With Captain Ray at the helm, we spent a great handful of hours cruising the harbor and searching for wildlife. It was an intimate setting with a cordial host. My partner, Nick, got to log a fair bit of time at the helm, as well, as he was the only one of four guests that had sailing experience. We did... More

I was the only guest on board and did not expect the tour to take place but Ray took me sailing anyway. If you like sailing there is no better place to go. It's a hands-on experience (if you want) on a wonderful yacht. Enjoy the beautiful bay and listen to the wind, the water and the great stories about... More

We spend an amazing afternoon with Ray and "felt" the sea! All in all we were 4 tourists and Ray. If you also don`t like overfilled Touristboats this is the best option! He told us a lot about the histroy, the sea and about sailing. It was our first time went sailing and it was awesome! We saw a lot... More

I had a great afternoon sailing and learning about the land and sea around Akaroa. The weather was perfect and the yacht was just the right size. I learned about the killing by gill and trawl nets of the Hector and Maui dolphins. So not only was the day a wonderful trip sailing a yacht, but an educational one at... More

We have visited Akoaroa twice in the last 2 years and have experienced two amazing trips with Ray on his beautiful classic yacht Manutara,sailing in the clear blue waters of the bay.An incredible number of dolphins preformed around the yacht..what an amazing sight !Ray is a perfect skipper ,very knowledgable about sailing and the locality.He allowed us to helm the... More

My daughter and I had an afternoon sail on the Manutara during our short stay at Akaroa. Despite being quite windy we had the opportunity of taking the helm of this beautiful wooden yacht. Ray made us feel completely at ease and it was most interesting listening to his sailing yarns and the history of Akaroa. We saw several dolphins... More

A fun cruise around the stunningly picturesque Akaroa harbour. It was exhilarating too; this is real sailing on the beautiful SV Manutara - a proper yacht, lovingly maintained - and you can help out if you wish, or just sit back and relax whilst looking out for wildlife and enjoying commentary and tales from Ray (the skipper). There are often... More

We nearly didn't make it because of the rare sea fog that enveloped the harbour - but it did lift just in time and revealed the most stunning harbour I have ever seen! Ray (Captain of the ship) made us feel most welcome and we spent the next few hours whizzing along this most beautiful of places having the time... More

The 47-foot yacht, the MANTURA sails from the end of the main wharf at Akaroa, Canterbury, New Zealand. She's an "A-Class Keeler'" (designed to win the Sydney-Hobart Race) and is fast and elegant. It's an exciting adventure. The scenery in the huge bay of the harbour is beautiful. Ray is generous - he provides an opportunity to 'take the helm'... More