Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Saturday 3 July 2021

After all our travels together, there’s every chance that today was John’s last sail aboard Chimere.  Makes me sad just thinking about it. 

John, my old university flatmate (1980 & 1981) first stepped aboard Chimere in 2013.  He’d flown over from New Zealand to assist with sailing Chimere from Melbourne to Sydney and from there to Port Vila, as part of that year’s Medical Sailing Ministries health outreach transport mission

Next, it was in early 2019 when he participated in my circumnavigation of Tasmania, joining us on the Hobart to Melbourne leg, up the rugged West Coast.  I’ll include a few choice photos that will give you an idea of nautical-John in action.  (Tassie Voyage HERE)

In some ways the Tasmanian experience was an apprenticeship for this more serious and ambitions, New Zealand voyage.  But it was John who was quick to put up his hand to be aboard throughout – flying to Melbourne for the sail over in January last year, then remaining as First Mate for every stage since.  

It’s been a very positive, supportive – and as John explained a while ago … “symbiotic” arrangement.  From my side, I’ve had someone to help me fulfill some of my sailing dreams, and from John’s side it’s been an opportunity for him to pursue his love of adventure and “being out on the water”.

Today was another Land family Day-Sail experience, and it was John’s sister Mara who asked the probing question over lunch … “have you two guys ever had a big bust-up, or argument out at sea?” …   “What? … you mean me and Linda?, I asked   “NO, you and John” returned Mara

And on reflection, I couldn’t think of a time.  Maybe if the boat was smaller, it might be different.  The beauty of Chimere is that everyone, mostly, has their private space, or cabin, then there’s the “social” spaces … in the saloon, cockpit and up on deck.  I think we also value and respect each other’s skills and contributions.  I know I greatly value the way John can fix most things with Number 8 wire and when he can’t, he’ll nearly always find an alternative.  

So, again, today was John’s last sail on Chimere … and it was also going to be his last night sleeping aboard, but this morning, as we prepared to welcome another clutch of the Land family, we discovered that John’s car had been broken into overnight, with an intention to steal it.  Consequently, John was reluctant to leave it in the public carpark overnight, for fear of the burglars returning to complete their work. 

Talk about disappointing!  It’s the last thing we expected, but, on the bright side, whilst the side window was broken and the key mechanism and mounding under the steering wheel pulled apart … the car wasn’t actually stolen and it  could still be started and driven like normal.  So after dinner of fish and chips (again) John decided to head off 15 minutes down the road to spend the night with one of his sons Ben (and his family)  Fortunately, we haven’t seen the last of John, he will return again for breakfast in the morning and we’ll do a few jobs together aboard before he kindly takes Linda grocery shopping AND picks up Matt and Cathy from nearby Paihia – very exciting!!

Setting aside all of the above, today was ALSO a great opportunity for John to share the sailing experience with his son Sam, wife Lou and their four children Ivy, Dusty, Haven and tiny little 3-month-old Rosie.  Also onboard was Mara, one of John’s three sisters, who, along with her partner, owns her own yacht, moored a short distance from here near Kerikeri.  

In summary, the day was an amazing success, helped in large part by the weather, which was sunny and still, with just enough breeze to make things interesting and not too much as to make things challenging.  Sam’s wife Lou was particularly courageous, taking charge for most of the day of little Rosie, who seemed happy enough to drink milk and sleep; dressed as she was in a range of knitted garments and wrapped up like a caterpillar.

Even though we started late, our course, mostly under sail took us to Urupukapuka – another one of those places you just like saying – for lunch and there was even a chance to go ashore and make sandcastles.  The small indentation on the coast called Paradise Bay – where we anchored – was also the chosen spot for the training ship R.Tucker Thompson   to drop the pick, with a range of activities underway, including climbing the mast.    

By 5:30pm we were back in our berth, with our guests heading off on their one hour (plus) drive across the island, back to Mountain Road, Hokianga.    

An update on the Latimer family news … Matt and Cathy come aboard tomorrow for six days, with James and Eva arriving from Canberra late on Tuesday evening, for three days.  Not a long time, but given all that’s been happening, we’ll take what we can get – they’ll definitely be precious days!

On the trans-Tasman crew recruitment drive … it looks like I might have put together “my team” … a total of four, comprising me, a friend, Harm, from the Victorian Cruising Yacht Club … a young-ish bloke he knows called Sam, plus a more experienced old salt called Matt.  At this stage – weather permitting – we will start the journey home to Australia around the 13^th July … just 10 days from now.  Not long when you say it like that!

Smooth seas, fair breeze and the start of good-bye

Rob Latimer

Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Friday 2 July 2021

The south east wind kept up through the night, with showers coming and going – adding to the snug feeling and overall warmness within.

The seas, in the confines of this small harbour, were flat, which was fortunate, because normally you wouldn’t choose an anchorage like this, where the wind is blowing ON shore.   Given the choice, you would tend to select an anchorage where the wind is blowing OFF shore – mainly for safety and also because the seas there are generally flatter. 

