The 07 cruise of Waione.

[John B]

Gidday Ed !

Sure, go ahead. Its Tom and Jake .. Jake doing the jump

[John B]

So where were we up to...
Oh yeah , thats right, it rained.

That was before it actually rained.
oh yeah, and while we were away admiring the view a 50 knot squall ,thereabouts , went through the bay where Waione was and picked up her , 4 launches and three yachts and blew them out of the bay.First drag in many many years, a ball of fine kelp the size of a swiss ball( exercise ball) around the plough.
and then after we sorted that out it rained and blew and rained.

text to boat from other boat" we're at lagoon bay, what are your plans?"
reply.." sell boat, buy motor home."

fortunately for us and completely at odds with the forecast for ,you guessed it,rain, the sun came out and we had a spectacular day on the beach at Roberton Island . This included foursies on the beach with 5 boatloads( 2 additionals we picked up) and all was well.
Chinese laundry

Roberton

[John B]

looking nw.. a 1.5 to 2 metre swell out there even though it doesn't look it

foursies

[John B]

Kids boat hopping, extended boating family...

Sam saw Tom Hills cover evidently

dumping out some pacific after a slight swamping in the other one.

[Concordia...41]

Cool - great pictures!

Keep 'em coming (and maybe I'll tell you what the Harrows really said about you

- M

[Steveh]

Excellent John. This has made Jo envious as hell and she wants Ngatira back in the water by next Christmas so we can join the merry misfits on your Chrissie Cruise. And Jay wants Ngatira out of the shed as well.

Can't believe my luck actually. Just spent four days up at the shed doing some woodwork and stuff on the old girl.

Is that a 'peg pennant' I see fluttering in the rigging? Good one.

Back at work today.

[Stari27]

Thank you for the photos. We finally have snow, but your location looks more delightful. Thanks againg,
PetrB

[Ed Harrow]

I've added a picture back up there somewhere.

As for the pennant - well there were two of them, and a story still to come.

[John B]

So here we are again... where were we last.
After Roberton island we had one more good day in the Bay and left the next early.

special delivery to the beach

Motored around cape Brett in a swell and down about 15 miles to Whangaruru harbour.
Albert passage , between the rock and the headland

Cape Brett and Piercy Island

nice afternoon and evening
but the weather was on the turn again

we all( 4 boats ) left early again with the intention of seeing how far we'd get. Useless breeze, fluky, swell, chop going other way and right on the snotter so we hauled into Tutukaka harbour only another 15 or 18 miles down the coast.Nice evening but it was a tiring few miles.

[John B]

one of the few fish we caught.. a good sized kahawhai.

As an aside , the new boat in the 'fleet' ,Contour, caught 10 skipjack tuna over the three weeks out. No effort, just trolling between destinations.Something about that boat just brought them in !

[Tom Hunter]

John,

It is difficult to adiquately describe how inspiring these photos are to a guy who is going to spend a big part of tomorrow crouched under a plastic boat cover cutting away rot in the freezing cold.

Thanks,

Tom

[John B]

You're a better man than I am Tom.

Nearly done though.. just a couple more days.

Tutukaka( play jaws music here)
Tutukaka harbour faces due east and has an entrance that might be 50 metres wide or perhaps more. Whatever it is its bloody small in a swell. Easy getting in but an easterly of 20 knots came up over night and we wanted out, its too commercialised now, its a marina, there's 3 bars but 1 night is way enough in there.
So 20 knots eh, doesn't sound much does it.
Only it stood up a sea that had to be seen to be believed and they were only about 20 maybe 30 ft apart.Now I'd say they were about 10 ft ( 3 m) some of them and a lot at 5 to 8 ft but some of the other guys disagree with that and think I'm understating.
20 to 30 ft apart though because as we ditched down the back the next one would break over the bow. I don't get too scared on a boat these days but you have to recognise the point where nothing can go wrong and there's a certain amount of breath holding going with that. Honestly, if I'd thought it was going to be that rough I'd have stayed put but it simply did not look like it actually was.
This is from inside the harbour looking out, Red rocks to strbd and the headland to port.

