December 22, 2013
One of the most dismaying things about cruising is waking up to the sound of wind when we’re due to head out in the morning. I think many cruisers are familiar with the experience of waking up in the dead of night to that dreaded wind sound and hoping it’s temporary. Then waking up again later and it’s still there. Ugh. There’s always the hope it will be gone by daybreak, but sometimes it stubbornly remains. This was one of those mornings.
Once we accepted the wind wasn’t going away, we started hoping for a lull. Meanwhile, we were thinking we probably wouldn’t be leaving this day as planned. But then along came a lull, and we decided to give it a go. It was only fourteen miles to the channel into Auckland; so we figured we could man up and deal with the conditions for that short trip, especially since the waters of the Hauraki Gulf should be fairly protected, the chop dampened by the mainland. Below, a map showing our approximate route.
Putting on our foul weather gear, we headed out into the gray and drizzly morning just to poke our nose out and see how things looked. The wind was blowing 15 to 18 knots ahead of the beam, but at least it wasn’t on the nose. We decided to continue on to Auckland.
Unfortunately, our theory about the chop was wrong. The ocean had plenty of punch, and Rich got completely soaked at the wheel as water sprayed over the boat. The wind went up into the 20s, gusting to 30 knots. If it hadn’t been for the knot-and-a-half current going with us, we would have been forced to turn around. As it was we were barely making 4 knots, making it a long and rather miserable trip.
I was dismayed when the conditions remained bad even after we entered the channel into the Auckland harbor area and started to worry we’d made a mistake heading out today. Being out on the ocean in these conditions is tough, but maneuvering gracefully into a slip can be impossible. Finally things eased up as we neared the pedestrian bridge. Rich called to ask them to raise it and as we approached, up it went.
Now that we were inside the well-protected Viaduct area, conditions felt much better but still pretty windy. A security official for the marina area came by in an inflatable and offered to help with lines. This turned out to be a godsend: the wind caught us beam on as we turned into the slip, but the guard did a masterful job catching and tying our lines. Soon, we were tucked in and tied up near a wall area, close enough to now block the wind.
Legacy secured in her nice spot at the Viaduct.
Now docked, we found ourselves in calm, warm conditions yet standing there in our foul weather gear. That’s such a funny feeling, yet another one that most cruisers know. We got right to work and rinsed off our salty boat and foulies. After that, we headed out for a celebratory Mexican lunch, then to Starbuck’s for celebration cappuccinos. We shopped for a few odds and ends, and Rich managed to find us a car to rent for a few days.
Later that evening, we headed to an Indian restaurant called the Urban Turban for dinner, right in a festive part of the Viaduct. The late afternoon was sunny and warm, and people were walking by or dining at the many outdoor tables of neighboring restaurants. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time!
Rich and I treated ourselves to a pitcher of Tiger beer, a very nice beer from Singapore which we were delighted to find this restaurant had on tap. It was an evening of excellent food, excellent beer, and an excellent place to be on Earth at that moment. Yep, it was definitely worth braving the conditions to come into Auckland today.
Below, a few photos out and about in Auckland, including a photo of the Urban Turban and our beer. (Click to enlarge and scroll.)
–Cyndi