But we were well dug in to sand, the water was only about 3-5 metres deep, and again, the sea was flat.  Consequently, we enjoyed a still night, with everyone making the most of it to get a good night’s rest. 

Life aboard began to stir around 7:30 with the unmistakeable sounds of John putting the kettle on echoing through the hull.  I was soon out turning on the generator to keep the batteries topped up – and the water heated – with young Thybauld clambering down out of his workshop bunk, quietly in search of dad-Dominic … whom he quickly found in the temporary saloon “cabin”.

Breakfast complete, we ventured ashore in the dinghy, where we explored the central part of the island, climbing to the top of a grass and bush covered hill, on which once stood a Maori defensive fort, or Hippa. 

In fact, back in 1769 – 4^th of December no less – Captain Cook dropped anchor nearby (just around headland, which is named Cooks Cove on my chart – seems logical) and explored the region.  The onboard illustrator and artist Sydney Parkinson, actually made a drawing of the Maori fort, located on this very spot.    Learn more about the place HERE

The showers persisted off and on, but never for very long, with the sun creating a procession of rainbows throughout the day.

By around 2:30 we were tied up once more in the marina with life being focused once more ashore.  Everyone had a great time and pretty soon, it was back to John, Linda and me, figuring out what to prepare for dinner. 

Tomorrow we will be joined by more of John’s immediate family, this time for a day trip … there and back again!

Smooth seas, fair breeze and rainbow land

Rob Latimer

Captain Cook’s Journal – At Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand

Gentle breezes at North-West, West-North-West, and West; very fair weather. P.M., Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and myself landed upon one of the Islands* (* Probably Motu-Rua) on the North side of the one the Ship lays under. This Island is about 3 Miles in Circuit, and hath upon it 40 or 50 Acres of Land cultivated and planted with roots; here are likewise several small streams of Excellent water. This Island, as well as most others in this Bay, seem to be well inhabited. At 4 a.m. sent the Long boat to the above Island for water and some hands to cut Grass, and at 9, I went with the Pinnace and Yawl over upon the Main, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander. In our way we passed by a point of land on which stood a Hippa or Fortified Village, the inhabitants of which waved us to come ashore, and accordingly we landed, which we had no sooner done than the People came about us with Quantitys of various sorts of fish, which we purchased of them for meer Trifles. After this they shew’d us the Village, which was a neat Compact place, and its situation well Choose. There were 2 or 3 more near unto this, but these we did not go to.

More from Cook’s Journal, 5th December 1769 HERE

Robertson Island (aka Motuarohia Island) … Bay of Islands, North Island

Thursday 1 July 2021

After our big day yesterday, we were slow to climb from our bunks this morning, sleeping in to around 7:45am.  It seemed particularly late because our friendly marine electrician Chris was due to return around 8:15 to remove the low-pressure pump attached to the water-making system.

That’s where I had to leave it last night, sleep just overcame me, but fortunately I’m firing on most cylinders tonight, after our overnight adventure to Robertson’s Island.

Yesterday could really be divided into two parts … the first involved undertaking some essential maintenance and the second part saw us welcome aboard five of John’s immediate family as we headed out on the Big Blue … well, more the Sheltered Green, if truth be told.

As for the maintenance, a few things have been building up.  The main one being the low pressure pump which is an essential component of the water making system.  We’d made water the other day, topping up the tanks with around 200 litres, but then in starting the system a day later, the low pressure pump was silent – nothing, not a peep.  I flicked the switch, and you could hear the Mmmmm of the electric current trying to do its thing, but the motor remained silent.

When Gary was onboard, he looked at the 240 volt switches, one for the low pressure and one for the high pressure pump. We’d replaced one of the switches 18 months ago, this this time though, Gary figured the switches were OK and diagnosed a “mechanical” fault … in the motor.  Well, he was spot on.  There was indeed a mechanical problem, with the small threaded end of the main shaft running through the motor corroding, resulting in the nut which holds on the large plastic impeller coming off.  And even I know that loose, rattling parts inside a pump, cannot be a good thing. 

Our trusty marine electrician, Chris … that bearded, bear-of-man who looks like he’s just stepped off the set of  Game of Thrones … you see in the photos, isolated the problem and fortunately, has a solution in hand.

Then, there was the air conditioning system – with both Hot and Cold functions – which stopped working years ago and since then we haven’t bothered with it.  It’s an old commercial-style unit, still a popular brand, but unfortunately the digital-control-panel-display stopped “displaying”.  There were no more red, read-out numbers and letters anymore, suggesting the “brains” of the unit had up-and-died. Add to this, the fact that the salt water heat-transfer pump had also died, and it looked like we would have to either replace the entire system, or put it into the “too hard” basket … a problem for another day.

Our bear-man Chris couldn’t extract any life out of the unit, but in discussing all the potential issues, and the likely cost of fixing each, (in a word, prohibitive) John gained some insights which he was quick to investigate a short time later – after Chris took his leave.

“Turn on the AC breaker switch now”, called John.  His head and lamp firmly wedged into the cupboard on the other side of the control panel. 

