte Sound from the QC track
Switchback on the QC track with Kenepuru Sound in the background
Wayne servicing the winch
Fluttering Shearwaters
Fluttering Shearwaters snorkelling, Outer Queen Charlotte Sound
Crossing Cook Strait with the headland near Wellington in the background
Crossing Cook Strait with Tory Channel in the background
Crossing Cook Strait with the North Island in the background
Monday, 22 June 2015
Windy Wellington
Date: 22/06/15 Position: Seaview Marina, Wellington Harbour
We have said farewell to the South Island of NZ and welcome the wonders that the North Island has to offer. Which so far has been gale force winds from the south, sea breaking over the marina pontoons, chilly winds and rain showers!!! Life at the moment seems to be just one gale after another. Ha ha, the joys of winter cruising in the roaring forties.
We waited for two days for the northerly gale to blow over us while we sheltered quite comfortably in Hitua Bay. On Saturday afternoon we poked our nose out of our bay and motored down the Tory Channel to Deep Bay in the cold, drizzly rain that the light southerly change had brought with it. As we entered Deep Bay a flock of about thirty sooty cormorants took umbrage at our proximity and took off in mass from a private jetty, flying in stagged formation across our bow. Shortly after this a lone cormorant poked his head out of the water near the jetty and looked around bewildered as if to say "Where did everyone go?"
Sunday morning brought a cloudless blue sky with much appreciated sunshine. We left Deep Bay about mid morning on the high tide and motored out of Tory Channel into Cook Strait. The hills surrounding Wellington stood out clearly across the fairly calm green waters of the Strait. Looking over our shoulder to the south west the giant snow capped peaks of the Kaikoura Range stood solid and grand. It felt great to be out on open water again and it was not long before we had our first visit from an albatross and cape petrel.
Once clear of the land there was enough breeze behind us from the west to unfurl the headsail and turn off the engine. As the wind steadied at 15 knots we poled the headsail to take better advantage of the breeze. We chose not to hoist the mainsail as the wind was forecasted to continually strengthen up to 30 knots by the evening. The sail across was fantastic averaging around 7 knots and sometimes reaching 9 knots when the current was with us.
The hardest part came when we reached the leads to the entrance channel into Wellington Harbour. The wind was funnelling out of the channel at around 35 knots and several inter islander ferries were entering and exiting whilst we were trying to tack our way to windward with a heavily reefed main and staysail. There was a fair bit of salt spray flying around! Once we reached the more open waters of the harbour the wind dropped away to 20 knots. By this stage it was dark and the lights of Wellington glittered all around us.
We reached Seaview Marina around 1830 and Alan the kind CEO drove down and directed us to a berth. Some of the friendly marina residents suggested we turn the boat around to have the bow facing out and with their help we managed this maneuver. It's always good to listen to local advice and just as well we did because at 3am the southerly hit with a bam. We are on the outer pontoon and the waves developed across the fetch of bay where they are currently removing pile moorings and are whacking into us and over the pontoon. The weather has been wild all day with wind gusting around 45 knots with salt spray being whipped up from the surface and over Ambler. The dodger has proved itself once more as a valuable asset but this time whilst being tied up at the marina! The rain has been horizontal, the wind ferocious and the local mariners friendly and helpful. The guy next to us has given us a loan of a small fan heater because our heater is untenable in these winds because the down draughts have extinguished the flames a few times in similar conditions. It's time to fit a balanced flue system.
These strong winds are expected to ease by tomorrow night. We'll rug up and catch the bus into Wellington tomorrow.
All is well but feels like we at sea whilst tied up at the marina.
Kathy and Wayne
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We have said farewell to the South Island of NZ and welcome the wonders that the North Island has to offer. Which so far has been gale force winds from the south, sea breaking over the marina pontoons, chilly winds and rain showers!!! Life at the moment seems to be just one gale after another. Ha ha, the joys of winter cruising in the roaring forties.
