Guest Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Looking for a weather window to finish the trip now. Most forecasts have Wed/Thurs suggesting 40kts and Swellmap has 6-7mt seas from Napier to East Cape. So a Wed/Thurs departure would have the mighty footpath covering 165 miles odd in some real crap and doing so knot far off what will be a seriously nasty lee shore with very few hidey holes. From East Cape to Akl would be OK even if bloody wet. But a spooky looking nasty coming south due to hit Akl late Sat/early Sunday. So all looking a tad tight at the moment. Might be a case of park the beast in Napier and be ready to dive down and away as soon as a window opens. The Davo crew have come back to Akl I understand. Due to a combo of no sails left, all in getting fixed, so leaving no foreseeable window for them after that. This sh*t is so much easier if heading to the Pac Islands. Just too much hard stuff to bounce off and no run away room when only coastal. A dilemma indeed. Dear East Cape, You are a right bitch!!! No love what so ever, Team Wheels Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Actually East Cape is one of those nasty School Mistresses. She gives you the Exam first and the Lesson afterwards. It is looking seriously nasty out there and my knees go all wobbly and knocky just thinking about it. Link to post Share on other sites
southernman 73 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Well done wheels. You know that the last time we went up that bit of coast it was horendous. We stayed offshore about 15 with the idea we would miss the worst but we got shafted with 45 knots north easterly. The next day on the VHF we were talking with another yacht. that had kept 3 nm off the coast and they had 10 knots, just goes to show that bit of coast is all over the place. Keep going mate, East Cape will be a piece of cake. It's an easy stroll across the bay to East Cape round the corner then you are home. Link to post Share on other sites
Battleship 100 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Starting to look good about lunchtime on Wednesday still be big seas but reaching and running all the way to AKL should be a quick trip, don't think you'd get much better, wind seems to be bending all the way there in your favour. Link to post Share on other sites
cam 0 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Glad to hear you all arrived ok Wheels. Nice one. Enjoy the well earned rest after that passage. Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Nice going Wheels, well done. Just think of the all great stories you'll have to tell at the end of it. Dawns got the right idea. Take a break in Napier and wait for a decent weather window. The Napier SC are a friendly bunch and im sure they'll sort you out a decent berth if someone wants you off the wall. Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 310 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Nice work Wheels, that coast is horrendous! Napier is my old home town and we used to cruise down to the marlbrough sounds every school holidays (my parents are teachers) so we did that coast up to 6 times a year for 10 years with 5 kids on a 45ft gaff rigger. Saw some nasty stuff and had some very scary experences and even one pan pan call. it seems like there are some natural wind funnels in the mountain ranges that can blow offshore very hard, also still south enough for the southerly busters and any strong northerlys which fight the north bound currents gets nasty too, so whatever way the wind blows its shithouse. We sheltered in Castle point once and there is also the white rocks near palliser which can also be a good shelter. Im sure the Napier boys are already helping you out as best they can. Im sure you have already had a good look at the weather but as the others said its looking OK wind wize for a early wednesday departure. still fresh but at least in the right direction! Good luck with the rest of your trip. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I really like Napier. I have been here years ago on business and took a look around the port and somehow missed the Marina. I never knew it exited. Great spot and yes everyone has been very helpful. I just talked to a skipper of a Bottom trawler that came in last night. He said that all the fleet is now in and none will venture out for at least two or maybe three days. He said he would not advise us trying till Friday, when the sea would be back down to tolerable. "What exactly would that be" I asked. Probably about 6m around Friday. OKaeeey, so what kind of seastate would I be expecting then with 6m?? "Bloody awefull" was reply. So moving right along then, we went over to the marina and sorted a berth and will slip the boat into it later when the wind dies down. Then we can head home to Auckland and come back when the weather is far kinder. I really do want a positive memory of the trip around rather than positivily a nightmare. Link to post Share on other sites
