Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Sunday 13 June 2021

There is much excitement aboard as we contemplate heading out in the morning.  Gary, Annette and Martyn arrived this afternoon from Hamilton – Gary (Annette’s brother) having first flown there from his home in Wellington –  with Annette and Martyn’s daughter Kirsty acting as Uber Daughter. 

As I’ve mentioned earlier, we now have the very same crew on board that we did in March last year, as we prepared to leave Wellington on the leg north to the Bay of Islands.  At this stage, second time around, it looks like we are good to go in the morning!

Dinner of (bought) pizza has just been eaten, with Annette, Martyn and I having first made an assault on the local Pak n Save supermarket with around 20 litres of petrol also being bought for use in the outboards over the next few weeks.

Rain, plus the need to actually tidy the boat up, (in readiness for the arrival of our new crew) put a stop to all painting activities.  At least until we can get another clear run at it up north, or some other anchorage along the way.

The search for a trans-Tasman crew continues and one possibility arose from the most unlikely of encounters.  You may recall that on Friday afternoon I opened a Westpac bank account at the local Bayfair Shopping centre.  In idle chat with the teller, I said I was from Australia – I was feeling brave – and also mentioned that I’d come on a yacht.  “My husband and I have an 11 metre yacht we keep in an Auckland marina – we use it as a place to live when we go there”, she said … Isobel was her name.

“Maybe your husband would like to sail to Australia with me”, I ventured.  “I’ll ask him” she replied … “but if he doesn’t, he might have a friend, or know someone who would like to”

We exchanged contact details and would you believe, I got a call yesterday from Isobel’s husband Ian and he dropped by this morning to check me and the boat out … on behalf of his friend, who he said was keen to get offshore experience.

As it turned out, Ian was a boat builder.  At least that was his first career.  He then got into house builder, then became a boat broker and delivery skipper.   He even knows the guy that donated the 50-metre ship to YWAM and regularly skippers boats, or all sizes, around the place.  We chatted for an hour or more, sharing stories back and forth, and who knows, I might get a call from his friend in Auckland!?

The weather is still looking ok for tomorrow.  Not ideal, but certainly good enough to go.  Our first day’s trip to Mayor Island is only short – maybe 25-30 miles, so we should be at anchor by mid-afternoon.   I can hear rain on the deck currently, but I think they are only passing showers, however, it’s likely to continue like this for most of tomorrow.

Right now, we are working towards having an early night, with the big job for the morning being to lift the large dinghy onto the deck.  Normally we would have done it today, so everything was good-to-go.  But we are giving our newly painted deck as much time as possible to harden up before punishing it with the weight of the tender.   

After lifting the dinghy, (in the morning) I’ll then head up to the office to settle the account.  They always like to have you do that before you untie the lines … funny that … not just because I’m Australian … that’d be discrimination.  No, I’m guessing they might have had someone not pay their account some time in the past … who’s made it bad for the rest of us.  Just guessing?!

Smooth seas, fair breeze and leaving in the morning

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Saturday 12 June 2021

As we enter the final countdown to departure the list of remaining “important tasks” is getting shorter – which is a good thing. 

There’s the ongoing work on painting the deck, and I’m very happy to report that we completed the second top coat of grey on the foredeck this afternoon.  All that’s left is the taping and painting of a nice sharp edge each side; which we will do tomorrow (we hope)

Completing the foredeck was important because it’s where the big dinghy sits, and is therefore inaccessible most of the time, so it’s been good to put that task to bed.  We are now working our way aft and would like to get one top coat on everything by lunchtime tomorrow, however, the weather forecast might have another idea.  Showers are predicted … starting overnight, so that will literally put a dampener on things I suspect.

In order to make maximum use of time, John is currently out in the cockpit applying a top coat to the undercover areas around the wheel.  At least no one is going to be walking around there through the night – at least we hope – and it should be reasonably dry by morning.  John’s last brush strokes will probably be done while standing inside on the companionway ladder, because after that it will be tricky to step anywhere out there without leaving your mark.

It was a special thrill to be able to host David and Susan aboard today for morning tea and lunch.  They timed their visit to coincide with other business they were doing in Tauranga, and like me the other day, got stuck in traffic.  Something you might expect on a Friday afternoon, but not on a Saturday morning.  Not in these parts.  Although judging by the official reports, it’s not getting better any time soon.  (Refer to link below)

Having been in touch with David for so long now, there was a feeling that he and Susan MUST have been aboard Chimere some time in the past.  But not so.   No doubt he was very familiar with her from all the photos etc, but it was great to give them a firsthand tour.  They even brought some tasty homemade cookies for the voyage … although having traded their US citizenship for New Zealand, I’m sure they would now call them Biscuits … they actually look ANZAC Biscuits; which would be most appropriate.

With just two sleeps till we depart, the extra crew will be arriving tomorrow afternoon.  In fact it’s our “carry-over-champions” from March last year – Gary, Annette and Martyn – who’s voyage north on the Wellington to the Bay of Islands leg was cut short by the COVID19 Pandemic.  At the time they didn’t even get to spend a single night on the boat.  Having moved into their cabins in the afternoon, they were moving off and back home later that same  evening.  So, here we are, less than one day away from getting the former “gang” back together again.   

Now of course there is an additional crew member – Nicola – who will join us, possibly on Thursday, a little further north near Auckland.  Actually, on the island of Kawau, where we intend to drop anchor for a night or two.  Primarily to meet up with someone – a fellow sailor, Lin Pardey – we got to know briefly in January last year before leaving Melbourne.  As we waved good-bye to her and her friend David, she invited us to drop by their place on Kawau Island, if we happened to be in the area.

As for food … well John and I have been getting by quite well to date on old ships stores, plus the occasional visit to the supermarket for basics.  Although, if truth be told, we’ve done very well at other’s expense this past week or so … Out at David and Susan’s place, the Maketu Rotary Club, YWAM Ships, Trish and Barry Muir’s, plus outings to buy fish and chips and tonight’s Vietnamese fare down off The Strand; where we went for a stroll as the evening’s dew put a halt to painting.

