Week-long cruise

We steamed 144 miles around the Sounds in a week, starting from Havelock and visiting: Ketu Bay, Goat Point, Maori Bay in Port Ligar, Waterfall Bay, Orchard Bay, Richmond Reef, Waitata Bay, passing close by Maud Island, Tawhitinui Island, Penzance, World's End, Duncan Bay, Te Rawa Lodge in Wilson Bay, Chance Bay, Raetihi Lodge in Kenepuru Sound, and on the last night Putanui West and North buoys as we dodged the weather. We caught kingfish, blue cod, gurnard, garfish, and a ray. We saw penguins, gannets, terns, and a seal. All systems worked well except the big freezer, but eight bags of ice almost made it to the end of the trip. Great mission!

Duffers Reef

Ryan and Bex letting go of work

Waitangi weekend we all took a day's leave on the Friday, to make it a four-day weekend. We didn't know we were going as far as Duffers Reef, but we were planning to catch fish. Poppy seems to be saying, "Poor deluded creatures".

We venture forth

At Richmond Reef too many are juveniles

Too many kingfish turn out to be barracuda

Next day we continue north

Duffers Reef

Although it looks like a nice day in the photograph, it was by then - early on the Saturday morning - SE 4 rising 6 with a gale warning in place. There's a big fetch up the side of Forsyth Island. We hung about for twenty minutes and pulled the pin. We spent some time fishing Post Office Point in the lee of the southerly, but with limited success. That night we sheltered in Waitata Bay.

Next day - the Sunday - the forecast was SE 25 knots easing, and by the time Caleb and Bex had made everyone breakfast the wind had eased a lot. We set forth once again for Duffers Reef and Goat Point.

Goat Point on the Sunday

Working close in with 10 to 25 metres depth

Sue with a decent sized Blue Cod

Scarlet Wrasse (we think)

Perch (going back)

Tired but happy

Fortunately...

somebody knows how to fillet

Just too much excitement

Duffers Reef and Goat Point

A south-easterly air flow maintained throughout the weekend, temperatures were pleasant around 21 degrees. Nights we anchored in Ketu, Waitata, and Chance Bays. We also anchored in Richmond Bay for lunch on the Friday and Wynans Bay for breakfast on the Saturday and Richmond Bay again on the way South. We steamed 107 nautical miles and consumed around 200 litres of diesel, 800 litres of water, less than one bottle of gas, and six bags of ice. Not to mention quite a few bottles of cider and wine and a lot of food.

Janice and tribe

Nine PoB, One DoB

Embarkation

Messing about in boats

All too much

Tuesday sailed from Havelock with 9 PoB 1 DoB our largest crew yet. Two days of glorious weather on the buoy at Putanui North. Canon bombing, swimming, kayaking, calls echo-ing back off the bush. One pipefish captured and inspected in the blue bucket. By night the Milky Way aloft, and flat calms to sleep by. No fish to be had this time, but hey, it's always worth a try.

Accurately targeting anything

Thursday morning, with a change in the weather, headed back into Havelock before breakfast. A very good experience for everybody, and for some their first experience of this kind of boating.

New Year cruise

Ferndale Bay for New Year's eve

Te Mahia jetty

Cruised Hikapu Reach on the Wednesday stopping the night in Jacob's Bay and going as far as Old Homewood Bay next morning. Then into Kenepuru on the Thursday picking up Colin from Te Mahia jetty, fishing off Schnapper Point, and settling in for the evening in Ferndale Bay. Dressed overall with bunting, pottered off to our bunks somewhat before midnight, and said "Happy New Year" in the morning. A gentle introduction to 2016. New Year's Day cruised around in the Kenepuru, heading home mid afternoon.

Christmas 2015

Christmas tree in Orion's wheelhouse

Putanui West

Orion lying Putanui West buoy

Two glorious days and nights of calm, hot days. Just Sue, me, and the dog. Waved hello to some people on the second day, but really just had the place to ourselves. Went out on deck in the middle of the second night... the sea was like glass, a plane of obsidian black you couldn't see nor barely sense and in the firmament above Orion and the Southern Cross charting our position in time and space. Recommended R-n-R.  Amusingly, it looks like a party of three sitting on the aft deck, but it is just Sue sitting between the two aft bitts.

Pelorus River

Off Havelock Slipway

Sue drove around to the slipway in the car with Poppy, and took this picture while we were waiting for the yard to adjust the cradle. It was a big tide and it stood for an hour at least.

Oh, joy!

We got the news we'd be going back in the water Saturday. She went afloat no problem, and Joseph Griffiths had the wheel again for his knowledge of the narrow channel: "Don't look at your depth sounder, you're better not to know."

Joseph on the wheel

Oh, joy! We have been afloat for 48 hours now, and the pump has yet to go off. I looked - no water, wow! All this was, it was a butt joint and Alan (shipwright) couldn't say whether it was a nail hole or the caulking in the butt itself that was letting water in. Anyway he replaced two nails with silicon bronze screws, and caulked the joint, and it's tight. As is the weepy transducer, all dry now. Also fixed the wee bump on the stem (long delay shifting gears when you have a Gardner idling at only 420 rpm married to a Twin Disc reduction gearbox, more bumps likely in the future) and sharpened up the boot topping (thank you Wayne). Also followed the 'O' Bros advice to reduce the zinc and bonded the remaining anode to the aft bearing housing, thanks to Joseph for your work on this. In a very good space right now.

Brief haulout

Hauled at Havelock Slipway

We have hauled out to do a few minor jobs: inspect the hull after the delivery trip; fix a few minor leaks; reduce the zincs. Joseph Griffiths went on the wheel, negotiated the narrow channel, and put her on the cradle. Took a couple of goes to get the cradle right, but then she sat very nicely. 

Creature comforts

Bunks made up in the fore end

Pictures of Tangaroa and Amazon

Cabin lamp and picture of WT28

Sue has been busy painting in the fore end, and making up the bunks, which just makes the whole thing look really inviting. The cabin lamp is not wired yet, but we'll find a nice warm LED if we can, and there are two more brass lamps to go in the corners and light the table. We're keeping the CCFLs Brian originally fitted because they're nicely installed and if not particularly moody, they're useful when you want to see what you're doing. The engine room has gained some LEDs too which has reduced the load should we be stopped and fixing something in there while away from shore power.

Engine room LEDs