Summer!!! Log 2006-007

The Wandals at Coromandel


28th December 2006

Busy but not too stressful a start…loaded and & left by about 2pm. Only made it to Isi Bay – sandwich –wine (the left over salmon from Boxing Day made wonderful sandwiches.
Sea Breezes for the crew

Superb dinner (Italian lemon infused pasta dressed with colonna lemon oil, garlic, chili and Spanish anchovies.
Topped off with my Beautiful Parmesan cheese Thank you Helen and Dan, and the new microplane from Neil and Nicki, best one yet.


Lana made a divine and very pretty salad.
Blow our wine dressed up with our Wandals…Coasters shaped like Jandals thank you Katie and Chris
They are very funny putting them on is like squeezing a baby’s little fat foot into a shoe that’s a bit small for them.

Then South Pacific Part 1 and bed.
Lana and I are thrilled…on the DVD we have found Songs only and they have the words. Can see a Sing Along with South Pacific night coming up.
New linen on the bed, looks fab
29th Dec

It’s been an interesting first morning. Dale is fixing the toilet…there has been a steady round of abuse for at least 2 hours.
Give me a f-----g break being the most common. It’s a pain not having an active aft toilet but cross the fingers he will win.
When you see these you could be forgiven for thinking we had a corpse on board.

Wrong
It's Dale fixing the toilet
Bad luck the fixing didn’t work.
Made our way eventually to Palm Beach.
We were joined by Lady Pat manned by Dan Helen Pete Pip, Sophia, Joseph, Lili and Dom.





Rafted up for lunch, Dan ripped into Pizzas, Lana made a roast pepper kinda pipperade, with anchovies and garlic and lots of extra virgin olive oil which was incorporated into a pizza topping. They kept on coming and were delightful.

Punters waiting for lunch

Time for afternoon nap and awakening drinks on Lady Pat-a quick round or two of the ipod quiz, still haven’t beaten the ipod…its cold the kids are swimming tho.
A shared dinner – Cajun Moon made chili. Lana had brought some chipotle peppers this makes a great chili plenty of heat. And this was accompanied by Austin Texas Guacamole and little slice of bread, this was the starter.
Dan cooked steak, tasty salad & potato salad,
Plenty of wine later – bed.

30th Dec
We were not too crisp in the morning but the weather was.
You could be forgiven for thinking we are in the wrong hemisphere.
Lady Pat and crew took off to beat the rain. Cajun Moon crew settled in for the day.
I made a loaf of bread...ate with a plate of cold cuts, nice.
It was warmer sat in sun and sauntered up to Cullimores for drinks

Home to kedgeree well actually "Lana’s rice dish" - the curry powder was missing from the cupboard the Indian curry paste didn’t have any guts but it was delicious despite that.

we watched 2nd Part of South Pacific –had never noticed as a young person when I first it - the racial connotations in the movie...Southern US in the Pacific Islands interesting must have been a bit contentious when filmed.

31st Bloody Freezing Day
Still in Palm Beach-the Cullis were doing a shop for us we were missing some integral herbs and “Frend” the stain remover essential with no washing machine. It seems I have dropped something on almost everything I own.
Lana and I dressed as though it was the height of summer – didn’t venture out of the sheltered cockpit.
Lana foraged and found cockles – I made bread and then little pies out of the leftover chili – a delicious Lana Salad.


This is our lunch time cocktail with mango rum and vodka

Time to move on and after a nap we had a new destination Hooks Bay.


A melon cocktail to start the night. We sent out HNY texts got heaps back and lots of phone calls.




A calm & pleasant night
Bottle Moet Lamb racks, pesto peas Mummy Cath mint jelly on the potatoes again.


Some paneforte and down to watch & laugh at Life of Brian, another unfinished movie – of to be pre midnight. A very pleasant NYE albeit quiet.

1st Jan Welcome 007

It’s fine, calm warm? I’m not sure yet. Time to move on Coromandel here we come.
Pleasant trip across the Firth of Thames, lots of gannets fishing Lana saw 2 dolphins. We anchored off Waimate Island and Lana made some Thai styled Tuna ravioli or stuffed wontons depending which cuisine you are discussing. Excellent.


Lana had a swim on the last day of the year. Dale and I dipped on the first day 007.
It looks like summer but doesn’t feel like summer…bloody cold.
Margaritas were the cocktail of choice tonight.



Moussaka for dinner finished off South Pacific and Life of Brian and sat thru and really enjoyed Charade with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. Lots of excellent one liners.

