Easter Weekend @ Waiheke

Sailed to Waiheke on a light NE wind, about 10-12 knots, with my friends Abram, Helen, and Eileen. There were lots of yachts all heading in the same direction, a great day to be on the water. Unfortunetaly, while we were on the way over, I decided to make an adjustment at the mast, and I slipped, and managed to rip the skin on my shin and foot, and was feeling sick and faint for about half an hour.

  All ready to go @ Half Moon Bay

 

Boat at Half moon bay ramp

 

  We got plenty of practice rowing ! We anchored in Blackpool beach, (Huruhi bay) on low tide, and walked to Oneroa town for coffee and then happy hour at the Solar cafe, soaking up the last of the sun, napping, playing pinball.  A random fisherman brought in some fish, and smoked it in front of us and the cafe brought out condiments and plates so everyone could have some ! Later we had dinner at Vino Vino, and had some excellent meals, I was most impressed with my plate of BBQ pork ribs ! 

We had a interesting time returning to the boat at 10pm in the evening, 4 of us, with a 2 person dinghy, and a 400m row out to the boat that we could not actually see because it was so dark! Abram 'acquired' a tin dinghy, and with our oars we paddled the girls across, and then went back with the pump to pickup the inflatable! Mission ..but lucky it was a balmy warm evening to be playing around in boats !

Abram on rowing duty, now a rowing pro !

The very busy Ostend Markets - Eileen is in her element !

 

Serious surfing equipment that could not possibly fit inside the car!

Coming into the jetty at Kennedy Point, on the southern side of Waiheke

Evening at Ostend, Waiheke

A nice still clear morning after showers overnight. Lots of fish around here !

It rained a bit early in the morning, was nice to wake up warm and cosy, with the rain drumming lightly on the boat. Sleeping in till 8.30, we missed all the rain, and got up to sunshine.This day was shaping up to be a fantastic one, just Eileen and I enjoying a beautiful summers day on the boat..

Nice and quiet in Te Whau Bay

You know how you think your car will be safer if you park next to anther nice car?  
We anchored next to a Beneteau 37 footer!

 

First pancakes on the boat !

After breakfast, I rigged just the main and spinnaker, taking my time to set it up, and repacked the spinnaker, as I had stuffed it very quickly last time we used it. We set sail for home, with 8-10 knot light northerly, and set the spinnaker cleanly, with no tangles, or twists.  It was so cruisey, I decided that a more horizontal position was more appropriate for the day :-) . 

We pulled out the speakers and put some music on from E's i-phone to complete the cruise ! Eileen also found a comfy spot on the front deck under the spinnaker to relax.

I experimented with tying up the tiller, so the boat would sail itself for short periods of time, before the wind would shift slightly and the spinnaker needed attention.

We went from full downwind to a deep reach, and in the photo above you can see the spinnaker acting like a big gennaker, and giving us a lot of speed in the light wind.  

 

We were making very good speed in the light conditions and against the tidal flow.. E was enjoying i, you can hear her vocal surprise as we adjust our heading, and the boat picks up speed...

Ok time to slow down !

Been busy for the last few weeks, and now have reached a point where the boat is sorted ! Got the new sail sorted, and boat is polished, and just did some trailer maintenance today, the wooden strips which stop the keel rubbing against the aluminum trailer chassis needed replacing.  
Pictures to come, here is the latest of my boat down at the ramp ready to go ! See.. just a little TLC and look at the result :-)   (That would be a retro 70's looking yacht, which is pretty darn distinctive!)

The mainsail, made by Bud Nalder with Dimension-Polyant Soft FTO dacron.

Finally finished my Coastguard day skipper certificate , which covers essentials for safety and navigation, with a focus on Auckland's Hauraki gulf.  I've also added a new page to my blog, with info I found on the internet, about the basic things that my crew and I should know.

Waiheke cruising

Did a weekend trip out to Waiheke.  Left quite late (5pm), as I had lots of things to do on the boat this week.

Prepared for sailing and then at the last minute remembered the sail still needed stitching from the last trip, the batten pocket stitching was unraveling so much the battens were just falling out.  After 30 minutes of hand stitching, we were good to go. By now the wind was light but steady, may 10 knots, not quite whitecapping, so with poled out genoa, we did the big down-winder. There was good wind by the time we got to the corner of Waiheke, and deep reaching with the poled out genoa was pretty exciting, close on the fastest this boat is capable of, with it almost continuously surfing !
Got to Oneroa, and just dropped the genoa, prepared to motor in, and the motor would not start.  It always starts! Suspect a blocked fuel filter. We ended up sailing into the bay full of at least 50 boats, and tacking a few times until finding a spot 150m from shore.  Bit close to another boat. tried the outboard again. It started.. ! Repositioned boat a little further away from the other boats.  Time for dinner... and then a peaceful nights sleep.

Another first - trying out the spinnaker ! (No it is not anything like a circus tent.!)

Big down-winder, 20 knots, with the genoa poled out, and the boats in the background are ones we went past, while surfing down the backs of the small waves.. Eileen in control !

 

What I need is more matching life jackets :-)

Trip log

28th Dec - first launch, sail in 10 knots , and retrieval of boat.. mission!

11 - Jan - 25 knots of wind, setup boat in park, pre-reefed, with storm jib.. in advance. Was determined to go out, we sailed to a bay on the edge of Glendowie/St Heliers( Just with the storm jib up!), decided to put the second reef in while anchored, then around in front of Mission bay, then back downwind, and back up estuary.  Many firsts today.. first attempt at reefing, first anchoring, and picking up of a mooring, and first retrieval of boat with new car, easy as!






17 January - launch with new car, sail out to Motuihe on Friday evening, 15 knots, with my friends Abram and Eileen, perfect weekend, first overnight trip !











19 Jan - Day sail to Motuihe with June and Allan - minor issues with rudder not staying down, and having to reef half way across...

9th February - evening sail over to Waiheke, stayed on north side of Motuihe, anchored, and completed sail to Matiatia bay next morning in light wind. Visited the sculptures on the gulf on Waiheke, and sailed back in the evening, on the strong sea breeze.

23 February - Day trip to Waiheke, anchoring at Oneroa bay, lunch and a swim ! Light winds all weekend, but again the sea breeze came up late in the day requiring a reef in the mainsail by 5pm, which we accomplished by sailing into calmer waters behind Motuihe.

3 March - Weekend trip out to Waiheke, on very little wind, may 10 knots, with poled out genoa, and good wind by the time we got to the corner of Waiheke, and deep reaching with the poled out genoa was pretty exciting!

24th March - Just a test run today, wanted to try the new sail, so we sailed over to Mission bay for the afternoon. Took a few good photos today.. Nice easterly wind 10 -15 knots, overpowered with the genoa and full sail in the late afternoon, but my jib is away for modification.