Mana Trip
Trip to Mana, demonstration of vessel, fishing trip and a chance to take the
kids to Te Papa museum July 2006
Map of our Trip
Day 1
The weather looks like a trip across the ditch may not be possible these school holidays but there is a chance of a window that may be possible so we head off to the club mooring at Wharehunga a good chance for the kids to play in the dingy and a solid walk for us all up the hill thru the gorse plenty of sign of wild pigs around here.
Day 2
The weather is a bit dark but we decide to doodle off down to cape Koamaru via Pikersgill passage not looking too bad even tho a gale warning is in force for Cook we head to the Brothers islands so we can have a good look across the ditch leaving our options open for a sprint back if the weather turns on arrival at the brothers its whitecaps and slop but not that bad so we call Marlborough radio and put a tr in for Mana The sea gets smoother as we cross and we stop off at Fishermans rock for a try for some cod no cod but some good rock perch. We arrive in and over the Bar at 1pm a little past high tide, Wendy is watching the sounder all the way in our first time into Mana not much water we find out later the channel has moved a little and are told to keep to the left on the way in. Its nice to be tied up and pluged into the power no need for the gen-set its winter and cold but with shore power and the heaters on its all good. Mana mariner is right by the main trunk line so get used to trains running past all the time over a steel bridge that is nearby they sound like they are going to go thru the boat
All i want for Christmas is my two front teeth
Day 3
And we catch the train to wellington for a day of Parliment Buildings and Tepapa Museum the kids think the earthquake room is the best its a freezing cold day and the wind is howling rain, a real Wellington day Macas for lunch and Happy children its a rare thing for us Southlanders to ride a train.
Back to the boat and its been a big day for us including a late movie.
That night the weather front goes thru and the seas are looking calm I download the forcast and see we have a gap to get home or we will be stuck in Mana for about 3 days with high wind.
So up with the sparrows and the decision is to jump the ditch back to the south.
Left Mana at virtually low tide have the local knowledge of where the channel is so out we go we have more water under the keel than on the way in the trip across the strait gets smoother & smoother so we decide to head for the Brothers Island to have a crack at those XOS Cod we get the tide perfect for fishing and we all catch large cod
Then off to Cape Komaru to try for a groper no luck today but still worth the try with the tide starting to move we tootle our way up to the club mooring in Coopers bay clean and prep our fish to freeze some down and prep some for a bar-b que tea nothing like fresh cod on the bar- B There are thousands of jelly fish in Coopers bay and i decide its not safe to run our genset as it would only be a matter of time till we sucked one up and blocked the cooling system,so we head for the club mooring in Bay Of Many Coves (Cockle Cove) and hang on the Mooring, in the Night a front comes thru and the wind is very strong.
DAY 4
I always feel safe on a good mooring in the morning we get up to find the dingy has been blown upside down its a bleak rainy day so we stay put and read books play cards cook scones generally a lazy winter day later in the afternoon we moove up the sound to Flipper Bay club Mooring so we can have a short hop to the mariner the next day.
Day 5
We had a very still calm night on this mooring kids are playing in the dingy still the odd shower coming thru but nothing to really get wet about Ryan ties his hand at fishing and catches some spotties for the Cat he can catch 3 at the time too.in the late morning we decide to go to picton for a walk arround and a real coffee the walk on walk off jetties are great at picton and a credit to the harbour board late afternnoon we head bak to the waikawa marina for the last night and clean up.
Day 6
Clean up pack up wash up and head for home, a great winter holiday to remember.
Total distance run 111.3 Nautical miles 19 hours on the engines, 31 hours on the genset, no breakages aprox 800 litres diesel, no oil used.
A great adventure for a winter trip
