Nomad Ocean: 6 Weeks Sailings in New Zealand, a Sea Trial

Sail Universe is proud to present a new “Best Blog”! Doris, a freelance journalist, and T.A., a marine biologist, created Nomad Ocean Project. From October 2017 until April 2018, they circumnavigate New Zealand in our 26 foot sailing boat Kahu.

“In six weeks you can singlehandedly sail Kahu”, T.A. said to me. His infinite optimism keeps on surprising me. It is both encouraging as well as putting me under pressure from time to time: I should learn to navigate the boat on my own in just six weeks? We will see.

Six weeks was not only the duration of this applied “sailing course“ of mine. It was the amount of time we had to undergo a sea trial with S.V. Kahu: How would we deal with the recently bought boat? How would our Nanni engine and the sails keep up with gusts of 30 – 40 knots? Does the fiberglass hull remain as dry as the thorough knocking in our survey suggested? How long would both our two-liter gas bottles last? And above all, would we get along in such a tiny space?