Suddenly, the panel sprung to life.  “There are red numbers again John!!”, I called, with John declaring in reply … “Thought I’d check the wires and one of them is loose.  I keep thinking what Jon Colclough said back in 2013 on our sail to Vanuatu … John, 90% of problems on a boat are ELECTRICAL”    

Jon Colclough being one of our Medical Sailing Ministries sailing volunteers, with an extensive naval career focusing on battleship defence systems.  Despite the fact that Chimere was lacking in the armaments department, there wasn’t much Jon couldn’t fix or rebuild in the electrical and electronics field; certainly, a man whose words on the topic were worth committing to memory.

With the control unit now seemingly functioning normally we felt embolden to crawl under the floor to remove the salt water pump; which I had known for a long time was a bit dodgy.  Turns out, it was beyond dodgy.  Chris, returned to the boat after lunch to de-wire and remove the pump and after a brief test on the bench, pretty soon gave it the thumbs down. 

So, now we have two new identical Onga pumps on order, which should appear next Monday, or Tuesday.  All being well, we can get both the water maker AND the air conditioner fully operational before we head back to Oz – in less than 2 weeks!

By 1:00pm Linda and John had headed off to the supermarket, with me left behind to liaise with Chris about the pumps … AND … to basically put the boat back together, and tidy up, given we’d been lifting panels and moving stuff around to gain access to important boat-bits.    PLUS, we needed to move lots of stored “stuff” from the front cabin – to somewhere – in order to make room for our guests, who’d be arriving between 2:30-3:30.

Fortunately, everyone arrived closer to 3:30, by which time we were back looking shipshape again and John could allocate his family members to their respective cabins and bunks – daughter Rebekah and her two children Jonah and Eve … plus son Dominic – of pig hunting fame – and his three-year-old son Thybault (he’d left his pregnant wife, plus four and five year old daughters at home – up Mountain Rd, next to John’s property, in the Hokianga)

After doing a head-count, there were eight of us in all, and by 4:00pm we were backing out of the marina berth, off into the late afternoon sun, intent on finding a suitably remote and stunning anchorage before it got dark in around 90 minutes. 

In most places this would be a difficult thing to accomplish, but of course we ARE in the Bay of Islands, with a choice of around 144 islands … so, in short order we were dropping the pick at Robertson Island (aka Motuarohia Island) and settling in for the night. 

The excitement, particularly amongst the kids, was so much in evidence you could have bottled it.  It was clear they were having difficulty deciding whether to stay below checking out their bunks, (and everything else – from the toilets to the galley) or remain on deck feeling the breeze and soaking up the newness, the up and down movement and “vibe” of life on the water.

“It’s like an amusement ride” exclaimed Eve as her and Jonah bent their knees, arms outstretched on the foredeck, riding the swell up and down – testing their balance.

The weather remained kind, with the wind blowing from the south east.  The seas were flat and as the orange sunset dazzled off our port stern quarter, an amazing rainbow descended from a collection of clouds off our bow, seemingly hovering over a small island – pointing the way to our anchorage for the night.

The anchor set, along with the “Drift Alarm” on the chart plotter, the excitement aboard moved up a notch, as dinner was prepared in the galley, everyone talked about anything and everything in the confines of the saloon and the kids moved from bunk to bunk, testing the features of each – just for fun – all the while chatting excitedly.

Pretty soon it was yawns all-round and definitely time for bed and to crawl into our allocated bunk for real.  Dominic’s original plan was to share a bunk with young Thybault in the workshop cabin, but we agreed that if that didn’t work out, Dominic could retreat to the saloon bunk, which I would make up in anticipation. 

In the end, it was good I did.  Because around midnight, as I was sitting in the saloon, fighting sleep trying to write this blog, Dominic came in quietly with a knowing smile, and dived behind the curtain with his sleeping bag.     

Soon after, I gave up finishing the blog, uploaded some photos and crawled off to bed exhausted. 

Smooth seas, fair breeze and eight for an over-nighter

Rob Latimer

(Back at the) Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Wednesday 30 June 2021

If yesterday we were down in the valley looking up, today it was the reverse … we were up on the ridgeline looking down.  

After a restful night’s sleep, our Land Adventure slipped into high gear today, or more correctly … low gear, 4WD … as John made good use of his son’s Toyota Landcruiser to transport us along some very slippery, muddy and steep tracks to the ridgeline of the bush-covered mountains we photographed yesterday. 

And I can safely use the word “mountain”, because John and Maryke’s place is located on Mountain Road … after today Linda and I can clearly see why.

While we bumped and slid around the various tracks on the mountain, John took the opportunity to drop in on various (grown up) children – all living on the mountain – plying us with stories of the past 25 years. As we travelled along, it became clear that something of a “community” had been established.  Each family member building their own home and pursuing their personal dreams and visions for themselves and their family.

