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December 31 PORT ROSS AT LAST

It was blowing 35 knots when I came on shift with Suave at 0200. Conditions were poor. This was the only time I or anybody ever wrote "poor" in the weather & visibility column of the log. We had heavy rain and 3 to 4m breaking waves. Spray was indistinguishable from the driving rain and though you could barely see past the end of the boat, Waitane held her course well. We managed only 2.8 knots. Thankfully, my shift was only 2 hours. The Islands were only hours away and at any moment a break in conditions might permit a sighting. It was hard to believe that 2 years of work was just about to reach fruition.

At 0450 the navigation lights and compass light dimmed indicating that battery #2 was almost flat. I asked Suave to change over to battery #3. Day was breaking so the Nav lights were turned off. At 0545 I was having trouble getting readings out of the GPS. I managed to get one last reading before it stopped functioning. At 0630 a check on the power gauges showed that battery #3 was reading only 2 volts. The problem with the GPS was clear; our batteries were again flat. I flicked back to battery #2 which still had 10volts. That would be enough power for the next watch to get their position readings. The days and nights without sleep were taking their toll. I was thinking in terms of doing only what was necessary to make things work, until I was again on watch. Even though such an auspicious moment was just around the corner I still needed sleep more than I needed to stay up to witness the occasion. Besides I knew I would be woken soon enough so sleep was definitely the best option. As I rolled into bed wedging myself between the wall and the lee cloth which prevents me from rolling out of the bunk I thought to myself I might have lost my chance of winning the prize for seeing Auckland Islands first.

It was in fact Dad, the old sea salt, that won the prize for sighting land first. At 0700 exactly on Dec. 31, 1998, Enderby was sighted momentarily off the starboard bow. The Island then remained out of sight for sometime. I must have slept through my breakfast call or perhaps Dad decided to let me sleep for a while longer. At 0820 Dad had started the engine. Even though I was exhausted and sleeping soundly any unusual sound seemed to wake me instantly and the engine certainly never failed. Moments later I was officially woken by Julie who was there on Dad’s instructions. "Dad has no power at the helm". I knew immediately that the transmission oil had run low and cursed myself for not checking it prior to approaching the land. Because of the cold I had gotten out of the habit of changing before I went to bed. At short notice this was a bonus. Still barely functioning, I crawled under the running noisy greasy engine to the point where I could reach the transmission fill hole. Mike and Steve were acquiring oil from storage area under the floor in the main saloon, just in case the 4 litre container I kept ready in the engine compartment would not be enough. It was now 0840. In the time it took me to restore power we had drifted south of Port Ross so much so that we were now lying only 1 nautical mile from Green Island, a rough looking rocky Islet that seems too low in profile to sustain its vegetation. This was my first sight of Auckland Islands. I gave Dad his new NW course to make for Port Ross around the outside of Ewing Island and then joined him in the cockpit. Awake with a fresh wind in my face I now surveyed this new land.

The sea was noticeably improved lying in the lee of the Auckland Islands but was still hostile, as was the wind that bore into our faces. The landscape was not as high as I had expected but then we were well east. A mental review of the topo map still seemed to match. It wasn’t the most pleasant of days. We steamed up around Ewing into Port Ross proper. The Islands were strange in their balance of vegetation, tussock grass and rock. It was like nothing I had seen before, but in another sense, it felt like I knew the place. The hours of staring at maps and charts now became alive and real. I had quite an enjoyable conversation with Dad as we made our approaches, discussing the relevant landmarks and matching them with our recollections off the charts.

Dad and I both agreed on our identification of Dea’s head. Dea’s cove had been our planned anchorage because of the access to Pillar Rock. This was the location where we were to set up the GPS base station. By this time, Steve and Julie Ooi had joined us on deck. As we passed Ewing Island we all marveled at the water that was frothing white in the north passages on either side of Rose Island. There was no question that one should not attempt passage here.

A nasty squall hit us for the best part of 5 minutes just as we were making our approaches to Dea’s head. The rain was intense, reducing visibility to a few metres. Everyone, including myself, deserted Dad on the helm. Conveniently, I had to prepare for the possibility of a blind entry into Dea’s cove by enabling the necessary navigation instruments etc. Fortunately the rain cleared just in time for Dad to retain the movement in his fingers.

A few minutes later we pulled up at the head of Dea’s cove which was glassy calm. Dad pushed right up close to the shore and gave me the signal to drop the anchor. It was a very pleasurable moment. The bush came right to the rocky shoreline making for a scenic backdrop. The anchor immediately started to drag and thus began our often repeated experience of finding marginally secure anchorage’s. After 20-30 metres it seemed to hold up and though we were not entirely content with our location it seemed good enough.

First on our to do was to set up the base station. The saloon was soon full of open cases and an assortment of electronic GPS equipment, cables and aerials lay on the tables and chairs. While this was happening, those not educated on the GPS equipment, such as myself, prepared more mundane things like the inflatable. We decided to use the mizzen boom to lower the outboard rather than the risky man handling which was attempted in Lyttleton. This worked much better.

