During a summer cruise returning from the Bay of Islands on NZ's Northern east coast I was sailing in light airs through plankton and jelly fish rich waters .
Off Cape Brett I saw an unusually large no of sun fish - MOLA MOLA (Millstone), basking and feeding on the surface, they're waggling fin's drawing attention, looking initially like very large if lazy sharks fins.
A day later several miles offshore, north of the idillic Mimiwhangata, I was thrown off my feet when my 9 metre yacht stopped dead and porpoised backwards in the water, a very large sun fish was seen wobbling off for deeper water.
Ouch!
With a broken spade rudder I made for an anchorage at crystal clear Mimiwhangata to assess damage, catching a fine tuna for dinner along the way.
Seems my beautifully balanced boat Te Kouma sails well with the wind for'ard of the beam with 18 inches less rudder.
I am reminded of the incident by coming across this fine image of a sunfish on the FB site of Ocean Defender
http://www.facebook.com/oceandefender.
Te Kouma my beautiful home for 10 years.
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