Nelson New Zealand

Nelson Marina offices - old and new

We arrived here nearly a week ago - we have had beautiful weather ... sunny with a little rain - cool at night and perfect for walking. Nelson is a beautiful little city - perfect for liveaboard sailors. In fact, Nelson is just PERFECT - not too big and not too small.

Walkway into town centre

Everything you need or desire is nearby and the people are friendly. They are tolerant of our manner of speaking English and willing to repeat themselves when we don't understand them. No one is in a great rush and we have had a nice relaxed time visiting here. We're heading off tomorrow to walk the Mt. Arthur Tablelands with Maurice and Katie Cloughley. We have walked with them (Heaphy Track) ten years ago and they have been friends of Larry's since 1979 when he met them on their boat in the Canaries (he was on Traversay - the first). The weather forecast looks terrific for this outing - no rain is forecast until our last day out (Wednesday).

Saturday Market

Today was a bit rainy but I headed off to the Saturday Market anyway. There are lovely lavender products, cheeses, breads, all sorts of handicrafts and farm-fresh vegetables. It was great fun just looking at all the people and the stalls - next week will be a better time to buy any perishables as we'll be around long enough to eat them.

When we got here and by the time Customs had finished with us a heavy wind was blowing. We decided just to 'park' at the end of our assigned dock temporarily. It seems nearly every place we go there's a new (to us) technology for tying up our boat. Nelson NZ - 1 ring on each end of the dock (so you'd better not have a loop on the end of your lines); Germany - bollards (so you'd better have a loop on the end of your lines); British Columbia - 2 parallel wooden 2x4s; Australia - every cleat already has someone's lines permanently braided into it.

Mooring rings

Coathanger for mooring lines

At Nelson Marina, some people install a coat-rack type of metal pole at the end of the dock and they leave their permanent lines there to simplify tying up. We decided to tie up after dark - I grabbed the forward ring with the boathook and Larry waited for the wind to push us in to the dock.

Aussie docking