Some R & R in the beautiful Bay of Islands.

                                                                                                                     End Jan 2014

On each of the two occasions that we have been able to go out and explore the lovely boating playground, with so many sheltered and protected bays and anchorages, fishing spots, drop off reefs, and fantastic sailing conditions….. the wind has been from the South, which severely restricts ones choices!!

Nevertheless, we caught glimpses of paradise, and cannot wait to be done with all the remaining jobs, paintwork, and sewing, so that we can indulge ourselves!

On the positive side, we are nearing the end of the “silly season”, where every Kiwi with anything that floats, heads out into the BOI !  Some of the “Pan Pans”, and “Maydays”, we have heard on the radio, have been hysterical! All dealt with calmly and very efficiently , by “Maritime Radio”(MR) , and the rescue services.

I must share one with you!

“Mayday Mayday..is anyone out there?”

MR  “This is MR, what is the name of your vessel, what is the nature of your emergency, where are you, and how many people are on board?”

“ Thank you! When will someone come to help?”

MR “ same information requested

Ah yes… don’t know the name of the boat..it’s not mine ! We are in Puka something bay… when will someone come?

MR  “Puka what bay… look on your chart, and are you anchored, and what is your problem?”

“ Puka something bay near Wanatui  I don’t have a chart… yes we are anchored, but can’t start the engine”

MR “What is your position, your longitude and latitude?”

“I don’t know. But the boat does have a GPS”

MR “what is your position on the GPS?”

“I don’t know how to turn it on”

MR “ There will be a switch marked GPS on the switchboard, and an on /off button on the instrument. When you switch it on it will take a while to show your position”

“Thank you…. Aah yes, the lights have come on!!!......waiting….still waiting….Yes, it says we are at Magnitude 174 something… when will somebody come?”

                      While this one amused us greatly, and the poor idiot was eventually fetched and towed back by a local fisherman, we listened a couple of days ago, to another “mayday”, which did not have such a happy ending.

A diver was hit by the propeller of a commercial boat near “Poor Knights Island”. He was pulled aboard, conscious, but badly injured. A helicopter with a paramedic was despatched, who was winched down to the boat. We then heard the paramedics report to the helicopter pilot, that he should return to base as the patient was “A23”, and the boat would go into Tutukaka port.

A23 = DOA. What a very ,very sad ending to some family’s holiday.