Leaving

The weather was not encouraging. Blowing hard from the north, just where we needed to go. Dad, as the captain, had cleared us out of New Zealand. So excitedly, now our passports had their first stamp. How many would I collect in the next five years? I wondered. I looked at my first stamp, disappointed that it was not on the first page or even straight on the page. This lax way of stamping anywhere in my passport bothered me for many years. Finally, however, the stamp, straight or not, did mean we were cleared to leave New Zealand.

July 1 1976, we departed from Gisborne, Mum's hometown. It had been sad to say farewell to extended family. Still, it was exciting to finally start our 5 years of sailing around the Globe.

Dad and we two girls spent most of the first day on watch playing hangman. Dad was seasick for the first three days until he found his "sea legs". This became his routine. Kap and I felt miserable but seemed to continue the role of cook, which had started while sailing south to Gisborne.

Kap and I were deemed unready for night watches on the Gisborne leg (goodbye's) , so mum would take the first watch till 2200 hrs. After that, the men would do a 3-hour watch each, and that would be the night shift. The routine settled in. A very different pattern than life on the farm. The person on the 0400 to 0700 shift would be there till they either woke everyone with a cup of tea or until someone else got up and made the tea.

After two cups of tea were drunk on deck or in one's bunk, breakfast was served in the cockpit. Usually Cereal, fruit and freshly made yogurt.

The land had been invisible since our departure three days ago, and a healthy storm was building. Franda II was struggling uncomfortably upwind towards Fiji 1250 NM to the north. We were all struggling with the cold, wet and rough weather. The air below was stale because we could not open the hatches. The spray covered the yacht every time Franda II buried her bow into the oncoming waves. We all wanted to be on our backs in our bunks or standing on the deck with the wind in our faces. Settling into a routine and finding our sea legs were taking too long.

Somehow, when out for a day sail, no matter what is thrown at a sailor, it is enjoyable, even fun, to be wet, cold, and sick. However, knowing that these wild wet conditions would continue for a week or two took the enjoyment out of it.

Mike was the first to smell diesel, which somehow turns one's stomach on edge; when mixed with being bounced around. Mike and Dad went below into the engine room to trace the cause. Some small amount was sloshing around under the main engine in the bilge. The smell of raw diesel in these confined spaces was too much for Dad. He hurriedly exited and returned topside to "feed the fish". Stuart went below to help his brother, handing over the watch to Kathryn.

The "boys", as Doug called his sons, soon found the problem. One of the copper pipes had a minor fracture, which was dripping diesel. In some ways, this was good news. The engine should still run if needed, and the fracture would not take much fixing. Moreover, all the necessary equipment to repair it was onboard.

Franda II carried a lot of tools and spare parts onboard. The crew were very self-sufficient. Farming life, keeping tractors & machinery going, fencing etc., tends to create this ability.

Doug, feeling better after spewing, turned on the electric bilge pump to empty the liquid from the bilge into the ocean. Surprisingly it did not work, so another item to repair. Finally, the handle was found for the hand bilge pump, and the bilges were pumped dry.

The crew's problem was not the "know-how" to fix the leak but the conditions under which they would work. Franda II was pounding her way windward, almost stopping forward motion as she smashed into the waves as they crawled Northwards. These conditions were not only uncomfortable but could cause more problems. The crew may break other equipment or even injure themselves if thrown off balance. Of course, it could and would be fixed in an emergency, but this was far from one.

Over the previous 3 days, we had tacked (zig-zagged) back and forth, keeping our tacks short, staying close to land. Making most of the partial shelter provided by New Zealand's East Coast. However, when abreast of East Cape, we were exposed to the full force of the seas. The land was giving no shelter, so a long tack out to the East and back to the West saw us now, situated about 200 km (110 NM) north of the Bay Of Plenty.

A decision needed to be made. It would be a family decision. We were all included, as we were definitely all in this together. Dad led the discussion about the various options and what it would cost us in time, energy, and the windward advantage already gained.

Going back to Gisborne was not an option. We would lose the 3 days of hard slogging to windward. Another tabled and accepted option was sailing to Great Barrier Island, about 150 km (80 NM) directly west. We knew the island and the anchorages, having sailed there in Kohara. It was a safe and accessible place to make repairs and to sit out the rest of the bad weather.

Was the breakage lousy luck? Or was Franda II and crew not prepared? Months had been spent readying Franda II. The critical parts of the yacht had been thoroughly inspected. The hull was sound, and the rigging was in excellent condition. The engine had also been overhauled but was classed as an auxiliary, a luxury, not a necessity.

