Category: January 2021

January 2021, New Zealand, Tutukaka

They Call It Brochure Sailing

The bright sun is shining down from the heavens warming our skin as the cool ocean breeze brushes across our faces. Wispy clouds resembling a horse’s mane hover above giving a soft white texture to the stark blue sky. The new white mainsail billows as the wind passes over it and the ocean gently slaps Dazzler’s hull as she cuts through the water with ease and grace. Ahhhh! We’re barely out of the mouth of the river and our souls feel like birds soaring through the air on the South Pacific tradewinds. It’s sailing at its finest….something we refer to as “Brochure Sailing” and it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Oh yes, it’s a wonderful start to our circumnavigation and we’re both feeling fantastic! Dan continues to adjust the new main checking her performance in the 15 knot winds. She’s performing brilliantly and he could’t be happier with his choice of sailmaker. (Thanks Dave & Nick at Calibre Sails) Before long it’s time to bring out the jib and kick it up a notch. Now we’re sailing along at close to 7 knots and it’s fabulous.

The coast of New Zealand is rugged, green and simply beautiful. There are not many beaches along its crags of shoreline but when you do see one it stands out like a bright light against the deep green of the forests and the azure blue of the sea.

Once we get underway and offshore, I go below to triple check things and make certain everything is stowed and not flying about. Invariably there is something I’ve missed and when Dazzler dips to one side or the other I find out quickly what it is. The hope is that is is not something like we forgot to empty the coffee pot. Yes…we’ve had coffee grounds go flying across the galley before. It’s never fun and forces me to use sailoresque words that make sailors blush and my dear mother cringe.

Enter The Boiling Fish

A hour or so into our trip Dan calls down below to tell me there a bait ball where lots of birds are diving into the water. I take to the bow with camera in hand as he turns Dazzler toward them. Any good angler knows that birds diving in the water means there are fish about. We have our handlines in the water so we’re heading toward them. As we near their location we see the water literally boiling over. It’s always exciting to see this happen. Smaller fish rolling at the surface are being chased by much bigger fish just below them. Birds are diving into the boil looking for the sure thing and here comes Dazzler barreling through the middle hoping to snag a nice fish for dinner.

Turns out that trying to work a fish boil in the middle of the ocean when you’ve got a main and jib flying is a bit more trouble than it is worth. As we keep turning to stay in the boil the sails need to be adjusted so after a couple of attempts without even a single bite we abandoned our mission. Oh well, it certainly was a fun fifteen minutes or so. After all, who doesn’t love to watch nature in action?

After four hours we reached the entrance to Tutukaka Harbor. The entrance here is pretty straightforward even if it does appear a bit intimidating with large swells pushing you in and the giant rocks standing above the water on either side of you. The thing is it’s a clearly marked channel and it’s even well lighted for nighttime entry. Probably wouldn’t try that on our first attempt into this place but after being here we could easily come in at night if needed.

Tutukaka Harbor

North shore of the entrance to Tutukaka Harbor

Once we made it through the entrance, our next task was to find a place to drop the hook. Here there are three bays in which you can anchor. All are on the southern side of the channel. The first is Pacific Bay then there’s Kowharewa in the middle and Church Bay which is closest to the marina. Church Bay is a bit too shallow for Dazzler so we opted to find a place in Kowharewa Bay. There were lots and lots of boats. The depth in the majority of the anchorage is much shallower than we typically like to anchor in but it was fine. It is 3-4 meters. We found a sweet spot right next to the rock island that separates Kowharewa and Church bays. We were close enough to the island that no one would come inside of us which gave us a little privacy.

Enjoy The Show

If you are looking for some really great entertainment aboard your boat this anchorage is the perfect place. Wait until about 1500, grab a beer or mix a cocktail and go sit outside. The show is absolutely fantastic. What’s the show you ask??? Allow me to explain. You see, Tutukaka is sort of like a roadstead. Boats use this as a safe anchorage when traveling up and down the coast. There’s not really a lot to see or do here but it’s a beautiful place and it’s well protected. There’s a marina and a few little restaurants so for the cruiser who is heading up or down the coast it can be a great little stopover to avoid making an overnight passage. What does this have to do with the show? EVERYTHING! 

