Island Time 816 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 Thats good. At least it appears he can lay the entry. Hope he's not too beam on. As Booboo said, the only other option is Jacksons bay... Best wishes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MuzzaB 14 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 3 hours ago, Fish said: Tracker says he's doing 2.9 knts @ 141 degs, but it s dated 14th. The date follows UT (old GMT). As I post this we are at 2335h UT so about to roll over to the 15th. Getting that wrong was a common mistake back in the days of celestial nav. [Edit to fix stupid stupid stupid spelling]. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 751 Posted September 14, 2020 Share Posted September 14, 2020 Post from his tracker page Land ho! The precipitous coastline of Fiordland emerges out of the cloud. I can just see the narrow steep walled entrance of Milford Sound up ahead. In about an hour I should make the outlying point and leave behind the equally precipitous blue mountains that are rearing up under my stern. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rossd 14 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 PredictWind shows 30knots off shore but a large part of the weat coast at 15/20 on the coast or just off. Thats not likely I would have thought! Haven’t actually used it much so not to be taken so literally maybe? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 247 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Looks like he’s been able to hold a course for the entrance of a Milford Sound in a big quartering sea and beam apparent wind Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Romany 93 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Good decision by the looks of it. Hope he sleeps well tonight - certainly deserves to. Are catabatic winds a probability in Milford under current circumstances? And how / what do u do to deal with them. Just watched a video taken in Charlotte sound - viscious looking event. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 184 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Looks like he is in, some good seamanship there. Well done, I would say its been a very tough few days. Dont think queen charlotte sounds would ever get cold enough for true catabatic winds? Milford sounds maybe. Will certainly be gusty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkside 29 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 That's a good effort alright. I think there is a mooring in Deepwater Basin but there may be an out of work tourist boat tied up to it at the moment. Hopefully the fishing guys will help him out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tamure 428 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Lived in Nelson for a few years, learned that Katabatic winds are common in any mountainous area. In simple terms all they are is cold air falling down a slope, some like the Bora in Croatia are intense others are mild, it all depends on the setup. Elevated snowy plateaus emptying into valleys that run to the sea, bound to get them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 816 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Well done! Would not have been a fun last few days. Tough time of year for a circumnav of NZ! Not sure about "true" catabatic winds in the sounds, but I've had the masthead of Island Time in the water on a mooring in ship cove from a big downdraft off the hills... Held us flat for a few seconds. No sail, just windage in the rig. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jon 159 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 He’s obviously in good spirits Single handed sailors seem always to be glass half full people Heres his latest blog The call of the kea Tue Sep 15 2020 Sitting on a mooring in Deepwater Basin. It is incredibly quiet and still. The only sound the burbling of my caveman TV ( the Dickinson diesel stove) and high up in the mist the call of a kea. I will be here for three or four days as the weather pattern is going to stay the same until a NW change later in the week. I will wait for my spare autopilot to arrive and repair some main sail slugs that broke right out of the track. There was an awful lot of sail flogging going on at times when the boat rounded up on the big waves. I am going to have a long hot shower, put some clean clothes on, eat a decent meal and toast my feet in front of the fire. As Ratty said to Mole: “There’s simply nothing half as much fun as messing around in boats”. 2 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 258 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 Glad to see him safely in Milford. A tough few days and an unforgiving coast. Good work. Rest up and stay safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 258 Posted September 15, 2020 Share Posted September 15, 2020 2 minutes ago, Jon said: He’s obviously in good spirits Single handed sailors seem always to be glass half full people Heres his latest blog The call of the kea Tue Sep 15 2020 Sitting on a mooring in Deepwater Basin. It is incredibly quiet and still. The only sound the burbling of my caveman TV ( the Dickinson diesel stove) and high up in the mist the call of a kea. I will be here for three or four days as the weather pattern is going to stay the same until a NW change later in the week. I will wait for my spare autopilot to arrive and repair some main sail slugs that broke right out of the track. There was an awful lot of sail flogging going on at times when the boat rounded up on the big waves. I am going to have a long hot shower, put some clean clothes on, eat a decent meal and toast my feet in front of the fire. As Ratty said to Mole: “There’s simply nothing half as much fun as messing around in boats”. I think it’s well more than half full Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sail Rock 22 Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 Heroic! Deserves my donation to the Trust. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AJ Oliver 128 Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 Glad he made it in . . that forecast lee shore big wind looked really scary. Good on ya mate !! Just don't let that Kea eat yer boat ! Salute from the Sweetwater Seas Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 751 Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 Takes balls to sail down there at this time of year. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcp 20 Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 Nice timing sneaking into Milford Sound before the weather peaked! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rossd 14 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Hes into it again. A begger for punishment. 65 miles to DoubtfulSound by 1800 so should be all good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jon 159 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 He’s in Deas Cove. Spreading my wings Mon Sep 21 2020 Smoking along just past George Sound with 25 knots of wind dead astern. I am sailing goosewinged - with mainsail out one side and the genoa set out on a pole on the other side. With this much wind pushing me along I am making good progress and should reach Thompson Sound by 1800. It’s a bit of a wild ride. The sea has built and I lurch and roll along with the occasional surf on the bigger waves. I can see I am going to have fun getting the pole off the genoa when the time comes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Romany 93 Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 The more I follow this the greater the feeling that it would be poor form not to donate. This guy really is risking life and limb. I wonder what it must be like to live in a country that values and funds the protection of its heritage? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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