Fairwind Charters

Fairwind Charters, owned and operated by Kim Borgstrom and Greta Simmonds, offers yachts for bareboat sailing charter in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands. Fairwind Charters has been in operation since 2003 and Kim has more than 20 years expierence in the yacht charter industry.

Our goal is to provide you with a trouble free sailing holiday. Our boats are well maintained and nicely presented and we consider that Fairwind Charters offers the best value for money bareboat charter operation in this area.

Our bareboat charter yacht fleet is based in the port of Opua at the heart of the Bay of Islands, New Zealand’s premier cruising destination.

A bareboat yacht charter is a great way to discover this wonderful area. You are free to make your own itinerary and sail as little or as much as you like. Secluded beaches, island walks, fishing, dolphins and penguins; the Bay of Islands has all of this – and the best way to experience it is by boat.

The fleet in ourfamily company includes yachts for charter from 28-feet to 45-feet. This is the widest selection of bareboat yachts available in the Bay of Islands. Our boats can be recognized by the high standard of their maintenance and presentation. Better maintenance is our calling card.

The area in which our boats are licensed for bareboat charter extends from Cape Karikari, 60 miles north of the Bay of Islands to Cape Colville in the south. This is 170 miles of the best sailing that New Zealand has to offer.

Although bareboat (sail yourself) charters are our primary focus, our yachts are also available with a skipper or cook, and sailing tuition is available for those who need a hand with learning the ropes.

Fairwind is one of just three bareboat charter companies based in the Bay of Islands and with our yachts sized from 8.5 to 14 metres we have the widest range and best equipped bareboat sailboats available in this area.

Our goal is to give you a trouble free sailing holiday.

Kim and Greta of Fairwind Charters have 30 years of experience in the yacht charter industry and we know this area like we know our own home – because this is our home! We would love to share it with you.

Let FairWind provide you with carefree cruising!

Sailing in New Zealand
The most popular sailing area in New Zealand is the 170 miles of the East coast north from the main city of Auckland, with the Bay of Islands being approximately in the centre of this region. While this section of coast is exposed to weather from the North and East, safe all weather harbours are seldom more than a few hours sail. This area includes Whangaroa Harbour, Poor Knights Islands, the Hauraki Gulf, and the western side of Great Barrier Island. This is New Zealand’s premier cruising ground, dotted with safe harbours and sheltered coves and our yachts are licensed to sail throughout this area.

The coast of New Zealand south of Auckland offers few opportunities for shelter.

Cruising in the Bay of Islands
The Bay of Islands is a compact body of water. It’s just 7 miles from our base in Opua to the nearest island anchorage and 9 miles more to Cape Brett at the southern extremity of the Bay. In this area are four main islands and numerous smaller ones. It is the most popular holiday sailing destination in New Zealand. Safe waters and variety make the Bay of Islands a sailing destination known world wide.

There will always be choice of sheltered anchorages: the four main islands offer many small coves with clean sandy beaches and the opportunity for a forest or grassland hike ashore. The area is rich in both European and Maori history: Cook anchored here and named the bay, the first white missionaries chose the Bay of Islands as their base. It is much more than a place to sail. The quaint village of Russell and the resort town of Paihiahave world class restaurants and cafes aplenty if your catch of the day doesn’t quite make it aboard.

And if you want to leave society behind you can have an island to yourself. A bareboat sailing charter gives you the opportunity to choose your own destination.

For those who want to venture beyond the flat waters of the Bay there is Northland’s coastline, indented with safe havens. The bareboat sailing charter licence for our yachts stretches over 170 miles of the country.