10-March
1300
Ship’s Log: Motorsailing 8 kts at 1400 rpms under the stays’ls and the single reefed main, c/o 185 psc, NW’ly winds F1, seas 3 ft SSE, 29 nm off Banks Peninsula
Ship’s Position: 45°11.2’S 171°56.9’E, 29 nm off Banks Peninsula, Voyage 1566 nm
Had a science-filled mid watch last night, followed by a very kingly sleep of kings: Probably the longest continuous sleep I’ve had in a while. The seas are glassy and we are motorsailing south, bound for Dunedin. We found a feathered stowaway from land: a sparrow of some sort, who is very comfortable sitting on the members of the watch. Flocks of seabirds bob in the water and physalia physalia (man-of-wars) float by. Seals were even spotted poking their flippers from the water to wave hello, or as Richard tells us, cool off. At lookout I scanned the infinite horizons.
Chris and Jill going aloft, and B watch hauling up the mains'l.
11-March
1900
Ship’s Log: Sailing under the prevented main, stays’ls, jib JT and tops’l on a port tack. Winds F1 from the ENE and seas 3’ from the S. c/o 195 psc. (TH)
Ship’s Position: 45°11.9’S 171°30.0’E, 30 nm ENE of Katiki Point, Voyage: 1681 nm
Land is out of sight, only visible by its glow in the early morning hours. It’s remarkable how easy it is to study down below and forget that on deck we’re in the middle of the ocean. Only making about a knot, I was sitting in the bowsprit as a pod of dusky dolphins swam up. They played in front of the ship and passed around pieces of kelp between their flippers. Through the net I could see them swimming in the blue-green waters, with the suns rays penetrating the depths. Later, we were buzzed by a fishing vessel, bringing in tow hundreds and hundreds of sea birds hoping for lunch, and we saw mollymooks and albatrosses swooping all around our ship. Richard finally helped me tell the difference between them. Tonight I took the role of Junior Watch Officer and assumed control of my watch, with our mate Stu to help me balance all the duties we fill in just four hours.
Dolphins swimming under the headrig.
Birds flocking around a fishing vessel, and a mollymook.
12-March
0700
Ship’s Log: Motorsailing under stays’s, 1000 rpm, spd. 6 kts, c/o 220 psc, Wind NxW F3.
Ship’s Position: 45°42.1’S 170°49.5’E, 6 nm E of Hayward Pt, Voyage: 1730 nm
Today C watch took the deck to (again) bring the Seamans to port. We reached the mouth of Otago Harbor just before turnover, and we took two hours or so to navigate the long and winding channel between the Otago Peninsula and the mainland. Quaint villages dotted the coast, with rolling green hills covered in sheep. Cars parked along the coast hailing the Seaman’s return to Dunedin, and in the distance the gothic spires of the city and warehouses and tanks of the waterfront came into view. Like sailing pros, we banged a u-ey in the basin and pulled to the dock, starboard side to.
The sun rising behind the Otago Peninsula, and Port Chalmers in Otago Harbor
13-March
0700
Ship’s Log: Alongside, stbd side to, at Birch St. Wharf Dunedin, ship all secure.
Ship’s Position: 45°52.8’S 170°30.4’E, Voyage 1751 nm
Picked up a bus and met our friend Adelle from the U of Otago in Portabello, and headed along the windy harborside roads to the yellow-eyed penguin shelter and hospital, where we saw penguins molting and seals basking on the rocks. We also visited the Royal Albatros colony at the mouth of the harbor, and shipmates took a swim at Pilots Beach. A detour took us up steep and winding dirt roads up the mountains to a place called Lover’s Leap. Only having 15 minutes, we had to sprint a km through rain and windswept trees and confused sheep to the shear cliff-face with columnar basalt and the roaring sea below.
Yellow Eyed penguin and the Otago shoreline.
14-March
0000
Ship’s Log: All secure alongside Birch St. Wharf.
Ship’s Position: 45°52.8’S 170°30.4’E, Voyage 1751 nm
Today we spruced the Seamans up for Open Ship Day, where we invited the citizens of Dunedin to come tour a tall ship. The queue was full by 10:00, and by 1:00 500 people had come aboard, with many children hoping to be pirates. I also visited the University of Otago campus, which had awesome architecture and green spaces. The crew and faculty rendezvoused at Speights Brewery for a group dinner together.
Shipmates at Pilots Beach
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