Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Haul-Outs and Yard Time
After thousands of miles of ocean wear, most boats will be begging for maintenance, re-
pairs, or improvements. A good time to schedule work might be during the school holidays
from late December to early February, when it seems that two out of three million Kiwis hit
the water. It's a nation of boaters, and it shows.
Whangarei offers the widest choice of services and boat yards on the North Island. It's also
a good place to store a boat safely in the owner's absence. The disadvantage of basing boat
work out of Whangarei is that are no attractive options for local sailing; you'll truly be up-
river. Still, Whangarei earned top marks from every sailor we know who visited, both for
price and quality of services. The excellent Whangarei Marine Promotions guide is avail-
able online and in yachtie hangouts as far back as Tahiti and Tonga. Check out Town Dock,
Marsden Cove Marina, and Docklands 5, Riverside Drive, or Norsand yards.
Opua is another good base for boat work, with a couple of good chandlers and yards. Prices
are typically a hair above Whangarei's (try Opua / Northland Marina and Ashby Boatyard).
The advantage of working out of Opua is the proximity to beautiful cruising. We spent the
final month of our stay whittling down our job list there. After applying a fresh coat of anti-
fouling, we picked up parts and groceries and headed out to the islands to do our work in
idyllic surroundings. With only a one to two hour commute back to town for more supplies,
this is also conducive to saving money, as you can't spend a cent once you're out in the
bay.
Greater Auckland is yet another possibility for boat work or an extended stay, though
prices are a tick higher than elsewhere. The advantage of working out of Auckland are the
stimulating city and fine Hauraki Gulf cruising grounds (popular choices are Westhaven
and Bayswater Marinas, or Gulf Harbour Marina farther afield).
We were drawn to Tauranga by low marina rates and settled in for a month of intense boat
work in a place brimming with chandlers, hardware stores, and electrical supply shops (see
Tauranga Bridge Marina or Tauranga Marina). There's not much local cruising there, but
we broke work up with hikes up Mount Maunganui and an inland trip.
Budget roughly NZ$25 per night in a marina for a thirty-five foot boat in any of these loca-
tions; rates drop for week/month-long stays. Word is that rates are even cheaper down in
Napier, but the trip around several wind-swept capes keeps many away.
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