PeteG

To be fair, a number of us pulled out in 2011 due to ChCh earthquake. Dead extended family members made a yacht race slightly less important.

Sold to Brad. Thanks all

Agree! If anyone has a Mariner Prince - we would be keen to buy one of those (even not working, for parts)

Yes really! Selling a Mariner Princess 2 burner. Was working when removed from boat recently. First crack here before it goes on Trade Me over weekend. Pick up from Whangarei. $400 Pete 021 030 8910 Go........

Booboo, we have had Nonstop in Houhora. Anchored just past the wharf. Heaps of room and depth. The big bay outside under Mt Camel was awesome too. We are heading north too, and aiming for the top if settled. Looks like Cavallis for Xmas. Might catch up? On the Lagoon 40 bicycle this time around. Find us on AIS - Muskoka.

There are exceptions including "restricted ability to manoeuvre" and approved events. So looks like we will all have slugs that we can't control, and all is okay for racing.

Wish they would shut up, and stay out of the media 5 minutes of fame. They are about to stuff up a system that is working well for the many NZ vessels wanting to return to NZ. Govt will change this and make all go into MIQ off the back of these stories. Fuel added to fire by Viki from ICA this morning too.

Hey Adrian Scott has the piped hydronic system on Muskoka. Once you are let loose, happy to show you his set up. We will be in Whangarei Oct&Nov at least as Ellen has got a short-term job there for a couple of months.

We have two each and auto inflate option (both with harness rings as is standard these days). We tend to wear our lighter Hutchwilco PFD's during the day and in for pottering about, and then wear our bulker full noise Crewsaver ones at night -especially on passage (they have a bit more gear inside them). We are usually two-handed and on solo watch -and offshore a bit. So get the best you can afford and wear it. Remember it is the tether that is most important. Just a tip - add some extra glow in the dark tape onto the front. Makes it much easier to find your PFD in a dark cabin! And have spare

Spare specs if you wear them Sea sick tabs Cellphones in dry bag Wallets Passports Any medicines that crew are taking Bottle of fresh water I would take a microwave too, as think a hot pie while in the liferaft would be bloody awesome.

Again pick your weather. The last time around (going north), we spent the day sailing north past Gisborne in the forecast 10 knot E winds and a lazy swell, a yak on the vhf with the ship that nicely gave us some room at East Cape at 0200, then the forecast 10 knot NE breeze to follow us as we came around and headed across the Bay of Plenty. So nice we even doodled into Cape Runaway and along the coast for a bit for a gander, then out to White Island for a look. Think it ended up 4 days from Tory Channel to Mercury Islands for a break. There is a sea god!

Having done both coasts a couple of times, and both directions. Best idea is to be organised to go either way, and don't be totally fixed on a date. The weather will dictate which way is best, and you won't make the final decision until the day before you go. Don't get hung up on which way people on here say is "the best". Probably the only advantage of east over west is that there are a more places to stop if you want/need to. The weather forecast that YOU decide to go on will decide it for you, and it is not compulsory to get snotted.

Oh and ours is a Raymarine Evo 100 system with a ram onto our tiller.

Our boat is quite similar to your's. Unless you spend moonbeams, don't expect a regular off the shelf tiller pilot system to be able to steer a nz style racer/cruiser for more than a few moments. Our style boats with wide flat bums need active steering (particularly off the wind) in any seaway. The pilots just can't keep up with the fast alterations needed, as the boat slews around on the waves. Well thats our experience - and we have pretty much hand steered to Tonga and over to Fiji. Otto is great when motoring or sailing in the light.

And sneaky fast!