May 6, 2009 - Sailing to Figi

It is roughly 10:30 PM. We are nearly half way to Fiji. I am on watch until midnight and then again at 3 AM until 6. We are doing the three-hour shifts on this passage. It seems to work for us. Frank likes it because he only has to pull one night watch (midnight to 3 AM), and would much rather sleep twice for three hours. I like it because at 6 AM I get to go to bed and sleep until whenever. He is the morning person; I am not.

So far the passage has been a good one. Sunday, May 3, we awoke to crystal clear blue skies and although quite chilly the weather was grand and the day was exciting for us. We gathered at the Opua Cruising Club at 9:00 AM for the "group photo" which included all boats going to both Fiji and Tonga. We bid farewell to friends who were either leaving later on or heading in other directions. Bill and Judy (Bebe) and Glen and Sally (The Dorothy Marie) came by to help us cast off lines at 10:30 AM, then we pulled into the bay and began slowly circling the anchorage waiting for all of the other rally yachts to get into position. It felt like getting ready for a race, and our adrenaline was surging. We waited for the 10-minute signal, then the 5-minute horn, and then the countdown to start. A thrill ran through our bones as the fleet set off and for a short while stayed relatively close together until we hit open water, where the Tonga fleet sailed eastward as we set a course almost directly due north. For the first day we rolled along in the aftermath of the previous gale. Seas were pitchy and the wind was right on our back. It was too rough to raise the gennaker or the whisker pole for a comfortable wing & wing downwind run, so we turned on the engine and chugged along. For a while we remained in VHF radio contact with Baraka and Warm Rain, but after the first 24 hours we began to lose them. Each night at 19:30 (7:30 PM) the rally boats report in on a "Sked" (what we call a Net), checking in with Opua Offshore Radio's Des Renner. Des first gives a weather report for all cruising areas for both groups, and follows with a roll-call type check-in. Each yacht is called upon to give position (longitude and latitude), course/direction, sea and wind state, boat speed and general status of the crew. This is not so different from other Nets we have participated in, but this is the first professional one we have been part of, and is required of all rally participants. If anything were to happen to us, Des would know roughly where to begin the search - God forbid!

By day two I was getting sick on the diesel fumes that were pervading the entire cockpit and saloon. I developed a severe headache and nausea. Perhaps because he cannot smell this did not affect Frank in the least. In fact nothing much in the way of smells or stomach disorders affects Frank. He is made of cast iron. Nonetheless, he agreed to go off course a bit and chase the wind so that we could avoid running the engine downwind unless we were getting too far off track. Meanwhile, we snagged a beautiful small Blue Fin Tuna. So for dinner I rubbed the fillets in a little wasabi and then seared them in sesame oil, ginger and a touch of soy sauce. They were delicious.

Tuesday evening we picked up a great westerly wind right on the beam and sailed smoothly and perfectly for about 24 hours. We are playing tag with three other yachts: Charisma, Air-we-go and Mind the Gap. The moon is nearly full and lights up the skies like a spotlight at night. The atmosphere is so clean and clear out here that the stars shine with a brilliance we haven't seen since the Marquesas. I see several falling stars each night and constantly marvel at this beauty God has graced us with if we are silent and still enough to enjoy it.

It has been great beam reach sailing for the past 2 days and so nice staying in radio contact with our friends and being reminded why we are doing this. Thank goodness so far this passage has been most kind indeed. If all goes well we hope to arrive in Fiji on schedule.

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April 26 – 30, 2009 Opua, Auckland, Opua & Last day in New Zealand

Sunday morning I drove down to Whangarei to pick up my friend Julia (from Moasi), for a foray south to Auckland. We had made big plans for a girl's night away. Upon arrival we checked in to the swank new Westin Spa and Resort, dined on the waterfront where I had my final Bluff Oyster fix, hit the spa and then readied ourselves for the big event. We had purchased tickets to see Silvie Guillem dance at Auckland's theater, The Edge. This show was, hands down, the most incredible performing arts production I have ever attended. The evening was presented in four performances choreographed by Russell Maliphant, who performed a solo and then the final number with Silvie. Silvie performed two solos. I cannot put into words how utterly mesmerizing and hypnotic these performances were. I can only say that everyone should have the opportunity to see either or both of them on stage in his or her lifetime. I returned to Opua Monday night ready to get down
to the business of preparing for passage to Fiji.

We have joined an official cruising rally for our first time and are grateful to be part of the Island Cruising Association. The rally fee of $450.00 per boat is a worthwhile investment indeed, allowing us special considerations with regard to provisioning (duty-free and in bulk) for certain items, Customs paperwork at the departure and arrival points, Logs, charts, radio nets, and of course the opportunity to cruise with a group of yachts. For the nontechnical side, we have official t-shirts, battle flags, competitions/contests, parties and dinners. This entire pre-passage week has been filled with social and official activities for those of us who joined the rally. We are excited to be part of this group and feel some added level of comfort and security going to Fiji.

