On the Hard Week 3 – by Gary

The work continues. The fiberglass hull repair work is all done, thank goodness it is the nastiest,grinding and working with epoxy resigns and all. The painting of the hull is complete. We are hoping to launch on Wednesday, if we don’t there will not be another window to launch for another week. The salon floor [...]

New Zealand Boat Wrok Week I-Gary Dawson

It has been over a week since we hauled the boat and started to work on it. As I mentioned last time I am staying on the boat and all has been well. I cook most of my meals on board and take showers in the yards bathroom facilities We do not have any refrigeration [...]

New Zealand, Great Barrier Islands – by Gary Dawson

New Zealand
Great Barrier Isl.

It feels like a lot has transpired since I last wrote. I spent 4 days at Great Barrier Isl.. It is in essence a wilderness Isl. with many beautiful bays and anchorages. At this time of year I was one of a very few number of boats out there. I did [...]

New Zealand – by Gary Dawson

New Zealand
Moments In Time
Its hard to describe the beauty of what I am looking at right now. I left Opua and went to a little uninhabited Island about 2 hours away called Motuarohia. Captain Cook dropped anchor here Nov.29 1769. I and another boat are the only ones in the bay. The sun is setting [...]

New Zealand, Landfall – by Gary Dawson & Colby Lawrence

After 7 days and 1100miles of Ocean, we made landfall in Opua New Zealand (latitude 35 19’ S, Long. 174 07’E). That is 5000 miles south of Charlevoix, MI. Colby will tell you about the passage.
Now that I am here I am a little apprehensive. First off we are coming from were the temperature has [...]

Happy Thanksgiving – Gary, Nicole & Colby

I want to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving. We all certainly have a lot to be thankful for. May we all get a chance in life to share our blessings with others.
Nicole, Colby and myself will celebrate at Sea as we are still 300 miles from New Zealand. We are going to have [...]

Goodbye Lovely Tonga- by Gary Dawson & Nicole

Goodbye Lovely
Tonga
Tonga is most certainly the undiscovered paradise of the Pacific. It has to be one of the least known and yet best cruising area that I have come across. We all have heard of Tahiti, Bora Bora and Fiji, but Tonga, is it an Island or what??? This is an amazing place. Hundreds of [...]

Tonga – by Gary Dawson

Dates 
 
If you remember, the date was rescheduled for Monday night. So, Monday night I went back to where she worked/lived at 6 pm. She was there and I asked her if she still wanted to go out. She said yes, but a girl friend was going also and I figured what the heck the more [...]

Tonga Week 2 – by Gary Dawson

We departed the Vava’u Islands in Tonga last Sunday on our way to Nukualofa in Tonga, about 170 miles South West. Our first stop enroute was the Island of Ofolanga. It was a completely deserted Island with a beautiful beach miles long. Upon arriving we made BBQ chicken with my moms potato salad receipt and [...]

Tonga continues – by Gary Dawson

Last time I wrote we were on our way to Tonga. Our trip was great, sunny days and starry nights. I also mentioned that we caught a 30lb Wahoo. Shortly there after Amanda landed a 4 ft Mahi Mahi.
We are now in Tonga and out first stop[p was the VaVau group of Islands. They are [...]