At last the summary of the trip home


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Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Whangarei
April 18th 2012
Published: April 20th 2012
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Well it has been a very long time since we got back and no updates - naughty boy Cap'n.

Crew - Doug Nicol and Lorraine Miller plus Ethan Jones (from Kerikeri in the Bay of Island, NZ). Ethan flew up specially to sail back with us and he did a great job. Thanks Ethan you were a fantastic crew and a pleasure to have on board.



Here is a quick summary to let you know what we did and where we're at now.

Trip back from Fiji covered 1171 nautical miles (nm) in 7 days 7 and half hours at an average of 6.69 knots. Best day's run was 172 nm (2 days over 170 nm) and lowest run was 155 nm; a quick trip.

The Fiji trip had a total of 2950 nm (Opua to Fiji back to Whangarei).

Total distance covered from leaving Whangarei on June 2011 was 4028 nm of which 3318 nm were offshore.



We left from Lautoka at 11.30 am on 25th of October after clearing Customs and headed south past Port Denarau (I hope it was not too badly effected by all the flooding that Fiji has had over the summer, though I some how doubt it).



We were heading for the Navula Passage and the open ocean, which we pasted through at 16:30. The wind was now from the southeast so a bit on the nose though ok. With a couple of reefs in the main and a small headsail we were heading towards New Zealand. This was very much the story for the next 7 days as we only changed tack just off the Chicken Islands, about 5 nm off Whangarei Heads.



We sailed with 2 reefs in the main and occasional increases and decreases in the headsail. As it was a fast trip it was also a bumpy trip with a bit of water splashing around.

We did not catch any fish on the way, partly because we stopped fishing about a third of the way as we had lots of meat to eat before it was taken by NZ customs (we only lost one bag of mince on arrival).

We saw a few seabirds and had one yacht past across our stern about 2 days north of NZ. Not sure if they where
The Cap'nThe Cap'nThe Cap'n

Just before we sighted the Chicken Island off Whangarei Heads
coming from Tonga for Opua or heading around North Cape (top of NZ) and going down the west coast to Nelson or Wellington. We enjoyed see another vessel and speculating on their possible destination, another hour gone.



Arriving off NZ was a bit of a let down as there was low cloud and we sailed past the Poor Knights Islands without seeing anything. The first landfall was the before mentioned Chicken Island (part of the Hen and Chicken Group) and that was when we were about 5 nm off them (this being midday on 1 November). The sighting did stop a good discussion between Doug and Ethan, though thankfully Doug did look up occasionally.



We had fixed the autopilot in Denarau so we did not have to hand steer that whole way. I'm not sure which I prefer, the ease of the autopilot or the achievement of hand steering.



The next morning we cleared Customs at Marsden Cove Whangarei during which Doug was told off for not giving the Customs their required 2 days notice of arrival, which is usually done before you leave the previous country; again, naughty Cap'n.



We were back in the Town Basin Marina in Whanagrei at 13:30 on Wednesday 2nd November.

As per his custom, the Cap', shouted the crew to dinner that night. Ethan's parents joined us and we had a great, though cold, night.

A couple of weeks later Doug put Hakura into the Riverside Drive Marina so he could paint the topsides, decks and cabin tops. A good plan which started well though the wet summer has meant Hakura is only going back into the water on Friday 20 April, about 6 months later.



Oh yes there have been a few other jobs - like replacing the teak floor boards in the cockpit because they had started to warp and let water in. Hakura now has a waterproof painted cockpit floor.

What's next I hear you ask? Not sure, though we may spend the next 12 months in Whangarei before heading back to the island and then onto Australia.


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