Land HO!

Dec 31 @ 0:2:20

I’ve just finished my afternoon radio sked with Ted VK6NTE near Biningup WA. and Wayne VK4 XG in Brisbane. They were both good copy to me but Ted only had light copy on me so I spoke mainly with Wayne who always has 9/5 copy and booms in here across the Tasman.

It is still overcast and light grey, not too low and nothing angry in the sky at the moment. The wind is a steady 15 kts from the north and we have full yankee andtriple reefed main and doing a respectable 6 knots. The wind is supposed to build to 20 kts from the NNE this afternoon and then swing around from the Southeast around 10:00 tonight. I am at present Lat 34 49 S and Long 172 27 E which puts me 20 odd miles off 90 mile beach. This is the same beach I hiked up at the same time of year by myself in 1969, 45 years ago. I remember it vividly as if it were yesterday. The die was cast by then and nurtured over a lifetime to bring me back to this same beach across many oceans.

This morning was a morning to plan my rounding of Cape Reinga and two other Capes, Cape Maria van Dieman just to the west of Cape Reinga and North Cape just to the East of Cape Reinga. I have set a series of four way points to guide me around this narrow and prominent land which marks the Northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand. My first way point marks a dangerous sand bank that elbows out some 15 miles from land called Pandora Bank. I am hoping to clear that around 08:00 tonight then if the wind has filled from the Southeast by then I can run before it around the next three capes and come out to the east coast of the Island some time in the morning. It is about 120 miles down to the bay of islands from there.

I won’t get much sleep tonight but it is an exciting time and I have a great deal of anticipation about these next few days. I should be able to make the land inan hour or so, as a matter of fact you may hear me announce this great moment when I see it. “Land Ho!”

I will let you know my position as I bag each Cape. Not long now ….

UPDATE @ 15:30

~~~~~~~.)~~~~~~~”Land Ho” __________!!!!!

This is a feeling so very unique, after crossing The Tasman for the third time, making land fills my whole body with joy and excitement. I am tingling all over. There were dolphins at the bow and we surged ahead as I sprung on deck bare foot and let out a reef to free another 100 square feet of sail for West Wind to turn into knots. She eagerly pushed the waves aside and joined the dolphins and myself in the celebration.

There is a wonderful earthy smell filling the air and the line on the horizon gives way to a smudge that gradually comes into focus. The land is low and gently undulating with a soft green hue. Off to the port side it rises to the Cape not yet discernible at this distance. I will continue into the bay for an hour then come round onto starboard tack and work my way past Pandora Bank and off to the Cape.

Wonderful to be on deck now with some new horizon to focus on.