January 2008 Nelson, NZ
By late January we were preparing to sail south. We were delayed a week trying to find enough crew to make up 2 watches. With 2 yachtie friends Jim & Martine and two back packers Derick and Nacho we started sailing south on the 2nd of Feb. It was an overnight passage to Great Barrier Island. After anchoring in Port Fitzroy we were 5 days waiting for a sou’easterly gale to blow it’s self out and then for a fair wind. During that time the crew went tramping off to mountain tops, beaches and hot springs. With fair winds and sunny skies we had the nicest passage of the sailing season the first 3 days out of the Barrier. But by the time we got to the Mahia Peninsula we were met by a wet sou’easter. Spent a couple of days tacking into rain filled headwinds. Then the wind shifted to the north. We had a pleasant over night sail across Hawke Bay to Napier.
We arrived just in time for Art Deco Weekend. The town was filled with vintage cars and people dressed in 1930’s styles. That Saturday the new cruise ship the “Queen Victoria” docked there. At 294 metros and 90,000 tons she was the largest ship to visit Napier. While in Napier, Christina from Sweden and Augustine from Argentina, joined the crew.
We departed Napier with an easy following sea and had a fine run down the Wairarapa coast. By the second afternoon we were closing with Cape Palliser, the southern most tip of North Island. There were fresh northerly wind predicted by Met Service. This meant we would not be able to sail through Cook Strait. So, we reefed the sails, hove to and tacked off shore to wait for a wind shift. The next three days were gale force winds at 35 to 40
knots and gusting to 50 knots. The sea was 6 meters and breaking. We blew out the gaff main just above the first reef point and so pulled the second reef. The gaff fore began to show some damage in the leech so we furled the sail.
We were 50 miles south of Cape Palliser after the fourth day. The wind began to ease and back to the north west. We waited another day for the wind and sea to ease until we had nearly calm weather. We fired up the “iron top’sl” and began to motor toward Cook Strait with a forecast of southerly winds to help push us through. The next day in Cook Strait was sunny and calm with a escort of curious albatross flying around the boat and landing to watch us motor past. It took all night to stem the current past Cape Jackson, then with a fair tide we sailed across the north end of the Marlborough Sounds and through French Pass by late afternoon.
We arrived at Port Nelson at two in the morning and so anchored 5 miles off shore to wait for berthing instructions from the slipway crew.
Andy and Spunky were waiting on the Marara to catch dock lines. We had to raft outside Marara until they could clear space alongside. Not to worry, shore power is on, the fridge is working and the showers are hot.
There was a warm welcome from the people in Port Nelson and around town. There were many jokes about being lost at sea and smiling faces saying it is good to have us back.. All in all it was good to be back among so many friendly faces.
Looking ahead we have 5 weeks to get ready for the start of the 2008 sailing season. There is a long list of jobs to be done, it will be a busy time.
We plan to be underway for Fiji by the 8th of April. After a few days in Suva we will be sailing to the Mamanuthas on the west side of Vite Levu before
sailing for Vanuatu. We plan to arrive in Port Vila the last week in June. In July we will be working on the water system at Banam Bay, Malekula. During August and September we will be working out of Luganville helping with eye screening and malaria prevention along the west side of Big Bay on the north coast of Santo.
This 2008 sailing season will be the last season working with Project MARC. Dr. Henk and Nelleke will be retiring after this year. It has been wonderful
working with them and being able to help people in the outer islands of Vanuatu. We would like to extend a welcome to any and all whowould like to help us rebuild the water system at Banam Bay or help our doctors and nurses visit villages on Santo where the children haven’t seen white people before. Our rates this year are still $200 USD per week. Contact us at: alvei@yahoo.com to reserve a berth this season.
Evan Logan – Master schooner Alvei
We arrived just in time for Art Deco Weekend. The town was filled with vintage cars and people dressed in 1930’s styles. That Saturday the new cruise ship the “Queen Victoria” docked there. At 294 metros and 90,000 tons she was the largest ship to visit Napier. While in Napier, Christina from Sweden and Augustine from Argentina, joined the crew.
We departed Napier with an easy following sea and had a fine run down the Wairarapa coast. By the second afternoon we were closing with Cape Palliser, the southern most tip of North Island. There were fresh northerly wind predicted by Met Service. This meant we would not be able to sail through Cook Strait. So, we reefed the sails, hove to and tacked off shore to wait for a wind shift. The next three days were gale force winds at 35 to 40
knots and gusting to 50 knots. The sea was 6 meters and breaking. We blew out the gaff main just above the first reef point and so pulled the second reef. The gaff fore began to show some damage in the leech so we furled the sail.
We were 50 miles south of Cape Palliser after the fourth day. The wind began to ease and back to the north west. We waited another day for the wind and sea to ease until we had nearly calm weather. We fired up the “iron top’sl” and began to motor toward Cook Strait with a forecast of southerly winds to help push us through. The next day in Cook Strait was sunny and calm with a escort of curious albatross flying around the boat and landing to watch us motor past. It took all night to stem the current past Cape Jackson, then with a fair tide we sailed across the north end of the Marlborough Sounds and through French Pass by late afternoon.
We arrived at Port Nelson at two in the morning and so anchored 5 miles off shore to wait for berthing instructions from the slipway crew.
Andy and Spunky were waiting on the Marara to catch dock lines. We had to raft outside Marara until they could clear space alongside. Not to worry, shore power is on, the fridge is working and the showers are hot.
There was a warm welcome from the people in Port Nelson and around town. There were many jokes about being lost at sea and smiling faces saying it is good to have us back.. All in all it was good to be back among so many friendly faces.
Looking ahead we have 5 weeks to get ready for the start of the 2008 sailing season. There is a long list of jobs to be done, it will be a busy time.
We plan to be underway for Fiji by the 8th of April. After a few days in Suva we will be sailing to the Mamanuthas on the west side of Vite Levu before
sailing for Vanuatu. We plan to arrive in Port Vila the last week in June. In July we will be working on the water system at Banam Bay, Malekula. During August and September we will be working out of Luganville helping with eye screening and malaria prevention along the west side of Big Bay on the north coast of Santo.
This 2008 sailing season will be the last season working with Project MARC. Dr. Henk and Nelleke will be retiring after this year. It has been wonderful
working with them and being able to help people in the outer islands of Vanuatu. We would like to extend a welcome to any and all whowould like to help us rebuild the water system at Banam Bay or help our doctors and nurses visit villages on Santo where the children haven’t seen white people before. Our rates this year are still $200 USD per week. Contact us at: alvei@yahoo.com to reserve a berth this season.
Evan Logan – Master schooner Alvei