See Previous 2004 Voyage Logs
Soren Larsen sails the NZ coast 2005.
The Hauraki Gulf to Bay of Islands and back -
Part two from Shawn Strange's journal account of the 5 night bay of Islands trips, V212 and V213:-
 V212, (Jan 17-22)
Mon 1/17- Sailed today and then anchored at Great Barrier Island for the night. (BOI, Waiheke, Man o’ War Bay)
Tues 1/18- We began the morning with breakfast and my first failed attempt at soft-boiled eggs, followed by many offerings of sure-fire techniques for getting right the next time. The bag lunches were packed and ready for all by 8am. All those going ashore, loaded into the small boats and got ready for a wet landing on Bush’s Beach on the Kaiarara Bay. The cicadas sang a raucous welcome as the boat landed, and this time I decided to take a longer hike up to the lower dam on the Kaiaraara River. While, Kenny, Dave and Krystal bolted straight up headed for the top of Mt. Hobson, I began my leisurely hike toward where the trailhead broke off in three directions. Stopping for a brief moment to chat with Lee, who had found a beautiful streamside stop for the day, I continued up the trail. The trails were much drier than last time I hiked here, and the footing was now more solid. Still again, New Zealand hiking might get flat, but rarely starts or stays that way. Hiking up trails with lacey green canopies, stopping to sit at streambeds with boulders the size of small rooms in a quaint house, hearing the rush of wind in the treetops mimicking the crashing waves close by, random conversations with other hiking boaters, jumping into frigid mountain streams once it got too hot, lunching on the river bed where a mighty dam had once blocked, then flowed down to the ocean with Kauri log-filled waters, followed by a wonderful nap at back at the riverbed with other crew, another quick swim and a short hike back was today’s hike. Dinner went by quickly, and bed found all us fast.
 Wed 1/19- Today we sailed out to island rock formations called the Poor Knights. I know little about these islands, other then they are too deep to anchor near and they have caves quite similar to but that outdo, California’s Channel Island Painted Cave. I will have to look them up.
Th 1/20-Tonight we’re at anchor in Whangamumu Harbor, a beautiful little cove just outside Russell. The grass geen hills are the same Crayola green that I remember most about my visit to NZ ten years ago. The hills rise almost straight out of the water reminding us that under the soft rolling grass, lays the remnants of a fierce volcano, now sleeping. It was finally almost warm enough to swim, and many did.
 F 1/21- We set sail in the morning and headed for Robertson Island, home of Capt Jim and his wife Terri, both longtime Soren crew. They were preparing a backyard BBQ for us, but what a backyard. This backyard was set against a sliver of rocky shore with a large protected tidal pool surrounded by dramatic volcanic rocks that provided a lovely backdrop for the twilight. Once Jim got the fire going, we placed a sheet of tin roofing over the pit, which then became a roasting rack for the pipis, (like small mussels or large perwinkles). Freshly harvested, the shellfish were stunning and many sat around the fire, burning their fingers pulling mussels greedily from their too-hot shells. By now two of the Aussies - Kenny and Dave had taken over the barbie and roasting amazing amounts of steaks, sausage and veggies. Be warned, don’t get between a Aussie and the BBQ. They did an amazing job. Jim took those interested around to look at the wooden boat that he and Terri were building, the wood newly planed into a gorgeous smooth hull. Most of stood while petting the hull while he talked about the boatbuilding process. After dinner as the day dimmed, the guitar and fiddle were pulled out by Capt Barry and former engineer, Paul LeFort, and we all sat around the fire singing sea shanties and listening to the fiddler play.
The next morning a very groggy ship woke to haul anchor and finish the last leg of the trip to Russell, where we said our goodbyes the voyage crew and readied ourselves for a bit of time on shore.
