Back at Mana

Tuesday 17/05/2011

We left Nelson this morning and were escorted out of the harbour by a pod of dolphins which were lazily feeding around the Boulder Bank.

The morning was clear and calm and a magnificent day looked like we would have a reasonable trip up to French Pass. A couple of hours later though things were starting to look a little different with white caps forming out in Tasman Bay. The forecast was for 25 knots of south westerlies which would be right behind us and initially there was little wind but the sea state was something else.

We decided we would head into Croisilles Harbour which is about half way between Nelson and French Pass. As we turned across the very confused seas the wind started to crank up and we were quite pleased we had decided to drop the mainsail a short time before.

We surfed into Croisilles – not bad for an old 15 tonne wooden boat – and found ourselves a spot to anchor in Okiwi Bay. Very shallow all around here so we had to watch the depth sounder carefully and we got down to about 1.6 metres under us at low tide.

The wind blew from every direction and at times gusted up around 40 knots.

Wednesday 18/05/2011
The wind dropped away during the night and all was calm and peaceful until around 5.30 am when a front came through that was really fast and furious with violent gusts. As quickly as it arrived though it moved on and once again all was calm. By the time we had breakfast and moved out of the bay the sea was looking quite respectable again. It was a stunning morning as we motored along the coast. In the distance on the other side of Tasman Bay all the mountains were topped with a good layer of snow. A week earlier we had been coming up the coast on the other side of those mountains.

French Pass is a passage between D’Urville Island and the mainland about a quarter of a nautical mile wide. The navigable channel between the mainland and a lighthouse midway between the mainland and the island is about 130 metres wide. The pass is notorious for the tidal stream that runs through at its peak at around 5 – 7 knots. This means that it is a good idea to go through at slack water or at least with the tide going with you rather than against you. Even a boat with that is capable of motoring against the flow can get caught up in the eddies and whirlpools that are created as the water is squeezed through the narrow and shallowing passage.

Our speed as we entered the area known as Current Basin increased as the tide drew us towards the pass, creeping up from 6.5 to 7 then 8 knots. After we were through we checked the gps and saw that we hit 12.8 knots for a period at the centre. Quite exhilarating going through but also a little scary as the eddies take hold and the boat heels over and the bow swings round for a moment towards the land until Pete managed to correct the swing and bring her back on course.

After that excitement we enjoyed the almost glassy calm of Admiralty Bay and as there were birds diving and fish jumping we cut the engine and tried to catch some Kawai. Unfortunately all that took the line were Barracuda and small spiny dogfish shark.

We headed down past the Chetwode Islands at the top of Pelorous Sound and into Annie Bay on Forsyth Island. Having passed through here in January we can now claim to have circumnavigated the South Island.

We felt like fish for dinner and so dropped the lines off  Forsyth Island but all we managed were more sharks (five) and more barracuda (two).  Pasta for dinner..

 
Thursday 19/05/2011

A thin single cloud stretched out over the hills towards Alligator Head to the east while the full moon dropped away in the west. Time for us to get moving to get across Cook Strait in time to make the tide for crossing the bar at Paremata.

Leaving the Sounds and passing Cape Jackson, Cape Komaru and the Brothers Islands the sea was calm and a near perfect day. Forecast – Nor’ west 15 knots going to Variable 10 – who could ask for better for Cook Strait.

Of course this is Cook Strait so what you think is going to be a wonderful crossing soon becomes one with spray flying high over the cabin top (more than anything we got down in the furious fifties) and short confused seas making for a bumpy ride. Six hours after departure we arrived back at Mana and into the marina.

It certainly doesn’t feel like 3 ½ months since we left here. We couldn’t arrive into Mana without being spotted from their house on the hill by our friends Dick and Enid and it wasn’t long before they came to visit.

We have spent the last few days catching up with family and friends and will be in Wellington for a week or two before heading up the East coast again.

More when we get moving- again.