We have welcomed back NZ Maritime School, Fraser High School, Kings College, Epsom Girls Grammar, Blue Light Charity and our long standing school James Cook High School.
The team and crew are gearing up for a busy term 4 in the lead up to Christmas. We have welcomed and will be welcoming a number of new schools which is heart warming that we get to share these incredible experiences and vessels with students throughout New Zealand. Dilworth College will be sailing with us in December as well as a number of schools out of Auckland Schools such as Opotiki College last August, Hamilton Girls High School in December and followed by the Champagnat Marist Brothers Network who will be taking 2 students from each of their 12 schools for a student leadership journey. It is particularly poignant for Marist Brothers as Ron Holland, the boat designer of Lion New Zealand, is an alumni of St Paul’s College (a school in the Marist Brothers Network).
Over winter we did operate with some brave schools that experienced Tīkapa Moana in a different light. During winter also gave us an opportunity, as we do most years working on maintenance on our beloved vessels. This is no easy feat and we thank Andre our Head Skipper and Jeremy our Maintenance Manager have worked hard to make this happen. Lion New Zealand had some works that had been delayed due to COVID-19, she had replacement of hull fittings and repairs to the V Drive alignment and welding to the exhaust fitting to keep the vessels fit for purpose. We couldn’t have done this without Trillian Trust, we thank you for your support to keep our rangatahi out exploring Tīkapa Moana. In the near future we hope to have a brand new main sail for Steinlager 2 as we seek the last piece of funding to make this happen.
Whilst the maintenance was occurring we have also been working on a new sailing programme for schools in partnership with MERC which we hope to pilot this term. A programme delivered in schools and on the water, so watch this space!
We would also like to thank some of the yacht club around New Zealand for hosting a One Outstanding movie night. Lowry Bay Yacht Club, Russell Boating Club and Tauranga Power Boat and Yacht Club supported us by giving us the opportunity to show the great movie directed and produced by Larry Keating about Steinlager 2 and Fisher & Paykel in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race and share with a new audience about what we do with students from all over New Zealand. Recently Team William Tatana Real Estate had a client appreciation evening of which we were one of two charities to be a beneficiary of their auction, they raised enough money to support a school or community group for a day sailing.
Thanks to Auckland Maritime Foundation we were able to deliver programmes to Otahuhu College, Aorere College, Tangaroa College and Southern Cross Campus that were privileged to be able to for most ‘take them away from their struggling lives’ (quoted by Martin Wright, Tangaroa College). One of the Southern Cross students said ‘ I’ve learnt: about the important things on the boat and how it operates; how the boat tilts; good opportunity and experience; how toilets are in the boat; the different areas in the boat; how to make porridge; how to start the sail boat using the wind; how to sail and work as a team which has made me want to sail more and explore different parts of the country; see the conditions of living in a sailing boat; how to use the sail boat grinder; how to cooperate with others; understanding how sailors live on a daily basis; it is such a good experience and thank you for the experience.’
Finally, we welcome new crew Pepa Cloughley from Dunedin and Steph Vining from Nelson that will become deckhands and we look forward to what you both bring to our programmes.