Big tides

The creek at Havelock marina

Saturday high water was predicted at 3.1 metres and low water at 0.4 metres. A high barometer 1030 mb likely pushed the water down that bit more. Sunday was more again with a range of 3 metres. On the flood tide, when the sill is covered that's when we know we have enough water to transit the channel.

Dolphins up Kenepuru Sound

Dolphins at Raetihi

They were like a band of marauders, we couldn't count them there were so many. They came heaping it down from St Omer to where we were moored at Raetihi, hung around for a while fishing, and after about fifteen minutes they were off. Made Poppy's day! The video below (1 minute) kind of captures the moment without the feeling of awe and peace that comes with a visitation from marine mammals.

Winter projects

Brass fiddle in main cabin

Eberspächer 4kW

Heating control in main cabin

New freezer compressor and bits

New sounds and bilge pumps rewired

The diesel heater was installed by Phil Martin, along with some other electrical work. Phil's standard of work is excellent and we would recommend him to anybody. Thank you Phil!

The freezer repair was done by John Dey. John went through the system from end to end, paying attention to every small detail. He made a number of changes and the system now runs efficiently again. Thank you John.

Now all that remains is for the light to return to the southern hemisphere and for us to load some friends and go and get it all wet!

QBW16

Fog lifting in Mahau Sound

Sue on the wheel

Poppy drying off after an unscheduled swim

Water taxi taking Bex ashore

Autumn

Early morning fog

It's pretty quiet around here now. A few diehards still make it down to their boats at the weekends. The main interest is the fog which rolls down the Pelorus River valley and hangs around until the sun gets up and burns it off. Poppy had a friend on gangway duty with her today.

Gangway duty

The weather has been a bit muddly and has curtailed trips out. But we've been using the time to do maintenance and renewal. Phil Martin fitted a diesel heater (4kW Eberspacher) and John Dey is going through the main freezer system, making it a bit more reliable: new compressor, fitting a receiver, changing the flexible hose for copper.

Raetihi

Raetihi in autumn

Rudds and Rowles and Poppy row to shore at Raetihi Lodge, Double Bay, Kenepuru. It's sheltered, and the buoy is positioned in deep water well out from the shore. Raetihi Lodge was closed, but we enjoyed landing at the splendid jetty. Fish were driven into the bay in the evening, about one hour after low water.

Back in Havelock, we were just tying up and Lionel Jeffcoat was there watching Orion berth. He came on board and we had a good long talk about wood and boats and other stuff. If you don't know, Lionel is one of the legendary boatbuilders; he has built some fifty-odd boats in his lifetime, some of them not unlike Orion. He was interested to see Harold's workmanship, and was impressed. And all this in the same month as we met with Harold and talked about the yard at Paremata and the boats his father, he, and his brothers built there.

We've fitted a diesel heater (Eberspacher 4kw) and that's going to extend the season right into winter. For just a few litres of diesel a day it pumps warm air into the fore and main cabins, and the warm air rises up the staircase into the wheelhouse reducing condensation.

Easter

Easter at Havelock

Big tides and the Pelorus River in flood meant timber floating everywhere. That, and a hundred and twenty odd trailers in the car parks caused us to stay in the harbour and do some painting. Looking pretty smart right now. Monday we moved onto the fueller and took 376 litres, so now we're topped right up the better to prevent condensation with the warm days and cool nights. Alison Rudduck stayed aboard a couple of nights, enjoying the slow pace of life aboard Orion.

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.