The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson
Sailing Yacht Truce
This year I completed the New Zealand cruise that was interrupted last year by covid and a long period of lockdown in the Marlborough sounds area. So, a year later I finally completed my adventure, sailing around New Zealand and visiting many places that are only easily accessible by boat. Last year I tried not... Continue Reading →
The visitors berth at the Napier Sailing Club has been wonderfully comfortable and the facilities enjoyable. Numerous bars, cafes and restaurants along West Quay have enjoyed our patronage but it really is time to move on, further south. Napier City is a delightful place, very clean and well organised. After coming from Auckland it is... Continue Reading →
After a day’s stop in Hicks Bay, waiting on weather, we set off in the first morning light for Gisborne. Hicks Bay was overcast and gloomy as we motored out in flat calm. Shortly the sun rose over East Cape in spectacular fashion and we continued motoring along the coast in calm sunny conditions, the... Continue Reading →
My logbook records that at 01:00 we had 35 knot gusts from the NW. With hindsight the wind may have been closer to 30 knots, but in the dark with the short breaking seas it felt like 35 knots and was not comfortable. I spent the rest of the night and early morning dodging to... Continue Reading →
Just before midnight last night a thick wet mist descended upon us. It was a fog but the water droplets were like miniature rain, everywhere quickly became wet and visibility was very poor. By 05:00 the mist had gone and it felt very wet and cold. The weather remained calm until midday when a light... Continue Reading →
All night the wind remained fickle as we slowly headed south towards Portland. By 05:00 the wind started to pick up and an hour later was gusting 25 knots, the top end of the forecast range. As we approached Portland the wind seemed to have increased more and the note in my log estimates it... Continue Reading →
The Adventures of Captain Ray Penson 