Opua, New Zealand
03/14/2008 - 05/05/2008
Ashby's is an extremely well set-up boatyard catering to both New Zealand coastal cruisers as well as yachts heading offshore. Whisper stayed at Ashby's for three weeks during the new genset installation project.
The first few weeks of our stay in Opua focused on installing and testing the new generator. While this consumed a big portion of our time in Opua, we managed to find time to perform other passage preparation chores and visit with friends. Back in 2004, we arrived in Opua as Whisper's first stop in New Zealand. Much of Opua remained as we remembered — quaint, friendly and cruiser oriented.
The list of tasks to complete prior to departing New Zealand seemed daunting at times. Using extremely well—practiced skills in prioritization, procrastination and elimination, we whittled away at the list.
In early April, Opua's harbor and marina filled with cruising yachts preparing to depart New Zealand. Having spent so much of the past couple of months focused on chores, we welcomed the arrival of other cruisers and changed our focus to socializing and talking about weather.
One final shot of the Fischer Panda before its exorcism from Whisper.
Robin worked on the varnish while Duncan focused on the generator installation. The varnish looks great from 15 feet. No zoomed in photographs, please.
Why is this man smiling?
After finishing up work at Ashby's and spending a week at anchor testing the new generator, we spent a month hanging on this mooring near the Opua Marina.
This vista is on the trail from Opua to Pahia. We hiked to Pahia to get haircuts. Robin tried out her cliff hanging skills en route. For way too much info on this experience, check out theEdwina Scissorhands blog entry.
Passage Preparations
With any passage, the preparations spiral into a frenzy of activities driven by the unfounded belief you will never find food, chandleries or land again. Spare parts are acquired as if the boat will fall apart the minute she leaves the twelve mile boundary of New Zealand coastal waters. Medical kits are stocked with every antibiotic, malaria med and bandage size available. Cupboards are stocked with enough food to feed the Fijian Navy — okay, the Fijian Navy is probably not that big, so we could invite some of the New Zealand Navy along, too. Documentation for arrival in various countries is prepared and visas are acquired. Wine is stored in any space left over after storing the spare parts and food.
When all of the sales people at Cater Marine know you by name, you know you are spending too much time at the chandlery. Cater has a fantastic selection of marine supplies. And, if they do not have what you want, they order it for you. To top all of this off, they are located between Ashby's boatyard and the Opua Marina.
Duncan tried to re-program the Link 20 by exposing the circuit board. Just kidding. After eight years of watching the batteries via the Link 20, the select button finally requested a rest. A new panel is on order.
Our Honda 5 hp outboard gets us around...
However, we've had a few issues with the starter assembly. One night in Russell, Duncan went to start the outboard and the assembly broke a few teeth. The good news is the outboard can be started with a pull rope, so we were not without an outboard.
For years, we longed for a two-stroke Yamaha outboard. After a failed attempt to get the Honda serviced and repaired, the decision to put the Honda up for sale and buy a new outboard came easily.
Yes, our carbon footprint (or wake) just went up. Robin accepts the guilt associated with this acquisition because unlike the Honda, she can easily start the Yamaha. Every start results in a cry of "Aahhh, Yamaha"
One of the many provisioning runs to the supermarket. For this one, we rented a car and drove up to Kerikeri. Duncan joined Robin for this one which proved to be critical due to the need for three shopping carts.
Over the course of a week, Robin prepared meals to freeze for the passage. Duncan suffered the consequences with mounds of dishes to wash each night.
Pine Island looks pretty in the fog.
Winter's Coming
Summer ended and winter arrived. Whatever happened to fall? Do they not have that season in the southern hemisphere? Prior to leaving Auckland, we packed away our winter comforters and clothes with the hopes we'd arrive in Fiji before winter set in New Zealand. Bad move.
The temperatures — both air and water — dropped as a classic southwest blast of air swept in from the Southern Ocean. Brrr. Duncan bumped up the priority of replacing the heating duct in the engine room and on came the heater. No more swimming. No more shorts. Jeans, fleeces and raincoats came out of hiding.
One winter storm brought days of rain and high winds. Friends staying in the marina looked out at Whisper on her mooring and wondered whether we'd ever be able to come in to shore. After a few days of this, we donned our foul weather gear, put the life jackets in the dinghy, motored Shout 150 yards to the dinghy dock and ventured ashore.
The change in weather motivated us to start seriously looking for a departure window. We are ready for the tropics!
Our mooring in Opua left us hanging a bit close to this boat when the winds blew from the east.
As the winds increased, we looked closer and closer to this boat. We chatted with the folks in the marina office about the proximity of these moorings, but they did not see it as an issue. Oh well.
