Looking at a boat in Auckland

[crayiii]

There's a boat in Auckland that I'm interested in but I have no experience sailing in New Zealand. Our original plan was to find something the Caribbean and spending a year gaining experience before continuing our 3-5 year journey.

I've sailed for years but it has all been no more than 20 miles off the West Coast of the U.S. (Mexico, California.)

I'm looking for information from those of you with experience with New Zealand sailing. We would consider moving on the boat in Auckland and spending time there gaining experience that we need to move on but our impression is that it's a steep learning curve in that part of the world.

It's a lot of open water from Auckland to anywhere...

[Connemara]

Well, you didn't get a huge response, crayii. But here's my two cents worth....

Our Wright 10, Above the Fold, is based in Auckland's Westhaven marina. She is, as the name suggests, 10 metres long and is a sloop with a 7/8 fractional rig.

Auckland is in the Hauraki Gulf, which a great sailing ground. There are literally hundreds of anchorages within a few hours sail of Auckland and many are quite isolated (as long as you're not out on a long weekend). IOW, there is almost always somewhere to hide if things get iffy, as well as somewhere to hang out and have sundowners when things are fine.

There is usually decent wind; in fact, we joke that if you won't sail when it's 15 knots or above, you won't sail at all. That's not entirely true -- I have spent long hours motoring in a dead flat calm -- but there is usually a breeze. Usually on the nose, of course, but that's true everywhere.

In an easterly you can get some largish wave action, but the gulf is pretty sheltered by the appropriately named Great Barrier Island. Things do get swirly sometimes with tide over wind (or wind over tide, whichever it is) and because there are so many islands the wind direction can make unexpected and sudden changes.

Bottom line is that there is some great day- or week-sailing in and around Auckland. It can be challenging at times, but it's usually within the skill set of average sailors. Lord knows I'm no America's Cup whiz, but I have almost never felt overwhelmed.

(Apropos of that, we spent a couple of days windbound on GBI a few years back and last summer we had a few days in lovely Whangamumu on the way back from the Bay of Islands when the wind and waves were just a shade too much for us to try to bash south.)

If you get bored with the gulf, the Bay of Islands is about a three-day sail north if you stop for overnights. And it is widely regarded as one of the best sailing grounds anywhere.

Hope that helps.
Connemara

[JPA Cate]

Hello, crayiii,

If you're a SF Bay sailor, I think you'll love the Huaraki Gulf, lots more destinations, too. However, if you're a So Cal sailor, you will find it more wind than you're used to, much of the time. Which is overall, a benefit, you will become better sailors. --no offense intended, it's just practice does help.

And we've seen ice on the docks at Gulf Harbour in June, too. After 3 years or so in the tropics, we found NZ cold. Bring your foul wx gear. We really enjoyed NZ a lot, in spite of the cold, and it is for sure out of the cyclone belt. It's what Calif. could have been, given the rainfall! However, you'll need to investigate the red tape of buying there, I've no experience of that.



Ann

[Connemara]

Ann: If it's a Kiwi boat, there's no issue. If it has been imported by a previous owner (and the various taxes paid) ditto no issue. The problems arise when someone sails to NZ and then wants to sell their boat -- the import duties and whatnot have to be paid by someone, unless, I guess, the plan is to immediately take it offshore again.

Connemara

[cj88]

The Hauraki Gulf and Northland will provide great sailing and cruising but you're right in that your first passage offshore to an overseas destination maybe a little more intense than some might prefer. Picking your weather window will be important but plenty do it without issue.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by cj88

The Hauraki Gulf and Northland will provide great sailing and cruising but you're right in that your first passage offshore to an overseas destination maybe a little more intense than some might prefer. Picking your weather window will be important but plenty do it without issue.

Not necessarily. If it is Kiwi registered, it will have to be re-registered in the OP's country, unless NZ allows non-Kiwis to register there. Most countries require nationality as a prerequisite for registration, or documentation, i think...not sure of the exceptions. Once it is of foreign registry, Cat One status is irrelevant for it, except as a possibly prudent exercise.

