12 April 2024 | We are back aboard Tregoning in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
02 April 2024 | We are in Toronto Airport, Canada: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
25 February 2024 | We are back in Gainesville, FL: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
18 February 2024 | We are in Glenwood, New Mexico: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
12 February 2024 | We are in Morro Bay, California: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
19 January 2024 | We are in Vancouver, BC Canada: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
01 January 2024 | We are in Washington State: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
15 December 2023 | We are in Minnesota: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
18 November 2023 | We are in Florida: Tregoning is in Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
29 October 2023 | We're in Florida - Tregoning is at B-dock, Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
21 October 2023 | 7 Oda Kapadokya Cave Hotel, Ürgüp, Türkiye
14 October 2023 | Hotel Aşikoğlu, Boğazkale, Türkiye
07 October 2023 | B-dock, Mersin Marina, Mersin, Türkiye
19 September 2023 | “Chez Jon & Angela”, Near Otterton, Devon, UK
14 September 2023 | Airbnb in Fortuneswell on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, UK
11 September 2023 | With Mike, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, UK
03 September 2023 | Ardington House, Ardington, Oxfordshire, UK
24 August 2023 | Near "Chez Joan and Peter", College of Roseisle, Moray, Scotland
11 August 2023 | Andrew's house (not exactly), Lichfield, UK
22 July 2023 | Chez Gail, near the New York Café, Budapest, Hungary
Starting a short shake-down cruise
07 May 2018 | Urquhart’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand
Photo: The headland south of Urquhart’s Bay anchorage
Tregoning left the Town Basin Marina for the last time (we assume) at high tide around noon on Sunday, 6th May. After spending three summers in and out of Whangarei, it was quite sad to be departing even though Randall and I will make a one-day visit by car on 23rd May. Not being exactly sure whom we would see during our fleeting return to Whangarei or in Marsden Cove, we had said good-bye to many good friends, which is the gloomy part of the exciting, itinerant life we lead.
However, nothing was quite as sad as receiving an email from our dear friend Sue in Jupiter, Florida, telling us that her sister had just died from breast cancer. We were glad to hear that Sue had been in England and had been holding Jane’s hand at the end. However, it had been a particularly aggressive form of cancer that had quickly spread to her brain and caused terrible pain so we know that her family had to endure the sight of her suffering. I had only met Jane and her family briefly but through Sue we felt that we really knew how full-of-life her sister had been and how much she would be missed.
Low clouds form and creep over Bream Head in the golden late afternoon light, as seen from Urquhart’s Bay
In a rather somber mood, we motored down the Hatea River and anchored near the mouth of Whangarei Harbour, in Urquhart’s Bay. It was a calm and beautiful evening so we were able to enjoy happy memories of our last visit here when I went hiking with Gail and Dean on Local Talent and Bonnie and Paul on Romany Star. We did not try to go ashore during this overnight visit but we could fully appreciate the views from Tregoning’s cockpit.