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The Magic Dragon Reports

Half a century ago, Michel and Jane DeRidder were pioneers of the wonderful cruising lifestyle which we all enjoy (or aspire to). They started in the late 50s on a 24-footer, then with some real world experience behind them, decided to design their own boat. The result was Magic Dragon, a 40-foot twin keeler that was a radical departure from the norm in 1963. Light displacement, flush decked, with lots of interior volume and modest rig size, she represented the leading edge of an entire generation of new cruising boats.

And 40 years later, Michel and Jane are still at it, with the same boat! Along the way they've designed a number of similar boats for other experienced cruisers, in between long stints in various regions of the cruising paradise known as the Pacific Basin. Today Michel and Jane live aboard in New Zealand. When the Southern Hemisphere gets a bit chilly, they head for the tropics just 1200 miles to their north.

Michel and Jane cruise simply, on a modest budget, tapping into a vast store of knowledge they've accumulated over the past 40-plus years of cruising. The fact that they're still doing it after all of these years tells you they must be doing something right!

To view logs select a date below:

Introduction	An introduction to the DeRidder Dragons.
15 May 08	The cost of cruising is skyrocketing. Here are some ways that Jane & Michel are saving money on fuel, LPG, and food.
30 Apr 08	The DeRidders report from Opua, where the marina is packed with boats preparing to sail to lower latitudes. They observe how the cruising scene has changed in recent years.
18 Apr 08	Thieves, birds, spiders, and bees: Interesting visitors aboard Magic Dragon.
8 Apr 08	Land Yachting: The DeRidders take a tour around Northland New Zealand in Zorro, their converted camper van. Along the way they visit many ex-circumnavigators to see what they've made of their lives after swallowing the anchor.
26 Mar 08	An essay on rust on board, and how to prevent it.
13 Mar 08	Fountain of Youth: Tips for extending the life of your engine.
28 Feb 08	After 17,000 hours of service, the DeRidders rebuild Magic Dragon's 37-year-old engine.
12 Feb 08	If you're a boatwatcher, you'll feast on these photos from the annual Tall Ships Race in Russell, New Zealand.
24 Jan 08	Here's a summary of Magic Dragon's eventful 2007 year.
9 Jan 08	Masthead floodlight: Magic Dragon's alternative to radar.
17 Dec 07	An ode to Pohutukawa: The New Zealand Christmas tree.
26 Nov 07	New duties for an old ship: The scuttling of the HMNZS Canterbury.
9 Nov 07	Golden Kowhai and a Blood Red Moon: The story of a springtime cruise.
7 Nov 07	Be Safe! Be Seen! Visibility for cruising yachts.
8 Oct 07	Approaching their 80s, SetSail's resident elder statesmen pare down and reorganize the contents of Magic Dragon's forepeak.
13 Sept 07	The mystery of the driftwood duck.
29 Aug 07	The quiet pleasures of winter boating down under - a photo essay.
2 Aug 07	Reports on extreme and erratic weather in New Zealand.
25 July 07	A low-cost approach to charging the batteries.
13 July 07	Ice on deck! Cozy activities aboard Magic Dragon help pass the time during the Southern Hemisphere winter.
4 July 07	We asked the DeRidders to write about their experiences and techniques anchoring in adverse/challenging conditions.
3 Jun 07	The marine environment can be tough on computers. Attempts to repair a series of cantankerous keyboards.
23 May 07	Flood aftermath: Fallout and clean up.
19 April 07	Skype & WiFi down under.
19 April 07	Favorite boat names.
5 April 07	A weather "bomb" recently pelted Northern New Zealand with 18 inches of rain in 36 hours. Find out why the DeRidders were glad they were safe and snug aboard Magic Dragon, rather than on shore.
27 March 07	Jane & Michel recall a late fall trip harbor-hopping down the US West Coast from Vancouver to San Francisco. With severe weather (in the days before modern weather tools), it was a challenging but fascinating journey.
13 March 07	Adjusting to the relatively fast-paced life of the Bay of Islands. A flooding river threatens Jane & Michel's painstaking work of repairing their jetty.
21 Feb 07	New Zealand's sheltered Whangaroa Harbor is an idyllic place to hide out from the crowds of the Bay of Islands, as well as from the maelstroms raging outside the bay.
31 Jan 07	Freak boating accidents - some that are be amazing but true, others that may be seafaring myths.
18 Jan 07	We asked the DeRidders to write about foul weather gear.
22 Dec 06	Haul Out: Our gitup'n'go has got up and went!
