174.14 E 35.15 S
Parekura Bay
Bay of Islands. New
Zealand.
We expected the learning curve on Duet ll to be steep; we
hadn’t imagined it to be vertical. Our maiden voyage up to the Bay
of Islands from the Hauraki Gulf, is a passage of only 100 miles, all the
same we stopped for the night along the way, as we didn’t fancy
anchoring for the first time in the dark. The wind was a brisk 25 knots
from the South East, perfect for heading north.
There is space
enough for stowing our dinghy fully inflated on the after deck, a very
handy solution for short passages. The cutter rig is perfect for this
angle of sailing and Duet duly showed off her paces. The sea was quite
rough so it was probably not ideal conditions for trying to work out how
to set the spinnaker poles. The poles are stowed on the mast and have to
be wound down the track. This was the first time we had used this method
but we figured it out in the end and set the yankee with pleasing results.
I was extremely happy we had left the spinnaker behind in a friends’
garage.
The Bay of Islands is a fabulous area and known as the
crimson coast. The flowering New Zealand Christmas tree, Pohutukawa, is a
fabulous sight at this time of year. Very good friends invited us to join
them for Christmas. They have a family Bach, New Zealand speak for beach
cottage, in the bay. Christmas eve was glorious weather but the following
day it was cold and rainy; that never succeeds in damping anyone’s
spirits. For a few more days we cruised to various other anchorages and
walked some of the hikes on the islands to make up for the over indulgence
on Christmas pudding.
New Years eve saw us back at Parekura
Bay, another glorious day with sunshine and a good breeze. Simon’s
dream came true as he sailed with Roly in his Flying Dutchman whilst I
went fishing and scalloping with the rest of the family. It was a great
time and a brilliant party in the evening. New Year’s day is the
traditional race a round the bay – any boat of any size takes part.
It’s all timed so that the fastest boat starts last, the idea being
that everyone should finish at the same time. Amongst the various dinghies
taking part were several Olympic sailors past and present. The race was
one by an 11 year old girl in an optimist!
Christmas
books: The Cat That Could Open The Fridge. Simon Hoggart takes a
curmudgeon’s guide to the dreaded Christmas round robin
….blog writers also take note! Red Undies and Dutchman’s
Trousers. Nothing to do with Simon, but everything to do with the hidden
meaning behind plant names – some very naughty things grow in our
gardens. A very happy new year and good sailing to everyone.
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