Numerous huts and shacks were dotted here and there, each surrounded by a small grassy clearing and each with its own backstory, as John explained … “That’s the hut Sam built and lived in for a while as a teenager … and Dominic built that one back in the day …”

At one point we made it onto another ridge, with a fence running along one side of the track and large patches of green grass extending in all directions, interspersed here and there with clumps of gauze and remaining bushy patches.  There was Dominic, one of John’s sons, with his small 4WD and trailer standing to one side sharpening his chainsaw. His loyal pigdog Ammo sunning himself in a reclined position nearby.

“Hello, good to meet you Dominic … we’ve heard a lot about you”  we said as we clambered out of the Landcruiser, “Yes, it’s good to finally meet you too” said Dom. 

Meanwhile, Ammo sniffed his greeting, tail wagging from side to side.  “So this is what a pigdog looks like?” I inquired.

“Yes, he’s pretty good as a pig dog.” Dominic explained … “but it took him a couple of years to catch on though.  I’d take him out hunting with the other dogs and he’d run along with them, and get involved, but never really knew what to do.  Then one day it finally clicked for him.”

“How does he catch a pig?” we asked innocently.  “Well Ammo is what you call a Holder.  He starts by chasing the pig, biting it on the heel.  This makes the pig stop and turn around.  Ammo then grabs the pig by the ear, and as the pig swings in circles to try and fling him off, he stays in close to the pig’s body so he doesn’t get stabbed by the razor sharp tusks.   Other dogs are Bailers.  They face the pig, keeping a short distance away, barking, and distracting it, till the hunter turns up.”     

Having come this far, we thought we’d dive in completely … “So do you shoot the pig, or …?”    “No, I just cut its throat with a knife.  Usually just stab it in the chest. In the heart”

I loved Dominic’s nonchalant emphasis on the word “just” … seemed like a pretty challenging, not to mention dangerous exercise to me!  But as John explained later … “Dom is pretty quick”

Dom is also very experienced, having killed his first pig when he was “just” thirteen.  “With a rock” … chimed in John … “Yes, I’m not very proud of that” replied Dom … “But I was with two of my cousins, they were about ten, and one tried to kill the pig with his fold out pocket knife.  The pig had fallen in a small hole and slashed my cousin with one of its tusks. In his arm, lucky it missed an artery.  Anyway, both my cousins ran away, and so I was left facing this pig and all I could think to do was grab a rock to kill it”

So, there you go … probably more than you ever wanted to know about pig hunting.  Maybe take up shooting possums, if the thought of stabbing wild, dangerous pigs leaves you a bit weak in the knees.

And if you’re looking for more tips on the art of killing … sorry, culling … pigs and possums, maybe contact the Te Ranga Primary School in the Bay of Plenty village of Makatu.  As reported in an earlier Post, they have an annual fundraiser … much like a chocolate drive, or selling shortbreads … but focused on killing the greatest number of pigs, or possums in a given period of time.   Dates for the 2021 competition are still to be announced, but check it out HERE    Some of the competition rules – for the pig division – are here for future reference …

Rules: BOARS ONLY. No barrows or sows.   All boars entered must be caught by the entrant only.  Minimum pig weight 25kgs.  All pigs must be wild. No farm reared or frozen pigs.  All pigs must be presented CLEAN GUTTED WITH TESTICLES LEFT IN.  All pigs must be weighed in one piece.  All pigs must be caught during competition hours. No late boars will be accepted.  No decomposing pigs accepted.  In the event of a tie, the pig weighed in first, claims the prize. All team members will receive brunch. NO FIREARMS are to be brought to the prize-giving at the Te Ranga Hall or on school grounds. Please lock all firearms away before coming to the event.  No alcohol to be consumed on or around school/hall grounds. This is a non-alcoholic competition.

Meanwhile, back on Mountain Road … the weather remained sunny and still, but with a definite, non-tropical chill in the air, as we returned to the house. And after a coffee and a snack, we started the one-hour drive back across the Northland peninsular to Opua and our floating home. 

It had been a great couple of days, and really good to actually see firsthand what we’d only ever heard about, from John … for the last 25 years or more.   

The Hokianga region really has a distinct vibe to it and I could now understand what John and his family could really see in the place.  No doubt a function of its remoteness, ruggedness and overall demographics.  It’s certainly a place where a sense of “community” is strong … not just amongst the 100-plus members of the Land family … but more broadly.  Also, where values of individuality and resilience are required and rewarded.

We dined once more on fish and chips tonight, this time in Paihia … just a few kilometres from the marina.  And very nice they were too.  Tomorrow we are going out for a sail again, after the local marine electrician has removed a water pump for testing – plus a few other things.  With Chimere currently located here in Northland, it’s a great opportunity for John to share the “sailing experience” with family members – at least those children and grand children who are available.

On the topic of the “trans-Tasman Bubble” … at last report James and Eva will be arriving by plane on Tuesday next week.  That’s the 6^th of July.  Their flights will take them from Canberra to Melbourne, then Auckland, before catching the small plane to Kerikeri.  Matt and Cathy, who have already been travelling in the North Island for a few days in a campervan with Cathy’s brother Doug and his wife Em, will be joining us aboard on Saturday. 

