Thanks for stopping in to find out more. I am Anona (Nonie) Mycroft, founder of ShipShape Nelson. I have spent over two decades in, on or under the sea.
Now fully qualified to RYA Ocean Yachtmaster / Master Class V, I have worked my way up the ladder as a Stewardess, coastal and ocean race crew, deckie, bosun, mate and skipper. Along the way I did stints in ship yards restoring classic yachts, riggers lofts, sail lofts and refit yards. I've worked superyachts, exploration vessels, luxury sailing yachts and dive vessels.
Now I am happily residing in Nelson, passing some of my knowledge on to the next generation as a Leader at Iron Duke Sea Scouts. I would also be delighted to share my experience with you.
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*Disclaimer - This is a really old photo, but without question, one of the best boats I ever worked on.
A Glimpse at My Background
Racing Crew
When I started out sailing in the 1990's it was challenging for ladies to get opportunities on deck. It was assumed we would be on board as a stewardess or chef. I quickly learned that no-one was going to pay to eat my food, so I threw myself into becoming the best sailor I possibly could be. For years I travelled from port to port competing in every regatta and offshore race I could. I finally ended up as part of the Nautor Swan circuit crew. This gave me a wealth of experience, but no pay - so onwards and upwards.
Classic Restoration
Built in 1909, S/Y Tuiga is one of the most "classic" classics out on the water. I joined Tuiga in the Hamble, Southampton, England at the end of her refit by Fairlie Restorations, to do her brightwork. Tuiga had been restored with such detail as having hand stitched Egyptian cotton sails, original rigging and hardware and not a winch in sight. That massive mainsail was entirely trimmed by muscle power - hence the number of crew. Such a special yacht soon attracted attention and I worked aboard her for 2 years after she was purchased by the Principality of Monaco. My relationship with Fairlie Restorations spanned several years and included Tuiga, Kentra, Madrigal and Moonbeam.
![[59m-Yacht-SENSES]-1097-161_edited.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/52df79_f1ee437bcd544c4699257d1586e8a91b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_92,h_73,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5B59m-Yacht-SENSES%5D-1097-161_edited.jpg)
The Superyacht Circuit
It was bound to happen sooner or later... My passion is sailing, diving and restoration. I love smaller boats because they are so hands-on but sooner or later, if you're in the industry long enough, superyachts just seem to happen.
I worked my way through the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Bahamas and US for a couple of years. Not least of the super-beasts I ended up on was this one - M/V Senses. Sporting 30+ tenders, 3 of which were over 30' long, a helicopter, sea plane, spa pool and all the luxury trimmings. If anything is going to fine tune your ability to polish, chammy, wax and buff, superyachts do!
Exploration
There will forever be a place in my heart for this beauty. S/Y Foftein wasn't the biggest or the fastest, but she was perfect in every detail.
The owner owned 2 "Foftein"s and used them to sail the globe making underwater documentaries. As well as having an idyllic lifestyle, to me Foftein was the culmination of everything I had achieved to date. From sailing, to rigging, mechanical maintenance, to navigation, to provisioning to brightwork to refits to troubleshooting seemingly impossible problems in improbable places.