1^st March 2009 - Auckland.

 

March already and thought it was time to get a couple of shots of the “Christmas cruise” on line.

 

January & February have given us one of the best summers many of us around here can remember in years weather-wise. If I was going to moan it would only be for a lack of wind but we had some good sailing none the less.

 

As mentioned in the “New Decks” update, Robbie and I cast off from Orakei Marina 2 weeks late on 31^st Dec ’08, with our niece Olivia Labb on board for the passage to the Bay of Islands. We were busting to get going after having what seemed like 27 tradesmen tramping through the boat, falling over each other for the last couple of weeks since we got back in the water (not to mention for 6 months before!)

 

Splash has had quite  birthday with new teak decks, new genoa tracks, new 5kw genset (Northern Lights), new water maker AC motor, new dodgers, new galley bench top, all new deck head linings and looking very sharp indeed.

 

We had a good sail to Kawau and New Years Eve ashore there at the at the RNZYS/Kawau Yacht Club. Variable winds had us motor sailing most of the way to Whangaruru the next day and then a brisk beat with 25kts on the nose for the last 30 miles to the Bay of Islands, blew the cobwebs away and bedded in the tuning of the rig from before we left.

 

It was a relief to get back to the Bay after some concern on my part that we wouldn’t make the Christmas cruise at all. Flick (Sister) and Don were enjoying the first Christmas in their new batch at Parekura Bay with their family and grandchildren providing a cacophony of sound a good reason not to be there around the 5pm feed time. Cousin Roly & Consie were also in residence having left their yacht Restless in Denmark awaiting their return in April (see their web diary on this site).  Good to catch up with them on their now annual summer sojourn back to NZ.

 

 

Don, Flick, Paul Mabee (X 45 “Explorer”) and Robbie – dinner aboard.

 

 

Our good friends the Wiles – Tim, Glenny, son Geoff (currently Bosun aboard the super yacht Tiara) and daughter Greer arrived up on Bounty, their Genesis 45 on 5^th Jan and we were able to get into the serious business of diving, fishing, sailing (although unfortunately not so much of that due lack of wind) and beach BBQs.

 

 

 

Beach BBQ – Indigo Bay – Bay of Islands.

 

Happily Katrina (now 2^nd year university – doesn’t time fly) was able to take 2 weeks off her summer job and she and boyfriend Mat joined us aboard for a couple of weeks.

 

 

 

We took advantage of the weather and headed further North from the Bay of Islands to the Cavallies, Whangaroa and beyond to Manganui. The settled weather allowed us to spend time in some beautiful bays often exposed to the easterlies prevalent at that time of the year. It also opened up some great dive spots not hammered the way many of them are in the Bay of Islands at that time of year.

 

Splash Tango lies off a quiet bay in Northland.

 

Geoff’s mate, Geoff and Tim “keep an eye on the boats” while the girls take a walk along the beach.

 

Small settlement between Whangaroa and Manganui.

 

“Far from the madding crowds”

 

Not a bad haul. Packhorse and Spiny Red crayfish.

 

Self (left) Tim and Geoff Wiles after another good dive. (Personal best for me with 10 good sized crays on 1000 lb air.)

 

We were lucky to be able  to enjoy that area for as long as we were with the weather being so settled. It seems like January only gave us a couple of mucky days, maybe one every 10, with the rest enabling us to get on with what we do well…….   beach BBQs!

 

Getting ashore’s all about  timing…

…and speed!

 

 

A quiet beach, good company……

 

…a fire…

 

 

….and the sea’s bounty. Add a glass of wine and it’s an unbeatable combination.

 

Splash Tango and Bounty wait off shore.

 

Eventually we headed back to “The Bay” ( The Bay of Islands) with a great sail to finish off the “far north” leg. Subsequently we discovered a couple with an Oyster 56 had an unused MPS Spinnaker they didn’t want, complete with “sock”, so I was able to buy it off them to replace the one we lost midway Galapagos-Marquesses a few years ago. I wished I had had it earlier for the sail back to the bay, as you’ll see from the conditions we had.

 

Robbie on the helm with the Cavailli islands astern.

 

Mat takes over with the Old Man giving unsolicited advise.

 

Robbie miserable – yeah right!  Caribbean conditions.

 

New decks with Cape Brett in the background.

 

Decks again.

 

Back in The Bay, we were treated one day  in Oke Bay, to an amazing show from the seemingly every present dolphins. They seemed to be feeding in the corner of the bay and stayed there having fun for an hour or so while we went over in the dinghy with me on the helm and Robbie on the shutter. I think I deleted about 2000 but there were some goodies amongst the remainder.

 

Dolphins performing with Bounty and Splash Tango in the background.

 

 

Just having fun..

 

 

 

…. and showing off.

 

Derek Brandt (“Advantage”) and Russell Cowley come aboard for happy hour and yet more crayfish.

 

Bounty headed south about the 20^th to take in Great Barrier and The Merc’s on the way back and our friends Simon and Edwina Ellis and their daughter Katie came and joined us for a few days late January. Well it would have been a shame not to have enjoyed a couple more beach BBQs while the opportunity presented itself! This one with Pete and Christina Cashmore off Haunui.

 

A bit more crowded in The Bay than further north – but bearable!

 

It’s all in the telling – Haunui in the background, Christina and Pete Cashmore on left.

 

What better galley?

 

Robbie, The Old Man, Katie and Ed. The Prozac’s kicked in!

 

With Simon and Ed.

 

The other boats all leave and miss the best time of the day!

 

And so it was, another Christmas cruise down but another good one it was. We arrived back in Auckland on Feb 7^th and managed another long weekend to Coromandel a couple of weeks later – weather’s still holding. Had a great reach back with the new kite but unfortunately was so exited I forgot to take any photos! Next time. For now it’s back to all the remedial work, undone due to the pre-cruise rush and getting ready for the Passage to Fiji in May. Hopefully we will manage a few more trips away, if only for a few days, between now and then. With Robbie working from home this year we will be able to pick our weather a bit more rather than waiting for a weekend – so, we’ll post more as it comes to hand. Ciao. P.