Labour Day weekend 2023

We had a couple of good dolphin encounters. It felt very spring-like in the sounds with lots of shearwaters and rarer sooty shearwaters too. Cooler temperatures kept us in the wheelhouse most of the trip. Parked in Ketu two nights and steamed 54 nm.

Ship's dog

Beginning-of-winter cruise

Foggy day in Beatrix

Seagull raiding the bait table

Dolphin guiding us in

Sailed on the Friday, on the club mooring in Mary's Bay that night. Next day dawned foggy... thick fog. Got underway mid morning and mooched about fishing. A few cod, but not keepers. Beautiful views as the sun penetrated the fog. Wonderfully quiet and calm. We were headed north for Piripaua, the narrow neck separating Beatrix from Forsyth, when we were joined by a dolphin who rode the bow and showed us the way. That night—Saturday—we anchored in Mary's Bay, Lady Allison lying to the club mooring. Headed south on Sunday, 45.5 nm.

New Year 2021

Nina on watch, Outer Sounds

Dolphins at Post Office Point

Gardner in full song

This year's New Year cruise defined by the best dolphin experience ever.  A large pod of what we think were common dolphin approached on our starboard bow, passed under the boat, and surfaced on our port quarter. Fortunately, Nina was quick to grab her phone and capture the clip above. Fishing was good. We've got a thing about only catching what we'll eat, and so we put one kahawai and four fat cod in the fridge. Overnighted in: Kauauroa Bay, Ngawhakawhiti, and Chance Bay. Logged 72.2 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. 

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.

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. 

Dolphins in Kenepuru Sound

We were on the buoy at Raetihi when Sue spotted splashing over towards Schnapper Point. We got underway immediately and found a pod of Dusky dolphins fishing. We followed them at a respectful distance as they made their way down the sound.

Easter 2017

Cyclone Cook

Easter Bunny

Homestead Bay

Waterfall Bay

Port Ligar

Namaste

Seals and dolphins

Had planned to sail on the Friday, but waited for cyclone Cook to move away to the east and sailed 1000 on the Saturday. All fast to the buoy in Homestead Bay passage time 3hrs 50mins running at just 1000 rpm with the ebb. Easter Sunday we chilled in Homestead Bay, seals fishing all around us. Drinks on Orion with Graham and Jane from Namaste. Heavy rain overnight and a fresh NE breeze in the morning. Coffee aboard Namaste, then departed 1200. Dolphins bow riding as we left Port Ligar for fishing off Burnt Point; three cod were keepers. All fast Snug Cove, Ketu by 1500. Tuesday we departed Ketu at 0920 and headed south. Beautiful trip back, calm and sunny. All fast H8 Havelock by 1315.

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.

Bay of Plenty

Peter Browne, Mate

Dolphins bow riding

More dolphins bow riding

White Island anchorage