HI FROM OPUA, NEW ZEALAND
PAT AND TOM'S WIFE MERRIE FLEW BACK TO CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY, APRIL 18TH.
THE NEXT DAY DAN, CAROL, TOM AND MYSELF LEFT AUCKLAND ON CAPRICE AND SAILED ALONG THE COAST NORTH TO OPUA WITH STOPS ON THE ISLAND OF KAWAU, THE CITY OF WHANGAREI, AND THE SMALL RESORT TOWN OF TUTUKAKA.
THE SAIL FOR THE MOST PART WAS DOWNWIND OR ON A BEAM REACH (WIND AT RIGHT ANGLE TO THE BOAT) WITH WINDS BLOWING 10 TO 30+ KNOTS. CAPRICE SAILED BEAUTIFULLY.
SOME BUMPY TIMES BUT MOSTLY SMOOTH SAILING.
WE SPENT THREE DAYS IN WHANGAREI WHERE WE PROVISIONED FOR THE TRIP TO FRENCH POLYNESIA. IT TOOK THREE TRIPS TO THE SUPERMARKET TO GET ALL THE FOOD STUFF AND PAPER PRODUCTS THAT WE WILL NEED.
WHANGAREI IS LOCATED NEAR THE HEAD OF A RIVER ABOUT 15 MILES FROM THE OCEAN. THE ENTRANCE TO THE RIVER IS A MASS OF BOILING WATER NOT UNLIKE ROUGH RAPIDS. CAPRICE GOT BOUNCED AROUND PRETTY GOOD FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BOTH ENTERING AND LEAVING THE RIVER. IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE CREW, BUT THE BOAT HELD UP VERY WELL.
OUPA IS A SMALL TOWN, CATERING TO MARINERS, LOCATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL "BAY OF ISLANDS" NEAR THE TOP OF NEW ZEALAND. WE WILL REMAIN HERE A FEW DAYS DOING LAST MINUTE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE-CHECKS ON THE BOAT AND WHEN THE WEATHER IS RIGHT, HEAD EAST FOR THE FRENCH POLYNESIAN ISLANDS.
THE DISTANCE FROM HERE TO OUR FIRST STOP IS ABOUT 2200 MILES AND WE HOPE TO MAKE IT IN LESS THEN 3 WEEKS.
I WILL SEND MORE MESSAGES IN ROUTE
TILL THEN
TED
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Ted's Log, Stardate April 17, 2008
HI FROM AUCKLAND,
PAT AND I ARRIVED HERE LAST WEDNESDAY AND HAVE BEEN DOING THE TOURESTY THINGS THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN PART OF NEW ZEALAND'S NORTH ISLAND SINCE THEN. PAT WILL BE FLYING BACK HOME TOMORROW AND WITHIN A DAY OR TWO I WILL BEGIN MY SAILING TRIP ON THE SAILING VESSEL "CAPRICE"
"CAPRICE" IS A SEAWIND 1160 OWNED BY OUR GOOD FRIENDS DAN AND CAROL SEIFERS. THE BOAT WAS CONSTRUCTED LAST YEAR IN AUSTRALIA AND THEY TOOK DELIVERY IN SYDNEY LAST NOVEMBER. WITH THEIR SON VAUGHN AND HIS FRIEND DAVID RASMUSSEN AS CREW THEY SAILED THE BOAT HERE IN DECEMBER.
ON THIS UPCOMING TRIP, CAROL, DAN AND MYSELF WILL BE JOINED BY CREW MEMBER AND GOOD FRIEND TOM HANSEN. ALL OF US LIVE IN POINT RICHMOND AND ARE MEMBERS OF THE RICHMOND YACHT CLUB.
THE PLAN FOR THIS TRIP IS TO SAIL NORTH ALONG THE NEW ZEALAND COAST TO THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND WITH A FAVORABLE WEATHER WINDOW HEAD OUT TO OUR DESTINATION OF HAWAII.
