Whangarei is a three-hour drive from Auckland. Yes, it doesn’t look that far on the map, but it’s still 190 kilometers. The appointment to haul out the Katinka Enjoy is set for May 1. We would have preferred an earlier date—then I wouldn’t have had to make a special trip to Whangarei—but Norsand Marina is always very busy, and it’s hard to get an appointment. Especially since the slipway can only be used at high tide and is therefore only available for a limited time each day. So I get in the car and drive to Whangarei while Gaby looks after the dogs.
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| Katinka Enjoy comes out of the water |
For once, the sun is shining in Auckland, and it’s a pleasant 21°C. Unfortunately, the weather takes a turn for the worse as I head toward Whangarei, and just before I reach my destination, it starts raining again. Luckily, it was just a brief shower. The GPS alarm greets me with its shrill beeping. Sharron, the marina manager, tells me she’s already acknowledged it three times. She also says she’s left a letter on my desk. A bit surprised that I’m getting mail in New Zealand, I open it. As expected, it’s a parking ticket. Apparently, parking at a Pak’n’Save lot is limited to 90 minutes. We often shop at Pak’n’Save because it’s the cheapest supermarket in New Zealand. In Whangarei, the supermarket is right across from the marina, and since we visited friends there after shopping, I left the car in the parking lot. The entrance and exit of the parking lot are monitored by cameras. Exceeding the parking limit costs $55 in New Zealand. Plus $20 if you don’t pay it within four weeks. Four weeks after the offence, not after receipt. Plus a $1.55 processing fee if you pay by card. Luckily, I had to go back to the boat, because if you let 42 days pass, you’ll face additional costs. The letter doesn’t specify how much, but I don’t want to find out the hard way. So I’m paying the $76.55 and will shop at the competition in the future.
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| Support poles for the solar panels |
Katinka Enjoy weathered the cyclone well. At least, there was no damage visible at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, a few minor issues did come to light that will go on the “to-do list” and need to be taken care of after we return. One of the support rods for our solar panels had come loose from its lower bracket and was dangling over the water, held in place only by a Mardenscrew. I can count myself lucky that the bent rod didn’t fall into the water. It wouldn’t have been easy to replace that rod. Our winter cover in the cockpit didn’t withstand the wind pressure in all areas. A few zipper seams came apart, and in one spot, the seam along a PVC window came undone.
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| The tarpaulin is coming apart |
The wind blew one of our winch covers away. Time to break out the sewing machine again. The furling system for our genoa has also failed. Just before the cyclone, we were in the Whangarei WhatsApp group because our genoa hadn’t rolled up completely. A small corner was sticking out. Instead of posting this in a WhatsApp group, we could have just rolled the genoa all the way up. However, I now know why that didn’t happen. The drum won’t budge an inch. Something is obviously broken. I suspect rust is the cause. To make sure nothing falls into the water, I’ll continue the inspection on shore.
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| The roller system is jammed |
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| Winch without a cover |
So we’ve got quite a bit to do after we get back before we can get back in the water. But first, we’ve got to get out of the water. I’ve slung the mooring lines over the side as much as I could. I have to be there by 7:00 a.m., which means I have to leave by 6:45 a.m. at the latest. Of course, no one is awake yet. So I have to manage this on my own. If the weather is calm and windless, that shouldn’t be a big problem. If it’s windy, I’ll have to work a bit faster.
Unfortunately, there’s still been no progress on selling our Katinka. Our broker’s optimistic claim that he’d have the boat sold by May probably won’t hold up. But he still has a few days left. As always, I’ll keep you updated on this. Until then, fair winds, and keep a stiff upper lip.
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