Month: March 2015

What a boat looks like when preparing for offshore

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IMG_1253I’ve just watched the entire series of The Batchelor in just five minutes. How? I watched it online and skipped to the end. I didn’t cry. The last time I watched The Batchelor, I invested eight or nine weeks in the programme, and cried with Cinderella joy at the end.

We’ve spent two years investing in this trip to the Pacific Islands. The ending will be all the sweeter, surely, for all the agony and joys of getting there that we’ve been through.

This photo is what our boat looks like at the moment. Sooooo much going on.

There is just two and a half weeks until we leave Mana, for Auckland, then Opua, then Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu…and back to NZ via Norfolk Island. The only thing I know about Norfolk Island is that you have to give way to cows.

We’ve got 72 things ticked off our to do list. Here’s a sample:

Fixed radar that Dean blew up; bought label maker; got spare blow up bits for lifejacket; applied for 0 interest, no repayment (ever) credit card; put letters on our dinghy, BamBam (our boat is called Pebbles); fit solar panels on new arch; disposed of old emergency location beacon (the supplier sends the lithium battery to the Army to blow up); bought Green Bags to keep veges fresh (yes I am going to be one of those sailors’ wives); sell one car – depending on debt, sell other one; bought lashing lines (???); bought powdered egg; waterproofed bimini; glue top of pantry down.

Only 3,575,880,399 to go.

Sigh.

 

Follow me as I sail from New Zealand to the Pacific Islands!

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IMG_00042 May is the day. We set sail from Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand, to Tonga. First, we leave Mana Marina where we’ve been living for two years, on 1 April. Yes, it’s April Fools Day, but we’re not one for superstition (I’m tapping my head and touching wood as I say that).

In fact, we’ve just changed the name of our boat from Pebble Rebel to Pebbles. I did try to get a virgin to pee in the bilge – as our dog peed on the marina lawn I tried to shove a cup under her pee, but all I got was a dribble on the side of the cup. So my Facebook post to The Ledger of the Sea is going to have to be enough.

We’re in manic preparation mode for our trip mode.  The Category 1 inspector from Yachting NZ is coming in two hours. Wish us luck.

I’ll be posting as I go. You can also read previous writing from my Boat People column in KapiMana News, and other magazines and newspapers. You can also follow our journey via GPS to see where we are at any time. I’ll put that link up soon.

And you can wish us ‘fair winds and calm seas’ at any time, by leaving a comment.

I suppose there’s always a first time to do things. I’m good at firsts. It’s the seconds I struggle with!

Thanks for joining us. It’s the community around us that has kept us going at times. Sign up to the RSS feed to receive my updates, or follow us via email (on the right).

Arohanui.

Janie