"Arbitare": Sea trials, then the first leg down to Napier

Welcome

This is the start of our adventures with our Farr 38 yacht, Arbitare, that we have had for just on three years. She was purchased from a couple in Auckland who had decided to build a new boat, which for us was great as we discovered the classics can be pretty hard to find, especially with owners who had looked after her. Moored in Auckland she was used for sailing in slightly different weather to what we experience in Wellington harbour where she is now moored. After purchasing Arbitare it was now time to decide how we were to get her to Wellington, road or sea. It was decided to sail her down, which would give us a chance to really get to know her and of course see how she performed deep sea. She was already the chosen type of boat for her strength, safety, style, comfort, speed and versatility. At this time we were only going to cruise with her so her wardrobe, although old, was still in good enough shape for us to play with her whilst getting to know her, after all a few times over the past three years she has proven to us how reliable, strong and safe she is having been in some of the horrible seas that the East Coast and Cook Strait can throw at you. She has handled enormous and disturbed seas as well as we had thought she would, although at times extremely uncomfortable she surfed and sailed her way through them.
The crew on the trip down which was done in two legs due to the weather and fronts coming up from the south, was Murray, brother Phil, Dad Phil Hartley(senior- not bad for 83 at the time), Barry, Herb and Dan Herbison. As you can see by the pics at the end of the first leg at Napier all were pretty worn out.