Ship Cove 2011 - The Never Ending Journey (by Brandon Clarke)

[ video at bottom of post ]

4.30am is a very early time to wake up.

Especially if you are a black cat, snuggled up at the foot of the bed, draped across one foot and perfectly happy where you are. Unfortunately the foot had to move, because there was a yacht race starting at 0600 and the body the foot was attached to had to get down to the boat. Ear flicking and then two anticlockwise circles on the duvet followed before the mini-panther settled back down muttering under his breath.

Meanwhile the foot (and the rest of me) got up and had a shower, made coffee and a bagel, and double checked all the stuff I had packed the night before. Right - off to the marina for the Ship's Cove race then. Well almost. Knowing I had a very expensive day due on Sunday I stopped at a hole-in-the-wall and got a couple of hundred dollars out... then went down to Clear Vision. Loading of gear bags began, closely followed by 8 supermarket bags. As they were being stowed, the Food Distribution Department (Vesna) returned from the car with 6 more supermarket bags, and said:

"Bardy, would you mind just popping up to my car, the last of the food is sitting just behind it, could you bring it down for me please?"

I was expecting there to be just the last couple of bags, and was thinking that Clear Vision Catering had well and truly outdone itself this time. When I got to the car there were in fact NINE more supermarket bags waiting to be carried down to the boat. Crimmany. Much hilarity followed, with comments including: "We're going to Ship's Cove in the Marlborough Sounds Vesna, not Ship's Cove in the Bahamas.". At one point there was concern expressed that we might not have room for the beer as there was so much food... but sanity reigned in the end (no, none of the food was thrown overboard).

Vesna pointed out that it was a light winds race and we could be out there for some time. Prophetic words!

So we left the dock and headed out into Lambton Harbour. Spirits were high.

It had been a long break through the dead of winter, and we were all looking forward to another adventure. We decided to put the main up, as we figured we'd need it - Westy reminded me to head the boat up into the wind before the hoist. It was a good tip, and easily implemented, as wherever the boat was pointed was into the wind while we were motoring. Lambton harbour was glassy smooth. The light number one joined the main and we gently motored (leading up to the 5 minute gun) and then inched along (after the 5 minute gun) towards the city side of the line.
         
Normally we aim to be on the line, at speed, in clear air for the start... this time we were just focussing on not being stopped, however we managed right on the line and in clear air too, with only Bootlegger anywhere near us - and we were inching 2 to her 1 at that stage. Bonus! We had chosen the city side of the line to be out of the way when the next Bluebridge ferry left, but we seemed to have lucked into the first hint of a Northerly breeze - Gucci, ourselves and Bootlegger were moving while the rest of the boats were completely stopped. We were pleased with our start, and celebrated by having first breakfast. The Food Distribution Department had individually packed a bacon and egg roll, and a mini Just Juice in our named breakfast glad bags. Mmmmm. Bacon and egg for breakfast. Morale was high.

         

20 minutes later we had progressed perhaps 250 metres from the start line. This rated as an outstanding effort, as Marangi was still 200 metres behind the start line, and a number of other boats were still on or just over the line. Gucci was ahead of us, but beginning to knock noticeably. Nedax was the leeward most boat and they had knocked 50 degrees and were pushing into the Oriental Bay shore under Code 0. This paid big dividends as the first North/South shift of the race kicked in. They flopped over onto starboard and shot off at 3 or 4 knots in a nice Southerly puff. Gucci tacked, and lost all their speed doing it, allowing us to ghost across their bow heading as fast as we could (at around 1 knot) towards the new Southerly puff.
         
By now it was light enough to take some photos...

As we crept across Evans Bay we held to the South expecting to be first to the forecast Southerly... however soon we saw Nedax (which was past Point Halswell) tack over onto port in a filling in Northerly change (the second North/South change).

We then saw Awatere outbound - this was to be the first of three sightings of Awatere.

We had to suck it up as first Andiamo and then The Guarantee to leeward of us picked up the strengthening 5 - 8 knot Northerly.

         

We rounded Point Halswell with Gucci close behind us and there was some good natured Rock Monitor jocularity about just how close to Halswell light we could afford to go. As we crossed Kau Bay we hoisted the kite and it seemed like we were finally under way, albeit in a light (but steady) Northerly. However it wasn't set to last. As we approached Worser Bay we could see the boats in front of us slowing, heading up to very high angles in a desperate attempt to keep their way on, and eventually stopping. We gybed, but perhaps too late to catch a small puff that was sneaking through in towards the beach, and we parked. We had sailed into the transition zone between this Northerly and the approaching Southerly (the third North/South change) outside the harbour heads. Nedax was off in the Southerly and we watched Andiamo and The Guarantee also begin to sneak away in the filling in Southerly, while the boats behind us were sailing up to and past us on both sides... Am Mer and Montego Bay III in the Southerly on the Worser Bay shore, and Bootlegger and Gucci in the Northerly out towards Ward Island. Morale was low. 

