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Tutukaka Coast


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I have done quite a lot of trips around the gulf with my young children 14 and 9, however they don't actually help with the running of the boat when we are sailing much, so I am pretty much the only crew on board.

 

Friends want us to come to Whananaki at Christmas for a few days. Besides the distance (would break it up into a trip to Kawau then Tutukaka) I see that its a very exposed bay in Easterly. I presume one would go into Tutukaka if it blew Easterly.

 

What is the prevailing wind over summer?

 

Cheers

 

AG
 

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What is the prevailing wind over summer?

 

Cheers

 

AG

 

It depends on if its an El Nino year, a La Nina year, or just a normal year.

With all the changes in weather (climate change or otherwise) I don't think you can really say there is a prevailing wind direction anymore. If it is over the New Year holiday period, I'd say gale NE with rain, as part of an ex tropical cyclone. The chance of this is inversely proportional to the amount of leave you have over the holiday period. The shorter your holiday, the higher chance it will rain non-stop with gales...

 

Whangaruru has some suitable places to park in an easterly, and has an easy wide entrance to get into. Tuts is fine in all weather inside (esp the marina), but the entrance is very narrow between rocks and reefs. Its easy enough to see it and navigate in, but if there is an easterly swell running, it can be a nerve wracking experience running in there. A lot of fun if you've done it before, but if you are a bit novice, or have easily frightened crew / passengers it could be a bit stressful. Swell breaking on reefs / rocks what feels like one boat length to either side of your boat. Fine and dandy if there is any other wind / swell direction though.

 

I think Whininaki is more of surf beach. Nice place, but I wouldn't take a keel boat there. Good place to rent a batch.

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I went to Whananake with my 16 year old son on a northerly breeze. Thought we could maybe anchor behind the headland. Lots of confused waves and went into harbour on half tide over the bar okay but didnt get very far in, the tide rips out. We spent a night on a cockle sand bar. 

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I think Whananaki is more of surf beach. Nice place, but I wouldn't take a keel boat there. Good place to rent a batch.

 

I've seen an anchored alu fishing boat bout 6m? get turfed over in the surf there. Wasn't far enough out and as the tide went out...

 

Clearly would have tried to do something about it for the owner if we'd got to the beach earlier, but by the time we got over our hangovers and crawled to the beach that afternoon, it was already a mess. NY day 2000 if I remember my lost neurons correctly..

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It depends on if its an El Nino year, a La Nina year, or just a normal year.

With all the changes in weather (climate change or otherwise) I don't think you can really say there is a prevailing wind direction anymore. If it is over the New Year holiday period, I'd say gale NE with rain, as part of an ex tropical cyclone. The chance of this is inversely proportional to the amount of leave you have over the holiday period. The shorter your holiday, the higher chance it will rain non-stop with gales...

 

Whangaruru has some suitable places to park in an easterly, and has an easy wide entrance to get into. Tuts is fine in all weather inside (esp the marina), but the entrance is very narrow between rocks and reefs. Its easy enough to see it and navigate in, but if there is an easterly swell running, it can be a nerve wracking experience running in there. A lot of fun if you've done it before, but if you are a bit novice, or have easily frightened crew / passengers it could be a bit stressful. Swell breaking on reefs / rocks what feels like one boat length to either side of your boat. Fine and dandy if there is any other wind / swell direction though.

 

I think Whininaki is more of surf beach. Nice place, but I wouldn't take a keel boat there. Good place to rent a batch.

 

Nicely put lol.

 

Sounds like a less than idea place to anchor for a few days unless you get really lucky with the weather and wind.

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Fish is on to it. We've been up and down lota and Tuts has a bit of a dog leg in the entrance and unmarked. Easterlies drive a big swell in and that too does a dog leg so wind turns you side on to it..left right..left..ri..you get the pic. Too shallow behind Philip Isl and up the arm, best spots taken by loads of moorings..typical. Makes the high marina fee worthwhile. Whangaruru is excellent. Lots of room and if you can duck in behind Motukauri no swell at all and loads of carrots. Avoid Whangamumu in an easter, we tried it once, never again.

