Christmas 2025

 

Barnacle Bill and Pete

A pleasant Christmas spent at Ferndale sheltering from a NW gale. So wet and windy this year, and no let up. Barnacle Bill Stevenson and Pete turned up in Stella Miro and spent the day in company with us. Nina made five for Christmas lunch in the Regency Room on Orion. Sorry Maggie, six. We were back in Picton for New Year and in bed early, so no Barcelona pumping out over the speakers this year.

Christmas 2024

 

H8 the day before we sailed. What was nice this year was the way the dates fell, we had a gentle lead in. Recommended.

Christmas 2023

Nina flew in early afternoon on the Friday and we sailed without delay. First night in K-Bay then the next day found us fishing on our old fave mark near Bird Island. I had caught one decent cod already, and we soon had 5 more; we headed over to Homestead Bay. 

Sunday (Christmas Eve) we made our way south to the Kenepuru. We were approached by the Fisheries Patrol and were not boarded. With every buoy occupied, we anchored in 8 metres at a new spot immediately west of Weka Point. In the act of anchoring, the windlass packed a big sad. It's a great anchorage and we will return here. 

Spent a very pleasant Christmas Day. Around mid-day hooners and biscuiters came out and roared around, which was fun. Then it all went quiet again. Especially towards the end of the day the weather was lovely, hot and calm. I had caught a small snapper already, but in the afternoon—having deployed the prawn heads as burley—Nina was near one of the rods when we caught a big snapper. She reeled in handsomely and (for the first and only time in years) we had actually caught a snapper in sight of Snapper Point... and on Christmas Day! 

 

Boxing Day we loafed about in the morning, and were paid a visit by Brett Stanaway from Seabee, anchored across the way. Seabee is not exactly a sister, being a little smaller than Orion. Like Orion she was built at Paremata. In the afternoon we hauled the anchor by hand and headed in. Nina cooked the snapper on passage and we sat at the table down aft in warm sun.

Christmas 2022

This year's Christmas cruise started from Havelock with Nina arriving on the Thursday in rain and Callum arriving on Friday in hot sun. Sailed on Saturday morning around 9.30. Noted that the usual rafts of penguins and shearwaters at Tawero were absent. Looked in at Homestead Bay, but all options taken up. Grape Escape was on Maori Bay which was a good choice. Gannets present, swooping down low over the water. Crossed to Ketu to find the outer buoy vacant and took that. Stayed there Christmas Day (Sunday). 

Moved off the buoy Boxing Day (Monday) for Tennyson Inlet and dropped anchor in Ngawhakawhiti Bay, also known as World's End.

On the Tuesday with freshening SE winds (north of Separation Point) we thought we'd head south. Productive fishing on a favourite mark near the gannet colony. 

And on our last night, a busy sky at sunset. This is one of our most photographed views looking down the length of the Kenepuru. Steamed 96 nm.

Christmas 2021

We sailed on Christmas Eve and went to our old haunt at Take-In Bay. Just did our Christmas thing the way we like to. A bit of a cool breeze from SE, but it didn't stop Sue and Nina from swimming. Nina was so happy to be reunited with Poppy. Big ups to Sue who did all the planning and shopping, forgot nothing, and cooked on Christmas Day.

Poppy and Nina

Sue and Nina, Kenepuru

Coverage

Us

Kenepuru from Take-In Bay

Christmas Day sunset

Christmas 2020

Mackerel sky over Havelock

Scary mussels at Johnson Light

Chess players, Take In Bay

Thunder, lightning, and hail in Chance Bay

Hosing away a ton of ice

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Take In Bay (north) with Jack and Belinda (Sofia) on the south buoy. A mackerel sky might have been taken as a warning, "Mares' tails and mackerel scales make lofty ships to carry low sails", but we enjoyed good weather except for a dramatic thunderstorm shortly after we anchored for Boxing Day lunch in Chance Bay. In just ten minutes an estimated ton of ice collected on the deck. Logged 41.4 nm.

Christmas 2019

Off Richmond

At anchor, Ketu Bay

Callum and Nina

Exchanging Christmas presents

Inflatable banana thing

Callum with four good cod

Anchor party

Callum joined us late morning in Havelock and we sailed at 1615 for Ketu. Oh, the long days of summer! Anchored in Ketu. Beautiful weather over the whole Christmas week and not too hot either. Exchanged presents with Grape Escape on Christmas morning. Visited World's End and Chance Bay, Callum caught gurnard, and we all caught cod down by Bird Island. Saw dolphins, penguins, shearwaters, and gannets. A total of 85.5 nm. 

Sou'easter at Christmas

Grape Escape, Elaine Bay 

Elaine Bay, Christmas Eve

The trip home, Christmas Day

Capsize Point

Comfortable spot, unfazed

Later, aboard Grape Escape

A SE wind at Christmas is not the forecast anyone wants, but hey... when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We were tucked up in about the one place you can really get out of it, Take-in Bay South on the Kenepuru. Then Erin messaged Sue and said they were headed to Tennyson Inlet and we set off to find them. So, Christmas Eve we were in Elaine Bay. We were kind-of sheltered, but there was no escaping the gusts and the lop. Christmas morning dawned shut in with wind and rain. Sue was spotted in her towel when Grape Escape came alongside and said they were heading in. We too headed in and joined them for drinks and eats back in Havelock. Total of 65 miles.

Christmas 2017

Mohitos!

A = Ketu Bay, Snug Cove, Xmas Day
B = Ketu Bay, Onion, Boxing Day

A fine day in Ketu Bay if you exclude
the rain, the cloud, and the wind

Good fishing

Pusser's Rum decanter

Xmas shenanigans

(spot the dog)

Poppy opening her presents from Pinot and Sam

C = Ngawhakawhiti anchorage, Wednesday, Thursday

Orion in Ngawhakawhiti Bay

Namaste dropped anchor nearby

D = Hallam Cove, Friday

Grape Escape in Hallam Cove

We were on board for ten nights, from Thursday, December 21st to Saturday, December 30th and went back to Picton on New Year's Eve. We spent four nights in Snug Cove (Friday - Monday). Grape Escape came alongside Christmas morning and we had breakfast together. We moved to Onion on Boxing Day when the forecast suggested it was going around south-easterly. Wednesday we avoided cabin fever by steaming down to Tennyson Inlet where we caught up with Dion and Sarah on Nightingale. We were at anchor in the southern arm of Ngawhakawhiti Bay for two nights and then steamed to Hallam Cove where we met up again with Grape Escape. The trip was defined by the south-easterly breeze and generally changeable weather. We logged 89 nm.