Nov 5th, 2009 - Thank you, God, for another safe passage!

Yes, we made it to New Zealand.  I guess if anyone is reading this blog I left you hanging.  Frank did at least post the part about us making our final approach and docking in Opua and gives an interesting account of our last day on the water.  In fact, as is usually the case with us, our arrival was not without some excitement.  This is my version… We reached the North Cape to find that the normally turbulent waters were so calm that the shoreline reflected as if in a mirror.  We could see the pectoral fins of Sunfish as they floated along, and dorsal fins of various sharks.  It was an interesting and beautiful experience for us.  Still buddy sailing with John and Lyn on Windflower, we got a call from John on the VHF letting us know that due to the excessive amount of motoring, they were running frighteningly low on diesel and were requesting any spare fuel that we may be carrying in jerry cans.  Sadly for them we reported back that we do not carry extra fuel as Destiny's tanks hold 1,000 litres, therefore we are usually well set for any passage.  We tried to figure out some way to get fuel over to them but decided in the end that we would just slow down and hang with them in case they had need of a tow into Opua.  Along came a whisper of wind and Windflower tried to fill her sails.  We in turn killed the engine and attempted the same.  We were going nowhere fast.  We had literally never seen the waters so flat calm.  Lo and behold, when Frank attempted to crank the engine back on nothing happened.  We could not get her going again!  So he dove down into the engine compartment while I sat bewildered in the cockpit waiting for his instructions, when out of nowhere came a very intimidating looking military warship heading straight toward us!  Windflower came on the radio telling us that a NZ Navy warship was hailing us and suggested we respond.  Duh!  We had forgotten to change the radio channel back to 1-6 after our last chat with John.  I quickly changed the channel back and asked the hailing ship to come back.  They indicated that we should prepare to be boarded.  I apologized to them with a quick explanation that we didn't hear the call and that we were dead in the water.  They were so cool, responding that along with Customs, MAF and Immigration Officers, they would send over a couple of engineers to look at our problem.  I ran downstairs, told Frank what was about to happen, grabbed my camera and tidied up as fast as I could.  In no time flat, under full power, the warship had launched a large Zodiac full of crew that took off like a rocket toward us.  They arrived in full riot gear with helmets and big black boots!  They very kindly asked permission to board, removed their shoes and helmets and piled into the cockpit.  Frank presented our papers and answered questions while I snapped pictures.  While this was occurring 2 mechanics scrambled down the companionway and began to disassemble our engine.  This made Frank a little nervous!  We told them about our friends on Windflower who were low on fuel.  Two remaining Navy personnel in the Zodiac took off to deliver some fuel to John and Lyn.  Now I defer to Frank's version for further details of our "rescue".  Summing that up, we were very impressed with the professionalism, and generous hospitality of the New Zealand Navy.  They even returned to bring us trinkets, postcards with pictures of their ship, pamphlets and other goodies, welcoming us to New Zealand, before they took off at warp speed in search of the next approaching yacht.   Now that Windflower had fuel and we had a working engine, we made a beeline for Opua.  We arrived in the wee hours of the morning on Nov 5th.  As soon as we got docked, John and Lyn popped over with their Champagne ready to party and I was so tired I felt like I was walking around in a gelatin world.  We got down onto the Q-dock had a quick toast and I crawled into bed for a blissful few hours of sleep.   It felt like my head had just hit the pillow when we heard someone knocking on the hull and climbing up into the cockpit.  Frank and I startled awake, looked at each other and said, "Oh my God!  Customs is here!".  We threw on some clothes in time to greet them.  As before they were very friendly.  The only thing that I gave up which really broke my heart was a bag full of garlic.  At the time it didn't mean so much until I saw that fresh garlic was $28/kg in New Zealand!

Nov 4th, 2009 - Last Night at Sea for a While

It is 1:20 AM on Nov 4th. Nov 3rd in the USA - Happy Birthday, Mary, my sis-in-law! I am on night watch and wanted to pop downstairs to do a quick update. As Frank has been mentioning in his blogs, it has been a blessedly docile passage this year. We remember back to last year's passage from Tonga to New Zealand and tremble at the memory of the gale-force storm that had us in its vortex for a frighteningly long leg of the journey. This year, when we agreed to return to New Zealand, John Martin, the ICA Chairman who sails "Windflower", promised Frank and I that if we stuck with him he would choose the best possible route and weather window for us to make a safe trip back. We took him at his word and are very happy we did. In spite of the lack of strong sailing winds, and that the trip has been nearly accomplished using the "iron jib", we are not complaining. Normally a crossing to NZ is guaranteed at least one big dicey blow. We skirted them all this time.

