Whangamumu: sailed
Whangamumu: sailed
I needed to go sailing. It didn’t matter where. So I did and ended up here nine miles east of my mooring and five miles south of Cape Brett; but I covered 32 miles, north, east and then south, to get here.
High pressure continues. It was lovely warm day, with light wind from the northeast, finally increasing to around 12 knots in early afternoon. We heeled over and everything. Once the boat speed touched a giddy six knots. Briefly.
In fact it was fine and just what I wanted.
I used the self-steering vane, whose gears had again disengaged when I lowered the servo rudder into the water on the way back from Whangaroa just after Christmas. They stayed together this time, though I am still concerned because I don’t understand why this has started to happen at all. One solution may be to lower the servo-rudder before starting out and never lift it.
The vane steered except for the first and last few miles when we were under power.
This harbor is a oval with a small entrance to the northeast. There is a slight swell, which provides a minimal, pleasant rocking motion, and a sussing of water lapping at rocks and sand that I don’t get on the mooring.
15 or 16 other boats are anchored here. None of them within 50 yards of THE HAWKE OF TUONELA. The New Zealand summer holiday is ending, so I expect that most are on their way back to Auckland.
Whangamumu is an old whaling station, but I don’t see any old whalers or whales. Only a middle-aged porpoise or two.
I was last here 15 years ago. At age 65 it is not likely that I will be sailing in again 15 years from now. But you never know.
Friday, January 19, 2007