In the afternoon is when everyone starts pouring in looking for an anchor spot. Some yachties are super efficient, well-oiled machines when it comes to anchoring and others are well, how can I say it? They look like the Keystone Cops trying to put out a dumpster fire in Central Park. It’s ugly but there is definitely some comedy to be found in it.

You see a little of everything here from 40’ boats that drop 15 feet of chain to those who never even back down on their anchor. You see people sailing into the anchorage with no motor then scrambling to get their sail and anchor down at the same time. There’s men yelling at their women and women yelling right back. Oh yes….this is absolutely a show and one we’d probably have paid to watch. As we sat in the cockpit each evening we enjoyed some wonderful laughs. We decided we really needed to have some large numbers made up and then show them like judges once they are all set. We even came up with a pretty elaborate scoring system too. 

Some of the scarier things we saw are people who don’t put down enough anchor chain and/or don’t back down on their anchor at all. They just drop the chain in a big or maybe not so big pile on the ocean floor and hope for the best. This is where our little spot paid off because we didn’t have many boats around us. At least we were fairly certain we were not going to get hit in the middle of the night. No, it would more than likely be some other poor boater. We actually even saw one 35’ cabin cruiser come in and drop his anchor while in forward gear going about 3 knots! He just dragged it until it caught on something and flipped him around. I guess that’s one way to do it!

Seems crazy too when you realize that New Zealand has one of the highest per capita boat ownership rates in the world. You’d think they would be a little better educated. Of course if they were then we wouldn’t have had a free night show that was better than any Vegas show I’ve ever seen.

Going Ashore

The marina in Tutukaka is pretty nice. We stayed on the hook but did go to shore a couple of times. There’s a fishing club/restuarant at the marina as well as a pizza place. We stopped in at Marina Pizza & Bar for a pizza. It was good but not nearly as good as the pizza at Parua Bay Tavern down by the Whangerie Heads. Seems excellent pizza is a tough thing to come by in New Zealand.

One day we decided we’d hike up to the Tutukaka Lighthouse. You can go by dinghy to a beach area and walk up to it. What we didn’t know when we started this mission is that you walk up from the beach to the top of the ridge line then walk a quarter mile or so to a set of stairs that lead down, down, down back to the water. Then you hike up, up, up again to reach the lighthouse. The getting there wouldn’t have necessarily been the issue…It would be the down, up, down going back. Suffice it to say that we stopped our little hike at the top of the stairs!!! I’m sure the the view at the lighthouse is amazing but we had some pretty nice views right where we stopped. Note that if you are looking for a more challenging physical test and want to continue up the second mountain then you need to do it at low tide. At high tide the land bridge at the bottom of the stairs is gone.

The left photo is the view we had without making the trek to the lighthouse. The photo on the right shows the stairs leading down to the land bridge. The lighthouse is on the top of the island across from the stairs.

After our hike that day we headed back to the marina area to a little place call Schnappa Rock where we had lunch and listened to some live music. It was a very lovely afternoon.

As the evening progressed and we discussed our plans for moving north to the Bay of Islands the following morning our thoughts turned to the issue of my “bites”. They appear to be getting worse and are no longer responding to the high powered antibiotics. We decide we will wait until morning to make a decision as to what we will do. In the meantime I contact a few friends in the medical profession to get their thoughts.

By morning everyone has weighed in and the consensus is that we must not go further until we have an answer as to what is causing this and get it under control. The decision is made to make the four hour trip back south to Marsden Cove, rent a car and drive in to see the doctor one more time. Dan insists that it is the prudent thing to do but I am completely heartbroken. I can’t even stand to sit on deck so I go below to wallow in my misery and disgust.

Sunrise on the morning we departed. Simply spectacular!

