A new life for Anam Cara

by OceansWatch on 15 Oct 2015 Behind every great man, there is a boat. In Chris Bone’s case (CEO/founder of Oceanswatch), the latest vessel is a Wharram tiki 38 called Anam Cara. She is a catamaran donated by Sytze Riemeersman to help facilitate the NGO’s objectives.

This yacht is designated to become the home of the charity’s dedicated Coastal and Marine Resource and Vulnerability Assessment team. This team will be based in Vanuatu in November this year and will support the local communities to generate projects that alleviate any projected negative impact of climate change.

Before Anam Cara could begin her role within the Oceanswatch team, she needed a huge amount of TLC.

She was sailed up to Whangarei from Bluff by skipper Leah Ditton, alongside Laura Dekker, a long time Oceanswatch supporter, as well as the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the globe single-handed at age 15. Once in Whangarei, Anam Cara was given a new lease of life.

She was taken from the water and put on hard stand in Northsands boatyard which became her nourishing health retreat and spa. The beautifully quirky catamaran was taken to pieces. A whole cross beam was replaced and another repaired, as well as the engine being treated to a complete renovation. Every member of the team was involved from removing the wheelhouse to cleaning the shackles. She was going to be in the prime of her life.

To be able to get Anam Cara prepared in time, Oceanswatch needed dedicated, loyal workers.Maija Kujala, a Finnish lady came from the Phillipines to learn and help Chris with his project by providing private yoga lessons and superfoods supporting him at this busy time.

Maija’s intention is to get Oceanswatch Asia started in the Phillipines over the next year and help the development of Oceanswatch flourish.

Patrick Cee from Austria, who sailed to New Zealand from Spain, wanted to support the charity and do his bit to help the planet by becoming one of Anam Cara’s crew. Patrick worked hard through rain and shine to get our trusty vessel ready including refurbishing the propeller now a glossy baby blue. Another keen volunteer and fellow crew member, Kerry Marshall, from England, also spent weeks adapting the galley for the voyage, and scrubbing and exfoliating Anam Cara’s fittings.

After three months intensive work from dawn until dusk, Anam Cara was restored to her full glory and released back into the water. She was motored to the Town Basin and given time to regain her sea legs before being sailed to Tutukaka Marina for her first test sail.

Anam Cara proved OceansWatch proud, as each sail unfurled, she took on the sea with enthusiasm and energy. The odd penguin saluted her as she passed and we were greeted into Tutukaka marina by a huge pod of dolphins, as though they were aware of the good work Anam Cara and her team will undertake. After seemingly being blessed by the ocean on Anam Cara’s first sail of her new life, it seems we are finally ready to start the voyage to bring help and support to those trying to protect their biodiversity in the pacific. We hope the new lease of life given to Anam Cara will translate into a new lease of life for the marine and terrestrial resources in the pacific islands.