Rigging, Antifouling, Colds Sniffles and collapse.

We have been going for it since our arrival back in NZ. After clearing in with customs and MAF on the night of our arrival we were up and at it the next morning. Our work list included removing the mainsail, boom and solid kicker. The boom and kicker was off for repair. We removed the genoa so we could stitch it up and also to remove the forestay for upgrading as it was stretching under load. While this work was underway we hauled the boat and undertook a clean of the antifouling and recoat of the boat and propeller. We wanted to have the boat set up to spend a year on the mooring in Lyttleton, with little use, before we need to worry about it again. We have also undertaken upgrades to our boom preventer system, fuel supply to our cabin heater, engine service and numerous small jobs. We have now put the rig back together, headed across the sounds to pick up a mooring and collapsed. Nine days on passage and then a week and a half have taken it's toll. Add to this our various cold's, sniffles and lack of sleep we are having a bit of a rest. By rest I actually mean moored up with the sewing machine out making double glazing for our deck hatches. Using the machine with the hand crank has made my arm ache after six hours but we have less condensation now. Might have a lie in tomorrow. Spares are still needed for our engine freshwater circulating pump and we will take this to pieces when we get them.

The Marina and Services available at Picton and Waikawa were great. Berths were not a problem to get and we were told by the Ports of Marlborough Projects Manager that they have never turned boats away and will always find a berth for you. All the businesses in the area (known as the Marlborough Marine Center, which is currently expanding it areas for yachts) came to our aid and undertook the work on our boat straight away. Where we wanted to undertake the work ourselves they were happy to work with us. Many thanks to Sounds Marine (Glen Vander)) for our haulout, Waikawa Rigging (Geoff Robinson) for the work on boom repair and forestay, and to Tony and Sue Cooper of Charter Link Marlborough for there help in all areas and excellent knowledge of how and where to get things done. A great stop for any cruising yacht wanting to do or get work done and have lovely surroundings too.

Lovely to be in the Marlborough Sounds as we have not really looked around here to any degree. We passed through on our return from Campbell and Auckland Islands, and visited once when we sailed down to Wellington in 1997. A great place and remarkably warm all considered. We have had some great frosts on the yacht with real thick ice where water had pooled. However we were toasty down below with the heater on. In general we have the weather not as cold as we expected with some fantastic crisp clear winter days, and cold nights though. We do notice the different humidity with both suffering from dryer skin. In general we were seeing 75% to 90% humidity in the tropics where as here we see 50% to 70%. Mind you turn on the gas stove in the cabin and the humidity climbs and condensation starts.

Work for me lies not far away...........and we get these really descriptive emails from friends currently cruising in Alaska. Yes John, Kris we are jealous and look forward to joining you up there.

Photos: New Caledonia to New Zealand

All calm to begin with

Crew on watch

Things got a bit windier! Down to trisail and No. 2 staysail

Speed 8 knots (that's pretty fast for us)

Welcome to NZ: sunshine in the Marlborough Sounds

Alongside, boom is off being repaired



A quick antifoul while we're here. Note this is before waterblasting etc

Sail repairs

Photos: Lagon Sud

Jim in for a rare swim (well it was cold in New Caledonia!)

Balbuzard nest on Ilot Signal

Sailing between islands

Turtle comes up for breath next to the yacht at L'Ilot Maitre

Yacht anchored at Ile Ndukue (view obtained after a scramble up a near vertical cliff -we found a better way down!)

 

Relaxing in the cockpit

Photos: Baie de Prony

 

View of Baie du Carenage

Morning swim at Casy

Ruins of convict settlement at Prony village

Old railway line from one of the many abaandoned mines in the area

Elenya from Ile Casy

Cairns on top of Casy

Photos: L'Ilot Amadee

l'Ilot Amadee

Lighthouse from ashore

Remora next to the yacht - swim anyone!!

Tricot raye (banded sea snake)

Tricot raye making its way up the beach

Dodgy Jim's school of diving!

Photos: Ile des Pins

Baie de Kuto

Not much security!

 
                                          
Ruins of convict (political exiles) settlement on the Ile des Pins

View of Baie de Kuto from Pic Nga

Photos: Guam to New Caledonia passage

Stowaway on board

NZ Arrival

Heading in to the Marlborough Sounds

Got up this morning to find ice on deck...welcome to NZ!

