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DrWatson

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Posts posted by DrWatson

    Palmerston Island

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    2.35m

    Shallowest point was 3.5m but only briefly, mostly between 4 to 5m

    Had one man on bow and two of us in cockpit with sonar, chartplotter, depth sounder, and iPad with Navionics plus fingers crossed and spare undies waiting.

    nice one :)

     

    I agree this looks like a seriously beautiful place to visit and rest a few days.  When leaving French Polynesia, can you check out from near here? You say you went from here to Palmerston so did you check out and then pass through here?

    Life Jackets

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    I've mostly watched this one from a distance but I now feel compelled to comment.

     

    If I fall off the dock between the boat and the wharf, the last thing I want is to be trapped there by my bloody life jacket. Likewise, does anyone remember the poor girl trapped under a yacht (by her life jacket?) in Whangmata after falling off her SUP?

     

    Anecdotes.

     

    The statistics and evidence are pretty clear that far more people drown when they are at the beach than going sailing, maybe even more people who are drunk on the waterfront falling off the wharf at midnight, and maybe even those people who drown in the cars after crashing over a bridge.  Yes some sailors die. 

     

    A compulsory law for wearing of lifejackets is likely to have negative consequences which far outweigh the perceived benefits. It has happened for laws for bike helmets.

     

    The the effect of the compulsory law for bike helmets introduced in Victoria has been heavily studied by independent analysis. The net effect, and I'm sorry I can't find the reference, is that adult use of bikes for little trips (popping down to the dairy for milk etc.) plummeted, the number of bike accident related head injuries decreased slightly, and the overall level of fitness amongst the adult population took a dive with a concomitant increase in deaths attributed to cardiovascular failure/diabetes/obesity related health issues. In essence, the overall effect effect was a few less head injuries and a disproportionately greater number of other other health issues through decreased population fitness. 

     

    Grant and Kevin feel that wearing a life jacket is common sense (correct me if I'm wrong). Fair enough. But is there a need to legislate for common sense? I don't believe so. Moreover,  common sense is just that - common. Average. Anecdotal. Not subject to statistically significant analysis. It's the perceived value or sense of doing something in a certain way, regardless of objective evidence for or against.

     

    Take my example of bicycle helmets above, and one would say "Well, that's clearly common sense and can only be good" - But is there evidence that it actually reduces deaths? Frighteningly, the actual medical evidence is pretty slim. In fact there are a number of well controlled registry studies published in high ranking journals (BMJ - I think or maybe The Lancet or Trauma?) which examine cause of death and disability in bicycle accidents, showing that head injury is a minority cause compared to massive trauma (compared before and after helmet laws). For little kids the danger is actually increased that they will suffer rotational neck injuries (including spinal cord damage) because the extra leverage created by increased radius on their tiny heads, or strangulation dangers. Other studies have examined the risk-compensation effect whereby either cyclists ride more dangerously because they "feel safer" or car drivers give helmeted cyclists less space (up to 10 cm I seem to remember). At the end of the day, have you ever wondered why in the EU (approx. 1 billion people) there are very few compulsory helmet laws? It must be because they're stupid, yeah?

     

    Back to life Jackets. I'm not saying that compulsory life jackets will decrease public health. But the statistics and numbers and evidence are unlikely to really add up. I want to see actual evidence based policies which are enacted for the good of society, which retain personal freedoms as much as possible, and which help people to be responsible for the decisions they make. The current laws are completely adequate.

     

    Lastly, relying on "Police discretion" to make up for inadequacies in legislative writing or abilities is a disaster waiting to happen. It's handing undemocratic and extrajudicial power to the police to determine who gets hit by a law, whether or not it's ethically or morally appropriate or in the best interests of society. Like fining a family having a picnic in a public park because mum is having a glass of chardonnay.

    • Upvote 1

    Bulbous Townson?

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    There are some glass 34s but Des was never happy with the way they turned out. There are plenty of 34s in DD kauri, some glassed over and some not.

     

    Not sure I'm a fan of the dodger on Slice of Lemon.

