Ships_Cat
New member
Real Ship's Cat was most scathing about our passage through Cook Strait over 3 weeks ago. We left on a 25 knot forecast and ended up with 30 - 50 knots in our faces. 7 - 8 knots just off close hauled with small foresail and like being in a washing machine going through the rips across the bottom of North Island, and then motored directly into it when headed the rest of the way.
So, 3 weeks later for the return passage we decided to let Ship's Cat make the decisions. Like all Ship's Cats he has his paws buttered while we are away else he is always yowling to go home again. Day before yesterday we unbuttered his paws and left him to it. First move was he wandered out into the cockpit and sniffed the air (blowing 25 knots in the anchorage and grey clouds scudding in our faces out over the Strait) and then promptly came in and went to sleep. 4 am yesterday morning he had us out of bed and gave orders to go - to our surprise not a breath of wind and moony/starry sky.
Off we go, motoring of course as not a breath, for the flattest Strait passage ever, just glassy with only a residual 1 m swell coming through. Ship's Cat just lay sunning his tummy with a "just leave it to me" smirk on his face.
As we approached Wellington banks of fog were rolling out the entrance, a very rare occasion as anyone who has visited the place will know (made the national news). 15 minutes out I called Port Control to check on big ship movements and advise our intentions, as required in poor visibility and as we also have to use the main channel and cross it. Only one ship due coming out around the time we expected to cross the channel and the comment "You won't be able to see where you are going, the harbour's full of fog" - Ship's Cat just smiled.
Rounded the outer buoy and proceeded up the main channel into the harbour, Ship's Cat staring intently ahead and sniffing the air. And wonders, for the whole 7 mile run up the harbour the fog started to lift and kept doing so about a mile ahead of us all the way and remained clear behind us. So when we got to the marina the whole harbour was cleared behind us, very smug Cat in the cockpit gave final sniff and disappeared below.
They say great navigators always instinctively know where they are and I often wonder how animals with homing instincts manage. Must be something in the buttery paws and Animal Nav, I think /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
John
So, 3 weeks later for the return passage we decided to let Ship's Cat make the decisions. Like all Ship's Cats he has his paws buttered while we are away else he is always yowling to go home again. Day before yesterday we unbuttered his paws and left him to it. First move was he wandered out into the cockpit and sniffed the air (blowing 25 knots in the anchorage and grey clouds scudding in our faces out over the Strait) and then promptly came in and went to sleep. 4 am yesterday morning he had us out of bed and gave orders to go - to our surprise not a breath of wind and moony/starry sky.
Off we go, motoring of course as not a breath, for the flattest Strait passage ever, just glassy with only a residual 1 m swell coming through. Ship's Cat just lay sunning his tummy with a "just leave it to me" smirk on his face.
As we approached Wellington banks of fog were rolling out the entrance, a very rare occasion as anyone who has visited the place will know (made the national news). 15 minutes out I called Port Control to check on big ship movements and advise our intentions, as required in poor visibility and as we also have to use the main channel and cross it. Only one ship due coming out around the time we expected to cross the channel and the comment "You won't be able to see where you are going, the harbour's full of fog" - Ship's Cat just smiled.
Rounded the outer buoy and proceeded up the main channel into the harbour, Ship's Cat staring intently ahead and sniffing the air. And wonders, for the whole 7 mile run up the harbour the fog started to lift and kept doing so about a mile ahead of us all the way and remained clear behind us. So when we got to the marina the whole harbour was cleared behind us, very smug Cat in the cockpit gave final sniff and disappeared below.
They say great navigators always instinctively know where they are and I often wonder how animals with homing instincts manage. Must be something in the buttery paws and Animal Nav, I think /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
John