I had enough to keep me busy when I arrived in Auckland on November 15th, I had to fix this and that, paint here and there, Prism went up on the hard for a week of bottom repairs. There were shakedown sails, and we managed a Rum Race on a Friday. Our position was that we did finish, and the handicap that we got put us generously only 5 minutes in last. In actual time we were at least one hour behind the second to last, but what a great time we had, and then we got lots of Mount Gay Rum drinks for only 5 New Zealand bucks each. A great time was had!
So that left Andrea and I by ourselves with Prism ready to sail and what a great wind out of the SW we had to blow us north from Auckland. First night was Kawau Island and next morning we explored the Governor's Mansion. He was so proud of the various plants and animals he imported to New Zealand, now the poor Island nation is overrun with various imported pests and weeds. Then we left Kawau behind in another great day of SW wind, but not before Andrea spotted feeding seabirds and she guided me to a nice Kingfish. A type of tuna, very white delicious fish. And we saw a Minke whale off Bream Head and then just at dark we sailed into Tutukaka, my favorite port on the North East of New Zealand.
We were in Tut's for 3 or 4 days, and almost every day we sailed out to Poor Knights Island to snorkel with the bazillion fish in the Marine Reserve. A year ago I asked my brother for a new snorkelling Pentax for Christmas and he petitioned the siblings and they pooled and got me one. Finally I am able to send photos taken of the bazillion fish. Lots of people pay lots of money to dive the Poor Knights, but we snorkelled for free and we saw a bazillion fish. Snorkelling the Poor Knights is one of the big time adventures of New Zealand. Captain Cook named the Poor Knights after an english dessert that was green and red, at Christmas time the Pohutukawa Tree that covers the islands is in full bloom with its generous red flower.
Christmas day found us at Cape Brett, also named by Cap'n Cook after Admiral Piercy Brett. The island off laying Cape Brett is Piercy Island, it has the world famous in New Zealand Hole-In-The-Rock, and many tourist speedboats come out and zoom through it. Andrea found more feeding seabirds and she caught two more Kingfish, alas below the legal limit, so catch and release.
For Christmas presents Andrea bought me a dive excursion on the Rainbow Warrior and likewise bought her the same. So we got up early and were driven up the coast a bit and we had a great dive. The Rainbow Warrior was sunk by the French in Auckland for protesting the French nuclear tests in the South Pacific and then was refloated and sunk as a dive reef near the Cavalli Islands. What a great dive, we had two separate "penetrations" and explored all inside the wreck. I stuck my head in the blast hole that sunk her, they blew her hull in the same spot for the second sinking. Andrea got all the pictures of the bazillion fish that lived inside the hull nowadays. That was a great dive.
During our lunch break we swam with bottlenose dolphins and that was great too. I felt that I was calling them with my underwater singing, and they did come around to see me, but Andrea thinks they were just looking at the underwater sasquatch. I thought that dolphins were more serious underwater, but they spent a lot of time kissing and playing and chasing fish that it didn't seem they wanted to catch. And watching Andrea and I swimming with and after them.
Then it was time to get some miles done and so we set off into the wind and tacked tacked tacked up the east coast of the North Island. Late the last night of 2009, we anchored off a beach a few miles south of North Cape. Next day was a great sail in sunshine and easy winds as we rounded North Cape and then Cape Reinga. Island Prism left her native Pacific Ocean and sailed into the Tasman Sea. I was immediately impressed with the Tasman Sea swells and after dark they became pretty offensive in size and frequency. Andrea was concerned with the increased seas and winds and so I elected to turn and run back for shelter behind Cape Reinga. Discretion is the better part of valour etc etc. Just before we got back to Spirit Bay it was midnight Dec 31 2009 and from the most northern tiny cove in New Zealand, a shore party let off fireworks. An hour later we anchored in Spirit Bay and opened the bubbly. Spirit Bay is where the Maori said that the dead left New Zealand for the hereafter. I thought I heard voices twice that night.
Next morning, another great morning of sun and wind, we left and headed south on the West Coast of New Zealand. For the next 3 days and nights we sailed with windvane, or autopilot, or sunny afternoons with Andrea at the helm and made good mileage towards Nelson. One calm and quiet morning as I slept after a night of watch, Andrea had the dolphins come to play and she got some great photos of her, Prism and the dolphins in deep blue water.
When we got to Cape Egmont we were 65 miles offshore and a front hit. I didn't feel like losing those miles so we jogged onwards at 3 or 4 knots with the storm trysail on the boom and a reefed staysail. Prism likes those sails when it gets nasty out. The wind vane did a fine job and we sailed towards Nelson at reduced speed. Andrea was not too excited with the rough going and the occasional solid wallop of wave, but she soldiered on and we came to Nelson late at night and had a very happy satisfied sleep.
From Nelson we signed on Andrea's friend Jill and her friend James and we sailed across Tasman Bay to Abel Tasman National Park where we had a great time exploring by zodiac, swimming with seals, catching barracuda (and letting them go), and sailing with dolphins again.
Since Jill and James have left, Andrea and I have had a great sail to Current Basin and then a long motor against the current in French Pass. Andrea was pretty busy steering Prism in the whirlpools. Then we motored to the entrance of Queen Charlotte Sound and here we have been exploring in the footsteps, or sailpaths of Captain James Cook. He loved this sound and we have been to his monument, his cairn and his anchorages. Today we had a rambunctious sail into Picton, the winds were gusting 40 and Andrea had the rails under many times with a double reefed main and a staysail. I was pretty busy handling sails as the wind came from all quadrants and often all quadrants at the same time. We had one crash gybe turn into a tack just before the main crashed. And here we are at this nice marina one bay before Picton, snug as the winds blow very strong out there, enjoying 2 dollar showers that last over 15 minutes. Tomorrow is wine tasting tour, we rent bycycles and tour the wineries of the Marlbourgh Sounds. I am looking forward to getting pretty sloshed on the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world and pedalling my rented byke all over the vineyards.