Luxury or not, it needed fixing. So Mum went below to work out the new compass course. Some of her additional considerations were:

• Franda II would be on a converging course with the mainland.
• It would soon be dark
• Heading for the windward (north) side of the Great Barrier Island would give more sea room (distance from the mainland).

The new course plotted, Franda II "put about"(tacked). Then, with an easing of sheets, her motion eased as she no longer clawed her way windward. We would arrive around daybreak in 13 - 14 hours if all went well.

Franda II made good time, sighting the Curvier Island lighthouse around 0100 hours on the port bow, just where expected. It was identified by its unique(in NZ) flash, one flash every 15 seconds. This lighthouse should be visible on a clear night for 19 NM (35 km). Mum checked the [logbook(../glossary/#logbook){: .glossary} and decided we were only about 12 NM from the light. A course change put the lighthouse just on the starboard bow. Mum then noted the time, new heading and odometer reading in the logbook. We would now pass to leeward (downwind) of Curvier Island.

Dawn saw us approaching Great Barrier Island. When I awoke just after dawn, the gentler motion of Franda II indicated that we were in the lee of the land. A quick glance out my porthole confirmed this. Jumping off my top bunk and dressing, I went topside to investigate. Great Barrier Island was no more than 6NM windward, its sheltering presence very welcome. It was still blowing hard, but morale was high without the rough sea and a port in sight.

I returned below to the galley, lighting the 4-burner gas stove, and put the kettle on to boil. Returning topside, I chatted to Stuart about his watch until I heard the kettle whistle. Below I made the pot of tea, delivering a cup to those still in bed and those on deck.

We initially anchored in Smokehouse Bay, so we young ones could go ashore for a hot bath; to wash the salt off. There was an old-fashioned tin bathtub with legs, sitting just above the high tide mark, a fireplace underneath it.

My brothers had difficulty lighting the fire, as all the wood was very wet. However, with patience and skill, they finally had a smokey fire. While my brothers were busy with the fire, Kap and I collected freshwater from a nearby creek; using the bucket, we had brought ashore.

As a result of bashing to windward, the salt spray covered Franda II and us. It was wonderful to climb into the warm water and hear the birds singing. It was also a nice feeling to be ashore. We had been bouncing around for 5 days and appreciated the stillness of the forest.

This was possibly not the "right" thing to do, as Franda II was cleared out of New Zealand. All passports had been stamped with the Exit stamp. Used for the first time except for Dad's.

Theoretically, our next foot ashore should have been Fiji. However, when travelling between countries, a boat can legally stop for emergency repairs for up to 3 days without clearing in. Can a bath be classified as an emergency? However, Dad was on board working on the bilge pump.

Back on board and refreshed, we motor sailed across the bay to Port Fitzroy, 3NM(5km) and the main "town" of the Island. Although it was raining and blowing 40 knots, the bay was in the lee, hence flat. There was no spare berth on the wharf, so we asked permission to tie alongside the other yacht there. She was the HavØn from St Thomas Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Wow! That was more than half a world away. But one day...

Kap and I sat down the following morning and did some schoolwork. The first since leaving Gisborne. We spent the afternoon creating a makeshift sail for the dinghy. Using rags and a piece of wood, we "sailed" it around a bit before heading uptown. However, the provisioning barge had been delayed by the latest bad weather. Until it arrived, there was very little on the shelves and no fresh produce to buy.

On the second morning, tied to HavØn, Kap and I were making a pot of tea when a horn blasted close by. Dad jokingly said, "Quick, or you'll miss the school bus". We sisters just looked at each other and grinned. We enjoyed having no set school times. I went on deck to discover the barge arriving and wanting to tie to the wharf. The two yachts were obviously in the barges unloading spot, so all hands on deck.

Franda II quickly started her engine, and the crew organised warps to untie her. The skipper of HavØn asked Mike if Franda II could tow them out to anchor because their old-style engine needed 30 minutes of pre-warming before it would start. So leaving Franda II tied alongside, HavØn untied her warps from the wharf, allowing the wind to blow the yachts away. Franda II then drove out to where HavØn dropped anchor. Franda II then untied and went away a safe distance and anchored.

One good thing about the barge arriving, there would now be some fresh produce in the store. Although Franda II was still fully provisioned, some fresh fruit and vegetables to replace what had been consumed in the last week would be welcome.

After 4 days of recouping and fixing broken items, we again left port, munching on fresh tomato sandwiches for lunch. The wind was still blowing from the north but had dropped in intensity, making for a much nicer sail to windward.

Fiji was still 1097NM to the north, and Franda II had already been "gone" for a week.