Let’s welcome the yachties

Scores of yachts heading to New Zealand have been shut out and trapped in cyclone areas. This is an opportunity for New Zealand to step up and lead with empathy while benefiting our local economies.

The treatment meted out to the German sailing family as reported – jail, deportation and virtually stealing their yacht – certainly sends a message. Is it the right one?

The opportunity exists right now for New Zealand to become the capital of the cruising world for decades to come. That is a big earner. Think what normal cruising yachting families bring to small coastal communities like Opua and Whangarei – marina berthage, expensive refits, provisioning, tourism, campervan rental and motels bring in direct local income. Far more than any superyacht parked up in Auckland.

We are a sailor’s dream destination situated in the middle of the world’s most revered cruising location, the South Pacific.

All these families and crews are self-sufficient people. They do not need hotels to quarantine so take up very little resources for the economic benefit they will bring.

We need to welcome these yachts into our safe harbours. The economic benefit to New Zealand’s communities is real, and we can show the world once again how to lead with kindness and courage.

Stephen Prinselaar, Auckland

Our immigration service is taking a very hard line and unreasonable attitude towards sailors needing berthage in our waters with the summer hurricane season coming up. It appears instant arrests, deportations and confiscations of their boats is the order of the day. No one is to be allowed in. The reason apparently, is a risk of them bringing in Covid-19. Excuse me? They have been at sea for at least two weeks or more and if necessary, can go into managed isolation/ quarantine, if anyone should test positive. The three German sailors deported and with their yacht impounded pending payment of steep impost duties is a recent case in point.

Contrast this to the active touting for business to bring superyachts in here for upgrades, if you are a northern hemisphere billionaire or a Russian oligarch. This looks to me like either different departments are not talking to each other, or there is now one law for the very rich, and another for the rest of us mere mortals. We’re Kiwis, I thought we were way better than this.

John Watkins, Auckland