Golden Bay to the Far North

(continuing on from Auckland to Wellington)

After five weeks cruising in wellington and the top of the south island, it's time to head back north.
cruising means doing boat maintenance while in scenic/exotic locations, and also occasionally meeting old friends or interesting people. Wellington has plenty of old friends, but quite frankly the weather is brutal. When I got over to the south island it felt like summer again! I made quite a few improvements to the boat, I completed the rewiring project that I started before sailing to wellington, rearranged all the storage places so things are less vulnerable to water getting in. Increased amount of waterproof storage. New toe rails on the foredeck, for more secure footing while changing sails. Improved self steering design. Sealed the old aft storage hatch, and added new weather tight hatches. And of course, fixed the deck leaks! Cleo is now in better order than ever before, and I this isn't my first long crossing anymore. I waited for a really good weather window, and it should be a straight haul from here to the top of the north island. Just have to veer a bit to the east to miss farewell spit, and then a bit to the west to miss a gas platform, but otherwise should be a straight haul, down wind or on the quarter. There will be big swell, 5 meters in 9 seconds, but that will die out a bit. Not sure where I will stop, possibly spirits bay, which is just around Cape Reinga. (fun fact: cape reinga is where maori spirits descend to the underworld and return to hawaiki)

Oh, also, there is a global pandemic right now. When I departed Auckland, I had heard about it. When I arrived in Wellington, my more paranoid friends where talking about it. When I got to Nelson, it became something I started taking seriously, to the point of buying an AM radio, so that I could keep informed about things while on this trip. (I'll certainly be out of cell range, but good chance I'll be able to get AM). Then a day before I depart it's announced we are going into full lockdown. At the point of writing, there are 102 cases in NZ. It's a very heavy pre-emptive measure. It's not really clear what the lockdown means if you live on a boat! but probably better isolated than in a city, anyway.

Safe travels @Dominic
I look forward to reading you updates.

I meant to ask, when you did the southbound journey; how did you connect to the internet, just cell when close enough to land or do you have satellite or some other solution?

Stay safe, both at sea and with the pandemic.

@emile but what station is that for? yeah, I'll think I'll get something like that, but didn't have time yet!

Thanks @LanceW yeah, just 3G. There is enough coverage to get work done. Sometimes putting the phone up the mast helps, and if there is no signal... well, people learn I'm not always available.

You can get marine satellite internet, but it's very expensive, and you can do radio (SSB, single side band!), but that's expensive equipment, and you are not meant to do business or encryption over it.

Pretty awesome to circumnavigate the north island. And while the rest of the world completely falls apart you're blissfully sailing the south pacific.

Don't over estimate how blissful this is!
Sailing is a constant low level emergency.
was good practice for the apocalypse.
It is sometimes blissful though!

