Laurie Schischka

One local mariner, 66 year old, Laurence Schischka and his family, enjoy and succeed in sailing in total silence. Schischka, his wife Sylvia and their sons are oblivious to the creaking of the spars, the whir of winches, the thundering of wind billowing sails, even the sloshing of waves against the hull.

On a recent Saturday, I was lucky enough to meet members of the Auckland Deaf Society at a working bee they were holding to improve the grounds of the city's Deaf Welfare Centre. The centre, incidentially, is a very fine building – it has the biggest sports hall in Auckland with a floor area 110 by 60 feet.