Kowhai Cruise Gallery

Te Kouma Harbour, Coromandel

6-7 November 2009

Cruising notes from Basil

 The Kowhai Cruise is usually organised to coincide with the flowering of the Kowhai tree in spring. However this year member commitments meant it was held later than usual and was renamed the Pohutukawa cruise because it marked the beginning of the Pohutukawa season

What a beautiful weekend! Pink Cadillac left Westhaven at 1700 on Friday evening, and 2 sail beam reached on the 12 kt Southerly down the harbour and Tamaki Strait - couldn't be better. We passed Passage rock in daylight and anchored for the night in Chamberlains Bay, Ponui - glassy calm. I had the pleasure of Joe as crew onboard.

Saturday morning the wind was more fitful, requiring the use of diesel, and pretty much died 3 miles from Te Kouma, requiring us to motor from there. We checked for other yachts that had beaten us - not a single one in Te Kouma, and didn't like the way the wind swirled into Name Bay, so anchored in Ranger Bay around 1230.

 We were soon joined by Pickety Witch - Martin singlehanding as Christine was overseas, and later by Victoria with Jim and Karin, and Bruce and Ainslie Birnie, and Southern Venture with Chris & Liz..

After 4pm, we all dinghied ashore with BBQs and supplies, and had to break up the serious discussion to throw the seaboot, narrowly won by Bruce from Victoria, who will have his name added to the Maggie Trophy.

 Instead of planting Kowhai seeds, Liz collected some for us all to raise as seedlings to plant next year. We all had a great dinner of steaks & sausages, washed down with ample red wine, and as darkness arrived retreated to Pink Cadillac for cups of tea and coffee, and more noisy chatter.

On Sunday morning we all congregated on Victoria where Joe awakened us with a bloody mary, since we had all forgotten to bring bubbles, Karin & Ainslie cooked bacon, eggs & toast complemented by salmon and cream cheese croissants and fresh fruit & muffins

We were all away with anchors up around 0930, and a fair wind that allowed us to go around the southern end of Ponui and stay on Port tack all the way past Browns Island. Back at Westhaven at 1530 - the earliest ever from a Te Kouma weekend!

Slideshow of Kowhai Cruises, Te Kouma, 2006 -2008

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