Strange wind, got spicy!

Darren Johnson

Strange day on the water today. Got to to the ramp to find a nice easterly. The forecast was 10-15kts from the SW. Given the wind direction I headed for the east end of Pakihi Island. Mucked around with the drone, got it up and landed back on the boat. But don’t think I got any video or photos. The glare from the sun on the waterproof case meant no images! Carried on over the sand bank (it was high tide), then turned behind Pakihi Island, still with an easterly with a touch of north at about 8-10kt’s. Very pleasant so far. Checked the wind ahead on Passage Rock, 8kts SW! Saw a yacht coming from the other direction in wind from the SW. Checked Windy which showed a south westerly of 14kts, although getting lighter towards the Firth of Thames behind me. So I sat back and waited for the expect gibe from the wind shift. The wind shift happened about halfway past Pakihi. All of a sudden we gently gybed and I on was in an 8kt southwesterly. About halfway accross Wairoa Bay the southwesterly was up to 20kts. The first kink in the course was to put a single reef in the main. A single reef was not enough, and it was getting quite choppy, so I motor sailed close to the wind with just the main up to get to the shelter of Maraertai. Eventually I put a second reef in the main and sailed with just a little Genoa out. There was still a lot of heel, and I was seeing wind in the mid to late 20’s. I turn around just before Mataetai, and sailed on a beam reach with just a little Genoa for a bit. This was quite slow, given the wind was consistently over 20knots, so I put the main back up with two reefs. I was off. Smoked it back to Kawakawa Bay. Coming into the ramp, the wind got up. I had a 24 knot westerly on the beam as I was tying up. After weather watching for about a week, it was not the sail I was expecting. That said, any sailing is good sailing. The ongoing learning is to reef the main early, and still allow for enough genoa. If there is too little genoa, she was to round up in the gusts, especially with a side window in for comfort!. Ps, I may investigate a third reef in the main. Pps, ignore the wind direction in the photo. It was not picking up the rotating mast. That wind was on the beam, so the apparent was also the true.

Boat & Crew

Bella Rose

MacGregor, 26M

Darren Johnson

Owner