The sloop Thoura has been at home in the inlet since the year before man landed on the Moon, but yesterday changed course for Lake Te Anau.
"Thoura just wasn't getting used enough. Circumstances change in families," owner Elva Carey said.
"But she wasn't going out of the family."
The yacht was built in 1968 by her marine engineer husband, Steve Carey, who died 13 years ago, and boat-builder son, Colin.
"I helped them build her on the front lawn of the family home here at Port Chalmers," Mrs Carey said.
"She's been on the mooring in front of Careys Bay since she was built in 1968. That mooring has had a boat of the Careys on it for 65 years. My family has got [salt] water in their blood."
The Careys also have Careys Bay in the blood - the township was named after the family.
The 9.7m, five-tonne, kauri and teak yacht was based on a modified Yankee One design, Mrs Carey said.
"She's got her name on most cups in the Otago Yacht Club. She was a very competitive boat. People would buy boats to try to beat Thoura."
At 87, Mrs Carey is still involved in yachting, on the Loyal Careys Bay Yacht Club committee boat in the winter series.
"Not bad for an old girl, eh?"
Thoura will start a new life on Lake Te Anau as a pleasure craft for Mrs Carey's oldest grandson, David Spiers, who is a boat skipper for tourism operator Real Journeys.
"I'm the keen boatie in the family and she was in the wrong place to be used regularly up there," he said.
"It's really nice to keep her in the family and we'll look after her."
