'A little bit scary': Former Havelock North mayor sails into sunset

Jeff Whittaker doing some final checks on his yacht SV La Vendermmia. Photo Tim Whittaker

By Thomas Airey

It's the ultimate way to retire: sailing off into the sunset.

A morning departure means long-time pharmacist and former politician Jeff Whittaker is doing the next best thing: sailing off into the sunrise.

After 58 years running what is now Havelock North's Unichem pharmacy, Whittaker, 82, set off for Fiji last Friday on his yacht, SV La Vendermmia, to celebrate his retirement.

The voyage is his 34th ocean crossing and he departed with three other experienced crew members, including son Michael.

It's not quite a sunset, but Jeff Whittaker's sailing off into it anyway. Photo Tim Whittaker

Whittaker said this journey already feels a little different having officially handed over the pharmacy to his former employee Matt Brown last week.

"I won't have that responsibility hanging over my head all the time," he said.

"At times I've done wages and paid accounts from wherever the port has been."

Whittaker said he loves to sail for the journey itself even more than the destination.

"Every journey is different. And every crew is normally different too. There's something about arriving at your destination after 1200 miles at sea," he said.

"You see every sea state, and I guess there's still more that we've never seen but we've been through some extremely big water, and then other times it's been a doddle."

After the eight-day voyage to Fiji, Whittaker's crew will meet another of his sons, Paul, on his own boat, sail around Fiji together then head on to Vanuatu.

Beyond that? Whittaker said he's not entirely sure what life will look like going forward.

"I don't know whether that's exciting, I find it a little bit scary," he said.

"I've taken on various challenges over the years and always seen a vision of what I was going to do."

Whittaker served on the Havelock North Borough Council, including as mayor, for years and represented the Hastings electorate in Parliament from 1990 to 1993.

He returned home to resume running the pharmacy, as well as the adjoining Post Shop, which he will continue to manage.

Whittaker said the community aspect of being a pharmacist was why he stayed in the job and he may have left it earlier if not for the Covid pandemic.

"I organised the first vaccination service through pharmacy in Hawke's Bay," he said.

"The team did 7000 vaccinations in four months and the number of people who would stop you in the street and say thank you, because you provided the service within Havelock North, was really rewarding.

"Knowing the community, knowing what you can do to help, it's a thing that keeps you going."