Author: Simon van Hagen

37:40:19S
176:10:64E

11th March

When it became clear that Kitty wasn’t going to return for the final trip from Stewart Island to Auckland, due to recurring dentist appointments, waiting was no option. With autumn in the air I didn’t want to linger any longer in Stewart Island. Our original plan of visiting Christchurch and the Acaroa peninsula were out off the question as that part of New Zealand is still in deep shock after the devastating earthquake. So I decided to take the advantage of southwesterly winds and head for Gulf Harbour in one hop. Single handed cruising is not fun, but racing the winds single-handedly is another. So after 4 days and 19 hours I covered 814 nm which works out at an average speed of 7 knots. I hove-to in the bay of plenty for several hours during the night. I didn’t want to run the risk of berthing single-handedly in a strong current. Kitty arrived on Wednesday by bus from Auckland with very bright new front teeth!

38:46:44S
178:24:31E

Wednesday 09-03-2011

Just South of the infamous East Cape I passed at midnight Poverty Bay with Young Nick’s Head at the South entrance. One can only wonder why this name was given. Was it to remember a hostile meeting with the local fearsome Maoris or was it the similarity of Young Nick’s and the cliff face.

The heritage of other place names is more obvious. Sinbad’s Mistake or Chasland’s Mistake and Cape Turnaround all point to navigational events.

Shag Point, Seal Point or Gull Rocks refer to wildlife, as do Cannibal Bay and The Sisters. Good old times.

It never fails to impress me what difficulties and hardship the discoverers and settlers had to endure. Some were away from home without communication for years but most had no home to go back to and just lived life as hard as it was.

All that has changed. I sail as much from inside as from outside my comfortable yacht. First I consult the screen on the nav. table to check on the position and progress and the possibility of neighbouring vessels on the AIS. Then I check if emails have come in without me noticing. Only then I stick my head out to check for changes in wind direction or strength and if non-AIS fisherman are around.

Then another 45 minutes to bed; what luxury.