Eventually we dropped the kite and wallowed stationary under main and light number 1 heady and watched as the in-bound Arahura passed exceptionally close to Bootlegger. We noted that they didn't use their horn, and concluded they might have been able to hear Clive as they approached and thus had a good fix on where Bootlegger was. The Food Distribution Department, conscious that there was a lot of food to get through, sent up cups of tea, coffee and Milo, and initiated second breakfast with peanut butter and jam rolls, three types of cakes, and some left over breakfast bacon and egg rolls. Morale improved...
         
...and it improved more when the Southerly finally marched northwards past Steeple Rock Light - we were under way again... to windward, but in a nice consistent 8 - 10 knot breeze. It was decided that heading to the left hand/Eastern shoreline on the way out of the harbour was going to pay with a left hand lift off Pencarrow. The FULL go left strategy was tempered somewhat by Rock Monitor alerts, and consideration of tidal influences... the by now outgoing tide was stronger mid-channel... so as a result we put a small series of tacks in to reach Moaning Mini. As the final tack for Moaning Mini was called by yours truly, one of the 'doubting faction' on board was heard to comment "You think we're going to lay it from here? Good luck with that!" Admittedly Westy had come out of the tack quite low - in order to build speed in the light conditions - as the speed built he came up, and up, and then Huey did as predicted by the lay line calling faction... and what do you know, we laid quite comfortably in the end. The doubting faction acknowledged what a good call it was, and then resumed enhancing morale by distributing the next round of food parcels.
         
It had taken FOUR HOURS to reach the entrance to the harbour - something that usually takes approximately 1 hour. The race record for the Ship's Cove race is 4 hours 39 minutes and 43 seconds. It seemed quite safe today. Mark Ansell argued successfully for a keep high (south) track and therefore avoid being sucked into the Sinclair Head vacuum strategy.

   

     

The Guarantee was about 300 metres in front of us, and as we freed up slowly heading across the south coast they went for their gennaker. Figuring that due to our being 2 to 3 hours behind normal schedule the Sinclair and Karori rips were likely to be a little 'boisterous' we thought the gennaker might be difficult to keep set in the unsettled sea way and fickle winds. Instead changed from the light airs heady to the almost 1 year old Linton Sails Jib-top accompanied by the cute little Linton sails staysail.

   

The Sinclair Head rip was indeed lumpy and confused, although hardly threatening. Nevertheless the jib-top/staysail combination did seem to work to our advantage - we felt we'd halved the distance on The Guarantee by the time we cleared the Karori rip, and we thought the boats behind us had lost out significantly by being sucked into the Sinclair Head vacuum.
         
The Guarantee then peeled to their mast head kite, and we hoisted our kite too, however The Guarantee did begin to slowly pull away from us. Vesna then had a shift on the helm as we rounded Cape Terawhiti. Under clear skies in warm sunshine we were peeling off 6.5 - 8.5 knots of boat speed with the tide helping us. Morale was high. Lunch packs were distributed and consumed and no one could think of many places we would rather have been. However we did notice just how slow our progress to date had been when we saw the Awatere returning bound for Wellington.
         
It was too good to last, however. Approximately mid-Cook Strait we slowed, and then pretty much stopped. As can be seen by our GPS track, that was not the worst of it.

The bad news was the wind had died, at least where we were, and the tide had changed. We were heading south, despite sailing at 1 to 2 knots through the water. The good news was that Gucci and Am Mer (near Cape Terawhiti) and Bootlegger and Montego Bay III (further out to sea and heading towards Tory Channel entrance) were a loooong way back. We could only identify which boat was which by the colour of their kites. Interestingly Gucci and Am Meer were on starboard gybe in a Northerly (the fourth North/South change) while Bootlegger and Montego Bay III were still in a solid Southerly. We were in the hole in between. It was noted that Nicki had never finished an offshore before, and talk of the 'Curse of Nicki' developed over the following few hours...
         