Having arrived in New Zealand just hours before the reintroduction of the latest COVID travel ban last week, Matt, Cathy, Doug and Em, were required to have a COVID19 test the other day and to also remain locked and isolated in their campervan for a day, waiting for the results.  (which turned out to be negative) All because they happened to be passing through the Melbourne airport at the same time as someone else, who was a confirmed “carrier”.   

As for my return voyage sailing crew … it’s still a work-in-progress – watch this space

Smooth seas, fair breeze and the land adventure continues

Rob Latimer

Mountain Road, South Hokianga, North Island

Tuesday 29 June 2021

The day started with two marine electricians, both named Chris, turning up as planned to check out a couple of non-functioning pumps and electrical connections … at least, that’s what we think it might be … but the good news is that my “problem” is now someone else’s problem – for a price of course.

Mid-morning Linda and I loaded up John’s twin-cab with our bags and personal belongings for a land-based adventure, over to the western side of Northland – a region known as the Hokianga – to where John and a large swath of his family call home.

Twenty-five years ago, John and his wife Maryke began forging a self-sufficient home and existence out of 1,000 acres of what you could only call bush, or scrub, some of it extremely hilly – mountainous to us Aussies.  It’s had its ups and downs, but as for tonight, Linda and I are feeling very spoilt as we enjoy the unique delights of staying in a separate, self-contained wing of the home – while John batches down on the floor in a spare room. 

The self-contained wing is up about 2-3 storeys high and has a commanding view down the valley – and being 5 kilometres off the main highway, in the middle of nowhere, it’s as quiet as bro…

It’s been a big day of travel, with John assuming the role of tour guide leader – taking us to a range of places, including the absolutely enormous Kauri tree “Tane Mahuta” – and when I say enormous, I really mean it – the entrance to the Hokianga Harbour, Opononi and of course up here at the property  

We’ve just finished a wonderful meal, and after a month and a half living on Chimere, I’ll even be sleeping in a real bed tonight.  But I’d better not mention sleep, or beds, anymore because the urge to simply lie down and shut my eyes might become too great.  More words tomorrow.  For now, I’ll again let the photos do the talking  

Smooth seas, fair breeze and land adventure

Rob Latimer

Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Monday 28 June 2021

Having been in the marina berth for the past few days it seemed somehow strange to be backing out and actually driving away.  Like being let off our leash … albeit a self-imposed leash …

But today was special.  It was an opportunity to take Gary AND Theresa out for a fun time on the water.  Of course, Gary had been on board from Tauranga and by now was quite familiar with the ways of Chimere, but Theresa had only ever been on board for cups of tea at the marina – mostly in Wellington and last year in Mana – so today was a chance to broaden the horizon somewhat.

Fortunately, the day was a little less inclement than yesterday.  For a start … there was no rain, plus, we even saw the sun briefly and patches of blue sky here and there.  The wind was initially from the north west, so reasonably warm, then later in the day it strengthened from the south west.  But still, the temperature remained above 16 degrees for the most of the day, so it wasn’t exactly cold, or at least nothing a jumper and our wet weather gear couldn’t ward off.

As the photos show, we got to experience some of the region’s classic features … a variety of secluded bays and anchorages, offering protection from any particular wind direction – all within a short sail of each other.  PLUS, there were onshore tracks, beaches and a variety of terrains to explore – all of which we had to ourselves.  A side-benefit of sailing in winter. 

On one particular walk, we were almost knee deep in kikuyu grass, wading our way from the shore to the uphill part of a track, and as Aussies, Linda and I were instinctively keeping a weather eye for snakes and NOT stumbling onto one inadvertently – obviously NOT an issue in snake-free New Zealand.  We’d have a greater chance of being pecked to death by a weka than we would of stepping on a tiger snake in these parts?!  Still, some habits are hard to break.

Apparently, there are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands … and today we sailed close to five of them, anchoring at two.  At this rate we’re going to have to be here for a while to get around to them all; five islands being little more than 3% of the total.

In summary though, we really had a great day.  John expertly backed us out of the berth around 9:00am, and after sharing the driving around, a walk ashore, a fantastic lunch (complements of Theresa and Gary) in a calm bay, plus some brisk sailing at times – even under some sunshine – I “landed” our good ship gently back in the berth around 5:45pm – close on dark. 

In tying up we made extra especially sure to pull the bow far enough forward to ensure the stern davits sat within the confines of our berth – don’t want to upset the lady with the clipboard.

The engine off, Chimere safely back in her berth, a mood of satisfied weariness was definitely in the air as we devoured yet another cup of tea … or was it coffee … and … “oh, yes, just one more Tim Tam … oh, Chewy Caramel – who would have thought – and another slice of Theresa’s amazing sultana loaf … maybe just one more … buttered? … yes please”  …

As for dinner?  No one was jumping forward with a recipe book, that’s for sure, and whilst we still had plenty of 2-Minute noodles, Cuppa Soups and tins of baked beans in the stores, I wasn’t brave enough to make that suggestion.  No … it was definitely a night to dine OUT.  But where?  This was Monday night, Opua, in winter.  Maybe fish and chips from the shop down near the car ferry?

