Hello from USA Soon to be New Zealand

[Greentravelgirl]

Hi everyone!

I am a female in my mid-20's that is looking for sailing experience. I have been on board research trawlers and short stays on a sailboat in Belize. I will be moving to New Zealand starting December 2012 and am looking for opportunities to learn and crew on a sailboat. If anybody has any information, please let me know!

Happy sailing!

Katie

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Greentravelgirl

Hi everyone!

I am a female in my mid-20's that is looking for sailing experience. I have been on board research trawlers and short stays on a sailboat in Belize. I will be moving to New Zealand starting December 2012 and am looking for opportunities to learn and crew on a sailboat. If anybody has any information, please let me know!

Happy sailing!

Katie

Hi Katie
Welcome to CF.
North or south island? I have a nephew in Christchurch at the moment, still suffering the onslaught of continual minor earthquakes after the last couple of big ones demolished the city.

I think NZanders have the highest ownership of yachts per capita worldwide. They are certainly great sailors and very down to earth and welcoming people.
I was in Picton (Charlotte Sound, South Island) in February and getting some withdrawal symptoms from being off the boat, so I presented to the local yacht club and was taken on as crew for a few races while my husband was off fly fishing. Had a fantastic time! Great way to get some experience up your sleeve if you need to.

[Greentravelgirl]

Seaworthy Lass,

I will be starting in the North Island but trying to figure out where I should go for the best sailing opportunities for the summer season. Good to know that you were picked up at a yacht club. I plan on visiting those and just wandering around marinas to see if anybody needs help!

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Greentravelgirl

Seaworthy Lass,

I will be starting in the North Island but trying to figure out where I should go for the best sailing opportunities for the summer season. Good to know that you were picked up at a yacht club. I plan on visiting those and just wandering around marinas to see if anybody needs help!

Ballast is always needed on any racing boat. New Zealanders are such a down to earth welcoming lot and so very skilled on the water. Just look and learn! And they have no hangups about females sailing (even nowadays I am reading some really odd posts here about the need for hair curlers for females on board boats from people posting from the US LOL). The boat I crewed on in NZ had a wisp of a female teenager as mainsheet operator (she was fresh off dinghy racing and knew how to tweek things oh so well). The skipper was in his 60's and had no issues about handing over control of the main to her. I gained a lot of my experience racing in Australia in my 20's. Even a few decades ago females were generally really welcomed on board as potential foredeckhands (generally being by far the lightest on board, which is a huge advantage). It is also an advantage having a good head for heights, I was always the one sent up the mast if problems were encountered
Have fun!!!!!!!

PS Auckland in the north island has the nickname of "CIty of sSils". Opportunities there are limitless!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here.
kind regards,

[deckofficer]

Katie,

Welcome to the forum. There is a girl in Auckland who lives on her boat at the Maritime Museum you should look up. The boat is a 38' Gin Fizz, red hull, named "Guppy" and her name is Laura Dekker, who at 14 left Holland and solo sailed around the world. She is giving sailing presentations to the Kiwi youth and at 17 is close to your age. Tell her "Hi" from Bob Lemke, aka deckofficer.

[chris_gee]

There are 3 major sailing centres. North to south. Bay of Islands. A small centre with good cruising. Crowded in January. Usually the first stop for arriving yachts.
Auckland a large and sprawling city. Excellent cruising to a variety of islands.
There is a central city marina and crew are welcomed for friday evening racing. It takes a while to reach good cruising areas so more outlying marinas are preferred but may require a car to reach.
Marlborough Sounds. This is at the top of the south island has excellent cruising. Small towns often packed in holiday season with many boat owners being from out of town and perhaps on vacation.
Christmas to early Feb is school holidays and most take at least 2 weeks off through to all January. As it is peak holiday season the anchorages can get a bit crowded and I suspect fewer boats are looking for casual crew, though some do. Personally I would think it preferable to meet beforehand to check the owner out and vv.
February through April are the best cruising months.

[s/y spindrift]

Hi, there are nearly 3000 boats moored at Westhaven Marina and 3 sailing clubs based there all in downtown Auckland. Racing is held Wednesday and Friday nights and Saturday and Sunday of each weekend. Needless to say there is a real demand for crew from skilled to just ballast. Just turn up and ask at the local clubs and you will be sailing in no time. Have fun!