But we’ll have a saloon table meeting when Gary, Annette and Martyn arrive tomorrow to sort out a serious shopping list for the next 10 days or so.  Fortunately, we still have a lend of David and Susan’s car till Monday morning!

To all those friends and family back in Melbourne, and Victoria, without electricity, nearly 5 days after the “big storm” … I certainly hope things are back to normal soon.  At least the latest COVID lockdown restrictions are being eased tonight.  (Apparently thousands of trees have come down, many through the middle of homes, or on powerlines, as the photos illustrate)

Smooth seas, fair breeze and two sleeps to go

Rob Latimer

Tauranga City Council: Investment needed to cope with population growth

Tauranga’s population has grown by an average of 25,000 people every 10 years since 1980, and that this growth was expected to continue for at least the next two decades.

Meanwhile, the city had fallen behind in its infrastructure investments, creating problems such as traffic congestion, a lack of quality community facilities and a housing shortage, it said.

The meeting heard that significant investment was required to:

• address a worsening shortage of space for homes and businesses

• mitigate traffic congestion

• improve public transport

• revitalise the city centre

• improve parks, reserves, walkways, theatres and other community facilities.

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Friday 11 June 2021

The day started on a definite HIGH as I made my way down to the Office Connect store on Cameron Road, Tauranga.   It was around 10:00am and there was business owner, Pawan, at the counter to greet me with my newly repaired IridiumGO satellite communications unit, fully charged and ready for action.

After making contact with around 10 different businesses and organisations, even Iridium direct in the USA, in an effort to get the machine repaired, I was so relieved that a local business and their technician could make it right.    As for Iridium, the manufacturer of the unit, they apparently don’t sell spare parts, which I discovered several days after my initial online inquiry, but they were happy to refer me to an electronics repair business in Australia; who manage communications for various emergency service organisations.

“My technician had to make a couple of new pins for the old part, so it could be re-attached to the motherboard”, explained Pawan.  He was then interested to know what the machine was used for and kindly consented to appear in my photo.

And how much would you expect to pay for such a repair?   Well, I had no idea, really.  But given this piece of technology can cost anything from $1-$2,000, and I was all out of options, I’d resigned myself to paying almost anything – within reason – to have it fixed.  “That’s $89” said Pawan, as we approached the cash register. 

I suppose in my mind, I had a possible range within which the cost might fall, and $89 was actually below my bottom figure.  So much so that after paying the invoice on a credit card, I slipped him $20 cash to give to the technician.  Like I say, the day started well!

Despite predictions of “possible light rain” … it was good weather for painting.  I even got a chance to do come touch-up work on the bow, which I was able to do from the dinghy while also talking to Linda at home.  Apparently there was a very big storm that swept through a day or so ago, leaving a very large number of people still without power.  Fortunately, there was no damage at our place, but the freezer was full of stuff from other people who were faced with the prospect of it going to waste.

By lunch time we realised that we’d done all the immediate painting we could and needed to wait for some drying to take place, before we advanced further.  Time to head on down to the local fishing supply store – recommended by our friendly neighbourhood fisherman – to get some new trolling lures.  As you can see from the photo, there were lots to choose from, but we took some recommendations from the resident experts and came home with three very colourful and hopefully tasty looking lures.

In running around from place to place, we are constantly reminded just how fantastic it is to have the lend of a car.  Without it, you really couldn’t do that much around here.  At least nothing like we’ve been able to achieve.  Shopping, visiting – contacts, friends, family, businesses … just so many things.  Thank you again David and Susan!

While we were on the road buying fishing lures, John and I thought we’d treat ourselves to fish and chips – at Bobby’s down on the Tauranga Wharf – near town.  Surely with new lures we’d be rolling in our own freshly caught fish soon enough, and all we’d have to do is make our own chips.  Time will tell.

It was around this time that the heavy, grey clouds decided to develop into a rather persistent rain, which was certainly enough to halt all painting for the rest of the day.  Instead of holding a brush, John started reading a book before falling asleep on the saloon seat, while I headed down the road to a shopping mall, where I’d arranged a second meeting with the Westpac Bank, in an effort to open a New Zealand bank account. 

In the end it all worked out satisfactory, but the reason there was a second meeting was because initially, it appeared I didn’t have sufficient “reason” under local legislation, primarily designed to control money laundering etc.       Like I say, in the end it all worked out well and I now have a couple of extra pieces of plastic to put in my wallet, not to mention passwords to remember.

My “bank job” complete I returned to Chimere.  It was late afternoon and pretty quickly I gained an understanding  of what locals had meant when the talked about “dreadful traffic”.  It was bumper-to-bumper for most of the way home.

If last Sunday afternoon was an opportunity for me to show hospitality to the McCarroll family aboard Chimere, then tonight was their turn.  Specifically, Robyn Clarke’s sister Trish and her husband Barry (Muir) – who opened their Papamoa home up to me, John and the McCarroll “clan”; some driving over 100km from Hamilton.  What started out as a … “you must pop over for dinner” invitation, after 5 days, had grown into 15 of us sitting around the table like it was Christmas dinner . 

There were no Bon Bons, but there must have been everything else … wonderful food, great hospitality, vibrant conversation, amazing variety of wines, (that Barry kept pulling out of the cellar for Terry to cast his discerning eye over) regular tink-tinking of glasses, accompanied by toasts, impromptu speeches, proclamations and  jokes, plus a really genuine interest in my connection with younger (McCarroll) sister Robyn and her husband Mike back in Australia and the work we have been doing together over the years, to help improve oral health in Vanuatu.

All I can say is, thank you for everything. John and I had a thoroughly enjoyable night and really felt like one of the family from the very first handshake. 

It was funny, when Trish explained that she was one of 9 children, six boys and three girls and that … “Hugh here is the oldest of us all” … John mentioned that he too was one of 9 children, also comprising six boys and three girls and he, like Hugh, was the oldest.  Worthy of a photo I thought.