We waited for two days for the northerly gale to blow over us while we sheltered quite comfortably in Hitua Bay. On Saturday afternoon we poked our nose out of our bay and motored down the Tory Channel to Deep Bay in the cold, drizzly rain that the light southerly change had brought with it. As we entered Deep Bay a flock of about thirty sooty cormorants took umbrage at our proximity and took off in mass from a private jetty, flying in stagged formation across our bow. Shortly after this a lone cormorant poked his head out of the water near the jetty and looked around bewildered as if to say "Where did everyone go?"
Sunday morning brought a cloudless blue sky with much appreciated sunshine. We left Deep Bay about mid morning on the high tide and motored out of Tory Channel into Cook Strait. The hills surrounding Wellington stood out clearly across the fairly calm green waters of the Strait. Looking over our shoulder to the south west the giant snow capped peaks of the Kaikoura Range stood solid and grand. It felt great to be out on open water again and it was not long before we had our first visit from an albatross and cape petrel.
Once clear of the land there was enough breeze behind us from the west to unfurl the headsail and turn off the engine. As the wind steadied at 15 knots we poled the headsail to take better advantage of the breeze. We chose not to hoist the mainsail as the wind was forecasted to continually strengthen up to 30 knots by the evening. The sail across was fantastic averaging around 7 knots and sometimes reaching 9 knots when the current was with us.
The hardest part came when we reached the leads to the entrance channel into Wellington Harbour. The wind was funnelling out of the channel at around 35 knots and several inter islander ferries were entering and exiting whilst we were trying to tack our way to windward with a heavily reefed main and staysail. There was a fair bit of salt spray flying around! Once we reached the more open waters of the harbour the wind dropped away to 20 knots. By this stage it was dark and the lights of Wellington glittered all around us.
We reached Seaview Marina around 1830 and Alan the kind CEO drove down and directed us to a berth. Some of the friendly marina residents suggested we turn the boat around to have the bow facing out and with their help we managed this maneuver. It's always good to listen to local advice and just as well we did because at 3am the southerly hit with a bam. We are on the outer pontoon and the waves developed across the fetch of bay where they are currently removing pile moorings and are whacking into us and over the pontoon. The weather has been wild all day with wind gusting around 45 knots with salt spray being whipped up from the surface and over Ambler. The dodger has proved itself once more as a valuable asset but this time whilst being tied up at the marina! The rain has been horizontal, the wind ferocious and the local mariners friendly and helpful. The guy next to us has given us a loan of a small fan heater because our heater is untenable in these winds because the down draughts have extinguished the flames a few times in similar conditions. It's time to fit a balanced flue system.
These strong winds are expected to ease by tomorrow night. We'll rug up and catch the bus into Wellington tomorrow.
All is well but feels like we at sea whilst tied up at the marina.
Kathy and Wayne
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Thursday, 18 June 2015
Exploring Queen Charlotte Sound
Date: 18/06/15 Position: Hitua Bay
We've spent the last week and a half exploring the many bays in Queen Charlotte Sound. Half the time has been spent hiding and sheltering from the strong winds. The other half has been spent MTB riding several sections of the Queen Charlotte Track (QC), checking out the small town of Picton and enjoying the rare days of sunshine.
After leaving Hitua Bay twelve days ago we first visited Waikawa Marina which has berths for 600 boats. We tied up alongside the floating fuel wharf and filled our water tanks, emptied our holding tank and Wayne went to check out the chandlery store. When we tried to fill up with fuel from the NPD bowser we encountered a problem as the NPD fuel company want to secure $1200 from your credit card even when you only need $100 dollars worth of diesel. Not having $1200 available on the card meant we couldn't fill up.
That afternoon we headed to the east arm of Double Cove to wait out the storm and gale force winds that blew for three days. We had the perfect spot, it was extremely protected from the wind and we were able to pick up a combined club mooring at the head of the bay which had a stern line to the shore to keep us snug in this tight little bay. There were many homes in Double Cove all with their own private jetty and boat shed.