Fiji is caught up in yet another political coup at present. This of course adds another layer of complexity to travel to and fro. On one hand we are told that it is inadvisable to venture into high-tourist areas or cities. On the other hand we are informed that in order to encourage continued tourism, Fiji has devalued their local currency 20%, giving us .45 on the $ there. Fiji is a different animal as it were when it comes to countries. Aside from the desire to attain political amity, the system is (in our personal opinion) helter skelter. There are two tribal Chiefs who largely own and reign over most parts of Fiji as if Kings. They are treated like royalty and must grant permission to us to enter their coastal waters and to set foot on their lands. There are specific rituals we must attend to – aside from compulsory governmental documentation and customs regulations – such as the presentation of a particular weight and size of Kava root to
the King/Chief, which must be purchased at a designated market specifically acceptable to said Chief. I'm not sure what the penalty for failure to comply with tribal rules is but Customs violations will result in fines beginning at $1200.00 per incident – escalating per incident, so that 4 infractions will cost an individual $20,000 (Fiji currency). And blah, blah blah. Just read up on Fiji, you'll get it eventually. This is probably why most tourists just go to a resort, and get there via air rather than private yacht.

OK, so we have done everything we can do – Destiny is ready to leave. We have checked out of the country. All paperwork is done. Legally and technically we were to depart today at 10:30 AM, NZST. Weather has been deteriorating all week and it wasn't that great to begin with. Within the last week, 2 yachts have sunk and one is lost at sea just off the coastal waters between Auckland and Opua. One had made it all the way to the entrance to this bay trying to get here for the rally when his engine went out and he drifted into rocks. His yacht, "Three Amigos" sunk within 2 minutes! We don't have first hand news of the other 2. Because it is obviously too dangerous for us to depart, NZ Customs has granted us a one day delay for departure. There are some 20 Rally yachts headed to Tonga and only 6 headed to Fiji with us. Because of the political unrest in Fiji some boats have pulled out of our rally and are going elsewhere instead. We are
not worried. We are just a little anxious to get there and to find out for ourselves what all the fuss is about. So, this is probably the final post I will send from New Zealand. We expect to be at sea for 8-10 days and will be posting our position on the website. We will not have internet access obviously while at sea, but can be reached on our Winlink email. It is also likely that we will not have internet access at all in Fiji. We have heard that we will not, but times are ever changing so who knows!

April 11- 25, 2009 Repairs and Installations in Opua

Returning to Opua from Auckland, Frank and I spent a very quiet Easter weekend on Destiny. Early Monday our life got real busy, as watermaker people, electricians, and canvas experts invaded our little world and took over nearly every inch of our space. It felt like arriving at OZ! Destiny was swarming with activity. Though we could not have asked for a better crew for the invasion, after a day of watching Christian, Mike and Danny opening bilges, removing electronic and mechanical-looking things, drilling, sawing, screwing/unscrewing, measuring and stomping back and forth taking parts and mechanical things away, I thought I was going to have to leave the planet for peace. There is nothing quite like having her home torn apart (albeit by design and for the advancement of creature comforts), to drive her into near lunacy. And to exacerbate my impending madness, Frank and Bill Rouse (Bebe) were busily installing the external antenna for our Wi-Fi,
running wires and cables in and throughout the boat. I fled!

I perfected my driving on the left side of the road and 5-speed shifting with my left hand skills, while sitting on the wrong side of the vehicle, by going provisioning and to the Laundromat. I even offered to take other carless cruisers shopping just to stay off the boat. I went over to Bebe to play Mexican Train dominoes with Judy. And I read a lot. Frank, on the other hand was in Heaven! He was in the thick of the onboard activity, crawling around the floor and burying his head in bilges to help Christian whenever allowed to do so or when not otherwise occupied with Bill tinkering with wires and cables. When Christian wasn't around, Danny the electrician was back in the same bilges wiring and connecting things – and repairing the faulted windlass connection. These men became part of our lives for over a week, during which time we seriously bonded with them. In fact, we have become friends with them and will connect with them socially when
we return next year. The canvas specialists were just here long enough to measure our large saloon windows for sunshades and to get them installed. Now Destiny is all set and better than new. She and we are ready to move back into the tropics.

