18 Breeze Magazine
Slowtilla – a cruisy antidote to haste
By Hamish Coleman-Ross Summer cruising holidays with family are fabulous experiences, arguably one of the best ways to enjoy our country while creating lifelong memories. The logistics that go into organising these holidays are no small task. It demands time and effort to get our vessels out of the Hauraki Gulf and to the popular summer anchorages further afield. For our family, the Bay of Islands has become that place. Despite having crewed north on several occasions, my family appealed for an alternative way to deliver our H28 yacht Bacharach north – one that didn’t require their help. Mid 2020, I made an offer to friends to embark upon a non-stop sail from Auckland to Opua. An unexpected level of interest returned, resulting in more crew than I could accommodate. And so an idea began to take form. The suggestion was made to offer another yacht some of our eight eager hands, which was gratefully received by the captain of a Tracker 26, Tanager. The assurance of safety in numbers and keeping pace with each other had an appeal to those of us whose vessels are more suited to cruising. Departing the weekend before Christmas, the estimated time to our destination was 26 hours. Jokingly we declared that our founding of a would be flotilla was more of a “slowtilla” than a flotilla. The name stuck. What occurred over those 26 hours was nothing short of magic for all involved. The crew were a mixture of experience with individuals from an array of backgrounds and professions.These included archeology, cinematography, broadcasting, publishing, government and sales. Conditions were great for a motor-sail with many highlights including dolphins, night time phosphorescence and of course a few great yarns.