Julie Ooi had seen the new DOC hut as we entered the cove, hidden away in the bush not far from the coastline on our starboard bow. It made sense to land first at the hut, in the hope we could find tracks radiating from it, including one toward north east cape and Pillar Rock. It also seemed to be the easiest place to gain access to the shore. It was 1600 when we left Waitane. The route to Pillar Rock was simple enough. We followed the shore until we were south of the point and then made our way directly north. The new surroundings interested everyone. We weren’t in the mood to dally though. I, for one, had a bloody great big battery on my back (Steve had the other) and they weren’t of a nature to be carried comfortably. Each member of our group had a piece of GPS equipment to hold. There was also a large safety case, which held the aerial, and one large tripod.

The first thing of an environmental nature that stood out was the pig rootings. They were plentiful and large. The rata forest was very easy to move through with little in the way of scrub or ground ferns. We made quick progress and reached a point that seemed suitable for a northward progression. Not wanting to risk taking the heavy equipment in an impenetrable direction, I scouted the proposed route and found to my surprise that passage was easy all the way to the tussock grasses leading to the point. In no time at all we had reached the tall, tussock grass. In the tussock grass we all had occasion to trip and disappear momentarily beneath the tall grassy mounds. A few minutes later a piglet barely escaped from being trodden on by me, before it disappeared into the tussock at a fast rate of knots.

As we approached Pillar Rock we were all amazed by the sights. It was quite the view. The coastline stretched away to the east. A line of white water delineated the junction of sea and land almost as far as the eye could see. Closer at hand, 5 metre waves swept over a rocky headland sending spray metres into the air. Below was a bay of rock pools and the occasional sea lion could be spotted lying still and almost indistinguishable from the rocks. Steve ventured closer to the spray. A second or two later, I heard a deep muffled cough followed immediately by Steve reacting to the fright of his life. He had neglected to notice a sea lion laying still on the rocks as he made his way to a better view of the waves. Steve had only stepped a couple of metres when it lurched up at him. The instant shock prompted Steve to turn and run back toward us. At the same time the sea lion disappeared in the other direction. The group was almost crying with laughter.

It was moments later that we found the IGNS pin which stands for the Institute for Geologic and Nuclear Sciences. IGNS, based in Wellington, leant us the GPS base station we were about to set up above the geodetic pin which was carefully surveyed into place in order to accurately measure tectonic plate movement. Pillar Rock itself was now clearly visible to the west. It was a most unusual looking landscape. The rock faces forming cliffs on the mainland were all sheer and Pillar Rock itself had been aptly named. It rose directly from the sea as a vertical pylon, perhaps 50 metres wide.

I made a report to the boat using the radio and indicated that one party was about to leave for Matheson Bay. That was at about 1700. With such little time available at the Islands I wanted to make the best of it. Julie Ooi had the other hand-held and they seemed comfortable enough with the route back. We set out for Matheson Bay to check on the condition of the finger post there. We made quick progress along the cliff tops locating a number of marker pegs on the way. I stopped to curse myself for being silly enough to wear shorts and more for leaving my gaiters behind. Either one would have saved my shins from the braken and olearia bushes. Having suffered from brush abrasions to my legs on previous occasions, I should have known better. For a good period of time the top of the ship’s mast was in view as we made our way along the cliffs on the northern coast. We weren’t wasting any time but it was1900 when we made it to Matheson Bay. It took a long while to make our way along the side of the bay and in some places we had to scale rock faces to acquire easier passage along the shore line. The finger post, one of many left to point castaways in the direction of food and shelter, was in reasonable condition, though the sign itself was missing. A quick search didn’t provide any evidence of its whereabouts. The area was colonised by seals and the odd sea lion, though few were present. We took some photographs before visiting the far side of the bay to investigate some white markings I had seen from the eastern shore of the bay. They proved to be nothing of any cultural significance. By 1930 it was time to head back.

On our way to Matheson I took the time to look for a more direct route back. The cliff tops, while quite navigable, were less than direct. Landscape is always deceiving from afar so I paid extra attention to the forms of vegetation that to the east. It seemed plausible to follow the rata forest for a good distance inland and then break into grassland for a while. Within 20 minutes we had reached the inland edge of the rata forest extending from Matheson Bay. A tree climb did not produce an encouraging view. The rata forest showed no sign of a quick transition into grassland. Instead, a wide impenetrable band of dense scrub seemed to separate the rata and tussock grass. We skirted along the inside of the rata forest performing more aerial surveillance at regular intervals. It took a third inspection for it to become clear that an inland route to Dea’s cove was not plausible. With the light now dimming in the rata forest I conceded that if we were to get back to the boat by night fall we needed to revert to the route we used to get to Matheson Bay. It was 2030 by the time we were back on the eastern shore of Matheson Bay. From there we made good time. At 2130 I was able to read Waitane on the VHF. They had power problems but thankfully an Apollo scooter battery put the VHF back on line.