Tom and Mary's Visit

March 30 – April 10, 2009 On the 30th, Frank and I anxiously drove to Auckland's international airport to pick up Tom and Mary.  What a joy it was to see them!  For anyone reading this who doesn't know, Tom is my brother who is married to Frank's sister, Mary.  We kicked around the city, ate seafood and ice cream and then got them tucked away on Destiny.  That very same day, Andy and Melissa had returned from the South Island. So on Tuesday night the 6 of us dined at our favorite Indian Restaurant down in Parnell, "Oh Calcutta!"  Although they humored us by letting us pretend that we knew what was on the menu and offer input, we happily let Andy and Melissa actually order for us all.  These two are experts when it comes to Indian food selection.  Following a gut-splitting, delicious dinner we walked (waddled) down to the Chocolate Café and gorged ourselves on dessert decadence. April 1 – no fooling! – we said goodbye to Andy, Melissa, Auckland and Bayswater and began our sailing trek to Opua.  Tom and Mary are easy sail mates, and Tom is a perfect First Mate, giving me freedom to hang out with Mary.  Our first stop was a little island just half a day's sail away that other cruisers had told us not to miss, so we dared not.  We approached in very high winds, took a mooring ball and sent Tom and Frank out for a beer and a recon.  When they returned to the boat they delivered us a verdict that the anchorage had nothing to offer, leaving us completely underwhelmed.  Having no other choice, we stayed aboard and dined in.  Early the next morning we set sail for Tutukaka, which was a full day away.  Although this anchorage is said to be a protected one, we found it quite rolly; however, were excited about the prospect of using our new Rocna anchor.  We were told that it sets within a meter and sets good.  Ha ha!  I found very quickly how true this was when I stepped on the windlass button to release the chain (which lets down the anchor), and at least a hundred feet of scope (anchor chain) shot out of the locker and kept going!  Frank was yelling for me to stop, Tom was trying to help me make it stop, but it was free flying like a bat out of hell!  It would not stop!  I jammed on the brake and caused a real jam.  The windlass was obviously not working properly and then it was not working at all.  Quit.  Shut down. Finito!  We were only in a depth of about 8 feet of water with over 150 feet of heavy chain plus an 80 lb anchor sitting on the bottom.  Yes, the new anchor sticks well.  Frank and Tom finessed and cajoled, finally giving up on the motorized windlass, bringing in some of the scope by hand, while mulling over the prospect of hauling this thing up and what amount of time that would take.  We quickly realized that making a leisurely hop, skip and jump up to Opua would not be happening.  This anchor would only be brought up once: upon departure from this bay and left up until we pulled into a berth in Opua, hence there would be no more stops in between.  No problemmo!  There is always beer to ease the pain of pondering.  Right?  At least so for Tom and Frank.  Mary and I no longer imbibe, so we settle for chocolate and a good book.  We enjoyed a great meal at "Schnappa", a local delectable restaurant, and settled in for the night.  The next day revealed weather and seas much too rough to set out for Opua, so we ventured to shore for lunch and a lovely hike to the top of the Tutukaka lighthouse. On Sat, April 4th, we sailed in to Opua arriving just in time to get checked in with the marina office before closing time.  We headed over to our favorite restaurant, The Blue Water Grill, for dinner to discover that the previous gastronomic emporium had "dumbed down" to a diner with hand printed Xeroxed menus!  We were utterly shocked, and when we inquired about the change were told that indeed the economic hard times had come to roost and to lay rotten eggs in and throughout this lovely seaside resort area. Proprietors, Matthew and Shana were just this side of ruin and, in an effort to stay afloat were in the process of overhauling the business from a gourmet eatery to a takeaway biz.  We happened along during the very week of this transformation, so after much begging and pleading, Matthew agreed to prepare one last special dinner because, after all, Spectacle was due to arrive soon bringing Andy and Melissa.  Matthew loves to cook for Andy and Melissa.  So on the very night that Matthew and Shana had declared the restaurant was now officially a takeaway express, the 6 of us dined on spectacular - way off the menu - gourmet fare.  Other patrons shot us unhappy looks as we yummed our way through our special meal while they were unwrapping burgers, fish and chips, etc. Opua became a jumping off point for us to make some very nice day trips with Tom and Mary.  We paid a visit to the Kauri forest, which is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences we could hope to have had with a tree.  The ancient Kauri trees are true miracles of nature.  They literally take 100's of years to grow at least as large as a 15-year old oak tree.  As far as we know they are native specifically to New Zealand and are stunningly majestic and beautiful, growing very large and for thousands of years.  Interestingly, as they grow taller, the lower limbs are shed away, leaving the wood impressively knot-free.  Large, unblemished logs have been made into some of the finest furniture in the world, although because of over-deforesting by early settlers, it is now illegal to cut down or to harvest a living Kauri.  A small bowl, carving or candle holder will sell for a princely sum and may be produced only from the long ago fallen trees which are now being excavated from swampland.  Thus a gift of ancient Kauri in any form is a precious one indeed.  We literally spent nearly a day trekking through the beautiful and lush forests seeking out some of the more famous Kauri's.  All are named and held extremely sacred.  Generally we did a lot of driving and sight seeing, going all the way to the top of the North Island to Cape Reinga where we witnessed the convergence of the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean from high above on a bluff.  We stood in silence and awe taking in the powerful, beautiful and spiritual experience of that place.  On the way back from the Cape we drove over to 90-mile beach to watch the sand-surfers. We toured the Waitangi Treaty grounds and museum where the treaty between New Zealand's Maori people and England was signed, saw a giant Maori war canoe and watched a cultural performance in which Tom portrayed the appointed Chief of our tribe!  Each of us got to participate in the performance; Frank and Tom got to perform the Haka (war dance) then Mary and I got to twirl while balls in the air with the women.  We had such fun!  That same day we visited a restored Maori fishing village and watched historic films of the strife and struggles at Keri Keri.  We just couldn't seem to get enough of this captivating country's culture and history.  We even ventured to the vast Kauri museum on our way back to Auckland where we spent our last night with Tom and Mary at a downtown waterfront hotel.  The day of their departure, April 10th, we drove to Maretai beach for a late breakfast and to take in the last vestiges of the morning before Frank and I dropped Tom and Mary off back downtown. It was difficult to say goodbye to them, knowing that it will be quite sometime before we make another trip back home; however, being Easter weekend we had quite a tedious drive ahead of us back to Opua. www.frankandbarbgladney.com while at sea: kd0cff@winlink.org (note:the sender must include the character sequence "//WL2K" in the subject line of the message.) Skype ID: frank.barb.gladney

