Feisty spring

Kaitaki receiving assistance

Unsettled spring weather has been bordering on the extreme at times. So lucky to have good weather for the Tuia 250 celebrations, shortly to be followed by this: the tug coming out to assist the Kaitaki in northerly winds gusting 50 knots. Oh, and heavy rain! I got soaked taking this picture.

Tuia 250

HMB Endeavour

Tōtaranui 2019

Flotilla approaching Waitohi
November 2019

Marlborough Anniversary

Mussel barge, Māori Bay

Sailed on Saturday morning and arrived Port Ligar around 4pm. Quiet night on our own in Homestead Bay. Amazing fish and phosphorescence in the water. Caught a wee kahawai, big enough for breakfast. Sunday steamed south again to Māori Bay. Beautiful night sky, Orion above and Orion below. Monday morning began foggy and cleared by about 1030 becoming unseasonally hot. Took fuel on the way in. All fast by 1230. Log reading 61 miles.

Two Geordies

Two Geordies, one guitar

A sneaky little weather window presented on the Friday and promised sunshine and variable 10 knot breezes. Threatened sou'easter didn't materialise until the Tuesday. Joined by two neat Geordie guys, Callum and Rob. It was great having them on board for three nights. Chance Bay, Stafford Bay, Take-In Bay. Caught a 44cm Gurnard and plenty of sharks. Steamed 51 miles.

Small job, big improvement

Eyebrow, October 2019

Sue has long maintained that Orion would look better with an eyebrow over the wheelhouse windows. Not to mention the practical thing of keeping the rain off and creating a bit of shade for the helmsperson. Expertly implemented by Roger of Sounds Shipwrights we're really pleased with the result. 

First day of spring

Leaving Richmond

Friday evening the tide didn't serve until well after dark. Big spring tides usually mean driftwood, detritus from the forestry, so it's not so good steaming after dark. Leaving in the morning at this time of year can mean fog, so these are risks one has to manage. 

We elected to sail on the Saturday morning and as it happened there was fog, but by the time we were ready to sail around 9am it had already cleared. We steamed to Richmond and it was all very pleasant, we saw dolphins about a half mile to the west of our track, but we didn't give chase. We saw shearwaters further south than usual. We saw penguins at Tawero which is not unusual. Next day, Sunday, we steamed to Ferndale. 

The Monday was beautiful and we idled in the middle of a flat calm Kenepuru talking on the phone with Nina before heading in on the top of a big tide. Barometer 1025 mb or better the whole time. 60 nm in all.

Mid-winter cruise

Embarkation

Checking the oil

Pukatea inward

Kenepuru from Take-in Bay

Take-in Bay

Ship's Dog

Early departure

Grape Escape leaving Ferndale

Long Bay

Grape Escape leaving Long Bay

After a long run of unsuitable weather and / or tides we managed to pinch a weekend in Long Bay. We had a semi-planned rendezvous with Grape Escape and found them in Ferndale. Some moderate socialising and then a beautiful night and next day. In by 2pm. 26 nm.

Easter moon

Approaching Putanui

Kenepuru Sound

We went on board Thursday afternoon and sailed at 5.15. We used the light of the moon (and the chart plotter) to find the buoy at Raetihi well after sunset. The next night we were at Take-in Bay bathed in moonlight. I took this picture about 4 am.  With rain forecast we headed in on Saturday morning. Steamed 30.3 nm. 

Return to Raetihi

Raetihi foreshore

There was a time when we went to Raetihi a lot. It's lovely there and on a winter's night it's comforting to have the lights of the jetty and the lights of the houses on the opposite shore. This weekend we were back there. Nothing had really changed. Only there is some really bad erosion under the bank and the trees are starting to collapse onto the beach. The logs are moored there as a makeshift bank protection. Went on the fueller on the way back in. Total distance an easy 23 nm. 

Morley and Morley

All aboard

Cool socks

Hello Sailor

Beam me up

So wonderful that this happened. The next day it felt like we'd been dreaming. We got great weather with sunshine and light airs by day and flat calm nights. Cooler than it has been, so good for sleeping, but not quite warm enough for swimming. Terns and penguins, but not so many gannets. Surrounded by school fish each night. Visited Richmond Reef, Ketu Bay, Homestead Bay, and Long Bay on the Kenepuru. Caught cod, and barracuda, and a small kahawai. Grape Escape showed up on the Sunday morning and we exchanged news. Back on the berth after three nights out and logged 72 nm.

End of summer cruise

The Ninepins on a nice day

Ketu Bay 4am

Reading our fish book

Very sharp knife

 Heading home

We got away on the Friday and made it to Ketu no problem. Goofed around on the Saturday and caught a couple of fat cod right there in the bay. In the wee small hours we were totally surrounded by fish, you could see them because of the phosphorescence. A seal was nearby. On the Sunday caught another good cod in the bay, then we went out to Ninepin rock just for a tiki tour and Sue took some photos that she missed last time. Awesome weather, but the days are getting shorter now heralding the end of summer. Stafford for lunch on the way back, and Putanui for tea, then back on the berth by 8 pm. Steamed 65 nautical miles.

Waitangi

Not a groper

Dolphins near Bird Island

Dolphins near Bird Island

Hallam Cove

Gardner atmospherics

Poppy was joined by Fergus for this three-day foray into Pelorus Sound. See the Sea Dogs page for the pictures. Beautiful weather shaped the trip, sunny and never too hot. A SE breeze died away on the first day out giving way to variable 10 for the rest of the trip. Ketu Bay the first night, Homestead Bay the second, and Hallam Cove the third where Mark caught snapper and gurnard. We got out to Ninepin Rock on the Chetwodes twice, once for cod, and once for groper which turned out to be sharks. Bird Island produced an amazing dolphin experience, and we saw dolphins again in Port Ligar. Logged 101nm. 

Early one morning

Island Point seen from Ferndale

Mahau Sound

New Year cruise

Shore leave

Nan and Gary swam each day

The Lytton Water and a nor'wester sky

Nan and Gary joined us for a short New Year cruise. The days were very hot, but the fresh NW breeze made it all bearable. The first afternoon - Sunday - we went up to the top of Nydia to look at the Lodge on the Track. Nan and Gary plan to walk the track. Then we went into Chance Bay and dropped anchor for the night. There were fish and birds and it felt unusually alive. New Year's eve we went and fished over Richmond Reef and scored four good cod. We went over to Yellow Cliffs in Waitata Bay for lunch, a fresh breeze kept us cool.  Later we made our way back to Richmond and picked up the Pohuenui Buoy for the night. We caught a gurnard, which is always the plan. The cod, filleted by Sue and cut into inch-long pieces, fried in FogDog g.f. breadcrumbs, complemented the scampi tails we had bought at Guytens. We had a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, and Nan and Gary brought a bottle of Moet - worse things happen at sea. We loafed around at Richmond in the morning and then steamed for home in the afternoon, all fast by 1640 having covered 63 nm in all. 

Gum Emperor moth
Found on deck after we got in