Time for a catch-up!

Mooloolaba for Xmas 2014

OK, we made it safely back to Oz (Bundaberg then Mooloolaba), where Harlequin is parked for Xmas while we return to Hong Kong for an admin break. And to get cold. And catch a cold.

Checking the log, we've covered almost 8,000 nm since we were last in Mooloolaba, for Xmas 2012. We've sailed a bit of a round-Tasman circuit over the last 2 years.

Tasman circuit

Anyway, this gives me a chance to catch up on the blog, now months out of date! I apologise - been too busy cruising, and our Facebook page has kinda taken over as an easy howgozit.

So I'll be filling in the gaps from our year-long cruise around NZ's North Island, as well as bringing you up to date with our adventures since Fiji. Lots of good pics.

Bear with me, while I catch up the blog for the last few thousand miles of South Pacific cruising...

FISH ON...!!!

Ben

We had already been considering who we should eat first.

Obviously it would be Ben. A no-brainer really:  he was the youngest (as tradition demands), he was eating the most, and he knew the location of the rum stash. Luckily (for Ben) we started to catch fish on the evening of Day 4.

First, though, we had to be teased for an hour, heaving to for 3 strong takes but losing all of them, with 2 lures into the bargain. These were not small fish.

First fish

Fresh sashimi

Finally, a medium-sized Tuna was landed and quickly sashimied, followed next morning by a medium Mahi-mahi (Dorado), immediately battered and cooked, to be wolfed down with a cold beer.

Beer? Yeah, well, it was Sunday...

And we were all freshly scrubbed as we changed out of oilies and dressed in our Sunday best: Hawaiian shirts to mark our arrival in warmer waters. Boy did it taste good. And we smelled good too, for the first time quite in a few days!

Then again: FISH ON...!!!

This time Declan landed a large bull Mahi-mahi which was filleted and put straight in the fridge. With Tuna steaks for supper (mmmmm...) the lines had to come in. We had enough meat for days now. Strike 'famine'; read 'feast'.

Ben lives to fight (or fish) another day...

First mahi-mahi

Extremely fresh fish

8 kg

NZ to Fiji - Part I

Smoooth sunset...

Having missed the ideal weather window, we knew we were in for a few days of motoring, but we were pleasantly surprised to soon find a usable NW'ly to drive us up our 008 deg T (350 deg M) track at over 6-7 kts.

And so began the pattern:  A-watch would find the wind, B-watch would take over and nurse it, then C-watch would step on deck and kill it stone dead. Spooky, how often that cycle repeated itself.

Everyone settled nicely into the watch system which, given the calm conditions, was modified on Day 2 to 3 hrs on and 6 hrs off, day and night - plenty of rest for everybody..

Forecast: Day 2

Forecast: Day 4

So they started eating. The remainder of Sue's pre-cooked, vacuum-packed & frozen meals was quickly consumed (we'd had to use them at Opua as they'd begun to defrost) then the zombie horde turned on the fresh rations, then the tins and the dried goods. They could not be satisfied.

Roger and his acolyte Adam seemed to spend every waking hour (OK, that's not as much as you'd think) in the galley cooking. Taste-test half, serve the remainder, wash, rinse and repeat. Just as well we'd stocked up for a month of cruising in Fiji as well, although how much was going to survive even the crossing was now in serious doubt. We're going to need some fish!

Given how much we were motoring or motor-sailing (we had a hard Fiji deadline to meet), the old heart skipped a beat when the daily engine check on the morning of Day 3 revealed a substantial gearbox oil spill. Thankfully the cause was immediately apparent:  one of the top casing studs was missing. The engineering team, it transpired, had not checked them in the rush to get the Saildrive fitted just 3 days before, assuming: "Hey, it's a new gearbox - the bolts should all be factory tight." They weren't.

And could the missing stud be located? Could it buggery; totally disappeared. Out came the old Saildrive (buried under a ton of sails, kayaks, etc, in the forepeak) and we robbed a bolt from that.

No harm done, just a mop-up job, refill, check the tightness of all the bolts, and we were back in business. Calm, my beating heart...

Hitch-hiker

Nothing can resist the Go-pro..

Team Harlequin

     The team for the Fiji crossing:

Steve
A-watch leader
Chief Engineer

Adam
B-watch leader
Chef & Go-pro

Bert
C-watch leader
Electrics

Jim
Skipper

Roger
A-watch
Head Chef

Ben
B-watch
Go-pro & morale

Declan
C-watch
Fish-wrangler

Sue
Shore-boss
Comms Director

A-watch:  Brits Steve & Roger joined us again from Hong Kong. Steve was last aboard in January, cruising the Marlborough Sounds with wife, Jo and Roger was previously aboard in PNG and the Coral Sea with Steve in May 12 - when they lost the rudder! See the write-up of their fun & games here.

B-watch:  Adam & Ben are our tame Yanks. Adam raced with us on the Nelson Regatta back in January [write-up coming soon, I promise], working foredeck, before buying a car with Ben to explore every corner of NZ. Ben was a sailing novice, but a quick learner. Both quick to get stuck in, usually whilst taking 'selfies' with their Go-pros!

