Our New Zealand ride

The view from one of the hikes we've done. This is near Cape Bream. Across the bay to the right is Marsden Cove.

We’re winding down this season.  Doing some boat work, getting things set for us to leave for the States for six weeks.  Then we’ll be back for another year of cruising, probably up into the Fijiian Archipeligo.

In the mean time, we’ve been touring in the car we bought and doing some hiking.  We’ll do a lot more of both in February when we’re back and the weather’s better.  Right now it’s late Spring down here and it’s been a bit rainy/cloudy.

Today we closed with Doyle sails on new sails for Charisma.  She’ll be right happy to have new clothes.  The old sails were 25 years old, way past due as the sailcloth and stitching deteriorate in the sun and we can no longer trust our lives to sails of that age on the open ocean.  If we were still in SF Bay, no worries-but out here you have to have some confidence that the sails can routinely withstand 40 knots of wind or more.  We already had a mainsail seam blow out and were lucky we didn’t need it to finish that leg.

So, we’re doing due diligence on cleaning up Charisma-checking that the bilge pump is working well, turning off the propane, closing the through hulls,  turning off the big electrical draws (like the fridge) and in general making ready to leave.  We have two more days, then Sunday we’re heading to Aukland for a couple days before flying out on the 12th.  Looking forward to seeing everyone back home.

We’ll be posting from time to time including a “what worked and what didn’t” for those who will be following in our footsteps.  Then in February we’ll get cranking back up again.

So, have a great holiday and new year and thanks very much to those of you who have been following our blog and commenting.  We’re having fun and we hope you have been too!