For those who did not get our 2011 year end newsletter here it is (a bit late). We had hoped to be able to enter already written text into these blogs but so far did not find out how to do it so we have not contributed much! We'll look into it again soon when we can find the time.

Yacht Magic Dragon

Box 246 Kerikeri 0245 New Zealand

 phone: 64(0)27 260 9009

deridderdragons@hotmail.com

A few years ago we used to feel an irresistible urge to sail to palm trees for the winters. But now that pastures beside us in our Kerikeri home port have given way to elegant residential properties adorned with transplanted palms, the palm trees have come to us. No need to sail away anymore. The reality of it is that in my 82nd year I do not have the energy, the stamina or the desire to want to keep on chasing rainbows and we happen to like our little corner of the planet very much. So we have enjoyed 2011 right here in the Bay of Islands of New Zealand as we have for the last few years.

Life aboard is still our preferred option and we keep amused with all that it offers and entails. We retain our wonderful illusion of freedom. We can be at home in many places, remote anchorages or cities. And we like it here in the Bay of Islands. Kerikeri has become a marvelous supply center where everything is available without being a crowded big city. It has a year around pleasant mild climate. What more do we need?

Magic Dragon is our habitat, our transport, our restaurant and our hobby all in one. We keep busy keeping her ship shape and comfortable. But since she is wearing her years well nothing is ever urgent. That suits our low key temperaments as we do not like being rushed or having timed obligations. We still like to think that our plan is to have no plan. That way we can play at life as we feel or as the weather permits.

This year we saw the need to make a new boarding ladder (named The Golden Stairs by Jane) with more and smaller steps. We also made our access path (Cardiac Track) down from the road to our dinghy jetty more geriatric friendly. After two and a half years since the last haul-out it was time for another bottom paint job for Magic Dragon. For the first time in 46 years we let the professionals spray it on. A more expensive way to go, but easier on us.

It not only has become a little difficult to recognize ourselves in mirrors or photographs, but the printed words seem smaller, steps higher, slopes steeper, things heavier, distances longer, times shorter. However we’ve become better at forgetting, postponing, laughing and napping. On a few occasions, we found ourselves wondering if we are really us.  While lying in bed,  eating a meal, sitting in front of the computer or reading a book we don’t feel any different than we ever did. But doing even little things that used to take no effort at all seem to demand almost more energy than we can spare. Unfurling sails, scrubbing deck or topsides, getting up from working under the car and many other routine things can become a bit of a challenge. Funny to see ourselves acting the proverbial aging jokes. We get some good laughs out of it.

However we are still having fun messing about in boats. We appreciate all the opportunities that we have to enjoy life, also the fact that we don’t have to do more than we find comfortable. No need to go far by boat, we have a great variety of destinations close by. And we don’t have to go far by car for supplies or to go for picnics or to visit our many friends in Northland.

More and more people are on Skype so we continue to have interesting visits all over the world without having to travel an inch. Our Skype name is deridderdragons. We also enjoy reading emails that tell us the things that our friends do these days, often illustrated with pictures. We continue to travel to many countries that way. We have never been concerned if the rest of the world moves faster than we do and we are very glad that we can lead a gentle existence in a peaceful corner of today’s troubled world. We are very fortunate.

Michel and Jane wishing you good health and good fortune in the best sense of that word for 2012  _/) _/) _/)