Addicted to sailing adventures
Born in England in 1960, Steve Ashley’s parents Peter and Ann and their two sons emigrated to New Zealand in 1967, setting up in Wellington. From an early age Ashley was attracted to boats and he started off carving model boats to use on the Wainuiomata River. Next came a land yacht built from Meccano, a precursor to a later fascination with land yachting.
Seeking better work opportunities, the Ashleys moved to Auckland in 1970 and set up in Birkdale. Ashley’s uncle, Richard, kept a launch along with an elderly clinker dinghy at Little Shoal Bay. Ashley’s first sailing experiences came from rowing this dinghy upwind, then sailing it back downwind with his raincoat hoisted on one oar while using the other for a rudder.
Aged 13 he bought his first sailing dinghy, which he paid for from his Auckland Star paper run.
“I named her Dolphin, she was a 3.2m pram-bowed dinghy, similar to an English Cadet.”
Local character Frank Larkin befriended Ashley and allowed him to keep his canoe at his Beachhaven house. Holidays and.
