We finally set sail

Its been so long since we've gone out there. I've missed it so much. Its good to go out for the long weekend when the weather is so perfect too. The wind was blowing in the right direction too, and we pretty much sailed all the way down the harbour and past Rangitoto on a single tack.

We decided to go into Mullet Bay at Motutapu since it was nice and sheltered. Its been a while since we've been here. It wasn't so crowded either which is a bonus. We were able to get good anchorage and then settled in.

I took Kien for a swim in the somewhat frigid sea. It was nice to be able to do this. I enjoy diving off the back of the boat into the deep water. It feels adventurous and wild, even though I'd freak out (and more than likely not) dive into deep blue ocean. Believe it or not that scares me to no end! The thought of it makes me shudder. But here in the calm of a beautiful dusky bay in the Hauraki Gulf its amazing.

Kien was so cold he really needed to have a bath afterwards. So a hot bath he got.

Turning 6

Wow, hasn't it flown by fast...or not? Sometimes it feels quick, and then I think about how much I used to sleep six years prior! He's currently sitting in the lounge watching Mythbusters, and yesterday he was on the iPad with Donald Duck & Chip and Dale YouTube compilation on reruns and chuckling like a baby. Ah, yes, my baby boy - still a baby at times and moments of being an independent big kid. He can drive me insane with his incessant whining and complaining, but he can also be so charmingly adorable with his jokes and his made up stories and songs. His vocabulary is immense with phrases and words I didn't even know he had in him, and yet he still gets confused between a 'b' and a 'd', and the difference in sounds between an M and an N. On the beach at Motutapu he explored the rocks while Jef and I shaded under a pohutukawa tree. We knew where he was by the constant chattering as he gives a running commentary (to himself??).

We woke up on his birthday anchored at Motuihe. I made pancakes for a breakfast treat, and then we set sail to Motutapu. He opened his Kinder Surprise egg, and as always, saved the chocolate for later and played with the toy.

The wind pretty much blew us all the way to Station Bay on a single tack. Once anchored it was cake time. We had purchased a supermarket mud cake and had hidden it from him at the bottom of the fridge, so it was a surprise for him when we pulled it out.







I then decided it was time to go for a swim. The wind was still blowing quite heavily and it wasn't warm, but luckily we had the wetsuits all ready to go. Kien wanted to check out the beach so I towed him there on his boogie board.



Jef came after us on a kayak, bringing my much needed shoes so I didn't slice my poor feet on the very sharp rocks. Kien didn't want his shoes, but then again he's so light he can just run across the rocks like he was running on a cloud.









Kien loves to explore rock pools, looking for living organisms like crabs, shrimps, periwinkles and the like. Ever since he could crawl around he's been interested in what he could find (and back then stick in his mouth). Now he just runs around singing and chirping the entire time. When we can't hear him we'd call out and he'd call back. One time when he didn't respond we called louder and he came running down the hill/mountain. He really wanted to show me something, he said. It was at the top of the hill. So an unexpected excursion for me climbing to the top and all he wanted to show me was the view, and insisted I photograph him doing a martial arts stance of some description.



Then it was straight back down the hill again for some more exploration.



It was a fabulous day, and I reflected back to this day six years prior when I was lying in bed at Birthcare in Parnell staring at this little bundle in the cot beside me. He was wide eyed and very much awake for a really long time. I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep, but he was not having any of that.



Little did I know that six years later not much changes when it comes to this kid. He's given us a run for our money, that's for sure.

A small bay offering big surprises

I thought I'd start this post at the very end, when we sailed into the harbour on Sunday evening as the sun was setting. As we passed Wynyard Quarter on our port side the sun had dipped below the horizon and we sailed in the darkness. It was beautiful, peaceful and exhilarating.

It was a good way to finish the day after a long slog back tacking a bijillion times windward all the way home.

~~~~~

We set out (relatively) early on Saturday knowing there was going to be good south to southwesterly winds. What we (I) didn't know was that it was going to be the most perfect sailing condition (I've ever experienced) for getting us where we needed to go. As soon as we came out of the marina we popped out the genoa and pointed the boat up the harbour. With a beam reach we sailed on starboard tack all the way to Motuihe. We did one gybe and headed toward the channel between Motutapu and Rakino, and made it to our destination in a record time of 2 hours 48 minutes. We slowly eased into Mullet Bay at Motutapu, and within 10 minutes of anchoring the kayak was in the water and the boys were heading off to explore while I went for a swim.

When they came back I hopped back into the water with Kien.



Kien asked me if I could touch the bottom. I told him the bottom was a fair distance below us, and 6 meters of depth means nothing to a 4 year old. In the end, "we are quite far from the shore" sufficed.







We had a nice warm bath waiting for us when we got out.



We had an early dinner, watched the sunset and went to bed, as is always the case when we are out on the boat. When the sun is gone it is so dark, and we just feel ready to go and sleep.



The following day we were up at the crack of dawn - which reminds me I must get a hatch cover if I want to have a sleep in and not be woken up by a child who is raring to go at the first incling of morning. I do love this time of day when we are out on the boat though. It is so peaceful and still, and the fresh smell of the day is something very unique and special in itself.



When the sun was fully up and I'd had enough coffee to kill a small donkey we kayaked to shore with our packed snacks/lunch for a picnic, and trekked off up the hill to explore the sights.









Motutapu - I love this island. I came here during a school trip once (twice, three times?) and never really appreciated it's beauty, or it's proximity to other islands in the Hauraki Gulf. But really, wow, this place has spectacular views.

Motuihe in the foreground, Waiheke in the background.

Across the channel is Rakino, and The Noises in the background.



Waiheke in the foreground, and Coromandel in the background (Great Barrier in the distance).

Great Barrier in the distance.



We found ourselves a shady spot under the canopy of small trees and had our lunch.





From here we could see our sailboat in the pretty bay, recognisable by the horseshoe red lifebuoy sitting in its housing at the stern of Cariere.





After lunch we headed back down to the beach where our kayaks sat baking in the sun. At the other end of the beach there is a gun emplacement which was worth checking out.









Kien and Jef crawled through the "window" - there was no other way in or out.













We cooled off in the clear water before heading back to the boat.



When we got back to the boat Jef pulled up the fishing lure, which we had put overboard just for fun in the morning. Even though nothing was on the hook some fish had followed it up to the surface. So I quickly finished my swim, baited a line and dropped it overboard. No sooner had the sinker hit the bottom a fish was on my hook, and I pulled up an undersized snapper. We let that go and I baited up again, and before my sinker even got to the bottom there was tugging on my line, and again I pulled up another small snapper. After the third time this happened we decided to call it quits and threw all our bait overboard. Feed them now, let them grow and we'll catch them when they are bigger.

It took us almost 5 hours to get home, and Kien slept for most of it.



The city lights guided us in.