A few crew too many for ice creams

The Spirit of New Zealand at anchor off Cable Bay while her crew head for shore. Photo / Don Hammond

Doubtless Bay man Don Hammond hoped that the crew of the Spirit of New Zealand would be getting an ice cream as they rowed ashore at Cable Bay on Tuesday, but they might have missed out.

Julia Bryant (community engagement) said 52 sailors might have been a little too much for the beachside store to handle in one go, but even if their exertions were not rewarded the 40 teenagers aboard, aged 16 to 18 and drawn from around the country, were having 10 days to remember.

Ms Bryant said they had joined the youth development cruise in Opua, and were bound for Auckland, where they would disembark, when they left Doubtless Bay.