Historical fiction written for New Zealand children in NZ English. Something is wrong in Sandy Cove, dreadfully wrong. A storm has washed away Sandy Cove's beach and ferry pier. Stores are closing. People are moving away. Everyone has given up except eleven-year-old KATIE McKENNA. She devises a plan to use her father's tugboat DALDY and an old barge, BERTHA, to haul sand to renew the beach, but things go from bad to worse. Daldy, Bertha, and Sandy Cove all seem doomed to the fate of the extinct moa bird. Still, Katie will not give up. She has another plan, but no one will listen. The Daldy series of books explores the interaction of boats and the children who live along the coastline of New Zealand. Loosely based on historical events, maritime adventures carry each story as characters and relationships are developed and tested.