Tonight was New Year’s Eve and once back on board we were greeted by some very cozy campers, a nice warm diesel heater, and a hot meal. "What more could one ask?" I thought to myself. Then Mike handed me a beer and informed me, "Oh and by the way the head is blocked again!" Great! What a News Year’s surprise. I didn’t want to know what, who, or even how. It could wait until the morning.

No-one felt up to the murder mystery that we had planned for that evening but instead Julie prepared a little Mintie Award session. She and Steve had compiled a list of awards but as stories came out the list grew and before the end we all had a pile of Minties in front of us. Robin won the award for the best sea legs. Naturally he was well ahead of the rest of us with his years of balancing experience at sea. Julie Ooi won the lumberjack award. This came from Steve who woke up one night because of Mike’s snoring. After a few moments he realised that Mike’s breathing was not in sync with the snorts. It turned out the noise was actually coming from the girls’ cabin! Suave was also in contention for the Lumberjack award. It vote amongst the crew decreed that we need not be concerned about not having a foghorn. Should the need arise, it would simply be a matter of opening one or both cabin hatches. Julie H won several Minties; all related to her expertise, or lack of it, in using the head (marine toilet). The most entertaining moment arose just after Julie had been giving Steve a hard time for the way he braced himself when trying to pee overboard (for which Steve won the Manly award). Moments after Julie’s comments the ship rolled over, and while Steve was sitting at the saloon table, guess who tumbles out of the head with her pants down?. This was not only extremely funny but in Steve’s eyes incredibly fair !

Suave won the award for the most sleep as well as the helm award. This was awarded to sailors who demonstrated their skill by performing accidental 360 degree turns. Performing two of these marvelous feats within five minutes earned Suave another Mintie. I won two awards. The first was the Ass Man Award. According to those holding account, they saw more of my ass in the first two weeks than any other part of my anatomy. I presume because I was constantly crawling, ass up, around various parts of the boat, fixing things. The second award was for my Terminator Impersonation. Apparently in Lyttleton when I went overboard no one expected to see me for a while. As I disappeared with line still in hand (which I recommend as a good policy if you are planning person overboard events) I was able to haul myself back to the dive platform. When I walked back down the deck moments later with water pouring out of my sailing gear, not to mention a pissed off look on my face, it apparently created a terminator déjà vu amongst the crew.

After the prize giving, I remember Julie H saying "I am not sure I can stay up to midnight" which prompted similar responses from everyone else in the room. We talked some more and then Steve announced excitedly to everyone that it was the new year. No one had taken note of the time but it was midnight already. That seemed to be the invitation to go to bed because scarcely 10 minutes later the lights were out and the boat was silent. I am not sure who drew the first anchor watch but it wasn’t me. Steve I think, poor bastard.

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January 1 NEW YEARS DAY IN PORT ROSS by Robin

Everyone is still asleep here so I am writing on Paul's laptop in the hope that sooner or later we are going to get some email out - maybe today because we think that all the problems to date have been lack of power. We arrived here yesterday morning after a very rough 24 hours, wind 30 knots for several hours, big seas and quite cold. The last 2 nights we had two hour watches instead of four - less sleep but it was too cold for longer watches. The passage down was a real mixed bag - one day we only made 11 miles in the day.

The main sail is in very poor condition. After having it mended in Lyttleton, the first time the wind got up to 20 knots we reefed it for the night and one of the reefing points started to tear so we took it down. The next day we roller reefed it so the tear was part of the roll and that was good for a day or so, but when the weather again worsened, I took it down in good time but we found a tear after it was down. The last 36 hours we were under storm jib and mizzen (sometimes reefed) and sometimes a little bit of the main roller jib, three metre swells, white caps and occasional rain. It sure was good to get here!

Everyone is doing well. Paul is constantly fixing things - we wouldn't have anything going without him. We have to watch that he gets enough sleep. He gets very tired but keeps on going. Julie is doing very well - keeps everyone cheerful with her bright cheery approach. We are eating very well and only the last night at sea we lapsed to soup and instant noodles because it was so rough. I find I don't have the energy of the younger ones but I am in my element on the boat so that makes up for a lot. They watch me to make sure I don't get too tired. I suspect they had a briefing!

Mike and Julie Ooi are a great help but Mike has trouble with the movement in rough weather trying to hold on. Suave got the mintie for the most sleep. There have been some hilarious moments. Young Steve is so enthusiastic. He gets so excited about everything like the first time we saw porpoises and a sea lion when we got here. Coming out of Nelson when we were all a bit seasick he said "I think WAITANE must be Maori for puke!"

I don't know when or if we will get this out but I had a successful exchange with Taupo Marine Radio yesterday with reasonable strength signals and we think now that our problem has been power. The electrics on the boat are very poor with at least one dead battery but we have been able to isolate the engine starting battery and that gives us some security. We now have the independent generator going so hopefully those problems will now take a lower profile.

The team had their first sortie ashore yesterday, Steve, Julie, Julie Ooi and Mike to set up the GPS site and Paul went off to find a marker. When they got back I had the little heater stove going and it was well received - gets cold at night. We had dinner and a bottle of wine for New Year's eve and Julie did the Mintie Award Session which highlighted just about every incident and characteristic observed since leaving. She did it very well. Must go. This is getting too long and everyone is now up and feeding.