Coming in from sea, our first view of NZ were glimpses of dark hills in the distance, appearing and disappearing behind the clouds. As we got closer we could see dark forbidding cliffs shrouded in grey cloud as we passed Stephen's Island. We had enjoyed a good run in to the Sounds, a bit of motoring as the wind died but the sea also dropped so conditions were not too uncomfortable and we managed to not be too knocked by tides and the incoming southerly. We rounded Cape Jackson just on a beautiful sunset and motored up to Picton, by now the clouds had cleared and it was a glorious starry night if a bit chilly with the odd blast of bitter southerly wind at times (notably some people were down below huddling around the diesel heater drinking tea, leaving me to pilot the yacht in.) As the heater had not been used for some time, lighting it involved filling the cabin up with smoke and fumes several times.

We made landfall at Picton about 2200 on Monday night, customs and MAF were nearly as pleased as us that we had made good time and were earlier than our ETA of 0200 Tuesday morning. After we had completed the official formalities (the usual friendly, efficient, excellent service we've found in NZ) we picked up a mooring for the night and enjoyed a calm night's sleep (broken only by large rumblings from the Cook Strait ferries that seemed to be trying to berth next to us!).

Tuesday morning dawned crystal clear, not a cloud in the sky, views of the green hills and blue sea of the Marlborough Sounds disappearing into the distance. After a quick dash ashore to get some provisions for breakfast, we headed around around to Waikawa, where a friend had organized a berth and was there to take our lines. We spent the day organizing the jobs that need doing, notably getting the boom fixed, followed by hot showers, then cold NZ beer and a meal at the local pub...bliss.

Thanks to all the people who helped make this this passage a good one including: our crew Alasdair who managed to put up with us for the duration, NZ customs, MAF, maritime radio, the winlink radio operators and Tony (Charterlink Marlborough).

Look mum..... no hands!

Our speed continues to be good with 169 and 165 miles for the last two days. The wind is up a bit more now and we are down to Trisail, No.2 staysail and about 1/4 of the Genoa. This has slowed us down to about 6.7 knots which is proving very comfortable. We were up at 7.8 to over 8 knots which, while great for progress was a bit uncomfortable and a pushing it a bit. The seas are remarkably flat with about a 4m swell well spaced out. We can now hear the Radio New Zealand National program and were greeted by the weather warning for gales and strong winds for the west coast around Mount Taranaki. Luckily we will be rounding Mount Egmont so will be fine.

With the rain, water across the deck and a closed up boat we are getting condensation down below now. A bit of a light shower below the metal hatch surrounds. "Everyone stop breathing out so much". Cooking below adds a fair bit to this although the trusty pressure cooker helps to minimise steam, and keep the food in the pot when we lurch over after the odd large wave hits us (saves stirring the pot by hand).

The temperature has stayed remarkably warm with 19 degrees C in the cabin at present. I have a feeling it will get a bit colder on the other side of the coming weather front. Still we have the cabin heater ready to go as soon as we get into calm waters of the Marlborough Sounds. We also have a nice bottle of Syrah from Owhanake Bay Estate to celebrate our arrival. We will be nice and snug in the cabin with a fire flickering in the heater and a glass of wine in hand by the time you can say 'all fast alongside'. Thanks Mike and Christy.

In the mean time we will remain still pretty snug in the as the waves pass over the deck as it appears no one is keen to keep a watch from the cockpit at present. Luckily the dog house provides a great spot to lookout from and watch the boat sailing along by herself, and perhaps we may see a ship.

Thanks Tony got your message. We will pop over once we have cleared customs etc. Will call on the VHF.

Friendly faces and familiar voices

Passed halfway now. Daily runs continue to be good with our worst run so far of 141 miles and best of 151 miles. Todays run should be about 150. Not shabby runs for our heavy old girl of 32 foot on the waterline. Weather continues to be good with winds between 15 and 25 knots. We have managed to reach (wind on the beam) all the way so far with just the odd trim of the sail or reef put in. At present we have a staysail, genoa and triple reefed main, nursing that boom! The wind is now in the North and we are on a course of 138 (T) which will take us all the way to the entrance to the Marlborough Sounds. A change of wind direction to the west in a couple of days will mean our first sail maneuver for the voyage, a gybe, but the wind should be stronger then so we will be down to the trisail.