C-watch:  Bert is Dutch and an experienced coastal sailor. He kindly drove up from Auckland to help us prepare whilst on the hardstand in Whangarei, and is now an expert in re-filling compasses! Irishman Declan first joined Harlequin in Havelock and sailed with us to Nelson for the Nelson Regatta in January. Then again from Nelson - New Plymouth - North Cape - Whangaroa in March, so he's getting to know his way around the boat pretty well!

In addition, we had a cracking support team:  Sue holding the fort ashore (albeit, half a world away in UK) as Comms Director, keeping all the family and friends up to speed on our progress during the crossing. Also Alain, back in Hong Kong, keeping an eye on the weather for us with regular routing advice, and David (Bo-suun!!!) on HF duty in Sydney. Thanks, guys!

She'll be missed

Mt Cook

Mueller Glacier

Hooker Glacier

Sunrise that first morning brought mixed emotions: sure we're glad to be away after 10 days of delays, but New Zealand will definitely be missed.

Sue & I have been visiting on holiday & work for over 18 years now, and still find new areas of outstanding natural beauty to visit. This time we bought a car in Nelson and drove around South Island again for a few weeks, visiting places we'd previously missed. Including the Mt Cook National Park, which was an absolute stunner.

We've always felt that we've been made so welcome in NZ. I can think of few other countries where the locals are so laid back, friendly and welcoming. [Maybe parts of the US, our other favourite hiking destination.] Get out of Auckland (a busy city like any other) and the Kiwis all seem to have the time to help. And chat.

Arriving by yacht is straightforward, with clearance for the yacht to remain tax-free for 12 months. We were actually allowed to extend by a further 3 months to have work carried out. With all the shipbuilding & engineering expertise, and the added bonus of being able to source gear GST-free, NZ is the perfect place to refit & repair.

I'm not sure we'd sail to South Island again though, if we return by yacht.

The Marlborough Sounds are pretty, but deep and famously gusty in almost every bay. The bullets get a bit wearing after a while and anchoring (without dragging) is not easy. The locals use moorings close in, but you have to join one of the 3 clubs to use them (Mana, Pelorus & Waikawa; associate/country membership $150-250). And many of the moorings are for smaller boats, which is not well advertised.

N Island cruise

Nelson marina was friendly, and offers a 50% discount if you leave your yacht to go off exploring South Island by car, which is useful, but the Able-Tasman National Park can be cruised in a few days: pretty, but not extensive.

I think, on balance, we'd recommend cruisers explore NZ by car instead (we used a Toyota Lucida with a bed in the back, staying at campsites) and save the cruising for the north east of North Island: the Hauraki Gulf & up. Plenty to keep you interested there, for a long, lazy summer.

All of which reminds me that we really only scraped the surface on our last visit. Hmmm...

Lake Wanaka

Departing NZ. Finally!

Splashing at Opua

Amazingly, we did it!

We recalled the rest of the crew from their travels (Adam & Ben up at N Cape & Bert in Auckland) in time to clear out again on Thu morning, splash at 1400 on Thu afternoon, and by 1600 we were re-watered & re-provisioned, ready for the off. By 1800 we were coasting out at Cape Wiwiki with the fishing lines out.

Team Harlequin

Not a perfect weather-window (we've missed that), with light-ish airs forecast for much of the crossing, but with 450 litres of fuel on board we have enough to motor about 900 nm of the 1,100 nm crossing. Assuming the new Saildrive holds out!

Fiji here we come!

Opua in the rear-view mirror...

Farewell NZ

First morning

Deja-vu all over again...

Farked...

Yes, we have checked back into Hotel California.

If you look back to our departure delays out of Mooloolaba in Jan last year (click here) as we tried to depart Oz for NZ, you might be forgiven a sense of deja-vu. Delayed by TC Oswald, a gearbox rebuild and a long holiday weekend, we slowly watched our departure schedule go out the window.

Saildrive swap

And here we go again, except this time we have two holiday weekends back to back (Easter, followed by Anzac Day), so we have three days to sort this, or we won't be leaving for Fiji at all. I'll simply be out of time, before returning to work on 6 May. Yes, work - remember that?

One of the needle roller bearings in the Saildrive top assembly is confirmed farked (a technical term), taking the clutch plates and top shaft with it. And no replacement assembly available in NZ or Oz. Only alternative: replace the entire Saildrive. Ouch!

The engineering team

Luckily, the Volvo-Penta agent in Whangarei had a complete Saildrive in stock. It's a slightly different model with a tad shorter leg (not a bad thing), but having been on their shelves for 4 yrs, it comes at a (relatively) knock-down price! A quick rent-a-wreck road-trip to collect, and hey presto, we had it fitted by the end of the day.

So to recap:  we returned to Opua last Sunday, removed the top assembly on Monday, lifted Harlequin and had the top assembly 'condemned' on Tuesday. Now we have the new gearbox fitted late Wednesday.

Newly fitted

Can we get a coat of anti-foul on it by PM Thursday, and still splash & CIQ out (again) for Fiji, before New Zealand closes down once again for their next holiday weekend...?

