The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
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O U R PEO P L E THE GREAT ESCAPE BY CAROL FORSYTH ford Darren Craw F rom the very first time Darren Crawford went sailing as a young Wellington teenager, he was hooked. ���I felt a sense of freedom that I���d never experienced before, and I���ve never been able to shake it.��� From then on, he knew that sailing was going to be a big part of his life. d It was the need to go sailing that saw Darren and f his family move from Masterton to Opua in the Bay of Islands in September 2010. Sailing a 38ft (11.5m) Farr around Cape Palliser in a ed four day storm with three of five crewpersons confined n���s to their bunks had done nothing to dampen Darren���s nd passion for sailing. ���We were down to storm tri sail and ing storm jib, just the skipper and I. It was the best learning experience I could get,��� he remembers. hen Darren���s day job was with the fire service and then eam shifts manager for the ambulance service. He ran a team a of first aid instructors around the country. ���My area of interest was to look innovatively at how fire-fighters could contribute to survival then researching it, selling the concept to all levels of the organisation and implementing it.��� This is honourable work and was the foundation of his happiness, selfworth and prosperity. ���But after working for the Emergency Services for 25 years, I decided I couldn���t see myself working there for another 20 years, so I had to trust my instincts and make a change.��� Darren says it may have been a midlife crisis, although he wanted to leave while he was still enjoying it. After taking an inventory of his life, he decided that owning land and animals was unnecessary and resolved to move on. ���Basically I wanted to live where I could sail and it was warmer. The Bay of Islands came on the radar so we came up, looked for businesses and saw Great Escape Yacht Charters for sale.��� Great escape: Escaping from the control or influence of outside parties is a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs. And it obviously was the right move and one that saw previous owners, Terry and Cindy Dunn move onto their new dream, while Darren stepped into his. Great Escape Yacht Charters owns a small fleet of twelve yachts ranging from 20ft to 31ft. Their target market is the average kiwi family who want to enjoy an inexpensive sailing holiday. The older well maintained boats allow them to be affordable. ���One of the real passions of the business is it���s all about sailing as opposed to motor boats or anything else with boats ��� we are all about sailing.��� Since moving north, Darren has been embraced by the boating community of Opua. ���A local and well respected skipper turned up and helped me through my first few days. He said ���don���t worry we���ve got your back��� and this has continued to this day.��� Darren says he���s pleased to see this sense of camaraderie in the maritime sector, which is similar to the Emergency Services. Darren is a member of and regularly races with Opua Cruising Club. Every Friday night he races with the Bay of Islands Sailing Club in Waitangi. ���It keeps my hand in ��� it���s good and we���re winning!��� he smiles. He remembers when he first took ownership of Great Escape Yacht Charters he didn���t realise what he was getting in for. ���The biggest challenge has been behind the scenes logistics of running a sailing business. I wasn���t expecting the level of bureaucracy that comes with it but it���s been nice dealing with people on holiday and having a nice time as opposed to people in stress mode like before.��� Another big thing was risk ��� sending a person out by themselves has a significant element of risk that he is constantly ���The world���s leading inspection, verti���cation, testing and certi���cation company��� Marine Surveying, Design Approval and new Construction Survey, Cargo Surveying, Safe Ship Management, Equipment Inspection and Testing (including Radiography, Thickness and Crack Testing etc), Cranes, Lifting Equipment, Pipeline, Boilers and Pressure Vessels Design Veri���cation and Certi���cation, Water and General Laboratory Testing, Vibration and Oil Analyses. ISO 9001:2008, ISO 17925, ISO 17020:2000 NATIONAL SHIPPING OFFICE: 17 Maurice Road, Penrose 1061 PO Box 13 518 Onehunga 1643, Auckland Ph: 0800 174 025, Fax: 09 636 6054 Email: nz.auckland.industrial@sgs.com www.nz.sgs.com 38 Professional Skipper January/February 2013 VIP.S85 S G S N E W Z E A L A N D LT D OFFICES IN: Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru, Invercargill, Dunedin