Kohara

Doug walked Turtle like along the shoreline. Parked in Brungar's paddock, the new aluminium Dinghy hoisted onto his back, tide out, needing to clear the mudflats. Family following with bags, food for lunch, fruit for snacks, and no doubt loose tea, sugar, milk and some freshwater. Doug wouldn't go far without tea.

Launched, new and shiny, little freeboard with six seated. Doug and Mike, manning the oars, Barbara and Stu on the stern seat, Kathryn and Anne in the Bow. Crablike, Doug gently manoeuvred the dinghy out into the bay—a new yacht at anchor. On Doug's suggestion, they headed to her. Doug noted her name painted on the transom "Kohara." "Ahoy Kohara, anyone on board", Doug called. The slapping of wavelets on the shiny aluminium was the only reply.

A tent-like awning protected the open cockpit from filling with rain. Slung over the boom and tied down tight on either side.

With care Doug & Mike manoeuvred alongside the transom, then turning, eyes sparkling, to his daughters "Merry Christmas up you go", Doug said with his lopsided grin.

Bewildered, Kathryn and Anne boarded Kohara, followed by the family. Then, finally, it dawned, their new yacht.

Kohara a 22 foot Mullet boat with open cockpit, was built 1934 by Fred Lidgard. A forward "v" bunk, two berths amidships and a small galley, with Primus and jerry cans of water. The centreboard casing dominated the hold. Attached on either side of the centreboard case were two table flaps that could swing up to create a table top. The seats were the berths. There was headroom when seated.

They evolved from "smacks", becoming known as Mullet after the fish they caught. Waitemata harbour and the estuaries to the east was the fishing ground. Shallow waters to net the Mullet in and a hard race back to windward, and the Auckland market was the environment that moulded the 'smacks'. The first to market got the best prices. They were heavily over canvased, broad-beamed, flat bottomed and fast.

Dad did show the locals how fast she was. He won numerous races in the bay. However, some believed not all the wins were above board. Dad occasionally used the advantage of a centreboard, lifting it to allow him to get closer inshore or go inside an island. He bent the rules without breaking them.

The family spent a part of most school holidays in Kohara. All appreciated the freedom it gave to the family in exploring the extraordinary place they lived. The girls had a wonderful time exploring beaches and islands, swimming and mastering the oars in the dinghy. And, of course, learning to take the helm But unfortunately, the girls were still too small for sail work.

Most of the Bay of Islands was only accessible by boat. Now they could visit islands and bays and go swimming. "The boys" became very good with a snorkel and speargun catching fish and crayfish for dinner, on a regular occurrence.

Anne loved the excitement of trolling amongst the working birds. So often, Kohara would sail across the front of the moving mass of feeding Kahawai. Sometimes the fish were so numerous and tightly packed that Anne thought she'd be able to walk across them.

If Mike and Stu had the right lures and with two hand lines out, it could be quite a frantic time. Stu and Mike were pulling in a fish each at the same time. The hand line spewing onto the cockpit floorboards on either side of Doug on the tiller, a big meat box to drop the fish in. The challenge comes from not getting the lines tangled. There was not much room left in the cockpit. So Barbara and the two girls squatted down on deck out of the way. It could be all over in 15 minutes. They were limited to what they could eat in two days, without a fridge or freezer on board, or if Kohara was on her way back home, they'd catch some more for Doug to smoke.

Now to roll up the fishing lines. Feed the line back over the stern; hopefully, you don't catch a fish. Then, holding the spoke of the 10-inch reel in your left hand, you reach down the line with your right hand, grab the line and wind it around the reel; there is weight on the line from the drag of the lure and speed of Kohara. Repeat again and again. Always ready for a possible strike from a fish. When you get good at it, a roll of your left wrist angles the reel helping with the winding. Your right hand does not have such a significant circling motion.

Once fishing lines were rolled up and stashed, Doug would hand over the helm to a son and then bleed the fish by cutting their throat and putting them back into the tub.

On a slab of wood outside the cockpit coaming, Doug would fillet some, others he would splay for smoking. The other son would be helping Doug, getting clean saltwater, for Doug to wash his knife and board in, and washing down the deck. Ensuring Doug did not get much blood in the cockpit. Once in the cockpit, it quickly ended up inside the small cabin. If they were planning on bait fishing from the anchorage that evening, the offcuts and any waste would be kept for berley and bait.

Kohara would then head for a flat anchorage, so they could all have some wonderfully fresh fish. The only way to really enjoy fish is really really fresh fish.

Kahawai was not a popular eating fish. Most people only used them as bait, but straight off the hook under the knife and into the pan. There was nothing better.

The family often would end up in Whangamumu, an old whaling station. The girls loved swimming and playing in and around the water. Sometimes one would sit or stand on a foam board and be towed by the other in the dinghy. What a wonderful childhood they had.

If they could bother or it was too cold for swimming, they would go ashore for a hot bath. First, the crew filled the tin bath from the little stream on its way to the ocean. Then lighting a fire under it would wait for it to heat up. The trick was not to get it too hot or you had to carry more cold water. The fire had to keep burning slowly to keep the water warm enough for the four kids to bathe. It was a luxurious feeling to sit in the warmth outside, looking at the ocean. The scrub close behind you.

The kids all wore lifejackets when out sailing on Kohara. Back then, they were big cumbersome, movement restricting; Kapok filled jackets.

Another of Anne's not so fond memories of Kohara was of Prickly Pears. Barbara had told the girls that the Prickly Pears were edible. At 7 or 8 years old, Anne didn't realise they had fine hair-like spines on the skin. She took a bite and ended up with the fine spines in the roof of her mouth. Kohara did not have tweezers onboard, so Barbara used her hair clip, successfully removing a few. Anne was very uncomfortable until they got home many hours later and found a pair of tweezers at their home.

The two girls learnt to sail in Kohara. Doug learnt to sail on "Exalt"

John Askew, Doug's farm advisory officer, taught Doug to sail in the mid-1960s. Mr Askew used to visit Doug on business, and then he'd start staying over, then his wife would join him for weekends at Doug's farm Bay View Station. John's father-in-law taught John to sail in Taranaki on the Waitara River. In a 12'6" Idle-along class dinghy, with a bowsprit, named "Exhalt".

When John moved to Kaikohe, he bought the dinghy "Exalt" off his father in law. He sailed out of Paihia until he took it to Jacks Bay and took Doug for a sail. He was introducing Doug to the delights of sailing. They explored the bay of islands together. When John moved down south to manage a farm, he left the sailing boat with Doug. Just as John came back to the region two years later in 1970 and claimed his sailboat back, Doug had bought Kohara. The Askew family continued to sail "Exalt" out of Opinoni

Doug had fallen in love with sailing, and maybe it was around this time he started dreaming about sailing around the world.