I have spent many hours on the bay of Islands waters , motoring around on power driven vessels, I recently decided to take the opportunity to do things a little differently and Im very glad it did, Nat and her crew on vigilant were amazing hosts, and nothing gives you the chance to appreciate being on the water more than gracefully gliding through it under the power of her sails the lack of an engine rumble means you can hear birds singing on the islands as you go by, and if you're lucky enough to be visited by them the splashes of dolphins. Not to mention a lovely stop over in a quiet bay away from the masses, with the opportunity to go for a bush walk, kayak or snorkel, and chill in the shade of a beautiful Pohutakawa tree. We also have did this trip with three children under 7 and the vigilant team lived up to her name and kept a watch on them.
In summary if you want to get a feel for the Bay of Islands this is the charter for you!