day 1

I had spent the previous couple of days in Tarakohe Harbour. This whole trip wasn't just about sailing around the north island, and taking my sailing to the next step, but also about revisiting the places of my youth. I still feel like youth but I'm gonna turn 37 in a week, so I have some pretty good youth memory that are also 15 years old. One of them is sailing to able tasman in my first boat, and some others are going to Canan Downs Festival on the top of Takaka hill (it would be Mount Takaka if it was on the north island) and then rolling down into Takaka in Golden Bay and camping at the (infamous) free camping spot by the river. I hadn't been back to Golden Bay in at least 10 years, and unfortunately it's all very shallow, and my boat needs at least a 1.5 meters of water. There is one spot to anchor that gives some shelter to the West, behind the Tata islands, it's a long bike ride to town from there, but do able. I was sailing there last wednesday, beating to windward to get around separation point. Out there the wind was getting quite strong, and realizing that I'd be arriving at this tiny (and unfamiliar) anchorage at dusk, in an area that was otherwise a lee shore, I decided for peace of mind to bail pick another spot. I anchored at totaranui, a long sandy beach, sheltered to the west, and a large hill providing shelter to the north. There was another boat anchored there also, in the morning, Jim came over to say hi "you look like you've come a long way" he said. I told him about my trip, and also offered him some fish I had caught, the whole fish being rather large to eat by my self before it went bad. He said he was a vegetarian but his wife would appreciate it. I explained I was going to golden bay to visit an old friend, and asked for tips about anchoring around there. I didn't mention I was engineless. In the morning he came back and suggested that I use his marina berth. I've never paid to tie Cleo up, and so this was the first time Cleo had stayed in a marina, while I have owned her. I sailed around Friday, when the wind turned south east. The Tarakohe harbour is an artificial one, a breakwater of piled up rocks, some moored boats, a wharf for fishing boats and just three rows of pontoons. Jim's berth was beside a light blue boat named Pilgrim. On which Dave lived aboard. I dropped the genoa outside the harbour, and sailed in with just the main. I managed to spot Pilgrim from the outside, then dropped the main, and sculled in. The sculling oar is a 4.9 meter long oar that, by swooshing behind the boat, can move the boat quite slowly, if there is no wind. If there is just a small bit of wind, it's easier to sail, but if there is no wind this can get the last half a mile into an anchorage. I don't use it often and I'm still figuring out how to make it work well. It's especially difficult because very few people have them, and they are usually figuring it out too. I sculled in, approached pilgrim and into the berth without a bump. Dave was watching me come in - but I already knew his name, proving that my story that Jim said I could use his berth. In the morning someone from the marina came around, and I told them the same thing. That's enough for Port Tarakohe! I noticed that the pontoon had a lockable gate (marinas often do). Jim hadn't mentioned this, it was currently open. I asked Dave what time it closed. He said never. He had cable tied it open, because he got tired of having to get out of bed to open it for people that didn't have the key! It was a long way into town, and all the masts and the breakwater meant it didn't have good cell signal! The really convenient thing is that I could easily get rid of various junk I had aboard, the marina providing trash and recycling that I could now simply walk to. The forecast looked good for Tuesday, so I had plenty of time to get the boat in very good order.

I wasn't sure I'd be able to successfully scull out of the marina if there was much wind, so I left at first light, when the wind is often still. I got out of the harbor, and was becalmed a few hours. I used this time to catch up on some emails, and start this thread. At 1147 a steady wind finally came. I started heading north. It was a light northerly at first, and by 1307 had turned around to the forecast 10 knot south westerly. Smooth sailing. I saw Jim heading in. He probably saw me, but we were out side of waving distance.

By 1546 I was passing Farewell Spit. This is a low sandy bank that stretches out from the north west corner of the south island and shelters golden bay. Now I was properly in the Tasman sea. The wind and waves soon increased, and got down to two reefs in the main, but then decided cleo self steered better with the jib down and just one reef in the main. There wasn't much swell yet, but the waves were quite large, once, when I was resting below deck, a wave hit the side and put a lot of water into the cockpit! After that I kept the bottom washboard in, to stop water coming into the cabin.

After going forward to tie down the jib, I felt extra sick. I threw up into the bucket several times. You could tell I had had mac and cheese and then an apple. Feeling pretty sorry for my self I rested. There were some offshore gas rigs off Taranaki, and apart from that no hazards. I occasionally made sure I was heading well east of the rigs and rested.

Later the wind eased a bit, maybe I could have gone faster with the jib back up, but I was still making good progress and better to look after my self.

By morning I started feeling better. Still I would get queasy if I looked down inside the cabin. For example, to do the dishes, or to put wet weather gear on. Normally it's not this bad. This was only the second time I'd ever thrown up on my boat. Maybe it was because it was rough right at the start of the trip or maybe it was because I'd spent the last couple of days in the marina, nearly as still as if I'd been on land. Or maybe it was that @Rabble's "blissful" comment had jinxed me.

day 2

Late in the night I saw lights from the gas platform, or it's loom over the swell. That was as close as I got. In the morning, the wind had calmed, and I was both feeling better and getting better at controlling the queasiness. I had caught a fish yesterday, a medium sized Kahawai, but did not attempt cooking it. But I did scale a gut it. I've been trying to figure out the best way to make fish last. Back in the sounds, I had caught a large kahawai, filleted and kept the fillets in plastic bags. 48 hours later the fillets were not edible, but the soup that I made within 24 hours was still tasting good 4 days after that! The next fish I caught I was shortly before I anchored, so I just kept the fillets on a plate in the galley. I gave 1/4 of the fillets away, but the rest were still edible on the second day. Maybe plastic bags is not good? This fish I decided to leave as whole as possible until I needed it. The first day it was gutted and scaled, then hung up. First I hung it inside, then moved it out under the solar panel. If fell down from there into the cockpit, and still feeling sick left it there.