March 16 –30 2009 Just Us Two Again

Monday night we had made arrangements to meet Billie and Grant Biel for dinner. We had intended to take this opportunity to thank them for their wonderful Kiwi hospitality.  Billie had chosen the venue and so we agreed to meet them at Euro, which is a top restaurant down on the quay of Auckland's harbor.  When we arrived we were very pleased to see that their son and daughter, Blythe and Qwilton, and Martha (Billie's closest friend), were also there.  What Billie didn't tell us when we made the arrangements, was that it was her birthday!   We felt very honored to have been included in this intimate family gathering.  The meal was magnificent and being able to spend this special evening with them was dear.  Frank and I will miss them greatly when we leave New Zealand but definitely plan to stay in touch and to see them again.  In fact we are strongly considering a return visit to NZ at the end of cruising season this year. Frank and I spent the next week tidying up the boat and taking care of general maintenance issues, getting Destiny ready for Tom and Mary's arrival on the 30th.  During that time we made a few day trips to visit friends in other anchorages and to just regroup. On Saturday, the 21st, one of our friends from "The Lady Leah Quartet", Mike, and his wife Karen stopped by for a visit and to let us know that he was trying to get the boys and their wives together to meet us for dinner at their boat club.  These are the guys we had met in Great Barrier Island's Port Fitzroy at the end of November 2008.   This event had been in the making for quite a while so we were looking forward to seeing them all again.  When the weekend rolled around we drove over to Stillwater.  It is a lovely place about an hour outside of Auckland, tucked away into a very peaceful anchorage (hence the name I suppose).  Sadly, Pete and Rod couldn't make it but Mike and Scotty were there with their wives, Karen and Linda, and as well many of their good friends and fellow boaties.  They had prepared a special dinner just for us and brought over so many friends for us to meet that our heads were spinning.  We ate and then watched a Warriers rugby match with the gang.  It was yet another very special night for us.  www.frankandbarbgladney.com while at sea: kd0cff@winlink.org (note: 1st time senders must include the character sequence "//WL2K" in the subject line of the message.) Skype ID: frank.barb.gladney

March 3 – 15, 2009 – Karen Gladney’s visit

Bayswater was a great marina for visitors arriving into Auckland, providing a number of amenities. Its only negative is that it juts out from the end of a point and is exposed to wind, waves, boat wakes and tides. We did not spend a lot of time hanging around at the marina however. We stayed busy, and thanks to Andy and Melissa, had scheduled quite a lot of events to keep Karen entertained during her visit. Of course we had to incorporate shopping and good eating into our agenda so right away we set off for Parnell, one of the many very trendy areas around Auckland, where we three girls browsed and shopped while the guys watched Cricket, drank beer and discovered Bluff Oysters. The very best, most unusual oyster we have ever eaten and one of the costlier at an average of $45/dozen, the Bluff is outstanding. For dinner that night we dined on gourmet pizza and Bluff Oysters. Thereafter, whenever and wherever we could find them we feasted.

Our first big outing was on March 4th to Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie Racecourse, which is the equivalent of our Kentucky Derby. The $300.00 per person ticket included seating in the President's Lounge providing us unlimited champagne, beer, wine and cocktails (I should have gotten a large discount!), private sports book, outstanding gourmet lunch, afternoon high tea, lots of goodies and trinkets, and the list goes on! For Frank and I, one of the highlights of the day was being seated with Billie Biel and her friends Martha, Rex and Diane. Frank and Billie immediately hit it off, and by the end of the day we had been invited to Billie's home for Sunday dinner.

Thursday we attended the Auckland Boat Show in the Viaduct Harbor. Easy ferry ride going over, but then the winds began building and the rains came. Our day at the boat show turned ugly and continued to deteriorate. Walking along the docks was becoming a serious danger as the waves began to heighten, causing twisting and buckling of the passageways. Buildings were shuddering and tents were creaking and pulling at their anchors as the wind blew the rain sideways. We finally threw in the towel and headed for the ferry dock after hearing that because of deteriorating conditions, gale warnings and small craft advisories in the bay the ferries may be halted. If this happened we would have been relatively stranded downtown. We caught the last ferry back to Bayswater and to the warmth and comfort of a rocking Destiny!

Friday the weather calmed so we spent a day in downtown Auckland – mostly at the Sky City Casino & Tower. Later that evening we met Bill and Judy (BeBe) for dinner at Tommy Wongs – highly recommended! Saturday, we attended a rugby game, which was great fun! The Auckland Blues v the Sharks form South Africa. What a carnival atmosphere that was. Sadly the Sharks crushed the Blues. Afterward, we went for dinner at a local pub, which was crawling with fans and a large group of guys having a stag party. Melissa and I made a game of drooling over all of the hunky guys and rating them, "1-10", while Karen seemed to be unhappily distracted by the flirtations of members of the bachelor party. Frank and Andy – well they ate and drank beer.

Then on Sunday we all piled into the car and drove to Billie's house where we spent the afternoon and most of the night having dinner and visiting. Billie's husband Grant had just returned home from his many days away working in Australia, to fight the horrid forest fires which were devastating the area around Victoria. The Biels own and operate a business called Heli Harvest Ltd., NZ's leading heavy-duty helicopter service. They handle big jobs including logging, fire fighting and so on. Martha, Diane and Rex were also there. We had a fabulous time with them. Their home is lovely and so are they.
On Monday the 5 of us piled back into the car for a road trip (back) to Rotorua (our 3rd time), renting a charming lake house on Rotoiti. Our first night was spent grilling steaks and watching hours of television (never realized what a treat that would be!). Then on Tuesday we hit Rotorua for a day of adventure, which included the gondola, the luge of course, a local nature preserve complete with wild lions, and then ended the day at a Maori Village featuring a cultural show and dinner. Wednesday we casually departed for Hamilton to attend our first live professional Cricket Match: The NZ Black Caps v India. It is amazing how festive Pro sports are here in New Zealand. We got caught up in the thrill and the adrenaline of the day. Sadly, it stormed on and on and after the second rain delay, we left to find a pub in town that was showing the game on TV. The weather had deteriorated to the point that the game was eventually called, and India –
rightly deserving – was awarded the win.