2nd Jan
It’s still bloody cold. Beautiful blue sky though. We awake to the sounds of cows.
It was obviously breakfast time and they were sauntering down the hill making a
Hellav racket. They took for ever some ran over to the water edge for a wee drink must be making salted beef!!! One slow one was stuck by himself and he cried and shouted for ages till he finally found his way…amusing but noisy.
Good thing it was too cold to swi,m we were surrounded by jelly fish
We moved to Te Kouma
We are plowing through the books in this “winter” weather. It did improve though and Lana and I dipped again prior to lunch.
Lana made a lovely salad... a keeper,
Long thin slices of courgettes marinated in lime juice with a touch of fish sauce.
Thin sliced long strips of carrots gently sautéed in olive oil with S & P and some freshly grated ginger.
Make a dressing of toasted cumin seeds, garlic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, palm sugar in mortar crushed with olive oil Mix together and pour over hot carrots. Warm a tin of cannelloni beans gently mix all garnish with coriander All eaten with fresh rosemary bread washed down with a little rose.


The afternoon spent reading sleeping tried fishing unsuccessful.
But thank goodness cocktail time rolled up
A new Moscow Mule enhanced by freshly grated ginger.
“You could drink this in rough weather the ginger will stop one from being seasick”
Quote Lana!!
You may be forgiven for thinking all we do is eat and drink. Well you would be right.
Watched Last time I saw Paris. Beautiful Elizabeth Taylor. Bit sad…tears from the girls.
Late night 11pm.

3rd Jan
Now it is really summer
The tan has deepened – the toilet still doesn’t work.

We left Te Kouma after being swarmed by bees. Jelly fish yesterday bees today not good enough really.

Now in very sheltered bay in Coromandel Harbour.
Lana was intrigued with the mussel farms

After great Lana spaghetti with olive oil, chili, garlic, anchovies accompanied by fresh rosemary bread with some lovely blue cheese. A little rose and some Sauv Blanc.
We retired for a nap
1st real swim late afternoon whole circuit for the boat.
Black Russians very nice with vanilla vodka.
I made individual Beef Wellingtons (bit overdone but very tasty) for dinner wine of course

Watched “Respectable” DVD funny Brit TV series about a brothel. Thank you McCreadys
Bed 10.30. Roll on Thursday Book no 6.

4th Jan
A lovely morning .I got carried away and spent the hottest morning yet in the kitchen,
Making scones for lunch, bread for toast on Friday and mozzarella roulade. Team that with a tinned asparagus salad with a warm tomato dressing.


We read and ate, Lana swam, we slept. Then a quick dip before dinner. Yes a dip again the wind had got up and it was a bit chilly again.
Lana made a fab red Thai curry, vege and chicken.


We completed the day with the movie Layer Cake. Good gory end to the day went along nicely with Lana’s cut and bleeding finger. Girls now excited with thought of the new James Bond.
Have read book 6.
Nelson de Mille for me now.

5th Friday
Same port just had a wee drive around to charge up the batteries & get rid of garbage.
Dale fixed the toilet – Hoorah he got baked beans on toast for his breakfast. As a treat.
This bay has turned out to be a cracker.



Made pizza for lunch, Lana roasted peppers for a topping
we used all the leftovers and mozzarella roulade etc as topping for he other one – excellent – washed down with very good bloody marys.
Much warmer had a swim –
After the obligatory nap we had gin and tonics with the last of the ice.
But a bonus we had visitors Leon and Lana who came for drink had to change to wine.


They gave us advice about foraging
Gary who was looking for Dan. they met at Labour Weekend regatta arrived he didn’t come for a drink...
prepared puy lentil salad for dinner enhanced with the leftover peppers.
Lana made splendid corn fritters.



Early evening in Coromandel

We also discovered extra food in fridge got at least another 4 days food – Only problem is Water!!! Getting low
Rowan Atkinson was TV of choice a couple of episodes of Blackadder goes forth very funny.

Back to Nelson de mille Dale has decided to sleep in saloon – What a good night for all.

6th Jan
Cloudy and windy again
We planned an outing…Lana and I to forage following advice from Leon and Lana.
Of course we had to wait for low tide 4pm.
Meanwhile after breakfast and the usual chores we planned lunch – I made polenta with herbs and mushrooms, Lana made a delicious salad with onions tuna, tomato beetroot and filled avocado halves with it. Along with the fried polenta wedges what a great lunch.


