Crew: Geoff, Peter, Tunch.
On our last night on the mooring in Catherine Cove the southerly started blowing into bay and we rocked and rolled all night.
The forecast was for the wind to change to a northerly and then die out in Nelson so we departed early at 6 am, skipping breakfast, and started motoring our way into the headwind across Admiralty Bay. The wind and waves were pretty big but with Tunch doing a great job on helm we eventually arrived at the French Pass wharf at 7.30 am and had a well deserved breakfast.
According to the LINZ tide chart the French Pass tide would begin flowing SW at 8.05 am. Geoff wanted to be sure however and went up to the lookout to check out the current. At 7.45 am it was still flowing NE but by 8.20 am it had turned to slack water.
We quickly ran back to the boat and cast off from the wharf at 0834 hrs and by 0903 hrs we were passing through the channel between the light and the rocks in beautiful slack water with not a whirlpool in sight. Easy peasy!
We then sailed a fairly direct course all the way down the coast of Tasman Bay. Firstly close-hauled with a southerly and then when the wind eventually changed to a northerly we ‘goose-winged’ the genoa.
We later hoisted the medium spinnaker as we sailed past Croiselles Harbour, Cape Soucis and Pepin Island (named by the French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville after his wife, Adèle Pépin). The island is currently listed for sale for $16m.
Eventually we arrived at the Boulder Bank and turned into the entrance to Nelson port known as The Cut, made in 1906 when the early settlers wanted to open up the enclosed harbour to shipping.
Arrived at our berth in the Nelson Marina at 1537 hrs.
Total distance sailed: 37 nautical miles.
Halo Log Book 