All the fun of the Riviera

Veteran sailors Owen and Margaret Cleave celebrate the launch of their new Riviera 40 at Westhaven. Picture / Ivor Wilkins

The approach of their 80s didn't spell relaxing fireside and slippers for Aucklanders Owen and Margaret Cleave of St Heliers.

They bought another boat. In fact the pair has just taken delivery of their third since Owen turned 80 in 2002. This one is straight out of the showroom, a Riviera 40.

Both have had a long association with the sea. At the age of 12 Owen applied for a cadetship with the P&O line. He was all set for a career before the mast when his mother discovered the application forms and tore them up.

"Two years later I tried for the Royal Navy and she did exactly the same thing again," he recalls. "I was so annoyed I joined the Air Force."

Margaret too has salt water in her veins. She grew up on Fitzroy Beach in New Plymouth and spent her childhood in and on the water.

Married 56 years and having brought up four children they had been keen boaters throughout their life together.

It began in the 1960s when they lived in Hamilton and bought a 42ft (13m) launch. The boat was on a mooring in Auckland and each Friday evening they loaded up the four children and the weekend's provisions and drove north. The family usually spent the night aboard on the mooring before heading into the Hauraki Gulf, returning Sunday to repeat the process then drive home early Monday.

As the children grew the couple's interest turned to sailing and the Cleaves owned a succession of yachts which were extensively raced and cruised. In the mid-1980s, with the children grown, the couple had a break from boating and bought a beach house.

"After Owen turned 80 and the beach house was sold he said somewhat wistfully he would love to have a boat again," said Margaret. "My answer was 'why not?' Let's get one."

The result was their first Riviera, a 38-footer (12m) that was old and a bit tired and needing a lot of work. At that point the Cleaves went on holiday to Queensland and visited the new Riviera complex on the Gold Coast. They loved what they saw and returned home determined to upgrade their boat.

In a matter of weeks the mission was accomplished and the boat was an almost new Riviera 37. They named it Surprise after one of naval author Patrick O'Brian's favourite ships and had a great time aboard it.

Then, on another of their annual holidays to Australia, Margaret had a health scare. This might have frightened a less adventurous couple into settling for a quieter lifestyle. Not so the Cleaves, they bought a bigger boat.

"Our 37 was lovely," says Owen. "But we realised we were getting on in years and it might be prudent to have people with us. The Riviera 40 with bigger accommodation was the answer and we named it New Surprise."

Celebrating the launch of the new boat in mid-October the Cleaves were hoping for a Labour Weekend cruise. The weather ruled that out but the skipper did get in a familiarisation run to Islington Bay that convinced him the decision to think bigger was the right one.

"We are fair weather sailors now," said Owen. "We will do some Waitemata cruises as I get to know the new boat, then perhaps it's the Bay of Islands again over the summer holidays."

There is little doubt that New Surprise will be joining the holiday cruisers around the bays of the Far North this summer.