The gathering at Lagoon Bay in November 2024 was open to all comers with the spirit for adventure in small boats.
If the boats were diverse, there was a common thread that wove their pilots and crew together. Present were several boats designed by John Welsford – Scamps, Navigators, and Longsteps, but also a Farr 5000, a lovely Quicksilver, a Laser that scooted expertly across the waves from Jameison Bay carrying camp and provisions, and Dominic Tarr coming from Whangārei on his wee home-built proa. The focal point of the gathering was a potluck feast with presentations and the inaugural Gadget Hour, where skippers could showcase their favourite gadgets.
The days saw the fleet scatter like pins as soon as the wind got up, each sailing for their own whim and destination, sometimes in pairs and sometimes coming together to prove that when there are two boats on the water, there is a race. There were opportunities to skipper new types of boats and some converts to the Welsford Scamp, partly inspired by a beautifully-finished new build on her maiden trip. Longsteps, the ultimate cruising boat by the above definition, proved incredibly capable going upwind, stable enough to brew a cup of tea hove to, and nimble enough to pass said cup across to a cold skipper on another boat.
The Dinghy Cruisers would like to thank organiser Ross Barnett who chose well with Lagoon Bay. It’s an outstanding location with great camping and varied sailing opportunities within the Mahurangi and beyond. Auckland delivered with characteristic variable conditions: sun and brisk winds on Friday and Saturday, rain and wind on Sunday afternoon, followed by flat calm and torrential rain later in the evening. Something for everyone.
When not flittering around in the wind, people loosely gathered for the companiable conversations that happen around boats. Talking mudcrab science with a very young sailor, meeting old friends, making new ones, and late-night hushed huddles on the beach chatting about adventures past and future. This is the stuff small boat adventures are all about.
Anyone interested in mucking about in boats is warmly welcomed to the upcoming raids in 2025. Get in touch through the Dinghy Cruisers New Zealand Facebook group.
Words and Pictures by: Ross Barnett
