A bittersweet farewell (May 16/09 - Auckland, New Zealand)

There were a lot of mixed feelings on the boat this morning, as it was departure day and almost time to say goodbye, yet excited to get Slapdash out on the water again. As expected, last minute jobs kept everyone running around all morning, filling water tanks, securing the dinghy, checking the engine, double checking weather forecasts, and trying to make an appointment with customs to check out of the country. Finally, shortly after noon, they were ready to go. After some emotional goodbyes on the dock, they untied and pushed off, setting Slapdash free for the first time since December. We ran as far as the end of the dock, waving and shouting goodbyes. A moment later, they were out of sight, bound for Fiji as the first destination in what will be an incredible season that should take them through Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Their adventures are chronicled at http://www.theslapdash.com/ if you'd like to follow along. We wish them a safe, fantastic journey and can't wait until we see them again.


It was tough to see them go, especially since our trip is rapidly coming to an end. Jaime and Seth's four year plan to sail around the world is what inspired us to do this trip of ours, and for that we're grateful. As much as we love home and are looking forward to returning, we have certainly discovered the freedom and excitement of traveling that will be hard to leave behind. With the rest of the day to ourselves before going back to the airport tomorrow morning, we walked downtown and found a hostel on the main street, then spent the afternoon walking around the Auckland Museum. The museum was packed with exhibits on Maori history, wildlife, volcanoes, and tons of other displays that a person could spend days reading. It reinforced the need for us to return one day with enough time to explore what seems to be a unique and beautiful country. When we emerged at sunset, there was a beautiful view down over the bay, which was a patchwork of sails with all the boats cruising around. Slapdash was likely among them, raising their sails and venturing out into the Pacific.