Electrical Storm
December 23rd and we awoke with a sunny warm day, breakfast now over it was time to move on. The marine weather forecast mentioned 15 - 30 knots from the North West with showers so I decided to sail with a flat run back to Auckland. With the same routine as before, we sailed out of Bon Accord Harbour, out again into the Hauraki Gulf. About half an hour later dark clouds arrived with strengthening wind and I am snug as a bug nice and warmly wrapped in wet weather gear. The wind increased, waves built up and lightening flashed followed by a thunderous crash, hail stones hammered and I was enjoying myself steering down waves counting the seconds until we rose again on the back of the next wave ahead. By now the Genoa was useless as it kept folding in upon itself we were sailing fast as the wind. Our Genoa now furled, mainsail still up having no reefing points continued onwards, wind rapidity increased, spray everywhere and no green stuff coming aboard, seconds count lengthen as we sailed down and up again over the waves ahead passing other motor vessels and sailboats the latter also running with reduced sails too. Other vessel sailing or motoring the opposite way pounded, completely covered with a dosage of green water or obscured in sea spray.
It took approximately two and a half hours from Kawau to reach Rangitoto Island and we sort shelter in Islington Bay only to find it too full of other vessels seeking the same. Not deterred we sailed in between and around all anchored vessel to drop anchor in close where no other sailboat dared to go. Next morning the weather forecast mentioned a strong wind warning from the west, bugger! That for me was right on the nose to sail back to our mooring, moreover I wanted to be home for Christmas that very night. Without further ado our little Tribune under full sail again managed to claw her way forward steadily, I watched for wind gust as shown on the water surface and altered course to intercept thus allowing the main to be altered to suit, this continued to be the pattern until we reached our estuary and still under full sail let go the sheets at the last minute to make fast to our floating buoy. That night on TV mentioned/showing the damage around Auckland having trees up rooted, roofs taken of homes, flooding, and horticultural glass houses distorted. It seems a tornado had gone through a sector of the city creating havoc. I couldn’t believe my eyes to think we sailed in such a storm, if I had known that was in store I would have delayed our sailing from Kawau Island, caught the ferry back to Warkworth then a bus home to Titirangi in West Auckland.
Change of Ownership
Unfortunately, my clients they never had the chance to sail in their own newly built sailboat by themselves, why? Management from the WALSH TRUST being short of funds sold Tribune. However, some month’s later word of her whereabouts came to me, upon inspection discovered she was tied to her mooring, no name as yet and our Tribune still in excellent condition except she had additional amount of marine growth attached below the waterline, obviously not in use. Next, I sort out the custodian of the local yacht club as to the owner of our Tribune design. Once found used my mobile phone and yes he was reluctant to sell her as he was trying to sell his 25ft monohull sailboat first. “I’ve had more fun with that little trimaran, she is so fast and easy to handle, all my friends agree she is exciting to sail.”
American Ownership
Two weeks later whilst being employed as a vineyard contractor on Waiheke Island, I attended a wedding of Fred an American gentleman in his early sixties and his younger attractive English wife Anne. Fred and Anne came from Alaska having sailed his own 36ft Trimaran via the pacific Islands to New Zealand (another story), whilst sojourning in New Zealand Fred endured a triple-by-pass operation, had sold his vessel to pay for the former. When asked if he had any regrets about coming to our lovely Pacific Island/country, he replied he truly missed his trimaran and if he had the funds would build another of the same. “If only there was a smaller sailboat I could take through the surf to go fishing in that would be real dandy”. I mentioned our 19ft Tribune then produced a photo to show him and his response was amazing. “Where and how much is he asking”? I replied, “just tell him your story as to where you came from and how you sailed here to include your operation then you never know one may get her at a good price”… My friend with Tribune’s owner’s phone number and address was on the next ferry to Auckland City and sailed his new pride and joy back to Waiheke Island that same afternoon complete with marine growth. A few days later with a new coat of antifoul paint Tribune was ready to make a longer passage to the North Cape. Photos shows our little cruiser coastal passage up to whata-whiwhi hence the name change Whiwhi pronounced ‘FiFi’.
S.V. Tribune on her maiden voyage at Kawau Island. |
A few weeks later I asked Fred how did he find Tribune and his response being “Boy she’s fast, I sailed her amongst other bigger sailboats that were racing some of them were top boats too and I passed the whole fleet of them.”
‘SEA GYPSIES DOWN UNDER’ is a collection of taped recordings taken of cruising folk who willingly gave details of their own personal experiences. Some told of frightful events while others had wonderful relaxed voyages. The reader will find a mine of valuable information given by these cruisers who tell of storms, pirates, gun-shot victims, shipwrecks, man-overboard, diving experiences, shark attacks, and how to avoid them, plus other helpful advice for those who want to go cruising offshore.
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Tribune 19’ x 12’ x 10” Plywood Cruiser
Drawings of Tribune 19ft micro-cruising trimaran made from treated marine plywood ‘GOP.’
Ross' Book on Amazon
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She sails like a dream with fingertip control at the helm, a well-balanced fun sailboat.
Tribune is truly seaworthy as a coaster, having proved herself on her maiden voyage in an electrical storm with gusts 30 plus knots using full main, leaving nothing but spray behind, passing all before us, large or small. Our genoa had to be furled as we were sailing faster than the wind running and surfing before it, never taking aboard any green sea, truly a well-designed boat.
Quotation and detail drawing as taken from:‘Sea Gypsies Down Under’
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