SthnJeff

I was in pretty much your position and went the Raven 26 route. Roomier than many larger boats, easy to sail. It was big enough for me and my two teenage kids for 5 days in the sounds without too many problems. Copes well with some pretty gnarly Wellington Weather

Contributor here, Grant McN won the 2020 Wellington 24 Hour Race on Handicap (obviously) on his Raven 26 Footprints. We had the fleet well covered, as I came dead last on my Raven 26 in the same race. There are a dozen Ravens still around Wellington / Top of the South, most just cruising about but a couple of them still being raced quite hard and successfully, Setimo out of Waikawa and Tracer from Port Nick. Until recently , there were 4 of them on my Pier at Seaview

I am up in Auckland on Friday

An awesome trip thanks David and Damo. Still getting round to putting that video together... hopefully over christmas. Had an absolute blast just wish that i could have spent more time in Fiji than the 45 minutes that I oficially was !

That would be Elmsie Bay. Really nice spot but probably pretty exposed to much from NE to NW but would be a good spot to stop if anything from the South otherwise Catherine Cove would be the go.

Just playing Devils advocate here a little bit. If he had of ended up on the Rocks somewhere or upside down and a rescue had of been needed, what would the reaction on here have been ? Something along the lines of: WTF was a relatively inexperienced sailor doing attempting that Journey single handed, at this time of year. Him and his vessel were not properly prepared, as evidenced by the failure of his communications equipment and his failure to stick to his pre arranged passage plan? I certainly don't agree with MNZ / Coastguard / Police dragging him in but it seems to me that

Last I read he was going to Auckland from Coromandel, or to the Barrier, or Wellington, or Waiheke, Or Napier

Was fantastic Matt. No real dramas other than Auto Pilot packing a sad and having to steer most of the way ! I will do a bit of a post and put up some photo's over the next week or so.

Yes please if you still have them

Sailed to Fiji

Thats about it so far Grant. Stumbled across it through some info on the Wellington Boat Show. There is some info in a recent LBYC newsletter. I guess they will release more info once season kicks off

Or beat to windward ?

I think what they are quite legitimately saying is that it will cost them half as much to live aboard as renting and therefore are able to save more to get a foot on the ladder

I have a no 7 stanley that has been in the family for close to 70 years. Beautiful to use

Imagine how many we could have won if they had the Taka beach complex ????????????????

We need to invent a new sport that involves us going somewhere in a boat throwing a big rock at something

That is the YouTube. If that stuff is half as good as the advert, "I gotta get me some"

24 Hour race around a 12 mile circuit within Wellington Harbour coinciding with the Wellington Boatshow. Sounds like fun. http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/news/201607/new-24-endurance-race

Just get bigger Arms?

Never said it would be cheaper, my post was to just show some of the reasons why I went with a keeler as opposed to a trailer sailer

This will probably confuse the issue, but will add my 2 cents worth. Be mindful if you buy something that has been stored in a Yacht club compound. I would fact in as a minimum new bearings before you tow it more than about a hundred yards. I am based in Wellington. Almost three years ago, I decided to take the plunge and purchase a Yacht. Originally looking at Nolex 22's and 25's. Despite sailing on a Marauder regularly, the thought of buying a keeler never even crossed my mind until I talked to someone who suggested that with a Keeler you will get to use it far more regularly (certai

My Bukh has a drain pipe fitted to the where the sump plug would usually be. The Drain pipe then has a plug in it at the end of the pipe. The drain pipe runs to the top of the bilge and I place a used oil container in the bilge. Undo the plug in the drain pipe at the bilge end of it and hey presto, oil drains simply and fully into the container.

Pens have better re-sale value than a Yacht though BP

Correct. Some do this, typically the bigger nationwide firms. Many Truck and Trailer units still do cross however.

My little old Raven has mid boom sheeting with the traveller on top of the Cabin top and with a relatively small cockpit, the lack of a traveller in the cockpit is a bonus. My Mainsheet is like a "two speed" system with the Mainsheet being a continuous loop. Pull both ends of the loop and the main sheet comes in fast, pull just the one and it comes in slowly but with a lot less resistance. Obviously only a fairly small Mainsail, but the system works great for me