Winding Down and Up
01 May 2009 | Whangarei: Weather today is crappy. Promises to be crappier
Weatherman
Everyone talks about the weather
The season here in NZ is rapidly winding down... and we're winding up for the sail back to the Tropics. God I hate wearing sweaters, long pants and socks... socks for cryin' out loud! I can feel Antarctica breathing down my neck.... and blowing around my ankles.
Perusing a Kiwi Weather fax is an eye opener. The Roaring Forties are only three hundred miles south of Whangarei. The tip of the South Island at 48S is south of our current position by 13 degrees . Seattle is 48 North. The comparison ends there. There isn't a lick of land between there and the Pole.
For you lubbers, one minute of latitude = one nautical mile. Sixty minutes is one degree. 60m x 13d = 780 miles. From there, it's only1200 miles to the ice! A Southerly blows straight from the icebox to NZ. Brrrr.....
Two boats sank just north of us in the last few days. Both came in from a beating offshore only to sink within sight of a safe harbor. One hit a rock, the other was driven ashore, unable to sail or motor. The real heroes in this aren't the sailors who might have used better judgment, but the NZ Cost Guard, which is a volunteer service. These boys (andsome girls) are hard core. Give 'em a big hand!
Besides studying the available weather info and talking with experts and fellow cruisers, I take the mature approach to forecasting. Wyntersea has Earl on board... I have my Polar Bear carved for me by Fred, a Native Carver from Alaska and my Teddy Bear. Bear has the last say. "S'alright Bear?" "Yep. Light a fire under it son."