Tag: sailing

  • Hauraki Horizons: Exploring Hauraki Gulf (Tikapa Moana)

    Looking at the big weather coming up, we decided to anchor in well-protected Bon Accord Harbour of Kawau Island, arriving late and anchoring (and re-anchoring) for the upcoming storm. We took a day to explore the trails out of Schoolhouse Bay to the Mansion House and Old Coppermine.  Sir George Grey developed the Mansion House…

  • Bay of Islands & Northland Musings

    Me te titiro whanui, kia koa (Look deeply and learn) Ki nga taonga kei mua i a koe (From your surroundings) Back out on the water in Terikah, two months to explore before our haul-out, we hope to explore as a family, seeing what Aotearoa can teach us along the way. Our first stop, only…

  • Aotearoa Arrival: Opua Marina, Northland

    Tied up to the Opua, Aotearoa (New Zealand) Q-dock at 4:20pm, just in time for the Customs and Biosecurity to inform us that we were the first on their list for the next day. In some ways this was a relief – nothing to do but celebrate our arrival as a family with fresh tuna…

  • Day 7: Land ho! Aotearoa!

    Overnight, just motoring along with no wind, finally dropped that current against us and making good time. It will be close to closing time at the Opua Q-dock, not sure if we’ll make it in time. There is a stream of boats coming from Fiji, Tonga, and New Cal to New Zealand; all of us…

  • Day 6: Passage New Cal to New Zealand

    Overnight, a battery alarm on our starboard engine kept going off. Chris tried a few things but was exhausted and a bit seasick to dig in. We decided to run just the port engine overnight and, with current against us, moved along at a slow 4 knots. Once Chris got up for his 4am watch,…

  • Day 5: Passage New Cal to New Zealand

    Woke up to Chris at the helm, enjoying an excellent sail toward our destination. Winds a perfect 18-20 knots at our fastest point of sail. Seas (both swells from two directions and wind waves) present, but not uncomfortable. We are enjoying the wind while we have it! Even had a small cup of coffee (hadn’t…

  • Day 4: Passage New Cal to New Zealand

    Woke up to a continued current ride, seas forward of the beam, but moving fast – great sailing angle and still with the magical current. We’ve done a great job getting east away from the squall line and now we can correct a bit to south. Ahhhh, what a difference 15 degrees makes – our…

  • Day 3: Passage New Caledonia to New Zealand

    Overnight, continued our same course and sailplan (a reefed main and genoa), waves still forward of the beam. At one point, on my watch, the winds kicked up along with the seas prompting Calder out of bed to see what was going on. He said his feet and legs were lifting off his bed as…

  • Day 2: Passage New Cal to New Zealand

    Overnight, the bucking bronco sensation of the boat (vertical acceleration), combined with the total darkness, caused Cora and I to feel quite seasick. I made it through 3 hours and 15 min of my 4 hour watch, but then had to pass it off early to lay down. Calder saw a brief heavy rainsquall. Otherwise,…

  • Day 1: New Cal to New Zealand

    At 8:25am, we left our mooring ball at Ilot Amendee, next stop Opua, New Zealand (with a possible stop at Norfolk Island along the way). Trying some different seasickness meds for Cora, as the scopolamine patch itself doesn’t make her feel well. While passage planning and looking at all the different variables in this crossing,…