     

    My pick of the Townson's for sale at the moment would be Restless. Full refit and under 60K...

    VHF radio requirements

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    Speaking of VHF,

     

    Looking at replacing my Uniden Atlantis 250 - aerial broke off :( and it's the mount not the aerial .. :(

     

    Anyway, looking around, apparently iCOM do quite a few nice handhelds.

     

    New in 2916 will be the M25, replacing the M24?

     

    In any case, looking around I can't find M24 for sale anywhere, but I can find M23 for sale (€150). 

     

    Seems weird that I can't find the newer model especially as the newer model (24) is apparently about to be replaced in 2016 with an even newer one (25).

     

    Also looking at the M91D which has GPS and DSC. €299. Is it worth going the extra for the fancy features on a handheld? (Don't have a built in -- boat's not really that suitable for it...)

     

    Thoughts?

    Teak suppliers

    in TechTalk

    Posted

    Not sure about 750m long, but I've regularly raided outdoor furniture for small amounts of teak...

     

    Some, but not all, BBQs imported a while back (think 20y) had some nice teak on them. The BBQs are junk but the wood is still there waiting to be repurposed :)

    Voyage timing

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    I guess it always does depend on the year and the weather at the time, of course.

     

    But it's just good to know if planning to arrive in NZ in Sept is a mad idea or if it's totally feasible given appropriate planning and preparation etc. 

     

    Of course most race yachts are more fully crewed than your average cruiser, and possibly make a shorter voyage of it.

     

     

     

     

    On thread drift...

    Not using epoxy (or similar) to seal the hole you drilled through your deck into your sheer clamp/carlin/cabin top/coaming etc. is a pet peeve of mine, too! It's also a good reason to buy/build a new boat rather than one which has been "continually improved and updated" (massive generalization, I know). It's probably the single largest factor in killing plywood boats and perpetuating the "plywood makes sh*t boats" myth.

     

    Why can't every piece of deck gear be sold with a simple printed card that reads "Seal your mounting holes you f**king idiot!" Larger pieces could even be sold with a small tube of ready mix... takes only a few seconds per hole, then drink a beer before placing the bolts/screws.

    2015 Coastal Classic

    in RaceTalk

    Posted

    Great discussion and I absolutely appreciate the efforts of the volunteers and organizers, and the tricky job of balancing the timing of prize giving, protests, finalizing all finish times etc., and keeping the bigger faster boats and crews just bobbing around waiting for prize giving. A delicate balancing act indeed.

     

    It's true that there have been other races with far greater attrition. Everyone has their own reasons for pulling out and I think it's important to understand what factors the skippers and crews take or took into account.

     

    In the past I've also pulled the pin just a mile or two from the line when the wind buggered off and the tide was dragging us back out. We motored over the line as the sun set, and headed for the pub so we could get to the party. I'm told that on that occasion, other boats sat at anchor until about 23h Sat before being able to up and go for the line. As frustrating as that was a 16h or 17h cutoff (there wasn't one at that time I seem to remember) would probably have been fair, because we made a mistake off the Brett and sailed out of wind, other boats with lower PHRFs did finish.

     

    At the end of the day, regardless of your PHRF, in an upwind slog, you’re highly unlikely to really exceed hull speed in many boats in the current and potential fleet so finishing before cut-off in something like a 727 or a Tracker is basically unlikely to happen. What was the shortest LWL boat to finish inside the time this year? does any one know?

     

    It’s nice to know that the race organizers are always looking for how to make the race even better and are aware of the difficulties faced by smaller boats. A delicate juggling act and a job well done.

     

    SD, why aren’t the foilers getting Cat3? Is it simply that they are stripped down too much to reduce weight and don’t have cabin space etc? I did watch the G4 capsize the other day…

    2015 Coastal Classic

    in RaceTalk

    Posted

    Looked like a great race and can't wait to read a few of the post-race writeups from the crews involved.

     

    With 49 DNFs and 69 finishers, does anyone wonder if the 2pm cutoff time might have been a large factor in the decisions of many boats to bow out half way through the race?

