With the leave sorted out that only left where to go. Two weeks was a bit limiting, not enough time to get to Bay of Islands or Auckland and back, (unless we wanted to spend the whole time passage making instead of cruising). We had already been across the ditch to Wellington recently and then there's my desire to always go on holiday to a destination with a Burger King whenever possible.

The next closest Burger King with a port nearby was Port Taranaki, (New Plymouth) only 150 nautical miles or a day and a half sail by H28.

I wanted to leave in the early morning at the latest to give me a better chance of entering Port Taranaki in daylight. I had the detailed chart of the port but I always prefer to enter an unfamiliar port in daylight. If I arrived just after dark it would mean having to spend the night hove to off the coast until morning.

We were scheduled to depart on Saturday 1 February but the wind was gale force N - N/W. Exactly what I didn't want, so we delayed until Sunday. By the time Sunday morning arrived they were talking 25 knots of N/W but a late change to S/E 20 knots.

N/W would put me hard on the wind but I felt I could live with it as if I was unable to lay my course initially I would be able to make it up once the wind changed. Of course we prefer not to go to windward at all but with only limited cruising time we couldn't be too choosy.

We had been ready to go since Friday night and were staying onboard so after getting the 0533hrs forecast from MSA I motored out of the Nelson marina at first light. I lodged a trip report with MSA giving our ETA about 2100hrs the next day.

Unfortunately the tide was against us for the first 5 hours but its only strong for the first 5 miles. There was almost no wind and a gentle half metre roll, so I set the main on the 2nd reef just as a roll dampner, and motored.

Normally when leaving Nelson you have light winds until you get north of Separation Point, (the point of land that separates Tasman Bay and Golden Bay) and as per normal almost like throwing a switch the wind picked up. Naturally it was right on the nose, about what was forecast, 25knots of N/W.

I was unable to lay my course out the middle of Tasman Bay to Cape Egmont but we were only about 10 or 15 degrees east of the rumbline and at least we were sailing. The swell picked up to about 1metre and later to 2 metres but not too steep, although lots of spray as we splashed our way through the whitecaps.

George our trusty wind vane was steering like a trouper, he does a much better job than we do, especially hard on the wind. He instantly senses any minor wind shifts and moves with them, with the sails always in perfect trim.

12 hours later saw us 60nm north but instead of being in the middle of Tasman Bay, by now we were some 20 nm east of the rumbline only a few miles north of Stephens Island, at the top of the South Island. Instead of heading for Cape Egmont we were heading more for Kapiti Island via Cook Strait.

The 1733hrs MSA forecast was still talking about a late change to S/E. As the other tack would head us for farewell spit I thought I would stay on this course for a few more hours, if the wind hadn't changed by the time I got closer to the north island we would change to the other tack.

I didn't want to hug the lower West Coast of the North Island too much as things were quite bouncy and there is an area of shallows that extends a long way out from Wanganui. The chart has the area named as "The Rolling Ground" which hardly conjures up a pleasant mental image. I can only assume it earned its name and I planned to give the area a wide berth.

We always try to plot our courses in deep water and far enough from the coast to avoid tidal movement as much as possible. The sea conditions always seem so much more mellow in a thousand feet or more of water, with no current to oppose the swell.

When 2100hrs arrived we were still splashing our way to windward in 25 knots of N/W with no sign of the S/E change. The sea had built, becoming larger, steeper and breaking a bit more heavily, typical of being closer to Cook Strait.

I decided to persevere with my current course for another two hours. If the change hadn't arrived we would be as close as I wanted to be to The Rolling Ground, and I would tack and head west.

Rachel went to bed, as the 2100 to 2400 watch was mine. She even managed to sleep, which was a major feat, even though the lee cloth prevented her from being thrown out of bed she looked a bit like a sleeping break -dancer.

By 2200 hrs the wind had built to about 30 knots. I disconnected George the windvane, pulled the headsail in tight (we were using a hank-on working jib as the roller furler is not very good hard on the wind above 25 knots), eased the main and let the tiller stream.

As per normal, Nightshift just pulled herself towards the wind with the headsail, the main eased and gently back-winding, preventing her from tacking. The helm looks after itself just streaming from the end of the keel.

Despite a steep breaking sea Nightshift moseys along in this manner about 2 knots, nice and upright with no weight on the main enabling me to muck around on deck for about 10 minutes tying in a 3rd reef, while Nightshift entirely looks after herself. H28's are lovely - try doing that trick on a modern fin keeler.

When I completed tying in the 3rd reef, I just walked back to the cockpit, pulled in the main and re engaged George. A quick check on the first mate found her still asleep, in spite of the now howling wind, still firmly from the N/W.

