Auckland to Wellington

[Guest]

Looking at various options to transport our Elliott 1060 from Auckland to Wellington, the obvious one being sail her down. Anyone made the voyage before and willing to share their experience? Have prices for trucking and shipping but both involve de-stepping the mast and are very, very expensive.

 

Cheers

[tuffyluffy 76]

As Mr and Mrs Nike frequently say

 

Just do it.

 

Id break it into 3 chuncks so you'll always be close to a safe hole,

Akl - Tauranga

Tauranga - Napier

Napier - Wellywood

[khayyam 71]

when?

[Guest]

As Mr and Mrs Nike frequently say

 

Just do it.

 

Id break it into 3 chuncks so you'll always be close to a safe hole,

Akl - Tauranga

Tauranga - Napier

Napier - Wellywood

 

Words to live by!

 

I was thinking over the top and down the west coast, but good call on the safe harbors.

[Guest]

when?

 

Not in a rush, depends on the weather but sometime before xmas, want to spend the holidays in the sounds.

[Clipper 343]

As Mr and Mrs Nike frequently say

 

Just do it.

 

Id break it into 3 chuncks so you'll always be close to a safe hole,

Akl - Tauranga

Tauranga - Napier

Napier - Wellywood

 

I'd back this up. I tried tauranga to napier, but ran into a bit of strife off mahia, so headed back to Gisborne.

 

But, if i was comfortable in the boats capability Id head north and down the west coast. Especially if heading for the sounds.

 

If more uncertain, the east coast route might be better. But but prepared for anything. East cape and castlepoint always seem to throw up some fun!

[Guest]

hey meanburger, if ya need crew...

[wheels 543]

J H bet me to it, I was going to say that I am sure there will be ones here that could help crew.

It's ruffly 500Nm from Auck down the East side to Wellington. 600Nm around the top and down the West. The Sounds place you about equal.

West coast side does not have a lot of places to go. There is New Plymouth, which is the only one that is easy to get into if it suddenly gets real nasty. All the others have some kind of Bar and with the exception of the one in Northland (can't remember the name right now) I am not sure I would attempt the others in ruff seas. And I am thinking of the big Northerlies, Nor'Westers around to South Westerlies. Southerly would make it a long trip. Then you have to get around the bottom corner which is Terewhiti and Karori which are the two nastiest pieces of water in the country.

East coast has the advantage of the harbors that are much easier to get into. The area's to watch are East Cape, but you just pick the right weather. And then Palliser. But once again, pick the right weather and the three harbors allow you to wait if you have to. Coming down the country, probably any North sector around to Westerly would be best bet. Although I stand to be corrected with that comment from the far more experienced here. Westerly winds tend to get shadowed by high land points and can make the trip patchy. At least that is what we experience in a CHCH leg along the South Island.

Keep an eye out for us in the Pelorus and outer area when you get down here.

[darkside 61]

Going south I've left twice and made it once.

Both times down the west coast and in a similar sized boat, a 34 foot Robertson.

The first time it was an excellent sail, no issues, directly to the Sounds.

The second with inexperienced crew, one of whom was very sea sick we turned around off the Manukau in a building southerly. We had a great surf around Reinga on the way back. We had previously taken the Robertson up to the islands so it was fairly well sorted for offshore.

 

Going north I've been east coast once and west coast twice and also crewed on the Waipa Delta heading from Port Waikato to Auckland about this time last year. All those trips were easy enough.

 

The main problem with the east coast as I see it is on leaving Napier, you have to pick the weather for Palliser and Cook Straight. The west coast issue is only one port if there is much sea running.

It would be east coast for a cruise and west coast for a delivery if I had to choose again.

[w44vi 17]

The most important thing, pick your weather!

 

when i sailed my boat down, we waited until the we had big high coming up from down south, We left in a lovely 10-15kts, it got a bit windy and ruff around east cape, we got our best speed at 17.4kts, once around east cape the wind died and we turn the motor on and didn't turn it off until 1/2 way across palliser were we got 25-30kts from NW then we got welcome to wellington as we started going towards the harbor entrance 40+ from the north, spray every were, waves rolling down the deck and of course it was dark, took 3 people to get the storm jib up! Then when inside the harbor the wind died and we started the motor again for the last few miles into the marina, Tied up opened a bottle of rum and then the southerly hit but we didn't care we had plenty of rum and the boat was tied up

[Guest]

The most important thing, pick your weather!

 

when i sailed my boat down, we waited until the we had big high coming up from down south, We left in a lovely 10-15kts, it got a bit windy and ruff around east cape, we got our best speed at 17.4kts, once around east cape the wind died and we turn the motor on and didn't turn it off until 1/2 way across palliser were we got 25-30kts from NW then we got welcome to wellington as we started going towards the harbor entrance 40+ from the north, spray every were, waves rolling down the deck and of course it was dark, took 3 people to get the storm jib up! Then when inside the harbor the wind died and we started the motor again for the last few miles into the marina, Tied up opened a bottle of rum and then the southerly hit but we didn't care we had plenty of rum and the boat was tied up

 

The weather window is key, I'm leaning more towards the east coast as it offers more shelter. Hold up in Napier until we get a good 1-2 day forecast then run like hell.

