A window opened and we took the decision to head to Australia. At the time, the Australian authorities would accept sea time toward quarantine, so we were able to head clear into Cairns on Queensland’s north-east coastline. It was a relatively simple process and we were able to then head south to Brisbane.

As it was an intra-state movement, there were no restrictions at that point.  We berthed at Rivergate on the Brisbane River and then took the opportunity to begin our warranty work.

The yacht was then lifted at Brisbane Slipways.  At over 900 gross tonnage, the slipway was the only option for us and even as a commercial yard, I could not fault the service, attention and professionalism.

The same applies for Rivergate and also the services we received in Auckland.  It was well and truly on par if not better than the shipyards in Europe and the US.

Approval process

We stayed in Brisbane for a number of months as we prepared to cross the Tasman.

The owner loves New Zealand and it was their hope they would be able to join the yacht for the Cup but, in the end, that was not to be.

First, the yacht had to be approved to enter New Zealand and prove we had NZD$50,000 worth of marine services booked. As we were completing more warranty work there, it was easily achieved.

Then our agents turned their attention to the crew. The preparation and approval for both the yacht and crew took a couple of months yet in the end, Promise and all of her 12 crew were granted approval by the New Zealand authorities.

Our crew is predominantly from the commonwealth countries: New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, South Africa and one from the Netherlands.

Originally, we were ready to set off mid-December then a cyclone appeared off Fiji and threatened to head south to New Zealand. Based on that, we delayed setting off until Boxing Day.

We subscribe to Weather Routing Inc (WRI) and have found it reliable, however, it is recommended to double check any weather forecast against an additional source and your own observations, particularly when crossing the Tasman. The sea conditions can turn quickly on that body of water.

The crossing and quarantine

Starting out from Brisbane, the first day was uncomfortable yet the weather improved and we were able to speed up and cross in just four days. Some take five or six days.

Promise steamed directly to the quarantine berth in Opua in the Bay of Islands. A long dock over 100 metres, we shared it with another 50-metre vessel. It is fenced and locked to prevent cross-contamination.

On arrival, we were met by health authorities, customs and immigration, and biosecurity. The clearing in process was mainly contactless.

The regulations state you need to complete a COVID-19 test on day two of quarantine, which we did not have to do as we were at sea, and then again on day 12 before being granted entry. We did not have to complete a test before departing Brisbane.

Aside from the regulations specific to the pandemic, the same biosecurity requirements stand. Australia and New Zealand have strict laws around food entering the country. It is best not to have too much fresh food on board when you arrive and they will go through the vessel.

We found they were more accommodating of cyrovaced meat, particularly meat from Australia, but were hard against honey.

New Zealand is very protective of its Manuka honey so be prepared – any honey on board will be taken and destroyed.

The four days we spent at sea were counted toward our quarantine so we only needed to spend ten days at the dock. It’s not an ideal situation, however, the crew was used to it from Singapore and used the time to exercise and relax.

Our local agent bought fresh produce for us, working with the quarantine staff to open the gate, leave the food, close and lock the gate again before we were able to collect it.

Auckland and the Cup

We were released from quarantine and stayed on the dock to give the crew an opportunity to go ashore. After a day and a half, we had to leave as another vessel was coming in, so we went to anchor to give all the water toys and tenders a run. The crew then had another afternoon ashore before heading off to Auckland the following morning.

It is an easy ten-hour run down the east coast to Auckland. The weather was good, not delaying the trip.

As Promise is over 50 metres, we required a pilot on board when cruising Waitematā Harbour.

In Auckland, we berthed in the new Viaduct Wynnard section. It was once a commercial dock that has been redeveloped for yachts visiting the America’s Cup. It’s a fantastic location as the bars and restaurants of inner-city Auckland are at its doorstep.

The Prada Cup had already started by the time we arrived and the atmosphere in Auckland was great.

Perhaps not as busy and vibrant as it could have been but it was great to be in a city where people were celebrating sailing and you didn’t have to wear masks or have your movements limited.

It was really a great and friendly place to be and I’m sorry I didn’t get to see more of New Zealand while we were there. Some of the crew took the opportunity for shore leave and headed to the South Island, hiring RVs to discover the island.

Fortuitously, a former project manager for Feadship in Holland had made the decision to emigrate to New Zealand and was available to us to oversee more warranty work. Since then, he has been appointed as the Feadship representative for Australasia.

Promise did not need to be lifted and again, the quality of services we received in Auckland was ten out of ten. We did use a couple of day workers in Auckland, who we found through our YachtSpot account. In the end, one of the day workers replaced a deckhand who went back home to Australia.

In the four months Promise was in Auckland, she didn’t go out to see the Cup. As she is over 50 metres, we would have needed to take a pilot, a cost not justified without owners on board.

Additionally, some of the courses were in particularly shallow areas of the harbour, which would have meant we couldn’t see the action from deeper water.

Making the most of New Zealand

Auckland and New Zealand are beautiful, lush and green, and the scenery changes a great deal between the North and South Islands. The seafood is some of the best in the world. There would be a lot for owners to see and certainly a great place for crew.

The Promise crew also took the opportunity to enjoy the city, but also go surfing, hiking, visit Waiheke Island and indoor ski field. The crew is active and did a lot of exercising, making the most of the summer weather.

The one sticking point about our time in New Zealand was the process of getting rotational crew in. The booking system for hotel quarantine was impossible.

Literally, we spent hours online refreshing the browser just waiting for a booking to be cancelled.

You can really only get essential workers in and that is the captain and maybe an engineer or nurse.

As a rotational captain, I spent an additional month on board before the other captain was approved, flown in and quarantined in a hotel. It would have taken months to get an engineer or nurse in and impossible for any other crew position.

My advice for anyone cruising to New Zealand in the current environment would be to plan not to rotate crew. Although now with the Tasman bubble open, Australian crew would now be able to come straight in without the above mentioned!

Then it was our time to depart. Promise left Auckland and headed to Port Moresby to take on fuel.

The original idea was head to Langkawi, but the owners decided for the yacht to head to Dubai instead. She is now on her way to Europe for the summer.