Category Archives: Uncategorized

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Sunday 29 March 2020 After finishing off the last episode of the (DVD series) “The Kettering Incident” late last night … or was it early this morning, I excused myself for sleeping in, with the rain and wind keeping up their battle all night outside.  Mercifully, the halyards remained silent.  Or,Continue reading “Like Someone Turned Off The Tap”

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Saturday 28 March 2020 If yesterday was a slow news day aboard the good ship Chimere, I’m not quite sure how to describe today.  Maybe a No-news day. Although if a TV sit-com like Seinfeld can be made, ostensibly about “nothing”, then there must be some ounce of drama I canContinue reading “So, It’s Come to This”

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Friday 27 March 2020 It’s hard to believe that it’s exactly a week since John and I sailed into Mana; the conclusion to our five-day jaunt nearly 500 miles from Milford Sound along the west coast of the South Island. Certainly, a lot has happened since then, with new lessons inContinue reading “A Slow News Day Aboard”

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Thursday 26 March 2020 Yesterday, all systems were GO … for leaving today.  I’d made a booking with New Zealand Customs.  They’d kindly agreed to come here, rather than expect me to sail around to Wellington Harbour  And after completing the planned formalities at 12:15pm tomorrow, I had undertaken that byContinue reading “Go, or No Go! … NO GO bro”

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Sunday 22, Monday 23, Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 March 2020 If Saturday’s blog was titled “Rest and Recreation”, then the blog of the past four days could be titled anything but.  I settled on “Decision Time” because that’s essentially what has been happening as information was received and processed, andContinue reading “Decision Time”

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Saturday 21 March 2020 John and I woke to the restful calm of the marina berth.  We’d successfully made it to Mana, ahead of time, despite having to wait out the weather for a day in Milford, and 18 hours at Westport.  Must be something in that.  Where there’s a choice,Continue reading “Rest and Reflection”

Mana Marina (near Wellington) Friday 20 March 2020 Farewell Spit curves around the tip of the South Island, like the beak of a kiwi … the bird that is.  It’s long, thin and extends in an easterly direction away from Cape Farewell for maybe 20 miles or so.  It was dark as we travelled alongContinue reading “Race to Mana”

At Sea, NW Tip of South Island Thursday 19 March 2020 It was always going to be a lazy start, and true to expectations, we got away around 8:30am after a fantastic night’s sleep tied up to Curly’s giant rubber inflatable vessel, “Protector”.  Leaving around this time also coincided with Curly having to move hisContinue reading “Catching the Wind”

Westport, West Coast NZ Wednesday 18 March 2020 After a long dark night taking turns on watch, the dawn arrived … eventually. Greeted by calm-ish seas, (with a persistent rolly southwest swell coming up from behind) and a light breeze, requiring us to rely mostly on the motor for progress One curved ball in theContinue reading “Westport Haven”

… see the video. For regular readers of this blog, you’ll know that Dean, Sandy and daughter Samantha, joined the NZ2020 voyage of re-discovery, on the Picton to Akaroa leg … what seems like months ago now, but was really only the middle-part of February. Dean did an amazing job of producing a 20 minuteContinue reading “You’ve read the words, now …”