It was getting late by the time the evening drew to a close, with the actual process of saying good-bye and getting to the front door, possibly taking up to an hour.  Each person naturally having to say good-bye (to everyone else), while engaging in the closing elements of an earlier conversation, or perhaps starting off on a whole new dialogue or tangent.  We were all beneficiaries of the farming connection within the clan – Graham and Liz (I think) – with everyone helping themselves from a large box of kiwifruit and mandarins – as the front door loomed in sight.

“You’ll need this to ward off the scurvy”, someone declared,  as handfuls of fruit were loaded into my shoulder bag.

After all that, such a wonderful evening, Chimere seems awfully quiet by comparison. 

In closing, the weather for our planned departure on Monday is still looking ok, as the “forecast window” draws closer and likely more accurate.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and all in the family

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Thursday 10 June 2021

John and I started early today.  Well, early for us, there was still a leisurely breakfast to knock back.   First task of the day, however, was to sugar soap clean the foredeck.  We’d been building up to this.  Lots of priming and undercoating … NOW it was time for the real thing … the first of two top coats. 

The day started with a passing shower and low cloud, which didn’t bode well, but soon enough the heavens cleared and it turned out to be a glorious day – even warm.

In readiness for my return sail to Australia in mid to late July, I’ve been “shaking the trees” for potential crew.  I currently have one person locked in to join me on the actual crossing, from the Bay of Islands to Sydney – via Coffs Harbour; someone from the cruising association where I’m a member in Melbourne.  But I really DO need a few more.  Enter … “Find a Crew” website, where all your crewing needs are solved??? … well, not exactly, but it has worked for me before, so I paid my $75 and signed up for another 30-day subscription.

The website currently claims to have 775 people worldwide wanting to be Crew, and 395 boats actually looking for crew … some paid, some as cost-sharing volunteers … which is what I’m looking for.

It works a bit like a dating site … or at least how I understand a dating site might operate … the website establishes “% matches” based on the information provided by each party and at the same time you can search for potential crew based on a range of characteristics – nationality, location, gender, availability, experience at sea, smoker, diet, distance from boat … there’s even a question related to … “Seeking Romance … or NOT” … no kidding!  Which I’m not by the way …

So far, in just a day or so, I have sent out “Winks” … sorry, “Waves” (that’s a wave, wave … not a sea wave) to around 25 people who seem to fit the bill … at least after reading their online profile (and no one would ever think to put up misleading info, surely?!) … and I’ve had responses from 12 (so far) with one being locked in already for the Sydney to Melbourne leg, and a further 4 sounding like possibilities.   

You’ll remember Kate who joined me for the sail up here from Wellington, well, the mutual friend who introduced me to Kate, also introduced me to two Melbourne couples who have just bought a 47-foot yacht together.  Fortuitously, this has resulted in two more people signing up for the Sydney to Melbourne leg.  So, from a crew of just me, to a complement of four – in just a couple of days – is another burden lifted off my shoulders; but still got room for two more if they happen to materialise.

Back to the never-ending-boat-painting … after completing the deck wash, I headed off to meet people from the dental and medical aid group YWAM who have a large ship here in Tauranga; which has a fascinating, faith-filled story behind it. 

In short, my meeting was very successful and whilst we had been familiar with each other’s work, it has been very helpful to meet face-to-face.   While the ship is essentially stuck in port, unable to travel to the Pacific Islands (due to COVID travel restrictions) they have started offering free dental care to the less well off people in the Bay of Plenty region.  Check out a recent news article HERE   

In addition to the fruitful meeting, John and I were also invited to join the volunteers and some ships crew, on board their 50 metre ship for dinner – tonight – and having just returned I’ve got to say, they have a wonderful cook … maybe even “chef”.  It was fascinating to see the insides of the ship and to learn of it’s history, from as early as 1968 when it was built in Germany, to its recent role as a supply vessel for the Pitcairn Islands, only to then be GIVEN … as a gift, like, free of charge, to YWAM by the Kiwi owner. 

And it’s not as if the ship is in poor condition.  Sure, like any vessel, it is always being improved and maintained, but the core of the ship has been assessed as extremely sound, with the previous owner giving up a salvage value in the order of $1 million by making the gift to YWAM. 

It will be exciting to see whether we can find a way in the future to realise on the potential of working more closely together – specifically in the expansion of the Gudfala Tut Skul supervised brushing of teeth in schools program.

Around 12:30 John and I headed back to Maketu – John for the first time – to have lunch with David Campbell at the Maketu Beachside Café & Restaurant … overlooking the sea and the expansive, white beach and wetland beyond.

As you can see from the photos, the weather was definitely on the fine side, even warm, as we sat eating our lunch. 

Before returning to apply the first top coat on the deck, there was just enough time to drop into David and Susan’s home on the point, so that John could meet Susan and the two sheep of course … and receive an armful of avocados that adorn their tree in the hundreds.  Again, as you can see from the photo, those sheep-with-no-names, certainly know a good thing when they’re onto it.  And one thing that surprised me was that they loved eating citrus leaves and also oranges or grapefruits, or pretty much anything that David gives them.

The weather and light held off just long enough for John and I to get the first top coat of grey on the foredeck.  Our plan is to do a second coat tomorrow afternoon (weather permitting) so that it’ll be at least two days before we sit the dinghy on it.

For those who’ve been keeping up to date with past happenings aboard, you’ll know that my IridiumGO satellite communication device was rendered useless the other day when the charger input socket on the side of the unit, disconnected from the internal motherboard and fell out. 

We use the device for vessel tracking, emails, communications and weather – particularly when out of coastal range.  Well, the GOOD NEWS is that the technician at the local office equipment and IT store “Office Connect” has FIXED it.  Which is a tremendous relief, to be sure.   I spoke with the store manager this afternoon and he confirmed it was charging normally and fully operational, so I intend to pick it up tomorrow!    

