Off to Napier

Friday 30th October 2:45am - I leave for Napier, taking the back road around the Waikare inlet (because the first car ferry doesn't leave until 6:40am). Getting away early means I am through Auckland by about 6:30am and don't get tangled up in traffic. I am in Matamata for a bit of breakfast and coffee by 8am.
I have a dream run and am in Napier a little before midday.
I was a bit surprised to see the mast still on the boat, and the boat still on the marina. The weather is cold with frequent icy rain squalls blowing across the marina. Over a very welcome hot cup of tea, Anne & Harvey (boat owners) explain that a friend will be along shortly to remove the mast.
Enter John ! Probably best described as an entrepreneurial marine DIY'er. After a bit of head scratching, a few extra lines, a couple of winches, some naval gazing, a couple of halyards from the main mast, and a couple of hours work and the mizzen is lying on the marina beside the boat. Effectively the main mast has been used as a mast gantry for the mizzen. A very useful exercise for future reference.
In the photo the mast is loaded up on ute and trailer and is parked at "Bay View Snapper Holiday Park". The operators of the park were very accommodating. I had explained on the phone, a couple of days earlier, that I would have a long load and not particularly manouverable. For the cost of my cabin overnight they had also reserved two campervan sites, to park the ute, in a position that gave me easy egress in the morning.
By this stage I'm a bit knackered and am in bed before 8pm.