Magnum 21

Lake Taupo

Last week I went all the way to Whareroa village, near Turangi to pick up this boat. I took hwy 1 to Tokoroa, turn right to hwy 41, right again to hwy 32, left turn into Kuratau hydro road, right turn to Whareroa Road, #505.

home

It was an easy drive of 175 km. and the same route I took coming back from Wellington last month from Turangi to Hamilton. Traffic is much less than using hwy 1 all the way. It is my intention to spend at least one month renovating the Moustique before launching it. 

Nanook action shots

In the summer months I usually take part in trailer yachts regattas, on Sundays at the Ngaroto Sailing Club.

Taupo

This photo was taken on Lake Taupo at Boat Harbour near Kinloch. Note the crystal clear water. My boat is on the right. The other yacht is a 30 footer. It would be more comfortable inside. However it is too large to tow this on the road because of its width. Larger yachts like this are tied to moorings or parked at a marina which has easy access to the sea.

The largest size trailer yacht that can be towed easily on the highway is around 25 foot. If the trailer width is greater than 2 metres, a special pilot vehicle with flashing amber lights must go in front of the towing vehicle to warn on-coming traffic of the "wide load" following. This becomes too inconvenient to arrange for frequent movements.

trailer yacht

A trailer yacht is usually kept on the front lawn at home. The keel is not fixed and it can be retracted by a winch. The mast can be easily lowered for the boat to be placed on a trailer for towing. The furthest place to which I have towed my boat was the Bay of Islands. A distance of 370 km. 

Usually I sail on Lake Ngaroto near Te Awamutu, about 20 minutes from my home in Hamilton. I have also visited Lake Taupo, Tarawera, Rotoiti and Rotorua. My dream is to sail Lake Wanaka and Milford Sounds in the South Island.

The big advantage of having a yacht on a trailer is the savings in mooring charges and the convenience of working on the boat at any time. 

Many owners spend a great deal of time, especially during the winter months, adding small improvements and modifying the layout inside the cabin to suit their individual needs. In fact some of them spend more time working on the boat than sailing it! It is a DIY dream come true for many. If you run out of ideas, just polish the hull or some thing! For safety reasons, when I explored Lake Taupo two years ago I installed a marine VHF radio. Of course a radio would not work without a power source. Immediately I was looking for a 12 volt marine battery.

After I have the battery I might as well install a car stereo inside to enjoy some soft music and also add a cabin light. Perhaps I would like to do some night time sailing. Then I will need a compass, navigational lights and charts including perhaps a depth sounder, GPS and EPIRB. Be very careful there; the expenditure will quickly snowball out of control. Now I understand why some one once wrote the definition of a yacht as a hole in the ocean into which you throw all your spare cash. Smile!

Lake Tarawera

Under the boom tent which is erected over the cockpit area, is my galley (kitchen). I have a small portable gas stove used for boiling water and cooking simple meals like bacon and eggs. Do you see the aerial for the VHF radio? I have dropped anchor, furled the jib and main, raised the rudder and got ready for the night. 

Playing the flute at dead of night on the lake gives me a deep sense of solitude and a feeling of true peace of mind. It has become my trademark icon on the internet.