We made it
Trust
Richard Martin
Fri 29 Aug 2014 09:53
After a very eventful last night we finally pulled alongside the customs pontoon on Marsden Wharf in Auckland at around 0830 on Thursday morning.
That last night was a real sprint to the finish. We knew that the easterlies were forecast to get up, and we watched as the wind increased to gusts of 35 kts during the night. But thankfully the wind finally did what had been promised and backed to the north, meaning that we could run more freely during the last few hours, and not confront the building waves as we had been. The forecast for the North Cape area 12 hours after we went through was for 40 kts! But it did make for a very busy and tiring last night out. The increase in shipping traffic as we approached Auckland was another complication. Our AIS system which showed the position, course and speed of oncoming vessels was a great tool, although as Chris found out, it wasn't so good at telling you which way to go to avoid a collision. Chris was on watch when a very large cruise ship appeared in the shipping lane heading directly for us and it was quite difficult determining which we we should go to avoid being run over.
My abiding memory however is of sitting inside the boat intently watching the plotter and radar screen as we careered on through the pitch dark night like an out of control express train. Its times like that that you wonder how on earth you have got yourself in that position.
So the trip is over. It was a great expedition with lots of highs and some lows. Thanks to Pete, Ollie, Pat, Nigel, Dick and Chris who helped me with the passaging and thus made it happen.