Workshop Progress, New Batteries, and the Hunt for Parts
Refit Diaries: 11/16/25 – 11/23/25 The existing ones have no markings at all, so we have no clue who made them, and the mast manufacturer either[…]
The Good, the Bad, and the Factory Wiring
Refit Diaries: 11/09/2025 – 11/16/2025 Disappointing, cheap, and in this case, deceitful. From routine inspection points, you’d never spot this… (read more)
Finding Our Rhythm: Boat Projects and Balance in New Zealand
Refit Diaries: 11/02/2025 – 11/09/2025 The longer the mast is down, the more we discover. From a preliminary inspection, it appears… (read more)
Full Speed Ahead: Mast Unstepped and Workshop Gutted
Refit Diaries: 10/26/2025 – 11/2/2025 Their attention to detail and precise prep work paid off when the crane arrived and removed the generator, boom, and mast[…]
Sawdust, Stainless, and Steady Progress
Refit Diaries: 10/19/2025 – 10/26/2025 Despite being the exact same model number, it has slightly different dimensions. We drove to the boat to evaluate the[…]
Step by Step, Project by Project
Refit Diaries: 10/12/2025 – 10/19/2025 We mapped out a spot for three 24V 340Ah LiFePO4 batteries by NZ Lithium using the empty shells they shipped us.[…]
Let The Boat Work Begin!
Refit Diaries: 10/05/2025 – 10/12/2025 After waiting on the carpenter for several weeks, we decided to complete the owner’s cabin demolition ourselves. Ray removed all the[…]
Sailing to New Zealand: Pre-Departure & Arrival Guide for Foreign Yachts
This checklist is designed to help streamline the foreign yacht clearance process in New Zealand, based on our firsthand experience in September 2025.
Cruising Tonga: A Sailor’s Guide to Port Logistics, Provisioning, and Yacht Resources
This guide is designed to help sailors navigate the logistics of cruising in Tonga: from checking in and out, to provisioning, refueling, and more. It’s[…]
Sailing from Tonga to New Zealand— We did it!
It was a whirlwind of discomfort: enduring bone-chilling temperatures at the helm overnight, battling difficult and rapidly changing conditions, and wrestling with the constant underlying[…]