Winter in New Zealand is something you should think carefully about when aboard a sailboat. While it’s nothing like the freezing season people in northern latitudes are used to, it can still really get under your skin if you don’t have working heat. Especially when the air conditioning—which would otherwise provide cozy warmth—decides to break down just when you need it most, since it only runs while the boat is in the water. And we’re ashore. A bitter irony, a technical quirk, if you will, that forces us to resort to “warm thoughts”—which, unfortunately, don’t work very well.
 |
| Warm thoughts are only helpful to a certain extent |
Anyone who spends the winter ashore in New Zealand on their boat between late August and September experiences a transitional period that seems reluctant to settle on a season. Although winter technically ends in August, you don’t really notice much of it for quite some time. Temperatures on the North Island usually range between 13 °C and 15 °C during the day, often dropping to 6 °C to 9 °C at night—figures that may sound mild, but in a boat hull made of thin wood or fiberglass without insulation, and with high humidity, they quickly feel bitterly cold. On the South Island, it’s even cooler: around 10 °C to 12 °C during the day, often near freezing at night, with regular frost at higher elevations and in the south.
 |
| Helpful, at least for morale |
At the end of August, it still rains heavily. On average, 115–130 mm of precipitation falls nationwide, spread over about 11 to 13 rainy days—more on the North Island than on the already somewhat drier eastern side of the South Island. The wind blows mainly from the southwest; it is often strong and persistent, carrying the cool air from the Antarctic regions. It is also the wind that makes the temperature feel several degrees cooler. In addition, although the sun shines for five hours a day in August, these hours are spread out over long periods of cloud cover—and by sunset, around 5:45 p.m., hardly any of the warmth remains.
 |
| Cool Days at Northport |
Spring then slowly begins in September. The days get noticeably longer—daylight hours increase by nearly an hour within a month—and the sun rises higher in the sky. Highs gradually climb to 14 °C to 17 °C, and the nights become slightly milder, though at 7 °C to 10 °C they remain cool enough that you’ll still find condensation on the walls and chilly sleeping quarters in the morning. The rain eases off somewhat, but at 105–120 mm it’s still a high amount, spread over about 10 rainy days. The average daily sunshine duration rises to 6 hours—a step in the right direction that offers hope, but doesn’t yet bring warmth.
New Zealand’s weather is notorious for cycling through all four seasons within a matter of hours. You might experience a clear, bright morning, only to have thick clouds roll in at noon, followed by a shower—and before you know it, a cold wind is blowing, causing the temperature to drop by five degrees within minutes. It is precisely this unpredictability that makes life on board without heating a test of patience. When the humidity is often over 80%, the cold not only seeps under your clothes but also seems to settle into the wood, the upholstery, and the air itself. Thinking warm thoughts doesn’t help—you can feel the dampness, the chill, the wetness.
So here we sit, bundled up in several layers of clothing, with tea and blankets, and wait. We’re waiting for the air conditioner to be turned back on as soon as the boat is back in the water. Until then, all we can do is count the days as they gradually get longer, soak up every ray of sunshine, and hope that these “warm thoughts” will at least do the soul some good. Temperatures will continue to rise in September, and the number of rainy days will decrease. By October at the latest, that pleasant mildness that makes New Zealand so endearing will return to the mainland as well. Until then, though, we’ll just have to hang in there, bundle up, and let our imaginations run with the air conditioner.
 |
| Cold and windy |
But it’s not just “warm thoughts” that keep our spirits up. We’re continuing to work on the boat and prepare for our trip to Australia. For example, this week we lowered the anchor, removed the entire anchor chain from the anchor locker, and neatly arranged it in loops beneath the boat. On the one hand, I want to check the condition of the chain; on the other, I’ve bought colored plastic markers that we now want to attach. Armed with a measuring tape and a marker, we measure out our nearly 100-meter-long chain and screw the markers in place at 20, 40, and 50 meters. Additional markers at 60, 70, and 80 meters are already in place and just need to be checked for length one more time. So we can keep track of everything, I’m writing down the color markers in a table. We’re curious to see how long the markers will last this time. At least the chain survived being hauled in, which gives us hope.
On Wednesday, we drove to Auckland. Cassie, our little poodle, is already looking forward to the outings we plan to take around Auckland over the next ten days. But I’ll tell you all about that next week. Until then, fair winds, and keep a stiff upper lip!
Comments
Post a Comment