Cook Strait Weather, NZ

[cooper]

Hey foxy now l am hurt.......The mooring is a concrete sinker type, and there is not a lot of room for the pack of boats that live there. The chain length is dictated by swinging room not by "anchor" scope.....I guess l was far more worried about another boat breaking its chain and coming for a visit. My chain is of the "Industrial size" !! I have already had a large house boat break off and come for a look. It was my closest neighbour so it is a miricale that it only put a scratch in my hull. Having said all that, l dumped my mooring and went for a night further down the system (peace and quiet). When l got back my mooring bouy was gone.....I went round in circles like a duckling that has lost its mum, making similar sorts of noises. See the lakes where so high, that the jettys where all under water. l live 350 kms away so anchoring and driving off for a couple of months was out of the question. The water is like drinking chocolate that a kid has put an extra five teaspoons in, so there is no way a diver would ever find it. Lots of rude words flowed till my brain started to wind back up again. I ended up joining together all my spare ropes. Anchoring near where l though the mooring may be, l threaded my stainless boarding ladder onto the middle of the line. I tied one end off on the bow of the boat and then went for a long row with the other end, in a huge circle arriving back at the stern. On the way I was lucky enough to snag the submerged bouy. I then pulled the two ends together and held them parralel while I dragged the dingy under, and along.When l was right over the top l tied on my largest fender. The problem was simple. The mooring has a very heavy chain which when you dump sits on the bottom, with a light "dog chain" that is attached to the pick up bouy. The dog chain was not long enough......
.
. PS just one of the 7 rivers that where (are) in flood (all go into the lakes system) was flowing at 147 000 mega litres over the Glenmaggie dam wall........this is half the dams entire capacity. two days before it was nearly empty and had been for years.

[seafox]

It's either a draught or a flood over there Coops.
Doesn't sound too much fun at the moment for you.

[cooper]

I m lucky ...Im just a guy with a boat....the farmers (and others) have suffered the worst drought recorded, followed by the decimation of just about every patch of ground in the alps by fire, some then copped a previous flood and mud slide and now the most amazing flood.......to quote someone......it aint fair !

[seafox]

Pretty harsh environment aye?
It's cold here tonight and dead still, I am sitting on Seafox in the marina with Paula with the heater roaring and we are having beers and wines. I can smell the roast cooking, Life is good

[Alan Wheeler]

Yep it's going to be a fair cracker of a frost tonight. Lots of snow around the hill tops today.
So coops, just how far bove normal level is the lake then??
Well I suppose things can only get better from now on. I mean, if you get more rain, just think of the places you can sail to. If a plague of Frogs are sent, they have plenty of water, and if the plague of Locust come, there should be plenty of hungry frogs. If fire and brim stone come, then the water will put that lot out, so yep I think all in all, things will get better.

[cooper]

Wheels ,l agree but lets stop short of killing all the first born children!! ps..just short of two meters above its normal level ALL jettys where under water

[Steve Pope]

Wheels,
That item on trade me that no one knows what it is, the seller has said he will post photos of the other side, might help identification.

[seafox]

Off across the Cook Strait in the morning. First trip of the season. Going to be cold nights around 0 deg celcius but should be a beaut day tomorrow. 15k Southerly in the morning dying out so should be a good trip.

Going to visit Wheels while I am down there.

Also looking forward to trying out my new Kipor 1kW genny.

Going to be a great day tomorrow.

We have a 1040 hPa high over us at the moment. Tonight the tide was a spring and the low was the lowest I have ever seen. Some boats in the Marina hit the bottom. The pressure sure can make a difference to the tide.
Never seen the glass so high.

[Alan Wheeler]

Mate, bring a jacket and warm socks. Just wehn we were getting used to 18deg and the trees all decided to break out in bud and leaf, we got another dusting of snow and frosts.
Pressure has increased to 1039 here this morning. A good Frost and a high of 10deg today.

[Steve Pope]

Pleasant sailing seafox, very windy night here in the North. That 1040 high will get the low tides close to datum or even below.
Steve.

[Alan Wheeler]

It's back to 1030 now.

[NoTies]

New Cal's a long way from Cook Strait but I guess the sunshine & warm temps tells you that. Swing by here when you get back. Still on A21

[southernman]

what happened to my post? I deleted it by accident! Will see ya when I get back - just talking to a boat in the BOI on SSB seems you have a bit of wind down there Pete!

The guts of my first post was we have got to New Cal in one bit with a small tear in the main and a broken halyard. Good speed all the way! Have the bean chair out on the deck and shorts on and some crappy bundy rum and warm coke! Oh the joys of the tropics!

[southernman]

Pete, check out my photos for a pic of the new toy if you want!

[Alan Wheeler]

Great to hear you have made it Southernman.
What Freq and when do you chat on SSB. I can listen only at the mo. I don't have the thing set up on the boat yet.