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A Passage North
Fantail sails towards Adele IFor some time, I have been planning to take Fantail up to North Island, where there is an abundance of interesting cruising. Left to my own devices, I would probably have...
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In North Island
I felt very pleased to have made it into Whangaroa when I did. Even in the sheltered spot we were in, we experienced the odd strong squall, but Fantail is a delight at anchor. I don't think she has...
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Although my life is now firmly based in NZ, living aboard and sailing Fantail, May and June of this year saw me back in the Maritimes and sailing on Iron Bark once again. Trevor had invited me to join...
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I am, generally, proud of this little country at the bottom of the globe. I am immensely proud of the fact that so many Kiwis have tried to make up for the appalling environmental ignorance and...
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I know there are some comments that need answering but I've been sooo busy upgrading Fantail. I'll get on to it in the New Year. In the meantime, have a
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One or two people have left comments on my blog asking that I come back to them. For some reason, the end of such comments is often lopped off by Blogspot. So if you want me to reply, I suggest you...
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Refitting and Upgrading 'Fantail'
I can't believe how long it is since I put anything on this blog! The trouble is that I want to do it right - so because there always seems to be something else to do, I don't do it at all. I have a...
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It was the end of January before I'd finished my refit, and I was spurred on to leave by the thought of going to the Mahurangi Traditional Boat Regatta. Now a Raven 26, even one that's over 25 years...
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It's spring here, in Northland, which means boisterous weather and lots of rain. As I write, there is a fresh SE blowing up the harbour against the last of a Spring ebb tide, somewhat enhanced by all...
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Several people mentioned my little stove, or 'pot belly' as Kiwis call them, regardless of shape. I'm afraid you can't go and buy one off the shelf. Mine is made of 6-inch rectangular-section, steel,...
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The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions
Golly - I can't believe how long it is since I wrote anything for this blog! It was first on my list of New Year's Resolutions: Blog More Often. So much for good intentions - I am blithely sprinting...
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A regatta
I've done two things this summer, that I have declared I will never do: gone racing and delivered a boat. More of the latter, laterThe first, to be fair, was entirely frivolous. The delightful little...
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The other thing I said I'd never do
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View ArticleAnchoring under sail
There has been a little bit on the JRA Website about anchoring under sail, but unfortunately the link didn't work. Below are a couple of video clips, taken by my good friend Zan on Demara, showing me...
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As soon as I arrived in New Zealand, I felt that I had come home, and this is probably why I have so little temptation to leave. I can't say that I was ever looking for 'home', or at least not...
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A fine start to the season
I decided to spend the winter with Fantail hauled out this year. There were a variety of reasons for this: some of them worked out, some didn't, but it saved me getting even more fouling on the boat,...
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The Year Comes To An End
(Please excuse the formatting: I tried for hours, but Blogger just isn't cooperating with me today.) Well, eventually the weather did improve sufficiently for me to escape North. On the 19th December,...
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Another junket - and Tall Ships Regatta
With a New Year comes the anticipation of another Russell Boating Club Tall Ships Regatta, and once again a number of junkies had decided to combine it with a junket.Arcadian and Fantail briefly shared...
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