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

                                                    

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.

Three somethings wine

Orion at Richmond Bay

Sue and Sandy

Kahawai

At Richmond Sandy caught a beautiful Kahawai, a great specimen. Her tackle was a Shimano Kid Stix 341 (lime green) with a 3/0 jig head and plastic squid skirt. We were careful to bleed the fish. Next day, at Yncyca, we cooked it whole in the oven. We stuffed the cavity with herbs, especially with mint, and put late harvest wine and an orange and some fish stock all in foil around the fish. Cooked for 25 minutes at mark 9. It was very nice to eat, and an easy way to deal with the bones.

It's hard not to catch cod, and of course they have to go back until December 20th. We extract the hook as gently as we can and return them to the water with the net and mostly they swim away fine.

Heard goats at Stafford, but didn't see them. Saw a black billy goat at Richmond.

Stafford the first night, then Richmond the second. Yncyca was a lunchtime stop on the third day. Very hot weather with light winds and a sea breeze in the afternoons. A total of 51.3 miles.