After what feels like months (because it has been months!) of grey skies, rain and wind, the sun has shown itself.
In the last couple of weeks our part of the country has enjoyed a stretch of brilliant blue skies and winter sunshine. I read a snippet in the NZ Herald the other day stating that during the month of June to date (June 15), Auckland has enjoyed more sunshine hours per day on average than it did for the whole of the month of January!
To actually see the sun for more than a few hours at a time was quite the shock, but at Boating NZ we made the most of it, taking advantage of the weather to review as many boats as we could while conditions held good. It made a nice change to bag boat reviews quickly and easily, without weather delays or cancellations, not only for the current issue of the magazine, but also for future editions.
While reviewing the stunning Grand Banks 54 Laughalot for this issue (P24), enjoying calm seas, blue skies and warm sunshine, I was reminded yet again that boating is a year-round proposition in New Zealand. We were able to enjoy a sunny afternoon and comfortable, shirt-sleeves outdoor dining on Laughalot’s aft deck – in June.
A week or so earlier, Boating New Zealand regular Matt Vance experienced similarly stunning conditions in the Marlborough Sounds for his story on the Pescador 35, page 86, so winter boating opportunities are not restricted to northern districts.
We are very fortunate in this respect. Winter in New Zealand can bring periods of settled weather, with blue sky days, lots of sun and little wind – perfect for so many marine activities, except maybe sailing! Temperatures might be down a bit and the days are shorter, but there’s some brilliant boating to enjoy during the colder months.
Anecdotally, boating activity in the upper North Island has been relatively subdued so far this year, doubtless as a result of the unusually poor summer weather we experienced. But it’s amazing how a bit of sunshine changes everyone’s outlook.
Looking out over the Hauraki Gulf from high above East Coast Bays last weekend, I could see hundreds of boats, large and small, near and far, all of them taking advantage of a sunny winter’s day to enjoy our big blue back yard. It was a great sight to see.
Hopefully we’ll see more of the same sort of ‘perfect’ winter weather in the months to come – goodness knows we deserve some after such a gloomy summer. We boaties just need to make the most of the weather windows.
Happy boating,
John Eichelsheim
Editor