Only half an hour later the wind picked up further now gale force still from the N/W, the leeward rail was disappearing, it was a dark night but the sky was bright with stars, it always seems so much better even when rough if its not raining.

As the weight of the wind grew more constant it was time for the storm jib. It was now rough enough to make working on deck difficult with frequent dousing from breaking waves. I eased the main a bit to slow us and make the deck a bit more upright. I then went forward and dropped the working jib.

I then went back to the cockpit, disconnected George and lashed the tiller to leeward with the main sheeted in tight. The motion instantly became much more comfortable. Nightshift had enough sail to dampen the roll and was virtually stationary so as the swells passed we gently bobbed up and down leaving a nice slick to windward to take the sting out of the waves. Even the first mate had stopped breakdancing in her sleep.

I could then wander about deck much more freely, no longer getting frequent showers. I bagged the working jib and hanked on the storm jib. I then pulled up the storm jib and sheeted it to windward backing it. Nightshift moved her head a bit more away from the wind and was now taking the waves about 50 degrees off the wind and was even steadier.

I was in no rush to continue on, as it was so much more comfortable hove to in this manner. I was able to go to the toilet without getting thrown off. I put on a few more warm clothes, got a drink and relaxed down below for a while. It never ceases to amaze me how stable Nightshift becomes when properly hove to.

I plotted our position and had a look at the chart, I didn't want to go any further towards the lower North Island and the other tack would take me away from the North Island so I decided to just hove to and wait for the wind change.

As it turned out I didn't have long to wait. I had been enjoying pottering about below out of the wind and weather not having to hold on anymore while I moved about. Quite quickly I noticed Nightshift began to roll more. I initially though the sea conditions must have gotten rougher.

I went back out to the cockpit and immediately noticed the wind was no longer screaming. With storm jib and triple reefed main Nightshift was now under sailed in what was now about 20 knots of wind and dropping rapidly. We were rolling uncomfortably. Rachel joined me in the cockpit, as it was now midnight and time for her watch.

I dropped the storm jib and lashed it to the pulpit just in case we needed it later in the night. By the time I finished that we were becalmed but the sea hadn't changed. I shook out the main sail to the second reef and sheeted it tight to give a bit of roll dampening but things were still far from comfortable.

The bright side was with no wind I could motor any direction I wanted, so it was time to head back to the rumbline. Rachel started the motor and set a course that was taking the 2 to 3 metre swell at an angle. I went to bed.

I had a good three hours sleep and the next thing I remembered was Rach waking me at 0300hrs for my watch. Finally the promised wind change had arrived but not from the S/E as forecast but S/W. Rachel informed me that it had started to fill in about 0200hrs but had initially been very light. She was now motor sailing with about 10knots of S/W wind.

Rach took another position and we were now working our way back to the rumbline. She then went to bed.

The wind continued to build from the S/W and I was soon able to shut down the motor. The swell was easing from the N/W. We were soon sailing comfortably; it was very pleasant not to be going to windward for a change.

As the wind increased our electric autohelm was having trouble coping and it was time to get George back on the job. By the time Rach came back on deck at 0600hrs Mount Taranaki was visible in the distance and Maui could be seen to port. The wind was now a steady 20 knots and we were sailing happily.

5 Miles of Point Taranaki

It was my turn to get some sleep and I think I was asleep about 10 seconds after fastening the lee cloth. When I woke up at 0900hrs conditions were about the same. It was a pleasant day. The S/W swell was building but it wasn't steep.

Rach didn't feel like sleeping and as we were due to be in Port Taranaki that evening we both decided to stay up for the rest of the day. I dusted off my harmonica and amused myself by torturing Rachel with my lack of musical ability. She was very brave and lasted about 10 minutes until she resorted to the walkman.

The wind gradually increased during the day and by lunchtime it was a fairly steady 30 knots, but as the wind was still well aft of the beam it was still sunny and pleasant. The swell was 2 - 3 metres but they were well apart and not steep with only small breaking crests. We were enjoying gurgling along about 7 knots.

I decided to put George's storm vane (we call it his little hat) on as the wind was only forecast to be 20 knots, but was already constant well above that and the gusts were becoming stronger and more frequent.

I kept gradually reducing sail to keep Nightshift comfortable. As we closed on Cape Egmont the swells began to steepen. George as usual was the perfect helmsman coping with the quartering sea far better than I could have.

By mid afternoon we were close enough to the coast to be affected by tidal movement, the tide was flowing against the S/W swell and within a relatively short time our nice round swells with little breaking crests had become steep swells with larger breaking crests.

We were sailing under double reefed main and a bit of roller furler. I had enough sail up to keep Nightshift above 6knots, but not much more than that as with the steeper swells on the stern quarter, any faster and we would have started to feel a bit loose.