Windborne Charters - Coromandel Sailing Adventures

Lovely Day on a Sailboat.

We highly recommend Captain Avon and Michaela for a wonderful day out on the water. We are a family of four with one young adult and one teenager who both thoroughly enjoyed the day. Great stories from the Captain:). The trip will be a highlight of our New Zealand adventure. If you are looking for a relaxing day with beautiful scenery and some very nice people, book the Windborne.

Jennifer.

Cook family trip.

Avon and Michaela were fantastic hosts for our family trip on this amazing 91-year-old top-sail schooner. Avon is a fountain of knowledge and an experienced captain. He had several amusing stories to tell, which we all enjoyed so much. They do their best to make it a memorable experience for their guests, which they did. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to be at the helm or hoist the sails, which is hard work. Even the 1 1/2-year-old was treated so well and had the run of the boat with her little life jacket on. She loved it. Thanks so very much. I highly recommend it.

Barb, the grandmother.

Best way to explore mercury bay.

The windborne is a boat to fall in love with, so are Avon and Mihi.

Laidback skipper, with heaps of experience, which he is happily sharing, with a delightful first mate, doing a perfect job looking after the passengers with some coffee/ tea and biscuits and everything else. Thank u so much for this beautiful experience! Anytime again!

Paul.

Perfect day!

Sailing in a gaff-rigged schooner- what a treat! And with salty sea dog Avon and his delightful crew Mihaela, all our work worries tumbled away. We traded stories of every topic imaginable while the slow creak of the timber lulled several off to sleep- what a way to unwind.

We sailed to Great Mercury Island and swung on a swing, snorkeled the rocks of the most incredibly beautiful white sand bay with azure blue warm water ( the bay had the dull misnomer of Sheep bay.) And had a sumptuous lunch. We arrived back exactly on time after having oohed and ahhed at rock formations and sailed stunningly close to islands to see light shining through holes in the seemingly solid rock. The NZ Navy flew incredibly low and close to us as they viewed the NZ coastline- a thrilling day in so many ways.

Carol.

Fun, Relaxing, and Entertaining Day on the Water.

My wife and I sailed with Captain Avon during our honeymoon in New Zealand. We happened to be the only two people on board Windborne during our day of sailing, and we greatly enjoyed every second of our trip! Windborne is a beautiful schooner, and Avon is a very knowledgable skipper – it was amazing to watch him work the sails, lines, and helm all by himself. As we sailed, Avon told us all about the surrounding areas. Avon is an excellent storyteller, and he kept us thoroughly entertained the entire trip. He told us stories about some of his many sailing adventures, his previous passengers, and the history of New Zealand – I’m pretty sure some of his stories were even true! My wife and I had a fun, relaxing, and entertaining day sailing on the water with Avon, and we highly recommend Windborne to everyone visiting Whitianga!

Shane VL, North Carolina.

Day sailing.

Wow, fantastic day yesterday on the Windborne amazing value for money, this trip should be on your bucket list, wonderful hosts, informative, funny, helpful, and friendly. I could not have wished for a better day. I truly felt like a celebrity!!! Thank you so much for a stunning day out.

A great way to spend a day.

We were with Windborne Charters for a 6-hour sail. The boat was comfortable and so enjoyable. We sailed into a variety of bays and enjoyed the scenery. The highlight was the trip with a multitude of dolphins. The captain and first mate were charming and welcoming.

Barbara B

A magical day on the water!

My husband and I had a wonderful day out on this glorious old gal and her truly delightful crew. The skipper is exactly what this glamorous schooner deserves. A charming old sea rogue with a gorgeous off-sider. Avon and Mihaela are warm, funny, knowledgeable, generous hosts. We did a 6-hour sail and we both wished it could have been longer. The skipper is an agile gentleman who manages all the sails( there are a few) on his own while the lovely Mihalea takes the helm. A great working team. We had a very pleasant day making our way down to Cathedral Cove alongside dolphins and penguins. We sailed into Cooks beach and little coves on our way back to Whitianga. We shared the experience with two families and 3 lovely English girls. We all agreed it was a great day out.

Chrissie S.

Unforgettable day!

An amazing day. We did a cruise past cathedral cove and then into a small sheltered bay, with our 3 kids. Once anchored We were able to snorkel and/or paddleboard into a cave/blowhole and then we relaxed on the boat having lunch and getting to know Avon and Mikaela. The water was clear and loads of fish to see. Both Avon and Mikaela were incredible hosts, very easy to chat too and clearly passionate about the ocean. Nothing was too much trouble and it was just a fun and unforgettable experience. It was not unlike a picture from a travel brochure, picture-perfect blue water, a beautiful old sail boat, and people swimming, drinking and eating in the sun.

Melanie.

Fantastic day out in the beautiful Windborne.

I enjoyed a great day trip out to the greater Mercury Island on Windborne. She is a beautiful gaff-rigged schooner built in 1928. Skipper Avon is a mine of information and stories, is extremely knowledgeable with a great sense of humor, very entertaining, and fun. His very hospitable Partner Mikaela provided lunch and plenty of snacks. I have been out on similar charters but the standard of food on Windborne far surpassed any other, really prepared with care, and delicious!

Not a lot of wind on the way out but a sea breeze got up and we had a lovely sail back to the wharf. A lovely memory to have, I felt this was very goo value for money.

Best day on the water!

My husband and I had the best day ever with Avon and Mikayla! The Windborne is truly the jewel of the Coromandel, money and a day well spent. We cruised some of the most stunning parts of Mercury Bay and the surrounding areas, went snorkeling, saw dolphins, and even caught a fish for dinner!! Avon is an awesome captain with a wealth of knowledge, and Mikayla is such a sweetheart!! You can’t get much better than spending a day chilling with these two on the Windborne. A must-do in the Coromandel.

Welcome Windborne Charters

Sailing in the bay

Sunset Cruise

Private Charters

DAY TRIP TO MERCURY ISLANDs

OVERNIGHT TRIPS

SAILING in the bay

SUNSET CRUISE

OVERNIGHT TRIP

DAY TRIP TO MERCURY ISLANDS