We plan to arrive at dark-thirty tomorrow, which means we can tie up to the "Q" dock and get some rest and tidy the boat up before the Customs, Quarantine and Immigration Officials arrive at 8:00 AM the next morning. Already, Frank and the boys are icing down champagne with the promise of a toast to a job well done at arrival there. Apparently we can gather on the dock, which is completely isolated, just can't board any one else's boat. This will be interesting. My big plan is to SLEEP!

The best part of the short trip from Norfolk Island to here so far has been watching the beautiful giant orange moon rising while the sun has been setting in the skies, each night. Tonight's full moon performance was particularly spectacular! Although it is Spring time in this part of the world, it sure looked like an engorged Harvest Moon to us. Just breathtaking.

I have 30 minutes left on this watch, then off to beddy-bye at least for a couple of hours. Although the trip has been relatively short, we are both pretty tired, so 2-hour shifts is all we can muster this last night.

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October 25 -31, 2009 - Hello Norfolk Island and chance encounters!

I am never surprised by the fact that although two people will have the same experience (together), they may take away different memories and perspectives of the event. If anyone is reading our blogs, you will note that Frank has gotten over his "writer's block" and has recently been inspired to get back to journaling. In reading the posts he'd sent in I had to laugh because what he highlighted in his notes were a bit different than what I would have (and vice versa).

So we left Noumea with a small group of yachts determined to sail direct to Opua, NZ, but planned a contingency stop at Norfolk Island. Besides being a choppy journey with the wind on our nose most of the time, I remember mostly that the fuel leak reared its ugly head again. It is no picnic being in rough seas anyway. Then you add to that recipe these factors: can't open hatches or portholes because the water is washing up over the yacht… this makes it real stuffy below…fuel leaks leave ghastly fumes that can't go anywhere but up the companionway and into the cockpit when the hatches are all closed…generally we are in the cockpit or sleeping in the saloon during a crossing so the fumes pervade every breathing space. This was my most vivid memory of the 3½-day passage to Norfolk Island. We were very happy to see this tiny little island in the middle of the ocean, perfectly situated halfway between Noumea and Opua. We did not stop because of the fuel leak. We stopped because we needed to get out of the "washing machine seas" and wait for the winds to shift around for a better shot into Opua.

Norfolk Island has a very interesting history. It reminds us somewhat of Niue, which has ties to New Zealand. Norfolk Island was originally discovered and named by Captain Cook, claimed by the Australians, used for a penal colony and then later to relocate the Pitcairn Islanders. The Pitcairn Islanders were the surviving mutineers from The Bounty. Fletcher Christian's bloodline is alive and thriving here on Norfolk Island. It is tiny, but loveable! There is a beautiful golf course, which Frank and John from "Windflower" played along with Toby and Kath from "Solstice". While they golfed, Lynn (John's wife) and I went touring. There are prison ruins, lots of museums, shops, boutique hotels, B & B's, spas and duty-free shopping galore! There are many very good restaurants and sweet shops. It is a jewel in the middle of nowhere, and we are so glad to have found it. The 1300 or so islanders are mostly all related to the original settlers - either of the penal colony, the military & supply ships that wrecked here or from the Bounty. They are adorably friendly and hospitable. The entire island is nothing but a holiday & vacation venue for loads of Aussies and Kiwis with a few Americans and other nationalities thrown into the pot. One local man and his wife left a car at the wharf for any of the cruisers to use who need transportation. There really is no crime here, no worries of car theft or otherwise. The livestock, cows mostly, just roam free and all driveways and roadways have cattle guards to keep the cows from where they aren't supposed to go. It is simply beautiful.

Our second day at Norfolk, while bringing the dinghy into the wharf one of the local men walked over to Frank, offered him a hand and spoke to him like they were old friends. I did a double take, realizing it was Dean Burrell from Hutcheson Boat Builders down in Tauranga, NZ. I walked over to him, leaned in close and said, "Dean?" He threw his head back and just laughed, gave me a hug, saying what a strange coincidence it was to see us. He had grown up here, and is a descendent of one of the original families. He and his wife had recently bought a holiday apartment complex and had just relocated here from Tauranga to raise their little boy. He had heard there were yachties in Cascade Bay, so he wandered over to find out if there was anyone he knew among us. The World just keeps getting smaller.
The only downfall is that the anchorage is the rolliest we have ever encountered in our nearly two years out cruising. Many of the yachties are on seasick meds while at anchor. I asked Frank if it is possible to suffer a knockdown while at anchor. He just shrugged and said, "Well, I guess it is possible". When we do go into town, someone in the anchorage is always on watch for the boats in the bay. We do not leave the boat at night, although Dean had offered us complimentary use of an apartment in case we wanted a calm night of rest. We declined his offer but were deeply grateful.

It is looking like the winds are favorable for a Sunday departure. All Saints Day - well, perhaps they will be looking out for us on this next 400-mile leg of our journey back to The Land of the Long White Cloud. In the meantime - Happy Halloween to all back home.

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