A little champagne pre lunch to whet the whistle.
So late afternoon then girls took off – had a few problems with the outboard there was a bit of rowing and it was a bit choppy and windy but finally everything worked. And arrived safely on shore.
Leon and Lana were right - all along the beach plenty of clams some mussels a few oysters.
We filled our bucket very pleased with ourselves left them to spit out their sand
Came back quick dip and off to Leon and Lana’s for drinks.
Isn’t it nice to be living off the land said Leon. We agreed.
Nice few wines and home to make Spaghetti Vongale with tomato sauce.
Wrong no Vongale!!! All the clams were empty we had a miserly 6 little mussels to add to the sauce which by the way was very tasty. We fried up a few leftover scone crumbs as a crunchy topping and a good grind of my beautiful parmesan.
Lana and Leon gave bad advice - where we went was a Vongale graveyard. Not a land of plenty.
Not really what you would call living off the land and sea! Never mind.
Started to watch “Love is a many Splendored Thing”.
Bit serious for us and as we were bungy dozing we shut up and went to bed.

7th Sunday

Still cloudy and windy
We moved back to Te Kouma late morning sick of the wind and the view.


Leon and Lana had got us a fresh lettuce and some eggs so it was great to have a crunchy lettuce salad with lunch
I made bread for toast for the next couple of days our Vogels is gone.


Settled into the bay.
Lana decided to make kransky rolls using the wonton wrappers.

Leon and Lana had got us a fresh lettuce and some eggs so it was great to have a crunchy lettuce salad with lunch
I made bread for toast for the next couple of days our Vogels is gone.

Lana made the rolls really nice with Grandma’s tomato sauce.

Next time I am going to make some soft fresh roll. I have a recipe but it takes a few hours. Maybe in the next couple of weeks.
Good Bloody Marys made by Lana.



Hunting for seafood at low tide seemed a good idea. Picking were not good but we did get half a bucket of oysters. Lana shucked them it wasn’t easy but there was enough to make us a very good little oyster fritter starter.
Along with our gin and tonics. The last of the ice.
The wind made life a bit awkward fro swimming so we moved bays and had a dip. It is kinda like summer
Meanwhile we had beautiful roast pork for dinner with roasted pumpkin, kumara, onions & baby beetroot.

Finished watching William Holden in Love etc – Dale had to go to bed early he had been pouring himself his own super strength vodkas and he was getting very tired
He promised to shut down the wind machine it is so noisy. It’s always a bit nerve-wracking when he has had a couple of here he is



The girls started on My Fair Lady lots of sing-along with that. But it was too much for us and we retired as well/ Part 2 tomorrow night.

8th Monday
It was cloudy again we decided to get on our way home and had a really good sail across the Firth of Thames. Lana had a good spell on then helm.
Pod of dolphins joined us for a while I just love them.
We hit 8.2 knots couldn’t quite get to the magic al 8.5 but a quick and easy trip.
Anchored at Te Whau point
It was a left over lunch preceded by a bottle of Champagne.
Roast vege and feta salad. Lots of lovely raw vege dressed with Lana’s nice vinaigrette
Cold pork…
All wolfed down and accompanied by Rose and some Sauv Blanc.

Of course a quick nap then the sun was out so a little sit in the sun Dale and Lana sat on the noodles. The noodles haven’t had much of an outing as of course it hasn’t been holiday hot enough to stay in the water for any major length of time





Lana made a cocktail out of the last of the tequila, some orange…we forgot to put the ice machine on while we were traveling so no ice. It was a good little kick starter though.
Everything is running out. Perfect shopping.
Dinner was a risotto styled dish with a Mexican theme.

I sautéed rice garlic, finely dice yellow pepper and courgette.
Threw in 1 ½ cups Arborio rice. Coated the rice seasoned with S & P
Added a glass of white wine.
Reduced. Added 2 chipotle peppers diced and a couple of anchovies, melted in.
Then proceeded o cook as for risotto adding chicken stock. After about 5 minutes I added a handful of Surprise Peas. Carried on till rice was cooked.
Threw in the remaining kransky chopped.
Finished off with a squeeze of lime, slivered toasted almonds and chopped parsley.
It was a good 'un will do it again.


Finished My Fair Lady. We have eaten almost all the sweet things supplied by various people as Christmas presents and I think we may have gained several extra unwanted kilos.
All in a good cause though for enjoyment and fun.
No junk food here for The Wandals of Coromandel just the best ingredients.

Dale went to bed early he didn’t want to watch the movie… but there must have been some influence as in the middle of the night he burst out in his sleep.
“I’m getting married in the morning”.
Was interesting and a bit frightening to be awakened thusly.
He did it again. Dear me.

Tuesday 9th

Finished off the lone tomato along with the end of the toast for breakfast. The recipe I am using for toast bread is working out very well
Motored off to Westhaven.
Lana helmed again it’s a miserable day our timing couldn’t be better to return.



There will washing, shopping and jobs of work to do.
Then Dale and I will head out into the gulf again for a few more days hopefully sunny.
Lana is off to work.