We left Andy and Melissa in Hamilton to catch a train for the South. Frank, Karen and I drove back to Auckland. Returning to Bayswater we took it easy for a couple of days, cooking on the boat, watching movies and showing Karen the sights around here including Devonport.
On Friday, Frank needed a day without us on the boat in order to replace the macerator, so Karen and I spent an entire day walking around downtown Auckland shopping and just having girl-time. We ventured quite far actually, ending up on Ponsonby St., which is known for its unusual shops and varied in vogue eateries. We stopped in at Murder Burger for a shared lunch. Frank, Andy, Melissa and I had seen it and put it on our list of places to try. It looked good. It looked promising. It was intriguing and inviting, yet Karen and I found it to be the absolute worst burger either of us had EVER tasted. We took one for the team!
On Saturday, although the bad weather persisted and rains threatened, we drove over to the Pacifika Festival. Billie had told us about it. Each year native citizens representing nearly all of the islands of the South Pacific set up their villages in the park. They offer various kinds of entertainment (musical entertainers, dancers, singers, culture shows), they exhibit and sell their wares, foods and so on. It is extremely joyful and festive! We eventually lost momentum from the persistent rain and left after just a couple of hours but truly had a nice time and were happy to have had the opportunity to experience the many cultures.

Sunday arrived before we knew it! For her last day in NZ, before we took Karen to the airport we lunched at Soul on the Auckland waterfront, downed our last plate of Bluff Oysters together and bid Karen a safe journey home.

Feb 27 - March 3, 2009 – sailing to Auckland

In spite of the dire storm warnings and the fact that in some areas this gale was very ugly and destructive, we drew the lucky card in that the winds came from the (only) protected side of our marina's bay. It was uncomfortable for many hours but endurable, nonetheless.  Afterward, on February 28th the day of our scheduled departure from Tauranga, we discussed post storm sea conditions with Ian and Julia on Moasi and unanimously decided not venture out until the seas laid down from their 4 - 5 meter heights.  They were due to sail to Great Barrier Island (NE), and we were aiming directly north and somewhat west.  New Zealand's maritime weather gurus were discouraging any sea travel for a few days until the winds and seas settled and adjusted.  The morning of March 1st (despite maritime weather guru bulletins to the contrary), Frank announced that we were leaving around mid-day and that I should prepare for departure.  Of course I issued my string of protests that this would not be "pretty", and why not wait another day as discussed, etc., and so on.  He said he wanted to get to Auckland in time to meet Karen when she arrived, so..."plan on an overnighter".  This means of course sailing all night to get there before sundown on March 2nd.   We headed out at 1 PM, and the minute we cleared the protective waters of the bay Destiny began to roll and pitch violently.  The waves had not settled down much to be sure.  During the first 4-5 hours we had fair winds helping to push us along through the large confused waves.  When we cleared the point, however, and tacked more northward, the wind was directly on our nose.  I continued to voice objections to my captain as we motored, pitched, tossed, bucked and fought the current, wind and waves making very slow forward progress.  I let him know as many times as possible and feeling a lot like Gladys Cravitz admonishing Abner, although I didn't care how I sounded because I was not happy at all, that this had not been the best idea, and that Karen would have been fine with Melissa and Andy for a night had we waited one more day to do this thing.  He never admitted it but I know he agreed on some level.  We continued onward.  As dusk approached we both realized that this particular coastline had an inordinate number of large rocks jutting up out of the water that may or may not be marked or visible at nighttime, so Frank adjusted our course to veer well outside of the denser area of obstacles, adding several miles to our journey.  This still brought no large amount of comfort as we blindly navigated these waters using only our electronic charts and radar to guide us.  It was a very dark moonless night.  The current on our nose was some 5 knots.  The 18 – 20 knot wind was also on our nose, causing us to make between a 1.5 and 2.8 knot forward progress with the engine running nearly 2500 RPM.  During my last watch that night I observed the same light on shore in nearly the same position for most of that 4-hour period.  We had missed the window of opportunity to arrive at Bayswater during slack tide, which meant we would have a heck of a time getting berthed.  To add insult to injury our macerator was not working and the head tank was FULL, meaning that we would need to hit the pump-out station at Bayswater before going into our berth.  This required us to dock twice.  Ugh!  Not easy in these very strong currents and tide washes.  We radioed Andy and Melissa on Spectacle asking for assistance at the fuel/pump-out dock.  Thank God our bow thruster was once again operable.      These two are always a sight for sore eyes!  When we had a visual on the marina, we noted Melissa jumping up and down on the fuel dock like a cheerleader, waving us in.  After great effort we got tied off and were able to empty the head tank.  Then Andy boarded while I disembarked to walk around to our slip with Melissa in order to catch Destiny's lines.  What a mess the current was at this time.  We had a heck of a time getting the boat safely into the slip, and in the process bumped a piling, jarring the BBQ grill nearly off the rail, but made it safely in.  We celebrated our successful arrival and then passed out from exhaustion.    Bayswater Marina is located on the North Shore between the towns of Devonport and Takapuna, directly across the bay from downtown Auckland's waterfront and harbor.  From the marina we can reach Auckland in 10 minutes, via ferry, or in 30-40 minutes, via car.  Obviously we did not yet have a car to drive, therefore Frank got up early the next morning, taking the ferry to downtown Auckland in time to meet Karen while I finished tidying the boat from the trip up.  We got Karen settled in and then set about to familiarize ourselves with the marina and surroundings. www.frankandbarbgladney.com while at sea: kd0cff@winlink.org (note:the sender must include the character sequence "//WL2K" in the subject line of the message.) Skype ID: frank.barb.gladney

