A "royal" visit in the Bay of Islands

http://www.sailbayofislands.com/

Everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this week in the Bay, including the dolphins and the Gannets, who were busy chasing the fish in and above the water.

Gannet, Bay of Islands	Dolphins accompanying Freewind in the Bay

We also had a highly visible guest in the Bay of Islands this week – the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, which stopped for the day and downloaded her passengers at Paihia and Russell. She certainly dwarfed every other vessel in the Bay, including Freewind who had to detour around her, sailing to Roberton island on Wednesday.

The Queen Elizabeth II – a grand sight	The QE II anchored off Russell on Wednesday, dwarfing all the other vessels in the Bay

On Saturday, after lunch in Roberton island, we took advantage of the lovely breeze to get a good look around the Bay under sail, then stopped for a bit of fishing near Urupukapuka island. We anchored for the night in nearby Paradise Bay – the perfect place for a BBQ on board.

Nights on the water are always special, and with the full moon out in all its glory, it was an amazing night, with converastion in the cockpit till the early hours. You could not find a more fitting name to the bay – Paradise Bay … it was magic. Sunday morning began with a breakfast of Snapper (caught the day before), and as soon as the wind picked up we pulled up anchor and raised the mainsail to continue the tour of the Bay. A pod of dolphins came to say hello before continuing their business of rounding up some fish for their breakfast, and before long it was time to head back to the Paihia wharf. Another “Day in the Bay” for Freewind, with lots of wonderful memories for all on board.

Full moon on the Bay

Waitangi Day in the Bay of Islands

http://www.sailbayofislands.com/

On February the 6th New Zealand celebrates it national day – Waitangi Day, which commemorates
the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between the Maori chiefs and the British Crown, headed by Queen Victoria.
Waitangi, located in the Bay of Islands, is the centre of the celebrations which are hosted by the Maori community at Te Tii Marae (the Marae is the traditional Maori community centre).


Launching the wakas at Waitangi, Bay of Islands on Waitangi Day
 
The focus of the celebrations is on the waterfront of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the historical Waka (Maori canoe) is launched every year and many other waka and traditional craft, as well as local boats and the New Zealand Navy join in the celebrations.


Freewind will be sailing past the fleet of boats and if you join us on our weekend trip you will have a unique opportunity to watch the events from the water.

A cultural mix on Waitangi Day, Bay of Islands: the NZ Navy, traditional sailing ship, and Maori canoe	Waka (traditional Maori canoe) at Waitangi Day celebrations, Bay of Islands

The weather report is looking very good, so we are looking forward to a great weekend – a warm welcome and “Haere Mai” to all the dignitaries and many visitors who are coming to the Bay of Islands this weekend.

For information on sailing with Freewind, please check http://www.sailbayofislands.com/


For those in New Zealand, watching TV1, don't forget to tune in at 7 PM on Saturday (Feb. 5th) to Coasters, hosted by Al Brown. This week the programme featurs the Bay of Islands, the Russell Boat Club, and the tall ship R.Tucker Thompson (pictured above) at the Tall Ships Regatta.  Read more here.

See you on the water!