Smooth seas, fair breeze and painting, networking & socialising

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Wednesday 9 June 2021

A few years ago, I was in Vanuatu, in connection with our oral health program … “Gudfala Tut Skul”.  There was an opportunity to give a brief talk at the ever-helpful, Port Vila Rotary Club and at the conclusion, a visiting Kiwi, with an American accent, handed me his card.  It was David Campbell from Maketu, Bay of Plenty.

David and I stayed in contact and expected to catch up last year when we were planning to sail this way.  Of course, that never happened, with my sailing plans going the way of most other people’s plans as the impact of the COVID19 Pandemic swept New Zealand, Australia and the world before it.

Fast forward to now … and the same David Campbell, with his wife Susan, have been an amazing “host” to me and Chimere.  As I’ve mentioned earlier, even lending me their car for the duration of my stay.     

Naturally, when the opportunity arose to attend the local Rotary club meeting and dinner I jumped at it, but as David explained … “this week we have a combined meeting with the other clubs in the region”

As it turns out, this also includes the Mt Maunganui Rotary club, which has as one of its members, Barry Muir, Robyn Clarke’s brother-in-law.  This might all start to seem complicated, but my MSM Melbourne colleague Mike, is married to Robyn, and Robyn’s older sister Tricia is married to Barry.  They live just down the road at Papamoa … with Barry, Tricia and eleven other (McCarroll) family members having joined me on Chimere for afternoon tea on Sunday.

“Would you like to come to the Rotary Club meeting on Wednesday?” asked Barry, when I met him on Sunday. 

“As it turns out”, I said “I’m already going, and you might know David Campbell?”

“Well, how about I pick you up.  I can swing by after work”

And so it was that tonight, I shared a table with David and Barry – two people I have encountered from totally different trajectories – at the combined local Rotary Club meeting and dinner.

To add a further twist to the story, when I was catching up with my long-lost cousin, Mark – was it just yesterday?? – I mentioned that I was going to the Rotary Club meeting and that Barry Muir was picking me up.  “You mean the furniture guy, Barry Muir?”

“Yes, he’s married to my friend’s older sister”, I replied.

Mark continued … “Well that’s funny, because a few years ago the local radio station gave away two tickets to attend a conference in Perth, to the shop where my wife works.  It’s because the shopping mall did a lot of advertising on the radio and they gave it to this shop.  Anyway, the boss of the shop couldn’t go, so my wife got the ticket and we both went.  Barry Muir and his wife were also on the conference because they also spent a lot on advertising for their furniture store, through the same station.  He’s a great bloke”

I’m only here another 5 days, but I’m looking forward to discovering who else I might stumble across that I know, or who knows someone I know.  They talk about 6 degrees of separation between people, I think it might be closer to 1, or 2 degrees of separation in the circles I’m been travelling.

In other news, John and I kept working on the deck painting, and weather permitting, we’ve laid out a plan to break the back of it by Saturday! 

Back to the oral health program in Vanuatu … I’ve been able to set up a meeting for tomorrow morning with YWAM Aotearoa to discuss areas of possible future oral health collaboration. 

Our respective programs are quite different … theirs being more around treatment and the relief of pain, ours on Education and Prevention, centred around training locals and the brushing of teeth in schools – the Gudfala Tut Skul Program.   At first glance there appears to be a good fit.  So, I’m really looking forward to our meeting.

I should also mention that YWAM’S vessel … the MV YWAM Koha … is 49 metres long and weighs 480 tonnes, whereas Chimere … Medical Sailing Ministry’s “flagship” is a very modest 16 metres or so and weighs just under 30 tonnes when fully fuelled and watered.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and coincidental Rotary connection

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Tuesday 8 June 2021

It was nice to see the sun plus large patches of blue sky today, making the strong wind feel a little less … strong.

As our date of departure from here looms closer – just 5-6 days away now – the extended forecast, turns into the 7-Day forecast, which becomes the short-term forecast; all the while becoming that much more accurate.

Currently, next Monday’s wind is looking like turning northerly – on the nose – but light, with relatively low seas.  Probably a 50/50 chance of rain, but rain’s not something that generally gets in our way.  It’s wind strength, wind direction and sea-state that has us reaching for the GO or NO GO button. 

Rain?  We can always put up an … now I nearly said UMBRELLA … but what I should really say is … we can always put on a raincoat. 

Not that I’m superstitious, but there are some boatie folks that are.  And there’s something about umbrellas that can bring out a nervous tick, and more.   You could say it’s a load of nonsense, they’re making it up, don’t be silly … just the sort of thing I might announce when someone says … “but I can’t go in there I’m claustrophobic”…      

Now, I MIGHT say that, but nearly 40 years of marriage has taught me, (I’m a slow learner), that THINKING something, is a very different matter to SAYING something.  Consequently, I do a little more thinking these days than talking?! Because what seems real to one person may not necessarily seem real to another.

Back to the superstitious umbrella … I have no idea where that idea originated.  Maybe captains once upon a time felt they could too easily conceal a sword, or a gun, or sharpened up they could become a weapon in themselves … but superstitions and the sea are nothing new of course.  Just think “Jonah and the Whale” … although I think it’s a bit drastic to throw a crew member over the side, given the choice of an umbrella.

Just for future reference, while we’re on the topic of superstitions and the sea … there’s a very long list … no doubt with origins dating back to the era of sail, scurvy, pressgangs and lashings … (not lashings of ginger beer, you understand) … and a time even before Smartphones and Facebook kids.  There are superstitions connected to all sorts of things … bananas, whistling, women, leaving port on Fridays, re-naming a boat, personal grooming, egg shells, no farewells, stirring tea, passing salt … you get the idea. 

Now that I’m on the boat, kind of full-time, I’ve logged into the international Cruiser Forums again.  The place where old and new salts trade ideas and help solve each other’s problems – and the rest of the world’s – as only helpful folk can. 