We left this little all weather sanctuary last Thursday when conditions improved and thought we would try getting fuel at Picton. We had more success at the fuel wharf at Picton Marina. The fuel company they use is BPS and when you insert your credit card it asks you to enter the maximum amount you want to spend and cuts off if you reach that amount. A much better system. We also took advantage of being able to tie up alongside the town wharf at Picton where boats pay $1 an hour like a parking metre. After looking around the small township of Picton we headed across Queen Charlotte Sound to spend the night in Torea Bay.
Queen Charlotte Sound is alive with all manner of bird life. We have seen huge flocks of black and white fluttering shearwaters skimming along just above the surface. We have heard many but only seen a few little blue penguins. The shearwaters like the little blue penguins spend a lot of time sitting on the water with their bills and heads underwater as though looking out for a passing fish. We have noticed huge groups of shags gathering to feed in amongst the frenzy of bait balls along with diving terns and gannets. Twice we have seen a pod of about a dozen dolphins intent on fishing and several seals lolling about.
Thursday night was a sleepless night as we soon realised that the head of Torea Bay was a giant wind funnel. We left there early Friday morning and went to Peach Bay which is a smaller bay within Torea Bay. In Peach Bay we found slightly more shelter from the blustery winds, but still continued to be buffeted about by strong gusts. On Saturday morning the conditions turned out better than forecasted so we went back to the head of Torea Bay.
We were able to pick up a Marlborough Harbour mooring in the now less windy Torea Bay. From there we rode our bikes up to Torea Saddle where we joined the QC track and painfully climbed the Shamrock Ridge to enjoy the stunning views of both Queen Charlotte Sound to the south and Kenepuru Sound to the north. Along the way cheerful fantails would flutter and chirp around us, as if encouraging us to pedal on even though our lungs felt ready to explode. The zoom down on the switchbacks to Te Mahia Saddle was exhilarating. From the saddle we rode back along the road to Torea Bay making it a very satisfying circuit.
That afternoon we had a glorious sail in the afternoon sunshine from Torea Bay west to Mistletoe Bay in Onahau Bay. We picked up another mooring in here as we have been doing in most places, as it is often too deep to anchor. We are lucky as it is very quiet at this time of year and there are plenty of empty moorings about. The following morning we rode from Mistletoe Bay up to Te Mahia Saddle which we had reached the previous day. From the saddle we rode west along the fore shore road of Kenepuru Sound, up over the ridge and down through farmland to join the highway that runs between Nelson and Picton. After a short stint on the highway we turned off and rode to Anakiwa. Anakiwa is the start of the QC track. It was great MTB riding on the QC track between here and Te Mahia Saddle. The track was nicely undulating and followed the shoreline through mature beech forest. Being a Sunday we met several other walkers and riders on this section of track. It had been another rewarding circuit ride in glorious sunny weather.
On Monday morning we visited Picton once more for some fresh supplies and from there went on to Waikawa Marina where Wayne picked up some pre ordered stainless fittings from the chandlery. Wayne returned with Geoff the rigger who wished to check out our soft sail furling system and have a look at Ambler. Geoff has an aluminum 70s model IOR yacht made in the USA which he is currently doing a major refit on. After leaving Waikawa late Monday afternoon, we sailed to Endeavour Inlet which is in the outer area of Queen Charlotte Sound. The rain tried to play tag with us as we just kept in front of the rain showers and out of their grasp. We reached Bakers Bay, Endeavour Inlet just after dark and tied up alongside Siapako who were on the only mooring in the bay. Susie and Richard kindly invited us on board for dinner and we enjoyed a lovely evening in their company.
Tuesday was a glorious sunny, still day. We spent it drifting around Endeavour Inlet while Wayne serviced the starboard winch. A pod of dolphins, two of which had very distinctive dorsal fins, one having a white tip and the other missing the top half of it swam leisurely past us. Flocks of fluttering shearwaters flew around the bay from one bait ball to the next. In the afternoon we picked up a mooring in Camp Bay, Endeavour Inlet and spent the night in front of a fancy looking resort.