Coastal Road Trip - North Island

On February 24th we finally caught another (get away) break, and realizing that we had been so boat-bound by repairs and maintenance, we loaded the car for a road trip to the southeastern coast of the North Island, via the Pacific Coast Motorway. Frank and I needed some time just to ourselves for a few days before taking Destiny up to Auckland. Driving the Pacific coast Highway we took in the beauty of New Zealand's rolling hills, timberland, farmland and ranchlands, stopping wherever and whenever the spirit moved us – no plans other than to turn around when it was time to head back. We visited Gisborne, New Zealand's easternmost city and dined at The Works (5 stars in our book), which is the only remaining structure of the once largest freezing and meat packing plant in New Zealand. It has been preserved and converted into a delightful wine bar/restaurant featuring gourmet fare and a dessert bar. Crossing into Hawke's Bay we took in the
beauty of the black beaches. Then on the outskirts of Napier we visited a produce farm that displayed its freshly harvested fruits and veggies for sale. The owner came out to greet us, offering a personal tour of his orchards. We loaded up on a large variety of fresh fruit and homemade jams, marmalades and chutneys before venturing off to Napier.

We found Napier captivating! It is a charming and well-attended seaside village, which in 1931, was rocked by the biggest earthquake in New Zealand's recorded history, with more than 600 aftershocks, changing the geography of the entire area. The city was devastated by the quake and consumed by fires. Today's Napier is completely restored beyond her original beauty, and is one of the most inviting towns we have yet visited. We booked a room at a hotel that was one of the few structures to survive that quake; a brilliantly restored art deco called The County Hotel. It is also the only 5-star accommodation in the area, boasting a 5-star restaurant at which we happily booked dinner.

The following day after a photo-op walk, we drove back to Tauranga taking the inland route through Rotorua stopping off at the Polynesian Spa for a dip in the thermal pools. It was a perfect and peaceful ending to our road trip.

When we returned to Destiny we were pleasantly surprised to see Ian and Julia (Moasi) still around. They had not yet departed for Whangarei because of approaching inclement weather. We in fact realized that our own departure for Auckland's Bayswater Marina was going to be pushed back. This posed a bit of a problem for us mainly because we had wanted to sail out of Tauranga on the 28th, making a couple of stops en route and arriving on the 1st or 2nd of April in order to be firmly settled in for Karen's arrival (Frank's daughter) on the 3rd. The day after our return, however, the marina announced that we were to expect a gale on the scale of HUGE blows, much larger than the one of Feb. 20th. The entire fleet of berthed vessels was busy securing their yachts and rigging, scaring us half to death. So we followed suit, getting Destiny ready for this monster of a storm. We made arrangements with our friends, Andy and Melissa (Spectacle), who were
already at Bayswater to accommodate Karen in the event she arrived there before we did, and informed Karen accordingly. Then we hunkered down, once again, ready to protect our home from Mother Nature's furious attack.