Naturally all the “chat topics” are grouped under themes or “Threads” … I even asked “anyone please” about fixing IridiumGo Satellite receivers.  Anyway, under the Thread of … Do you have any sailing superstitions you follow? … there were literally hundreds of Posts and Comments, as you can imagine.  One of the funniest … although, that said, maybe it wasn’t … was a guy who commented … (and I think my audience are all grown-ups) … My wife believed it was unlucky to have sex aboard. Or on land. 

To which someone else made a correction … Let me fix that for you: “my EX-wife believed it was unlucky to have sex on board. Or on land “

Arr, those sailor-folk, they’re a funny lot …

Meanwhile, back in Tauranga and life aboard the trusty ship Chimere … today I met my cousin, Mark Latimer, for the first time in about 50 years.  As mentioned in yesterday’s entry, having tracked him down via Facebook, we caught up for coffee aboard, then had lunch of fish and chips overlooking the sea at Papamoa – just near here.   

It was really great to meet Mark.  We look nothing alike.  As you can see from the photos, he’s more in the mold of Santa Claus, whereas I’m … not able to grow such luscious whiskers.

As Mark explained, he was a school teacher for 30+ years and has been a part of this local community all his life.  I asked about their old original house, and I was right, it’s on Maunganui Road.  Even more, it’s still standing and  Mark’s brother, Peter (who just happens to have travelled to Australia for a few weeks to see his daughter and grandchild) now owns the property.  So we dropped around and checked it out, rekindling some old memories from my visit here with my family back in 1971

As we drove around in Mark’s 4WD, his trusty (greyhound-terrier cross) dog named Luna, dutifully tagged along – on the backseat, between the front seats, head out the window, at the beach, at the shops – always happy and obedient.  I got the usual … “how-are-you-sniffs-and-licks” until I thought we’d, kind of, “normalised” our acquaintance and even friendship, not to mention “boundaries”. 

Not so.  As we cruised along, Mark pointing out this or that landmark or historical feature, Luna lost interest in what she was doing on the backseat, sat up between the two front seats, gazing out the windscreen – just like us humans and fellow gang members – then she turned to the side of my head and poked her very wet, sniffy-nose into my ear; no doubt with her tongue too it was so wet.   And we’d only just met! 

“Or-yes, she does that” laughed Mark … “like she’s wanting to give your brain a clean” 

It certainly took me by surprise I must say!

Hopefully I can catch up again with Mark before we head away. But at the very least we can now stay in touch.

John returned this afternoon from his 50-Year Pompallier College reunion up at Whangarei.  As a founding student, he was very much in a select group … the “seniors” … and by all accounts it was a great success; attended by over 300 alumni, plus some current pupils.   I suspect the 7-8 hour bus ride each way was in itself something of an adventure. 

Whilst you mostly see signs these days that read … “Please wear a mask … for health and safety reasons”, John was amused to read one sign that said …”Some bus drivers are not wearing masks … for health and safety reasons”    It seems the higher than normal carbon dioxide levels in a poorly ventilated bus can be made even worse when you wear a mask, leading to driver fatigue, weariness and … you know the rest.  

My other exciting news is that I went to Burnsco (think Bunnings for boaties … so many things, so little money) to buy some Primer Paint today, and also went to the Post Office to send Kate’s slippers (which she left aboard) back to Wellington … where she apparently needs them because it gets cold down there in winter.  

It was so refreshing to visit the Post Office … “Don’t buy that post bag … that’s the expensive way to do it.  You’ll spend over $6 on that, whereas one of these red bags are just $4:20”  said the friendly man behind the counter.  The topic of boats then came up and we talked for a good 5 minutes about all things nautical.  Me checking from time to time to see whether any other real customers were behind me in need of assistance.

Hopefully tomorrow’s weather contains enough breaks for us to do more painting on the deck.  But if not, we’ll finish it off another day!

Smooth seas, fair breeze and links to the past

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Monday 7 June 2021

It definitely seemed a bit quieter today, with traffic noise from the nearby highway having a breather from the usual work-a-day flow.  Not that everyone was at the beach taking advantage of the long week-end.  If they were, they were definitely rugged up, or wearing a wetsuit in the surf; whipped up by the strong winds.

Between the rain showers I was able to keep working on painting the deck, here and there, while also planning to make the most of our remaining 7 days here.

I say “our”, because John returns tomorrow from his break up north, and once I pick him up from the bus stop in Tauranga we might make a bee-line for the famous fish and chip shop down on the wharf.

There is a chance I might even be able to catch up with a long-lost cousin … Mark Latimer … who still lives in the region. I last saw Mark and his brother Peter (who I might also get to see) back around 1971, when mum and dad brought us over here for a holiday … to meet some of the kiwi kin.

Mark and Peter’s father …our Uncle Bunty … was the youngest brother, by around 15 years, of our granddad; dad’s father.  So, although Mark and Peter are about my age, they are in fact of my father’s generation – more an uncle than a cousin.

Uncle Bunty was a real character.  Always cheerful and encouraging as I remember.  You can see him in the photo – aboard his boat, in Mt Maunganui, I think – when we came to visit.  Mum probably took the photo – she was never really keen on boats! 

I think Uncle Bunty and Aunt Sarah must have lived right on Maunganui Road and because of his boating background, the interior of their house looked every bit like the inside of a ship.  My recollections are that he drove the pilot boat here in the harbour and might even have been the Harbourmaster for a time, but I can’t be sure.   I looked at the remaining houses along that road when I was in Mt Maunganui the other day, to see if a distant memory could be triggered, but there has been an awful lot of development in these parts, as you’d expect in half a century – sounds much longer than 50 years doesn’t it?

Tracking down my cousin Mark ended up being a little easier than I thought it would be, and after several phone calls to folk from the White pages, I resorted to Facebook and Messenger and had a “hit” within about an hour. 

