Whangarei, New Zealand

By: Kerry

So…. 2012, 2013 birthdays were ‘special’ in their own way, but in 2014 my special day started in the boatyard to the sound of Toni Minitankers pulling up alongside. In the freezing cold, I held a greasy diesel hose while we filled the tanks. Other highlights of the day included shuttling buckets of bilge water as we emptied our hot water tanks ahead of replacing the pressure valves, and helping to heave our new mainsail on board. A stellar glamour day, really!!

But on the up-side, I did receive a few large parcels: a new mainsail, two new trampolines and our newly upholstered saloon sofa cushions in a slightly-more-startling-than-expected orange. They look great, very bright!!

Not quite diamond baubles*, but all steps towards getting back on the water SOON!

I was reeeeeaaally hoping my birthday would happen afloat, but alas… We were due to go in on Friday (after every other deadline has whooshed on by), but the weather has turned to poo, and we are still un-anti-fouled, so it’s now looking like Monday. (I am trying hard not to say, ‘I told you so’ since I pushed to do the anti-fouling last week in the beautiful weather, but was overruled). We are still holding out a glimmer of hope for Fiji – will have to see what adventures await once we are afloat. We’ve been out of the water for six months, so not really expecting everything to still work…. Fingers crossed!!!!

Damian took me out for a lovely dinner at Top Sail, over at the Onerahi Yacht Club – lovely meal with a glass of delicious NZ spark and a bottle of lovely NZ Syrah. So all good on the alcohol front this year!

* Baubles arrived a few days late, in the shape of a pair of beautiful earrings – aren’t I spoilt!

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