While the weather hasn’t been playing along lately, this little moment from the water brought plenty of smiles.

Last Friday week, when Nautilas hoisted her mainsail, two tiny sparrows tumbled out from the folds – clearly not part of the plan!
With nowhere else to go, they were handed over to Opua Cruising Club member Claire Ganantchian to be cared for, and quickly became the smallest (and loudest) crew members aboard.

As the chicks needed feeding every hour, Claire had no choice but to bring them along to the Russell Tall Ship Race, proving that seamanship sometimes extends well beyond ropes and sails. The crew on Merlin even took turns caring for them, showing that teamwork at sea comes in many forms, sometimes with feathers involved.

We thought we would share this with you all as a lovely reminder that life afloat often brings the most unexpected moments, and that our sailing community is always ready to step in and help, no matter how small the crew member.