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January 1 JULIE CONFESSES

At 0300 it was my turn on watch. I was still a little tired but it also felt amazingly good to have reached our destination. With all that had happened it was taking some time to sink in. I think it is true of anything that you work so hard to achieve, the sense of achievement at the moment of success is somewhat dulled. The full realisation seems to come later. Well now I felt somewhat relaxed. The 2am log entry by Julie H simply said it was a beautiful moonlit night and that it was.

After completing the boat checks and the log I decided I should attend to my hands. They had taken quite the beating over the last few days, starting with my unexpected swim in Lyttleton. That event left me with a couple of skinless patches on the end of my fingers, thanks to the baby mussels adorning the post that aided my disembarkment. My hands also fell victim to fairly regular knocks from being Mr Fix-it. My sister had enforced dressing and soakings in antiseptic once per day, which helped greatly. Still, waking to throbbing fingers was a reminder that although it had been several days since I injured them they still needed regular attention.

At 0330 the generator stopped. We had been charging all the boat’s batteries for over five and a half hours. This was a welcome relief. At last the bay was restored to silence. My watch ended and I woke Suave who always followed me in the anchor watch system.

It was at breakfast Dad said to me he thought there was some sort of conspiracy against old age. I looked at him with a smile anticipating some sort of funny explanation. Apparently he had not been woken for anchor watch as he expected at 0600. Mike completed the picture by reporting that he had woken at 0630 to find Suave sound asleep in the wheel house. We all laughed except for Suave who was still asleep in bed maintaining the title that earned him his Mintie Award from the night before.

Today was major wash day. After a few days of storms there was an abundance of wet clothes hanging in the boat. In my case it was diesel stained clothes caused by crawling around under the engine. There was a definite need to get some laundry done. Top on Steve’s list was to go diving after having had no opportunity since Lyttleton. Dad was planning to accompany Julie back to the base station to check that data was being captured. Suave was also going to help. It was a gorgeous day and although we were all still fatigued we were relaxed, excited and happy.

It was late morning when a broken voice came over the VHF emergency channel 16. It was Enderby Island calling "Ship in Dea’s Cove". I replied holding conversation for a few minutes. Enderby (Simon and Wally) had not been informed of our arrival. I had met with Simon Childerhouse and Wally on previous visits to DOC Wellington and Southland respectively. They knew of me but neither had received an update on our plans since I spoke to them. They were somewhat pleased, I think, that we represented friend and not foe in their constant effort to protect the Islands from irresponsible boaties. We informed them of our plans for our time at the Islands and that we expected to stop by Enderby Island to see them in a few days. Over the following days we tried several times to raise Enderby on VHF but were unsuccessful.

It was after 1pm when the trio was ready to go ashore for their walk to Pillar Rock so I offered to be the boat boy and take them in. The water was a cool 9 degrees Celsius but in our sheltered bay it was glassy calm. It was necessary to weave in and out of the kelp lying on the surface since it was quite dense in places. As we rode in the water was crystal clear and I felt a shiver in my spine, a reminder that it was about time I had a dive. As we approached the shore I realised I hadn’t taken the time to locate the lever allowing me to raise the motor. It was obvious at a glance but I could not locate the companion lock switch as quickly and clipped a couple of rocks. After being confined to boat-fixing activities, this was the first time I had actually set foot in the inflatable. Once back at the boat, an examination of the prop showed burring on the blades. Also the motor profile was set too steeply encouraging the bow to point skywards. I changed the profile, found the lift lock, and took the prop off to clean it up a little. In the process I lost the drive shaft bearing which annoyed me greatly. I had held my hand out to catch the bearing as I removed the prop but grease suction held it on. The suction held just long enough for me to get on my knees and see what had happened, before the bearing dropped into the water never to be seen again. A valiant effort by Steve later in the day proved rather futile. It turned out there was a dense 25 cm of kelp seaweed on the bottom in the spot where I dropped the bearing. It was by far the best analogy I had yet for trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Mike and I spent a couple of hours trying to find a substitute bearing and eventually decided on some corking that was remarkably effective. It proved itself over several days and in fact lasted for the remainder of the trip. It was while we were casually repairing the outboard, in very pleasant weather, that my sister came up to me with a bothered look on her face. She said she had a confession to make and that she thought I was going to be really mad with her. She started with "You know the head is blocked right? Well, it was me." I told her that it wasn’t a biggie and that I would be fixing the head soon. She said, "Well that’s not all." Once she explained what was actually bothering her I couldn’t help but smile and indeed laugh. It turned out that a little piece of brotherly advice I had given before we left Auckland concerning things that shouldn’t be disposed of down toilets (boat toilets or otherwise), hadn’t registered completely and in a momentary lapse of concentration we now had a blocked head. Though I had every reason to be pissed off I really couldn’t see past the funny side which seemed to help her conscience.

