This page contains our Log en-route to New Zealand for October 2007. We will keep a running Log via ShipTrak when we are at sea and this page will be updated as and when we are able to access the Internet.
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28 September - 8 October
2007 We departed Suva late morning on 28th September,
both a little nervous of heading South after such a long and relatively
effortless sail in the tropics. We were greeted by a sobering
sight as we sailed out through the reef. A Finnish cruiser had run
aground onto the reef in the night and the boat sat high on the reef
slowly being pounded to bits by the surf. We subsequently found
out that they had lost visibility in a squall as they were entering the
channel and then subsequently had engine trouble and it sounded as if a
series of events led to them getting distracted and hitting the reef.
Very sad; however, they both got off okay, although the boat was lost.
We headed out into rapidly building seas and after 3 hours we had 2
reefs in and we were both feeling pretty rough in a horrible motion.
Unfortunately that was to last for the next 3 days! We held a
steady 20-25 kts of wind and 4 meter seas right through to the 1st
October when things settled down a bit. However, we consoled
ourselves with the fact that we were making excellent mileage of around
140nm/day and the High we had planned or passage around was doing
exactly what we wanted it to do. We headed west to 174 degrees
West so that if we encountered a westerly wind as we got further south
we would not be forced to beat to windward. Having put life on hold for three days we set about drying the boat and ourselves out, which we soon did in the warm sun, and getting a proper hot meal after grabbing what we could for the last few days. The sea slowly dropped as the day went on, but unfortunately the wind went on to the nose at about 12 kts, making progress seem painfully slow after the roller coaster ride of the last few days. To add insult to injury, we also picked up 1/2 kt of current against us! But never mind, at least we were able to move around and get into our routine without having to be tied on all the time. The weather the other side of our High Pressure over New Zealand was a bit worrying as they were having a series of storms of 50 kt plus winds. We still had a long way to go though, and although we felt the effects of the sea with a long ocean swell developing a lot could change before we got there - we were hoping anyway!  The
wind stayed forward of the beam until the 4th October, but we worked the
boat hard and still managed about 130nm a day. At this rate we
were hopeful of a 9 or possibly an 8 day passage, having started with
the mindset that anything under 10 days was a bonus. It also meant
that the 72 hour weather forecast was beginning to be meaningful.
However, it presented a dilemma. If we made 8 days we stood a good
chance of making it in before the next Cold Front bought gales to the
North Island or we slowed down and went behind it. Our gut feeling
was that the front would slide south, as the High to the North was still
very strong, so we made the decision to press on - hard. The
nights were now getting very cold, or we had got soft after all this
time in the Tropics. We were wearing our Musto all-in-one wind stopper
suits, fleece and full oilskins with fleece hats for the night watches
and were glad to get into sleeping bags when off watch! The 5th
and 6th provided two beautiful sailing days with the wind just aft of
the beam and Oasis was able to show her best, cracking along at 7kts at
times on a lovely broad reach. As time went on I was getting more
sure of my hunch regarding the weather and the low with associated
fronts and gales was sliding South. The
8th bought sunshine and another great days sailing and we finally made
our landfall around 4pm. We were accompanied by Pilot Whales,
Dolphins and a magnificent Wandering Albatross, the size of a small
glider! Actually entering the Bay of Islands was a bit of an
anticlimax as it was pitch dark and we saw nothing! That said, the
entrance was easy, and it was a delight to be back sailing in a region
where the buoys were where they should be and where the lights worked.
We crept into Opua around 10pm at slack tide and tied up to the
Quarantine berth to await Customs clearance in the morning. We
both felt elated to be here, but sad that after so much planning the
journey was drawing to a close. We have loved the "Cruising Life"
and we will be very sad to move ashore again and see our friends all
continue on to new cruising grounds. We are equally excited though
at the prospect of building a new life here in New Zealand. We
have sailed 11,033 nm in the 11 months since we left the Chesapeake Bay
in the USA last November, averaging 1000 nm/month. Our plans now
are to explore the East Coast of New Zealand in a series of day sails as
the weather allows us to work our way down to Wellington, where we will
be living for the foreseeable future.9th October - 14th October 2007 Morning revealed the full glory of the Bay of Islands, which I can best describe as Scotland meets Cornwall in the Sun! It is stunningly beautiful, and so far, everything we expected it to be. Customs and the officer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) arrived promptly on board at 9 am and we completed the formalities quickly and effortlessly. The only things we had on board that were confiscated were dried kidney beans, chick peas, whole lentils and honey. The MAF Officer was very thorough, even inspecting the wheels of our bicycles to ensure they were clean and that we weren't importing mud. We were also relieved to confirm that we would not be liable to pay the NZ$36,000 tax bill for importing Oasis to New Zealand;; she is regarded as part of our goods and chattels arriving with us on taking up residency here. Quite a relief I can tell you! We have spent the rest of the week alongside in Opua Marina, the first time we have been alongside since Jamaica in February, giving Oasis a good spring clean in fresh water. We have also changed her power over to 220 Volts and obtained our New Zealand certificate of electrical compliance. It hasn't all been work though. We have cycled (very hilly) and walked about the local area, visiting Paihia, Russell and Waitangi. The coastal and forest walks have been fantastic and are helping to get some strength back into our legs after so long onboard. For although we are both exceptionally healthy and fit in the broadest sense, we are lacking stamina and strength, particularly in our legs. The round trip from Opua to Waitangi was a 20km (12 miles) walk over very hilly terrain, which gave us a good work out. The paths are well marked and strewn with trees and wild flowers that we have still to learn the names of, but with it being Spring here are in full bloom. Wild Jasmine is quite abundant and fills the air with its wonderful scent. Its great to hear lots of bird song too - again, it will take time to identify the different species, but the pigeons are huge and the Tui (Parson Bird) very chatty. Opua is a small village with a shop, cafe, restaurant and Sailing Club. Russell was the original capital of New Zealand and Waitangi was where the Waitangi Treaty was signed on 6 February 1840, an agreement between two peoples to live and work together in one nation, the foundation of modern New Zealand's relationship with the Maori people. So not a bad place to start life here! We are already in love with the Country. More to follow as we head South.
Views over the Bay of Islands
Flagstaff on the site of the Waitangi Treaty signing and a 35 m long Ngatokimatawhaorua (war canoe) which takes a minimum of 76 paddlers to handle it.
Te Whare Runanga (meeting house) which contains beautiful carvings representing some North Island major Maori tribal groupings
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