Around NZ

[darkside]

My son did a short video of his time aboard.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...5cJhr7N8XEFmzZJQ-ABovVtisH6LQpExZhPsQY8YOJGVM

 

[Insequent]

Thanks for posting that! Enjoyed the scenery and noticed how nicely Ahi runs along. My guess is that you are delighted with the design and build....

 

[darkside]

I like Ahi more each day. The things to fix list is actually getting shorter as we cruise. We got the autopilot going again yesterday, just a lose -ve connection. Happy days.
Yes she certainly does run along easily. Also carries extra weight quite nicely which we weren't sure about.

 

[Peter B]

Wow, you were lucky to get such calm weather going into Oban, Ross. We'll want lotsa pics of Stewart Island and environs. I have some very fond memories of some anchorages in Patterson's Inlet.

 

[twistedtree]

I realize it's a long way until you get there, but can you approach and/or land on White Island? Or is it off limits? We were on it a number of years ago, just weeks before it erupted. It was an amazing place, all bubbling and oozing.

 

[darkside]

TT I walked around on White 40 odd years ago while delivering my Dad's trawler from the South Island. Amazing place for sure.
Then they changed the rules so you needed a permit, pretty sure it's off limits completely since the deadly eruption in 2019.
There is a documentary that just came out on Netflix about that eruption: The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari
I've been out there fishing and diving a few times over the years, anchored overnight once. They say the acid tarnishes the stainless on your boat if you anchor down wind.
But once we are near White we are nearly home, we can see the steam plume from White from our house most days.

 

[twistedtree]

Just dug up some pictures. We were there in Feb 2012, and the first eruption was in August 2012, so 6 months after we were there. That was the first of 3 leading up to the big one in 2019.



Visitors warned off erupting volcano | Stuff.co.nz


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Whakaari_/_White_Island_eruption#cite_note-12

 

[Insequent]

The wikipedia article on White is fairly detailed with both history and geology/volcanology as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whakaari_/_White_Island

It has a a long history of being dangerous. I cant see any general public access happening any time soon -risk level too high for any politician or bureaucrat to grant permission, and personally (as a geologist) that makes sense to me.

 

[darkside]

Oban offered the first provisioning shops available to us for 18 days, which as it turns out was much the same as our two longest passages, the Atlantic crossing and Galapagos to Marquesas. That gives some indication of the remote nature of the SW corner of NZ.
So stocking up, some laundry, all that stuff. A few good days of weather forecast before the next guests arrived so we had a couple of nights down in Port Pegasus.
This was the furthest south ever for us at 47deg 14minS.
Furthest north we have been was Glacier Bay at 59N give or take.
Pegasus looks really windswept with striking rock formations and plenty of big fur seals and sea lions, some pretty aggressive. We saw other cruises chased away from their dinghy on the beach by one. Eventually the sea lion got bored and went back in the water.

 

[BruceK]

As the pics show, the natural beauty of NZ, perhaps particularly the south island, is very well preserved. I look forward to seeing more.

The rangers on Kangaroo Island, located off the coast of South Australia, warned us sea lions get very tetchy if you get between them and the water.

 

[darkside]

A few more pics of Stewart Island. Had to hunker down for a couple of days of easterlies but back to peachy now.

 

[Peter B]

I think pic three is a native pigeon, is it not..? Nice pāua shells... Did they taste nice. You have to be very careful to avoid them being rather tough to eat, as you know.

 

[darkside]

Yep that's a Kereru or wood pigeon.
Slice the paua thin and fry it fast with a dash of chili oil is my favorite. No need for it to be tough.

 

[darkside]

Left Stewart Island in fog that lifted fairly quickly. Veru nice sea conditions for Foveaux Straight. The wind was unfavorable further north so we anchored in the Catlins for a while and headed off at 1am to make Port Otago in daylight. A few cruise ships and fishing trawlers to avoid on the way. Tied up on a pontoon at a marina for the first time in a while.

 

[Peter B]

Ross, did you not explore Patterson's Inlet..? Schedule too tight..? If you missed it that's a shame. Maybe next time..?

 

[darkside]

We spent four nights in Patterson Inlet all in Glory Cove which has the best protection. They also have kiwi spotting tours every night there from dusk till 1am.
Patterson inlet is a nice area for sure. Ulva Island is an easily accessible bird sanctuary.

