197. We did mean to go to sea

Lyttelton

Morning tea with Andy and Kathryn started the day. They were to be off by eleven thirty to Kaikora for the weekend so this was our only chance. It has been a couple of years since we last caught up so there was much to catch up on. They are so much fun and with Kathryn a leading privacy lawyer and Andy a Film and TV script writer I was running to keep up. Midday came and went while we yarned and I retired a bit before one without their being the least concerned about the time.

Cierán was amused by the name

Next I collected Cierán a originally a friend of Mark, my UK colleague.  Cierán has recently moved to NZ to work for Link (a brilliant decision by our CE Andy). We had lunch at the cup then over Dyers Pass to the boat to go for a sail. Cierán had no sailing experience but was game. The trailer had three flat tyres but the squadron Fordson Super Major easily hauled the boat to the tractor shed where there is a compressor. I love the Super Major, we had three on the farm when I was a kid with front mounted, belt drive pumps for spray line irrigation. The brilliant thing about this tractor is that most are scared of it so it is almost for my exclusive use and makes a much better launch vehicle than a car and means that you can turn up in anything (Type R) and go for a sail.

Spot the tyre that was flat

It took a bit longer than usual to get rigged as I had packed more things up than usual as the boat hadn’t been used for a year, since my last visit. I am very impressed that the Honda Fifteen outboard started second pull. We didn’t use it (foolish sailor pride) but nice to know that the iron sail works.

There was another Noelex 25 retrieving when we went to launch and it soon became apparent that they were struggling. It was a particularly high tide which meant that backing down the slip and around the corner so that the boat was alongside the finger jetty was not possible. They were grateful for help and with a stern line added and me in their SUV we eventually got it up.

He's a natural

Cierán and I hoisted sails and prepped the boat while still beside the jetty as it is easier than motoring out and doing it in the full breeze. We had a lovely sail beating up the harbour in quite a stiff easterly slightly overpowered with the main backing a little but with good boat speed of five and a half knots.

Diamond Harbour was our turning point and, as always, was a virtual calm, a sanctuary, out of the breeze. It is a place of my childhood having had a family batch there and I loved being back. Things were a little mired by collecting a fishing line that a wharf fisherman hadn’t wound up which is the usual practice when a boat approaches. We did a three sixty to release his line but his abuse and threats were particularly uncomfortable for the families waiting for the next ferry. Quite unusual and I didn’t respond, other than to say “steady on”.

We had a nice broad reach home with Cierán at the helm. Took a couple of goes to come alongside the jetty under sail then we were both amused when a smaller trailer-sailer boat arrived under motor, approached the jetty at right angles (never a good idea), miss managed the motor and crashed into the wharf. As it happens I knew one of the party but I am far too discrete to tell tales*.

I was under a little time pressure as I had a standing invitation to dinner with Hamish, Julie and family which I was really looking forward to. Julie and I did a European Tour by Eurail together a hundred years ago. Hamish is a great bloke and a fun evening was assured.

As always, Julie had prepaired a spectacular seated meal and we were joined by an cricket English friend of theirs over for the England / NZ test match at the Hagley Oval. It was a lovely evening.

*Private message me