Addendum to NZ/Australia Sojourn

As is often the case when composing lengthy blogs, there are things which can be temporarily forgotten. So, here is at least one of them - 

We arranged to meet Dennis Bouverie up at Opua where he and his wife, Rosie are now managing an accommodation business. You may recall that Dennis was an original owner (along with 2 others) of our old girl when she was launched in 1978. Dennis now has his own yacht up there as well, which he sailed up from Tauranga. Dennis had sailed with Jim back in 2012 from Bundaberg to the Whitsundays.

We also took the opportunity to meet for the first time our insurance broker who operates at Opua. He is interested in listing the old girl for sale as he acts as a sub agent for Vinings Yacht Brokers.

Anyway, we finally met up with Dennis and Rosie - much to talk about. Then we all got into Dennis's car and we drove to Kerikeri to the Marsden Estate Winery which is owned by Rod McIvor. Rod had been another of the young triumvirate who lived in the roof rafters of the boat shed in Evans Bay in Wellington to save money while they worked on their dream. The 3rd member apparently still lives in Wellington and we haven't met him so far. We had a great lunch in a very pleasant garden setting and again much to talk about, but Rod at that point was very busy getting the grape harvest in ahead of some forecast rain so was understandably a little preoccupied.

Then after lunch we drove to Waipapa Landing where Jim had had the old girl moored on a pile mooring in the Waipapa River - until it silted up and became untenable. Also saw Colin Read's house across the basin - so many memories for Jim. Colin had been the mooring warden and he and Jim had got on like a house on fire. The first time he came on board the old girl he said - "this is a real ship". Colin was also an avid small boat builder and in the days before some disastrous river floods he had operated a small slipway at the bottom of his lawn. Sadly he passed away soon after Jim left and took the old girl to Whangarei for her extensive refit.

During one flood Jim had tried to reach the yacht by dinghy but didn't have a bolter's show in the current and finished up on Colin's lawn where he hauled the dinghy and crawled up the lawn in a bedraggled state. Colin kindly drove him home after that! 

Well, that's finally it we think. Not sure when the next blog will be as things have settled down now - Phew we hear you say!

All blogs including photos of the Medellin apartment are on the website - www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com

Cheers and love again from us.............

Jim and Jean

s.v. Tiare Taporo III

Royal Langkawi Yacht Club

Langkawi

Malaysia.