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THE VESSEL

South Sea Vagabond....how it all started.

Back in 1986, after years of cruising the South Pacific in a 35' monohull that he'd built, the chance to race on a catamaran in Vanuatu turned Simon's preconceptions on their ear. He was quick to realise the advantages of multihulls, especially as charter boats, and started to plan the perfect boat.

With lots of ideas and an open mind, it was a matter of communicating with as many multihull designers as possible. After an exhaustive research programme, Kurt Hughes in Seattle was the most willing to listen and to adapt his design to meet our needs. His boats had the right look and he had experience in designing large sailing charter catamarans.

The final design incorporates ideas derived from years of cruising and sailing as well as Kurt's expertise in the design field.

Construction began in 1998 in a large shed at the bottom of Simon's garden, beside the Wairoa River where the vessel would be launched 2 years later

The name "South Sea Vagabond" comes from the name of a book by a NZ author. Johnny Wray, about the building of a yacht called the Ngataki. We strongly recommend anyone remotely interested in sailing or adventure to try and get a copy of this book, it is an amazingingly entertaining story of a young mans desire to build his own yacht and 'go cruising'.( For more on this see below.)

THE CREW

Simon and Corinne met while Simon had just launched his previous boat STAR back in 1979.

"We sailed around the New Zealand coastline for a couple of years before embarking on our first offshore voyage in 1983. Armed with a $25 plastic sextant and a ton of confidence we made landfall in Fiji, 14 days later.

Bitten by the cruising bug, thus started 4 years of cruising the S. Pacific and East Coast of Australia. We eventually arrived back in NZ in 1987, along with our then 18 month old daughter, Sophie, born in Coffs Harbour Australia."

The next project was a popular restaurant in Tauranga, using Corinne's considerable talents as a qualified chef.

5 years, two more children, and several ocean passages later, in '92 Simon gained the qualification of Commercial Launch Master and started skippering various local charter vessels.

"Next came Slipstream, a hot little 9m GBE catamaran that I put through survey and started a charter business with, taking people off Mt Maunganui's popular Pilot Bay for fast sailing thrills in the Tauranga Harbour. Heaps of fun !"

This experience reignited the idea of building a big sailing charter catamaran, and together with the catalyst of New Zealand winning the America's Cup in '95, the project to build the South Sea Vagabond was born.

PREFACE TO SOUTH SEA VAGABONDS

I am not a writer. Never was and never will be. I remember distinctly that my form master at school used invariably to describe my attempts at essays as: 'Conglomerations of facts occasioned by heterogeneous concantenations of stupid irrelevancies.' And I don't know that I've improved much since then.

But this book is written primarily for dreamers, and they don't mind if a man can write or not as long as the facts are there. It is written for the man who works in a city office and dreams about sparkling blue waters and coconut palms and white sails bellying to the warm trade winds. It will perhaps show him how it is possible to break away from the ties of civilization, build himself a boat and sail in her wherever he wills. I was a dreamer once, but now my dreams have come true, and I am satisfied and happy.

J.W. WRAY

Yacht 'Ngataki",

Vavau, Friendly Isles. (Tonga) Circa 1935

Features

Some of the features and ideas incorporated in the design are:

Galley on bridgedeck, so that cooking becomes part of the communal activity on board. Avoids heat and smells in the accommodation areas. We also have galley connected to outside BBQ area so that in tropical weather most cooking can be done outside.

Good bridgedeck clearance from the waterline gives the vessel true bluewater capabilities.

The freestanding swing rig will make for an easily sailed and safe charter boat, no highly loaded winches and sheets, dangerous clews and restricted visibility to worry about.

The raised helm station gives excellent visibility, important at all times but especially in crowded spectator boat areas.

Retractable centreboards ensure sparkling sailing performance and shallow water capabilities, you don't have to be anchored miles offshore, shallow lagoons are suddenly accessible.

The vessel is equipped with a fast and comfortable tender so that cruising areas can be fully explored.

The retractable hydraulic drive legs mean that there is no compromise in prop configuration as sailing performance will not be affected. The wide spacing of the legs will enable the boat to be turned in it's own length and easily manoeuvred in tight spaces.

The hulls and superstructure are constructed from light but amazingly strong foam and glass laminates. Built to stringent NZ Survey standards she is designed to take whatever the sea throws at her and is licensed for up to 50 passengers.

Numerous other design features, arrived at after many years of sailing and skippering charter boats will make this vessel unique, and we believe the best in the S.Pacific for the purpose we intend.

Why choose a catamaran ?

Overseas, catamarans have become the charter boat of choice. Their stability means that people can enjoy the experience straight away - without overcoming the fear that their world is going to turn upside down. Things don't fall off tables, movement around the vessel is easier. The spaces are separated, you're not stuck together in a confined area. Seasickness is far less likely to be a problem.

Sailing is a relaxing, timeless way to travel. No smelly engine fumes and the relentless noise of big diesels. In a multihull you're sailing at powerboat speeds, the best of both worlds.

The superior and easy speed of a multihull mean that cruising grounds are effectively bigger. Anchorages that would roll a monohull's gunwhales under provide a peaceful nights sleep to passengers on a catamaran.

Instead of 10-14 days at sea to reach Tonga, a cat of this size should be able to sail it in 4-6 days.

Our aim is to provide clients with a high quality cruising experience that will stay with them for lifetime. Our product is the amazing cruising grounds of coastal New Zealand and the South Pacific and the way to get there is the sailing cat "South Sea Vagabond"

Cruising is a quintessential experience encompassing a huge range of activities.

Drop anchor in a crystal clear bay, explore a fresh water creek , climb a hill to reveal a vista of sparkling blue water framed by 200 year old pohutakawas, eat fresh mussels cooked over a campfire on the beach, fish, dive, or just lie back and relax while the boat knifes through the water at exhilarating speeds to some new and exciting island.

Experience the satisfaction of surviving a bash to windward in fresh conditions to reach your goal and a tranquil anchorage for the night.

Enjoy the magic of night sailing, the sea glowing with phosphorescence.

Watch whales and dolphins .

Visit some of the island nature reserves and imagining how the world used to look.

The range of possibilities is almost endless, enough to satisfy and stimulate the most jaded world traveller.

As the weather in NZ starts to cool and the cyclone season in the S. Pacific ends, we will use our database of satisfied customers, as well as extensive internet and overseas advertising, to explore other opportunities that exist for a bluewater sailing vessel in the S. Pacific. Some will be inspired enough to take on a passage to Tonga. Others will arrive to dive with the humpback whales in Vavau. From there it will be on to Fiji and the Musket Cove Yacht race, cruising the islands of Vanuatu, the Solomons, Noumea or the Loyalty Islands.