     

    Interestingly, if one looks at entries, only 50% of entered boats finished the race

     

    I had a quick look at the stats, and  although I can't remember the exact numbers, it seems that the median PHRF for finishers was around .86

     

    For non-finishers it was around 0.75. 

     

    The median for the fleet was something like .81. I'd have to look at it in more detail but by those numbers, its possible that more than 50% of the fleet have a less than 50% chance of making it... 

     

    Given that this wasn't a drifter, I wonder if four more or even just a couple of hours on the cut-off time for an uphill race might encourage more folk to stick it out and cross the line?

     

    A quick and dirty calculation would be that it's a 120mile race (IIRC), and if it's all uphill and one sails a 45° course, adding 41% extra distance (sq root 2), then you have to cover approximately 170 miles in 28h meaning an AVERAGE uphill speed of 6.1 knts

     

    Not impossible, but not necessarily easy, especially for the smaller boats.

     

    My question is, how many people pulled the plug on account of knowing they wouldn't make the cutoff even if only by an hour or two? How many kept going only to find that they were off the bret at 14h on Sat?

     

    If so, would it be worth considering a slightly more generous race closing time in the event of an uphill race that allows a few more boats to finish?

     

    What's the plan for the future of the race? Grow the participation to encourage more involvement from average family cruiser racers (I'm not talking about H28s here), or focus more on the upper end of the fleet, say with handicaps above .8?

     

    This is not a criticism at all, and I appreciate the efforts of the many volunteers and the risks taken by the organisers in running the race. It looked like this year it was a challenging event, and well done to all who entered, started and sailed hard, and to all others involved. 

    When does a boat exist?

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    So, at what point in a boat's construction is it said to exist?

     

    From when the keel is laid, or from when it is launched? Or some point in between?

     

    I mean, at what point can you say you own a boat if you are building it yourself?

     

    Undeniably if you have the hull planked and the deck on, a passerby would look and say "you've got a boat". Probably the same without the deck.

     

    But the keel and frames? 

     

    How complete does it have to be to be registered?

     

     

    Yacht registration

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    That's interesting, and is a remarkably different document to the one I last read (middle of last year?). I see that this document is dated Nov 2014, so I wonder if there have been some updates? Lemmie see...

     

    Ok here it is on this page: 

     

    http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/charges/dutyfree/Pages/default.aspx#

     

    One tab called Concessionary entry for boats and aircraft

     

    the one directly under it called: Concessionary entry for boats for first time immigrants

     

    ​When entering New Zealand to live for the first time you may import boats (of any size) without payment of Customs duty. The concession, however, is subject to all the following conditions:

    • You have arrived to live in New Zealand for the first time; and on the date the boat is imported you hold a document authorising residence in New Zealand. (Brief holidays or exploratory visits do not exclude a person from qualifying for this concession.)
    • You have personally owned and used the boat for at least one year before the date of your departure for New Zealand; or one year before the date on which the boat or aircraft was surrendered for shipping; or one year before the date of its departure for New Zealand where the boat or aircraft is imported other than as cargo – whichever is earlier.
    • You give a written undertaking that, if the boat is sold or otherwise disposed of within two years of the date of its arrival in New Zealand, you will make payment of the Customs charges that would normally have been payable; and you give a written undertaking that the boat will not be used for hire, or for the transport of cargo, or the carriage of passengers, or for any other commercial activity or reward, within two years of its importation.
     
    Leased boats and aircraft

    In some cases the boats may have been either:

    • leased by you, or
    • purchased by you through a hire purchase agreement.

    This concession will still apply as long as you have:

    • Possessed the boat for at least one year prior to the date of your departure for New Zealand; or one year prior to the date it was surrendered for shipping to New Zealand – whichever is earlier.
    • Complied with the terms of the lease or hire purchase in full: prior to property in the boat passing to the importer; and prior to importation into New Zealand.

    Rate: N/A

    Last updated: Friday, 15 April 2011

     

     

    It's the "first time immigrant" clause, so it doesn't really work for everyone who grew up in NZ...

     

    When I move back to NZ, my wife will accompany me.

