Leaving NZ 18.03.2011
Salamander
Tue 22 Mar 2011 04:57
|
37.40.230s 176.10.666e
It was hard to leave NZ, a great place and we will
miss Cherie, Eric and Oscar and Darcy and family. The sailing to leave was hard
too, lots of rain, on the nose wind with channels, islands and rocks to miss.
All followed by sunshine and a high sitting over us leaving us completely
becalmed. We went backwards when the tide changed. Two days of easterlies had us
sailing in the wrong direction with rougher seas. By the fifth day we shouldhave
some suitable wind (fingers crossed) and we can really start sailing to
Panama.
Fingers crossed didn't work. We have a problem with
the wind-vane steering system and have no choice but to go back in to New
Zealand. Pouring with rain and in an easterly gale Murray unfortunately mis-read
the buoy lighting and we ran onto a sand bank. A Pan Pan message brought some
local knowledge which helped us work out which direction to go when the rising
tide refloated us a little later. The weather is so foul everything is wet.
Normally we would huddle under the sporay hood and let the Hydrovane do the
work, but with that out of action we've been more exposed while helming. The
only sensible place to sail to was Tauranga (not at all where we wanted to go -
see earlier blog about Mount Maunganui) and we will be here while we carry out
the various repairs but we think we have well and truly had our share of things
going wrong, so we should be alright from now - touch wood with crossed fingers
this time!
The storm which forced us to come in was forecast
as around 20 knots, but was more like 40. The customs officer who came to check
us back in again said you regularly have to double the forecast strength. The
currents into Tauranga are ferocious as well, preventing a stern to berthing to
make the repairs easy, so we had to wait for slack and turn round then. To top
it all Caroline had a touch of food poisoning from eating out in Auckland and
struggled to do her watches (reduced to one hour for both) into
Tauranga.
|