Opua's water turned latte color from all the mudslides upriver. Yuck.
With all of the rain, comes rainbows. We assume the boat at the end of this rainbow was going to have a good passage.
For a while, having this visitor on the dinghy was fun to watch.
Until he/she decided to make a mess.
Cruisers invade the Opua Cruising Club regularly while preparing to depart New Zealand
Cruisers & Friends Arrive
Throughout April, more and more boats arrived in the harbor. With this, we reconnected with old friends and made new friends.
As people arrived, many events were put on by the various business and clubs in the area. The Island Cruising Association offered several seminars: Medical Info; Chart Marking for Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu & New Caledonia; and Country Entry Requirements for Yachts and People. Bob McDavitt came up from Metservice to give a talk on passage weather. The Opua marina businesses held a barbecue to say thanks to all the cruisers for all of the business.
The Opua Cruising Club dinghy dock was chock-a-block with dinghies.
The remodeled cruising club is quite nice.
In New Zealand on business, our friend, Todd Rickard, came up from Whangarei to catch up.
To top all of this off, the Opua Cruising Club held many great dinners and parties. Social, social, social. This was a welcome respite from all of the generator work of the previous month.
Not only did we get to see many cruiser friends in Opua, Todd Rickard was in New Zealand on business. He drove up to Opua to visit for a few hours. As always, it is a treat to see friends from the U.S. in New Zealand. Todd drove us over to Russell for lunch which was a big outing for us.
Todd drove up from Whangarei. We hopped on the car ferry to Russell.
Robin's excited to go for a car and ferry ride.
Yes, another photo of the R. Tucker Thompson. She is such a pretty tall ship.
At the Waterfront Cafe in Russell, the coffee is exceptional and brunch or lunch is always yummy.
Robin from Endangered Species is a great social organizer. Her energy is contagious.
Rick from Endangered Species and Tom from Quantum Leap reminded us just how much faster they will arrive in Fiji on their catamarans.
One of the many great nights at the Opua Cruising Club. From left to right: Graham & Taryn from Waterdragon, Robin from Whisper, Rick from Endangered Species, Barb & Tom from Gosi
The stylish Opua Cruising Club is extremely friendly to cruisers.
The Opua marina business offered a fun and well-attended sausage sizzle to thank everyone for their business.
Kiwi ingenuity. A couple of guys from one of the businesses did not have a chilly bin (AKA "cooler"), so they improvised with a wheelbarrow and some ice.
Under the guise of breaking in the new outboard, we took a dinghy ride up the river in Opua.
Waiting For The Window
"Do not touch anything or it will break causing more stress/work to do before the passage" became our motto. With that, we stopped working on chores and started focusing on finding a departure window. The passage from New Zealand to anywhere is cause for lots of discussion amongst the cruisers. On our trip down to NZ, we heard from one Kiwi " expect at least one gale or winds over 40 knots on the trip no matter what weather window you choose". Great. Even so, everyone (except Kiwis) tries to find the weather window that will not see gales or high winds.
Every morning, we receive weather information and analyze the situation. By mid-morning, all of the cruisers start discussing whether there is a good window to go. By mid-afternoon, we all spend a couple more hours looking at weather on the internet. By 5:30 pm, we all show up at the cruising club and discuss whether the afternoon forecast looks any better or worse than the morning forecast.
Eventually, someone says "we are going tomorrow". Then, we all go back to our boats after drinks and dinner to look at the weather again and assess whether we should be leaving too.
Discussing weather over dominoes.
Distracting ourselves from weather by playing dominoes. Robin lost severely.
Aboard Endangered Species, Rick and Barbara. We are all en route to Roberton Island for a picnic.
Eating our picnic aboard Endangered Species — probably talking about weather again.
While on a stroll, Duncan snapped this action shot of a caterpillar munching on a leaf.
The NZ Customs boat refuels. NZ Customs is very friendly and very on top of things. They regularly patrol the NZ waters and coastline making certain all yachts have either checked in or out of New Zealand.
Over the course of a couple of weeks, the harbor in Opua started to clear as yachts migrated north for the winter. Some New Zealanders call this "The Opua Flush".
As a weather window appeared to open, we requested a forecast from Commander's Weather — the weather routing service we chose to use for this passage. The window appeared less than optimal, but doable.
We scurried to do the final preparations to Whisper for the passage. Storm sails ready. Preventers rigged. Jacklines on. Check. Remove BBQ grill. Check. Secure all drawers and closets. Pad dishes. Check. Set up sea berths. Check. Routes uploaded into GPSs, nav software and printed on paper. Check. Clear out with New Zealand customs. Check. Let's go!