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.

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

                                                    

God's backstays

At anchor in Chance Bay
Picture by Erin Giles

Nelson Anniversary Day

Windlass fixed, lying to anchor

Grape Escape in Chance Bay

Sailboat in the Kenepuru

1000 hours since the rebuild

Friday night we headed for Māori Bay, looking for a shady spot in the intensely hot weather. The buoy was occupied so we carried on to Chance Bay. Saturday night Grape Escape came and anchored nearby. Sunday morning we headed north towards Crail Bay and the gannet colony where we caught exactly zero fish. After lunch on the Hemphill buoy at Mary Bay we turned over 1000 hours since the engine was rebuilt. Monday (Nelson Anniversary Day) we went up into the Kenepuru and sweltered. In by 17:30 and 48 miles logged.