The Devil Wears Foul Weather Gear

 We did it!  Safely circumnavigated New Zealand in the good ship Mimu.  Left Auckland 19 March and arrived back in Auckland 9 June.  21 different crew members on board, new friendships formed.  We've had all kinds of weather conditions thrown at us, a new turbo, furler belt and maintenance along the way.  A few bruises but no real injuries.  We started the journey smiling and we have finished in great spirits. Mimu kept us safe, we had a great Skipper and Commodore kept us well organised with awesome teamwork from the ever changing crew.  Next trip Fiji!! Crossing our start line. We did it!! Coming into Orakei Marina. A celebratory dinner ashore - home to Taupo tomorrow. So that's the end of the blog, for now at least!  Thank you for following, the blog has been a fun way to share our adventures x

Sailed under staysail with engine assist until we reached the top of the Coromandel, 3-4m swells right on the stern, cork screwing down the breaking waves. Exhilarating!! Today has definitely given us the best of the sailing conditions. Seas have flattened out, No. 1 reef in the main plus staysail and we are hitting 10+ knots.  Comfy motion down below, the sun is shining. Doesn't get much better! Looking good Lisa! It's been fun Cam! Fiji next year? Just one or two more entries in the Log to finish our amazing adventure.

08.15am Wednesday 9 June 2021!  Anchor up and heading out - destination Auckland, 65nm to go of this epic adventure around New Zealand. Grey skies and drizzle, expecting lumpy seas but the wind conditions have settled down.  Champagne chilling in the fridge, Commodore will be at the dock to welcome us in. With fair winds we hope to be in around 6pm this evening. Go MIMU, Team Bartley and crew! (as an aside - we have loaded a short video clip on the Dolphins at Play blog - if you click on the title of the blog in your email, then the video will pop up)

 Day 2 of being marooned on Great Mercury Island.  We are sheltered in the most beautiful bay whilst chaos reigns all around us.  The wind is pumping in the trees above us and on the horizon a white wall of water whipped up. Highlight for us is the family of 5 dolphins that have befriended our anchor chain.  Rolling and submerging scratching their bellies - just hanging out in the tropically blue water. These dolphins are around 3 meters long and are very comfortable with us sharing their bay.  

  The Wild Weather Report - Mimu is in the middle of that circle and purple/red means HUGE wind and is the reason why we are staying put.  Looks like a window will open for us Wednesday to sneak through the Colville Channel and then its downhill to Auckland. What a beautiful bottom Mimu!! Farewell, we'll be back   Off to explore Great Mercury.  We buzzed along, on the plane bouncing over small wind whipped waves into Michael Fay's harbour. We spied a yacht moored there to visit.  Chatted to a young couple off on a sailing adventure around NZ waiting out the weather like us.  A landing and now to explore. Wet feet but what's an adventure without wet feet! Looking South East. The scenes that awaited us as we climbed over a high point.  This is the east side of the island (we are moored on the west) and the wild ocean view was spectacular.  Wind was pumping!!! The Skipper deep in concentration .. the dying art of splicing a rope  .... No such thing as cabin fever on Mimu!! Ple

  YUMMMMMMM Jean's delish Thai Green Curry.  Just warms your innards!! First Mate Jean is doing a fabulous job in the Galley!!  Cooking in the Galley and moving around resembles being drunk!  You are not sure which way the boat will be thrown on the big swells. Woke up for the 4am night watch, opened the cabin door to this absolute carnage in the main saloon. Mimu took a particularly large wave on the beam.  This carnage nearly flattened the sleeping Skipper!! It was like playing hopscotch to get to the cockpit stairwell.  

  The inaugural video of the blog !  Action on the deep blue sea.  The start of our journey from East Cape to the Mercuries.  Non-stop sailing from Tory Channel in the sounds to Great Mercury Island.  We had 6 hours of full sail from East Cape towards the Mercuries.  Sailed with perfect sailing weather - fronts coming through like a freight train.  Order was wind would pick up then torrential rain would come and the wind would ease back.  Incredible to sail along and see White Island below us! So far out to sea!!! Then the wind picked up even more ......... Rainy squalls all around us, severe wind gusts of 30-40 and then peaked at 50 knots! We battled the night with the main and motor.  As the night went on the swells grew higher.  Mimu rolled beautifully up and over 3-4 metre swells. The boys stepped into action and held the cockpit while the girls were allowed to sleep.  SLEEP???? What is that !! when waves a crashing and bashing the side of the hull next to your head.  Daylight and

  A stunning sunset, gentle swell, balmy temperatures, happy crew - this adventure just gets better and better. Wind on the nose so motoring at 2500rpm's - keeping our speed up and the new turbo is loving it. Ninja Fritz in his element! Note the wake out the back!! Cooking up a storm for the hungry crew. Thank goodness they are not too fussy!! Don't want to bump into one of these in the night! Our nightly watches are 1 hour on with 4 hours off.  Friday night's sunset! Spectacular!! An end to another fabulous day. 9pm have just passed Gisborne.

 After a quiet night anchored in an arm off the Tory Channel, we woke to pea soup fog. Decided to get underway and have breakfast on the water - the Mimu crew all patched up and in great spirits for the next leg! A breakfast banquet - bacon and scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes and wilted spinach! For someone who doesn't cook - not too shabby First Mate!  Exited the Tory Channel for Cook Straits just as the fog lifted and it looked to be the most awesome day. Brilliant blue skies and gentle swell. New turbo working a treat. The lovely Lisa keeping us on course.  Stunning weather.  Sailed under genoa and full main.  With the wind rising as we left the mainland, Mimu hit 11+ knots on occasion. Perhaps we were slightly over canvassed when the wind gusts reached 25 knots but the exhilaration was second to none. After motor sailing for most of the South Island we were so excited to finally have full sail up. Skipper looking pretty relaxed and chilled! Kaikoura Ranges covered in snow b

The fog lifted around lunchtime for the new crew's arrival. Skipper, Lisa, Cam and Fritz - flying Auckland to Blenheim. Last minute jobs onboard - A hoist up the mast for Skipper to check a wobbly VHF aerial, quick visit to the liquor store (wine, beer and bubbles for our arrival in Auckland). A safety briefing then to the fuel dock.  We are carrying 800 litres of diesel and 600 litres of fresh water.   A bird's eye view from top of the mast. First Mate has Skipper's life hanging by a thread (or rather a halyard)!! Testing out the new comms! And we're off - leaving Picton on a stunning evening, heading to the Tory Channel for an overnight anchorage. The BlueBridge ferry coming in Queen Charlotte Sounds. A beautiful starry night in the Queen Charlotte Sounds. The crew on our final leg Picton to Auckland minus the Commodore who is with us in spirit and following on the AIS. 9pm its bedtime, we are all patched up with our Scopoderms and ready to sail! Anchor up 7am, cooked