The wash off those pieces of rock considerably narrowed the exit.
There wasn't a problem, we gave the motor some herbs and we had main and staysail up although with no wind in em due to the easterly wind. We punched well out and tacked under power and sail and settled in for the lead through to Kawau about 45 miles away.
check out these shots given to me by Debs on Contour , just behind us.






That was a long hard sail in that old boat. 7 1/2 odd hours ,a lot of it a bash and by the end of the day, motoring with no wind in a nasty roll and chop. ah well, we had it pretty easy the rest of the trip. (There was actually 30 knots at times earlier but mosty in that 20 to 25 range.)
That evening at Kawau.

sheesh.

[Paul Pless]

that bottom photo in your last post is simply lovely

[John B]

one more night over in Moturekareka Iland a few miles south of Kawau

and we sailed home the next day. forecast for 10 going 20 gusting 30 in the evening. Fortunately I resisted( only just) shaking out the cruising reef and we got smacked about halfway home for a short time.The 20 gusting 30 arrived about 4 hours early. Home last night and no sleep due to over comfortable bed and a failure of the floor to move about.

So ends another years cruise. 3 weeks about,( edit: since informed, 4 weeks) plenty happened ,lots of fun and some frustration at cramped quarters for our growing family ,but yet again that old girl saw us safely about for the 400 miles we doddled along.

[StevenBauer]

that bottom photo in your last post is simply lovely

New desktop.

Steven

[John B]

that bottom photo in your last post is simply lovely

Another of Deb's Paul.
Just how we like it , Adults siting on one boat having foursies with the raving mass of kids somewhere else, in this case a few of em on Waione.
Total mass= 8 sometimes 9 kids( one last night with11 kids) and the rather phenomenal occurrence of 22 people and one whippet being fed and watered aboard Contour.! a record for our mob I reckon.

[John B]

These are the two boats we spent most time with
Ronaki, a glass Davidson 28 from about 1978 thereabouts.. excellent boat.


And the new addition, Tony and Debs new boat Contour of Cuthill.( yeah, unusual name ) 42 ft Birdsall... They bought her literally in the week before christmas and settled about the 22nd dec or so.
she's circumnavigated and has a great history with a very good sailing family. I hope they find out that she's gone to another good sailing family.
]

Three skin kauri circa 1975

another excellent boat

[Thad]

Thanks again!!

[Paul Pless]

Tony and Debs new boat Contour of Cuthill.

John, I think you posted about this boat a few months back. Quite the story, partly tragic, partly courageous.

[John B]

So I did Paul. Seems like an age ago but it was only 22nd dec when we took it for its test sail. Tony hopes to catch up with the previous owner( back in NZ for a month or so we hear) while she's here.

http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulleti...ad.php?t=59464
Centre boarder! can you believe that? Tuna hooker extraordinaire.( my theory is she looks like a big tuna from below when the board is down.. ) Draft is only 4 ft board up.

[John B]

One last pic for this thread.. One for our sponsors
The evening before the tall ships race at Russell, we had Ed and family aboard next day.


oh , and a few race shots from a photographers web site
Dean Wright.
http://www.deanwright.co.nz/photo_ga...ips/waione.htm

[Thad]

Excellent contrast! I don't know how it works but it does.

[Ed Harrow]

Centre boarder! can you believe that? Tuna hooker extraordinaire.( my theory is she looks like a big tuna from below when the board is down.. ) Draft is only 4 ft board up.

My theory is that Tony or Debs stole you secret fishing tackle.



Which brings up another subject.

PS: Welcome home, and thank you all (Kirsty, John, Alice, Tom and Zoe) for opening your home, Waione, and family to us. I trust, some day, we'll be able to repay the kindness.

PPS: And your Mum, of course, as well John.

SWMBOjr is now, I think, somewhere between Sydney (a couple hour layover) and Johannesburg (a couple-day layover). Then it's on to Uganda via Ruwanda. That will be different.

[Steveh]

Welcome home John, Kirsty and crew. Just enough time to do ther washing and head out again eh. Was coming over the bridge yesterday and had a look to see if you were back. Didn't see you on the pile moorings tho.

