Mirabilis

Mirabilis is a 43ft steel Finot sloop owned by Mike and Danica Stent. Mirabilis joined the family in 2010. We spent ten years living aboard with the Marlborough Sounds as our main playground. We've done a few bigger trips to Rakiura, Tonga, Wallis & Futuna, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. This season we are back on the water again and sailing with our two boys (Arlo and Coen) around the Fiji islands. Home port is Mana, NZ. Mirabilis is named after the nudibranch Jason mirabilis. Nudibranchs are rad.

Recent Updates

Posted: Sun, 14 Feb 2016 - 16:32

Dani rewalked the Rakiura Track to Maori Beach with mum and Ali plus an extra hour to Port William where we met Mike who had sailed around on his own with just one minor drama when the autopilot

Posted: Fri, 12 Feb 2016 - 13:53

Anchored in Oban just off the wharf waiting for our guests and outboard engine to arrive. We went for a stunning half day walk to Maori Beach along the start of the Rakiura track when we arrived. The

Posted: Mon, 8 Feb 2016 - 08:09

We made it!! Stewart Island 524 nautical miles (943km) from Wellington. Motored all the way ( 90% ) so we are selling Mirabilis and buying a launch, no just kidding, but seriously might as well have

Posted: Sun, 7 Feb 2016 - 12:53

Yesterday was a lovely day exploring the cute wee settlement of Port Chalmers before refueling after all the motoring we have had to do had sucked up the bulk of our diesel. Then out to Aramoana near

Posted: Sat, 6 Feb 2016 - 17:13

Anchored just outside Aramoana. Amazing beaches and they should really be what it is famous for, not the site of one of NZ's biggest shootings.

Posted: Fri, 5 Feb 2016 - 20:54

Things were going well, we departed Timaru with repairs all sorted, were visited by more Hector's dolphins and had lovely sailing weather which gave Mike a chance to put the finishing touches on

Posted: Thu, 4 Feb 2016 - 16:24

After a four hour icecream and repairs pitstop in Timaru we are underway again. While there we discovered one of our alternator belts was nearly split through and didn't have any spares so were

Posted: Wed, 3 Feb 2016 - 20:00

After aborting an attempt to find shelter for repairs at Banks Peninsula we are now headed to Timaru Harbour. We have a loose nut on our prop shaft which means we have to keep the engine running to

Posted: Tue, 2 Feb 2016 - 07:01

First night at sea over with, nobody sea sick or even a thought of it which is good. The Cook was pretty tame though with a nice Northerly blowing around 20 to 25 knots which allowed for a gentle

Posted: Tue, 2 Feb 2016 - 00:30

We've cast off. Heading from Wellington to Stewart Island, a distance of some 500 miles as the crow flies. It took one month of of full time boat chores - that we seemed to have saved up over the

Posted: Wed, 26 Aug 2015 - 13:02

<p>Spent yesterday at Blue Lagoon and snorkelled with huge schools of sergeant fish which congregate here as they are regularly fed by the locals. Now on the move down to the southern end of Waya.</p>

Posted: Wed, 19 Aug 2015 - 16:00

On the move to swim with manta rays!

Posted: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 - 13:51

Having hit Fiji for the next two weeks on the yacht Distracted. We have stocked up and are about to leave the Marina at Denerau, Fiji. Heading up north.

Distracted - the Yacht we are crewing on.

Posted: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 - 22:18

Splash! Over two months ago we hauled out for "three weeks" to give Mirabilis a long-awaited paint job. The kind where we go all the way back to bare steel and start again. Well it took a little

Posted: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 - 20:04

First official post using the new chrome app for YIT. We have moved! We are currently hauled out at Evans Bay boat yard doing some very long overdue painting. I think Chaffers Marina were secretly

Posted: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 - 13:08

thought we had better belatedly update to assure you we made it home to Wellington after another wonderful few days in the Sounds including walks all over Blumine Island (a predator free island with

Posted: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 - 00:00

Day trip to Ngawhakawhiti Bay, the spot that won out hearts last time we were here three years ago. Nothing but native forest in every direction and we had the whole place to ourselves for the most

Posted: Sun, 5 Jan 2014 - 00:00

Left D'Urville behind and headed to World's End, our favourite part of the Sounds where we are surrounded by virgin native forest. DOC do lots of pest control here too so the birdsong is amazing. We

Posted: Sun, 5 Jan 2014 - 00:00

Moved in to Duncan Bay to be closer to the boat ramp for coming and going with family. Still a beautiful spot to anchor, just didn't have this one all to ourselves. We can think of worse places to

Posted: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 - 00:00

Catherin's Cove storm!!! We don't have the cruising guide on board for the sounds and thus were only guessing where a descent anchorage was for the strong NW winds forecast. Turns out the anchorage

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Mirabilis

Mirabilis

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