MainlySteam
New member
Many, er well a couple /forums/images/icons/smile.gif, of forumites have suggested I write a bit about our return voyage between Wellington and Nelson to give some more impressions of sailing in this part of the world. So here it is. Charts are free for downloading at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.hydro.linz.govt.nz/charts/catalogue/index.asp>http://www.hydro.linz.govt.nz/charts/catalogue/index.asp</A>, relevant small scale ones are NZ46 and NZ61 if one wants to follow the route. Direct distance to Nelson is around 125 nm so is only around 300 nm return by the time add distance into refuges and avoiding areas of heavy seas, but was tiresome going. Was a trip to meet a schedule so ended up with alot of motoring due to the conditions.
Kaniva gets lifted only 2 yearly for underwater inspection, antifouling and any other odd jobs best done by the yard - we return to the yard in Nelson who built her for this. The plan with the yard was that we be on their dock by first thing Tuesday following Easter weekend, rafted outside another bigger Wellington boat scheduled to be there before us, so we could be lifted early morning - all underwater painting to be completed by Friday to be back in water and other work completed Saturday for us to depart Sunday the weekend after Easter to get back to Wellington to meet business commitments.
Wife, Ship's Cat and I set off Saturday of Easter weekend with a very strong SW flow over the whole country - bad news as that sets up direct head winds along the coast all the way to Nelson. Across the bottom of North Island the wind was 30-35 knots gusting higher but dropping to less than 20 knots in many places due to the influence of the high land. Although a holiday weekend, no other boats around at all. Had 2-3 metres of very steep "chop" (our pulpit is 2m above WL so when our bow overhangs a trough and waves are higher they are starting to get big) so proceeded with just a small foresail on the inner forestay with motor running to maintain progress through the seas whenever the wind dropped. We planned to go through Cook Strait with the tide and had timed our departure to be at the rip areas at around slack tide - but the tide had started running North much earlier than the predictions (not unusual) and the rips were getting steep even though the wind was with the tide (a look at the Cook Strait chart will show that there are big bottom influences). Went onto foredeck to drop the small foresail so that we could motor out directly into the wind to get around the worst of it and so would not have to handle sails in the turbulence of the rip, and a big gust was strong enough to peel my beanie off my head to be lost, was a nice merino and opossum wool one to make up for the thinning of my own wool. As we got out into the open Strait had same wave height but at the normal distance apart so much easier going.
From bottom of North Island until close to Nelson had 25 - 35 knot wind right in our faces and motored it all in order to keep to our schedule - tides, islands and tidal gates make getting to windward very time consuming otherwise. Track was between Awash Rocks and The Brothers, along top of South Island across Queen Charlotte Sound entance and around Cape Jackson. Saturday night we overnighted behind Alligator Head in Guards Bay outside Pelorous Sound as I am the only one capable of keeping a watch under the conditions.
Set off Sunday morning again 25-35 knots in our faces to try to get to French Pass (between D'Urville Is and South Is) while the tide still ran our way through it. Off entrance to Pelorous Sound the sea ahead was white with occasional squalls lifting spray high into the air. We passed the bigger boat that was supposed to get to the yard before us as we proceeded into it. Kaniva is fine foreward and we keep alot of weight in the bow to reduce pitching in steep seas so she handles these conditions well. We proceeded directly into 30-35 knots, with higher gusts, making about 3-5 knots steering through the waves to avoid losing way in them, at twice the progress of the other vessel and with Ship's Cat lying in a corner of the cockpit sheltered by the hard dodger with his paws hard over his eyes, and me, face caked in salt, at the wheel.
Got to French Pass in time to have the flow still with us - the pass is 100m wide and while current is only around 6 -7 knots it is full of big whirlpools from edge and bottom effects and steep standing waves in bad conditions. We gave our mandatory "All Ships" radio call 10 mins before entering (large coastal vessels use the pass if the flow is favourable and visibility of approaching vessels is limited) and proceeded through against 30 knot winds. The tide got us, point of no return, and oh my goodness aren't those waves big today /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif. Full power to keep directional control as we lost all speed through the water with the boat at alarming angles, bow burying deeply (1.4 m freeboard at bow) so solid water sweeping us as the bow rose high up the next wave, then a crashing fall into the next trough with Ship's Cat in a panic and yowling (first time ever) as the tide swept us through. Real hard plug from there for us with N swell coming into Tasman Bay and seas crossing that from the wind, but for 2 around 60 foot USA aluminium boats in company coming the other way under reefed sails they were steaming along nicely with wind and seas behind. Knew at that stage that our schedule was safe and so to give the other boat time to get ahead of us we overnighted in Croiselles Harbour anchored about 25nm from Nelson.
Set off late Monday morning arriving at yard's dock mid afternoon to have it to ourselves. Got all the forepeak cleared out for some work in there and 7:30 Tuesday morning Yard Manager seemed very pleased to see us on time having stuck it out - the other boat had decided to shelter and arrived a day later. In return we were back in the water Friday, as per the plan, and in between times we moteled,caught up with sailing friends, shopped, with Ship's Cat sent off to the local cattery (much to his disgust). Very interesting chat with 60 year old friend, who is ships' master home on leave, about avoiding getting run down. He also sails small to very large sailing vessels so knows both ship and sailboat perspectives.
Voyage home was pretty mundane, setting off on Sunday the weekend after Easter, for the most part no wind at all and anchored behind Alligator Head again - had promised ourselves a day off with a little fishing on way back if all had gone to plan and so spent all Monday based there. Back to Wellington on Tuesday with dead calm and some fog (unusual here) to start with. As we entered Cook Strait proper at The Brothers got a nice 25+ knot wind to near Wellington entrance - all sail up at hull speed on a flat run and tide getting us up to maintained 10 - 11 knots over ground with autopilot doing all the work - the only bit of reasonable sailing we got.
