wheels 544 Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 Wow, Castle Point has internet I guess we are now fully fledged members of the Castle Point Shelter group.I also had no idea people lived out here. They must be Keen, or nuts or both.Nup not gusting 36, it is gusting to a dead cold easy 40. Good thing we haven't seen the 55 that has been forecast by windplanner.We anchored in the Bay of Castle Point off the beach.Wind is also off the beach and kind of nice there is nothing behind us if the anchor fails. But it is quite literally howling and the Sea is white. Anchor is holding, but wow there is a load on the chain. Yes I have a snubber and I have all 95M of chain out and the thing looks strait as an arrow.I thought the wind was supposed to start dropping, but it has intensified. Obviously it wasn't shown the script.OK, just went from Howl to scream. Stuff!!!! So the idea was that we were going to shuffle around the Land close to it so the wind goes over top of us. But the Weather in the Strait is all changed. We were supposed to get a light Southerly, but this Westerly has shunted it out to sea. I didn't like the idea of punching into 16 to 20 of Strait Weather for 100miles, so we reckon we will wait this out and then Sunday it is supposed tp be fairly calm and we can tiki tour our way home. So close but so far still.Oh but wait, We just had Blue Fin Tuna for tea. Yep you read it right.Blue Fin. Dang that stuff is nice. An elderly couple caught it as they were rounding Portland in the big blow last night and get this, they were surfing waves at 7.5Kts in an H28. An old woodern girl with a wooden tiller. Keen. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 Yeah, spot on KM Well I discovered there is a way to solve being scared of something. It's very simple. You have a situation that is even more scary and the earlier one kind of doesn't seem so bad. Well we just had one of those moments.I have never ever seen wind so strong that everything dissapears.The bay behind us looks like it is in Fog, but it is spray. Our Boat, all 22tonne of it was layed right over almost on it's side. The anchor was dragging. I tried motoring into the wind, but just could not hold her and I though well how long am I going to have to do this for? So Dawn got on the wheel and I directed her over the chain and I winched it in poor winch got a work out. I was half drowned by freezing waves that were coming right over the Bow and our Bow is a long way up. But the Beach was only maybe 600 to 800m away and the seas were that big already by the time they got to me. We then motored around looking for any little nook that could give us some respite and then we decided the only thing for it was to continue on and hopefully the wind would die. Then we got a call over the VHF from a fisherman on shore and he directed me to around the back of the lighthouse. Too shallow for us to go in through the gap. It is still blowing it's socks off, but at least we don't have a big sea. Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 yikes! but at least the window appears to have moved back to sat................ nite Link to post Share on other sites
SloopJohnB 329 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Do you mean the "basin" called Deliverance Cove Quite a nice little bay Not like the big bay. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 We are on the outside of "The Reef" more toward the Lighthouse. Too shallow inside the cove for us apparently.Originally we were anchored in "The Bay" at around the 4M line.Up rather early this morning due to calm conditions but a terrible Ground Swell. But I ain't complaining Link to post Share on other sites
Battgirl 23 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Good to know you guys are safe Wheels Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 Thanks Bgirl. Just had a look at Windy and the weather looks great. Boy talk about change. Anyway, we are on our way yet again. Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 quite a lesson for us casual sailors on the difference between the easy route north from auckland and the difficult southern looks like headwinds stop at cape palliser 7pm tonight and tail winds start 7pm sunday night Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 HOME!!!!!Weeeeell almost. Killing time outside Tory entrance, waiting for the Tide change at around 8AM. It's 5:50 at the mo. I used the Live ships AIS thingy on my laptop as a poor mans radar. Actually it's not so poor. Told me far more than the Radar ever would have. We had one really annoying Trawler working out in the Strait and you never knew where he was going to pop up next. The fog came back and that made it a lot hairier for us. You kept wondering what may be in front of you that is not on the AIS. We had a very light wind .....on the nose....all the way and a Southerly wave set from behind us....all the way. There is now a fog pooring out of the Tory entrance. Just had a Cruise ship enter and now a Ferry, but they're swallowed up in the fog real quick. Can't wait to get in the entrance and make the 2hr trip to the mooring at Waikawa.The entire trip has been a marathon for us. I think the hardest part was rounding Palliser and thinking, so close yet so far. From the set off of Christmas Eve, we have had 2 or maybe 3 really nice days. We have been able to sail with the motor off for just 2hrs. The rest of the trip, it has either been on the nose or no wind at all. or holding up in some bay somewhere waiting for the weather to play nicely. Unbelievable. Take note of that and I suggest never ask me to crew for you. There just seems to be something about me and the weather when we sail. Link to post Share on other sites
Beccara 25 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Nice one! Sounds like an adventure alright Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 congrats on the end of an arduous journey almost back to your own bed would be interested to learn more about your ais system sometime... Link to post Share on other sites
Battgirl 23 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Well done Wheels and Dawn! Link to post Share on other sites
SloopJohnB 329 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Glad to hear that you are safe back in the Havelock of the south. Link to post Share on other sites
erice 732 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 sea fog rolls into wellington has affected flights Most of the fog was being kept in Cook Strait by a northerly but a southerly change later on Sunday would push it back on land. http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/75962156/sea-fog-could-affect-wellington-flights Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,313 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Well done wheels, the NZ coast is rarely easy... Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Oh wow Wheels - what a journey! So glad you all made it home safe. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 544 Posted January 18, 2016 Author Share Posted January 18, 2016 It looks like it was fortunate we got home when we did and not left the last leg another day or two. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75973609/thunderstorms-make-their-mark-on-wellington-but-other-regions-lie-in-wait Link to post Share on other sites
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