Kermadec team ready to sail © M Francis
It’s a beautiful day in Tauranga, and the excitement is building. We have all been assigned our bunks, and all the dive gear and collecting gear has been stowed in the hold.
The crew have spent the morning loading the boat with fresh and frozen food, and using the crane to bring the inflatable boats on board and the dive compressor.
Skipper Matt Jolly uses a crane to swing the dive compressor onto the top deck. The compressor will be used to refill scuba tanks. Behind Matt you can see drums of petrol, and tall black cylinders of emergency oxygen. © M Francis
Skipper Matt Jolly has just briefed us on the boat and its safety procedures, and then we gathered out on the stern for a group photo.
We are due to leave in half an hour, and with a light southerly behind us we should be arriving at Esperance, the southern-most island, in 48 hours, meaning we’ll be there for lunch on Wednesday.