(Philip Isl and Tuts entrance in an easter)

20170209_102345.jpg

20170209_144830.jpg

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Hone your skills in the Gulf try not to terrify the family to much and break the boat voila one day you will get there together.

There is a couple I met that only sailed on benign fine day windows took sail down at nights and successfully completed a circumnavigation.

Life is a journey not a race and a lot of dramas are created by placing unnecessary time frames on arriving at certain destinations.

So what if it takes a few days more it’s what cruising is about.

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Don't let whats written here put you off. Its a lovely coast, handy bolt holes from Urquharts to Whangamumu. Easterlies unless gale force are cruisable and not much different than the HG. Lots more room to anchor, not so many idiots anchoring on top of you and if into fishing..well, say no more! Mimiwhangata is a favorite of ours north of Tuts. The only issue up here is the lack of stores. The Tuts shop puts their price labels over the use by dates because they have another shop and buy in old stock. Whangaruru store is a wee walk away but landing on the beach a pain in swells unless you go miles up to the boat ramp, then a long walk. See you up here!!?

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The other thing to consider is that your average land lubbers view of what is a lovely bay to anchor in is usually the polar opposite of reality.

 

Just anchor out in front of our bach! Yeah right.

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The other thing to consider is that your average land lubbers view of what is a lovely bay to anchor in is usually the polar opposite of reality.

 

Just anchor out in front of our bach! Yeah right.

So true. I've friends with a Bach at whananaki who for years have tried to get me to stop in on my yacht. Every time I've passed it's not been an option.

 

Agree with the other comments here though, plenty of great places up that coast.

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We have a bach near Otamure Bay, just north of Whananaki.  I have noticed plenty of yachts anchoring where I've drawn the red X on the attached picture.  You get good protection from wind and swells when they're northerly and easterly. There is good hold providing you're in the right spot (which is straight forward to determine - IMHO).  You'd want to keep an eye on the weather forecast as I don't think you'd want to be there in 40 knots+ (in which case you make a beeline for Tutakaka).  You enter the bay from the northern side giving two small islands a wide berth.  I spoke to a bloke who brought his yacht in and he said that this anchorage was mentioned in some official guide which listed good places to anchor.

 

I'm looking to try this myself at some stage.  Hopefully this summer. 

 

The only yacht of size that I've seen get in and out of the Whananaki inlet was a mid-size catamaran (30 foot) that was parked in there about 15 years ago.  I used to go in there with my Tasman 20.  I wouldn't go in there in anything with a fixed keel and I won't be taking my GBE in there either.  I also wouldn't recommend going in there without having a good look at the estruary in a low tide state.  There are some rocks in key places that need avoiding.

 

Whananaki Stop.JPG

 

 

 

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When I took a 26 ft hotpot trailer sailer into whanaki years ago we arrived at the bar at low tide with no swell we then walked the boat in once the water was knee deep as we only needed about 12 inches to float.used to have a gbe too and it would have been no problem to have taken it in that day as well.

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We slowly motored over the Whananaki bar. lifting the rudders as it became shallow. Could see the rocks, water is clear near the entrance. From memory there is a old concrete red marker in the harbour, left that to port and then the cockle beds came up. Walked the boat in as far as we could kicked a few stones out of the way and beached. Gave my boy $20 to race in and get some take aways on the kayak. He lost the money and we had weetbix for dinner.

 

In hindsight should have dropped in to Tutukaka. There is a little beach just before the marina, great place to spend the night on a cat.

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 boy $20 to race in and get some take aways on the kayak. He lost the money and we had weetbix for dinner.

 

In hindsight should have dropped in to Tutukaka. There is a little beach just before the marina, great place to spend the night on a cat.

 

Your son probably did you a favour (depending on when you were there).  They've sorted themselves out now but, for awhile there, the takeaways at Whananaki must've been in the running for the wooden spoon for best fish & chips in NZ.

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