Jump to content

From North to South


weap10

Recommended Posts

So..

 

If had 3 weeks to sail from Auckland to Dunedin in a 31ft cruising yacht, how would ya go about it? Stay in close and seek shelter when the weather was bad or go out wide and make a straight run for it?

 

Any ideas much appreciated.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Several years ago did a delivery From Akl - Lyt - took 2 weeks on a 65 foot brigantine.

We stopped in Whitianga - to wait for weather to change, Gisborne to swap a few crew out, got a beating off Castle Point (no damage) went back to Napier, re-provisioned then set off again, stuck well off Cook Strait, and had a great sail from well off Kaikoura to Lyttleton.

 

As your yacht probably points better you should do better.

 

Have the charts for ports where you could seek shelter.

We copped a lot of headwinds - none of which was forecast at the strengths we experienced, so be ready to do a bit of back tracking.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks guys,

 

Wheels, I just want to get to Dunedin, will do the exploring when I finally get it home to Milford Sound later in the winter when the weather is a bit more tame.

 

Rigger, I'm sure that would have been some trip on the brig. Cool stuff. Thanks for the advice, I was thinking it was best at the very least to give Cook strait a lot of sea room.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I think that even if you kept out, you still have time to run somewhere if something nasty was on it's way. We had to run for shelter in both Napier and Gisborne and grateful we did. But at the same time it was a pain in the neck to be stuck there. Certainly East Cape is a place that deserves some decent distance around. Get out well beyond the various Banks that are around that area. Cook needs distance if there is a nasty Norwester. The NW funnels through and then fans out and picks up speed and that can happen for quite some distance out.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Take a look at the charts for the area. You will see about three area's of shallow banks. Ranfurly Bank is one of them. Can't remember the names of the others. Very deep water suddenly shoals down to, if I remember rightly, about 9M of depth. So you can imagine the Sea state that can arise over these things. You can either pick your way through in between them, come in close between them and the mainland; but you do have a stronger current around the Cape, or head right out around them, but it's quite a way out. You only need to worry about avoiding them if the weather is nasty or the sea state high. Otherwise you may never notice anything at all.

Because of the shape and lay of the land around the Cape, the wind will or may vary considerably from whatever the main wind pattern is. For instance, we were traveling North around the Cape with a Southerly. But we had a head wind from the North that swung around staying on our nose the entire distance around the Cape.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Take lots of diesel if you plan to have an enjoyable trip.

With the very accurate forecasting available now, you have a very good idea of the weather patterns for at least a week out. Yes it is likely you will encounter some changes and no doubt a few challenges on the way.

If you get a sh*t kicking it is very likely you made the decision to be out there. In the optimum pattern you will probably have quite a bit of light stuff hence the diesel.

East Coast gives you a a few options to head for ports if you want to. Means easy to do a few short hops if necessary. We only go around the top if going to or from Nelson/Sounds.

Not sure why everyone is so worried about Cook Strait -if really nasty yes -but you wont need to be going there.

If you are planning to go some time soon -you have left it pretty late as obviously we are starting to get more southerlies than of late over the last few months. Good luck

Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh also, well done on planning ahead! Like you are doing, plan for all the options/ look at bail out places/have all the charts and cruising guides. Just don't leave port with set in stone pre conceived plan or track. You will need to be constantly reassessing weather and conditions, and your track will need to be adapted to the weather at the time. Otherwise you are asking for the sh*t kicking.

Link to post
Share on other sites
With the very accurate forecasting available now, you have a very good idea of the weather patterns for at least a week out.
I must be using all the wrong weather sites then. In fact I have been looking at MetVu of late and just taking the exact opposite of what is predicted at the 7 day forecast :wink:
Link to post
Share on other sites

Best not to rely too heavily on any forecast beyond 3 days, but if longer, look for more than one, if you find three in agreement have a bit more confidence. WHat's your longest leg?

Link to post
Share on other sites

There are plenty of places to stop, just keep an eye on the forecast and any sign of a southerly head in and wait it out. Agree with the others take plenty of diesel 200lts+ Its better motoring down the coast in no wind than getting the crap beaten out of you. We went inside at east cape in a northerly and set a new speed record for the boat down a big wave, it blows around there :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the input guys, all really good stuff. I've been having a good look over all the charts, and it looks like if all is going good then no worries and like PeteG said if its bad I shouldn't be out in it. I have several backup plans for different weather options and 200nM range on the diesel and now I'm just crossing my fingers for some northerly.

 

Crew Ogre, the longest leg will be from Gisborne to Lyttleton.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Depends if you want to actually enjoy it or not, if you want to enjoy it then take some time to call in to ports and anchorages along the way when you can.

For the longer legs get a good weather window and go for it, don't muck around while its settled.

East Cape is nothing to be worried about, just. Choose your weather.

Take heaps of diesel and motor hard out to mow down the miles when you can.

Good luck, might even see you in napier, if you call in.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I sailed from Auckland to Christchurch (well that was the plan) but as the others have said you need to have backup plans. Unfortunately we were running out of time due to work commitments and had to cut the trip short and leave the boat in Wellington after taking a beating with 55kn NW winds and 10+m seas in the cook, autopilot arm sheared off and we were just a crew of two so after i had spent 12hrs+ at the helm fighting we were so exhausted...so dont feel bad if you have to stop and wait something out, its better than risking damage to your boat or worse, injury to you or your crew.

But from my experience there are quite a few good places to stop, we stopped in Kennedy Bay (east side of coromandel peninsula), mayor island and then sailed hard until we got to Gisborne to wait out a bad southerly coming through then it was onward after a few daysthere. We kept close to east cape enroute to Gisborne and actually passed between the cape and east island on a beautiful sunny day with 15kn N so its all about how mother nature feels at the time. As the others also mentioned take heaps of diesel!! if its not blowing get motoring because you need to keep moving before an unfavorable front moves in on you. we chewed through a lot of diesel and i wished i had carried more in jerry cans. but good luck, its a good trip and i would love to do it again.

Link to post
Share on other sites
East Cape is nothing to be worried about, just. Choose your weather.

Sorry I can not agree. It is no problem if you have good weather, but where do you go if you don't. You have a long way to go in either direction if you happen to get caught out there. And if you get caught out there, it is one on the list of places you need to greatly respect.

Link to post
Share on other sites

To be honest you could say exactly the same thing about every cape, point, channel, strait, headland or coast in NZ.

Ive done east cape about 20 times and only had a few nastys. I normally go inside. maybe nastier but like all tide rips its usually for a shorter time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks guys, we are just prepping the boat at the moment and when the weather comes right we will be away, looks like a bit of sw coming through soon, so might have to wait a bit going round the cape, I got in touch with a guy who fished around there for years and he gave me a few anchorages for most weather so we should be ok.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...