Author Archives: freedomsail

Sunday 18 July 2021 GOOD NEWS!!! … We have our much-anticipated Quarantine Exemption from the Victorian Health Department … with the following email being received today … Dear Rob, I just wanted to let you know that the Deputy CHO has approved the exemptions for you and your three crew – subject of course toContinue reading “We Sail Tomorrow!”

Saturday 17 July 2021 Today’s constant wind and rain had us fully kitted up in our wet weather gear for our tiki-tour of Russell.  As expected the Happy Boat from Paihia was cancelled due to the rough conditions, but to the rescue came a tour bus, which left Paihia at the same time as theContinue reading “Time to Play Tourists”

Friday 16 July 2021 It’s a little off-topic – in regards to a sailing adventure that is – but today was a very special day.  It marks the day on which James, WAS to have had his PhD graduation ceremony at the Australian National University (ANU).  Flowing robes, floppy cap, tassels, portrait photos and stand-up-finger-foodContinue reading “Making Good Use of our Time”

Thursday 15 July 2021 After getting to bed close to 3am for the last few nights, this morning was a serious sleep-in, with few signs of life onboard till after 10:00am.    The weather was once again stable and sunny, and even warm for a few hours in the middle of the day, but itContinue reading “Still Treading Water”

Wednesday 14 July 2021 We remain in limbo-land, with tomorrow morning’s New Zealand Customs appointment – to clear us out of the country and wave us on our way –  being cancelled, by me. Perhaps it was optimism, perhaps it was wishful thinking, perhaps … perhaps … At the moment, everything hangs on us obtainingContinue reading “Waiting for Quarantine Exemption”

Bay Of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island Tuesday 13 July 2021 After yesterday’s squally, wet performance, today dawned reasonably fine, with patches of blue and the promise of sun.  The presence of two new crew, Matt and Sam, and the fact that Harm would be arriving later today – completing our gang of four –Continue reading “A Brief Mountaintop Experience”

Bay Of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island Monday 12 July 2021 It rained all day today.  And even when it wasn’t actually raining, it was drizzling, with the wind blowing through at a great rate of knots – literally … lots of knots.  So much so that we were heeling over from time to timeContinue reading “The Crew Starts to Gather”

Bay Of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island Sunday 11 July 2021 It’s been a rainy, cold, blowy kind of day – all day, and it’s forecast for tomorrow as well.  But it’s a great day to be tied up in a marina berth with the heater on. Tomorrow’s boating forecast from the MetService – forContinue reading “Starting to Feel a Bit Like Groundhog Day”

Bay Of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island Saturday 10 July 2021 It was an early, not to mention sad, start to the day, with the inevitable departure … first of Matt and Cathy, then James and Eva. Matt and Cathy’s taxi arrived at 5:00am for the ride to the Kerikeri airport and from there byContinue reading “Setting Sights on Home”

Bay Of Islands Marina, Opua, North Island Friday 9 July 2021 Today’s Post WAS going to be called … “A Comedy of Errors” … or maybe, “Swimming Spectacle” … but there are more important reasons to remember today than Robert (me) … losing not one, but TWO pairs of prescription glasses overboard. The first fromContinue reading “Where Did Those Three Days Go?”