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We were out at Barrier a month ago and it was parked up behind the mussel farm just outside Fitzroy, but this Easter trip we noticed it was gone. Pretty hard boat (and owner) to miss, someone must have seen it around.

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They have a few days ago I believe. 

She's an interesting character that's for sure. Had plans to do the longest ever solo passage without stopping, needed to be 3 years or something at sea to break the record. 

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Nope, still missing apparently;

HARBOURMASTER’S OFFICE - URGENT NOTICE
Police are seeking information on the whereabouts of Julie Butler, who is missing from Aotea/Great Barrier Island.
The 55-year-old usually lives aboard her yacht the ‘Blazing Shadz’, moored in Kaiaraara Bay.
Police were notified by a partner agency about concerns for Julie on 4 April.
Local Police enquiries were hampered by the adverse weather conditions on the island at the time. However, on 7 April it was confirmed Blazing Shadz was not moored in its usual location.
Enquiries have been ongoing since this time, including with the Police Maritime Unit and Coastguard.
Police have also made enquiries with nearby Harbourmasters in areas that Julie has frequented, including Whangārei.
Police have also been making extensive enquiries with Julie’s friends, whānau and other partner agencies.
To date we have been unable to locate Julie or her vessel Blazing Shadz.
Police are seeking information from the public to assist these enquiries as there are ongoing welfare concerns for Julie.
Please contact 105 using the reference number 250404/8311 if you have any information about Julie or the vessel so that we can reunite Julie with her family.
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42 minutes ago, Frank said:

Hard to disappear a yacht of that size very  weird 

Unless you head east.

When she was a he, she wanted to sail around the world, specifically to set a record for the longest time at sea, or the longest time circling the earth or something. That is why they build the boat in the first place. I think the goal was 3 continuous non stop, unsupported laps.

It is plausible the govt is just trying to save her from herself, and she just wanted to go sailing. I suspect the biggest issue is perhaps she didn't arrange a new ICV or what ever CAT 1 is called now. And didn't clear customs (which you don't need to do if your voyage starts and ends in NZ).

She has offended Maritime NZ, breached regulation 57, clause f, subclause (iii) and now a bureaucrat at MNZ is trying to find her to extract their pound of flesh under Appendix R, sub-part 53 of the aforementioned legislative clauses. Heaven forbid someone just going sailing, on their own boat. These people must be stopped, you know.

Who knows, perhaps she has antifouling that works, or was seen sailing in the company of dolphins, or some other high crime. We don't know, the govt machine hasn't said why they want to find this person, who as far as I can tell is just minding their own business.

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3 hours ago, K4309 said:

Who knows, perhaps she has antifouling that works, or was seen sailing in the company of dolphins, or some other high crime. We don't know, the govt machine hasn't said why they want to find this person, who as far as I can tell is just minding their own business.

Or, perhaps, they have advice to the contrary and are legitimately concerned.

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6 hours ago, aardvarkash10 said:

Or, perhaps, they have advice to the contrary and are legitimately concerned.

Maybe, but we don't know. Despite widely circulating details of the individual and their home (distinctive boat they live on) across the media, there's been no indication as to why they are looking for her.

Perhaps it's overdue parking tickets?

Or anchoring in a banned anchoring area.

The point I'm making is that sometimes people just want to be left alone.

And, there is a great irony. Assuming the authorities do have concerns for her mental health and wellbeing, the irony being that it is damn near impossible to access mental health services in this country. Particularly for people that want help, or friends or family members trying to help someone close to them. Then, the authorities in this case appear to be spending considerable effort trying to help someone that wants to be left alone.

So people that desperately want help can't get it, and people that don't want help get chased around and forced to take it, if they like it or not.

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