THIS TRIP IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE I MADE IN 2003 ON BOB AND RENEE MILLER'S SAILBOAT "WANDERING STAR" BUT WITH TWO MAJOR DIFFERENCES. FIRST IS THE ROUTE. IN 2003 WE LEFT NEW ZEALAND AND SAILED TO FIJI, TONGA, AMERICAN SAMOA AND CHRISTMAS ISLAND. ON THIS TRIP WE PLAN TO SAIL EAST TO FRENCH POLYNESIA AND AFTER VISITING VARIOUS ISLANDS WILL SAIL NORTH TO HAWAII.
THE SECOND MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THE BOAT. "WANDERING STAR" WAS A 38-FOOT MONO-HULL SLOOP, WHILE "CAPRICE"
IS A 38-FOOT CATAMARAN (MULTI-HULL). THERE ARE SIGNIFCANT DIFFERNCES IN THE WAY THESE BOAT SAIL.
I WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THESE DIFFERENCES IN SUBSEQUENT MESSAGES.
UNTIL THEN, TAKE CARE
TED
PAT AND I ARRIVED HERE LAST WEDNESDAY AND HAVE BEEN DOING THE TOURESTY THINGS THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN PART OF NEW ZEALAND'S NORTH ISLAND SINCE THEN. PAT WILL BE FLYING BACK HOME TOMORROW AND WITHIN A DAY OR TWO I WILL BEGIN MY SAILING TRIP ON THE SAILING VESSEL "CAPRICE"
"CAPRICE" IS A SEAWIND 1160 OWNED BY OUR GOOD FRIENDS DAN AND CAROL SEIFERS. THE BOAT WAS CONSTRUCTED LAST YEAR IN AUSTRALIA AND THEY TOOK DELIVERY IN SYDNEY LAST NOVEMBER. WITH THEIR SON VAUGHN AND HIS FRIEND DAVID RASMUSSEN AS CREW THEY SAILED THE BOAT HERE IN DECEMBER.
ON THIS UPCOMING TRIP, CAROL, DAN AND MYSELF WILL BE JOINED BY CREW MEMBER AND GOOD FRIEND TOM HANSEN. ALL OF US LIVE IN POINT RICHMOND AND ARE MEMBERS OF THE RICHMOND YACHT CLUB.
THE PLAN FOR THIS TRIP IS TO SAIL NORTH ALONG THE NEW ZEALAND COAST TO THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND WITH A FAVORABLE WEATHER WINDOW HEAD OUT TO OUR DESTINATION OF HAWAII.
THIS TRIP IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE I MADE IN 2003 ON BOB AND RENEE MILLER'S SAILBOAT "WANDERING STAR" BUT WITH TWO MAJOR DIFFERENCES. FIRST IS THE ROUTE. IN 2003 WE LEFT NEW ZEALAND AND SAILED TO FIJI, TONGA, AMERICAN SAMOA AND CHRISTMAS ISLAND. ON THIS TRIP WE PLAN TO SAIL EAST TO FRENCH POLYNESIA AND AFTER VISITING VARIOUS ISLANDS WILL SAIL NORTH TO HAWAII.
THE SECOND MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THE BOAT. "WANDERING STAR" WAS A 38-FOOT MONO-HULL SLOOP, WHILE "CAPRICE"
IS A 38-FOOT CATAMARAN (MULTI-HULL). THERE ARE SIGNIFCANT DIFFERNCES IN THE WAY THESE BOAT SAIL.
I WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THESE DIFFERENCES IN SUBSEQUENT MESSAGES.
UNTIL THEN, TAKE CARE
TED
Monday, April 14, 2008
Rethinking our route
Well now that we have returned to the USA, we have been rethinking our travel plans. Everyone we talk to asks, "Why are you in such a rush to get the boat home? Why don't you spend more time in Polynesi? You may only get one chance to visit paradise."