I decided to give Julie O a call on the VHF to see how the shore party was doing but was not able to make contact with them. We had made contact earlier on Julie’s VHF but were cut off and left without communication. It wasn’t long after that the weather started to pick up again. A strong wind from the west was whistling overhead. We weren’t as far up the bay as we needed to be to stay out of the wind and by 1548 (according to the log) we were dragging anchor and I had started the engine. The awkward electric winch was not behaving properly and as I was confined to the helm I suggested to Steve and Mike that they proceed to lift the anchor manually. We would lift the anchor, finish fixing the outboard and then collect the shore party. It was time we went to look for a more secure anchorage and by all accounts any one of Terror, Erebus or Davis Cove would be fine.

It took 20 to 30 minutes to lift the anchor using the manual winch. Steve and Mike took turns while I did my best to keep the weight of wind off the bow and the tension of the chain, also avoiding patches of kelp in the process. Moments later I noticed Dad, Suave and Julie O. waving from the shore. I waved back so they knew I had seen them. Since they did not have an operational VHF I could not tell them what was happening though it must have been pretty obvious we were dragging anchor. What I could tell them was that Mike and I had not quite completed repair of the outboard so I was not able to send someone to pick them up! Oh well it was a nice day and hard to beat the spot for beauty.

Mike and Steve soon had the anchor up and it took just a few minutes to make the outboard operational. Soon the trio were on board and Dad resumed command as we left Dea’s cove in search of a better anchorage. The trio had not fared so well in their mission either. The base station had refused to transfer the samples, recorded overnight, to my laptop so Julie O had brought the station back to the yacht where we could work on it in comfort. It was pretty blustery at Pillar Rock as it is completely exposed to the elements. Not the place to sit and play with laptops and read instruction manuals. Dad and Suave mentioned that they were awed by the raw nature exhibited by the sea meeting land.

Once out of Dea’s Cove we headed south. Dad went very slowly until the inflatable was secured on the foredeck and then he picked up the speed a little, staying close to shore. In places we were only 20 metres from the shore but it was over 50 metres deep. As we approached Terror Cove we found the bay had an inlet to the north which seemed too small for us to get into and the south bay was full of kelp. Some 40-knot squalls came down from the head of the bay so we moved into Erebus Cove and found it to be fairly exposed also. Erebus was the site of the 1849 Enderby Settlement. Unlike Dea’s head, which had a significant shoulder of land at the head and south side of the bay, Erebus was flatter in land form and more exposed to westerly winds. Davis is another small bay to the south of Erebus where Charles Enderby, Governor of the Auckland Islands, chose to build his house in 1849. This bay appeared suitable for an anchorage and although Dad maneuvered Waitane well up into the bay, the bottom provided no holding whatsoever. It took us some time to remove kelp from the anchor so we could move on. Another crook just around the corner from Davis Bay in Laurie Harbour suffered from wind swirls that made it unfeasible also. We decided to make another pass by the bays to look for anchorages close in-shore. We didn’t see anything in our comfort zone so we proceeded back to Dea’s cove.

It was good that we ended up back in Dea’s cove because it would be necessary to visit Pillar Rock again to take the base station back. Of all the achorages in Port Ross this was the closest. Besides, we had some washing to do and the hut at Dea’s cove meant we could wash our person and clothes in relative comfort and out of the wind. The afternoon excursion to the other bays was fun and scenic but it also illustrated the unceasing winds that prey on the Islands. It was 2200 when we turned the engine off having again acquired a secure anchorage - this time right at the head of Dea’s cove in the southwest corner. Work was almost complete for the day, just the GPS base station left. Julie O had not been able to get it to download data onto my laptop at Pillar Rock. There was a detailed set of instructions but first we had to power the base station and unfortunately this was not possible without the custom power lead which had been left at Pillar Rock.

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Undated - early January SOMETHING FOR THE LOG by Julie H

I had been hoping to write more than has been possible!!! We have been plagued by things going wrong including the email system not working. In the last few days we have been able to send messages and are fairly confident that they are being delivered. However, we have only received one in return which we have not been able to read.

With only days to spare Paul managed to firm up an arrangement with a sixty foot ketch based out of Nelson. Unfortunately Paul was unable to inspect the boat but the owner assured us that it was in excellent condition and certified for ocean passage. We found out the hard way that this was far from the truth.

Running several days behind schedule things were so frantic preparing for the final hour. I was busy preparing the food menus. The total cost of the food was just over two thousand dollars and took me four trips to the supermarket. We rented a van from Auckland and drove through the night to catch the morning interislander ferry to Nelson.

On arrival the boat appeared to be seaworthy. However the list of things that needed repair continued to grow and grow. When the truth came out the owner had not sailed this boat for three years. He has another boat which he operates a charter business from and uses this boat for "the home away from home".

This was confirmed by all of the interior lights working on the boat but NONE of the exterior. I couldn't list all the things that Paul has repaired if I tried. The biggest problems that we have encountered so far have been blowing out the mainsail and now the jib looks like it may be in jeopardy, the anchor winch only works manually and probably the biggest thing is the engine.

