Arrived Napier

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Sun 29 Nov 2020 20:15

Noon positions: 39 29.03 S  176 53.53 E
Alongside Napier Sailing Club
Wind: calm.  Sea: calm Swell: nil.
Weather: overcast, mild
Day’s run: 95 nm

The wind freshened during the day and slowly veered into the north so that mid-afternoon we were wing-on-wing, with the breeze on our starboard quarter, making good and average of six knots. The  forecast was for fresh southerlies later in the day and we were grateful to make it around the southern point of Portland Island, marking the entrance into Hawke Bay, with the wind fading but still from astern.

At 1900 the wind had failed us almost completely, so we furled the jib, put a reef in the main, and flashed up the BRM. We motored for an hour when the forecast southerly at last arrived. I rolled out most of the jib, tightened the sheets and laid our course to cross the large expanse of Hawke Bay, which is some 45 miles across is mouth.

During the morning hours, the wind gradually eased again such that by 0315 we were once more motoring. At 0430 we decided to shut down the engine and drift for a bit so as to time our entry into Napier during daylight hours. At 0600 it was completely calm, so it was once more on with the engine to motor the last 12 miles into harbour. We are now alongside the friendly Napier Sailing Club visitor’s berth and Kate is cooking up a simple traditional hot breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs with fetta and tarragon, tomato, mushroom.and onion, and toast with avocado.

Hmm … all is well.