In the morning I cut a fillet of and had it for lunch. Resting a bit in between filleting it, cooking it, eating it to control queasyness. The wind eased enough to take out the reef and raise the jib.

I listened to the radio to keep abreast of the pandemic. Tonight, NZ is going into full lockdown. I heard on the radio that everyone got a text message from civil defense that where they stay tonight is where they must stay for the remainder of the month. I have not heard any specific guidance for cruising sailors! my other neighbour in tarakohe harbour had been about to sail to tonga, but now all the borders were closed, so instead they were gonna go and spend several months in the sounds. One exception is that you are allowed to travel home. My home is the boat, which is moving right now. At sea, everything is constantly moving. My plan is to go and wait it out in great barrier island, which is technically part of Auckland, which on paper is my home. So if anyone does question me I think I have a reasonable story to tell.

Any my cupboards are pretty deep with things like beans and rice. I might have to get a bit creative in places but if I supplement it with seafood I'm sure I can make it last a month.

One very pleasant part of this trip, once I left wellington was being given food by various people I had met. I had received a box of apples from Ed, my friend in golden bay, they were bumpy and too ugly for a supermarket, but also much more flavorful. Never having been refrigerated they should last longer too! I packed them carefully.

Earlier, I'd also met Frank and his family in Pelorus sound. I mostly skipped Queen Charlotte sound, as it's more crowded, and has the ferries, and I've already been there, but pelorus sound I'd only been just inside the entrance. I sailed in further... originally planning to go in one direction, but then the wind changes so I decided to just go to some other part. The sounds are very deep, often 50 meters deep in the middle of the channel. Normally, 15 meters is the limit that I'd consider anchoring in. But finding that in the sounds is not so easy. Also, all the hills are enormous. The tallest mountain in great barrier island is only 600 meters tall, but in the sounds there are hills over 1000 meters that come straight down into the water. (although, this is nothing compared to the much steeper and deeper fjordland, but that's not gonna be this trip!) I thought I had finally found a suitable bay, but when I sailed into it, the wind was on shore there. The hills effect the wind a lot. It can blow different directions in different parts of the sounds. Sometimes wind blows down a bay, but sometimes a hill completely blocks the wind. Local knowledge is required. Glancing at the chart, the next bay looked really good, but then the cruising guide basically said "this by is no good don't go there". But by that time I was just wanted to drop anchor and given the weather was currently mild was about to just go there anyway. Then I saw a wharram catamaran also sailing into that bay. A wharram is a proper sailboat, and I know I can paddle up to a wharram and say hi, and probably make friends instantly. That Wharram was Frank's! The next morning Frank and his family came by in their dinghy. Explaining that I had sailed down from Auckland, he asked where I normally hang out up there... the answer is really "around" but I mentioned I had a mooring in little shoal bay. He said you must know Andrew, of Swirly World? Yes I did. Actually Swirly World was one of the first sailing stories I was recommended, and so was a huge inspiration to me. And when I went to look at cleo the first time was amazed to see it two moorings over! Frank was actually mentioned in both Swirly World books and he later showed me his signed copies. He and his family had been living on various islands around the sounds for years, and had a share in some land in this bay... actually attached to the mainland, but without road access. Since the cruising guide says it's no good, it keeps it from ever getting crowed too. (I'm not mentioning the name of the bay, so it stays that way ;) They gave me a jar of bush honey (from their hives) a very large Zuchini (currently half finished), and a bag of excellent lemons (way better than the supermarket ones!). Am also delivering a jar of honey for Andrew, just because it would be funny to have delivered it not just by sail but completely enginelessly. Because of this jar of honey I must absolutely not accept any tows (not that I ever do). If Andrew receives it and drives home in his car, that will be the first time this honey has been propelled by fossil fuels, but that's his business.