Update from Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

February 2009 Since purchasing our beloved boat we have not been absent from her for 2 months nor had we left her unattended for this length of time.  Our anxieties were soon quelled, as we looked her over inside and out to discover that she had remained just as we had left her.  Hence, we set about the task of preparing to put her up on the hard (dry dock/hard stand), in order to have her hull checked out, cleaned and repainted with anti fouling.  During the process of moving her from the marina berth over to the haul-out bay, just as we had cleared the marina's breakwater, our engine overheated and the bow thruster gave out!  I guess she had been sitting too long unattended. We were embarrassingly set adrift in the 5 knot current among the anchored boats. Thank goodness, Andrew who was watching us from shore jumped into Gigi, the marina's Zodiac and towed us to the lift.  I wish we had a picture of that dinghy towing us – must have been a sight.  When Destiny was up out of the water we discovered that families of crabs had nested into the bow thruster and every other through-hull opening, clogging the engine's intake.  They were none too happy to be blasted out of their comfy new homes by the pressure cleaner!  We swore some gave us the finger as they sidled away back into the water. Destiny was on the hardstand longer than we had anticipated due to inclement weather and high winds that had arrived just after we got set.  I had never before lived aboard while on the hard so this proved to be yet another new experience as we climbed on and off via the ladder provided and tried to remember not to utilize running water – or the heads.  We know many folks who successfully achieve a modicum of comfort living this way (i.e., "bucket and chuck it"), but we do not enjoy it much; therefore when our friends Jaime and Christine called us from Auckland to say that they were getting away for a few days, coming our direction to celebrate Jaime's birthday which happened to be on Valentine's Day, we decided to join them and make an escape.  Piling suitcases into their rental we set off for Rotorua the town that is not to be missed when touring the North Island.  To us it is Disney Land, Yellowstone, Glenwood Springs, Tahoe and Livingston, Texas, presented all in one.  You can do and see just about anything there from Maori history and culture to hot springs to geysers to mud baths, gondolas, luging, zorbing, eating and gambling.  And the list goes on.  We rented a beautiful 2-bedroom suite/condo at the best hotel in town and went to town, doing and seeing.    Returning to Destiny we discovered that our friends, Ian and Julia aboard Moasi were back from their tour of the South Island. We were thrilled to be with them again, not having laid eyes on them since Bora Bora.  Julia and I enjoyed long coffees together, shopping and planning while Frank and Ian went up and down our mast repairing the wind meter and installing a new LED anchor light at the top.  We all sought and shopped for boat parts and replacements.  Amazingly nothing lasts long on a cruising yacht.  The wear and tear that we put on our vessels is astonishing compared to one used for recreational sailing.  Even interiors wear out no matter how well maintained.  Restocking these items in another country is more challenging than anyone can imagine.  We as Americans take so much for granted (I've said this many times and will probably repeat myself again and again).  We have been told that we must stop thinking as Americans and think as world travelers.  How does one undo 52 years of programming in a year?  It is a work in progress, and not one that I succumb to easily.  So we spend more time than we would like in search of these elusive "things".  It becomes part of the adventure, which can be enjoyable or exasperating depending on the mood and amount of disposable time at hand.  Luckily I was able to make many of these jaunts with Julia who lives in a near constant state of joviality & positive thinking, and not with Frank who lives in a near constant state of impatience, while shopping.  Our most maddening obstacle was Internet access (lack thereof).  So much can be achieved searching online instead of driving all over the blessed place describing, asking and looking.  Yet Tauranga Bridge Marina's internet made life an expensive struggle.  It was offered for $9/hour, $29/10 hours or $89/100 hours – per month.   Ok, no-brainer there, the problem we ran into was that the service was so BAD and the signal painfully intermittent; twice we purchased the 100 hours only to have the hours expire on us before we had used 30 of them.  Crapola!  But what else can one do?  There was a local Starbucks in Mt. Maunganui with internet for $10/hour!  As I just said, we are not in America anymore with plentiful and free resources at our fingertips.  I'm over it now because it is what it is.  However, I reserve the right to complain about this as it passes through my mind from time to time. Fortunately where serious boat parts are concerned we were in a port that housed an efficient and well-connected boat yard.  Dean from Hutcheson Boat Builders was irreplaceable to us; he hooked us up with stainless steel specialists (for our beautiful new hand rails on the sugar scoop), electricians who rewired the defectively installed bow-thruster, and a fellow to rip out and replace the mildewed shower liner in the guest room.  This is one reason we are so rigid about the showers being properly squeegeed and wiped down after each use. We installed a larger and heavier roll-proof anchor, purchased new dock lines, replaced halyards and so on and so on, all the while realizing we had missed our window of opportunity to get to the South Island and to tour the North Island as hoped.   Taking care of our home had to be priority, less we wake up one day with a P.O.S. on our hands, wishing and lamenting.  It felt good.  Of course, there is still more to be done – always.  But that is what the next port is for! www.frankandbarbgladney.com while at sea: kd0cff@winlink.org (note:the sender must include the character sequence "//WL2K" in the subject line of the message.) Skype ID: frank.barb.gladney

Dec. '08 - Feb. '09 Update

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Yes it has been a while! I have been reprimanded, scolded, and verbally flogged for not updating my blog since November 2008. If I journaled it all here no one would read it because it would take more words than even I have! I'll update through our trip home and back.

So to encapsulate… Frank and I left GBI on a lovely blue sky day, enjoying an absolutely perfect sail into Auckland's Westhaven Marina where we spent a few days getting the engine's reverse working again – requiring the gear box to be completely taken out and parts replaced. We rented a car for a few days, exploring the area and decided that Auckland deserved a return visit on our way back up in the Fall (March '09).

We were scheduled to be in Tauranga by the first week of December, so on December 2nd, under near perfect conditions sailed an easy overnighter into Tauranga's Bridge Marina. My captain timed our arrival so perfectly that we arrived at dawn during slack tide, which we soon discovered is ABSOLUTELY necessary due to the surge and up to 5 knot current in the bay during "regular hours". We immediately fell in love with the area, rightly called the Bay of Plenty. Our harbor was halfway between Tauranga proper and Mt. Maunganui ("The Mount"). The coastline from The Mount is so lovely and inviting that we spent as much time as possible there – hiking the Mount, walking the beaches, sitting at sidewalk cafes and pubs of course so Frank could continue his NZ beer tasting, and sampling every ice cream shop we encountered. This area reminded us very much of some of our favorite beach areas of California. The marina and staff were wonderful. The
shopping and provisioning were world-class. We only had about a week to enjoy the onset of New Zealand's summer before our flight back to the States.