So, we are rethinking our plans. Wouldn't it be nice to see more of the Islands? Why don't we take a shorter trip to Tonga, Fiji, Samoans for 4 months, then put the boat up on the hard in a place like Raiatea for the winter, then pick the boat up again in the spring and sail it to Alaska, where we will be able to spend several summer months cruising down the coast? Sounds great, but we have a lot of mechanics to work out. Will Tom and Ted like the idea? Will our lovely house sitter and dog sitter, Gunda. be able to come back next year? How much will it cost to put the boat on the hard for 6 months? Anyway, we might change our plans. In the interim, Tom, Merrie, Ted and Pat are traveling throughout New Zealand, while using Caprice as a home base. The Spectra Watermaker is not working properly yet, but the fix-it man is there today. We jump back on the plane tonight (Monday, April 14, 2008) and arrive in N.Z. on Wednesday. Hopefully the watermaker will be fixed, Tom and Merrie will spend a couple nights in Davenport, then the ladies leave to come back home. In the interim we will be discussing the possible optional travel plans. Keep tuned to find out where we will be going.
So, we are rethinking our plans. Wouldn't it be nice to see more of the Islands? Why don't we take a shorter trip to Tonga, Fiji, Samoans for 4 months, then put the boat up on the hard in a place like Raiatea for the winter, then pick the boat up again in the spring and sail it to Alaska, where we will be able to spend several summer months cruising down the coast? Sounds great, but we have a lot of mechanics to work out. Will Tom and Ted like the idea? Will our lovely house sitter and dog sitter, Gunda. be able to come back next year? How much will it cost to put the boat on the hard for 6 months? Anyway, we might change our plans. In the interim, Tom, Merrie, Ted and Pat are traveling throughout New Zealand, while using Caprice as a home base. The Spectra Watermaker is not working properly yet, but the fix-it man is there today. We jump back on the plane tonight (Monday, April 14, 2008) and arrive in N.Z. on Wednesday. Hopefully the watermaker will be fixed, Tom and Merrie will spend a couple nights in Davenport, then the ladies leave to come back home. In the interim we will be discussing the possible optional travel plans. Keep tuned to find out where we will be going.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tom and Merrie are here
Tom and Merrie are here. They got a thorough briefing on the boat. Tom learned how to drive the boat in and out of the slip, then we decided to travel north to Mahurangi Harbour, we tried to fish for red snapper, which everyone says are easy to catch, but have only caught some shakers so far.
We walked on beautiful Kauwau Island from School House Bay where we overnighted last night aboard the 4-star HMS Caprice to Mansion House... a lovely walk through a New Zealand forest of ferns and firs.
Then we sailed with the main and spinnaker sails flying... we were screaming across the Hauraki Gulf back to Bayswater Marina... and the boat was perfectly flat..
We are sitting across from the Auckland cityscape enjoying a glass of New Zealand wine and anticipating and Easter dinner of roast New Zealand lamb, cauliflower, butternut squash followed by a rousing game of up and down gin! Life is good...
Cheers to all of you!
Merrie, Tom, Carol and Dan
The motley crew of Caprice!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Kiwiland
Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world. It is the home to 1.5 million people in New Zealand’s fastest growing region. Auckland accounts for 1/3 New Zealand’s economy, yet it is a stone’s throw to magnificent beaches, sparkling blue waters and sparcely populated islands.
In the heart of Auckland one can find bustling activity in the financial section or unlimited selection of fresh sea food at the fish market. Prices seem high, but similar to San Francisco. However since tipping is not expected and the exchange rate is about .8, and we get GST tax exemption on many items, the prices are really quite reasonable. The land prices have really skyrocketed here though and beachfront property prices rival those in the Bay. The climate is about 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit daily and the water temperature is about 70 degrees - perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
February 21 - 24 - STORMY, RAIN, WINDS - up to 50 knots. We are snuggled up into Waitiatia Bay on Waiheke Island watching the ferries from Auckland (about 45 minutes by ferry) battle the waves. Exciting, but glad we are safely anchored in the Bay. This is the rain they have been waiting for all summer. Most people on the Island depend on rain, which they collect from their metal roofs into large tanks. They do have electricity, phones to the mainland, and internet cafes at Oneroa. (plus nice restaurants and wine from the 14 wineries here on the Island). We will stay here for a few days to wait out the storm, reading, sleeping, playing cards and other stuff, then go onto Coromandel once the winds calm down and shift to the southwest. Or, as they say here, “Once the weather is fine”.