On spec I simply said …

“Hi Mark, it’s Robert Latimer here, Bill Latimer’s son from Melbourne.  Just wondering if you are the Mark Latimer, cousin, and son of our Uncle Bunty? Cheers, Rob”

Actually, in looking at the messages again, I see the response took 31 minutes, and came back as … “Yes Rob that’s me. Long time cuz”      

While I’m in the “catching up” mode, I also hope to have coffee with Kylie from “Fruit of the Pacific” – whom I got to know through our shared work in promoting oral health in Vanuatu.  The last time we met was in March 2015 as we emerged from our respective hotels after having just been pounded, along with the rest of Vanuatu, by Tropical Cyclone Pam packing wind gusts in excess of 300 km/h.  Great memories!?

Following on from the McCarroll gathering onboard yesterday and dinner at David and Susan’s place last night, I’m booked to attend the local combined Rotary club meeting on Wednesday night, with further social excursions planned for Thursday arvo and Friday night … so the social calendar is definitely starting to fill up. 

Cousin Keith from Wellington kindly checked in with a regular phone call earlier today.  It seemed strange to hear him say that it was “warm” yesterday and today in Wellington, with a “light” southerly breeze – particularly when compared to what we are getting up here.  Quite the reversal of fortune. Keith is a wealth of information about anchorages, bays, islands and “must-see” spots north of here.  Even dive spots, but that’s not something I’ll be getting into – unless by accident.   Even though I’ve got all the usual cruising guides on board, I think I’ll be tapping into Keith’s knowledge a little more over the next few weeks. 

Speaking of which, my new crew will be arriving next Sunday … the 13^th June … Gary from Whitby near Wellington, along with Annette and Martyn from Hamilton.  Nicola was going to join us on Sunday, but there’s been a change of plan and at this stage she will join us up around the Auckland region, a few days later

Being the Queen’s Birthday, not everyone was focused on the holiday, there were some who found their names on the “Honours List” – for a range of important and significant pursuits.  I didn’t bother to check if my name was on the list, I figured someone would have called … but someone who was on the list, receiving the New Zealand Order of Merit, was Jack Thatcher.

Now, I have no idea who Jack Thatcher is, and you probably don’t either, but I mention him because he is associated with the traditional Waka boat moored just a couple of berths up from me.  In fact, as it turned out, I saw Jack on Saturday while I was sanding and scraping Chimere’s deck – at least now I know it must have been Jack, because I’ve seen his photo.  He was talking into a camera while being interviewed from the deck of the Waka. 

As the planes flew in low overhead, at pretty regular intervals, to land at the Tauranga airport across the road, I thought, “I wonder how that’s going to affect the audio on the video?”   He’ll get part way through his delivery and be drowned out by Vrrrrrrrrooommmm … Do it again … Take 5…    

Anyway, after a while I noticed out of the corner of my eye a chap walking in my direction and when he got close he politely asked … “excuse me, we’re just doing an interview up here and I’m wondering if you might be able to hold off with what you’re doing, it’s affecting the sound … we’ll only be about 20 minutes?”

“Yeah, sure, no worries” … what can ya say?

Anyway, that’s my brief brush with fame … helping to stuff up an interview from the deck of a Waka with master navigator Jack …

If you’d like to check out Jack and his award … it’s HERE    Plus a short film HERE

That’s pretty much all for today.  The wind blew, it rained off and on, and I slept-in after my night out at the Campbells yesterday.  Life’s pretty simple at the moment … which is a good thing

Smooth seas, fair breeze and Queen’s birthday holiday

Rob Latimer

PS I’m really curious ... the “Stats” from this blog site provide some basic info about how many people visit each day and where they are from … naturally most are located in New Zealand and Australia. But would you believe, there are some who view from (or have an email address that originates in) the USA, Canada and Germany … AND Ecuador. Ecuador?!! If that happens to be YOU, then all I can say is G’day mate, great you could join us! It would be lovely to hear from you sometime and to discover how you stumbled across this site, because I can’t think of anyone I know who lives in Ecuador … at least not yet.

POSTCARD FROM KATE … Now back at work in Wellington   (Thank You Kate … good to have you aboard!!)

Was it really only a week?

Was it only a week? It seemed so much more as life quickly settled into the daily routine of watch-keeping, eating, sleeping….repeat. The crew knitted together nicely, all easy going with interesting stories to tell.

After waiting an extra day, with the weather causing doubts about when we could actually go north (rather than a take a little shake-out sail in the wrong direction), a narrow weather window with light winds and easing seas opened up so took our chance to leave Wellington in the direction of Cape Palliser.

What a beautiful morning it was, and all the better for being at sea. I have a little ceremony I perform when going out on the big blue, asking for fair winds and kind seas, and the immediate appearance of a pod of orcas seemed to favour our passage.

We had a rolly sea the first night from left over swell from a big low up north and not enough wind to carry the main to steady the boat, but the lunar eclipse with blood moon was a spectacular sight. Occasionally we had little bursts of wind that let the boat sail but mostly the fabulous engine chugged away eating up the miles. Thank goodness it had been serviced in Wellington – it didn’t miss a beat. And there were seals and dolphins, albatrosses and mollymawks and petrels all keeping us company.

So to Gisborne for a couple of days to wait the next window (let the northerly pass and the new southerly arrive to carry us around East Cape). What a lovely little township – apart from none of the banks being prepared to change Australian dollars for Robert! Seems banks don’t do such services any more. We had a good meal at the Tatapouri Fishing Club one night (as a thank you for letting us use their showers).

Then the next leg to Tauranga. East Cape was still forecast to have a big swell but by the time we got there it was gone. We had the gentlest passage of that mighty cape that I’ve had so far. Full moon, silvery water gently rolling under the boat and the engine chugging steadily. There were fishing boats to make life interesting though – it’s always a challenge trying to work out what fishing boats are going to do next.

Dawn and Whakaari White Island appeared on the port bow, a sulphurous plume of steam rising so that we could “smell the view”. Finally too some real sailing and another glorious day to herald our arrival into Tauranga. One more gorgeous sunset and a last dinner with the crew.