Writing this, 2054 wednesday night, making good progress with full main and jib, already north of New Plymouth, and should be west of Raglan in the morning.

day 3

Today was pleasant weather. On the beam, sometimes a bit down wind, but not enough to get the pole out. sometimes a bit above it, but not close hauled. I had gotten my sea legs back now, no more queasyness. I cut off the second fillet and ate half of it, and made the head and bones into soup. More listening to the radio. Turning the dial through the AM spectrum, voices would jump out, usually still quite scratchy. The best radio station was Coast. All your favorites, indeed. I have a new appreciation for Rod Stewart. At one point I managed to pick up an Australian station, but only just. Tuning in the cheap ($10) radio that I had was tricky. Sometimes you'd get a station, but then if you put it down it would loose it. I tried almost tuning it hoping that it would go better instead of worse when I put it down, and sometimes I managed that. I had gotten the radio to be able to listen to Radio New Zealand, but I had quite a bit of trouble picking that up. It was usually easier to get Newstalk ZB, or various sports radio. Every radio station was talking about corona, however, so it still served it's purpose.

On the previous passage, Auckland to Wellington I had no news source at all, and it took 10 days... since NZ announced and went into lockdown with only 48 hours notice, I could have easily arrived and then discovered now everything was different. Certainly I shall be investing in a better radio once the lockdown is over.

Not least because today I was unable to get a marine weather forecast. These are broadcast on VHF at various times throughout the day, 0730, 1330, 1730, 2130. I had passed Taranaki at least 40 miles off shore, and then the coast curves inward a lot. Following a straight line for Cape Reinga put me 100 miles west of Raglan, at the furthest out. Too far for VHF it seems, but not too far for AM. what I need is shortwave, in particular, SSB - single side band.

Making good progress though, if I manage to keep up this rate could be rounding the cape Saturday afternoon.

In the evening the wind turned north, and I had to sail close hauled. Thankfully not so north that I needed to beat, but I was pointing a little east of my mark, and if this continued I'd arrive at Hokianga, and would need to tack back out, but the last forcast that I did receive predicted south and south easterly later, so that seemed unlikely. (I carefully note down the forecast when I do manage to receive it, because I often want to refer back to it later).

day 4

The conditions of day 4 continue from the conditions of day 3, because of course, day 4 starts at midnight. On land, the day as you think about it starts in the morning when you wake up. but on a trip like this, you cannot trust that the wind will necessarily hold strength and direction. so you need to wake up to check on things, and hence are aware of things at all times of the day and night.

The first log entry for day 4 at 0035 "nearly at the latitude of Auckland" and 0150 "now crossing internet cables to Australia" and at 0405 "good progress. hour average 3.47 and heading for cape reinga"

At 0600 I noted the wind had picked up a bit, and at 0615 I put a reef in, because Cleo was shuddering. It was also raining. The last forecast I had received, on wednesday (day 2) had said a front was passing the north island on thursday or friday, so this was probably it. At 0635 I checked our heading, and it was now sailing 254 degrees - west south west, when we should be heading north! I eased the sails and reset the self steering so we were heading north west, good enough for now, given it would be light in an hour, and was still raining a bit.

At 749 I realized I had failed to receive the 0730 forecast. But later in the morning, listening to the BBC World Service, broadcast out of Auckland I got a very vague forecast. It only mentioned wind direction and not strength, but hadn't changed much from wednesday forecast.

There was a bit of a clear patch in the sky and this grew and the wind strengthened. With jib and full main I was racing along at 5 knots.

At 1350 I got a snatch of forecast! right at the end, not anything useful, and it was too scatchy to make out, but I had the signal. While in Able Tasman, I'd mentioned to Jim that I'd been having trouble getting forcasts. In nelson there is a channel that broadcasts the forecast continually, and then the current wind measurements of various locations in the area. So I'd stopped listening for the scheduled forecasts, but it seems I was behind a hill and not getting the continual forecast now. Actually, just as I was talking to him I realized it was the scheduled time, and turned on the radio, yes the scheduled forecasts where still coming through. The next day he gave me a note with the times and channels by area on it. It seemed a bit much at the time, kind hearted, but sort of implied that I didn't know that stuff... however, that note turned out to be quite useful and is now taped to the wall. He had written that Kaitaia was channel 71, and this was what I had gotten the scratchy signal on. (I had passed Auckland already, Auckland has mountains to the west, which would have blocked the signal, plus I was very far out)

At 1730 I heard the signal, but mostly far too scratchy to make any thing out. some times it would phase in and I'd hear a voice talking about the weather... but if I didn't hear the start of that bit, I didn't know what area it was talking about.