This hole dragged on and on and on. And on. And on and on and on. Morale was low, extremely low. Estimates had Bootlegger overtaking us, still storming along in the southerly. Eventually some breeze kicked in. Our heading was 015 and our boat speed was 2.5 knots in a 3 to 5.5 knot north-easterly. However, our Course Over Ground was 220 at 1.5 knots Speed Over Ground. We were not amused. To make things worse there was an annoying 1/2 to 1 metre swell/slop which was conspiring to shake any power out of our sails. The Food Distribution Department conducted a pre-emptive strike against any mutinous thoughts by making some ham and cheese toasted sandwiches. Morale rose dramatically. As the afternoon wore on we could see a Northerly a mile to windward, and we could see a southerly 2 miles to leeward. We'd edge into the Northerly, only to have it slide away again. Gucci was now only about a mile astern after earlier having been almost half the width of the Cook Strait away.
         
Morale was sorely tested when we heard Nedax reporting their finish time just before 5 pm. Nicki's raspberry and white chocolate cake tempered the mood briefly, but the continued frustration of slow, if not backward progress was eating away at us. We had a seabird join us. What was really depressing is the bird was paddling along and gaining on us. Mark Ansell threw the bird some wasabi peas for revenge.

   

Following the 1820 sched. the dominoes began to fall. Marangi had been last seen as we left the harbour entrance behind. They were the clever ones it seemed, having pulled the pin early on. Next to go were Bootlegger and Am Mer. 

We heard Bob on Montego Bay III call Wellington Maritime Radio on channel 16. "Bob's had enough" was the call... Wellington Maritime transferred Montego Bay III to Channel 71, and we followed to eaves drop. Bob came onto 71 and said "errrr, stand by Wellington Maritime Radio, we are just reassessing our options..." 5 minutes later he was back to withdraw and report he was motoring to Tory Channel entrance.

   

Up ahead The Brothers were not getting closer very quickly. The Guarantee was tight in on the shore of Arapawa Island - barely discernable in the distance, and we could just make out Andiamo near Cape Komaru. Other than them it was just ourselves and Gucci.
         
The mutinous faction briefly tabled the prospect of withdrawing ourselves, but almost before the words were out of their mouths a 10 knot North-wester kicked in and we were off heading straight at Cape Komaru at 7 to 7.5 knots. Morale surged, especially when Tony announced that now we were as far north as we had been 5 hours earlier... mutter, mutter, muttah paneer... There was even (briefly) crazy talk about changing from the number 1 light heady to the number 2! During this time we saw the Awatere for the third time today heading back to the South Island. Would this race ever end?

With the tide having changed again, yes we really had been out there THAT long, our main tactical concern now was not to go too far and be swept well past Cape Komaru on the strong tidal currents. As a result we deliberately tacked early, figuring we could always tack again if needed. We did need to tack again, and when we tacked back the doubting faction again threw a "good luck with that" call out there, but in the end we cleared the rocks of Cape Komaru comfortably.
         
Splendid. All we had to do now was ease our way up Queen Charlotte sound and we'd be done.
         
Pffffft. Huey was having none of that, and the 'Curse of Nicki' was strong... The wind crapped out again as we sailed headlong into another transition zone. Morale was extraordinarily low at this point. The Wales versus France semi final had started, and the sun had dropped and once again we were becalmed doing under 1 knot, no wait, with no speed registering on the speedo at all. Pants! The Food Distribution Department then began cooking steak, onion, beetroot, lettuce and cheese burgers. Just the smell of steaks cooking and onions caramelising keep the murderous thoughts at bay. Westy was trimming heroically and Mark Ansell was a picture of determination on the helm. Eventually a southerly kicked in (the fifth North/South change) and we were off again with Gucci a few hundred metres astern. I was absolutely exhausted and just slumped on the rail as Nicki helmed us across the line to successfully finish her first off-shore. It was 2115 and 23 seconds, giving us an elapsed time for the 40 mile race of fifteen hours 15 minutes 23 seconds. Easily the longest Cook Strait crossing any of us had done. Last year I'd done the 117 miles to Nelson in 10 hours 50 minutes, and the 72 miles Mana - Picton race in 10 hours 15 minutes...
         
It was a race that at times seemed it would never end. But we found out at breakfast the next morning we were the 4th boat to finish, a good reward for hanging in there. Waking up to the beauty of Endeavour inlet was a highlight too...

...my Sunday involved breakfast at Ferneaux Lodge ($22.00), a water taxi to Picton ($52.00), a shuttle to Blenheim ($70.00 split 2 ways with Gordy = $35.00), a flight to Wellington ($99.00), the Airporter Express bus into the city ($8.50) where I picked my car up from the yacht club and drove to the Back Bencher, had a steak burger ($7.00) and then off to see the Phoenix win their first home game at the ring of fire for the year 2 - 0 against The Newcastle Jest.
         
Priceless.

[ Photos and video Brandon Clarke and Mark Holmes ]