Part 4: A Schedule to Keep

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

I had a schedule to keep, needed to be within easy range of my pickup point in two days time and with the weather forecast suggesting more line squalls and some very patchy weather I wanted to make progress back toward the city.

It was dead calm that morning, mirror flat, not a breath of wind, so I motored out to a tiny bay just inside the mouth of the harbour, put the anchor down and did some minor maintenance while I waited. We usually get a breeze about mid morning, and that was the case that day,  as soon as I could feel some movement in the air I had the sails up, the anchor on deck and quietly, very quietly, Spook picked up way and moved out.

Sailing in very light wind is a real skill, one which I have practiced a lot, its not as much sheer fun as a good solid breeze but its so frustrating to not be able to make progress that I work hard at it, and so we coasted from one tiny ruffle on the waters surface to another, working our way out of the harbour and into the more open water beyond. 

I knew that the wind would come in later on, but wanted to be out away from the blanketing effect of the land when it did, that would give me an hour or so start on the journey toward home.

This area is full of reefs, tiny islands, shoals and other navigation hazards.  It’s been the demise of many yachts over the years so it’s worth keep a good watch ahead, especially when there is not enough wind to counter the tide’s effect.  But I was clear of the worst  of it by the time the wind picked up and was able to tie the tiller off and let the boat steer herself while I made an early lunch, maintaining a careful watch as I did so.

The Dolphins came for a visit once I was clear of the islands, riding in the bow wave as the little boat marching along briskly across Whangaparoa Bay.  Watching these amazing creatures from so close never fails to lift my spirits, they are, I know, nothing like us humans, but there seems to me to be a real connection and I was very glad to see them.

There is a shallow and rough stretch of water known locally as the “Tiri Channel” on this course, its maybe three miles wide, has fast tidal flows and the wind funnels through between the high ground on each side.  It can be a nasty place, and it was not in the best of moods this day with the wind swinging around to head me setting up big steep waves as the tide ran against it.

It was slow beating through here, the spacing of the waves making it difficult to keep the 18 ft Spook driving along, so I was sailing well inshore looking for the calm patches and using the eddies in the wind and tide to help me on my course, fascinating work but tiring.

Any task can be achieved if you keep at it, and about 4 pm we were back out in deeper water and clear steady winds again, two reefs in the main and close reaching across toward an Island group some 10 miles away.  We got bounced around a lot on this course, Offcuts though was towing straight and seemed dry, and even though I could not get Spook to self steer in the big swells, it was an enjoyable sail.

“Offcuts”.  Following along like a faithful little dog.  I’m very pleased with this tiny scrap of plywood and paint, designed and built an hour or two at a time over not much more than a week. She performs remarkably well. Here we are about to come to anchor in Islington Bay after a day in which we covered over 20 miles in sometimes rough conditions, there is not a drop of water in her, she tows straight and true, does not surf up the back of the mothership in a following sea and carries me ashore safe and dry.

Woody Bay on Rakino Island is completely open to the south west, and that’s the prevailing wind here, but the forecast was for North easterlies the next day which made the pretty, sandy bottomed bay an attractive stop for the night.

Another perfect little island, that anchorage is a great place in all but SouthWest winds, but it pays to remember that sand is made by waves, so that superb little beach is an indication that the anchorage can get rough. Wonderful  beach though, and on this day the anchorage and indeed the whole island seemed very close to paradise.

There were plenty of boats in there, the anchorage almost crowded, but I was able to sail in and get the anchor down in a space large enough to swing without tangling with others, and where I’d have enough room to get the sails up and sail off the anchor should I have to move at night.

I don’t like using the motor if I can avoid it, so make a habit of anchoring under sail, the procedure being to sail in and assess the anchorage, checking the depth with the lead line, seeing where other boats anchored there might swing in a change of wind or tide, then sailing back out a little and coming in with the anchor laid out on deck ready to stream as I come to my chosen space.

I get Spook hove to under backed jib and the main just sheeted in a little with the tiller tied off to leeward.  She makes way very slowly about 50 deg off straight ahead when set like this, and if I’ve got it right she drifts across and over where I want to place the anchor, giving me plenty of time to go up on the foredeck and stream the anchor and chain,  counting the marks on the rode (one knotted serving at 10m, a plain one every two until a double knotted serving at 20m and so on) until I have enough out to have a 5 to 1 scope out at high tide.

I then wrap the rode around the sampson post on the foredeck, letting the boats way snub the anchor and set it into the ground, her bow coming round head to wind being a good indication that the anchor is well set.

With the rode made off to the cleat, the sails down and stowed, it was time for dinner.

This was the end of day four, my trial run with the new home built icebox was going well and although the top layer was no longer frozen hard, the beef fillet packed for this nights meal was still very cold, and was soon crumbed and fried up with onions and mushrooms, bell peppers and cauliflower.  Dessert was a single serve pre-sauced fruit pudding boiled in its plastic container, the water being used to wash the few pots and dishes.

Meals are a critical part of cruising, I like to eat well and a good diet is good for the body.  My little galley has only a single burner propane campstove, but I can cook  anything up to and including yeast bread if I plan ahead when provisioning.

I was sitting up on deck just eating the last of what was a very nice meal when a couple in a little inflatable came up alongside, and after pointing out his very nice 1950s vintage yacht the gent kindly complimented me on both Spooks looks and the manner in which she had been sailed in to her anchorage, that was a buzz!

Next: Homeward Bound

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