At 1930, shortly before sunset, the wind changed, more south. I messed around setting sails differently, trying to out things with the self steering. I tried with just the main up, but the waves were pushing the stern around, and then if we went to far, we'd get stuck there, drifting sideways without enough forward speed to turn back. Eventually I put the jib back, polled out, and then realized a control line had slipped on the self steering and that was probably the problem. Continuing at 5 knots, a great pace today! I estimated that if this continues, I'd be passing cape Reinga around mid day tomorrow.

At 2130 I got a forecast clearly! it said pretty much the same thing as the previous one... but of course I knew that now. Around the time I got around the cape it was to change to south east, not ideal because I'll be wanting to sail to the south east at that time. but it could be more east? I picked the time for my passage by waiting for an approaching high, which should create south westerlies, then turn around to south easterlies. as its turned out, it's been mostly on the beam, so I think you could have sailed from the far north to golden bay just as well this week.

Also, at the start of the forecast, it said something about the corona lockdown. Something about "recreational boating must stop" I didn't catch it all because it was at the start and I was still messing with the radio settings then.

The wind held and I raced towards cape reianga into the evening.

@emile I got really confused why you might think I should fly a Q until I noticed that you where talking about the Lima flag. I think this article would have made more sense: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarantine (also it's first image is the lima flag)

day 5

I sailed on at 5 to 6 knots all night long. This was the first time since leaving that I was actually getting close to land again, and was therefore my last chance to get some decent rest. I hadn't seen any boats since leaving golden bay. And had been on one tack the whole time.

At 0629 I sighted the Cape Reinga and Maria van Diemen lights. Dawn was an hour later. It was raining slightly and the wind had dropped. I was still doing 4 knots though. The last couple of days, the wind got briefly lighter at dawn, I suspected this would happed again, and 15 minutes later I was back to 5 knots. the difference between 4 and 5 knots might not seem like much, but in 24 hours, you'll go 24 miles further at 4 knots, which would take you another 6 hours if you were going 4 knots.

From the top of the swell, I could now see land. Cape Reinga. I had sailed from the south island, but the first part of the north island that I was was it's very northern end. At 0915 I needed to gybe and go on the other quarter. now for the first time in the whole trip, on the port tack.

It had been great being on the starboard tack the whole way. In Cleo, the galley is on the port side, and a large settee is on starboard. Although everything is getting significantly more organized, a bunch of stuff always ends up there (such as sleeping bag, and clothes that I've recently taken off but expect to put back on soon). Going on the port tack for the first time meant a bit of tidying was due first.

at 1005, I noticed the GPS said I was going much slower than it felt. Maybe there is a current? I checked the chart... yes, quite strong currents here! in a spring tide, 2.6 knots, in by the cape. Because of that, and because there was a dangerous bank in near the cape (the chart said "usually breaks") I decided to give it a wide berth.

At 1158 I could see past Cape Reinga to the headland on the other side - Otou, North Cape. This is actually the northen most part of the North Island, but it doesn't have as much mystique as Cape Reinga.

I was slowly going around it, but had plenty of time. I did a stocktake of all my dry stores, really digging into the bottom of the cupboard. Found stuff I had forgotten about.

• lentels 2kg
• mungbeans 1.5kg
• red beans (small) 1.75 kg
• kidney beans 1 kg
• black beans 2kg
• macaroni 1kg
• ramen noodles 1.5 kg
• oats 1kg
• potato flakes 0.75 kgs
• rice 4kg
• spaghetti 1kg

that's 16.5 kg. So to cover the whole lockdown, if it's 4kg a week, then that's 0.5 kg a day, and I figure that the actual food weight is at least double when you add water. seems like it should be enough.

Oh and 3kg of flour, and 3kg of maize flour. (got maize flour because all the flour was gone!, it's what you are meant to use to make tortillas anyway)

Also

• 29 potatos
• 7.5 kumara
• 9 lemons
• 20 onions

And 2.5 kg of cheese. And 2 kg of peanut butter. I'm gonna run out of butter, but I have 4 liters of cooking oil! I've been accumulating dry stores for ages. Because beans, for example, take more preparation, soaking the night before, I tend not to eat them so often. Also great thing about beans, you can sprout them, so they also count for fresh veges, although you can store them basically forever.

At 1423 I had now passed north of Cape Reinga. Also, the tide had turned and I was now doing 6.5 knots.

