Position: 36 45.79 S 174 46.25 E
At anchor Castor Bay, off Milford
Wind: SSW F3 gentle
Sea state: slight Swell: nil
Weather: mostly sunny, mild
Day’s run: 21 nm

Today’s destination was Castor Bay, just off the township of MIlford, in order to partake of the hospitality of one of the members of the Milford Cruising Club. The forecast for the day was light SW breeze, so in order to give ourselves plenty of time to get there without resorting to the BRM, we got under way at 0800. The wind was in the south which required three tacks to gain open water. Once clear of the bay, we headed west to round Parks Point then bore away to the NW to pass between Motuihie Island and Waiheke Island. The wind was fine off the port quarter at this point, so I poled the jib out to port to run wing-on-wing towards Rakino Channel which lies in between Rakino Island and Motutapu Island (there is no shortage of islands in the Hauraki Gulf).

We cleared Rakino Channel at 0930 then came onto the wind, close hauled on the port tack, making good an average course of due west, to pass to the north of Motutapu Island and Rangitoto Island (the dormant volcano). The winds remained light but sufficient to keep Sylph moving at an average speed of around three knots. At 1315 we were approaching the coast to the north of Milford. We put in two tacks to make Castor Bay, then, at 1351, we bore away to the NW to enter the bay, furling the jib as we did so. A few minutes later we rounded into the wind, dropped the main and let go the anchor in 6.5 meters of water over what appears to be a sandy bottom.

It has proven to be another very pleasant day sail. And now I have a couple of hours to kill before rowing ashore to meet my Milford Cruising Club host.

All is well.