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An Australian sailor says he is astonished by the selflessness of a Kiwi yachtie's 11-hour round trip to rush to his aid after disaster struck shortly before the start of the 2023 Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge – despite never having met the man.
Trevor Hill was one of nine competitors confirmed to depart New Plymouth on Sunday and was only minutes from setting sail on the gruelling 1240nm race to Southport when an issue with the self-steering device on his modified Farr 11.6 Apriori harpooned his campaign.
“I was completely ready. The covers were off, and I'd started the engine. I was about to slip the mooring and start the race, but as I turned my electronics on, the autopilot just started alarming,” Hill said.
“I knew that if I could start within 24 hours, I would still have some chance of catching up to the other guys, but I couldn’t find anyone who knew anything about Raymarine autopilots in New Plymouth. So, that was my race over.”
Unbeknown to Hill, Murray Hartley – a member of Titahi Bay Boating Club and a fellow Farr 11.6 enthusiast - had already messaged Hill’s partner Lucas Burns with an offer to help after noticing Apriori was stuck in port.
While Hartley and Hill had previously exchanged Facebook messages “over technical aspects” of their boats, the pair had never met.
“Murray drove to his boat from where he lives, which takes about 45 minutes, and pulled his autopilot apart to get the bits we thought we needed,” Hill said.
“He then drove more than four hours to New Plymouth, arriving at 8pm (Sunday night) and we piled him into a dinghy on a wet, miserable night to take him out to the yacht. He pulled our autopilot apart, put his components in but unfortunately, after about two hours of trying, we couldn’t get it sorted.
“He then made the trip back home after declining our offer to stay at an Airbnb.”
Trevor Hill (left) and Murray Hartley in Mana. Photo / Supplied
Hill’s next challenge was finding someone able to fix his autopilot, as he was due to leave for Australia on Saturday (April 15).
Hartley – a seasoned shorthand sailor who has competed in several Round North Island races aboard Arbitare – again sprang into action.
“Murray suggested I take it to Mana, which is his home marina. His wife then drove him back up to New Plymouth and we hand-steered the boat back [to Mana],” Hill said.
“We’ve both owned our boats for about 17 years, so naturally we spent most of the 26, 27 hours it took to get to Mana talking about our boats, the modifications we've made and what we want to do with them in the future.
“Murray’s also offered to keep an eye on the boat until I can sort out a time to come back here.”
Though disappointed to be missing out on his second Solo Trans-Tasman – he completed the 2010 edition of the world’s second oldest continuously-run single-handed ocean race in nine days, 11 hours – Hill has no regrets.
“I've had a really enjoyable holiday and I got to cross the Tasman once, on the way here,” he said.
“And the camaraderie I’ve experienced with the other Trans-Tasman skippers over the past three weeks is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in any other race.”
Apriori will remain in Mana for the time being after retiring from the 2023 Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge. Photo / Sarah Motherwell
Having Apriori berthed at Mana Marina also presented the opportunity to tick off another bucket-list item.
“I love New Zealand and I have always wanted to cruise around the country. Lucas and I have decided that, for the time being, we’ll leave the boat in Mana and as soon as I have built up enough holiday, we’ll come back and go cruising the Marlborough Sounds and the Pelorus Sound,” Hill explained.
“Then, later this year, we’ll move the boat up to Opua and spend some time in the Bay of Islands.”
Hartley has an open invitation to join them.
“Murray wouldn’t accept anything in return for his generosity – he wouldn’t even let us pay for his petrol,” Hill said.
“I have come to expect generosity from Kiwi yachties but what Murray has done for me is simply breathtaking – all for someone who is practically a stranger and an Aussie at that!”
For live tracking and more information about the 2023 Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge, click here.
