gary baigent

James Burwick & Gary Baigent
Cox's Bay, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND  (May 2013)

Over the weekend we had a chance to spend a few hours in the magical scene of our dear friend Gary Baigent. Gary is the designer, builder, and sailor of the multi-hulls Sid and Groucho Marx, which are often moored in Cox's Bay.  He also built a two-masted monohull which he calls the Cox's Bay Black Skimmer.

Aside from having a passion for boats and sailing, Gary is also a very talented painter & photographer.  His work is part of the permanent collection at the Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa, and he has been published in books including The Unseen City and The Sixties, featuring vintage photographs which document life in New Zealand in the 60's and 70's.

What a unique education for my kids to be in the mud at low tide with the sea creatures, these awesome boats, and listening in on the conversation between two old sailors.

Groucho Marx in the foreground, with Sid in the upper left.
Cox's Bay, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND (May 2013)
More about Sid from Owen Corely McKenzie:  HERE  

Sid is a lightweight foiling trimaran.
Cox's Bay, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND (May 2013)
More about Sid from Owen Corley McKenzie:  HERE

"precious cargo" show follow up

We took a three-day vacation from the Coromandel.  On Thursday afternoon we rented a car, strapped the kids in, and drove up to Auckland for the media presentation at Richmond Yacht Club.

We had a full house at RYC and gave away some awesome door prizes from all of our generous sponsors:  bottom paint (Altex Coatings),  freeze-dri food (Back Country Cuisine), Icon headlamp (Black Diamond Equipment), logo-wear (C-Tech), logo-wear (Doyle Sails NZ), 1-year subscription to UK's Seahorse Magazine (Dibley Marine Yacht Designs),  Harken Squall Bag (Harken NZ), product & work voucher (NZ Rigging), 1 free night berthage (Viaduct Marina), voucher for a haul-out, powerwash, hard-stand & relaunch (Whitianga Marina), 2 kevlar gear bags & logo-wear (North Sails NZ), Baltic 3-hook tether (Safety at Sea), & 3 shoulder bags (NKE Marine Electronics).  Sadly for the anarchist fans out there, the Sailing Anarchy prizes got stuck in customs!

We were happy to see the faces of so many friends in the crowd and flattered that everyone stayed until the end.  The best part of the night was Tormentina (age 4 going on 21) grabbing the microphone and putting in her two cents about what it's like sailing on Anasazi Girl in the Southern Ocean.  She is planning to do the next talk, so maybe we'd better ask for two mics next time.

Thanks again to our sponsors and to Trish Lewis, Bryon Wright, & Fleur Cox for organizing the show.  Our midwife Tina Patrick and her husband Jonny kindly put us up for two nights.  Our good friend Andy Ball (who also happens to be Tina's brother) let us stay on the Sea Harmony the night of the show.  We are so lucky to have friends in this world.

upcoming show may 24th, auckland

PLEASE JOIN US!

"PRECIOUS CARGO" The Second Voyage of Anasazi Girl

Photography by Somira Sao & Talk by James Burwick

Richmond Yacht Club, Westhaven Seawall, Auckland - NEW ZEALAND

Friday, May 24th 2013 @ 7:30 PM

Free Entrance & Door Prizes

maramaratotara bay

As the punch-list for Anasazi Girl's haul-out grows smaller, we have been able to drag James away from the boat-yard for some nice doses of nature.  The beach along Flaxmill Bay has crystal clear water, beautiful black sand, wild rock formations, and weathered Pōhutukawa trees.

Tormentina (age 4), Raivo (age 2), and James.
Maramaratotara Bay (aka Flaxmill Bay), Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (May 2013)

whitianga harbour at low tide

One of Tormentina's favorite activities is to comb the beach at low tide.  She carries in her pack a red pail and a Northern NZ Rocky Shore Guide so can identify what she finds.  The dress below is designed by Tormentina: a woman's cotton floral button-up shirt from the op-shop, converted into a strapless little number here for the beach. Other times it is worn as a paint smock.  