[bene_sails 0]

i have gone down both sides, both times we got a blow. 1st one was a southerly off east cape that came with a bit of a swell. second time we went down the west and got a blow off egmont and had a sweet ride untill it headded as we came into cook straight.

 

depending on the weather i would say that to the marlb sounds both ways would be about the same distance. realy depends on if you have time to hold up and wait for a weather window between ports.

[Guest Dry Reach]

i have gone down both sides, both times we got a blow. 1st one was a southerly off east cape that came with a bit of a swell. second time we went down the west and got a blow off egmont and had a sweet ride untill it headded as we came into cook straight.

 

depending on the weather i would say that to the marlb sounds both ways would be about the same distance. realy depends on if you have time to hold up and wait for a weather window between ports.

 

Things to consider!

 

believe it or not but the west coast offers some good advantages if things go wrong.

 

1. in prevailing NW and SW breezes if you get into trouble you are typically blown on shore (lee shore) or up and into the North island (westerly dominant breeze).

 

2. also the west coast "onshore breeze" is more steady and less gusty due to the onshore dominant breeze and the "shadow" effect the land mass provides.

 

 

On the east coast, as one man found out a few months back to his peril, is you get into trouble you are blown off shore and become harder to find/ rescue. Also the coast south of Castle point and into Welly can be very tough. But it does have more ports (if you can reach them ) and more Coast gaurd / fishing fleets.

 

 

 

Take your pick

[grant 40]

going east coast the final stretch, Palliser to Wellytown can be a major headache, seems odd but the wind can be stronger close to shore (where in theory it should be more sheltered) and that final beat is hard work

 

saying that, there is always the reach across to port underwood to recover before coming back.

[Elenya 33]

Made the trip many many times in vessels from an engineless 26 footer to a 45 metre sailing ship. The West Coast is by far the 'easier' option. The wind tends to be more stable in strength and direction. In a SW one tack takes you south, the other west. South is the direction you wish to go. Once round Taranaki you will have a very high percentage of northerly winds through the strait.

 

If you go down the East coast you have a very long SW leg once round East cape, and a fun leg from Palliser to Welington. It may seem like a good option to have place to stop, but you will get a harder voyage more often than not. Taranaki is good stop on the west coast if you want.

 

The biggest issue with the west coast is your own fear of that coast.

 

The new year period can be a windy period for the Wairapa and Cook strait area, tends to settle by Feb. Enjoy the sail

[wheels 543]

Yes end of Sept into Oct usually see's the start of the Nor'wester cycle. That lasts through till end of Dec and last year it went well into Jan. Last season we had NW front after front come through with a lull of a day or two at most in between. Big blows with most around the 40kt and the worst one we experienced was around 70+ kts.

 

Meanburger, one other consideration to make is to bring the boat to Nelson. It is about a 40min flight from Nelson I believe. "The Night Train" has his boat in Nelson at the moment as well and he flies down anbd apparently it isn't too expensive into Nelson. Nelson places you in a good posi for trips to Able Tas and across to D'Urville and the sounds, without have to get across the strait, which tends to be a big problem for most that time of the year. Everyone that comes across the strait can often be stuck in Wellington for days and weeks on end waiting for the wather to improve and then make a mad dash across and trhe same on the return, having to sometimes cut holidays short to catch a good trip window before being stuck by another front.

If you come around the top, you can keep well offshore and have a good run down and it is a far shorter trip. The only point in the trip you have to watch is the Spit. You can't see it and it is a vast area of shallow water. So you need to make sure you plot your course to miss that area and stick to that course. The boats that get into difficulty there are often in what they think is clear open water and then suddenly they start being thumped onto the bottom with each wave trough.

But don't be put off by that, it is just straight forward navigation and means you have a far shorter trip, longer time in the area you want to be, some great sailing area's, and the Able Tas is stunning, just simply stunning as long as you can either put up with people or head in their after the summer break when not so many are around. If you are into lots of people, NY's makes it the place to be. Oh and the Nor'westers that hammer us are often no where near as bad over there. Sometimes 15kts less than what we have. On nice days, the Able Tas has a 20kt onshore breeze you can darn near set your watch by every afternoon which makes a wonderful afternoon sail.

[Guest]

Agree with Elenya, West coast is easier for lots of reasons. Late Spring Summer. Or wait till Feb and convoy with the RNI.

[rigger 47]

West Coast,

Everytime on the east coast we got a hammering at some point

[khayyam 71]

interesting -- the wisdom of crew! In my complete lack of experience, I wouldn't have even considered the west coast, but that seems like the preferred option so far.

[Guest Dry Reach]

interesting -- the wisdom of crew! In my complete lack of experience, I wouldn't have even considered the west coast, but that seems like the preferred option so far.

 

Just watch the weather.

 

westerly airstream (N or S) = west side

 

Easterly Airstream (N)= east

 

southerly blow - Westish.