Boating NZ April 2019

Like most New Zealanders, I’m wrestling with a complex cocktail of emotions tumbling through my mind following the unspeakable atrocity that rocked Christchurch on Friday, March 15. Bewilderment, sorrow, compassion, repugnance, anger – it’s a toxic confusion, clouded, above all, by disbelief. How the hell did this happen? This is not the New Zealand I’ve come to know and love – with its freedom, its welcoming people, its tolerance, its diversity, the friendly smiles, the uncomplicated lifestyle. All changed in a 15-minute slaughter. What another, awful blow for Christchurch, a city just beginning to claw its way back from the devastation caused by a series of catastrophic earthquakes. This cruel irony’s reflected in multiple ways and on multiple levels. Many of the victims were immigrants – like me – looking…

SOLARIS 47 Performance-cruisers like the Solaris 47 are intended to reward the discerning sailor with both sides of this yachting equation. AROUND THE CAPES Former rocker Andrew Fagan has a new adventure in mind for his diminutive Swirly World – rounding the planet’s four most notorious capes. TRANSITING PANAMA It’s one of the world’s most remarkable feats of engineering – and to truly appreciate its scale you need to pass through the Panama Canal’s extraordinary system of locks on a yacht. STAR CLIPPER CRUISING If you enjoy luxury cruising with a little tradition thrown into the mix, you might consider booking a cabin on one of these bespoke tall ships. www.boatingnz.co.nz…

“We went from one boat to another, chatting with people and sharing drinks.” ALL IN THE FAMILY More than 130 Riviera and Belize owners – in various parts of Australia – celebrated being a part of the Riviera family by joining raft-ups and events over the holiday season. From Perth in Western Australia to Melbourne and on Queensland’s Gold Coast the festivities ranged from a spectacular laser light show to a ceremony for a couple renewing their wedding vows. Peter and Julie Herschell joined the 25-yacht raft-up off Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula with eight boating friends aboard their Riviera 4800 Sport Yacht Hatrick. “We loved the virtual boardwalk of swim platforms in the raft-up,” says Peter. “We went from one boat to another, chatting with people and sharing drinks.” Greg and…

‘Letter of the month’ wins a Lamont wine prize pack We would love to hear your stories and thoughts on all things boating, with the ‘Letter of the month’ winning a Lamont wine prize pack* valued at $105. Send your letters/email to:editor@boatingnz.co.nzsubject: ‘Letters to the editor’or post to Boating New Zealand,P.O. Box 301063, Albany, Auckland 0752 Please make sure you include a delivery address and contact number with your letter. *Entrants must be 18 years of age or older.…

The 520 – just a smidgen under 50 T feet LOA – is the largest of the GLs to reach these shores and arrived here just in time for last year’s On Water Boat Show. The yacht had barely got off the ship and onto its keel before it hit the water for display. From the dock the 520 looks substantial. As well as that generous length (there’s a fixed prod on the bow for downwind sails; the hull length is 14.75m), it has a maximum beam of 4.80m, which carries well aft. This supplies plenty of room down below for the luxury of not only three double cabins but also three heads – and creates a roomy cockpit for outdoor entertaining. The hull design’s by Italian Umberto Felci, who…

Katabatic’s owner/skipper/chef is Picton local Grant Orchard. The 13m launch is surveyed to carry 16 passengers, but he limits charter parties to a maximum of 10 to keep things easy and intimate. His playground is the Marlborough Sounds – in Orchard’s opinion, the world’s finest cruising destination, its majesty and grandeur rivalled only by British Columbia. Guests typically join the vessel for half- or full-day trips, boarding the vessel at her Picton Marina berth. He’ll also collect visitors from specific points around the Sounds – usually guests staying at local hotels/lodges. She’s a big, comfortable vessel, superbly equipped for her duties, but it’s the way Orchard presents it that gives this charter operation its point of difference. “My primary objective,” he says, “is to show guests the magic of the…