Paradise Bay

Ade and Janice

Janice and Helen

Joe catches his first fish ever

Passing a mussel barge in the channel

Entering Havelock

Departed Havelock dead LW (neaps) to see just where the mud is. Local skipper Pat Copp with us, advising. 7 POB {Sue, Steve, Pat, Helen, Janice, Adrienne, and some random German guy} 1 DOB {Poppy}. Anchored in Paradise Bay. Back on the berth about 6pm. Stayed aboard.

Inaugural cruise

Poppy on watch

Bex, Ryan, Pat, Steve

Sue and Ryan

Our inaugural trip out of Havelock Marina. We stayed on board on the Friday night and it was windy with things rattling and ropes creaking. Day started 20 knots from North West easing and 4/8 cover clearing. Departed at 10:00 6POB {Sue, Stephen, Bex, Ryan, Pat, Colin} 1DOB {Poppy}. Poppy's first trick as ship's dog. Local skipper Pat Copp engaged as pilot to show us the channel. 11:30 On a CC Buoy south side of Putanui Point. 12:00 Off Raetihi, Kenepuru Sound. 13:30 On the fuel jetty Havelock, took 600 litres. 14:40 Back on berth H8 port side to. Popped some fizz to celebrate our first trip out. Had some sunshine and sat around on deck before packing up. Day ended with 25 knots from SW, 8/8 low cloud, spots of rain.

Ballast

Scrap zincs

Orion carries a small but noticeable starboard list because of the weight of the shower and heads structure on the starboard side aft of the wheelhouse. Brian had dealt to this with water ballast in two bags under the main cabin bench seats. On the trip down from Napier these started leaking and a damp carpet in the cabin and frequent but short duration activation of the aft pump were the signs.  We emptied and removed them. Now we've been shopping for some discarded zincs which we found at Metal Recyclers in Blenheim— $150 for 200 kgs.

Ship's dog

Ship's Dog Poppy

Ship's dog Poppy on gangway duty. There are quite a few dogs along Pier H, and Poppy knows all of them now. Also there is mother duck with her eight chicks. No doubt there are more creatures to be prevented from boarding the Orion unless they can show their credentials. Woof woof.

Arrival Havelock

Orion arrived Havelock

Handed over all shipshape

After a not uneventful voyage from Napier (they towed a yacht that could not start her engine in a dead calm but a bobbly sea from Cape Palliser to Queen Charlotte Sound), and after spending a quiet night in Mahau Sound, Orion and her crew berthed on H8 in Havelock Marina. This is expected to be Orion's home at least for the foreseeable future.

Wanting to show our appreciation beyond just paying the fee and expenses we gave presents of a beautiful decanter of Nelson's Blood to Skipper John Burns and a bottle of Jura "Superstition" single malt to chief mate Peter Browne. 

John Skipper Burns

Peter Browne

Today we have parted the best of friends as they boarded the Bluebridge ferry for home. The weather window that finally got Orion down here is already sliding shut. The barometer is trending down, it's raining, and by Monday a big southerly swell is forecast up both coasts of New Zealand.