Over the last 2 ½ months we have been enjoying the countryside and cruising habitats of the North Island. We originally thought that once we reached Auckland, we would take off for the South Island to visit the cruising holes there, but there is so much to see in the North Island that we have scraped our plans to visit the South Island (at least this year). Once we left the Bay of Islands, we stopped at Tutukaka on our way to the Great Barrier Island. Each place we have visited has its own unique charm and interest. Tutukaka boasts that it is only 30 minutes from the best marlin fishing in the world, Great Barrier Island has dozens of bays, coves and hiking trails that one could spend months exploring. Waiheke Island is less than an hours ferry trip from Auckland, yet is a rural, quiet community similar to Bodega Bay where many of the 8000 residents commute to “the city”. The Coromandel Peninsula hosts a few small towns, but is largely just a beautiful, uninhabited place where sheep and cattle graze. Most of the New Zealanders own boats - no surprise where thousands of beautiful anchoring spots can be visited within hours of Auckland. We have just touched the scenic beauty of this marvelous land and have genuinely been given the “red carpet” by the locals. We are very comfortable with our Seawind 1160 even in 3 to 4 meter seas. Most of the warrantee items have been resolved by Royce Black, Seawind factory representative, who came to Auckland to resolve the issues and help show Seawinds in the Auckland boat show. We have found provisioning fairly easy. Of course linking up with a great Kiwi couple, Alec and Ann Waring, who also purchased a Seawind 1160, has been extremely delightful and helpful.
We continually talk to people about our next ocean crossing to Tahiti, and most of them say, “Why not join us and dozens of other cruisers who venture to Fiji from here each year?” Maybe we are a little nuts, but it seems that taking the tough part first (3 weeks to Tahiti from here), and then relaxing while going downwind through the Tuamotus, French Polynesians, and maybe all the way to Samoa, is a reasonable thing to do. We will have to find a front traveling through New Zealand, follow the back end of it (southwesterlies) until we hit 150 degrees West , then head north to catch the trade winds to Tahiti. At least, that is the plan, but we are cruisers, and cruisers need to be flexible.
Tom Hanson and Merrie Bailey will be joining us next week after their tour of Australia and the South Island. Tom, along with Ted Stuart, will be crewing with us as we head East at the end of April. In the interim, we are checking with the locals to find out how they catch all those huge red snappers.
In the heart of Auckland one can find bustling activity in the financial section or unlimited selection of fresh sea food at the fish market. Prices seem high, but similar to San Francisco. However since tipping is not expected and the exchange rate is about .8, and we get GST tax exemption on many items, the prices are really quite reasonable. The land prices have really skyrocketed here though and beachfront property prices rival those in the Bay. The climate is about 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit daily and the water temperature is about 70 degrees - perfect for snorkeling and swimming.
February 21 - 24 - STORMY, RAIN, WINDS - up to 50 knots. We are snuggled up into Waitiatia Bay on Waiheke Island watching the ferries from Auckland (about 45 minutes by ferry) battle the waves. Exciting, but glad we are safely anchored in the Bay. This is the rain they have been waiting for all summer. Most people on the Island depend on rain, which they collect from their metal roofs into large tanks. They do have electricity, phones to the mainland, and internet cafes at Oneroa. (plus nice restaurants and wine from the 14 wineries here on the Island). We will stay here for a few days to wait out the storm, reading, sleeping, playing cards and other stuff, then go onto Coromandel once the winds calm down and shift to the southwest. Or, as they say here, “Once the weather is fine”.
