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Paw Paw - Log Day 296: Getting Settled in our New Home



By 1900 local time yesterday evening we were safely tied up to the customs wharf in Opua, helped by Talulah Ruby with our docklines, since they had arrived about an hour ahead of us. We'd no sooner had our celebratory drink, when three more yachts arrived, so we returned the favour of assisting them with their docklines. Needless to say,  we were all very relieved to have arrived safe and sound and not having to spend another night at sea. 

Since the temperatures had plumeted, we were absolutely freezing, so we decided that the only way to stay warm through the night was to actually sleep together in the same cabin. It was snug alright, but we both had a good night's rest, nonetheless. What struck us though was the silence. After the roar of the ocean and wind in our ears for a week, the silence was remarkable.

We woke to a frosty morning, with a thick mist hanging over the water, but the sun was rising and soon warmed us up. Befo re long we had the customs and immigration officer visit us, swiftly followed by biosecurity. The highlight of the process was the little dog that searched Paw Paw in her red jacket and booties.

As we completed the officialdom process, there was a tremendous relief to see Whistler, closely followed by Blue Summit arriving safely, considering all the issues both yachts had encountered on this passage. In fact, at one point we thought we would have to turn back to render assistance.

Fortunately that was not necessary in the end, but we definitely counted our blessing, in that the only issues we dealt with was our wind generator bracket breaking which we were able to jury rig ropes to secure and discovering our new depth senser was malfunctioning, of course, at the most crucial time that we needed it - entering a new harbour. Fortunately the Bay of Islands is deep and the channel to the marina was clearly marked.

Once we were given the all clear, we manoeuvred to the fuel dock to fill up with diesel and water as well as give Paw Paw a much needed and well deserved freshwater wash down. Then it was off to our prearranged mooring ball, where we spent the rest of the day returning Paw Paw to a home and pack away all of our safety gear for the season. We'd no sooner got settled on the buoy, when the forecasted storm hit, bringing with it high wind and plenty of rain. It was the storm we had sailed so aggressively to beat. Fortunately we had, but just in the nic of time!

This evening we headed ashore to the Opua Cruising Club for drinks and dinner, where we were pleasantly surprised to find Blue Summit and Whistler. In the warmth of a log fire, we exchanged passage stories, reminisced on a wonderful sailing season and looked forward to discovering our new home for the next six months.


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