The catamaran Serenity, sailing past the Hole in the Rock, Bay of Islands.
Home is the sailor from the sea.
The cruisers are back. With border closures lifted, the number of blue-water sailors arriving at Opua for Customs clearance has increased.
One is Scott Farrand, owner and skipper of the catamaran Serenity, which is now out of the water but will be back this week with a new coat of anti-fouling paint.
Scott flew a circuitous route to Athens in April with a colleague he had sailed with on a yacht in 2009. He bought Serenity sight unseen in Lavrio, a small port just outside of Athens.
He had a marine surveyor assess its condition and then flew to Greece to prepare the boat to sail to New Zealand. He had the experience. He was a superyacht captain until border restrictions during the pandemic forced him to transition to a land-based life.
“I tried taking over the family business of growing kiwifruit but after 18 months I found I missed working in the marine industry so I set my mind to finding an opportunity in the Bay of Islands.”
That’s how he ended up in Greece. The trip to New Zealand however wasn’t all, well, plain sailing.
He planned to take between three and five months to avoid the hurricane season in the Atlantic, the cyclone season in the Pacific and to allow enough time to enter into survey in New Zealand at the start of summer.
“Two weeks of delays were caused by the starboard engine seizing a day before arriving in St Lucia. Disruptions to supply lines meant many parts needed a rebuild and were on back order.
“A few sail blowouts meant I spent a week on top of the boom while we were under way, hand-stitching the sail back together again.”
The number of crew on board varied between three and four including himself. From Tahiti to Rarotonga, when the family came on board, there were seven in total.
Scott is attempting to get Serenity certified for Maritime Operator Safety Systems to allow him to operate commercially for charter work in the South Pacific.
Christmas Parades around the Bay of Islands
Christmas is coming to the Bay with a host of parades planned so Santa can pass on his goodwill to kids of all ages.
Here are details so you can go along and enjoy the festive fun:
Paihia Christmas Parade:
Friday, December 2.
Road closures for the Paihia Christmas Parade will take place from 3pm–7pm.
Williams Rd will be closed from Marsden Rd to Seaview Rd. A one-way system will operate along Marsden Rd, from Kings Rd to Bayview Rd to Seaview Rd.
The theme of the parade this year is Board Games.
Kerikeri Christmas Parade:
Saturday, December 3
Starts at 5.30pm from the Domain. Before that there are multiple themed zones, an entertainment stage, an ice rink, a rock climbing wall, Santa, games, food and craft stalls in the Domain from 4.30pm–9pm.
At 8.45pm the giant Christmas tree will be lit up.
Kawakawa Christmas Parade:
Sunday, December 4.
From 2pm–5pm. There are no road closures. The parade will be in the Hundertwasser Memorial Park and children can enter the “decorate your bike” competition.
The Russell Christmas Parade:
Sunday, December 4.
Starting at 3pm, along the waterfront. Free to enter floats, just turn up on the day, 2.45pm by the museum. The parade finishes at Long Beach with a sausage sizzle and games.
Learn to paddle
The Kiwi Association of Sea Kayaking (Kask) is holding a free workshop for kayakers at Waitangi on December 3.
It is run by Dallas Veitch, with help from Jay Howell. In past years between 20 and 30 people have taken part and the same is expected this year. Ages of the participants range from 18 years and up and between 12 and 17 years if accompanied by a parent.
“With summer fast approaching many Kiwis are thinking of dusting off their kayaks and paddling in the Bay,” said Dallas.
“If you aren’t sure where to paddle, or how to choose the right conditions, or how to stay safe by yourself or in a group, the workshop will give that instruction and it is an opportunity to meet the local kayaking community.”
The Kask workshop is run with support from Safer Boating New Zealand and it’s interactive. Participants will learn about essential safety equipment, communication devices, interpreting marine forecasts, hazards and emergencies.
A free dry bag and mobile phone case are presented at the end of the workshop. For more information: https://kask.co.nz/kayaksafe
Phone Dallas Veitch 02102918988
Fabric exhibition at the Honey House
An art exhibition featuring fabric, collage and embroidery is on at the Honey House, the Kerikeri Mission Station cafe until Christmas.
The work is from Liz Bigwood, the manager of the Mission Station who uses French knots and other embroidery stitches while incorporating domestic heritage elements like old tray cloths and pieces of tatting.
“These elements already have embroidered energy in that they were created by somebody else many years ago and I have repurposed and reused them,” she said.
The exhibition is called Four Seasons and is a set of abstract fabric works that illustrate spring, summer, winter and autumn.
Liz became fascinated with spinning linen, using European flax, which is smaller than native harakeke. In later years she discovered her Scottish forebears were not only Paisley weavers near Glasgow, but also linen spinners and weavers from Stonehaven, south of Aberdeen.
As a result she came to appreciate the idea of cellular or genetic memory, and how understanding is passed down almost intuitively through generations. She also learned traditional Māori weaving techniques.
“I had the privilege of being taught by renowned kaiwhatu [weaver] Digger Te Kanawa, spending two very full weeks living at her home in Piopio and learning how to weave a korowai from scratch.
“She believed every New Zealander should be able to weave a korowai, which is a style of cloak that was developed by Māori after the arrival of Europeans. Later I used the weaving technique she taught me to make a large installation that hung in the New Zealand Tourism Board for a number of years.”
Prominent New Zealand artist, Malcolm Harrison asked Liz to weave a piece for his installation in the Atrium of Parliament. It is still on display there.
On show at the Honey House is Liz’s pen and ink illustrations of the Victorian-era Chatterbox books to which she applies her own creative take.
Corroded pipe at Waitangi to be replaced
Emergency work to replace a corroded sewer pipe that runs the length of the one-way bridge at Waitangi began last week.
A recent inspection found serious deterioration to one section of the pipe that serves the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands, the yacht club, the boat ramp and wharf facilities.
Work includes running a temporary polyethylene pipeline under the bridge, which will be good for several months until a permanent larger capacity pipe can be installed.
Andy Finch, Far North District Council general manager infrastructure and asset management, said there is no evidence that wastewater has escaped from the line, but wastewater is now being diverted to an underground storage tank on the Treaty Grounds side of the bridge.
He said the permanent fix will be done after the summer tourist season is over and post-Waitangi Day to keep disruption to a minimum.
The company employed a lot of immigrant workers as contractors now owed money.