“Then all of a sudden we got one, and I'm not scared any more,” she said.
When buying the boat, the previous owner provided lessons, and met them in the Sounds on their first overnight trip, to ensure everything was working properly.
Their adventures didn’t include fishing, as the family was vegetarian, which would sometimes confuse other boaties, however they instead enjoyed kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and a lot of time on the beach, particularly if there were walking tracks nearby.
The kids were all homeschooled, which provided flexibility for their lifestyle, and David said the daughters had proved during lockdown that they had the discipline and motivation to be in charge of their learning.
Maia said it was really nice in summer, doing homework on the back deck.
“You can do your school work whilst looking at the water and the hills,” she said.
“It's really pretty, and then you just jump in the water if you get hot.”
A particular favourite spot of theirs was Double Beach in the Kenepuru Sound, as it was often “social” with other boats moored up, and campers on land.
It was also an advantage to anchor in areas with sticky mud, as opposed to little quartz-like pebbles, which David said was like “anchoring in marbles”.
