Bareboat charter link to Boxing Day tradition
Mahurangi First: When asked to advertise in the first Mahurangi Magazine, CharterLink elected to promote Jade River : A History of the Mahurangi. image Mahurangi Magazine
It’s not the first time Rob Thexton has stepped up.
The first and only print edition of the Mahurangi Magazine carried a full-page display advertisement that Rob paid for. But rather than advertise his bareboat charter business, Rob kindly elected to promote sales of Jade River : A History of the Mahurangi. That was in 2007, when there were still several hundred copies left, of the 2000 printed.
Rob Thexton’s next contribution was to kick-start the Mahurangi Magazine, online.
Where’s your website?
The short answer was, there wasn’t one—there had been a reluctance to put up any sort of site until it could be done with gusto. Having recently had to learn the requisite skills to rebuilt CharterLink’s site, after purchasing the business, made Rob the perfect tutor. The Mahurangi Magazine was quietly launched in July of that year and is now receiving more than 22 000 visits per year.
La Niña Good for Neither Regatta nor Harbour signalled the urgent need for underwriters of the Mahurangi Regatta shoreside events. With a higher than average possibility of the prize-giving dance having to be cancelled, securing underwriters would improve the chances of the event proceeding in the face of a less than settled forecast. If heavy rain was to fall on the evening, few would make it to the marquee to enjoy the Prohibition Big Band, nor patronise the bar and burgers to pay for it all. And if a cyclone threatened, the decision to cancel the marquee might be made by the hire company.
The overarching philosophy is adaptability, so that potential losses are minimised. Stubbs Village Butchery, by timing production of its popular Regatta Venison Patties, is the epitome of this strategy—underwriting with no losses.
The cause of preserving Scotts Landing’s venerable heritage of hospitality at struck a chord with Rob Thexton, being the great great grandson of legendary shipbuilder Thomas Scott—the ‘Mr Scott’ responsible for the Boxing Day hospitality reported by the Daily Southern Cross, 7 January 1863.
In the interests of making the undertaking work for CharterLink, the Mahurangi Magazine suggested another online auction. Accordingly, now on offer is the weekend bareboat charter of a Bavaria 36:
True to Tradition: Traditionally, the Mahurangi Regatta was about competition between the working vessels and yachts of the day. The CharterLink Bavaria 36 offered for bareboat charter to support the prize-giving and dance. image CharterLink
…lovely vessels with excellent equipment and comforts. Each has jiffy-reefing main with sail-stack, furling genoa. Spacious cockpit with bimini shade. Navigation electronics include GPS plotter, depth and log instruments. Large cockpit with gas BBQ make living easy as do the transom shower and boarding ladder. RIB dinghy with outboard. The Bavaria 36 has three generous double cabins and two large single berths in the saloon—so five separate sleeping places. These share a head and shower forward and there is a hot shower at the transom. The saloon has a chart table and accommodating saloon table and seating with a galley equipped with double sinks, gas stove oven and electric fridge.
Value of the weekend is about $1600 until end February, then $1400. This could be fixed date or transferable for weather, but subject to availability.
The auction starts today with bids being accepted by text or email up until the prize-giving on the evening of the regatta, with final bidding taking place there.
In the event of weather causing the prize-giving dance to be abandoned, the gavel will fall online at 8 pm, 29 January.
As it is a bareboat charter, bidders need to bear in mind that the winner must provide a skipper acceptable to CharterLink. Some in-charge sailing experience is required, and knowledge of the rules of road at sea and safe navigation—potential skippers can provide a resume online.
CharterLink’s generosity has greatly bridged the gap before a new collaborative basis kicks in, in time for the 2012 regatta. Involvement of participating yacht clubs, and city hall, will see the responsibilities and risks of hosting the event spread more equitably.
Historically, Boxing Day was the day the worker’s presents were boxed up for them by their employers. Traditionally, it was also regatta day in the Mahurangi.
CharterLink bountifully ticks both Boxing Day boxes.
Email bid for weekend aboard Bavaria 36, or text to +64 27 462 4872
$750 24 January Hugh Gladwell