They call Auckland, New Zealand the City of Sails, and after a month here, we can see why. But beyond the skyline and the sea of masts, we’ve discovered something else: a place where boats, and people, come to be repaired, tested, and maybe even transformed.

After sailing nearly 9,000 nm over 18 months — from Panama, west across the vast Pacific Ocean — we’ve made landfall in New Zealand. For many cruisers, this is the finish line. But for us… this isn’t the end.