Thanks to Robert for sharing his lovely boat from me and Patrick. She’s now parked up for a couple of weeks until the next lucky crew arrive to help her on her journey north.

Was it really only a week?

Kate

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Sunday 6 June 2021

“Periods of rain. Strong northeasterlies” … the weather forecast was spot on … it started when the sun went down last night and has continued off and on ever since.

But nothing was going to interrupt the “Sundowners and Snacks” in Chimere’s “Great Cabin” … well, saloon actually … scheduled for 3:00pm this afternoon. 

I suppose no one turning up would have put a bit of a dampener on things, but that wasn’t likely.  RSVPs were locked in and I had great confidence that come mid-afternoon around 12 of the McCarroll clan would be stepping aboard.  And who are the McCarrolls I hear you ask ???

Well, many of you will be familiar with Mike Clarke, my co-founder in the Medical Sailing Ministries (MSM) Vanuatu venture.  It turns out that Robyn, his wife, hails from this part of the world, so it seemed a nice idea to put out the welcome mat, given that many in the family have taken an active interest in the work of MSM from its very beginnings in 2009.

“Just put a notice together with all the details and I’ll send it around on our family Messenger group” said Robyn a couple of days ago.  Realising it’s the Queen’s Birthday week-end we were initially unsure whether everyone might be busy doing something else, but in the end, we settled on Sunday at 3:00pm.

And as it turned out, the timing was perfect. Because in replying … “YES, we’d love to come”  … it became apparent that Robyn’s older sister Tricia and many of the family, already had a booking at the restaurant here at this very marina and would be finishing up around 3:00pm

All they had to do was walk around 40 metres to the start of C Row, then another 100 metres or so, to the end.   

And that’s what happened.  I’ve gotta say, my catering was a bit on the flexible side, meaning I wasn’t exactly sure what to prepare – given everyone was coming straight from lunch.  Maybe just a coffee or tea … plus the coveted Tim Tams … would be sufficient.  Maybe a gin and tonic, or a beer, cheese and biscuits, chips (bro) or “D” all of the above.  In the end I had it all out, ready but unopened, so it could be dished up as required.

Judging by the active and inquiring conversation, smiles, fun and laughter all-round I think the afternoon could be judged a success.  I know I really enjoyed putting faces to the many names I have heard Robyn discuss over the 15 years or so that I have known her and Mike.  “My Kiwi family” … as Robyn would say.

Fortunately, the showers held off just long enough for everyone to come and go without getting wet and after an hour of so things were starting to wind up.  “You must come out to our place for dinner while you’re here”, declared Trish.    “That sounds great” was all I could say, before Trish responded … “I’ll text you the details” 

And this is where everyone’s generosity and thoughtfulness has been just so amazing. 

Earlier in the day I received an email and text from David and Susan from Makatu, offering a meal and even the opportunity to stay in the “guest suite” attached to their home, if life alone aboard Chimere was getting a bit tedious.  The offer was totally flexible, to fit into whatever my schedule might be. 

So around 4:15pm, alone again and grabbing an opportunity between showers to apply a second coat of primer to a selection of spots … I thought … “now David did say flexible … and they are just down the road 30 minutes … and the offer of dinner and watching a telecast rugby union game together (at least the second half) sounds like a lot of fun …”    

Sure enough, I texted the request and David’s response a few short minutes later was … “you’re on!  Game starts @ 5 chilli (dinner) at halftime”

So here I am, sitting back in the cosy saloon of Chimere … extremely well fed, as I reflect on an evening of wonderful hospitality and stimulating conversation.  Thanks again David and Susan!

Tomorrow, or in looking at the clock I see tomorrow is already today, is the Queen’s birthday holiday … so I wish Elizabeth many happy returns for the day, and thank her most sincerely for the holiday; although, being retired everyday feels like Saturday so a Monday-holiday has lost its currency somewhat.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and Sundowners & Snacks aboard

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Saturday 5 June 2021

Yesterday was slow, today was even slower – there wasn’t even a trip to the shops to break things up.   I spent the whole day onboard – didn’t step off once.  Not that I’m complaining, the forecast rain held off all day, giving me a chance to continue my deck painting activities.

I now have an array of spots around the deck, mostly down each side, where I need to return.  Some spots require a bit of primer paint, some need undercoat, and there’s even some that is ready for the topcoat.  The end is almost in sight, however the weather forecast for the next few days – actually the next 9 days – talks about showers tending to rain.  Then strong winds, then more rain followed by showers, and no little sunny-faces, just cloudy emojis of differing shades of grey in the MetService predictions – a bit disappointing really.

As a precaution I put up a couple of tarps – over the boom and coach house – just to see if I can possibly keep things dry enough to do all the preparation painting and sanding.  It seems a bit like the Sydney Harbour Bridge – I’ll finally finish the job down aft just in time to start again at the bow.       

John has sent me a photo from his 50^th School Anniversary – seems he’s having a good time – with life aboard here in the marina slipping into that monk-like, minimalist, lockdown simplicity.  No one to talk to … captured thoughts unable to escape … punctuated by too many coffees, Tim Tams, snacks and email checking.   Sounds depressing when you say it like that.  But I’ve still got my seagulls … squawking mine, mine, mine, mine endlessly from the nearby pontoon and pretty much everywhere else they have room to stand – and even as they fly. 

One unexpected thing happened this morning – and I was in two minds whether I’d commit it to the blog.  But here goes … or should that be “hair goes”, because, with guests stepping aboard tomorrow afternoon for “Sundowners & Snacks” – just a little bit fancy – I thought I’d have a shave.  Not only clean up the boat inside and out, but also give myself a once-over.  Got to look me best.

Then I thought, why stop at just a shave.  Why not give your head a No. 4 clip to get rid of that scraggly, Krusty the Clown look.  Simples!   Only trouble was, it’s been a while since I’ve used these particular clippers – hence the need for a cut – and in retrospect I may have acted a bit in haste, or took my glasses off took early.