cam 0 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 good idea wheels. Agree with the sentiment to, as after a few dodgy passages too many you start to wonder..... "why do we do this again"? Fortunately memory can be a wonderful thing, that seems to forget the crap times and remember the good. Or maybe after enough homebrew I just wash away those braincells where the bad ones lurk Funny how it even lets you look back fondly on the times we got a pasting in really snotty weather, despite the reality of the fear, nausea and exhaustion experienced at the time. Agree also that Napier is a very cool place to linger for a while. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 after a few dodgy passages too many you start to wonder..... "why do we do this again"? Yeah I am sure my brochure showed a sunset and boat sailing off into it. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Well we are home again, although without the Boat. Oh well, at least it's close to half way home. The last stretch should be easier once we get time again and of course, decent weather. I think we possibly could have gone for it, but it was such a hard call and we made the dicision based on the info we had at hand at the time. We have no records to break, so i guess it is best to err on the side of caution. Some of the fishing boats headed out, but many have stayed in. Of course the one that caused all the fuss is still tied up I watched the short Video of "Camper" heading around to Gisborn.The sea state did not look all that bad and I am wondering if perhaps we shopuld have gone for it. But they also had 40kts, so maybe the Vid simply isn't showing the conditions as they actually were. I really would like to say a very big thanks to the Napier Sailing Club. The club Manager Lyall, was outstanding and helped us so much. Many of the members made us feel very welcome. Thursday evening they had Grant Dalton giving a talk and last night Team Shanson and Team Wheels had an awesome meal there. You Napier guys have a fantastic club and marina. SJB, please pass on our thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,230 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Hey wheels, you moved permanent to Auck? Might do that myself once this trip is over - prob another 2-3 years!! NZ costal sailing is tough. Don't be demoralised, it's normal to think "why am I here" in these circumstances. Once passed East Cape, all normally improves... you have made sound decisions so far, and are to be congratulated. Catch up for a beer when I get back to NZ?? cheers Matt Currently in Phuket Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Yeah IT, joined the rat race, so I guess that makes me another Rat A beer sounds great. Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Not just any old rat allan but you'll be a JAFFA rat. All good calls so far, don't forget to watch out for the myriads of cray pots if you sail close in around the top of Coromandel, of course if you do snag one you should have rights to the contents! Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Cray pots are a problem all around the country and don't they always seem to be in the worst possible places of navigation?? It used to worry me coming through the gap at Cape Jackson and you had a very limited area to navigate through as it was, but then suddenly a bouy would pop up to the surface in front iof you. what was worse is that they all dissapear again for a few minutes, then all pop up again. So it was a memory game of where the heck was that formation?? Oh yeah there they are again annnnd yep OK all gone again. Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 243 Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Had an experience going around cape maria van diemen, unfortunately against the tide, there was a long line (very long) that was buoyed every 100m or so with quite substantial sized fenders doubled up, and they were dissapearing and then reappearing up to 50m from where you last saw them such was the turbulence in the water. Pushed the whole tide for a gain of 1/2 a mile, we could have (maybe should have) anchored and waited out the tide but we were unsure of accesability into a nearby bay. Link to post Share on other sites
SloopJohnB 323 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Wheels your boat looks ok on the marina, when I drove pass today. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thanks SJB. So the fishing boat guys haven't sabotaged it then huh. Link to post Share on other sites
TimB 7 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 BOOBOO said "Napier is my old home town and we used to cruise down to the marlbrough sounds every school holidays (my parents are teachers) so we did that coast up to 6 times a year for 10 years with 5 kids on a 45ft gaff rigger." I hail from Napier also 1977 to 1989 and was a NSC member from early 80's, which boat Booboo? timb Link to post Share on other sites
SloopJohnB 323 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 Thanks SJB. So the fishing boat guys haven't sabotaged it then huh. It looked like there was a lot of 10mm round yellow, orange and black bumting hanging from the masts. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.