The sailing adventures of SV Meriwether and her crew
After a much-needed morning of sleep, we got straight back to it. We lifted anchor and motored Meriwether deeper into the protected waters of Great Barrier Island, where a network of anchorages offered plenty of options for both shelter and exploration. At that point, we weren’t chasing anything specific—we were just happy to be afloat again, protected, and slowly easing...
Well, we did it. The day after our resupply stop at Marsden Cove, we finally left the greater Whangarei area behind. There was one small detail: no wind. That didn’t stop us. It just meant the engine would do the work for now – a good test of the old diesel donkey. Our destination sat about 20 nautical miles offshore—a...
After splashing Meriwether, we motored the three miles to the nearest anchorage at Limestone Island and dropped the hook. The plan was simple: rest a few days, let our bodies recover, and slowly shift back into sailing mode before starting the 2026 season. It was the first time in months that my body had a chance to relax. Unfortunately, boat life...
Even before we could touch the official critical items list, the boat handed us our first unplanned project: batteries. One of our lithium batteries had taken on water even though the boat was on dry land. As it turns out said Lithium battery was not waterproof. That one was done. The second battery was on its ninth year of service...
We returned to New Zealand after a full day of airports and seats clearly designed by someone who has never sat in one for more than ten minutes. From there it was a rental car and a three-hour drive to the yard where Meriwether had been waiting patiently for the past seven months. We knew better than to move straight...