     

    She will be a first time immigrant, and she owns the boat (all construction bills paid for by her from her account).

     

    I just hope it's still the same when we finally cast off for NZ...

    • Upvote 1

    Yacht registration

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    Yep, that pretty much matches my understanding. The only issue I've had anywhere about certification was in Singapore. You can come in, and you can leave, however, you cannot go out, even for a day sail, without their local qualifications. My Yachtmaster cert is not acceptable - you MUST have the local ticket (online, a few hundy IIRC) which is a power vessel ticket! I just left Singapore...

     

    On other country even asked to see my ticket - they assumed that as we had sailed from NZ, we must be basically competent I guess.

     

    I did not know the bit about importing free if you were coming to live here.

     

    Singapore is pretty boring anyway... no need to even stop there I would have thought, unless you need a "corruption free" Asian port...

    How many want to run away to sea?

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    Well, we plan to enter the 2019 Coastal, so between then and now there's a considerable amount of work to be done...

     

    Including the Norwegian and Swedish coasts...

     

    Working backwards form there I guess I'll have to quit work in about a year and a half and devote all my time to prep. from there on...

     

    Hopefully, we'll have a house to rent out to allow a small cruising income and a little freelance work should allow us to roll on for a little while - as long as we wash up in the BOI, I'll be happy...

     

    Super long term?

     

    Drifting around NZ would soak up quite a few years, I reckon...

    • Upvote 1

    Yacht registration

    in MarineTalk

    Posted

    I've looked into the registration and cat 1 thing quite a lot over the last 5 years. Both are quite different, as far as I can tell, from the GST/customs importing thing. Actually, they're completely separate.

     

    Registration

    From my research, a vessel can be registered as a NZ ship (Part B - previously also Part A but now horribly expensive) as long as the majority owner is a NZ citizen OR a natural person who has "the right of residency" in NZ. (i.e. my German wife)

     

    A NZ registered ship does not need to be Cat 1 to sail to NZ. But it does to leave NZ.

     

    So it's my understanding that a boat can be bought (legally) or constructed anywhere in the world and so long as it's not registered elsewhere, can be registered in NZ. All that's required is a survey for length measurement only from a NZ approved surveyor in EU, and some kind of proof of ownership - which I guess differs depending upon if you bought it new or second hand, had it constructed, or built it yourself.

     

    A NZ registered ship can ply European waters (and any international waters?) under the regulations of the flag country (NZ). I'm not sure how this applies to skipper and crew qualifications - except that in inland EU you need the CEVNI endorsement (online) and some proof of your competency, usually a Certificate of Competency much like our Boatmaster's but with an additional practical element. 

     

    I believe, as far as I know, that the EU authorities can not force you to be Cat 1 when you leave EU waters. And as you are Flagged NZ, they can not force you to be to any EU standard (classification A, B, C etc.)

    To do so would infringe upon the International Laws of Freedom of Navigation.

     

    Having said that, I'm not sure I'd leave EU and head across two oceans without most of the things on the Cat1 list - including the pregnancy test.

     

     

    Tax/GST

    It's a bit more murky here, but I understand, from having read the customs stuff that the necessity to pay GST/import duties on the purchase price (or value) of the boat depends up on your residency status in NZ, and how long you intend for the vessel to stay in the country (imported). If you are resident in NZ, then you have to pay - unless you can somehow prove the GST was paid in NZ already in the situation the vessel was built in NZ and the GST was indeed paid.

     

    However, if you are moving to NZ (relocating a permanent residence) for the first time, you may import a number of items free of tax/customs. One of those items is a car, one is a ship, along with most of your household goods and chattels. I'm not 100% sure if you need to own the ship for more than a certain number of years prior to arriving but I think it might be 2y if so, much like a number of other goods, SO LONG AS you do not sell the vessel within two years of your arrival in NZ.

     

    If you sail a foreign registered ship to NZ and it remains in NZ for greater than a certain number of days, then it is deemed to be imported and the above rules on GST/import duties apply.

     

     

     

    Them's what I understands...

     

    Happy to be corrected on any point - but I naturally will be disappointed if i find out otherwise.

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