Boating NZ October 2016

Lawrence escaped the Boating NZ office this month for a well-earned family holiday, which included sailing around the western Mediterranean with friends. I’ve been keeping his seat warm while he’s away, overseeing production of the October edition. This hasn’t been too difficult, thanks to Lawrence’s thorough preparation and the support of the Boating NZ crew, so this bumper 200-page magazine came together smoothly enough. In this edition, Boating NZ celebrates 30 years in print. The very first issue hit the newsstands in September 1986, so we’re a month late, but it takes time to do justice to something as important as this. Beginning on page 102, two-term Boating NZ editor Rebecca Hayter marks three decades of Boating magazine milestones and many of the important events it covered during that time.…

Coastal Classic to match-make lonely boats with keen crew WITH ONLY WEEKS until race day, matching up lonely boats sitting in marina berths with enthusiastic crew simply keen to get out sailing is the big focus of the PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic. “There is still time to get your boat ready for the race, and we know there are crew members out there looking for boats,” says race director Matt Flynn of the 119 nautical mile race between Devonport Wharf in Auckland, and Russell Wharf in the Bay of Islands. The race kicks off the summer sailing season for at least 150 yachts and more than 1,000 crew members each year. Flynn says that people are busy and often put the race out of their minds until it’s too…

September’s caption winner “Bob, there’s a fish, honest! I saw it just a minute ago.” Congratulations to: M. Ironside “So what size hook do you use for these whitebait normally?” Runner-up: Peter Raynard De Villiers Yacht Design 525 alloy cruising catamaran SINCE THE LAUNCH of its successful 62-foot (19m) alloy cruising catamaran design in 2009, De Villiers Yacht Design has fielded many enquiries for a smaller sister. A new 52.5-foot (16m) cat design is the company’s response. A true cruising boat optimised for blue water passage-making, this design builds on concepts proven in the 62-foot Cruising Cat, which has now logged over 50,000 nautical miles. The 525 Alloy SailCat features six watertight bulkheads, a low centre of effort ketch rig that’s easily managed by a couple and unmatched underwing (bridgedeck)…

THE NEW DICKEY Semifly 45 takes the Dickey range to new levels of luxury and performance. Designed as a serious offshore sports fisher, the SF45 continues to offer all the refinements owners and fans of the Dickey brand have come to expect. With two cabins downstairs and options for a third, plus a full-size bathroom, seven adults can be accommodated in style. The wheelhouse boasts twin luxury helm seats, a large U-shaped social lounger, bar leaner and galley. Additional seating is optional in the rear cockpit, which can also be configured to include a BBQ island, bait station, game-chairs and an array of custom rod holders and accessories. Storage space includes an allowance for additional water toys. Other notable features include twin Volvo IPS 600 drives with joystick docking control,…

"The sedan styling not only looks sporty, it appeals on so many other levels. " Riviera’s latest Sport Yacht, the impressive 5400, takes the boating lifestyle very seriously. Designed around the needs and wants of modern launch owners, the Riviera 5400 Sport Yacht is superbly laid out for social interaction and easy living. Riviera’s Sport Yacht family has been a strong seller for the Australian motoryacht manufacturer and the new 5400SY incorporates many new features and evolutionary improvements over earlier SY models. The sedan styling not only looks sporty, it appeals on so many other levels. Unlike flybridge designs, the helm station is on the same level as the living spaces, so there’s no danger of the helmsman missing out on the fun. The cockpit and platform enjoy excellent flow…

Following a prompting from my conscience that I should try to help, I filled my yacht Caro Vita with boxes of nails, bolts, roofing screws, tools, seeds and whatever building equipment I could get and rounded up a crew to sail from Auckland to SavuSavu. Asking where the greatest need was, I was told by locals that most places had made good progress but Koro Island had largely been forgotten as it was off the beaten track and didn’t have big resorts or much tourism happening to draw attention to its plight. We headed straight there and visited three villages on the worst-hit side – Navaga, Tavua and Nabasovi. We moored in Dere Bay which is where ex-pats have built holiday homes and have freehold property. Even strongly-built Westerners’ houses…