Ann

[daveNZ]

Also Auckland has plenty of marine supply, service and repair companies, and the Island Cruising Association runs seminars to help get groups away to the islands each year.

[LivingFree]

I would suggest you look into whether or not the Cat 1 requirements will apply in your situation. They are onerous and expensive but necessary in that part of the world. I am a Kiwi but I bought my boat in Australia because of the Cat 1 requirements.

[cj88]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Not necessarily. If it is Kiwi registered, it will have to be re-registered in the OP's country, unless NZ allows non-Kiwis to register there. Most countries require nationality as a prerequisite for registration, or documentation, i think...not sure of the exceptions. Once it is of foreign registry, Cat One status is irrelevant for it, except as a possibly prudent exercise.

Ann

Sorry, didn't realise I was talking about registration. I was only talking about the sailing.

[cj88]

Originally Posted by LivingFree

I would suggest you look into whether or not the Cat 1 requirements will apply in your situation. They are onerous and expensive but necessary in that part of the world. I am a Kiwi but I bought my boat in Australia because of the Cat 1 requirements.

The Cat 1 issue only impacts NZ registered vessels.

[Neptune's Gear]

I Live at Gulf Harbour in Auckland. I've had a few cat 1 inspections. IMO its not nearly as onerous as many seem to think - mostly those who havn't done it. There is little, if anything, my boat would not have, that is required by cat 1, when i'm preparing to leave NZ, even if cat 1 did not exist. IMO its a basic saftey check. Another set of eyes over the boat does no harm.

[Tillsbury]

Once you've tired of Auckland and the rain, you can consider a trip around new Zealand, which needs at least as much experience as most offshore passages. Facilities are few and far between but worth getting to. The Marlborough Sounds are beautiful, and most everywhere else is completely empty which will be about as far as you can get from Caribbean sailing. Having said that, I'm assuming you're in a monohull and advice would probably be different if you aren't...

[CassidyNZ]

Agree with Neptune’s Gear. If you are a responsible sailor and have any focus on safety, you’ll find Cat 1 quite uncomplicated provided of course the vessel is appropriate. I don’t know how you go about registering a newly purchased vessel offshore but if it’s simply to escape Cat 1, don’t bother - Cat 1 is a worthwhile exercise.

Sailing on the east coast of the North Island is excellent especially for someone wanting to build experience and become familiar with a vessel. As an example. I can go to probably 50 safe anchorages within 10nm of my home. I can also do a 110nm or more (overnight sail) to a number of different islands that provide. a host of safe anchorages. There are safe bolt holes all along the coast so little chance of being caught in untenable conditions as long as you’re paying attention.

The image is my backyard - the red pin is where I live. And the Hauraki Gulf is just as good. Do a Google Earth browse around these areas. It’s quite breathtaking from a sailing perspective.

And when you get it wrong, the NZ Coastguard are very helpful and competent.

[Jim Cate]

I've not reviewed Cat 1 for some time now, but it used to include things like minimum stanchion heights and spacing. All very well for boats designed to t hat rule, but woe to the chap whose boats stanchions are shorter and further apart (as many production boats are). Such trivia should not be so rigorously defined or enforced IMO... yes, the closer and higher are better, but we've cruised for a long time with boats that would not have qualified under Cat 1.

And some folks chose to not have a dedicated life raft... etc.

When the infamous section 21 ruling was enforced in NZ, lots of cruisers stayed away, us included, because they would have had to make expensive, intrusive and unwanted mods to their proven cruising boats.

So I don't agree that it is inconsequential if enforced.

Jim

[Tillsbury]

There are a few small annoying things in there, some related to the proportion of crew who've been on medical and sea survival courses recently, and things like dyneema lifelines that can trip you up, but overall it's a good idea to stop idiots setting off with no kit.