On Wednesday morning we woke to mist flowing down the valley into Camp Bay. We left early and headed up into Big Bay which is still within Endeavour Inlet. We found a spot to anchor in the lee of a small headland and took a stern line ashore. From here we carried our bikes up a scrubby, vine entangled slope to the QC track. We wanted to ride as much of the eastern end of the track as we could before the strong northerly wind developed. We managed to ride to the ridge between Endeavour Inlet and Resolution Bay before we could clearly see white caps forming down below us. Unfortunately we had to turn back as Ambler was only just protected in the lee of the headland, and Endeavour Inlet is known to be a huge wind funnel in strong northerlies. However we thoroughly enjoyed riding the 30km we had achieved and the track had provided a few challenging sections to test our skills. Getting the bikes back down to the dinghy wasn't much easier than getting them up. Once back on board we sailed out of Endeavour Inlet with the growing northerly behind us. After entering the main part of Queen Charlotte Sound we headed upstream for a short distance to Spencer Bay where we picked up a mooring for the night. Spencer Bay is a pretty, deep bay protected from the north by a pine clad hill.
This morning we woke early to wind gusts rattling the rigging. From the deck we could see the sea surface being whipped into the air in the channel nearby from the strong winds working around the headlands. After breakfast we left Spencer Bay and headed out into the blustery, white capped sound. The wind blew hard as we sailed under staysail to Hitua Bay. We are now enjoying our calm surroundings in our protected anchorage.
Tomorrow the wind is forecasted to reach 50 knots from the north and the following couple of days aren't looking too good either so we'll be back to boat jobs for a few days.
All is well on board. Kathy and Wayne
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We've spent the last week and a half exploring the many bays in Queen Charlotte Sound. Half the time has been spent hiding and sheltering from the strong winds. The other half has been spent MTB riding several sections of the Queen Charlotte Track (QC), checking out the small town of Picton and enjoying the rare days of sunshine.
After leaving Hitua Bay twelve days ago we first visited Waikawa Marina which has berths for 600 boats. We tied up alongside the floating fuel wharf and filled our water tanks, emptied our holding tank and Wayne went to check out the chandlery store. When we tried to fill up with fuel from the NPD bowser we encountered a problem as the NPD fuel company want to secure $1200 from your credit card even when you only need $100 dollars worth of diesel. Not having $1200 available on the card meant we couldn't fill up.
That afternoon we headed to the east arm of Double Cove to wait out the storm and gale force winds that blew for three days. We had the perfect spot, it was extremely protected from the wind and we were able to pick up a combined club mooring at the head of the bay which had a stern line to the shore to keep us snug in this tight little bay. There were many homes in Double Cove all with their own private jetty and boat shed.
We left this little all weather sanctuary last Thursday when conditions improved and thought we would try getting fuel at Picton. We had more success at the fuel wharf at Picton Marina. The fuel company they use is BPS and when you insert your credit card it asks you to enter the maximum amount you want to spend and cuts off if you reach that amount. A much better system. We also took advantage of being able to tie up alongside the town wharf at Picton where boats pay $1 an hour like a parking metre. After looking around the small township of Picton we headed across Queen Charlotte Sound to spend the night in Torea Bay.
Queen Charlotte Sound is alive with all manner of bird life. We have seen huge flocks of black and white fluttering shearwaters skimming along just above the surface. We have heard many but only seen a few little blue penguins. The shearwaters like the little blue penguins spend a lot of time sitting on the water with their bills and heads underwater as though looking out for a passing fish. We have noticed huge groups of shags gathering to feed in amongst the frenzy of bait balls along with diving terns and gannets. Twice we have seen a pod of about a dozen dolphins intent on fishing and several seals lolling about.
Thursday night was a sleepless night as we soon realised that the head of Torea Bay was a giant wind funnel. We left there early Friday morning and went to Peach Bay which is a smaller bay within Torea Bay. In Peach Bay we found slightly more shelter from the blustery winds, but still continued to be buffeted about by strong gusts. On Saturday morning the conditions turned out better than forecasted so we went back to the head of Torea Bay.