On December 10th we flew from New Zealand back to the US. First stop was Los Angeles where we spent a whirlwind 2 days in the Beverly Hills area. Our dear friends, Andy and Melissa from S/V Spectacle who were also back home spent a day with us showing us their favorite haunts and shopping for cruising and touring guides to countries we will be visiting in the upcoming year followed by an incredible gourmet dinner, featuring Chef Andy Heger, at his mom, Asrtid's beautiful home.

Then off to Denver on the 12th, staying with our dear friends, Jeff and Jeri Lyn Martin we filled in our dance cards with lunches, dinners, coffees, shopping, cookie baking (yum!) and annual physical checkups (eyes, ears, innards and outards). I was able to have some girl time with my friends and to see some chick flicks. Frank met with buddies for drinks and lunches and spent time with Karen and Bill. We saw one another on the fly but had a wonderful and all too quick visit there. Of course, we left New Zealand's summer to spend minus zero temps in Denver – what were we thinking!?!?

On the 23rd of December we flew to Virginia in time to spend Christmas with the Johnson/Edwards/Gladney side of the clan at Tom and Mary's "resort". We had a great time visiting the nieces and nephews, although we were accused of bringing the winter chill with us from Denver – there was no escaping the cold! Even brought some snow. Did more shopping, went to lots of movies, out to the farm in Front Royal for some quiet time with Tom and Mary. Visited with Ma as much as possible. I was happy to get to spend some special time with my Godson, Clint, and to see Sarah home from school.

On January 6, 2009, we set off for Houston, TX for time with Jennifer & Trace, our grandson, Mom and Dad, sis and clan and big bro and family. I was stunned at how adult my niece, Sherrie and nephew Little Scotty (not so little anymore, towering over me!), had become. Tom and Bev had both come to town and we spent a lot of the time helping Mom and Dad get things sorted out and then I got a chance to hang out with some of my girlfriends. We did get some couples time with Debra and Sandy. Frank golfed with his school chum, Steve Haltom, who flew in from Tulsa just to see him. We went down to Seabrook to stay with Jen and Trace a few times. Got to meet Jen's sweetie, Jacob. Nice guy – glad to have him in her life. I got "cut, colored and made over" by my expert daughter. Visited my brother's new beautiful home on a lake in Magnolia. We were fortunate to get to be in town for Trace's 5th birthday and to celebrate Dad's and Mom's together.
Then, it was time to leave.

Jan 23rd (Dad's actual b-day) we flew back to Denver for another all too quick visit. Again the Martin's opened their beautiful home to us. A very funny side note here…Jeri Lyn announced that we had tickets for the National Western Stock Show (aka annual big time rodeo), so we got dolled up, went to dinner and then arrived at the rodeo to discover that our really, really fantastic seats were for the Draft Horse and Mule competition! Ha ha – joke was on us! We were way over dressed and over classed for this event. We enjoyed the Draft Horse competitions immensely, but could have lived our entire lives without having seen the mule events. It would not have been nearly as enjoyable with any other couple I must say. Those two can have a good time in the middle of a desert!

February 3rd (my Mom's b-day), we left Denver, landed in Los Angeles and drove down to San Diego – our favorite city in the USA. We were graciously invited to stay with Bob Bergman whom we had met during the process of buying our boat. Bob has become a dear friend to us. Our time in San Diego whizzed by as we shopped for boat parts and personal gear – filling up an entire 4th rolling duffle bag! We had begun the trip with 2! We left San Diego early on the morning of the 7th, intending to get to LAX with time enough to drop our bags off and head to Venice Beach before returning our rental car. Frank dropped me off with all 4 bags and took off to find parking. An Air New Zealand attendant was kind enough to approach me, asking if I was scheduled for the 7:30 PM flight to Auckland. I answered in the affirmative to a very sad-eyed shaking head. He apologized telling me that our flight was cancelled! UGH! He further told me that I could go ahead
and check our bags since they would eventually need to be done – so I did, and while doing so was informed the airline had arranged a replacement flight at 7:00 AM the following morning, and was putting all passengers up in the local Hilton for the night, with group transportation at 4 AM back to the airport. Anyone who knows me also knows that 4 AM and I don't get along very well. Not even Frank does 4 AM well. We got to the hotel realizing that we had laptops and some carry-on toiletries but no change of clothes, overnight bags or whatever we would need to spend another night away. Oh well – not the worst thing in the world. The beds were very comfy.

So we got up at 4 AM, shuffled onto the shuttle bus got on the flight and arrived in Auckland at 5 PM the next day. Fortunately we had been able to contact the private shuttle service we'd arranged to get us from Auckland to the marina in Tauranga to let them know of our flight's delay. We were so happy to see the lady holding up the little sign with our names on it when we got through bio-security! Then she says to us "Hi! Welcome to New Zealand; I have good news and I have bad news". I hate it when someone starts out with that! Come on! We never did figure out what the good news was because all I heard was… "We are awaiting the arrival of another couple with whom you are sharing your ride and their flight is 2 ½ hours delayed – why don't you just find a nice bar somewhere and get comfy?" I can't even go into how unhappy I was with this announcement – so I won't. The short version: we got on board Destiny around 11:30 PM
on Feb 9th. We were so happy to be home we went straight to bed and slept for about 12 hours.

<br><br>www.frankandbarbgladney.com <br>while at sea: kd0cff@winlink.org (note:the sender <strong>must</strong> include the character sequence <strong>&quot;//WL2K</strong>&quot; in the subject line of the message.) <br>Skype ID: frank.barb.gladney