In the end, our first choice became our only choice, with everything else shut.  Even the fish and chip shop closed at 7:00pm and we just made that with 20 minutes to spare.

Back on board with our fish and chips fast becoming piles of empty paper wrapping it was hard to believe the time was only 8:15pm.  It seemed like 11:00pm, the activities of the day starting to catch up with us as we contemplated heading our separate ways for an early night.

It was good to be able to share the experience of sailing with Theresa – particularly after all the assistance her and Gary had provided to me during my time in lockdown at Mana, near Wellington, last year.

Tomorrow, Gary and Theresa start driving home and with a bit of luck John will play tour-guide for Linda and me as he takes us for a couple of days to visit his home in the Hokianga … near Opononi.  It’s a place we’ve heard so much about – ever since John and I flatted together at university in 1980 and 81 – so we are really looking forward to it.

On the topic of boat maintenance … my initial inquiry with a local boat maintenance guy fell flat – he’s just too busy – but the second business I contacted can send a guy tomorrow morning at 8:15 to check out the job and assess whether any parts might be needed.  So, here’s hoping the problems are only small ones!

Smooth seas, fair breeze and day sail – there and back again

Rob Latimer

Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Sunday 27 June 2021

As a day of rest, this one was true to label.  Pretty much nothing happened.  Apart from a walk around the coast, an afternoon nap and, oh, I cooked eggs and bacon for breakfast.  We also saw a few interesting birds, plus a 1 metre long fish on the beach – dead – which we think was a Ling. 

Consequently, I’m having difficulty finding enough words to fill each sentence.  Or enough sentences to fill the page. I see why some writers venture into fiction – just not enough happening in real life, you’ve got to make it up.

One thing that did put Linda and I on edge first thing, as we began stirring for the day, has a woman standing on the finger-wharf, next to Chimere, clutching a clipboard, in official looking dress, tapping on the hull calling … “hello, hello, anyone there?”    

I actually spotted her through the saloon portholes as she walked past and it immediately put my mind into high gear, wondering and surmising exactly the nature of her mission.  She didn’t see me, fortunately, but by the time I’d returned forward to tell Linda and together wondered what the lady might have wanted, she was no where to be seen.

“Oh, she’s gone”, I said to Linda as I returned back into the warmth of the saloon – the grey clouds now starting to rain again as it had through the night.    

“I wonder what she wanted”, replied Linda    “I suspect we’ll find out soon enough”, was all I could think to say.

And I was right. 

Around 11:00am, as I got to the end of my bacon and eggs, Linda whispered … “she’s back again”, spying someone official-looking, dressed in bright coloured wet weather gear walking next to the boat.

This time I was a little quicker out into the cockpit with a friendly morning greeting, inquiring whether she had knocked earlier … when we … “were still in bed” …

“Oh, yes, sorry, I thought I would wait a bit longer on a Sunday morning and come back later” she replied.

“How can I help?” I asked innocently, to which the woman responded …   “Oh, there’s just a problem with how far the back of your boat sticks out past the piles.  How long is your boat?  You mentioned it was 17.5 metres in the application”

“I’m not exactly sure how long she is, but that sounds about right, I thought this was an 18-metre berth, do you have any bigger berths?”  I inquired.

There was then a discussion about how sticking out the back, past the posts, can be a “danger to us and others” because of the tidal current that runs through the marina.  But that it might be possible to move the boat forward a little more – because there aren’t any other available, larger, berths – without obstructing the walkway off the bow.

“No big hurry, just do it later today when you get a chance” were her parting words.  “No worries, I’ll get onto it”

“Oh, just one more thing”, she said … and now I thought … OK, here it comes, the real reason … “I just need to check the 240-volt breaker switch on your berth, would you mind turning off your boat’s power switch for just a minute, so it doesn’t create a problem?” 

So, in the end, our concerns were for naught, because after slackening the spring lines there was easily 1–2 metres of room at the front to solve the problem of the dinghy and davits poking out the back … phew!

Having driven to nearby Paihia with John yesterday morning, Linda and I picked a break in the weather this afternoon to see if we could walk the coastal track around there.  We’d heard it was a lot quicker than driving up and over the hills, but still, it was a long way on foot.  In the end, we probably made it half way before deciding to turn around and come back.  Just in time as it turned out, with the rain once more returning.

As mentioned yesterday, Matt and Cathy just managed to get into New Zealand from Melbourne yesterday, before the latest set of travel restrictions were imposed – by a matter of hours as it turned out.  Now, the question is whether James and Eva will be able to travel here next Thursday from Canberra.  Something that is definitely in doubt if the three-day freeze on travel from Australia is extended.

