Take Two

Need a good Cuppa to start the day.

A wee bit bigger than us!!

Little Tug.

Crew - brother Nathan

I need to make sure the bow lined up with that point over there!

Doing a good job for a first timer

Able Tasman National Park Coast Line.

So much for the crew!

Can't remember which Island - somewhere in the Park.

Even time to take photos, but who's driving this thing!

Skipper on the helm.

Full of Hot Air

Shot from underneath - taken from the escape hatch.

Wide berth around Separation Point.

And around the other side.

Tata Islands.

Not sure if I'd like to live up there.

Putting the sails away in our new sail cover - thanks Frank

Our welcoming committee.

We started out with the best of intentions Sunday 21st December to take the boat from Nelson to Golden Bay to stay at Tarakohe. It was a drizzly day with poor visibility and "variable"winds, but we thought we would give it a go and hope it would pick up. After about 3.5 hours of "wallowing" in Tasman Bay doing wee triangles on the GPS tracking, still being able to see the Northern Cardinal marker and me feeling VERY unwell and cold, we called it quits and headed back under motor. Phone call to the parents who were babysitting and a nice hot drink to sort out the plan for the next day which was ensure batteries fully charged, head in a direct line to Separation Point under motor and hope for a bit of wind. Then a wander into town to find some travel sickness cure for me for the following day, which resulted in wrist bands from Kathmandu.

0700 Monday 22nd, headed off towards Separation Point for the second day running.
We motor sailed for a few hours until the breeze caught up with us, variable up to ten knots, and getting up to ten knots of boat speed, lots of fun, very easy sailing. The only downer at this time realising that the regeneration of the motors was just not a happening thing, so phone contact the our Sparky Al to get onto the manufacturers to sort it out as we have done what they suggested with regards props etc. We each took hour about on the helm, both Dan and brother Nathan thinking it a great joke that we seemed to cover a lot more ground when I was at wheel! and here I am thinking I was doing so well! Lots of time for photos and reading and sunbathing and practicing plotting our position on the chart (half hourly) sending texts and listening to the banter on the VHF. Gave Separation Point a very wide berth as per instructions and looked forward to a quick sail into Tarakohe, only to find Golden Bay waters like glass, so the last wee bit of the trip as we started under motor. Kids and parents there to meet us and help manoeuvre into our berth for the next week or so. All in all a great 10 hours.