An Auckland woman and her partner whose sailing voyage turned into a hellish ordeal were welcomed home by family and friends in Devonport this afternoon.
Tania Davies, 43, and her British partner Steve Jones, 52, were tossed about their damaged yacht for three days last week while they waited to be rescued from the middle of the Pacific Ocean in gale force winds and swells of 8-9 metres.
They were rescued from the 11.6-metre Windigo by a cargo ship on Friday, and were transferred to the New Zealand naval vessel HMNZS Otago.
The couple were met by friends and family when the Otago docked at Devonport Naval Base on Auckland's North Shore this afternoon.