 

[darkside]

Our tracks in Patterson

 

[Peter B]

So pleased you didn't miss out on that. Did you have a chance to visit the cute wee house on Ulva, (if it's still there?), originally the alternative home of the late NZ author Olga Sanson, called Kidney Fern. When we went there she was still living in it, and knew our relatives so we had a close-up. What an idyllic setting. Like something out of Alice in Wonderland or similar. She had just lightly tamed the native bush as her garden. Simply amazing..!
These folk on a boat built like the Dashew's Windhorse compiled this... Stuart island – Ulva and Kidney Fern | M/Y Iron Lady

 

[darkside]

Yes the house is still there and has been extended a bit. It's owned by the Hunter family now. We know some of the Hunters so we made sure to visit.
That blog has some stunning pictures

 

[darkside]

We left Dunedin early bound for Akaroa. Another cruise ship entering as we left the heads.
We had a building following sea and more wind than forecast so were pleased to get into the shelter of Akaroa.
The paravane stabilised Acheron was moored behind us, one of the few NZ power boats to circumnavigate.
Akaroa was a French settlement and still retains that feel. Nice meal ashore, fueled up and ready to press on North.
There is a big high pressure system crossing New Zealand after Cyclone Hale caused some damage in the north last week. We plan to take advantage of the lighter conditions to get further north.

 

[darkside]

Easy run around Banks Peninsula, passed the whale watching area of Kaikoura and into Wellington for the night.

 

[darkside]

Left Wellington early and caught up with a friend in Cook Strait. They are following us around Palliser and on up to Napier today

 

[darkside]

Nice run around the Capes Palliser, Turnagain and Kidnappers and into Napier.
Turnagain was named by Cook, who, after battling a Southerly, decided to turn around, sail right around the North Island and back to Cape Turnagain. And then continued back south completing his survey.
Tied up at the same dock in front of the Napier sailing club that we used in 1982 bringing my Dad's trawler north.

 

[klee wyck]

Nice run around the Capes Palliser, Turnagain and Kidnappers and into Napier.
Turnagain was named by Cook, who, after battling a Southerly, decided to turn around, sail right around the North Island and back to Cape Turnagain. And then continued back south completing his survey.
Tied up at the same dock in front of the Napier sailing club that we used in 1982 bringing my Dad's trawler north.View attachment 135089View attachment 135090View attachment 135091View attachment 135092

This is unbelievable, you are not even breathing hard! Cap and craft making this look easy and by reputation, it is surely not.
Bravo!

 

[Southern Boater]

Appreciate the updates D, a great trip and a great achievement

 

[twistedtree]

Wow, you flew up the east coast of the south island.

 

[Peter B]

Your pic of the Napier Sailing Club dock brought back some memories Ross. Our family had a trailer yacht on the hard there for many years before we moved to Brisbane, although we lived in Hastings, the inland twin city in Hawkes Bay.

Actually we did bring our last boat, a Gazelle 26 maxi trailer yacht, over as deck cargo, using it effectively as a container to bring enough stuff to set us up in a rental until our container of household belongings caught up with us. We sailed it for a couple of years here in Moreton Bay, but finally sold it because we found this bay was far more suited to the trawler, or power cruiser type of vessel, especially for better protection from the sun. That and all the shoals and the wind always in the wrong bl**dy direction..! Hence we ultimately ended up with a Cuddles 35, then later a Clipper (CHB) 34 trawler style cruiser. 'nuff said..?

 

[darkside]

Today marks six weeks for the trip. Roughly as long as I can be away from my business at present. We have gone pretty quick up the coast as we have a nice, shallow, fat, high pressure that is centered very far south. In other words very stable weather that suits a smaller boat like ours.
Only a short run today around Portland Island at the base of Mahia Peninsula and into Gisborne.
That's Cathy's home town during her high school years and it's her birthday tomorrow. So a lay day.
Peter we came into Moreton Bay 20 some years ago on our sail cat in a decent thunder storm with cells that dense they looked like ships on the radar. One caught us and we just lay ahull triple reefed. Unusual tactic on a sail cat but we were just fine, waited out the torrential rain and about 30kn I guess to pass and carried on into Redcliffe to clear customs

 

[Peter B]

Seems I share something with Cathy, who I presume is your better half and first mate..? I happen to have been born and spent the first 16 years of my life there in Gisborne and surroundings. Went to Boy's High. Is that Young Nicks Head in the background in that last pic..?
That sure is a big fat high pressure system. Sea should be pretty flat for the next leg. Will that be done in one hit up round East Cape and back to Tauranga, or will you lay over somewhere, although unless Hicks Bay is sheltered enough, there aren't many sheltered anchorages until you get back home really..? But that's a long haul. Maybe Whakatane..?

 

[darkside]

Peter that pic was Portland Island.
We have ended up waiting for weather as another ex tropical low heads south. May head off tomorrow or Friday.
I don't think Hicks will offer much shelter given the size of the swell although I have stopped there before. Probably head for Tauranga or Whitianga.