The days are getting shorter – must be time to head north

 www.sailbayofislands.com

Well, autumn is definitely in the air – the days are getting shorter, and the nights cooler. The Godwits have flown north to spend the summer in Alaska - it must be time for Freewind to head north again too, to the warm tropics. The charter season is winding down here in the Bay of Islands and Ron is in full swing with preparations for this year’s South Pacific trip. This is Freewind’s yearly migration north to spend some time in Savusavu, Fiji, and this year she’ll be setting sail to Tonga first (with a stop at Minerva Reef – weather permitting) to do some cruising around Tonga’s northern group of Vava’u. From Fiji, Freewind will be sailing with the trade winds west to Vanuatu, then New Caledonia, before heading back to New Zealand in September, in time for the new charter season here in the Bay of Islands.

Fiji west coast Sunset, 2010	Levuka anchorage, Fiji

Last week Freewind was out of the water for some boatyard maintenance and a fresh coat of bottom anti-fouling paint, and this week provisions are being loaded on board – a well-fed crew is a happy crew!. Although the tropics are renown for their abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, we try and carry plenty of dry provisions (flour, rice, tinned food, etc.) on board to supplement the local diet whenever local food is not available. Freewind is also looking very smart with the new canvas work – a new sail cover and dodger for the cockpit, so the crew can enjoy the comfortable cockpit and stay dry and out of the sun while on watch. Routine maintenance this month included upgrading the rigging and some electronics on board, to ensure comfort and safety during the voyage. Next week the two crew members who will be joining Freewind for the trip will be arriving in the Bay of Islands and we’re all keeping a keen eye on the weather reports for the first week of May to find a good “weather window” to leave for Tonga. Bob McDavitt, our weather guru, is forecasting some disturbed weather for the coming week, but hopefully this will change sometime during the following week. We’ll be watching your Weathergram blog closely, Bob!

The anchorage and marina at Opua is filling up with cruising boats doing their last preparations before leaving north. Opua is the most northerly departure port for yachts leaving New Zealand, and with the end of the cyclone season in the tropics, the “annual migration” of cruising boats has already started. So watch this space for updates on the last minute preparations and weather reports before departure, and to follow Freewind on her 2011 South Pacific voyage.

Fair winds and following seas – from Freewind and the crew.

NZ loses great bird conservationists

This week NZ has lost one of its great conservationist, Don Merton, who died at the age of 72 from cancer.
For all those who appreciate the unique New Zealand bird life, the work of Don and his conservation team is invaluable and his passing is a great loss to NZ conservation.
Don is one of the few people in the world who could claim to have saved at least 2 species of birds from total extinction. In the early 80s, he and his team saved the Chatham Island Black Robin from extinction with an innovative breeding programme; from one surviving breeding pair, the Black Robins are now thriving again. Later, Don managed the recovery of the Kakapo and South Island saddleback population which are now also gaining in numbers. View more here.
It is thanks to the dedicated work of people like Don Merton that we can now anchor in bays all over the Bay of Islands and listen to the unique tunes of the Kiwi and Weka after sunset and at dawn, and that future generations will be able to enjoy the irreplaceable New Zealand wildlife. Don’s legacy lives on.

Kiwi	Weka

Our protected flightless birds – the Kiwi and the Weka. Even if you don’t see them, you’ll hear them after dark in many bays in the Bay of Islands.