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Shimmer

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Posts posted by Shimmer

    SSANZ Triple Series 2023

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    Shimmer signed up for the easy division this year too.

    looking forward to some 2 handed racing NOT on the Tasman!

    Surprised low number of entries but I guess a bunch will sign up just before cut off date?

    Sanitising water tank protocol

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    Just checked with a mate who is a water scientist and he recommends 100mls of bleach per 100 litres of water leave a couple of days then flush and add a teaspoon of hydrogen Peroxide to remove any taste. Easy

    doing my tanks this afternoon as after 5 years since install this winter they had a bit of a taste for the first time 

    think I will also fit a charcoal filter on the galley tap

    SSANZ Evolution Sails 2023 RNI

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    Ha ha yep I was pretty sure we would be div 4 Jon but very interested to see who else will be in our division. On the PHRF cut off I’m getting 1 more sail so as soon as I have the dimensions from sail maker I will apply for alteration to my PHRF hopefully it won’t go up much 👃

    Akarana 350 (not White Island race)

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    Race Report Akarana 350 Shimmer.

     

    we competed in the Akarana 350 this year mostly to get in one more good long 2 handed race as preparation for the RNI next year.

    Another motivation was that this race is part of the Blue Water Series of 4 coastal races and I have always enjoyed a series as you have to perform consistently and keep racing to get anywhere.

    So anyway race started in fresh westerly conditions Shimmer and Motor boat 2 owned the pin and had great starts but we soon had the big boats mow us down and watched as the big red kite on V5 got to Channel island in 2 1/2 hours, never mind we were having our own race at the back with Hans Up (HU) a Hanse375 from the Coromandel another 2 handed entry doing their qualifying miles for the RNI

    At Coalville I was surprised to see Flying boat (young 11) double reefed heading back to Auckland,

    I hear the guys had rig problems, hopefully nothing too serious

    we kept up with HU to about the Mercs when the breeze moderated enough for them to fly their big A sail and they lit up and put a big lead on us to Tauranga. Rounding the island at Tauranga in the wee hours was a bit surreal there were 14 ships anchored out there which formed a bit of a floating city.

    We had nice cracked sheets lay back up the coromandel in nice conditions but well and truely at the back of the fleet. We then spotted a series of boats drop out of the race, Vixen, then the big Beneteau 50 and then Zero Tolerance all withdrew on this leg, not sure if it was the sketchy forecast for Sunday morning or equipment problems but all of a sudden we were down to a fleet of 6.

    The breeze went ahead right as we got to the top of the coromandel and we and our mates on HU had a beat all the way from channel island to the Poor Knights

    They went outside Barrier

    ” we re never going to pass them by following” was the call so we opted for the inside line and although it was a very light night we carried breeze all night and when we popped out above Barrier we had made good gains on H U 

    coming into the Poor Knights there was a weird sea state and really strong adverse current and laying above was pretty tough.

    then late morning we had a series of heavy squalls including a crazy white one that hit really hard and put us quite a bit back down the course

    Mid afternoon we finally rounded the knights with about half hour lead on the Hanse and cracked the zero and started reaching for home.

    we had lovely reaching conditions down to Whangarei heads where we hit a big hole and parked up for an hour. Lots of shouting about how unfair Huey is at that stage but of course eventually the breeze filled in and we actually stretched on HU who seemed to be in their own world of pain in the big hole.

    The night sail back to Auckland was heaps of fun with HU breathing down our necks some times only 15 mins behind. at times we would get into the next pressure first and stretch that out to half an hour.

    Finally at 4.30 on Monday morning we crossed the line with HU finishing 20 mins behind.

    Those guys really made the race for us, it proves as long as you have somebody to race and it’s close it doesn’t really matter weather you are at a the front or back of the fleet.

    Im really glad we did this race we found we had a good rhythm going with our watch keeping sleep patterns and fitting in all the other stuff associated with longer distance racing, nav work, twice daily radio skeds  weather planning making some thing to eat plus sail changes.

    I think the boats that just go for a 250 mile weekend sail are kidding themselves if they believe it’s really proper prep for a race like the RNI

    now I get to take off the race gear load up all the cruising stuff and take the family away for our annual cruise,

    but I can’t wait till the RNI next year it’s shaping up to be the adventure of a lifetime.