V213, (Jan 24-29)
 Mon 1/24- The voyage crew joined us in the port of Russell. After signing in, getting fitted for their harnesses and getting settled into their cabins, they went aloft for the first time while at anchor. After lunch, we sailed back to Robertson Island, home of Capt Jim and Terri. While many went ashore to hike around the beautiful slender stretch of rocky beach and few hills, Capt Jim came aboard to turn our compass. An expert at celestial navigation, this was small task for him, but I had never seen this done before. So, turning a compass is a process to check the compass’s accuracy. It simply involves spinning the boat in circles and checking the compass points against known compass headings on land. The concept is simple, but it takes a keen eye and certain knowledge of the land at hand. A few went snorkeling and found massive mussels which we then included in our dinner. Krystal got tossed in the water twice, taking Ulrich in with her once.
Tues 1/25- This morning the boat woke to a chorus of cicadas chirping loudly enough from Robertson Island that we could hear them as if they were outside our portholes. Right after breakfast, we set sail for another day at sea and sailed for most of the morning. The SE winds gave us reason to turn on the motor, and we sailed against them for the remainder of the afternoon, giving some their first experience of small ocean swells. We anchored in Whangaruru for a nice sleep in a sheltered harbor and are headed to Poor Knights tomorrow for a cruise through the caves.
Wed 1/26- Poor Knights islands, named by Capt Cook after a popular English dumpling of his time, are the remains of large lava domes which were believed to have risen from a deep fracture running from the Coromandel Penisula to the East Coast of the Northland. Two of the islands Aorangi & Tawhiti Rahi were inhabited at one time by the Ngati Wai tribe, self-sufficient pig traders that only went to the mainland for timber. After a particularly disastrous war raid, what was left of the island’s population moved to the mainland and named the islands tapu and off limits. Today some of us enjoyed snorkeling and touring the large caves whose ceilings are colored with brightly-colored lichens and mosses. Once leaving Poor Knights, we set into sea watches and sailed against the wind through the night until early in the morning. The night watches were wild, wooly and wet, as we got another taste of the ocean swells.
 Thurs 1/27- Most of us woke to the picturesque coastline of the Great Barrier Island. After breakfast, those going ashore grabbed their packed lunches and boarded the rubber duck. Dave climbed up and down the Mt Hobson in record time, passing Chuichi, Kumiko, Sian, Stewart, Norman, Mark, and Diana on the way back down from the summit. I stopped at the waterfall halfway up to the dam for a quick swim that turned quicker with the discovery of a four-foot eel in the pond and later found some black obsidian rock that was important to the Maori as axe and spear heads. New Zealand is a geological smorgasbord. A millennia of of dropping onto the ocean floor created so many sedimentary rocks that were simply pushed up and around or transformed into some of the most diverse and ample igneous rocks around by ancient emerging volcanoes. Back on shore waiting for the rubber duck, we gathered cockles just under the low tide line for an appetizer for the final night dinner.
Fri 1/28- We got an early start this morning, and each watch was able to get in some sail handling. Right around lunch the ship sailed right through a bait balla grouping of smaller bait fish, usually marked by turbulent waters and diving birds overhead. However, a few dolphins that were fishing in the area came to play and surf our bow waves. Margaret tried her hand at fishing and though we’ve not pulled in tuna yet, she’s taught us a few tricks that we’ll continue to try until we land some premium sushi-grade tuna for lunch. Sailing for most of the day to anchor at 3pm.
 We’re headed for Motuihe Island for the evening and a final night dinner. Eef, Frank and Pursey all gave parting words and sung fine toasts to celebrate our voyage.
Sat 1/29- VC depart and say goodbye. "
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See the full Picture Gallery for this trip HERE
Read Shawn first Journal entries of the Christmas and New Year trips HERE
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2004: Voyage crew Karen Gustafson's memories of the New Zealand coast, January 2004.
"Shall I start by saying that I before Jan.19, 2004 I thought that I would like sailing............... After Jan.19th I know that without a doubt ........I LOVE SAILING...." here
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