I decided to skip spirits bay. There was still a swell running, and I didn't really need a rest badly. Also the forecast was South East, so it wouldn't be any easier to wait there. It hadn't actually gone south east yet so I might as well continue. Also, especially given the pandemic, I wanted to regain cell signal so I could see how my friends were doing. Also, this trip turned out to be so easy, I might as well continue.

At 1815 I got around north cape. The next place that had shelter to the south east was behind cape Karikari, which was 30 miles to windward. Optimistically, I was looking at midnight. but of course the wind died away until I could just barely feel it. I dropped anchor in 19 meters, at 0415 sunday. I couldn't feel the swell out in the deeper water but it was there and when I got near the beach I could feel it, and hear a constant rumble on the beach.

Leaving port Tarakohe at 0817 Tuesday to dropping anchor Sunday 0415 is 4 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes.
less than half the trip down!

Before I started on this trip, everyone up north seemed to think the east coast was the easy one, although I can't think of anyone I met that had actually done it... but down in wellington and the south island, I met a lot more people who had been via the west coast. And then I had a far more pleasant experience on the west. Maybe the worst weather is worse on the west, but since it's a straight haul, it's easier to plan. On the east coast, you have to go around too many things. But to come down the west coast, you just have to go around cape Reinga, and there is plenty of good shelter nearby that to wait for the right conditions. At the other end, you can sail straight into able tasman or the sounds. But on the east coast, you get around cape Pallisier and 2/3 chance you'll be to windward into wellington, even if you had put into Napier, and waited for the good conditions to get past castlepoint, you'll still need to turn to windward, and even if you are motoring it'll be unpleasant. If you are coming from the north, in both directions the worst bit is as the end, but on the west coast you can sail through that into shelter, but on the east coast you have to turn and beat back into it.

I have never sailed this far north before! Since I havn't crossed my outgoing track I havn't technically circumnavigated the north island yet. But the next bay down is Doubtless bay, and I was there two years ago. So I'll probably get there in a few days, two years to circumnavigate the north island. That's a good amount of time for something like this I think!

@kira well, primarily navigational information, but really anything.

Originally, the term "log book" (also log file) comes from a navigational device called a log. It's a piece of wood with a string on it. You throw it over the side and measure how long it takes to extend fully. That's how fast you are going. Do that regularily and record it in a special book (uh, because of what goes in it just call that the "log book"). If you know how fast you've been going for how long, then you can reckon (reason) where you are. kinda. That's called "dead reckoning". Before they invented decent clocks, you could measure your latitude easy enough, but you had to use dead reckoning to know/guess how far east/west you where.

Also, anything else relevant to sailing. For example, the weather, what direction you are heading, what sails you have set, things that you have past or are trying to avoid. Anything that has broken or you've fixed. Anything that might be important to know happened on a certain date, such as an injury. Sometimes notes on stuff (such as the stocktake) and personal reflections. So sometimes it's a diary. If in my telling, there is a time to the minute for something, that event was certainly recorded in the log book. On this trip, I just navigated the least interesting way, gps and charts on my phone. I still wrote down the lat:long at noon, so that I could calculate a daily run*. If you doing something more interesting, such taking bearings off landmarks, or celestial navigation, or even just lat:long and marking it on a paper chart, all that stuff would be in the log book too.

* traditionally, a daily run is measured noon to noon, because if you are doing celestial navigation, that's the time you most accurately know where you are.

you are welcome @hoodownr thanks for reading them!

@Martin-Heidegger yes I have a pressure cooker! a couple of cans of tomatos, but I prefer to avoid cans. One a week.

@bob I've heard stories about students in Dunedin getting scurvy!

I have a box of apples gifted to me by Ed (that grew in his backyard trees) they are packed very carefully so one a day should last a month, hopefully. Also Frank gave me lemons and a very large zucchini. Back in the ye ole days on the sailing ships they ate hardtack (basically flour and water) and salted meat. I have a massively better diet than that. In particular, I'm regularly eating fresh fish. Beans can be sprouted too, so that's full fresh veges. So, I get fresher food than someone who shops at a supermarket (where everything is refrigerated)!

It still takes a while to cook dry beans in a pressure cooker if they arn't soaked. blackbeans are the easiest.

One of the fun things about cruising is when you start to run out of your regular ingredients and you are forced to improvise, discover many new things that way.