    Thanks to Akarana for running a really good event, it’s a pity more boats weren’t able to compete it would be a great race with 20 or 30 boats out there.

    Perhaps in a year or two it will revert to the White Island race and the prospect of racing around an active volcano will motivate more yachts to enter?

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 6

    Solo TransTasman Yacht Challenge 2023

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    Personally having put my boat through cat 3 and now cat 2 with a highly respected boat builder and mentor as my inspector I have found it a really good exercise, they challenge you on details you may have missed and often help with practical solutions to achieving the certification and a safe vessel, I would really recommend anyone using their boat outside the gulf racing or cruising to put their vessel through cat 3 at least once.

    from reading Fagans books he has some quirky approaches to repairs and did mention in a previous book that he had re built the skeg himself.

    that said he is a solo sailing hero and I’m very glad he managed to sail himself to a rescue opportunity 

    • Upvote 4

    Sir Michael et al depart Squadron

    in RaceTalk

    Posted

    Yep I dropped out of my old club when they prioritised functions over running races, that’s why SSANZ is the club for me. They run a select few races each year really well, don’t have a bricks and mortar club to worry about running costs and actually focus on providing yacht racing

    The small clubs focussing on learn to sail and green fleet racing seem to understand what’s required, I wonder if the flash buildings on the waterfront actually complicate things?

    Sir Michael et al depart Squadron

    in RaceTalk

    Posted

    Good on Sir Michael and his mates although why they waited 5 months is still a bit confusing. The thing I still don’t understand is why the whole membership didn’t either force Mr Young and his committee out or all cancel their membership force a collapse of the club and then re form with new leadership who were less in Daltons pocket and actually listened to their members. Pretty sure similar things happened a few times in the clubs early history as they did at PCC and maybe VCC?

    clubs are essentially democratic if the leadership move too far away from what their members want then take away their power.

    straw poll how many of you are or have considered cancelling their membership over this?

    The Landing is closing down

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    I just make it in on a spring low drawing 1.75 but mid tide and above its all good even for deep draft vessels. Had Zepherus out on the hard recently. The channel is pretty well marked with twin piles every couple of hundred meters and the navionics chart of the channel is good. Yeah Simon Herbert is pretty greedy it’s true but it’s now the last independent yard in the Waitemata apart from the club yards. The travel lift team are also really good.

    Tiller side handle.

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    Hey Island Time

    could I book you in to come and look at my set up and spec what you think we could do to improve it?

    I'm in Hobsonville which I realise isn't really your neck of the woods but happy to pay you for the time

    Like I said Ive brought in a pelagic arm but apart from a slightly larger motor and metal gears Im not sure it will really do what I'm after

    My company is booked shortly to build the base and bracket for Beacon to fit a hydraulic ram on a 14m yacht at Bayswater which looks like a nice unit, they sourced it from Lustys but again its designed for below deck install connected to quadrant, its an after market unit but it talks to the Raymarine ACU

    Tiller side handle.

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    Yeah thats the big one the auto helm set up.

    Im currently running the Raymarine evolution 100 system which isn't bad, I like the gyro compass (we helm off that over the magnetic compass at night its really good)

    I think the part of the equation that lets it down is the speed of the tiller ram. sadly most of the faster more powerful options I have seen are only for connection to a quadrant which isn't an option on my boat.

    I have just imported an American liner actuator tiller arm made by Pelagic and Aaron from Beacon thinks he can get it operating from my ray marine ACU.

    I'll let you know how that goes. What did you run on the Beale?

    Tiller side handle.

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Jon said:

    Not sure if a Townson has enough room in the cockpit, but maybe that instead of a tiller extension 

    Yep I think you are right however it’s got me thinking about making a custom handle end for my tiller a bit like the one on the sunfast that Josh used to sail.

    Tiller side handle.

    in ShortTalk

    Posted

    I zoomed that up to check out the tiller, have you seen how much rope or growth there is on that prop?

    sis this a spin lock accessory that connects to your tiller to give hand grip options when steering from the tiller rather than the extension?

    If so I think I want one

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