We blew the main sail out the night before causing us to stop in Christchurch to see if we could have it repaired. We had entered the harbor and were under motor with approx. one mile to go to the marina when the engine died and could not be restarted. We had contacted the marina and had an allocated berth but didn't know where. It was a very difficult marina to navigate as it was rather small with rocks on either side and a narrow channel. We radioed ahead to the marina to explain our situation. They sent out a little dingy with two guys who couldn't really do anything for us except give us directions and bad ones they were too. The adrenaline was pumping especially when we missed our berth heading straight for the jetty on one side, the ground on the other. We managed to get wedged up against the jetty where we stayed until the wind subsided and with a complicated rope system moved the boat to our mooring. Peewee!! We were so close to being grounded.

There is so much more to tell but I am not allowed to do long emails coz it takes ages to go through the line and is expensive. Just briefly, we have been unable to get the dive tank compressor going so have not been able to dive. Everyone is majorly bummed out - so close yet so far. Yep, it is cold and I have chill blains all over my hands and feet that are driving me nuts. Rather tired of the anchor watches and sailing through the night. Have seen so many sealions, penguins, seals. Definitely a highlight.

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January 2 WILD AND RUGGED by Rob

Its about 7.00 PM and we are still anchored in Port Ross at the northern end of the Islands. Weather has been overcast except for a brief period of sun. We have just had a great meal of corned beef hash cooked by Julie. Actually it was my turn but she volunteered to help me because I was fixing the engine throttle. I did the dishes in lieu, almost as big a job as cooking dinner.

Yesterday I went for a walk to Pillar Rock which is the little cape at the NE corner of the main Auckland Island. It was absolutely spectacular! Wild and rugged, sea crashing into the cliffs and rocks but bright sun so the colours were very strong. We went to collect data from the base station but could not get it to work so we brought the unit back. (Today we could not test it without a cable which had been left at the station so Julie & Julie went to get it. Having fixed it they are about to do a quick trip back to reset the system.) When we arrived back, the yacht was under way, the anchor having suddenly started to drag. We got onboard but could not get another holding, moved to another bay at which point a 40 knot squall came through preventing us from finding anywhere with enough shelter. Eventually we ended up back in the original spot. By this time it was 10.00 PM and just getting dark and the wind had eased again. Have to keep this log entry short because of the power output the radio takes and email is a bit slow to go out. Actually we are not 100% sure it is even getting out !

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January 2 THANK GOODNESS IT’S WASHING DAY

Washing day had been planned for yesterday but it didn’t happen so today would be the day. It’s hard to imagine how much of a need washing might become; it was really starting to get to everyone. I, for one, smelled of diesel and had no more clean clothes. I also hadn’t been able to shave for days. Dad found it irritating to have to constantly move more clothes so they didn’t hang over the saloon dining table in the main saloon. At times it seemed like the only purpose of the saloon was to dry clothes. Clearly our policy of keeping wet clothes out of the living space of the yacht did not allow clothes to dry. The alternative did not work particularly well either.

It was 5am when I came on watch. It was a beautiful time to be on watch as daylight was already breaking and life outside the boat was very apparent. The boat itself was deathly silent as everyone slept. Even the wind had stopped. Fish splish-splashed every few seconds all around the boat. The friendly sea lion that had played with us the day before while we ran shore parties to the beach, also came around for a look-see. I could only suppose, with all the activity in the water, it was time for breakfast. Sea lions are the most elegant of creatures. So unimposing yet so curious. You can’t help but like and admire them. As the sun came up the wind also seemed to return and the splish-splash of fish soon became indistinguishable from the noise of the wind bristling through the trees. I can’t recall if I woke Suave for breakfast and got some more sleep or whether I just stayed up. I think I went to bed.

Julie and Julie left in the early morning to fetch the power cable from Pillar Rock. Rumor has it they got lost on the way. Over an hour and half later they were back, complete with base station power cable. While the girls were gone Steve, Dad, and I went ashore to wash clothes and ourselves. The exterior of the boat soon turned into what looked like a laundromat with clothes hanging all over the place.

Dad set about fixing the throttle cable which had slowly been decreasing its range of play to the point that very careful manipulation was required to find neutral or reach 1500 RPM’s. My first mission was to see if we could use the Dea’s cove hut stove to cook bread (something we had been unable to do on the yacht because the gas oven did not get hot enough). I had no initial success with the stove and rather than persevere I decided my time was better spent trying to repair the dive compressor. Steve, Julie, and Julie were working with the Trimble equipment so it would be ready for our first position recordings at Erebus cove.

Steve and Suave had spent some time the previous day trying to get the compressor started. They managed to start it but before they could put any air into a tank the drive shaft belt flew off. I put the belt back on for them a couple of times but clearly there was a problem so they left it for me to take a look at. At first it seemed the guide wheel bearing was worn. I adjusted this a little so it was better aligned. Then I adjusted the belt tension trying both tighter and looser. In the end I set the tension to what I thought was about right based on work I had done with tractor belts as a kid. There was still a small alignment difference between the compressor wheel and the drive wheel. I couldn’t get it perfect but the improvement I made didn’t give me more than 2 or 3 minutes before the belt once again flew off. These trials took quite a considerable amount of time and it was by no means easy to man handle the 110 kg compressor every time the belt had to be put back on.

