To fundraise for Waiheke Working Sail, Mike Delamore is embarking on a solo circumnavigation of New Zealand aboard his 10-metre sloop Cavatina. Through this once-in-a-lifetime adventure, he aims to raise funds for WWS and spread the word about the ongoing restoration work on the historic trading cutter Kate. An epic challenge for any sailor, Mike is prepared with a lifetime of boat experience and has travelled over 50,000 miles under sail. If anyone can do it, it’s Mike.

If anyone can do it, it’s Mike

Mike Delamore grew up on Great Mercury Island before moving to Waiheke in 1966 when his family bought the Matiatia Farm. After travelling around the world across both land and sea, he returned permanently to Waiheke in the 1980s to raise a family and work on what would become the Fossil Bay Farm, as well as establish the Waiheke Island Steiner School and Kindergarten.

After a long career in sailing that included time as a Fullers ferry captain and helming Super Yachts across the Atlantic, Mike retired from professional sailing several years ago to focus on his accommodation business, Fossil Bay Lodge, and traverse the canals of the United Kingdom each summer in his canal boat, Morgana.

Mike has more than 20 years of maritime experience and has travelled over 50,000 miles at sea from Alaska to the Antarctic. Mike holds Superyacht Master 3000Gt and NZ Offshore Master Unlimited marine tickets and is a qualified RYA tutor and examiner.

Quick stats on Cavatina

Designer: E.G. Van De Stadt
Built: 2000
Builder: Fritz Storken (Brisbane, Australia)
LOA: Approx 10.33 metres (34 feet)
Beam: Approx 3.3 metres (11 feet)
Draft: 1.3 metres (5 feet)
Hull construction: Steel

Cavatina is a 34′ steel hulled fractional-rigged Sloop designed by Van De Stadt. A very well equipped and comfortable offshore yacht from a highly respected designer.

A hard dodger and removable clears make for comfortable sailing in all weathers, and generation systems are set up to provide all power needed for a good suite of electronics and navigation aides.

Further recent upgrades include: Radar, AIS (automatic identification system) and satellite communication.

Photo gallery

Why Cavatina, why now?

Mike Delamore explains why he wanted to make this epic voyage and why he chose Cavatina to do it with.

“When Level 4 Lockdown came around in March 2020, my wife and I were getting ready to head overseas to our narrowboat (a long narrow canal boat with a maximum beam of six foot ten inches peculiar to the English canals where the locks are only seven feet wide). We had been cruising the 2000 miles of navigable waterways in the UK for the last three years. When it became clear we would not be getting there for the foreseeable future, I turned my interest towards something I could cruise in locally.

Having spent a lot of time in high latitudes and fairly extreme conditions, I was looking for a sailing vessel that was capable of taking on almost anything. Steel construction with insulation and a hard dodger were priorities as well as good sailing characteristics. A reliable engine, good galley and heads along with comfortable accommodation were all important factors. Having all the running rigging led back to the doghouse would be useful when single handing.

I found the boat I was looking for and the price was right. Cavatina (which means “simple melody” in Italian) is a steel cruising sloop built in the year 2000. She has a fractional rig, is 10.33 metres (34 feet) in length, 3.3 metres across the beam and draws 1.3 metres. Designed by the prolific Dutch naval architect E.G Van der Stadt in the 1980’s, this versatile yacht has had enduring success both as a racer and cruiser and has always had a reputation for good sea keeping qualities.

I sailed the boat down from Whangerei and put her up on the hard at Half Moon Bay. Now a major refit has just been completed with a full suite of Raymarine electronics added including Quantum Radar, Axiom plotter, Autopilot, Automatic Identification System (AIS) and 3D sonar. An Iridium Satellite system paired with the PredictWind tracker allows communication from anywhere on the planet by email and voice as well as live tracking on a web page. The boat’s position is updated every two hours and the page shows the current weather with different colours for different wind strengths. I hope to be able to add some commentary to this as I sail along.

For extra comfort, I have also installed a Dickinson diesel heater in the saloon for sailing in colder seasons. I had one when travelling around Alaska and it made cruising in freezing conditions a pleasure – at least inside the boat.

Now I am getting ready to head off round New Zealand and using the voyage as a means to raise awareness and funds for the completion of the 1898 Trading Cutter the “Kate” which the Waiheke Working Sail Charitable Trust intend to use as a youth sail training vessel.

I hope you will enjoy following my voyage  – and thank you if you choose to donate to the Kate!”