Taking a yacht nearly 5,000km along Europe’s rivers and canals involves a lot more than lowering the mast. There are also 484 locks, numerous aqueducts, lifting bridges and three tunnels. Though the four-month voyage was equivalent to driving from Wellington to Auckland seven times at 10km/h, only one word can describe it – magnificent!
The dreaded Bucket List keeps raising its ugly head and when it aligns with Fate’s fickle finger you’ve no choice but to submitWORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY COL BELL .
Jim Lott and wife Karin recently returned from a seven-year global cruise. This puts him in a useful place for considering the differences between his first ocean voyage in 1966 and the modern equivalent.
Black Sound in Green Turtle Cay in the northern Bahamas is a good hurricane hole. Kiwi sailor David Kitching had previously sheltered there during hurricanes Irene and Sandy. But they were mere Category 3 storms – nothing like the monster approaching from the SE.
Boatbuilders and equipment manufacturers worldwide have released a tsunami of innovation in recent months. From automated docking systems to phone-controlled toilets, the sheer volume of new technology going into boats is absolutely staggering. Here’s a look at 10 trends to expect in 2020.
What started as a favour to a father returned an Auckland family of six to boating. Story by Zoe Hawkins. In my early twenties I was very fortunate to be in a position to buy my own small racing keelboat. I raced and loved that boat, berthed in Westhaven, and I still consider those two...
Your accountant, partner and golfing friends will all tell you that with boats, chartering is better than buying, and buying second-hand rather than building is common sense. But common sense can be very unsatisfying.
What started off as a leisurely river cruise through the Australian bush turned into a race for survival for a Taupo couple when a bush fire appeared out of nowhere.
With massive salt deposits and active mining operations deep below their bottoms, the Great Lakes may just be one of the strangest boating locations on earth.
An 18m 110-year old yawl lying in Wellington’s Mana Marina is a rare, surviving example of the work of her American designer – Charles Drown Mower. Her age and life story make her a definite candidate for restoration, but she needs plenty of help.
