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Opua Marina...


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I was asked by March over at Mutley's to do a photo pass over the Opua Marina when I got up to the Bay of Islands...Well now I am in the BOI and was also embarrassed to realise that the beach where I am parked is on the wrong island. I soon realised after I looked around that the island was too small to be Urupukapuka...So today I have relocated, but on the way I did do a couple of photo passes over Opua Marina, as requested:-

 

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Here is the marina at Opua.

 

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There also seem to be many anchorages but the water looks a bit rough at the moment and I think they may be a bit uncomfortable.

 

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There seem to be two marinas with the biggest one mainly for private yachts and the smaller one for more commercial craft.

 

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There seem to be many fishing boats down below in the smaller marina.

 

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Well, I couldn't resist a low pass in the opposite direction.

 

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Here are the fishing boats and...

 

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...there are the yachts. Some of them with...

 

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...rather tall masts!

 

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Pulling up to get a bit more clearance and...

 

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...climbing away and turning for Urupukapuka.

 

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The island where I beached before is at the top of this picture. The real Urupukapuka is in the centre of the picture...

 

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With the red cross on the main beach where...

 

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...I am now positioned.

 

Thanks for looking  :thanks:
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you wrote " ......realise that the beach where I am parked is on the wrong island"

 

This explains why I couldn't figure out where you landed before. I had looked up Urupukapuka in google map and nothing on the island looked close to what was viewed in the pic that mentioned where you were landing near. Glad to see it wasn't me this time because I had added it to my long list of "I'm a terrible navigator" situations that depress me. At least I can erase this one off the list. :D  

 

More great pic's BTW :thum:

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Thanks Peter,

 

It is close to reality. In your first shot, the piece of land (it's actually a large wharf) aimed at your left wing root is the commercial port, including the ferry landing. The first section of marina is for pleasure craft, although there is a commercial aspect to this area as well (tour boats). Then there's a gap which really doesn't belong and the second part of the marina which is moorings and the wharf for the maintenance yard.

 

I'm pretty amazed at the overall accuracy of the scenery. I don't have the boat's Nav equipment attached to this network or I'd send you a screenshot from the charts. Just south and east of you, there's a beautiful harbour called Whangamumu. You'd have to land outside and taxi in.

 

We're missing the BOI, sitting here in the rain, in Manly, QLD.

 

Cheers,

March

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Thanks Peter,

 

It is close to reality. In your first shot, the piece of land (it's actually a large wharf) aimed at your left wing root is the commercial port, including the ferry landing. The first section of marina is for pleasure craft, although there is a commercial aspect to this area as well (tour boats). Then there's a gap which really doesn't belong and the second part of the marina which is moorings and the wharf for the maintenance yard.

 

I'm pretty amazed at the overall accuracy of the scenery. I don't have the boat's Nav equipment attached to this network or I'd send you a screenshot from the charts. Just south and east of you, there's a beautiful harbour called Whangamumu. You'd have to land outside and taxi in.

 

We're missing the BOI, sitting here in the rain, in Manly, QLD.

 

Cheers,

March

 

 

Thanks March,

 

I think before I go further North, I will pop into Whangamumu Harbour and see if the old whaling station is present...Anyway, it looks a good spot to stay a day or two. I notice there is a line of reefs outside the entrance...I might just land inside those to avoid taxying into them  :)

 

:thanks:

Peter.

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Here you go Peter,

 

Sorry, I can't give you advice on the reefs. I have to fire up the nav system that is shut down due to rainy (lightning) season, here in Brisbane.

 

Watch out for the yachts and launches parked up inside the bay, they're definitely a "hard place" for Cessnas. Passages, our yacht, centre of the photo. This is a beautiful and well protected anchorage.

 

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Here's what happens if you let the vegetation have a go at a brick building for 100 years or so.

 

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The old boiler - bit of a "fixer-upper".

 

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That's about all that's left of the old whaling station. Some concrete tanks and foundations are still there along with the concrete ramp where they hauled the whales up for processing.

 

It's a good thing this sort of industry is over and done with. It's a totally unnecessary activity in this day and age.

 

This reminds me a bit of the original settlers in BC. They took a look at the forests and remarked "We could never cut all this down in a hundred lifetimes". They did it in less than fifty years - the first time. Most of BC is now second and third growth forest.

 

Cheers,

March

 

 

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Nice looking yacht March...I have always rather admired the cutter rig and I imagine she goes very well to windward with that. Our last sailing yacht was a "Freedom 35" and I really enjoyed cruising the Biscay area in her...She was called "Lazy May" :)

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Thanks for the comments, Peter.

 

Yes, she does quite well in that department for a 20T live-aboard.

 

However, as was once commented on by someone: "Gentlemen don't go to windward".

 

The other one I like is: "Nothing goes to windward like a 747". That one's a bit dated I'd guess that these days it would have to be the 777.

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It's usually a very popular anchorage. I guess you can't model everything. For a sailing yacht which we flight plan for 5 Kt, Whangamumu is a good inter - harbour anchorage. It's a full (daylight) days travel from the outer harbour at Whangerai and provides shelter so that it is not necessary to do an overnight trip up to BOI.

 

Lovely place.

 

 

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