January 22, 2022 – an almost real-time post.
After making the final preparations for our trip by scrubbing and hosing our cockpit, we treated ourselves to a fabulous lunch at the restaurant near our marina (Homeland) while we waited for the tide to start going out.
(Note about the Cruising Lifestyle: If we’re heading out and have time to hit a restaurant for a final meal, we do it! It gives us full bellies for those first hours of getting our sea legs, allowing us to sit in the cockpit and get used to the boat’s movement without have to go below and prepare food.)
The wind was just ahead of our beam at about 12 knots, but it was one of those days where the sea was relatively flat and the air warm, making it a fantastic day for sailing even if going a bit into the wind. It was nice to remember that while we tend to use our engine more than most cruisers, we actually do love sailing when the conditions are right. Below, a couple of photos as we sailed out of Auckland.
One complication of cruising during the summer, especially on weekends, is places get crowded. But over our time here we’ve discovered a couple of nice anchorages on Waiheke Island that are a bit off the beaten path.
As we sailed past Motuihe Island on our way to Waiheke, we worried a bit when we saw its anchorages were packed. We were relieved to arrive at Te Wharau on Waiheke Island and find there was room for us. This is not a “destination” anchorage; so we didn’t have an overwhelming crowd. Even better, people were properly spaced, and no one anchored on top of us. While this isn’t the most beautiful anchorage in the Hauraki Gulf, it’s quite pretty and well protected. (New Zealand’s “less beautiful” places are still pretty darn nice!) Below, a photo of our anchorage.
After settling in, we went below until the hot summer sun dipped down behind a hill. Then it was time to head to the cockpit for a celebration drink and talk about tomorrow’s plan. Our big issue was weather (isn’t it always?). We were tired and would love to have just spent a few days anchored in Te Wharau, but we had a reasonable weather window to sail around the Coromandel Peninsula to Great Mercury Island, an all-day motor sail, the following day.
At first we opted to sit here and rest a few days, but a good weather window is hard to resist; so we ended up deciding to take it and leave relatively early the next morning. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the sunset and the distinct smell of New Zealand vegetation, which smells of dense greenery accented by a floral smell in the summer.
Later we enjoyed the cooing of little morepork owls and the sight of bright stars when darkness set in. It was nice to be out cruising again.
Note: You may notice this post is light on the photos. That’s because I was also experimenting with narrating video with my camera and the selfie stick. I have now learned that narrating with a camera requires one to be away from wind noise. And the video with the selfie stick seemed to have a fair number of dropouts. So, I have a lot yet to learn using those methods, but meanwhile photos and written words always work. –Cyndi