Signs of our arrival home are appearing all around us (or should that be brining our home home?). The Albatross are always lovely company with their faces watching you as they glide past. Our bird book has been out a few times to help identify a bird we haven't seen for some time. Familiar voices are also there on our HF radio. We are reporting daily to Taupo Maritime Radio, and the voice at the other end is very familiar from our many years working ships round the NZ coast and our sailing. Hello to all at Maritime Radio if you ever read this. Nice to hear a familiar and friendly voice, and many thanks for always being there the instant we call.

We are heading for Picton now rather than Nelson. This will allow us to get the boom fixed and do some cruising there while the work is underway. Thanks Evan for the reminder that work is fast approaching.

Last night I heard the sound of running water. Not a sound that goes down well on a boat out at sea. It was about midnight as we had just finished a handover of the watch. I tracked thee noise to the heads (bathroom) and found Alasdair our friend and crew, fully dressed standing under the running shower. Mmmm some strange habit maybe? He had knocked the shower tap on and was trying, unsuccessfully to turn it off. Whilst a shower is a nice thought I think I'll stick to a flannel wash and have a nice warm shower in Picton. I do feel for the Customs and MAF Biosecurity staff clearing in a yacht after all those days at sea, and before we have that shower.

Going at a crack'n rate

We are moving at a good pace south now. The SE trades are being left behind and we are headed into the back half of a high pressure area. Wind has moved into the E x S and should continue to back towards NE. Hopefully we will then be positioned for a straight run into Nelson that will allow us a reach even if the winds head round to SW after an approaching front/through in a few days. Speeds are looking good with 6.8 on the log at present and 454 miles done in 74 hours, a 6.1 knot average.

A double reef has just been tucked in the main, down from full. A few rolls in the Genoa and a No2 staysail set. We are nursing the boom as the crack in the weld for the kicking strap attachment has spread to about 1/3 round the boom. We have drilled the ends of the crack and taken all pressure of the kicker. Ever the optimist I was hoping it would last to Nelson where good repairs can be made, or a new boom constructed. Time will tell. We will keep load to a minimum and our route should give us easy sailing, we hope.

Our first Albatross has been sighted which was very nice.

Clean clothes, shoes and bottoms. We're off and away.....

We have now cleared out of New Caledonia with our next port (all going well) as Nelson. A quick walk round three offices (Customs, Immigration and Port Captain) saw the paperwork completed for New Caledonia. We also emailed New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity a form to say who we are and where we are headed. Updates to our ETA will be sent to customs as we progress on the trip.

The preparations for our return to NZ have seen us with all our clothes out checking seams and pockets, inside and out for seeds and mud. Luckily we have not used many clothes in the tropics so this only took a few hours one evening. When we visited the subantarctic islands of Auckland and Campbell this was a daily task between different landings, and also involved disinfecting our boots. Our jandals are clean and ready for service when we get to NZ (or maybe not realy required for service).

The bottom of the boat also got a good clean. We keep the bottom clean anyway as it means we go faster. Being divers the cleaning is easy. We finished the clean with three bottles of air and this included a complete sand down with wet'n'dry abrasive, and the propeller polished with a fine wet'n'dry. Again this was the same procedure for the subantarctic islands and for our visit to Raoul Island.

In all other respects the boat is ready to go. Fuel is topped up (duty free fuel) decks are clear and all vents are sealed tight. The anchor is lashed and the pipe is plugged. Crew are all relaxed and the weather for the first few days is looking good with SE trades. Our plan is to head SW and then S as the wind swings to the N with the approaching high in the Tasman. This willo hopefully put us in a position to reach into Tasman bay when the wind comes round to SW after the High. In reality we will get snotted at some point and be looking forward to a calm marina berth, a meal and get the cabin heater going in Nelson. We will be in contact with New Zealands Maritime Radio as we progress on the passage and will update ETA and positions to them.

Bread baking and muffin making going on aboard today,also pasta meals underway for the first few days. This will be Alasdair's (our crew) first offshore sail. Good sport to try a winter Tasman trip!!! Underway first thing Saturday morning.