The couple tried sailing to Tauranga from where they bought the boat in Paihia, but the yacht was taking on water in 30-40 knot winds (56-74 kilometres per hour). They turned around. The boat's previous owner brought it back to Paihia, then fixed it enough to sail to Tauranga.
Kiyoko says initially they were in a rush to get working on the Paparahi (part of the Maori name for Northland), but the yacht has taught them about taking their time. "Things just don't happen today. I used to have that mentality, but you evolve as you go," she says.
The couple have morphed from marine studies students at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic to full-time boat renovators. They've stripped out much of the Paparahi's plywood (they say it was rotting and coming unglued), replacing it with recycled timber they've received for free. They're living on savings and income from odd jobs.
Marina manager Tony Arnold recently hired Luca to help with repairs. "He's always friendly and pleasant. He likes to lend a hand, and he's always around with a smile on his face," he says.
Luca and Kiyoko have no refrigerator, no TV, no toilet (the marina has an ablutions area). They have no cars, just bicycles. And no privacy.
"You adapt to it. I don't know why people wanna upgrade to bigger places. The less stuff we have, the happier we are. I tried that life; it didn't satisfy," Luca says.
Kiyoko says: "You have to work 30 years for a four-bedroom house. Do you actually need it?" She's 22 years old. She grew up in West Auckland with a Japanese mum and Kiwi dad. Her grandparents sailed from Sweden to New Zealand. Kiyoko says her family are slowly coming around to accepting her lifestyle. "People don't understand how much time goes into it. How much planning, how much thinking. It's okay if they don't understand."
The couple's few remaining belongings include books, which line small shelves inside the cabin. Titles include Smart DIY Boat Ideas, Conversations with God and a weathered manual about the H-28.
They pay $390 per month to moor the boat.
Luca has long dreadlocks and the accented English of a diplomat's son. He says his father worked for the United Nations. Luca lived with his family in Iran until he was 4 before moving to Italy and Southeast Asia. The 27-year-old says he has also lived and worked in Nigeria and Malaysia, where he got interested in boat building.
The couple have redesigned the Paparahi's cockpit, installing a kitchen area (consisting of gas hob, kettle and toaster oven) where the toilet used to be. They moved sleeping quarters to the starboard (right) side of the boat, where they share a single wide berth. The front cabin, used for storage, is stacked with planks of wood. It took them a year to overhaul the back of the boat.
The yacht is a kauri and recycled timber riddle on which they practise restoration. "People advise you," says Luca. "And then you make your own choices. We're a bit messed up. When you start something like this, you're meant to have a list. But I pulled out everything in this boat, so it ended up being a hull and a deck with a lot of holes in it. I just work on something and when I get tired, go to something else. It's an organised mess, but it works for us."
The couple spent their first winter on the Paparahi under a tarpaulin while they tore apart the deck. "We got a boat builder to help at first, but it cost an arm and leg, so we decided to do it ourselves," says Kiyoko.
The duo's dream is self-sufficiency, living in the middle of the sea rent-free, reading books, eating food they've preserved and fish they've caught. Kiyoko says, "Puny little scallops from the shops - it's not the same thing as going for a dive and you shuck it and cook it in butter and garlic. It's so simple, but satisfying".
Kiyoko and Luca hope to sail their boat to Great Barrier Island next year. No rush - they're on Paparahi time.