Shortly after we take off Dan calls me on deck. There are dolphin. He knows how I love the dolphin. I come out to find not just one or two but a few dozen of these magnificent creatures surrounding the boat. They are swimming and playing and jumping and instantly my heart is lighter and my mood brighter. They stick around for quite a while and one even rolls over and looks me dead in the eye. After doing what they have come to do they are gone but an hour or so later they are back. In all I think they were here close to an hour and they absolutely made my day. They were like my little beacons of hope telling me that everything is going to be okay.

So, for now we are back in Marsden Cove awaiting test results. But don’t get discouraged….we WILL be making this trip even if Dan has to cut my leg off and carve me a peg leg! This is just one of those little detours you have to take in life sometimes. Stay tuned for Take Two!!! 

Until next time…

Jilly & Dan

Brochure Sailing Beacons of Hope Video Link

SV Dazzler at Urquharts Bay
2021, January 2021, New Zealand, Whangarei

Preparing To Move On

We’ve spent quite a bit of time tied to the dock in the past year and quite frankly, it’s just not our brand of rum. No, we like moving around, meeting new people, seeing new things and having wonderful adventures. And while we do adore Whangarei and the amazing Kiwis we’ve come to know & love here, we are both really thirsting to get back to what it is we are meant to do….sailing. So, since it’s cyclone season in the islands and most of the borders are closed anyway we’ve decided to take off and circumnavigate New Zealand’s North Island. After all, we’ve seen a lot of New Zealand by land so now it’s time to check her out from the sea.

Depending upon who you ask, New Zealand has the highest number of boats per capita in the world. And the Bay of Islands is listed as one of the top seven best sailing grounds in the world. So, it only makes sense that we would take the time we have left here in New Zealand and head out to enjoy the great sailing and beauty she has to offer.

Departing Town Basin

With Dazzler’s stores fully provisioned with food and a variety of pirate spirits such a rum and beer, we cast off our lines and head down the river. It’s a perfect day to begin our journey with the sun shining brightly overhead and a ten knot breeze coming over the stern quarter! Dan gets on the radio and calls the bridge tender to open the Hatea River Bridge as Jilly stands on the bow taking in a few final views of the basin area. Jilly tears up a bit as we pass under the bridge. Yes, we’ll be back here but it will be a few months and this has sort of become like home to us.

Hatea River Bridge. It is supposed to resemble a Māori fish hook.

One final call to the bridge tender to thank her for the lift and we’re free! We’re finally free! Within a week or so we will be sailing the world class cruising grounds of the Bay of Islands. Then it’s up and over the top of New Zealand, down the west side and into Cook Strait where we will sail Marlborough Sound for a few weeks before coming up the eastern side of the North Island. What’s there? The Bay of Plenty, Coromandel Peninsula, White Island with it’s active volcano and the Great Barrier Island. Yes, there’s plenty of adventure ahead of us and we are both feeling excited and thrilled to be on our way.

Map of route around north island
We will head north and go up over the top then come down and across Cook Strait to the east side of the island. This is the recommended course by the Kiwis.

Before we can just take off we have to address the issue of Dazzler’s not so sparkly bottom. After spending a few warm weather months in the town basin we knew she was going to need a good washing down. You see here in New Zealand many marinas simply will not let you in if you cannot prove you have either cleaned the bottom within 30 days or put on new anti foul within 6 months. Yes, it’s quite a big deal here and the worst part is they won’t let you clean the bottom of your boat unless you are more than two miles offshore. Not sure about you but bouncing around in swells two miles offshore doesn’t sound like a really safe way to handle it to me. No, we’ll pay the price and let the professionals do it.

First Stop…Urquharts Bay

We couldn’t get an appointment at Marsden right away so we decided in the interest of getting the show on the road we would head out to Urquharts Bay at the mouth of the Hatea River to hang out for several days while we waited to do our haul, clean and splash. It’s not quite an hour from the bay to the marina and it’s a really great place to spend a little time with it’s beautiful bay and incredible scenery. The bay is large enough for plenty of boats without having to be on top of each other which is always nice. There’s some great hikes to be had at Breams Head Preserve onshore. And, one of Jilly’s favorite things is the port across the channel where the big ships come and go. It’s always fascinating watching the tugs pushing them around.