Fortunately Dad had made rather better progress with the throttle. Actually not only did he fix up the throttle he unblocked the head too. A very popular move indeed ! Dad also spent some time finalising our departure schedule. I had worked out that our approximate departure date from the Auckland Islands needed to be Jan. 13. Dad’s more refined calculations, which took into account refueling and supply stops that had to coincide with daylight hours, showed we needed to leave the Islands on January 11^th if we were to have the boat back in Nelson by the 19^th. This was not what I wanted to hear. The original 23 days had now been culled to 12 days with 9 remaining. It was already clear a significant chunk of our itinerary would have to be axed. Just totally frustrating after all the effort, planning and dollars expended thus far. The dive compressor was not improving the situation either. It was momentarily hard to see or to appreciate the success of even making it to the Islands. So far it felt like an exercise in perseverance. I think my disappointment was evident. Dad had clearly made no mistakes but he sensed my frustration and offered to rework the calculations. I knew it was only two days but it was two days we could use at the Islands if we could find them.

After dinner we gathered in the wheelhouse to see if we could hear Mary Lesk make her regular 2030 radio sched. It felt like we had all gathered for a musical production or show as we spread ourselves around the wheelhouse listening to the distorted frequencies of the marine radio. Sure enough Mary was there on time with her ever popular "Roger Roger Good as Gold" backing up every conversation and providing the life-line to civilisation that many isolated boaties need.

After dinner Julie and I played with the GPS equipment and finally succeeded in completing a download from the base station to the laptop. This meant all systems were go and we could return the base station to Pillar Rock to capture up to 7 days of data depending on whether memory or battery ran out first. It was too late to get to Pillar Rock and return with daylight so returning the base station would have to wait until morning.

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January 3 DEAD COMPRESSOR DAY

Activities for the day were to return the base station, relocate to Erebus cove, fix the dive compressor which still seemed like it was just a matter of time and also inspect Hardwicke, the site of the 1849 settlement (which was also the shortest lived British settlement in history). Some work had been done on site but not very much and mostly to the south. Since this was a readily accessible site it was not as high a priority as some of the sites further south. If it was at all possible, a quick examination of Hardwicke might permit us to sail for Carnley this evening. The morning started with light drizzle and rain. We had been expecting a cold front to pass through late yesterday but it did not happen. The weather situation at midnight showed the front had slowed and occluded which explained the warm front conditions we were receiving.

The girls returned the GPS station in the morning and were back by lunch. At lunch the first gas bottle seemed nearly empty after 8 days. Changing it over now would mean the last bottle would have to last 12 days till we reached Bluff. At 3:30pm we lifted anchor en route to Erebus cove. We followed the shoreline anchoring close in and north of the Erebus stream. The bottom was rocky and of doubtful holding. The anchor dragged in several small increments but eventually held. The wind was significantly calmer than on our last visit. By 6pm we had our first containers of water on board 2 x 20litres. Two more trips brought 80 more litres of slightly brackish but perfectly drinkable water to add to the ships supply.

My day had been spent working on the compressor without any measurable success. Today I tried some of the other spare belts we had. From my work yesterday I was confident the pulley wheels were in the best possible alignment. There was nothing else to do but try my last brand new belt. Alas, it lasted perhaps 5 minutes, which was a record in itself, but barely enough time to get any air into the tanks. I then using split belts that I thought might not spin off so easily. After many hours of trials all the belts were either broken or unusable. My only options now were to use rope of some kind. It had to be stretchy enough to grip on the pulley wheels and resistant enough to withstand the effect of heat. Though I tried several different things I could not find a single type of material that did these things and that I could also fashion into a belt. I was very frustrated that I could not find the answer to what seemed like a simple problem. I became resigned to the fact that something I was confident I could fix now seemed like an obstacle. The fact was we had to move on. We had other things to accomplish and I didn’t have any more time to spend on it. We only had 7 more days.

The evening discussion was much more light hearted and distracted me from the days disappointments. It was about a book by a New Zealand folk hero who died last year. Barry Crump is the author of several very entertaining books all pertaining to various aspects of true blue kiwi culture. The conversation topic was started because one of his books was in Waitane’s library. It was a copy of "Bastards I Have Met". An extremely funny book which I can only describe as a dictionary of different types of bastards and an explanation for each. I won’t go into details here but we had a lot of fun as we read different definitions and related them to the people we knew. The Canadian contingent (Steve) thenceforth became known as a ‘fishy bastard’ (because of his diving habits). The fact that fishy bastard had other meanings was what made it funny. (Later we revised his name to leaky bastard when a certain black serpent rendered a few holes in Steve’s precious dry suit). Suffice to say that Steve now has a much wider vocabulary of both good and bad bastards. We all went to bed with aching sides from all the laughter.

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January 5 THE DIVE COMPRESSOR IS DEAD by Robin

Anchor watch 2-3am - hard to see keyboard! Very quiet. Calm and cool, clear night. Still at Erebus Cove. Went ashore yesterday with Julie, Steve, Julie O and Mike. Saw Hardwick settlement grave site. DOC has done it up quite well. Saw slight evidence of settlement, lovely day in late afternoon. Washed up in the stream and feel a lot better.

