This week’s Cruising News is brought to you courtesy of our Cruising Group Chairperson, Brenton Smith.
Cruising Group Dinner
We had an informative Cruising Group Dinner last Friday evening, when Dan Lyon (Diver Dan) gave us an entertaining presentation about his recent delivery trip to Opua, New Zealand from RBYC on Tai Tam, a Beneteau Oceanis 51. This was the first part of a sojourn in the SW Pacific by Jeremy and Gemma Cooper. After an uneventful trip to Eden, where their weather guru, John Martin Associates, told them to wait for two days even though conditions in the Tasman Sea appeared to be ideal for an immediate departure, they set off in idyllic wind and sea conditions (There was a low-pressure cell lurking over Fiji with an uncertain trajectory).
Dan described the 1,300nm passage across the Tasman to Cape Reinga (NW corner) as champagne sailing as forecast, running under spinnaker for several days. However, the low-pressure cell was now developing into a Cat 1+ cyclone and heading south towards east coast of New Zealand. The weather guru and their own information downloaded from Predict Wind via Star Link told them to slow down, which they did. After a tempestuous trip of several hours across the top of the North Island, fortunately in daylight, they anchored in Tom Bowling Bay for a night. They had to obtain permission from Border Force NZ to do this, who were very helpful, although they did advise them of the strict stay-onboard restrictions. Looking at Dan’s film clip of the wave energy in the bay, putting the dinghy down would have been daft anyway.
The weakening cyclone continued its rapid path south towards Auckland, and next day they were able to continue south to Opua in lumpy seas, but obviously way better than if the arrival at North Cape had coincided with Cyclone Vaianu. No doubt the champagne toasts in Opua were that much sweeter knowing that they had avoided that dust-up.
Weekend Cruise to Wyndham Harbour
Five Cruising Group boats, Blaise Pascale, Chakana, Grace, Kirra Kirra and Wirraway, set off in NNE winds for Wyndham Harbour Marina at 10:30 on the morning of last Saturday May 16th. Forecast winds were for 15-25 knots and these indeed did occur (with a little bit more at times). After a rapid crossing of two hours for the 13nm passage, Blaise Pascale returned to RBYC while the remainder of the fleet were welcomed into the visitor berths by the marina staff. After an onboard lunch, there was the obligatory coffee in the local cafe followed by the almost obligatory walk around to the picturesque Werribee River waterfront.
John and Jo Walker hosted sundowners on Kirra Kirra before we went ashore for dinner at the 3030 Waterfront Restaurant, which has a delightfully relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant formed by installing a roof supported by three shipping containers. On our previous visit (pre-Covid), it did not have a roof.
Overnight rain washed our boats, but left us without wind and so after breakfast and coffee ashore it was an uneventful trip home with the iron genoa for all boats.
