I move on the boat, the first two days are spent cleaning and reorganizing, from bow to stern. I forget to eat lunch, can't be bothered really with all the things I must think of. Once everything is taken care of Joe and Nick move in, while Mia arrives a few days later. I try to give everyone's something to do. No matter, the weekend comes and we've prepared to have a first inaugural sail staying out just the weekend. We exit the marina and motor out of the harbor area, as I don't yet know the boat well enough to sail on a weekend in such crowded waters. We exit Waitemata harbor and up go the sails, an absolute first, under my command. Before going out I briefed the whole crew on what does what, but as always, practice is the only key to learn the workings of a boat, and I end up having to instruct every move, or relinquish the helm to Nick and take care of things myself.
Slowly we round Rangitoto Island, our initial destination of Great Barrier Island is soon abandoned, as the wind is right on the nose. The day goes by pleasantly, with a few tacks until we round Motutapu and anchor in Station Bay. It's a happy dinner (again, a first), we hang out in the cockpit, sheltered by the island and by the awning which makes the cockpit so cozy. Tomorrow is another day.
Sept. 30th
We leave Motutapu at 11:30 am (why does the crew always sleep late?), trying again for Great Barrier Island, but once again it'd be a long boring struggle getting around Coromandel and then on to GBI. So we sail around for a while, practicing some tacks, while I decide where we should go for the night. I make my mind for Kawau, Bostaquet Bay, some 18 NM from our departure point.
Magically, we're still upwind (the joys of sailing!), but about seven hours later we get there just as the night approaches. Many other boats are anchored there, but we manage to tuck in pretty well, sheltered by the cliffy island. We have our own candlelit little party (as usual, I am a freak when coming to energy and water conservation) and go to sleep.
Return the day after is finally downwind. Mia gives Keturah her first (and I wish last) unespected jibe while Joe insistently just can't put the bow between two islands...there's a bit of weather helm yes..but...
I takes us only four hours getting back to Rangitoto. The NW wind built up quite a swell at the harbor entrance, and the wind is peaking at 30 KN, so we have a bit of commotion getting the bow in the waves and dousing the main, continuing on Jib only. Mia is shocked at the swell, which is just barely annoying as it is short, which though gives us some "surfing" which makes steering all the more fun.
As soon as we enter the harbor, rain starts to pour, and I am left the last bit with rain and wind slashing my eyelids and freezing down my neck. This is our first mooring in the marina, so everyone (surely mostly concerned about their own boats rather than wanting to help out) is on the dock with lines, hooks and whatnot. No sweat, I try to moor stern first, but the boat just won't reverse at all, so I slowly turn her around and go in bow first...without a scream, without a scratch.
Richard and Charlotte fom D'urville (spared from some imagined ugly scratch on her starboard topside) then break out in an applause at the perfectly executed entrance.
All lines secured, I, drenched, sit down in the cockpit and light a cigarette, my first exit on Keturah.
Slowly we round Rangitoto Island, our initial destination of Great Barrier Island is soon abandoned, as the wind is right on the nose. The day goes by pleasantly, with a few tacks until we round Motutapu and anchor in Station Bay. It's a happy dinner (again, a first), we hang out in the cockpit, sheltered by the island and by the awning which makes the cockpit so cozy. Tomorrow is another day.
Sept. 30th
We leave Motutapu at 11:30 am (why does the crew always sleep late?), trying again for Great Barrier Island, but once again it'd be a long boring struggle getting around Coromandel and then on to GBI. So we sail around for a while, practicing some tacks, while I decide where we should go for the night. I make my mind for Kawau, Bostaquet Bay, some 18 NM from our departure point.
Magically, we're still upwind (the joys of sailing!), but about seven hours later we get there just as the night approaches. Many other boats are anchored there, but we manage to tuck in pretty well, sheltered by the cliffy island. We have our own candlelit little party (as usual, I am a freak when coming to energy and water conservation) and go to sleep.
Return the day after is finally downwind. Mia gives Keturah her first (and I wish last) unespected jibe while Joe insistently just can't put the bow between two islands...there's a bit of weather helm yes..but...
I takes us only four hours getting back to Rangitoto. The NW wind built up quite a swell at the harbor entrance, and the wind is peaking at 30 KN, so we have a bit of commotion getting the bow in the waves and dousing the main, continuing on Jib only. Mia is shocked at the swell, which is just barely annoying as it is short, which though gives us some "surfing" which makes steering all the more fun.
As soon as we enter the harbor, rain starts to pour, and I am left the last bit with rain and wind slashing my eyelids and freezing down my neck. This is our first mooring in the marina, so everyone (surely mostly concerned about their own boats rather than wanting to help out) is on the dock with lines, hooks and whatnot. No sweat, I try to moor stern first, but the boat just won't reverse at all, so I slowly turn her around and go in bow first...without a scream, without a scratch.
Richard and Charlotte fom D'urville (spared from some imagined ugly scratch on her starboard topside) then break out in an applause at the perfectly executed entrance.
All lines secured, I, drenched, sit down in the cockpit and light a cigarette, my first exit on Keturah.
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