Finally tossed the lines and NZ Ship Despair is behind us. On this trip with us is Joe Richardson – lots of real world ocean time and a Kiwi who knows all of New Zealand.
Our destination the first day is a familiar one – Great Barrier. Weather was superb but gale to storm force winds are in the forecast tomorrow`. Once clear of Whangarei Harbor, the fishing lines went out.
Not far off the Whangarei Heads, we spotted a pod of Killer Whales – sorry for the crummy pictures – best I could manage. They were busy feeding on something.
Shortly after, we spotted this fellow. Again, sorry for the crummy pictures. Some kind of whale but we could not identify them. Perhaps one of you know?
As we passed the Hens and Chicks, we picked up a nice albacore. Iron Lady is still a fish magnet. We invited him to stay for dinner.
We caught another a short time later but he got to live for another day.
Lines went off at 0900 and we dropped the anchor at Kaiarara Bay on Great Barrier some 60 plus nautical miles later at 1600 including the slow trip down the harbor at Whangarei and negotiating our way into Kaiarara Bay at Great Barrier. 1700 RPM – not bad. Here is a shot of Little Barrier.
We put the dink in, but the rains and wind soon drove us back to the boat.
Mount Hobson looked a bit sinister in the forming storm clouds. Dinner was grilled, marinated albacore, rice and a salad. Early to bed for all but a bit sleepless with the wind and adjusting to life at anchor again.
In the morning, Deb grilled up fresh bacon and eggs and it was off to the Port Fitzroy in the dink for some special lip balm made from bees wax that only is available on Great Barrier.
After, while I stayed behind for some boat chores, Deb and Joe hit the mussel farm to harvest a big bucket of green lip mussels (while this is a commercial operation, you are allowed to pick a bucket for free).
With the forecast of 30 to 40 knot northerlies, Kaiarara was starting to look like the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show with everyone running for cover. A bit too crowded for our taste so we headed off to Bowling Alley Bay about 6 miles away – a place Joe knew where not many people go. It was just us and two other boats.
A late lunch of steamed green lip mussels in garlic, onion, cream and white wine served with fresh cole slaw and bread. Probably don’t need any dinner but we will see.
The weather looked like it might improve over forecast but I have been there before so we left the dink aboard. The sunset looked a bit ominous but the wind was down.
That was true until about 2300 when the first gusts came up. They were spilling over the hills around the bay down in to the anchorage and coming at us from various directions and continued to build thru out the night. By 0300 they were up to a steady 25 and gusting into the 30’s. The big Rochna anchor did just fine but every time a gust hit and we would skid off, the chain would drag on the bow roller with a loud thunk.
The solution, of course, was an anchor snubber but while an anchor snubber would have stopped the racket, it also would have muffled the sounds if we had dragged. Being cautious, I decided to live with the racket. Not a whole lot of sleep and the day promises more of the same with heavy rain easing tonight. Probably stay where we are.
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