Is there any red Port left in the bottle? Starboard stand-on, Port Piss off If to Starboard red appear, tis your duty to keep clear I am four weeks into my Boatmasters course (thank you Wellington Coastguard!) and I have ridiculous rhymes and sayings coming out of my ears. If you see a marker with two black circles on top…
Niue – population: 1400 people, a pod of dolphins and more chooks than New Zealand has sheep. It is also an amazing example of courage in the face of disaster. In 2004 Niue was clobbered by a tropical cyclone that pretty much levelled a large portion of it. Cyclone Heta was a category 5 that devastated the tiny island’s capital…
A boat out of water is a sad sight – all awkward and exposed. But it’s a necessary evil to ensure everything is in good shape below the water. Living on a boat out of water can be a little unnerving as well – particularly when it’s windy. Being several feet up in the air and swaying from side to…
For the non-boaties: The Boatmasters certificate isn’t like a drivers’ licence, you don’t have to have it -but for someone learning the ropes it’s pretty important. It teaches you things like navigation, the rules of the ‘road’, and how to generally keep yourself and your crew safe. It’s something you would hope newbie boaties would be encouraged to get, so…
Someone once described cruising as “the art of boat maintenance in exotic locations” – and I am in absolutely no doubt this is true. But what they fail to mention is the large amount of work that needs to be done before setting out for more tropical climes. Evidence of this is The List – a document Paddy uses to…
I’ve just finished reading this book, the taming of the crew, about an insane couple who sold up everything, bought a boat and took their two sons (both under 10 at time of leaving) around the Pacific. If that wasn’t challenging enough, they then ended up sailing themselves into some of the worst winter storms the area had seen in…
I read about these amazing creatures in a diving magazine and, while it is highly unlikely we will come across them in the Pacific, I felt the need to share my discovery. I’d heard of Beluga whales before but had never seen pictures – they are literally snow white, like icebergs with fins. They are utterly beautiful with the most…
A word about seasickness medication – don’t knock it. And for the love of Neptune, if you aren’t used to sailing, don’t try to be macho and tough it out without it. I learned that one the hard way during my first Cook Strait crossing on the way to Queen Charlotte Sounds. I did the whole “I don’t get motion…
Wildflower is a 44ft steel yacht. She’s named after a Tom Petty song and I think she’s beautiful. Granted I did come along when she was looking her best. About 10 years ago Paddy was living in her while she was sans ceiling and floor. He had to balance on beams and duck under exposed wires. In contrast the Wildflower…
For those of you who know me, this may come as a bit of a surprise as I am somewhat reknowned for my lack of coordination. It’s fun to watch people’s eyes widen when I tell them – knowing they are picturing one of the many spectacular tunbles I have taken over the years.