Time will tell...

Start - Stop

Back at Ashby's jetty

OK, good news & bad news.

Good news: we don’t have to spend a wet night at sea tonight. Bad news: we are back in Opua. Alongside at Ashby’s Boatyard jetty, where we weathered TC Lusi actually, back in March.

We got away in good order this morning, but 20 mins later we were just motoring past Paihia when the engine whined, slowed, then stopped. A bit like getting something wrapped round the prop.

We quickly anchored (the bower anchor had been stowed already) and investigated to find gearbox oil all over the engine compartment, and the Saildrive dipstick melted! So we sailed back here and sought advice. Long story short: looks like a seized gearbox.

Saildrive top assembly - looks OK?

We can’t lift until Tue earliest (possibly even Wed) because of the Easter holiday, and won’t really know the extent of the problem 'til then. Could be simply a dismantle and bearing change, but even that will take a while, given time to order & receive parts.

Not thinking too deeply into it tonight: too much of a downer. Team bearing up well, and we broke open the bar and tucked into one of Sue's pre-prepared chicken curries, pepped up by Roger & Adam! Oh, and rum-filled Easter eggs!

Update when we have more news...

Cheers!

Easter eggs, filled...

... with a touch of Barbados!

Weather delay

TC Ita

The weather delay for TC Ita allowed a few extra days for boat prep & provisioning, and a valuable coastal sail up the coast to Opua. This gave the crew a chance to find their sea-legs - and check the efficacy of their wet-weather gear & sea-sickness pills!

Our original plan was to depart NZ on Mon, 14 Apr but Ita was due to hit the North Island on 16/17 Apr so we just had time to nip up to the Bay of Islands. Not much closer to Fiji (only 35 nm), but better than sitting in Whangarei getting bored in the rain. It's also traditional for us to wait for typhoons/cyclones to clear, just before we jump off on blue-water crossings!

Whangarei - Opua

Unfortunately - and here's the rub - the delay is going to cost us our visit to Tonga. We will no longer have time to explore those beautiful islands on this trip. Not cancelled, though, just delayed for another time. Instead we'll plan on a small detour (from the direct NZ-Fiji route) to Minerva Reef for a couple of days of snorkelling.

Leaving Whangarei was a bit of a wrench: the Town Basin marina there has definitely become our yachting home in NZ, and with all the boatyards, sail-makers, engineering facilities, shops, supermarkets, etc, etc right on your doorstep, has to be THE spot for cruisers to re-fit whilst in NZ. Or to leave your yacht whilst exploring NZ by car/van.

Our thanks, once again, go to marina managers Brian & Sharron, who helped make our many stays there so easy & enjoyable.

Whangarei Town Basin

We departed on the planned 14 Apr, routing via night-stops at Tutukaka marina (expensive, but worth it for the shelter from the strong NE'lies) and Paradise Bay. The trip up the coast was a wee bit cold, wet, windy & lumpy. Perfect, actually. Three of the crew very quickly succumbed, with a clear winner of the 'First Hurler Buys the Beer in Fiji' award.

Jib v's Genoa

Our new satphone had been delayed (lost, it seems, between Customs, NZ Post & Courier Post), arriving about an hour after we departed Whangarei. Sharron very quickly identified a way of sending it on to us at Tutukaka, and by 1700 we were alongside there, with the phone in our hands. Finally, after 3 weeks - what a relief!

Conditions required 2 reefs in the main and tested our new (re-conditioned) 120% Tapedrive jib - all good. Really notice the difference in drive when the wind drops, though, v's the 155% Genoa!

TC Ita wind

We backed into B-12 at Opua marina lunch-time Wed, 16 Apr so we'd be pointing into wind for TC Ita when it arrived, and started battening down the hatches. All dreadfully familiar: this was to be our third ex-TC in Opua in just 4 months! First in Dec 13 with the Wilsons, then TC Lusi in March with the Mallets & Mackinnons, now this!

Who needs to sail to the Pacific Islands to experience Tropical weather?

Back in Whangarei

Our route round N Island

Huge apologies!

We've been aboard Harlequin  in NZ since November and not a single post! Too busy cruising, the inevitable socializing and exploring this lovely country to blog about it, I suppose. That's the only excuse.

We've just made it back to Whangarei, completing our 4 month circumnavigation of North Island and are now up on the hard at Docklands 5 slapping on the annual anti-foul and preparing for our departure to Tonga & Fiji in about a week's time.

So there should be time to 'back-fill' some of the cruising stories we should have posted over the last few months, before we depart.

Sue hard at work

The map shows our route round N Island since December, during which we've enjoyed visits from David & Fiona, Pat, Sebastian, Olli & David (briefly) James & Sue, Julie, Nico, Kobi & Yuval, Steve & Jo, Dan, Declan, John, Jon & Tim, Adam, David, Warren, Matteo, Russell & Cathy, Jamie, Jean & Jo, Chris & Chrissie, and Iain & Cathy. Phew!

Now just a week to go, to be spent provisioning and weather-watching, trying to get a feel for the approaching weather systems as we prepare for the 'off'...