One of my daughters married a New Zealand boy and moved to New Zealand. They live with their two beautiful daughters in the Bay of Islands area of the north island. About five years ago, we visited, chartered a traditionally rigged 50' Beneteau with them and several friends and sailed the Bay of Islands.
There are beautiful little harbors and bays everywhere, some an hour or so of sailing away and some only a half hour's sail away. We hoisted sail, sailed for an hour to the first of our destinations, lowered sail, swam, explored, then hoisted sail again for the next leg of our journey. Arrived a half hour later, lowered sail, swam, explored, then THOUGHT we were going to hoist sails again but our crew mutinied. They loved the sailing but had already developed the "island slows" and didn't want to have to "go to work" again with the sheets and the halyards and the "hassle", they called it, of doing it again. So they didn't.....and we didn't sail again the rest of the trip. An absolute sacrilege! The most beautiful sailing area in the world, on a beautiful sailboat.....and we motored! I came home and went to work on a rig that could be sailed totally independently of any crew at all. The Fying Lateen was the result.
It has succeeded, for me, beyond my expectations. I enjoy single handing and enjoy sailing with friends and allowing them to relax and enjoy the ride. One of the most pleasant dividends is the ability, late in the afternoon, with only an hour, let's say, before dinner, to drop down to our little harbor
(5 minutes away), jump aboard and be sailing in perhaps a minute or less, sail for 45 minutes, furl & secure on the way back in and be home again for dinner.
I sail almost every day, as a result, simply because it's so easy. Maybe it's because I'm a lttle older now and/or a little lazier or maybe it's just because I enjoy the sailing part a little more than I like the hoisting and striking part.
There are beautiful little harbors and bays everywhere, some an hour or so of sailing away and some only a half hour's sail away. We hoisted sail, sailed for an hour to the first of our destinations, lowered sail, swam, explored, then hoisted sail again for the next leg of our journey. Arrived a half hour later, lowered sail, swam, explored, then THOUGHT we were going to hoist sails again but our crew mutinied. They loved the sailing but had already developed the "island slows" and didn't want to have to "go to work" again with the sheets and the halyards and the "hassle", they called it, of doing it again. So they didn't.....and we didn't sail again the rest of the trip. An absolute sacrilege! The most beautiful sailing area in the world, on a beautiful sailboat.....and we motored! I came home and went to work on a rig that could be sailed totally independently of any crew at all. The Fying Lateen was the result.
It has succeeded, for me, beyond my expectations. I enjoy single handing and enjoy sailing with friends and allowing them to relax and enjoy the ride. One of the most pleasant dividends is the ability, late in the afternoon, with only an hour, let's say, before dinner, to drop down to our little harbor
(5 minutes away), jump aboard and be sailing in perhaps a minute or less, sail for 45 minutes, furl & secure on the way back in and be home again for dinner.
I sail almost every day, as a result, simply because it's so easy. Maybe it's because I'm a lttle older now and/or a little lazier or maybe it's just because I enjoy the sailing part a little more than I like the hoisting and striking part.
