Amazing the difference a day makes

Aboard Chimere, last night at Chaffers Marina, Wellington

Tuesday 25 May 2021

Everyone slept well last night, with Kate zipping back home in her car around 8:00am to pick up a few things.  On returning to the boat around 10:00, we headed up the Motorway to Petone, Lower Hutt and the Seaview Marina to buy some essential goods such as water filters, zinc anodes and undercoat paint. 

All the while there were signs of improved weather, with blue sky making a brief appearance early on, then increasing in the afternoon.

As Kate and I drove from store to store, to get the last of our items, work back onboard continued apace under John’s guidance … cleaning the hull above the water line … tidying up all the tools and other items … lashing down the deck boxes and generally preparing Chimere for sea.

Kate and I returned in time for lunch, after which Alvin’s plumbing skills were put to good use fixing a leak in the watermaker pipework and changing O-rings in some taps.

The new filters enabled me to crank up the watermaker and pump out some “pretty sweet” H2O … described by Kate on tasting it as … “sweet”, literally … which I took to be high praise. 

With our tanks full, there’s every chance we won’t need to use the watermaker … at least for the next week or so, but it’s good to have it as a backup.  Who knows, we might all develop a liking for hot showers; draining the tanks before we can fill up at the next port

Further study of the latest weather forecasts – including wind strength and direction, plus wave and swell height (and direction) have brought us to the conclusion that we will, indeed, set course for Tauranga tomorrow.  We had been toying with the idea of doing a 45 mile “test sail” down to Port Underwood, across Cook Strait  at the top of the South Island. (Essentially in the wrong direction)

This would have enabled us to give the new crewmembers a chance to become familiar with Chimere’s “ways”, while we waited for better weather conditions for heading north.

Our current dilemma is that whilst the winds have died down, the big seas of the past week or so are still expected to take a couple of days to die down.  This has the potential to make our progress up the coast slow and uncomfortable, but at least we will be travelling in the right direction

In coming to a decision, about where to go … and in fact, whether to go … there’s generally four key considerations, (all other things being equal) to take into account. These being …  

1. Wind speed 2. Wind direction 3. Sea height 4. Sea direction

If you’re really fortunate you can score 4 out of 4 … but not often.  A score of 3 out of 4 can tip the balance towards setting sail.  But a score of 2 or less, generally means staying at home, or at anchor – with a good book.  

Late in the day Kate and I mounted an assault on the nearby New World supermarket, buying everything on our list, plus a few extra treats for good measure.  The staff at the checkout were fascinated with the idea that we were heading off on a yacht and offered to take a photo for us.  They also gave us a $5 Coffee Voucher … maybe because we spent so much!  

After dropping the groceries off at the marina, Kate took her car home, returning on the next bus to move aboard for good – at least as far as Tauranga.

While John prepared dinner, Harper, Alvin and I lifted both dinghies onto the foredeck, completing the task under deck lights as the cold of the early evening started to cut through our clothing. It was good to retreat to the warmth of the cabin.

Having finished dinner and working our way through a few cups of tea and some of Kate’s lovely baked muffins, we sat around the saloon table and talked of the prospects for tomorrow, the journey to come and the calm weather-window ahead.  Ideally, three days of light wind, and abating seas, that should see us in the Gisborne region – largely with the aid of the engine – and within access of a port-of-shelter, before rounding East Cape – which can be a “problem” if the winds and seas are not playing ball; hence the port of shelter.

As for now, I feel confident all the major preparation-tasks have been ticked off, so it’s important to get an early night, in preparation for an early morning start tomorrow.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and it’s amazing the difference a day makes

Rob Latimer

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