January 14 – 15, 2014
torn jib already furled ~ reefing the main as winds increased to 35 knots
Departing Kawau Bay for another short hop south, we knew we would be in for a bit of wind. And, of course, it would be on the nose, no less! Southeast winds were forecast to be about 15-20 knots, and based on our growing knowledge of the waters surrounding New Zealand, we knew to expect more. I was excited because this was the perfect chance to show my parents what our boat could do!
My dad was at the helm for most of the day. Even as the winds grew, he seemed to be completely content in his element. Wil and I only stood by for when further reefing became necessary.
This was the moment when our 21-year old jib decided it had had enough. While the jib was already partially furled, we were in the process of furling it more when nature told us we’d waited too long. Rrrrip! That was the end of that sail! We knew we were on borrowed time with the jib, and we were in a good location for a replacement, so for the moment there were no worries. We further reefed the main, and continued on our course.
As usual for our day hops, we had no idea where we would end up for the night. We would have to stop short of Auckland, so we could enter during daylight hours the following day. Also, since we’d be going into a marina for a few days, it had almost slipped my mind that we didn’t have boat insurance. I needed time to find a liability policy ASAP. Using a weak internet signal received by our antenna atop the mast, I was able to fill out online forms for The Marina Shop Marine Insurance (Opua based) prior to our arrival in Auckland.
That night, we were able to seek shelter from the wind in Sandy Bay on the northwest side Motutapu Island. While our anchor was snug and we were all comfy inside, other boats in the anchorage dragged multiple times, and we heard a Pan Pan call on the VHF for a sailboat about 10 miles out with engine trouble. The next morning under calm winds, we were able to complete the final leg to Auckland and into the Viaduct Harbour where my mom wanted to give us the gift of being at a dock for four days. What a treat!
Sandy Bay, Motutapu Island ~ calm the following morning
coffee mug in front of the helm while we haul the anchor
early morning fishing line deployment
looking toward Rangitoto Island ~ Rangitoto is Maori for "Bloody Sky"
Rangitoto Island is one of Auckland’s most recent and largest volcanoes.
special purpose beacon ~ western Rangitoto
Auckland skyline from afar
welcome to Auckland!
2 Responses to new zealand ~ the rest of the way to auckland