Also in doubt are the travel plans of the four crew who I have flying from Australia to join Chimere on Saturday 10^th July.  There seems a good chance now that I might have to defer my return date … but mustn’t get ahead of myself … as the Serenity Prayer by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr goes …

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

Smooth seas, fair breeze and lazy, rainy, day of rest

Rob Latimer

Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Saturday 26 June 2021

The latest stage of our NZ20/21 adventure came to an end with Nicola saying her good-bye yesterday morning – off on the morning bus south to Auckland. 

Today, it was Martyn and Annette’s turn, picked up by Gary and Theresa a bit after 7:00am to catch the bus to their home in Hamilton.

It was all starting to get very quiet aboard. 

Linda woke to her first day, much rested after her big day of almost constant travel yesterday. A trip to Melbourne airport in the morning courtesy of Uber-Son Matt … then a direct flight to Auckland … followed by hours of sitting around in a transit lounge … topped off with the last flight to Keri Keri landing at 9:50pm. 

Well, it was supposed to land at 9:50pm, but from what I can gather, it probably landed around 9:35pm, which was ample time, to paraphrase Linda … “… for everyone on the plane to be greeted with open arms by someone they loved, grab their bags and go, the aircrew to leave and for all airport staff to also go, including the lone security guard who looked like he was about to lock the front door as soon as I’d walked through”  

Playing a tactical game, Linda wisely stood just inside the airport’s front door, enjoying the warmth it afforded, chatting with the man in the fluoro vest, hoping beyond all hope that John and I would “be there soon”.

Meanwhile, John drove his twin-cab ute as fast as he dared, the 30 minutes from Opua.  Particularly after a month at sea which had him initially driving on the wrong side of the road for the first half-a-K – luckily the roads here are quiet at this time of the year.

We thought we’d done well to get to the airport at 9:51pm … just a minute late … surely, everyone would just be getting their bags, or maybe even just walking to the terminal by then.  Not so, apparently. 

Although, looking back, we were kind of put-on notice when we saw cars driving OUT of this very provincial looking airport carpark, as we drove in.  Obviously, a sign!  Ar-well, as dad used to say … “all’s well that ends well”…

Getting back to this morning … a big sleep and a glorious sunrise marked the start of a new day – although it was tonight that I showed Linda the photos of this morning’s sunrise, she’s not normally so good in the morning. 

After breakfast, John drove Linda and me to the shops to do some grocery shopping, after which he headed off to catch up with family for a couple of days – specifically, today, to attend the first birthday of one of his youngest grandchildren; of which there are 15 at last count.         

Back on board Chimere … it was then just Linda and me, sorting through bags, cupboards and boxes, rediscovering what had been stored away about 15 months ago.  It seems strange to comprehend, but that’s how long it’s been since Linda, Matt and James were last on board – in Match last year.   It was 14 March 2020 to be exact and at the time they left John and I in Milford Sound, with the intention of returning again a month or two later in the Bay of Islands (Read about it HERE)

As we all know, that never happened.  But finally, Linda was able to make use of her Air New Zealand “Travel Credit”, and here she is, in the Bay of Islands, on board Chimere … with me … soaking up the vibe of the place.  And her flight just happened to be 3 days AFTER the lifting of the latest Melb-NZ travel restrictions.

Now, if you think that’s exquisitely timed … then, would you believe that my son Matt and his wife Cathy arrived in Auckland this afternoon, with Cathy’s brother Doug and wife Em, arriving a few hours later, on a different airline around 7pm. (After a 20 hour in-transit delay!)

They have all hired a campervan, with Matt and Cathy joining us next Saturday here at Opua in the Bay of Islands.  Well, after all the COVID cases in Australia and no doubt in connection with the decision-making uncertainty from one Aussie State to the next, the New Zealand  Govt. has just, and I mean JUST, announced a freeze on ALL Oz-NZ travel for 3 days, from 7:30 AEST tonight … which is actually 9:30 NZ time.  Consequently, Matt, Cathy, Doug and Em arrived with just hours to spare!!  In keeping with the official statement, they will … “monitor their symptoms and regularly check Australian exposure sites”

As for James and his partner Eva, well they are scheduled to fly from A.C.T. to Auckland (via Melbourne now instead of Sydney)  on Thursday next week.  So, here’s hoping the 3-day travel suspension will come and go, and they will be permitted to travel.  I was going to say … “and things will be back to ‘normal’ by then”  … but “normal” just ain’t what it used to be.

In other news, Linda knocked up an amazing chicken and rice concoction in the galley this evening, and I secretly ate one of the last two remaining Magnum ice-creams (once Linda had gone to bed, naturally) that were ‘blocking’ up the freezer.  Just doing my bit to help clean up.

Our plans for the next few days include … doing very little tomorrow (Sunday) … going for a day-sail with John, Gary and Theresa on Monday … keeping up the deck painting and other maintenance tasks, as the weather permits … and booking in a boat-service guy to have a look at the low-pressure pump for the water-maker system and the onboard air conditioner. 

