Jump to content

Mana to Golden Bay


Recommended Posts

Hello all

 

I am looking at taking an h28 from Mana over into Golden Bay around end of October.

Was thinking Mana -> D'Urville, hole up there for the night, then across Tasman bay to Pohara.

 

Anyone have any idea of the conditions going across to D'Urville, and a good spot to spend the night?

I hear we may be beating NW up to D'Urville, but that Tasman Bay is usually a nice sail.

 

Also, how long would the legs roughly take?

 

Cheers,

 

Nick

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Dellboy,

 

Probably best to look at slipping down the east side of Durville and through French Pass, but make sure you get the tide right for the pass. Nice place to stop is Catherine Cove, not to far from French Pass on the North side. Lots of club mornings in there. Once you are through French Pass and into Tasman Bay head across to Abel Tasman. Then the world is your oyster!

 

Tb

Link to post
Share on other sites

NW. ALL the time. More so closer to cook Strait. Use the Moorings in Catherine Cove, it can be very windy in there in a NW gale. You can go ashore to wilderness lodge, always used to be a good meal.

Use the main pass at French pass. Go at slack water or just after, with the tide with you. Stay in the centre, on the tongue of clear water, and take the bottom wave just off to one side from the v where the two waves meet. There can be strong whirlpools on the eddy lines. Perfectly safe, but be ready for sudden course changes in the turbulence after the waves! It's a cool place, and spectacular.

Link to post
Share on other sites

IT we definitely aren't doing typical weather in Welly at present, about two weeks with hardly a sniff of anything from the north, lots of light southerly (very nice crossing from Mana weather) and easterlies ( i didn't realise we even had wind from the east in wellington....)

 

However Windfinder is suggesting the return of the NW.... with the occasional bit from N or S

 

If you have the chance to pick your weather I would be looking at N or S to get across, next best option would be not too much NW

Link to post
Share on other sites

NW is still one tack from Mana :-)

The spring equinox approaches, you'll get those NWers back, I bet!

yep.... my home is open to the NW and sheltered from the S, I'm really not missing the NW at present

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just a few hundred metres to the east of  French Pass there is a tiny village (perhaps look with Google Earth). There's a single general and yes they still sell diesel), a jetty and an old school, Plus a Doc motor camp, very basic with col as showers. Out front there are several moorings. Even at the height of Summer there's always a spare mooring or 2. Ask at the shop.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's usually possible to make Cape koamaru from Mana on one tack, even alligator head, sometimes the whole leg to clay point.

Sometimes even laying the brothers is difficult. Correct tides help :-) look in the front section of the cruising guide for times and directions...

If it's hard to lay on the day, Go in Tory channel and via queen Charlotte sound....

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just a few hundred metres to the east of  French Pass there is a tiny village (perhaps look with Google Earth). There's a single general and yes they still sell diesel), a jetty and an old school, Plus a Doc motor camp, very basic with col as showers. Out front there are several moorings. Even at the height of Summer there's always a spare mooring or 2. Ask at the shop.

That would be Elmsie Bay. Really nice spot but probably pretty exposed to much from NE to NW but would be a good spot to stop if anything from the South otherwise Catherine Cove would be the go.

Link to post
Share on other sites

IT has great advice.
The only issues with heading to French pass is the lee side of D'urville will mean a bit of motoring and through the Pass till you are clear of the Island again. Be aware that there is a very dangerous patch of Rocks called the Beef Barrels as you leave the west end of the Pass. And be aware of the Lee shore of the Main land along there. The Norwest can push up some really nasty swells along there and on the West side of the Island. In fact one big issue with the Island on it's west side is the back waves. As the Westerlies push the swells onto shore, they roll back off and create a mishmash of rubbish. As you get across Tasman Bay, the Westerlies tend to lesson intensity. But they can really blow once they get across this side and to the strait and fair rip through the Pass.
If there is a Southerly around the time of leaving, try and catch it. You would get clean across in a Southerly. But Southwesterlies nearly always come across Tasman as a Westerly.
I think it is about 60Nm across to where you want to go. We have sailed across from the West side of the Island to Anchorage in 6hrs.
Fantastic anchorages in Port Hardy end and all the way along the Eastern side of the Island. Not much on the West side, apart from Greville Harbor, which is awesome, but be careful as you can get stuck in there is a Westerly Gale comes up, whch can blow for days on end and produce huge seas locking you off from getting out. Good shelter inside though.
Damn, can't wait to get sailing all around there again this summer.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Heaps of good suggestions. Wheels and IT, as usual, right on the money. D'Urville on both coasts is an awesome adventure. Mana to Port Harby through Stephens Passage or just sail around the island is an easy trip in a Southerly. Port Hardy (Philatee Bay, not sure how you spell that) is just astonishingly beautiful as is the DOC camp just beyond. We always take a couple of riffles (or cameras) as the deer hunting is excellent too. A saunter around the lake at the entrance to Port Hardy is a lovely afternoon and the fishing, wow. If you like snorkeling there are always butter fish. We've never seen a cray down there though.

 

Greville Harbour, with it's boulder bar is one of only a few such perfect examples in the world. As above walks, hunting and primitive DOC camp. Oh and did anyone mention the rock oyster beds at Greville? They've fantastic and so good to eat.

 

Also along the coast between Port Hardy and Greville are wonderful examples of rock folding. If you're interested in a little geology it's a pretty special place.

 

Wheels is right too about the westerley. Boats are often caught up in there for 2-3 days. Big tides too. But there's worse places to be. The anchorages are safe and well protected (mostly) and there are club moorings that are hardly used outside the season. So you can tuck up in their quite safely and enjoy some glamping on your boat. 

 

Now if you need crew to help get across .... 021 157 3594    

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...