Episode 20 - NZ North Circumnavigation (Part 4)

🚨 Wild Winds, Big Tuna & Cook Strait Chaos! | North Island Circumnavigation 🇳🇿⛵ Welcome back to Part 4 of our North Island circumnavigation of New Zealand aboard Thistle, our fast cruising ketch! If you haven't watched the first three episodes, jump over to the playlist and start from the beginning — you don’t want to miss a moment of this epic journey. In this action-packed episode: 🎣 Trevor finally lands a monster tuna 🚢 We face down a tanker in the middle of the night and run through a full collision-avoidance tutorial 💨 Cook Strait throws us a wild 43-knot blow, reminding us who's boss 🏞️ We reach Abel Tasman and then head into Nelson Marina 🔥 Plus: sunrise sailing, clay bird shooting, coffee-fueled conversations, and good laughs with crew From calm cruising to white-knuckle watch shifts, this episode captures the real highs and lows of offshore sailing — unscripted, raw, and full of character. — Thistle is our home and adventure platform — we’re a Kiwi family who sold everything to chase freedom and live aboard full-time. Subscribe to follow the full circumnavigation, upcoming offshore passages, and life at sea from a family perspective. ⚓ LIKE | COMMENT | SUBSCRIBE Your support helps keep us afloat — literally and figuratively! — 📍 CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Intro & catch-up 0:13 – The tuna finally strikes 1:00 – Night sailing & tanker avoidance tutorial 5:00 – Radar, rules of the road & a close call 8:00 – Stunning morning off New Plymouth 9:30 – Entering Cook Strait 12:00 – Wind picks up — 43 knots ahead! 15:00 – Clay bird shooting at sea 18:00 – Crew debrief & final leg to Nelson — 📺 Watch the full North Island series here 👉 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNo0IHctTvXp5YBZknnerqrAvJR7VOF8e&si=4yjoY_zENuixp8Cc 🎥 Subscribe for more real sailing life 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SVThistle #SailingNewZealand #SailingFamily #OffshoreSailing #CruisingLife #ThistleSailing #CookStrait #LiveaboardLife #TunaFishing #SailingAdventure #RadarNavigation #ClaybirdShootingAtSea #FamilySailing #KiwisAtSea