I say this because no sooner had I plugged the machine in, checked the guard was fitted, then taken my specs off (you can’t do a decent job with your glasses on)  I immediately started zooming up and back, from my neckline to the top of my head; reaching over the top with my right hand.  No problem so far, only there seemed to be an awful lot of hair in the basin – for me at least.  A quick feel of my scalp with my left hand revealed a new level of spiky stubbly-ness I’d never felt before.

“Yes” … the guard was fitted … “Oh, now I see the problem …”   

It suddenly occurred to me that whilst the guard was fitted, I’d forgotten to adjust it out to the number 12 … thereby giving me an all-over, regulation No. 4 length cut. What I’d just done was give nearly half my skull a No. 1 cut!  And it was VERY short – about the length of 5-days growth.  

From there it was a bit of a hack job for the rest of my head, as I couldn’t quite decide whether to continue with an unprecedented No.1 all over, or try and do a bit of a blended affair in the classic Miley Cyrus tradition.         

As my father used to say, “the difference between a good hair cut and a bad hair cut is only a few weeks” … in my case my hat will cover most of the damage … and who is there out here to impress anyway?

It’s been a few days, so it was nice to chat with Linda at home tonight – to hear her voice … and all the news.  This is Melbourne in yet another lockdown remember … so the news is fairly COVID-centric … active case numbers … new variant type … new cases today … the usual stuff.  “How’s the weather?”  … “Cold, very cold” … “The veggie garden?“ …  “Not much is growing … possums are eating the leaves on the new grapefruit tree … and the cauliflower plants … everything is under netting … hope we’ll be allowed to travel at the end of the month, so we can join you in the Bay of Islands…”  

Then I realised that my eventual sail back to Australia might again require a “suitably approved” crew – just like last year.    And on return to Australia there might be a need to “do” quarantine again – naturally in a safe and secure city hotel facility, where there’s no possibility of catching anything … rather than doing quarantine on the boat where who knows what you might catch from sea air and spray …??!!  Good thing I’m not prone to being cynical.

Anyway, I won’t be sailing back to Australia for another month or more, and with a bit of luck I’ll have a choice of clearing customs in either New South Wales, or Queensland … depending on the border status at the time.  Once cleared into the country I can then start the sail home to Victoria with relative certainty.

On the topic of sailing … if you’d like to sign up for the home crossing, or the trip down the east coast back to Melbourne … feel free to get in touch      

Smooth seas, fair breeze and slow and slower

Rob Latimer

Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island

Friday 4 June 2021

You know things are quiet when the feature topic of the day is an 8 minute drive down the road to the local supermarket to buy some food.  Admittedly, I did have Tim Tams on my list, along with the basics of cheese – Mainland Tasty of course – bananas, bread and sliced ham, but no matter how you spin it, there’s really not a lot to be said.

Actually having a car to drive around in, remains a fantastic benefit, for which I am continually grateful, and that remains a feature of every day !

The weather remains fine, so I was able to hoist both dinghies off the foredeck and into the water.  After completing a small amount of polishing and painting from the small dinghy, it now hangs neatly off the stern davits. 

The big dinghy, however, was a little more of a challenge to lift over the side – single handed – but I final pulled it off with the aid of my lifting pole and it now rests against the hull on the port side, piled high with stuff – fenders, tarps, lines and snorkel gear, all packed in a large bulka bag.

So the foredeck is all clear and ready to resume the painting process, started in Wellington.  Almost completed in Wellington, I should say, because it’s just about ready for the top coat!  Very exciting.  Well, it is for me.

I wish I’d taken a photo, but I completely forgot. Oh, I just realised by new phone takes pretty good shots at night … I’ll give it a go

Having talked about possums last night, today’s animal of focus is seagulls. Specifically Silver Gulls, rats of the sky, if you prefer – although I know there are some people, admittedly mostly non boat owners, who actually like these birds and wish them well in all their endeavours. 

I’m not one of them, you may have guessed, because, like the possum, they invaded our human-space.  I know, you could argue – possibly very convincingly – that seagulls were here first.  (Not the case with possums in New Zealand of course.)  What was once sand, reeds and marshland is now concrete walkways, roads and wire fences. So what’s a bird to do – move postcode? 

I think that’s what we’d really all like them all to do.  Fly away to make their own nest, in the “wild” … it’s not as if they have any foxes here to keep them awake at night.  But instead, they stand side by side, in massed throngs on most marina pontoons – particularly the floating breakwater a short distance from here – hundreds and hundreds of them … all squawking and arguing with each other; for hours.  It’s the same conversation, no doubt about the same unresolved issues, every night, until about 10:00pm when a hush descends and all seems to go quiet – except for the occasional recalcitrant oddball – but that’s the same everywhere. 

If the noise was the only issue with seagulls, then I suppose you could live with it.  But the other, more important matter – particularly for boat owners – is that they crap all over the place – with no thought to the consequences. Mostly on boats.  Then at certain times of the year the critters build nests, lay eggs and have babies – and so continues the circle of strife.        

While I’ve been ranting, I see our fishing boat neighbour has returned as expected.  He must be tired because it didn’t take him long to pull in, tie up and head off. We quizzed him the other day about what it takes to be a fisherman … licences, regulations equipment etc and he started with something like … “Well, FIRST, you’ve got to be certified f… insane … you really f… do!” … pointing to a gadget on the roof of his boat he declared … “that’s a f… tracker put there by the Fisheries, so they know where I am every second of every f… day … even sitting here at the wharf”

Having encountered fishing boats out on the big blue, naturally focusing on fish, and not silly incidentals like … “where you’re going” … “who else is in the vicinity” and “shouldn’t I turn on my AIS so others know which direction I’m heading” … I briefly considered taking the opportunity to ask whether he’d ever had any near misses with other boats, or was in the habit of turning his AIS on when he was out at sea … but I felt it might not be the best time…

Happy Queen’s Birthday everyone … the annual holiday where even republicans have a soft spot for the monarchy.

Smooth seas, fair breeze and slow news day

Rob Latimer