New Zealand sailing

[castaway]

Does anyone have any first hand experience of sailing in New Zealand ? Particularly with a view to living aboard for the Southern Summer and coastal cruising, then laying up the boat and returning to the UK for the Northern Summer, then returning 6 months later and so on. Best areas, lowest marina costs, available literature etc.

The plan would be to sell my (now after a year ashore, rather nicely professionaly refurbished) Halberdier up here, and buy a decent yacht down under for the purpose.

I'm hoping that in 3 years the last of my 4 children will be safely in Uni, and by that time and I can enjoy a little leisure time !

Thanks Nick E

 

[dunedin]

Can't comment about long term liveaboard in NZ, but we did a one week charter from Auckland a year or so back.
Was great holiday - but cruising in NZ even from the capital was more different from the UK than I had expected. This is part of the fun, as overall it felt a bit like Scotland 25 years ago with better weather - for examples
* Royal Akarana Yacht Club Cruising Guide looked like black and white Clyde Cruising Club guides we have from 1976 - not like colour Martin Lawrence guides today
* only 2 fenders on board - "no problem, nowhere to go alongside"
* advised of "only three places" where would get a shop or water close to hand (in the area we were cruising)
* mostly anchoring in places with no facilities at all
* in December (equivalent June) we scarcely saw another boat once we left Auckland harbour, except Onerora Bay on Waiheke - literally Largs channel was busier in December!

Visited Bay of Islands by car and trip boat. Very different in terms of being extremely busy with boats anchored everywhere possible - but also very undeveloped (thankfully) in terms of no marinas, pontoons etc the places we saw

 

[ninky]

i learnt to sail in wellington nz, although we only sailed daysailed in the harbour so i can't say much about cruising. there were certainly people living in boats around port nicolson there. it's a really friendly place and the sort of country you can just rock up and usually find someone who will help / advise. VERY unpopulated though which can be its appeal. and extremely windy - more days than not it gusted above 30 in the harbour and quite often well above this.

 

[pugwash]

If ever there was a heavenly place on earth geared up to cater for people like you it's Auckland, city of sails. Good marinas and moorings in and around the city, but long waiting lists for permanent boat-keeping, I hear. Plenty of engineers, sailmakers, specialists. etc. Good charts, weather services and all that. Small tides (five feet max, from memory). No shipping to worry about. No reefs of the coral type. Virtually nothing to eat you except sandflies on some beaches and they're easy to cope with: when they come and get you just throw a rope around a tree and hold on tight. Nice people very proud of their boats. Beautiful scenery and harbours. But once you sail out of Auckland you're on your own. Few marinas, few shops, hard to find fresh water and fuel. But if you plan ahead and exercise your anchor, the cruising is sublime -- as long as your happy with bird calls and fish jumping instead of discos, bars and traffic. Go for it!