Over the last 2 ½ months we have been enjoying the countryside and cruising habitats of the North Island. We originally thought that once we reached Auckland, we would take off for the South Island to visit the cruising holes there, but there is so much to see in the North Island that we have scraped our plans to visit the South Island (at least this year). Once we left the Bay of Islands, we stopped at Tutukaka on our way to the Great Barrier Island. Each place we have visited has its own unique charm and interest. Tutukaka boasts that it is only 30 minutes from the best marlin fishing in the world, Great Barrier Island has dozens of bays, coves and hiking trails that one could spend months exploring. Waiheke Island is less than an hours ferry trip from Auckland, yet is a rural, quiet community similar to Bodega Bay where many of the 8000 residents commute to “the city”. The Coromandel Peninsula hosts a few small towns, but is largely just a beautiful, uninhabited place where sheep and cattle graze. Most of the New Zealanders own boats - no surprise where thousands of beautiful anchoring spots can be visited within hours of Auckland. We have just touched the scenic beauty of this marvelous land and have genuinely been given the “red carpet” by the locals. We are very comfortable with our Seawind 1160 even in 3 to 4 meter seas. Most of the warrantee items have been resolved by Royce Black, Seawind factory representative, who came to Auckland to resolve the issues and help show Seawinds in the Auckland boat show. We have found provisioning fairly easy. Of course linking up with a great Kiwi couple, Alec and Ann Waring, who also purchased a Seawind 1160, has been extremely delightful and helpful.
We continually talk to people about our next ocean crossing to Tahiti, and most of them say, “Why not join us and dozens of other cruisers who venture to Fiji from here each year?” Maybe we are a little nuts, but it seems that taking the tough part first (3 weeks to Tahiti from here), and then relaxing while going downwind through the Tuamotus, French Polynesians, and maybe all the way to Samoa, is a reasonable thing to do. We will have to find a front traveling through New Zealand, follow the back end of it (southwesterlies) until we hit 150 degrees West , then head north to catch the trade winds to Tahiti. At least, that is the plan, but we are cruisers, and cruisers need to be flexible.
Tom Hanson and Merrie Bailey will be joining us next week after their tour of Australia and the South Island. Tom, along with Ted Stuart, will be crewing with us as we head East at the end of April. In the interim, we are checking with the locals to find out how they catch all those huge red snappers.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Happy Wanderers of New Zealand!
Hi Everyone from New Zealand,
Well it seems like we are just wandering around New Zealand with no particular agenda. We are losing concept of time and don't know what day it is. We stay at a place until we get tired of it, then move on. We worked our way down the New Zealand coast from Bay of Islands to the Great Barrier Island before going to Auckland. Auckland is a medium sized city as far as population, but coveres a huge area. We have met locals who have opened their homes and lives to us. Very friendly all around. Or as they would say, "spot on". The boat is still behaving wonderfully. We had some minor factory warrantee items fixed last week and we are currently anchored at Waiheke Island, which is about 15 miles from Auckland, yet seems a million miles because of its quaint and lovely remoteness. The ferry does come here to transport some of the 8 thousand residents to work in Auckland, Our very vague plans are to hang around here, or go to Coromandel, Mercury Islands or down to the Bay of Plenty before coming back to Auckland to meet Tom and Merrie Hanson the first week of March, where they will stop off a few hours on their way to Australia before coming back to Auckland to join us.
We usually can find an email cafe in the small communities ashore, but when anchored out in remote coves, we use sailmail, so send us a note to let us know how you folks are doing and we will try to reply, even if it is a very short "sailmail".
Cheers,
Dan and Carol aboard Caprice
Well it seems like we are just wandering around New Zealand with no particular agenda. We are losing concept of time and don't know what day it is. We stay at a place until we get tired of it, then move on. We worked our way down the New Zealand coast from Bay of Islands to the Great Barrier Island before going to Auckland. Auckland is a medium sized city as far as population, but coveres a huge area. We have met locals who have opened their homes and lives to us. Very friendly all around. Or as they would say, "spot on". The boat is still behaving wonderfully. We had some minor factory warrantee items fixed last week and we are currently anchored at Waiheke Island, which is about 15 miles from Auckland, yet seems a million miles because of its quaint and lovely remoteness. The ferry does come here to transport some of the 8 thousand residents to work in Auckland, Our very vague plans are to hang around here, or go to Coromandel, Mercury Islands or down to the Bay of Plenty before coming back to Auckland to meet Tom and Merrie Hanson the first week of March, where they will stop off a few hours on their way to Australia before coming back to Auckland to join us.
We usually can find an email cafe in the small communities ashore, but when anchored out in remote coves, we use sailmail, so send us a note to let us know how you folks are doing and we will try to reply, even if it is a very short "sailmail".
Cheers,
Dan and Carol aboard Caprice
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