Honey

Honey

Sailing around New Zealand

Emily is sailing solo around New Zealand on her 32 foot yacht Honey, from Lyttelton south down the east coast, around the bottom of Stewart Island, up the west coast of the South and North Islands and down the east coast back to Lyttelton. The whole adventure is expected to take 3 months. This blog will provide updates as I travel (when I have mobile reception to upload).


Sunday 6 January 2013

First overnighter, in Dunedin


Well, I completed my first over-night sail by myself, leaving from Akaroa about 10am on Friday morning and arriving into Otago Harbour late afternoon/early evening yesterday. It was a lovely sail - NE winds most the way, not too strong, between 10 knots variable when I left and up to only about 25 knots northerly at one point. An uneventful trip, which is always a good one, no mishaps along the way! Not too many other boats on the water, just a couple of fishing boats when I got close to Otago Peninsula and what I think was a foreign ship sitting well out to sea. It had super bright lights - I could see the glow from about 30 miles off - I wondered for a while if it was the glow of Dunedin's lights!
Banks Peninsula disappearing behing me - looks like an island from out at sea!

Otago Harbour is a beautiful peninsula, I'd never appreciated that on times that I've previously come down to Dunedin. It was quite a long run up the harbour to where I'm moored now - about 12 nautical miles, 2 hours motoring. I got in a bit too early for the tide - I'm moored at the Otago Yacht Club marina and the depth of water is only 0.9m at low tide. With a draught of 1.9m I had to wait until 8pm to enter (actually it was 9pm, but I misheard the directions but made it in with 0.2m under the keel!)

It looks like I'll be here for a few days at least - strong winds in Foveaux Strait, with gale force winds and 30-40 knots westerly (just what I don't want) for the next few days. Still, not a bad place to be...

3 comments:

  1. Hi Emily!
    Happy New Year! Pleased to see that you are underway and having a great time,
    Kirstie

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    Replies
    1. Congrats Emily on you first leg completed....Happy relaxing in Dunners... :-)

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    2. Well done Emily on your achievement. Everyone's proud of you :-) We're following your every move.

      Enjoy your stop in Dunedin sounds like you've eraned it.

      Chris maddi and Charlie

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