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Jim and Karin Lott’s most recent cruising adventure was a voyage 30 years in the planning.
After retiring in 2011 (Karin from teaching English and Jim from Maritime NZ) the Lotts departed New Zealand on 31 August of that year, on VICTORIA their 50 foot cold-moulded Kauri cruising yacht.
Jim built VICTORIA himself in Howick, Auckland over seven years launching her in 1988 and taking her offshore on racing and cruising voyages through the eighties and nineties.
In 2011 they were bound for Chile to explore Patagonia, and have subsequently covered 23,000 nautical miles including around 4000 in sheltered coastal waters. Boating NZ magazine readers will be familiar with Jim and Karin’s travels as they’ve collaborated to bring tales and images of their trip to New Zealand followers.
Sailing two-handed all the way they’ve visited Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Trinidad, West Indies, USA, Canada, Azores, Ireland, Scotland, Norway (Karin is half-Norwegian), Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Holland.
When asked about any major challenges along the way Jim says; “Just the usual stuff plus bit of a challenge in Chile when our rudder was completely jammed by fishing gear and we used the mizzen to steer as we sailed to shelter.”
“In USA, a lock-keeper at Lake Champlain failed to open the lock gates and almost sent us over a waterfall.”
Both Jim and Karin are 66 years old and plan to continue to cruise VICTORIA. “We will give it up when we become even more of a menace to ourselves and everyone else afloat.”
Ice in the Beagle Canal
Cruising the Beagle Canal
Beagle Canel
Brazil, River bar
The Caribbean
Bahamas
Karin, New York
Aalesund, Norway
Jim Lott
Karin at Cape Horn