Ed, I guess John told you about the 'other' regattas. This weekend is the Mahurangi Regatta which coincides with Auckland Anniversary Regatta on the Monday. Week end starts with a night race up to Mahurangi, about 20 odd NM, I think John and Kirsty are still in cruise mode and just sail up at leasure. Saturday is a gathering of old boats, some of which make the trip down from The BOI and some from Tauranga, south. Its a rip snorter of a day with a low key race of two laps out of the harbour and around Saddle Is then ashore for a BBQ and dance and prize giving. John has taken out the 'Old Gaffers' Trophy the last two years. The next day is a race back to Auckland with a raft up in the Viaduct Basin and more good times befor the final days racing which is the Auckland Ann Regatta which is in its 167 year. http://www.regatta.org.nz/.

Two weeks later the CYA (Classic Yacht Association) hold their big event of the year. A three day race event based out of the Vaiduct Basin again.

Being boatless hurts, but I manage to get a crew position on Natica a West Solent One Design bought here by Peter Brookes.

Sorry for you Northeners rugged up and working under plastic covers while we still bask in boat whoring. I feel for you Tom.

[John B]

Ed, it was real pleasure to have you and your two angels with us.(Perhaps if you knew me better you'd know how seldom I'd use a term like that.. like never before perhaps) I've told a lot of people about Sam and Amanda and its with the greatest respect too.
I hope all goes well with A's travels. Great to see you.

Our mahurangi weekend might just be turning to custard. Not a lot of wind but rain again and for two out of 4 days... I'm not psyched up for it at all. We might just go to windward at 60 knots this time, not 6.

[Ed Harrow]

Ed, it was real pleasure to have you and your two angels with us.(Perhaps if you knew me better you'd know how seldom I'd use a term like that.. like never before perhaps) I've told a lot of people about Sam and Amanda and its with the greatest respect too.
I hope all goes well with A's travels. Great to see you.

...

"Angels"? And, as someone I know and love would say, "What am I, chopped liver?"

[John B]

We all know you're a saint Ed.

[Ed Harrow]

Aw shucks...

And Waione ain't no corridor, if she were silver she'd be a silver bullet.

[Wild Dingo]

Johnno mate as is your usual standard... exceptional thread!!

I rekcon you an your mottley crew made Eds holiday just that much better My turn soon!! an well yer may scream young Johnno well you may scream!

And thanks for the link about Contour of Cuthill what an amazing woman Bridget and children are Im sure Glenn knew the type an caliber of woman an family he left behind and smiles down proudly on them... and Im sure the new owners will take good an loyal care of Contour in the years to come

[py]

John
Great pictures, thanks. What are those little bright finished dinghies? Kind of marine bicycles for the kids. Do they stack on deck? Are plans available somewhere?

[John B]

Old thread
Py , No I don't have plans, they evolved out of 3 mm mdf templates that I mucked around with.
I'd encourage you to just do the same if you want to build something, it certainly wasn't hard.
Here's a link to the kid dinghy album

http://tinyurl.com/2kjnau
4 different boats in there , build a new one as they grow

[py]

No worries. I have 4 littluns to accommodate, I reckon 4 little dinks stacked on the foredeck might be just the ticket for in harbour activity and entertainment for them. Shouldn't be too hard to knock up a little stitch and glue something.

[John B]

Sorry to bump this old thread but I was given a couple pics from up at the tall ships in Russell today by Ian, launch captain with the CYA .So for completions sake you can see the crowd aboard for the day.(Including Ed ,Sam and Amanda.)



thats it. No more sail area to go, thats all we have.( including the headsail off a 1970's 32 ft IOR boat)

[Hwyl]

Topsail looks good. Did you have it recut?

[John B]

The foot always bothered me Gareth, I had it altered about a year ago. It had too much overlap down for the period of the boat and I thought it counterproductive on starboard anyway. It seems to work ok. We had it set well on the weekend with it working on the wind and both backstays on for the 'tacking duel' LOL.

[Steveh]

John, just had a look at the dinghies on <tinyurl> great pics. Those kids grow up quick eh!

BTW. These kids clean up in the dinghy races at the Marurangi regatta races. Bertenshaw's 1st, 2nd, 3rd.