Plus there are fishing boats everywhere and you can dive for clams here. On the weekends at the point of Mount Lion the fishing boats are almost on top of each other. It reminds Jilly of the days of Tarpon fishing in Boca Grande, Florida. You could almost toss a beer to your neighbors they were so close. And, of course, with this many boats out here you have to believe there are fish right?

Where’s the Fish?

If you know us you know that we absolutely LOVE fishing. In Mexico we killed it! Dan even gave seminars to other cruisers about the best way to catch, filet and cook these tasty morsels from the sea. Unfortunately since we arrived in the South Pacific in 2018 these salty swimmers of the deep seem to elude us. Yes, we caught a few in the Marquesas and in 2019 we managed to pluck some of these slippery suckers from the waters of Fiji but nothing like we’re used to catching. So, you can imagine how excited Dan is to get back to fishing when he hears from the Kiwis that the Kingfish and Snapper are running and the catching is easy!

Dan & Jilly Fishing

The first afternoon we drop the dink in the water so we can go on an exploratory mission. No poles….just a ride around to check out the potential fishing grounds. We take off and head around the point to the other side of Mount Lion. Here there’s a small beach and anchorage but the weather has to be just right to anchor in Smuggler’s Bay which is why most yachties prefer Urquharts. All around the point the water is perfect for fishing. It’s deep and rocky which is what the pelagic fish like so we’re hopeful that the following day will yield a nice catch for dinner.

The following morning we head out while the waters are still calm and the sun is warm. It’s summertime here but I’ll tell you this…it still gets rather chilly when the sun isn’t directly on your skin. And with the breeze here you always have to have some cold weather clothes available. Anyway, Dan prepares the rods and reels while Jilly sets about preparing some liquid refreshments for the trip. Soon we have Sparkle loaded up and have a line in the water as we troll the area.

Fish On!

We’re not gone from Dazzler ten minutes when we run through the pass between the head and Frenchmans Island. We’ve got a hit! WOOHOO! Dan starts reeling it in and just about the time it gets a few feet from the boat the hook comes flying out of the water and over Jilly’s head. Darn fish spit the hook back at us. OK, that’s alright…at least we know we’re where the fish are biting right???

Or maybe not….A couple of hours of fishing around the point and back across Smuggler’s Bay leave us empty handed. After the first bite we got nothing. Not a single little nibble. Guess we’ll be eating filet tonight instead of fish. Well, guess it could be worse. Turns out we didn’t catch a fish the entire week we were here but nevertheless we certainly enjoyed our stay.

At the end of the week the time came to move over to Marsden Cove Marina to get Dazzler cleaned up. We enjoy the haul, clean and splash system they have in place. It’s absolutely no stress at all with the very cool hydraulic trailer they use. The entire process from lift to splash takes right around an hour too so it’s very efficient too. Adam, Remi and Mark make the job look so easy and Brent, Emma, Brian and Valerie in the office take excellent care of you as well.

Jilly with the yard guys from Marsden Cove Marina

We were a bit shocked when they hauled Dazzler to find over a third of her bottom covered in barnacles. Nothing sinister there but lots and lots of barnacles. We just put new anti foul on in March last year. When we hauled her in August it was just a slime coat but oh what a difference a couple of warm weather months make. And the thing is, we move her every seven to ten days to go to the pump out dock. Simply cannot imagine what some of those boats look like that never move. Anyway, the guys scraped her down and we were back in the water forthwith.

After one final night in the marina we are off. We have cast our lines from the dock and are making the four hour trip north to Tutukaka for a few nights. After that we’re Bay of Islands bound. Let the adventure begin!!!

Until next time,

Jilly & Dan

Entrance to Hatea River at Breams Head