All the motoring got me in the mood for next week to Oz for sea trials of a 76 foot power boat - 4 engines with 4 waterjet drives and nice cosy wheelhouse.
John
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Kaniva gets lifted only 2 yearly for underwater inspection, antifouling and any other odd jobs best done by the yard - we return to the yard in Nelson who built her for this. The plan with the yard was that we be on their dock by first thing Tuesday following Easter weekend, rafted outside another bigger Wellington boat scheduled to be there before us, so we could be lifted early morning - all underwater painting to be completed by Friday to be back in water and other work completed Saturday for us to depart Sunday the weekend after Easter to get back to Wellington to meet business commitments.
Wife, Ship's Cat and I set off Saturday of Easter weekend with a very strong SW flow over the whole country - bad news as that sets up direct head winds along the coast all the way to Nelson. Across the bottom of North Island the wind was 30-35 knots gusting higher but dropping to less than 20 knots in many places due to the influence of the high land. Although a holiday weekend, no other boats around at all. Had 2-3 metres of very steep "chop" (our pulpit is 2m above WL so when our bow overhangs a trough and waves are higher they are starting to get big) so proceeded with just a small foresail on the inner forestay with motor running to maintain progress through the seas whenever the wind dropped. We planned to go through Cook Strait with the tide and had timed our departure to be at the rip areas at around slack tide - but the tide had started running North much earlier than the predictions (not unusual) and the rips were getting steep even though the wind was with the tide (a look at the Cook Strait chart will show that there are big bottom influences). Went onto foredeck to drop the small foresail so that we could motor out directly into the wind to get around the worst of it and so would not have to handle sails in the turbulence of the rip, and a big gust was strong enough to peel my beanie off my head to be lost, was a nice merino and opossum wool one to make up for the thinning of my own wool. As we got out into the open Strait had same wave height but at the normal distance apart so much easier going.
From bottom of North Island until close to Nelson had 25 - 35 knot wind right in our faces and motored it all in order to keep to our schedule - tides, islands and tidal gates make getting to windward very time consuming otherwise. Track was between Awash Rocks and The Brothers, along top of South Island across Queen Charlotte Sound entance and around Cape Jackson. Saturday night we overnighted behind Alligator Head in Guards Bay outside Pelorous Sound as I am the only one capable of keeping a watch under the conditions.
Set off Sunday morning again 25-35 knots in our faces to try to get to French Pass (between D'Urville Is and South Is) while the tide still ran our way through it. Off entrance to Pelorous Sound the sea ahead was white with occasional squalls lifting spray high into the air. We passed the bigger boat that was supposed to get to the yard before us as we proceeded into it. Kaniva is fine foreward and we keep alot of weight in the bow to reduce pitching in steep seas so she handles these conditions well. We proceeded directly into 30-35 knots, with higher gusts, making about 3-5 knots steering through the waves to avoid losing way in them, at twice the progress of the other vessel and with Ship's Cat lying in a corner of the cockpit sheltered by the hard dodger with his paws hard over his eyes, and me, face caked in salt, at the wheel.
Got to French Pass in time to have the flow still with us - the pass is 100m wide and while current is only around 6 -7 knots it is full of big whirlpools from edge and bottom effects and steep standing waves in bad conditions. We gave our mandatory "All Ships" radio call 10 mins before entering (large coastal vessels use the pass if the flow is favourable and visibility of approaching vessels is limited) and proceeded through against 30 knot winds. The tide got us, point of no return, and oh my goodness aren't those waves big today /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif. Full power to keep directional control as we lost all speed through the water with the boat at alarming angles, bow burying deeply (1.4 m freeboard at bow) so solid water sweeping us as the bow rose high up the next wave, then a crashing fall into the next trough with Ship's Cat in a panic and yowling (first time ever) as the tide swept us through. Real hard plug from there for us with N swell coming into Tasman Bay and seas crossing that from the wind, but for 2 around 60 foot USA aluminium boats in company coming the other way under reefed sails they were steaming along nicely with wind and seas behind. Knew at that stage that our schedule was safe and so to give the other boat time to get ahead of us we overnighted in Croiselles Harbour anchored about 25nm from Nelson.
Set off late Monday morning arriving at yard's dock mid afternoon to have it to ourselves. Got all the forepeak cleared out for some work in there and 7:30 Tuesday morning Yard Manager seemed very pleased to see us on time having stuck it out - the other boat had decided to shelter and arrived a day later. In return we were back in the water Friday, as per the plan, and in between times we moteled,caught up with sailing friends, shopped, with Ship's Cat sent off to the local cattery (much to his disgust). Very interesting chat with 60 year old friend, who is ships' master home on leave, about avoiding getting run down. He also sails small to very large sailing vessels so knows both ship and sailboat perspectives.
Voyage home was pretty mundane, setting off on Sunday the weekend after Easter, for the most part no wind at all and anchored behind Alligator Head again - had promised ourselves a day off with a little fishing on way back if all had gone to plan and so spent all Monday based there. Back to Wellington on Tuesday with dead calm and some fog (unusual here) to start with. As we entered Cook Strait proper at The Brothers got a nice 25+ knot wind to near Wellington entrance - all sail up at hull speed on a flat run and tide getting us up to maintained 10 - 11 knots over ground with autopilot doing all the work - the only bit of reasonable sailing we got.
All the motoring got me in the mood for next week to Oz for sea trials of a 76 foot power boat - 4 engines with 4 waterjet drives and nice cosy wheelhouse.
John
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