We were able to pick up a Marlborough Harbour mooring in the now less windy Torea Bay. From there we rode our bikes up to Torea Saddle where we joined the QC track and painfully climbed the Shamrock Ridge to enjoy the stunning views of both Queen Charlotte Sound to the south and Kenepuru Sound to the north. Along the way cheerful fantails would flutter and chirp around us, as if encouraging us to pedal on even though our lungs felt ready to explode. The zoom down on the switchbacks to Te Mahia Saddle was exhilarating. From the saddle we rode back along the road to Torea Bay making it a very satisfying circuit.
That afternoon we had a glorious sail in the afternoon sunshine from Torea Bay west to Mistletoe Bay in Onahau Bay. We picked up another mooring in here as we have been doing in most places, as it is often too deep to anchor. We are lucky as it is very quiet at this time of year and there are plenty of empty moorings about. The following morning we rode from Mistletoe Bay up to Te Mahia Saddle which we had reached the previous day. From the saddle we rode west along the fore shore road of Kenepuru Sound, up over the ridge and down through farmland to join the highway that runs between Nelson and Picton. After a short stint on the highway we turned off and rode to Anakiwa. Anakiwa is the start of the QC track. It was great MTB riding on the QC track between here and Te Mahia Saddle. The track was nicely undulating and followed the shoreline through mature beech forest. Being a Sunday we met several other walkers and riders on this section of track. It had been another rewarding circuit ride in glorious sunny weather.
On Monday morning we visited Picton once more for some fresh supplies and from there went on to Waikawa Marina where Wayne picked up some pre ordered stainless fittings from the chandlery. Wayne returned with Geoff the rigger who wished to check out our soft sail furling system and have a look at Ambler. Geoff has an aluminum 70s model IOR yacht made in the USA which he is currently doing a major refit on. After leaving Waikawa late Monday afternoon, we sailed to Endeavour Inlet which is in the outer area of Queen Charlotte Sound. The rain tried to play tag with us as we just kept in front of the rain showers and out of their grasp. We reached Bakers Bay, Endeavour Inlet just after dark and tied up alongside Siapako who were on the only mooring in the bay. Susie and Richard kindly invited us on board for dinner and we enjoyed a lovely evening in their company.
Tuesday was a glorious sunny, still day. We spent it drifting around Endeavour Inlet while Wayne serviced the starboard winch. A pod of dolphins, two of which had very distinctive dorsal fins, one having a white tip and the other missing the top half of it swam leisurely past us. Flocks of fluttering shearwaters flew around the bay from one bait ball to the next. In the afternoon we picked up a mooring in Camp Bay, Endeavour Inlet and spent the night in front of a fancy looking resort.
On Wednesday morning we woke to mist flowing down the valley into Camp Bay. We left early and headed up into Big Bay which is still within Endeavour Inlet. We found a spot to anchor in the lee of a small headland and took a stern line ashore. From here we carried our bikes up a scrubby, vine entangled slope to the QC track. We wanted to ride as much of the eastern end of the track as we could before the strong northerly wind developed. We managed to ride to the ridge between Endeavour Inlet and Resolution Bay before we could clearly see white caps forming down below us. Unfortunately we had to turn back as Ambler was only just protected in the lee of the headland, and Endeavour Inlet is known to be a huge wind funnel in strong northerlies. However we thoroughly enjoyed riding the 30km we had achieved and the track had provided a few challenging sections to test our skills. Getting the bikes back down to the dinghy wasn't much easier than getting them up. Once back on board we sailed out of Endeavour Inlet with the growing northerly behind us. After entering the main part of Queen Charlotte Sound we headed upstream for a short distance to Spencer Bay where we picked up a mooring for the night. Spencer Bay is a pretty, deep bay protected from the north by a pine clad hill.
This morning we woke early to wind gusts rattling the rigging. From the deck we could see the sea surface being whipped into the air in the channel nearby from the strong winds working around the headlands. After breakfast we left Spencer Bay and headed out into the blustery, white capped sound. The wind blew hard as we sailed under staysail to Hitua Bay. We are now enjoying our calm surroundings in our protected anchorage.
Tomorrow the wind is forecasted to reach 50 knots from the north and the following couple of days aren't looking too good either so we'll be back to boat jobs for a few days.
All is well on board. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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