Author: richwest3

December 21, 2012

Happy Holidays from Rich and Cyndi aboard Legacy in Opua, New Zealand.

December 21, 2012

We both read a lot on our sail to New Zealand – I read about 45 books on my Kindle and about 8 brick-and-mortar books.  I’d like to mention two of the books that both Cyndi and I read and we think are great books about sailing from the non-sailor prospective.

The first one is a book called “Swept” by Torre DeRoche.  It is a wonderful book and Torre is an incredible writer; witty, funny and insightful.  Here’s what Amazon says about it:

A chance meeting in a San Francisco cocktail bar sparks an instant connection between two opposites: Ivan, a man with an adventurous dream of finding freedom on the ocean aboard his humble sailboat, and Torre, a city girl with a morbid fear of deep water.

As their bond turns to love, Torre realizes the only way to keep the man of her dreams is to embark on the voyage of her nightmares, so she waves goodbye to dry land and braces for a life-changing roller-coaster ride that’s as exhilarating as it is terrifying.

And here’s a link to the Swept on Amazon.

The other book is “The Motion of the Ocean” by Janna Cawrse Esarey.

This book is a lot like Swept but maybe a little more chick-flick-ie.  It is more about her relationship than sailing but I actually did enjoy the relationship story and the sailing/cruising stuff, from the prospective of a new sailor/cruiser, is great.  She is also an incredible writer and I really enjoyed reading this book slowly and savoring her words.  Thank you Lynn for giving us this book!  Here’s what Amazon says about it:

The humorous true story of a woman who abandons her tidy life to honeymoon across the Pacific on a leaky, old boat—only to find that sailing 17,000 miles is easier than keeping her relationship off the rocks.

And here’s a link to the The Motion of the Ocean on Amazon.

-Rich

Late December, 2013

Most of our three months in Opua was spent at a slip in the marina, but we did have to move to the wharf for a week or so late in December as all the slips in the marina had been reserved.

The wharf is a busy place, right next to the car ferry during the height of tourist season.  I wasn’t excited about moving there, but once we were there we enjoyed watching all the comings and goings of people and boats.  We thought of it as our “downtown place” and were a little sad to leave when our slip opened back up at the marina – our “country place.” It’s only a five minute walk from our marina area to the wharf, but the two places feel very different.  We had to get used to the peace and quiet of our “country place” again.–Cyndi

And a previous post with the ferries coming and going.

December 2012 – March 2013

Here is my “From the Car” collection of pictures from our drives to and from Whangarei. Some people (I won’t name names but it rhymes with itch) might opt to not put these in a blog, but others (names available upon request – Bob, maybe) feel they are worthwhile, and that things such as blurs and window reflections add character to these fascinating works. –Cyndi  (Rich says… “Waste of good film!”)

December 2012

Kauri trees, New Zealand’s largest tree overall, can grow to be massive: up to 165 feet high, with the largest recorded girth of 88 feet.  Their life span is estimated to fall between 1000 and 2000 years.  Kauri forests once covered much of New Zealand, but a century of logging has greatly reduced their numbers.  Today these trees and forests are highly protected.

Mature kauri trees have a unique appearance: a long, smooth trunk topped by a crown of branches near the top of the tree.  While the biggest kauri trees are on the west coast of New Zealand, there is is a remnant of original Kauri forest in Whangarei, where the generous benefactor, A. H. Reed, has provided for their preservation.  A nifty elevated “treetop” boardwalk has been built amid the trees and is part of the walking trail through the forest. –Cyndi