11 Dec 06	Preventing skin cancer while sailing.
29 Nov 06	At SetSail's request, Jane and Michel write about their favorite seagoing tools.
12 Nov 06	Surfing Oldies: What persuaded us to get on the Internet fast track after trailing far behind all these many years?
3 Nov 06	Look Ma, no hands: Wind vane evolution.
26 Oct 06	Keeping up with the news while cruising - or living in blissful ignorance.
16 Oct 06	Inspired by a piece of string and a whim, the DeRidders sail back to Michel's childhood stomping grounds in Belgium.
3 Oct 06	We cycle through the seasons with Jane and Michel in this week's bittersweet article. Challenges and cherished moments aboard - and coming to a difficult decision about Magic Dragon.
20 Sept 06	Encounters with Williwaw, the first yacht through the Northwest Passage.
10 Sept 06	A look back at another sailing legend couple from an earlier era: Miles and Beryl Smeeton, authors of Once Is Enough.
27 Aug 06	This week the DeRidders remember their old friends, the legendary Eric and Susan Hiscock.
15 Aug 06	Michel tackles a question that is difficult to answer though often asked: Which are your favorite cruising grounds?
23 July 06	Magic Dragon's home base is in a river, where getting ashore at low tide can be a challenge - so the DeRidders have built their own floating jetty.
10 July 06	A solution to "Soggy Mattress Syndrome".
30 June 06	Making your own ferrocement mushroom mooring anchors.
1 June 06	Washing on Water: The miracle of getting the laundry done.
16 May 06	Dare to be different: Jane and Michel write about a few favorites out of the many unusual boats they've encountered over the years.
21 Apr 06	Remembering Tom Neale, a legendary South Pacific hermit who loved company.
16 Mar 06	Ventilation: An unaired boat grows old before its time.
06 Mar 06	Anchored in a seemingly placid New Zealand river, Magic Dragon survives an awesome flash flood.
7 Feb 06	For the birds.
6 Jan 06	Fueling tales.
20 Dec 05	Triumph replaces trepidation - Jane reflects on their first ocean passage, nearly 50 years ago, from Victoria, BC to San Francisco.
05 Dec 05	Emergency repairs.
21 Nov 05	An experiment in stability (i.e. dinghies).
10 Nov 05	As cruising septuagenarians, the DeRidders write about their medical misadventures.
3 Nov 05	Jane and Michel reflect on the many changes and improvements they've made to Magic Dragon over the years.
28 Oct 05	I'm not superstitious - That's bad luck!
20 Oct 05	Sail longevity.
5 Sept 05	Seagoing wheels - cruising with a motorcycyle.
5 Sept 05	Voyages of discovery: Local knowledge and how we obtain it.
11 Aug 05	T'ain't all beer and skittles...After nearly half a century of living the dream, the DeRidders dispel some common fantasies about the cruising life.
28 July 05	The prop shaft alternator (how we get a charge out of sailing).
20 July 05	Watch-keeping vs. watch-sleeping.
1 July 05	Unwelcome boarders, human and otherwise.
13 June 05	Stocking up the old-fashioned way.
6 June 05	More tricks of the trade.
17 May 05	Helpful cruising hints: Jane & Michel share some creative tips to make life aboard more comfortable.
4 May 05	Beat back or carry on round?
22 April 05	Staying in touch and paying the bills.
8 April 05	Why go cruising?
30 March 05	Making life easy: For the DeRidders, it's the simplest tools that have the biggest impact on their lives.
22 March 05	A guide to some of Magic Dragon's home-brewed gizmos that are unorthodox, but tried and true.
10 March 05	Anchoring - Doing it our way!
22 Feb 05	Fixed or variable pitch prop?
27 Jan 05	Storage issues. (Too much junk!)
19 Jan 05	Crew wanted? Maybe not.
22 Dec 04	Keeping warm aboard.
15 Dec 04	A Dragon Christmas (bah, humbug!).
1 Dec 04	Outboard motors: Friends or foes?
26 Oct 04	The mixed blessing of twin keels.
11 Oct 04	We asked all the SetSail cruising reporters to write about their best sources for weather data. Here is the response from Jane and Michel.
7 Sept 04	As Magic Dragon turns 40, the DeRidders write about the unexpected joys and challenges of long-term cruising.
26 August 04	Casting off: Living real life or escaping it?
5 August 04	It's the people we meet.
26 July 04	Jane and Michel share some of their own blunders and mishaps from over the years.
16 July 04	Common mistakes to avoid.
24 June 04	News flash: Opua Cruising Club smashed!
15 June 04	Opua, a favorite port of entry in New Zealand.
2 June 04	We asked the DeRidders to share their perspective on safety at sea.
22 May 04	In their Christmas newsletter, Jane and Michel reflect on how the cruising scene has changed since they first started sailing 50 years ago.