So, you’ve made your Pacific Puddle Jump… And now you are enjoying the fabled tropical islands you’ve dreamed about.  After all the preparation, there is so much to see and enjoy before you must move on towards your cyclone season destination.  You already know you’ll want to get some projects done on the boat, but why worry about that now?  Maybe you’ll go so far as to select the destination and even the yard that you’ll want to use, or maybe you think – I’ll sort this all out when I get to (Australia, New Zealand, or wherever you decide to go).

After three seasons in Whangarei, NZ, we’ve observed a phenomenon that I’ll call “ The amazing shrinking cyclone season”.  It goes like this:

• You arrive in New Zealand a little fatigued after a packed season cruising the eastern South Pacific.
• The final passage to New Zealand tends to provoke a bit of worry as one can encounter nasty patches on the trek southward, especially if a low is approaching as one closes the coast, and there’s the socks and fleece to dig out as the temperature cools off.
• Most cruisers arrive in Opua in time for Thanksgiving (mid November) , and relax while they recover from the passage, catch up with friends, and check out the Bay of Islands.
• First world products are on the shelves, and there seems to be plenty of boat bits and services available – so let’s have a Christmas holiday, maybe visit the South Island or fly home, and there will be still plenty of time to get the boat sorted out – right?

Well, maybe.

For many cruisers, this is the first lengthy stop they’ve made since they began their trip.  There are often a number of things they now want to change/fix/add based on their experience.  When one takes time to make the list of the “have-tos” followed by the “nice-tos”, the list could be longer than can be done even if you got to work right when you get to NZ (and especially if you don’t have the budget to hire an army to help you). And of course, you must always assume that either something you plan to do will take longer than you expected, or you’ll discover new things that must be done which weren’t on the original list (like the mushrooms peeking out under our cabin lining, which led to replacing 20% of the coach roof in 2007).

Now let’s think about the time available.  Almost everyone in New Zealand (except grocery stores, gas stations and tourism operators) take at least two weeks and often as long as a month off at Christmas, from about mid December to mid January.  So unless you organize things ahead of time, you probably won’t get much done on your boat projects till mid January.

On the back end, around mid March the weather starts to cool off, and cruisers get antsy to finish up and get ready to leave, especially those who are looking to head east towards Tahiti or South America, or begin the long trek west towards the Indian Ocean.  South Pacific cyclone season is generally considered to be over by early April.  So suddenly your 6 month cyclone season refit window has shrunk to two months (or less, if you take time away from the boat).  And, your boat project list is likely longer, not shorter, than you originally thought.

If you are planning to work with local tradespeople, you are also well advised to plan ahead for several reasons.  First of all, everyone (including local boaties) wants to get fair-weather projects done while the weather is good, so trades people (especially the good ones) get booked up.  Second, some cruisers have reported frustration with a laid back attitude among some trades people.  This can range from not returning phone calls, or saying “She’ll be right, mate” even if the job is too large for them to complete on time or on budget.  The America’s Cup and a low Kiwi dollar has lent New Zealand a reputation for great boat work at low prices, which leads to expectations by visiting cruisers that can’t always be met.

Don’t get me wrong – there are some great tradespeople here, and we’ve been pleased in most cases with the quality and cost of work that we’ve had done.  It’s critical to first take the time to research both the products that you want to use, as well as people with whom you want to work.  The best references are locals, other cruisers and managers of the facilities (especially if they aren’t invested in the service).   You’ll also usually need to actively project manage contracted jobs.  Tradespeople will give estimates but are understandably shy about binding quotes, especially where there’s uncertainty in a project.  Get specific about your expectations as regards time, money and scope, especially if changes are needed from the initial agreement, and how you’ll stay updated on the progress of longer projects.

If you need to upgrade or replace boat components, the earlier you start, the better.  Many products are available in New Zealand but not often as many as in larger countries.  You may want to have items shipped from overseas due to cost, or compatibility (for example, a US boat that wants a new computer with a 110 volt AC connection).  Sometimes New Zealand does not get new products as soon as larger overseas countries.  As long as your shipments are clearly marked with your boat’s name, there doesn’t seem to be much trouble getting things through Customs, duty- and GST-free.  Note that large or heavy items will need to be freighted by ship, which may take as long as 2 months.  Shopping around early might yield some cost saving opportunities.  During this past season, a local boat builder was shipping a container from Seattle to Whangarei every few months, and was willing to share cost and space with others as long as their products could be delivered to the container.  If you know where you are going to be for at least part of cyclone season (eg Town Basin Marina in Whangarei) you can often arrange to have things ordered and shipped to them in advance.

Finally, it’s important to stay clear and on top of about the “need tos” versus the “want tos” when time and/or funds get shorter, and to be pessimistic about the length of time projects will take.  Once into March (fall), the days get shorter and wetter, so unfinished jobs can stretch out.  Your boat’s temporary import permit (TIE) will expire by June 30.  If you aren’t at least close to done by then, you’ll need to think about an extension from Customs (and probably a extension to your visa as well).  During our first season in 2007, our coach roof project meant we requested extensions till September, though we were able to leave in August.  We still enjoyed four months in Fiji, though we had to curtail our plans to sail onward.   On the plus side, we found that the weather on the passage north can actually settle down later in the winter.  It was a taste chilly initially, but the weather systems were more predictable than they had been a month or two earlier, around the equinox.

Every year a few cruisers realize that they won’t be able to sail out that year – usually  because the boat needs more work, business or personal issues require a trip away from New Zealand, or they want to work in New Zealand.  If this is your situation, you’ll need to make arrangements with Customs before your TIE expires.  They generally want a financial bond to extend the boat for a year (till the next June 30 or so) and will expect you to import the boat (with payment of GST & duty) after that, unless you leave.  In the past, some cruisers have been able to avoid the bond, but many we know have paid it.  It’s generally returned upon your departure, and earns interest whilst in the custody of Customs.  The bond is usually based on your valuation of your boat when you clear in, so you might not want to be overly optimistic about that if there is any chance you may need to pay it.  Note that if you decide to stay and live/work in NZ, our expereince was that you can import your boat and personal effects for free if you clear in with at least a 12 months work permit; but if you came in initially as a visitor, these usually means you must formally clear out and leave as a visitor on the boat, then clear back in.  Discuss this with Customs as an option in advance if you think you might want to do this.

Hopefully the preceding will help you have a cyclone season in New Zealand (or wherever you end up) that is productive, doesn’t break your budget, leaves you ready for your next cruising season, and allows for a little R&R.  Feel free to contact me with questions, and enjoy the balance of your Puddle Jump.

Susanne Ames

S/V Cheshire

Whangarei, NZ