One week in Opua

Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Sat 23 Nov 2013 10:59
Pos 35:13.02S 174:13.53E
Paradise Bay
 
 
We have had a very intence week here in Opua.
 
It started straight away on Friday when we arrived at about 14.00. For some reason we were two hours out.
The quarantine, immigration and customs procedure is very efficient and we were soon allowed ashore.
 
That is when the PARTY started that has been running every night for the last week.
 
m_DSC_0081    m_DSC_0087
                  Proud Mary on the top of the pilothouse.   
 
We have managed a couple of things though. We hired a car for one day and toured the surrounding area.
We visited a nice waterfall and off course a couple of nice pubs.
 
m_DSC_0097     m_DSC_0106
                         Our car trip.
 
m_DSC_0113
  Alice got a tattoo, inspired of the Dawnbreaker stamp.
 
One day we went to a winery for wine tasting.
 
m_DSC_0115    m_DSC_0119
                      Going to the winery.                                                                                        Sauvignon Blanc
 
 
m_DSC_0123    m_DSC_0127
                            Wine tasting.                                                                                  After wine tasting you need a bottle or two.
 
m_DSC_0137
    This years harvest is still tiny.
 
We met lots of new friends. The Dawnbreaker kids seems to attract a lot of nice sailors.
 
Among our new friends is Jesse, an american who is very attracted to young french women. He sails OBELISK. I helped him a little with putting up his new forestay.
The attraction turned out to be mutual and Alice jumped ship after a few days. We are sorry to lose her but “c’est la vie”.
 
m_DSC_0174    m_DSC_0188
              Obelisk.                                                                                                                        Kristoffer at the lead.
 
 
m_DSC_0197   m_DSC_0232
                          Up she goes.                                                                                                    Our friendly rigger sorting out the top end.      
 
 
We also met Mark a friendly sailor from Brighton, UK. Mark have borrowed a small sailboat called HERRANI
 
m_DSC_0175
 
Other new friends are Kristoffer och Inger a great couple from Norway. They were on the hard fixing their boat. I ended up spending one
day antifouling their boat, AUD after his grandmother.
 
m_DSC_0256     m_DSC_0261
 
One day there was a yacht race in the harbour. As we were anchored almost on the startline we got a great view of the race.
 
m_DSC_0144   m_DSC_0151
                       The race is on.                                                                                                     First to finish.  
 
 
m_DSC_0154    m_DSC_0155
                          Second                                                                                                                           Third
 
m_DSC_0159
                          and fourth.
 
One night we got this great idea that as we are all going south, lets sail together for a few days. This means we are taking the party with us. Jesse and Mark has also
booked in 5 backpackers to sail with them to Auckland. They are Adele from UK, Thomas and Olivia from France and Kim and Ida from Sweden. We are now 15 persons in 4 boats
sailing together. What a partry!!!
 
Friday night there was a BBQ night in the Marina. We had a good time meeting more happy people.
 
m_DSC_0267    m_DSC_0271
               Sanna introduces Adele to “Proud Mary”                                             >From left Tif, Kim, Ida and Mark
 
m_DSC_0272     m_DSC_0273
                     Diego and Tif.                                                                                          Kristoffer with Maya and Finn.
 
m_DSC_0275
                        Inger and Maya.
 
Saturday morning 23/11 we left Opua and sailed to Paradise Bay on Urupukapuka Island.
 
Lars with kids and friends.