We are savoring these days of unseasonably warm & sunny autumn days on the Coromandel.

Whitianga Harbour, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND (May 2013)

Tormentina at age 4 - our happy clam in the mud.
Whitianga Harbour, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (May 2013)

"precious cargo" talk by james burwick, may 24th auckland

Following my solo circumnavigation via the three great capes East-about (including Cape Town to Cape Town), is the 2nd voyage of Anasazi Girl.  "Precious Cargo" is all about giving my children the gift of the sea and human connections in the major ports of the world.

portrait of laura dekker in our backyard

Laura Dekker after a healthy dose of South Island goodness.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 30, 2013)

shack rope swing

Tormentina (age 4) on the blue line.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - WHITIANGA (April 2013)

ben ditto & shawn reeder

Our good friend Ben Ditto (a kickass climber & photographer) recently connected us with a fellow photographer named Shawn Reeder who is currently shooting on the north & south island of New Zealand.  Check out Shawn's excellent time lapse videos HERE.

Shawn Reeder & the Anasazi  Girls.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

justin bastien

The backyard of the shack has become a regular stopping point for our traveling friends.

Last month, Ventura (California) based photographer, Justin Bastien came to visit us after a few weeks of surfing, caving, climbing, and shooting.  What a treat to have his positive energy here and to see his recent work.

Justin B. & Princess T.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (May 2013)

wild child tormentina

Whitianga Harbour, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND  (April 2013)

coming back together

whitianga harbour

Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND  (April 2013)

splicing dyneema

James splicing Anasazi Girl's fancy Dyneema & Karver jewelry in the backyard of the shack.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

quentín duforest

Our friend Quentín Duforest is from a town in Northern France called Le Touquet, so he understands what kind of French sailing beast Anasazi Girl is.

Since there is no berth space deep enough at the Whitianga Marina to tie up the boat, loading gear on and off the boat involves trips up & down the ladder, 16 feet above the ground.   Thanks to Quentín, over the last week he and James have loaded all of the boat gear from the shack back onto the boat.

Quentín Duforest - Engineer, Photographer, Sailor, & Pro Kite Surfer
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND (April 2013)

whitianga marina docks

James and Raivo on the dock - Whitianga Marina.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND  (March 2013)

the princess & the pearl

Tormentina & Pearl in our backyard.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

rudders & tracks

Rudders & tracks with some history.  Time to make some more miles.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

anasazi girl's bags

Sheet bags on the left, bulkhead bags on the right, and the baby's mesh cage front & center.
All clean & ready to go for the next voyage.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZELALAND.  (April 2013)

cushion stars, sand dollar, & pipi shells

Pipi Shells & Raivo's Action Suit
Mercury Bay, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

Tormentina's beautiful collection at low tide:  Cushion Stars & Sand Dollar
Whitianga Harbour, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

under the magnolia tree

My beautiful girls under the magnolia tree.
Whitianga, Coromandel Peninsula - NEW ZEALAND.  (April 2013)

backcountry.com web ad featuring tormentina

My kids are so amazing.

They have been working since they were tiny to help support my photography, our family, and our life program of adventure, travel, and sailing.

My cousin Timothy Chan (who lives in Colorado) just sent a Backcountry.com email ad & a link that features Tormentina on their web-site.

Image below was taken before we started sailing as a family.  It is one of our favorite places on the planet - on the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego, near the Straits of Magellan.  We have not decided where we will go next with Anasazi Girl, but it is very tempting to sail the boat next to Puerto Williams or Ushuaia.  Cold, cold, but it is one of the cleanest, wildest, purest places we have ever been.

My Pink Flamingo, Tormentina (age 2)
Laguna Verde - Tierra del Fuego - CHILE (March 2011)

pōhutukawa trees, sleemans park, whitianga

haul-out progress, whitianga

magical coromandel