8 Lessons Learned From Cruising Lake Taupō

After having sailed on Lake Taupo only for this summer and having just completed a 5 day circumnavigation by sailboat we wanted to pass on some valuable lessons we have learned. Fortunately we have learned these lessons from a combination of local advice, some great training and being prepared rather then bad experiences. These tips will help anyone thinking venturing a bit further afield. 

1) Be very wary of wind forecasts. We found that most reputable wind forecasts were at best reliable only for the Lake Taupō Bay. (we had 3 apps) The land mass around Taupo deflects wind in all directions. On our way home we had a 5 knot SE forecast and we encountered everything from 20 knots NW, 15 knots E, 0 knots, and 20 knots NE. Some bays have their own wind pattern.

2) Be very mindful of winds once in the western bays. If the wind swings to a blistering Easterly, you can get caught. We dragged our little 20 footer up the Waihaha stream. Be ready to run for cover if you can't do that. Listen to the locals. Just 3 days prior a boat not paying attention had been swamped and sunk on that beach. 1m surf can jump up on you in under 15 minutes beaching or overturning your boat.

3) Have a Plan B at every anchorage to escape to safety if need be. Forget about your stuff on the beach and run for safety. Whilst in Boat Harbour which is one of the safest anchorages, we got jumped by an unexpected 20 knots Easterly.

4) Carry enough fuel to get you to safety at all times. We carried 15 litres of fuel and only used about 8 litres.

5) Have 2 sets of good coms with you and the training to use them. Bill Irvine from Coastguard runs an extremely good VHF course in Taupo  wr.irvine@xtra.co.nz. Make trip reports (TR) to the Coastguard even if you are just bay hopping, at least they know where to start looking should things go wrong. We just carried a simple waterproof Uniden handheld with a 6W transmit option and we got clear signal all the way. The battery only used 50% in the 5 days we were away.

6) Join the Lake Taupo Coastguard. Its cheap, look at it like an AA membership on water and it supports a volunteer organisation in Taupō. We owe a gratitude to the men and women who man the radio frequency 61 for 24 hours a day seven days a week. Thank you.

7) Be wary of the cliffs in the Western Bays especially in any kind of easterly. The waves ricochet back off the vertical cliffs and create all sorts of very crazy wave patterns which make your boat really sea sick. They bounce back out to over 1 kilometre giving you a very unpleasant ride.

8) If your budget extends to it this book is a must have. It has been written and updated by Michael Drake and is called the 'Lake Taupo boating and cruising handbook'. A new one is about $59 from Trev Terry Marine or sending mail to M. Drake, P.O. Box 835, Taupo. We had found a 1986 edition in a second hand shop. Even though the book was 35 years old it was remarkably great information. The only thing bewildering was when we called the bemused Taupō Harbour Master to enquire about a nights berth in the Tokaanu marina to be told that he marina had been abandoned. Other then that if you can get your hands on a copy get one. 

If someone offers you a trip to the Western Bays or a sail around Lake Taupō, take the offer. It is an unbelievable place to discover and well worth your time.