After the Storm
One of the nice things about cyclones (there aren’t many) is that they are small in the grand scheme of
One of the nice things about cyclones (there aren’t many) is that they are small in the grand scheme of
We’ve been hanging out in the Bay of Islands, relaxing a little and trying to get both the boat and
We’re finally enjoying some sailing and cruising the way it should be. We left Whangarei and made our way up
After living on Wasco for a year or so we decided that there were a few things that would make
So, we’re finally back in the water, allowing us a little time to relax, breathe, and catch up on things
Couple gets a boat, goes off sailing for a year, posts at least somewhat regularly, then returns to NZ and goes silent. What gives? Well, we came back to New Zealand to work on the boat. We bought a pretty nice boat, and she’s in pretty good shape, but after living on her for a year there are a few things that we think will make her even better. And then there’s the standard maintenance on top of all that. Item one on the agenda – getting rid of all the Micron Extra bottom paint. What a terrible product. It self-polishes itself all over anything that comes close. Bump up against the hull getting out of the water and you get out wearing blue bottom paint. Lose the head shackle on a spinnaker and have to pull it out of the drink? Now you have a blue spinnaker. Go fast because that’s the kind of boat you have? No paint
Somehow we forgot to post again once we got done with the passage. Here we are again in New Zealand.
Done with Customs and the anchor is up. We’re on our way to Raivavae in the Australs. From here on
Donald and I took advantage of our last day with the rental car and did some sightseeing in Akaroa. It’s
It’s time for us to head off to the South Pacific, with our first stop being Raivavae in the Australs. Donald has been working with Met Bob, a weather man who prognosticates weather for South Pacific passages. When Donald and Bob both think it looks good we’ll raise the hook and head out of Lyttelton. We’ve spent a little extra time and money for this step because it will be just Donald and me for this passage. Geoff and Laura-Lee have decided to take a different route on their adventure and we wish them the best. I’m a little more trepidatious about doing four hour shifts with just the two of us on a boat this large but Donald assures me that we’ve done it before and we can do it again. My mom will be meeting us in Tahiti for two weeks and Donald’s mom will be joining us somewhere along the way to visit and help us with