Paul unable to get the compressor going after nearly all another day working on it. He went ashore after dinner and spent 2 hours getting data so hopefully now feels that something has been achieved. Had a mountain stream wash while he was there. Now plan to move south tomorrow. Everyone getting good sleep now apart from the anchor watches. At last got rid of some of the wet washing with the fine break to day and everyone now in better spirits.

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January 6 EMAIL AT LAST by Robin

Yesterday received part of an email - very exciting because we are now pretty confident something is getting out although at this stage only my first 2 messages have been cleared. Our problem is mostly power but also radio reception and being able to connect. Yesterday we moved south, sailing from Erebus Cove about 10.00. Amazing how long it took us to get ready for sea - stuff everywhere. Nice breeze and had a good sail. Called in at Waterfall Inlet which is the last inlet north of the entrance to Carnley Harbour. It's a beautiful spot, very sheltered - decided to stay the night. Water very clear - can see the bottom at 20 feet - everyone got into diving gear for Apollo photos - took ages because there is hardly any air in the bottles and some underwater stuff was required.

I went ashore to the waterfall - drops about 4 metres into a pool and then over rocks into the sea - washed clothes and then me. All my clothes now clean though it was cold and very refreshing but well worth the pain! I was on dinner - a pain tonight, with the diving they weren't ready until 9.30 pm, Steve cooked a great pizza.

Beautiful night - time about 0330, flat calm, crystal clear starry night, cold but not extremely, bright moonlight, can see whole bay. Set up spotlight for the anchor watch but so light we don't need it. Can't believe the good weather after the passage down a first couple of days. Looks like Mike will leave in Dunedin and Julie Ooi will stay until Picton.

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January 8 A TRIP IN THE DARK by Robin

Anchored in Camp Cove at Carnley Harbour last night and staying here again tonight. A front came through last night with strong northerlies followed by westerlies up to 20 knots in here but now gusting over 30. I can see the white caps out in the main channel - really piping out there. Occasional showers and quite cold. Paul, Julie H, Steve and Mike went exploring ashore this afternoon but all back early for dinner.

Have had great difficulty getting email messages out because we can't hold sufficient strength on the signal for long enough. However, we got our first reply last night - very exciting because we know for sure we have successfully exchanged something. We are talking to Bluff Fishermen's Radio every night (Mary Lisk) and her sched is great fun. We all spend half an hour listening to the reports from all the boats. She has us on her calling list.

Only a few days to go now. We will be in Port Ross by the 10th, spend the day there and then head for Bluff on the night of the 11th.

Wind increased last night - gust to 45 knots and we were sheltered! Anchor dragged just after midnight so we got it up and got out. Left Carnley altogether and went back to Waterfall inlet - took 2 hours in really unpleasant conditions. Safe in Waterfall about 4am. Paul navigated on radar and GPS and I had been on the wheel all of the time and was very cold. Julie Ooi got hot milos for all of us and a hot water bottle for me. Made a hugh difference getting warm hands and feet - went out like a light and we all woke about 10.00 this morning (apart from the anchor watch).

Weather now easing as the low moves away and a high spreads over - all happens very quickly down here. Moved to Norman Inlet and will stay the night. It's a real wind funnel but shelter at the very top end. We got 4 emails out today and received 4 of the 8 waiting. Still behind but great to have something. Paul, Julie H, Steve and Suave are away on a walk to the west coast (about 2 hours) - not for me though I would love to have gone but could have been a liability and besides either Paul or I must stay with the boat. (They have just called in - going tough and too far to go - they are coming back).

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January 16 by Robin

Only two days to go. We dropped Mike at Port Chalmers just after 8pm  and we, the remaining four, sailed from Port Chalmers at 2300 to the Heads, about an hour's run. A stiff NE wind was then blowing but fine and dark. Julie was amazed by all the flashing channel markers and how managed to find our  way out. About 1 the engine stopped - we had water in the fuel. In fact it was in 3 out 4 tanks, in all the filters and through the engine. Took until 2.00 am to get going again while we sailed out to sea under tay). Paul did a fantastic job. By 2.00 it was my watch with Julie H so I then stayed on until about 4.30 before shaking Paul because he had not had any sleep either.

Today has been a bit slow! However, had a good sleep this afternoon so am back up to speed now. Rough last night as we headed into a sloppy little NE sea but good today with clear sky and light breezes. Still looking good to meet our deadline at Nelson but there will not be much to spare and I have no info on the tides in Cook Strait or Tory Channel. Could have done without losing that 2 hours last night!. Fresh bread at Bluff was great! Boat is great with only 4 of us. Working a 6, 4, 2 routine so starting at 8.00 am we do 6 on/6 off, at 8.00 pm we do 4 on, 2 off, 2 on and 4 off which comes back to 8.00 am. A shower and clean sheets is going to be fantastic, not to mention several hours sleep in a row!

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