Jenny is sold! Moving on to our land based travels in the north island
SV Jenny
Alan Franklin/Lynne Gane
Sun 13 Mar 2016 08:43
Dear Family and Friends,
11th March 2016
It seems unbelievable that I have been in New Zealand 16
days, where did they go! Many frustrating days have been spent packing and
cleaning the boat ready for her final handover, there was the long delay
awaiting parts from Japan for the unexpected and no surprises here, expensive
repair, to the fuel injector pump. In
the interval between agreeing the sale and final handover on Saturday 12th
March, we have also had to replace the fridge fan, starter battery, a couple of
catches and the GPS aerial battery, I hate to say this but we will feel quite
financially liberated when we hand over!
However if you are thinking of selling a boat in New
Zealand, beware the punitive taxes and an elastic set of guidelines for their
application. We were led to believe certain allowances could offset the import
and GST (read VAT) taxes, unfortunately Customs decided otherwise. This has
been an expensive learning curve.
Of course I am sad not to be sailing around the
beautiful coast particularly the Bay of Islands but perhaps there will be
another opportunity. There again so many of the sites are inland.
Tomorrow we will hopefully have a final signed contract
and the buyer will take over the boat. As he intends to change her name, it
feels as though a chapter has closed. Baring a handover sail to help the new
owners we are done, free, and off to Pahia near the Bay of Islands, our worldly
goods in storage for freighting to England or travelling with us in an overly
full estate. (Do we really need 3 crates of herbs and spices and one dedicated
to tea, I’ll let you know)!
12th March 2016
Well the deed is done! We have taken the new owners of Jenny, David and Michelle out on their new boat, the wind was lively at 22-27 knots but with all the kit we have taken off, she was surging along at 8-9 knots! A clean hull and a significant reduction in weight works wonders for speed. This was my first sail for over 6 months, do miss it!
13th March 2016
We have checked into Paihia on the Bay of Islands on the northeast coast, a beautiful location, visited by Captain Cook and the site of the Waitangi Treaty of 1840. Signed by the Maori chiefs it establishing the crowns sovereignty, New Zealand's right to self government and British citizenship. We had the cultural 'experience' today with guided tour, Maori dancing and song, films and museum, well worth a visit. The treaty largely ignored by Europeans in the 19th and 20th centuries with the taking of ancient Maori lands, is the today subject of an ongoing tribunal examining grievances in the light of the 1840 treaty. Its importance has come full circle with the rise of Maori conscience and Maori political representation.
Paihia paid host to a Harley Davidson rally this weekend, the throaty throbbing roar of shiny chrome machines, riders astride their steads, mostly portly 50 and 60 year olds, leathers, hell raising T shirts and their respectable partners, cruised the seafront, populated the restaurants and hung out in mature ways. Well who wouldn't want to recapture the dream.
We are staying in a backpackers hostel, very reminiscent of British youth hostels in 60's and 70's, a friendly patched together establishment, worn, mismatched and interesting. Its informality is liberating, we have far more conversations with other guests than if we had booked into a hotel. A whole range of ages and backgrounds use these facilities, and we are by no means the only senior citizens here.
All our best, photos to come.
Lynne and Alan