Circumnavigating NZ.

[ex Elly 220]

The wind station at the end of Banks Peninsula was gusting 40 knots at 8am, and now up to 60knots...

[AJ Oliver 155]

OMG !! Survival conditions - hope the gent makes it. 

Is circumnavigating the isles always that sketchy ? 

[Fogg 427]

He’s currently showing as doing 7kts heading NE which all looks about right.

He’s obviously supremely capable but it must be taking a toll on him being constantly battered in coastal locations which bring different hazards to an open ocean storm.

I hope he gets a reprieve soon to re-energise his psychological batteries.

[2flit 52]

He's almost around the Banks Peninsula with some shelter in it's lee a long way back in.

 

However, this was just posted.....

Tue Sep 29 2020

I am sitting on the floor, wedged between the saloon berths,cold and damp in my wet weather gear. I am watching the clear blue sky through the skylight. Occasionally it goes green as a big wave breaks right over the boat. Inside is a shambles. I would like to be somewhere else.
Things were going fine this morning as we ran before an average gale and everything well under control with one third of the genoa rolled out.
Then things escalated very quickly. Suddenly it was blowing 50 knts. The autopilot was overpowered so I took over. The sea was churned into a froth and the waves rapidly increased in size.It took all my strength to heave on the tiller and keep us in course. I looked behind me and a vertical wall of water loomed right over me. “This is going to hurt”, I muttered to myself as with a roar it broke over the boat and hurled me across the cockpit. Fortunately I had two tethers hooked on and was brought up short before I was smashed against the sides.
I realised I couldn’t keep this up for more than a couple of hours and aimed for the safe haven of Akaroa 10 miles ahead. We struggled on.
Suddenly, in a big gust, the furling line let go and the full genoa instantly deployed. This was disaster. I was suddenly helming a giant wind surfer which was doing 15knts down the waves. At that point the wind rose to 60 knts and we were doomed. I lost control on a big wave and the boat broached, we slewed on our side and the sheet snapped. I managed to haul the helm around, frantically winch in the other sheet and bring us into a heave to situation with the sail aback. Things were not looking good. We were laid on our side. There was far too much sail up, it was flogging terribly, the rig was shaking and the remaining sheet was rapidly sawing itself through on the shroud. I quickly grabbed a spare sheet and made my way up into the mayhem that was happening on the foredeck. With considerable difficulty I rove a new sheet, made my way back and got the furling line onto a winch then let go the windward sheet. It took me five minutes to laboriously furl the sail while it did it’s best to self destruct and shake the mast out of the boat.
Things went quiet. I unleashed the helm and turned us downwind. We have been running ever since under bare poles and making 5 to 10 knots under the relentless wind and giant seas. We get smashed fairly regularly by breaking waves but the boats fine and apart from a wave that just forced the main hatch open and drenched everything we are getting along nicely.
This was forecast to be 35 knts and it sure as hell isn’t. I hope it eases off soon.

 

[TazzyDevil 9]

Sitting in Canterbury now, sure as hell would not like to be out there... it’s cold and the about 40-50kts, not gust just steady, the wind through the shelter belt sounds like a jet plane taking off. See is a foamy mess of white and done decent swell has arrived. Can’t imagine a 10m boat out there.

[Fish 0]

I'm feeling cold and tired just reading this. I'm not sure how much more I can handle...

Tracker shows him doing 7 knts NE, and past Banks Pen right now. Doesn't look like he is trying to (or can) get into the lee and have a rest. With my rudimentary knowledge of that area, the wind would fair funnel out of any of the harbours / bays on the lee side, and would be diabolical trying to get into, wouldn't they?

Edit, Le Bons Bay is currently 27 gusting 40, and had gusts around 60 knts from noon to 3 ish. Lyttleton (on the port break water) is 29 gusting 36 knts but straight down the harbour.

[TazzyDevil 9]

Peninsula is an 800m high ridge dissected by 2- 3nm deep fiord like bays so yep bullets and downdrafts in close, like the barrier only worse. Only place to hide in a southerly blast is purau or pigeon bay really

[2flit 52]

1 hour ago, Fish said:

I'm feeling cold and tired just reading this. I'm not sure how much more I can handle...

Tracker shows him doing 7 knts NE, and past Banks Pen right now. Doesn't look like he is trying to (or can) get into the lee and have a rest. With my rudimentary knowledge of that area, the wind would fair funnel out of any of the harbours / bays on the lee side, and would be diabolical trying to get into, wouldn't they?

Edit, Le Bons Bay is currently 27 gusting 40, and had gusts around 60 knts from noon to 3 ish. Lyttleton (on the port break water) is 29 gusting 36 knts but straight down the harbour.

It looks like it will settle down quite a bit by late morning tomorrow (Wednesday). I think the loss of his engine is tending to keep him out at sea a bit more now.

[Fogg 427]

Thinking ahead to the day he (hopefully) makes it back to Waiheke I reckon this guy deserves a hero’s welcome.

Anyone else think we should welcome him back with a little convoy?

