DrWatson 237 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Not saying I think we should flood our waters with charter fleets. But, the Med. style cruising, where you sail for a day, moor or anchor in a bay (or a small harbour) and go ashore to the local taberna for a damn fine meal and a glass of plonk certainly has its appeal. Place I went to on Kythnos, Greece, during the high season - tiny bay with about 15 houses, likely an hour's drive over a bumpy arse road from the other side of the island (ok i checked on google and it's more like 20 min), and getting perhaps 3 boats a night, supported two Taberna, one of which served some of the best food I've ever ordered (one of my top 5 places globally). Can anyone recommend anchorages/places where you can actually do this in NZ? Seems that for the most part, you might if you're lucky get a burger and some fries at the local (club), but there's realistically zero infrastructure to support this kind of economy/activity. You only want fries and burgers for a few nights out of the total... Or is it simply that when we go cruising we want to stay the hell away from everyone, and we're already so damn poor from paying marina fees we've got nothing left to spend on a meal? Anyone think there might be space for this kind of thing in the NZ market? (or want it?) IS there an opportunity to do this in NZ? Mostly our good restaurants are friggin miles from the water... Picture this, you pull into Waiheke, Russel, Fitzroy, or Cavalis, or wherever, anchor or pick up a mooring owned by a restaurant on shore. Call them on the VHF or cell and they come out and pick you up in their rib, dropping you at the shore/wharf, you walk the xx meters to the restaurant, enjoy a great meal, and get dropped back to your boat at the end of it. Staying on the mooring for free because you ate at the restaurant. There's probably about a bazillion regulatory issues... but would anyone else be into it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
raz88 59 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Marlborough sounds. Lochmara, furneax, punga Lodges all do this. grant and w44vi 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkside 22 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Yep and Kingfish Lodge in Whangaroa did as well. Lots more opportunities though. I'm in Kaiarara Bay Fitzroy as I write this and the lodge there could do this easily. The lodge on Kaikoura Island used to offer meals but couldn't make a go of it. While we have a lot of boats we also have miles of coastline so perhaps not the density of punters to make it work.The small tides in the Med make it easier there plus the very settled weather in season. Also imagine trying to get a consent for a few moorings in front of your restaurant here...... As an aside we had a meal at a waterfront place in Bequia and the whole operation was an Italian family. When winter came there they locked up their place in Italy and followed the season to the Caribbean. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 237 Posted September 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Yeah, I guess you need a min number of boats each night, and the charters make it easier to get those numbers. Woulda thought that in the summer there’d be plenty of boats at the barrier to make it work. Kawau would also work. Could buy an old ferry cat and run a restaurant out of that in Izzy bay occasionally... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 688 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 I thought a rib fill of ice cream in the BoI over summer would be a good business. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkside 22 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 At Porquerolles off Hyeres there was a bloke in a boat selling rotisserie chooks and he was doing a fine trade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
raz88 59 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Kawau boating club, man o war winery, the various eateries at oneroa/onetangi are also all places you can go in your boat, anchor, and take your own dinghy in for a feed and a drink or two. Not exactly like the experience in the original post (or the Marlborough sounds) with mooring and shuttling in and out included, but not miles away either. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
raz88 59 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 1 hour ago, DrWatson said: Yeah, I guess you need a min number of boats each night, and the charters make it easier to get those numbers. True, I believe the ones I mentioned in the sounds close over the winter months, I guess due to lack of volume. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 688 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Slightly off topic but we used to eat out 2 or 3 times a week. Nowadays once or twice a month. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Pope 110 Posted September 4, 2020 Report Share Posted September 4, 2020 10 hours ago, DrWatson said: Not saying I think we should flood our waters with charter fleets. But, the Med. style cruising, where you sail for a day, moor or anchor in a bay (or a small harbour) and go ashore to the local taberna for a damn fine meal and a glass of plonk certainly has its appeal. Place I went to on Kythnos, Greece, during the high season - tiny bay with about 15 houses, likely an hour's drive over a bumpy arse road from the other side of the island (ok i checked on google and it's more like 20 min), and getting perhaps 3 boats a night, supported two Taberna, one of which served some of the best food I've ever ordered (one of my top 5 places globally). Can anyone recommend anchorages/places where you can actually do this in NZ? Seems that for the most part, you might if you're lucky get a burger and some fries at the local (club), but there's realistically zero infrastructure to support this kind of economy/activity. You only want fries and burgers for a few nights out of the total... Or is it simply that when we go cruising we want to stay the hell away from everyone, and we're already so damn poor from paying marina fees we've got nothing left to spend on a meal? Anyone think there might be space for this kind of thing in the NZ market? (or want it?) IS there an opportunity to do this in NZ? Mostly our good restaurants are friggin miles from the water... Picture this, you pull into Waiheke, Russel, Fitzroy, or Cavalis, or wherever, anchor or pick up a mooring owned by a restaurant on shore. Call them on the VHF or cell and they come out and pick you up in their rib, dropping you at the shore/wharf, you walk the xx meters to the restaurant, enjoy a great meal, and get dropped back to your boat at the end of it. Staying on the mooring for free because you ate at the restaurant. There's probably about a bazillion regulatory issues... but would anyone else be into it? I think you have to understand Greek culture, Greeks tend to promenade in the evening, often ending up at a / the local Taverna for a late meal around 9 / 10 o/clock. During the day the same Taverna feeds locals / workers with very reasonably priced tucker. No noveau quisine. Would be hard to find in NZ as most restaurants want to cater to the upper end of society. Ie those with lots of dough or expense accounts. NZ is in reality a low wage economy that would do well with copying the Greek way, just need a couple of million Greeks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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