Yes, we have an air conditioner – very indulgent, I know – and we haven’t bothered with it for maybe 8 years or more – even when sailing in the tropics.  But I’m keen to get it fully operational, since Chimere is officially on the market, and what’s more, the unit ALSO has heating, so when we run the generator to charge the batteries and heat the water, it can also be heating the cabin if it’s chilly.    And I’m guessing it’s going to get a little colder over the next couple of months, before it gets warmer.

On the home-voyage-crew-front … looks like I may have a crew of four able bodies locked in to join me, from 10 July … no need to resort to good ol-fashioned press ganging tactics – subject to all the usual COVID travel restrictions and conditions.  Which is reassuring! (not the COVID bit, but the finding a crew bit)     

Smooth seas, fair breeze and the days of good-byes

Rob Latimer

It’s been a slow day in many respects, but with the werather still fine we took the opportunity to catch up on some boat maintenance – including finally getting a final top coat of grey on the foredeck, complete with grippy grit to make it less like an ice skating rink.

For the past 11 days we’ve been walking around like penguins, deliberately making small, vertical steps, always being sure to keep a good hold onto something solid – a handrail, shroud, dinghy … anything – particularly when waves, rain or morning dew made things wet.

Right now, it’s very late, and everyone is in bed asleep – but the big news is that my wife Linda finally arrived in Keri Keri, with John and I driving the 30 minutes or so to pick her up – in John’s twin-cab ute, which his son Ben dropped off yesterday

So for now, I’ll let the photos do the talking and head off to bed…

Smooth seas, fair breeze and the OTHER first mate arrives

Rob Latimer

Bay of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island

Thursday 24 June 2021

After a restful night in the calm, yet expansive Bland Bay, a small indent on the coast a bit further north of here beckoned … uniquely named Whangamumu Harbour; phonetically written as…  Fonga-moo-moo.

As it turns out, Bland Bay was just a short walk from another bay called Whangaruru … but Whangamumu was a lot more fun to say … Fonga-moo-moo.

It sounded so much like that mythical New Zealand town of Waikikamukau, or phonetically written … Why-kick-a-moo-cow.  So, it was decided … we had to stop in at Whangamumu!  Just to say we’d been there … unfortunately there’s no T-shirt we could buy.

Our ultimate destination for the day, was of course Opua and the Bay of Islands Marina, about 35 miles away.  But conditions were sunny and still, and so with the aid of the motor we figured we could make a stop off at Whangamumu for lunch and even indulge in some fishing.

John was getting a little frustrated at not catching much and so he’d texted one of his brothers, Phil, who has a serious reputation as a hunter and gatherer.  “Troll the lures along the 20 metre line around the coast, and fish off the kelp covered rocky coastline in the remote Whangamumu Harbour – where the old whaling station is” came the response.

So off we headed into the glare of the morning sun – and I do mean glare.  It was low and bright, with barely a cloud in the sky.

As you can see from the tracker “bread crumbs”, rather than take the direct route, from one headland to the next, we instead took the more circuitous approach.  At least for the first half the day – following the 20 metre depth line

By around 10:00am we were dropping anchor off the old whaling station – now just a collection of crumbling relics – in the idyllic Whangamumu Harbour. 

The dinghy was soon lowered, Nicola dug out some flippers, mask and snorkel and jumped over the side, with Martyn and Annette being dropped ashore to go for a walk.  This left John and me to race off and try our hand at fishing … again. 

Suffice to say, all our trolling yielded nothing and an hour of fishing with handlines from the dinghy delivered just two smallish snapper.

Realising we may be running short of time to make it up and around Cape Brett and onto Opua before night time, we prepared lunch on the way out of Whangamumum … see, it’s nice just saying it … with our next “stop” being Cape Brett – really just to soak in the dramatic scenery and the wonderfully still and sunny conditions, before carrying on to the Bay of Islands proper.

We made contact with the Bay of Islands Marina, to let them know an update of our arrival time, with Gary liaising via text with his wife Theresa who was due to meet us on arrival after her drive up from Wellington.

In the end we made better time than expected, over oily-flat seas and with the aid of the motor alone.  Plus the incoming tide gave us a push-along of around 1 knot in speed.

By 4:20pm we were tying up the lines in our berth number F37, with Theresa onshore frantically waving her greeting.  It really was great to arrive, after roughly 700 miles of travel from Wellington, spread over nearly 30 days.

Arriving before 5:00pm, there was still time for me to complete the arrival formalities at the marina office, and after a cup of tea aboard we all briefly went our ways to freshen up for “a night out”.  Very kindly, this resulted in Gary, Theresa, Martyn, Annette and Nicola shouting John and me out to dinner at a nearby restaurant, in appreciation for having brought everyone back safety. 

On reflection, we’d really had a great adventure together, taking in some spectacular country and a wide variety of weather and sea conditions.  Certainly, the “unpleasantness” of the first day – or two – was long forgotten when everyone strolled ashore late today; seriously wondering whether the walkway was moving from side to side, or was it just us?!

Smooth seas, fair breeze and Whangamumu (Fonga-moo-moo) … … I Just Like Saying It

Rob Latimer