I would say weather permitting - but after what he’s been through I feel a bit bad being picky if it’s a bit wet & windy on the day he returns to the Gulf! 😳

[Fogg 427]

What happened this morning

Tue Sep 29 2020

I am sitting on the floor, wedged between the saloon berths,cold and damp in my wet weather gear. I am watching the clear blue sky through the skylight. Occasionally it goes green as a big wave breaks right over the boat. Inside is a shambles. I would like to be somewhere else.
Things were going fine this morning as we ran before an average gale and everything well under control with one third of the genoa rolled out.
Then things escalated very quickly. Suddenly it was blowing 50 knts. The autopilot was overpowered so I took over. The sea was churned into a froth and the waves rapidly increased in size.It took all my strength to heave on the tiller and keep us in course. I looked behind me and a vertical wall of water loomed right over me. “This is going to hurt”, I muttered to myself as with a roar it broke over the boat and hurled me across the cockpit. Fortunately I had two tethers hooked on and was brought up short before I was smashed against the sides.
I realised I couldn’t keep this up for more than a couple of hours and aimed for the safe haven of Akaroa 10 miles ahead. We struggled on.
Suddenly, in a big gust, the furling line let go and the full genoa instantly deployed. This was disaster. I was suddenly helming a giant wind surfer which was doing 15knts down the waves. At that point the wind rose to 60 knts and we were doomed. I lost control on a big wave and the boat broached, we slewed on our side and the sheet snapped. I managed to haul the helm around, frantically winch in the other sheet and bring us into a heave to situation with the sail aback. Things were not looking good. We were laid on our side. There was far too much sail up, it was flogging terribly, the rig was shaking and the remaining sheet was rapidly sawing itself through on the shroud. I quickly grabbed a spare sheet and made my way up into the mayhem that was happening on the foredeck. With considerable difficulty I rove a new sheet, made my way back and got the furling line onto a winch then let go the windward sheet. It took me five minutes to laboriously furl the sail while it did it’s best to self destruct and shake the mast out of the boat.
Things went quiet. I unleashed the helm and turned us downwind. We have been running ever since under bare poles and making 5 to 10 knots under the relentless wind and giant seas. We get smashed fairly regularly by breaking waves but the boats fine and apart from a wave that just forced the main hatch open and drenched everything we are getting along nicely.
This was forecast to be 35 knts and it sure as hell isn’t. I hope it eases off soon.

[Rangi1 51]

This guy is amazing. Donation made. 

[Tillsbury 5]

Thank goodness it's gone flat calm down here this morning, although still chilly. I wonder whether he's in a position to turn for Lyttelton now things have settled down or continues north.

[2flit 52]

17 minutes ago, Tillsbury said:

Thank goodness it's gone flat calm down here this morning, although still chilly. I wonder whether he's in a position to turn for Lyttelton now things have settled down or continues north.

For his Tracker Position: My Predict Wind still shows 19.0 kn wind and 15.7 foot seas at 7AM to  8:30AM this morning. There is most certainly an old rough sea out there

[Fish 0]

49 minutes ago, Tillsbury said:

Thank goodness it's gone flat calm down here this morning, although still chilly. I wonder whether he's in a position to turn for Lyttelton now things have settled down or continues north.

Looking at his tracker location, he's closer to Wellington now than Lyttleton, which is dead upwind. If he doesn't go in there the next opportunity to stop would be Napier. Not having sailed into either, I would have thought Wellington much easier without an engine. And he can clean up and rest before the famous Wairarapa coast.

https://www.waihekeworkingsail.org/mikes-journey/follow-mike/

[Tillsbury 5]

24 minutes ago, Fish said:

Looking at his tracker location, he's closer to Wellington now than Lyttleton, which is dead upwind. If he doesn't go in there the next opportunity to stop would be Napier. Not having sailed into either, I would have thought Wellington much easier without an engine. And he can clean up and rest before the famous Wairarapa coast.

https://www.waihekeworkingsail.org/mikes-journey/follow-mike/

From his position now it's looking like he's no intention of going to Wellington.  But since the only point in him stopping either there or in Napier would be to get things organised he might well not do so.  This morning's report shows things calming down and things should get significantly quieter as he runs up the north island coast.  If he were desperate for a stop he might have thought about Wellington, but assuming he passes on that I can't see why he'd bother stopping in Napier unless his supplies are getting low.

[Fish 0]

Agreed. And not going into a harbour negates any of the issues of not having an engine. He could keep on going, get back to Waiheke, sail into a bay and just drop the anchor.

[Tillsbury 5]

Yes.  He could of course do that in Napier, which would be almost impossible to sail into without perfect conditions, but he could easily dump his anchor and I'm sure someone would happily tow him in.  It just doesn't look to me as if he's in that sort of mood -- he would have done it into Wellington if he were.  Maybe he will be in Napier, or maybe he just decides another couple of days gets him home.

[Jon 391]

Quick look at windyty and he’s got favourable winds for the next 24 to 36 hours

He’s possibly 48 hour off Napier then 6 days of either not much or strong head winds

If it was me I’d be heading for Napier, someone there will tow him in.

But if the motor needs to be rebuilt, as in out of boat to replace the shaft driving the pump, I’d think he will just keep sailing for Waiheke.
 

Time will tell

[ex Elly 220]

So glad he survived the night!  Must have been horrible.  

His major problem was caused by the furler malfunctioning.  Shows that you need a good furling system to survive 60 knots.

However the top boats in the Golden Globe Race all used furlers, except one.

 

[Theseus 1]

I've enjoyed reading about his adventure but was worried about his abrupt course change south of Banks peninsula. It quite different reading a sailing story happening in real time.

What I'm curious about is how his electrics will last. He seems to have a lot of electronics and an auto pilot. I think he has a wind generator but in my limited experience they can be a pain in strong winds. He can't run his motor to charge his batteries, so will they last for another week plus?