DrWatson

Came 4th in a race. Hard to beat a Pogo44 and two 12.50s in a drag race. Did beat the next Pogo36 by a whole horizon, though. IMG_4296.MOV

Cool -it’s really that far from everywhere else

Beautiful views out over the BOI, bream bay, and AKL as we came in to land on Sunday morning. iPhone not really doing it justice.

Saw two gulls going for a cruise…

As we head to Brest for another week of headwinds, I note that we’ve been noticed and photographed at some point by a marinettaffic member. It’s always so hard to get pics of your own boat under sail.

There’s a huge difference in boat volume between a 26ft boat and a 32ft boat. Those are 6 very large feet.

Last weekend. Brest to St Marin and back.

I have a stern anchor, 14kg FOB, not ready to deploy, but still shackled to 25m chain and 40 warp. Also have a fortress in the lazarette. Have been meaning to get a stern line for use in the med etc. but been struggling for ways and space to keep it. I mean I have too much excess weight already - especially as Firefly’s a v light boat. reading this I think I’ll unshackle the FOB and use the chain and warp as my stern line - at the very least it’ll make the tackle easier to retrieve from the lazzarette if it’s in pieces.

This is a concept that has not escaped me … I do have a mooring, too.

Trailer yachts cost a fair amount less over their lifetime , I’m convinced

Well, on this side of the planet we didn’t exactly cut it short, but it was chilly and relatively little wind for the first trip away on FIREFLY as a couple - no Kids. First time in 4.5y we get a weekend alone.

We have coded our jackets with different coloured cordage. Each crew member is shown how to fit and use the jacket, I check fitting, and each crew remembers their colour. It’s theirs for the trip. Hydrostatic triggers. double crotch straps. plastimo. 150N. Comfortable. No idea what they’re like inflated. The water here is bloody cold at the best of times so I’m not rushing to get in and test - I should change that, though.

Shall I give the real list or the list for this weekend - being the first long weekend away ever with my wife on her boat, sans kids.

My boat was brand new in 2019 - it still has a list…nothing major, but a list nonetheless. Things like: Install Radar, danbuoy, additional electricity generation, crew set of ais beacons, couple small gelcoat chips, stich on some halyard covers, storms’l, plugs for the electric motor charging, wiring in the espresso machine, building a toolbox/roll, relocating the water maker, replacing that usb charge point that drowned when the water maker shat itself, replacing the zip sliders on two squab covers because I’m an idiot and didn’t learn the first time… hate to think how the list

It was quite an exceptional month- I think there were 2 severe storms, one much akin to the other, within a week. Something like category 2 level on the Saffir Simpson scale? Seem to remember numbers like 90kts being bandied about. I sat at Birkenhead for an hour or so watching my little keeler pitch violently. Decided there was nothing I could do. Went home.

July 2008?

Make sure you don’t leave a fender over the exhaust…I’m aware through the grapevine that this has happened in the past. The yards don’t like having to take a nearly brand new boat back to rebuild the aft quarter! It messes with their production schedules

Good effort!

She can sail, yeah? …. I need crew for a week in June…

The outcome was? Any options in Europe? The continent is a different thing to the UK.

Ahhh to keep the tide on time That’s a Swiss approach to keep rivers running on time …

So it looks like I’ll be home for the whole of July… Been some years. Am I gonna have to brace myself?

"You fools!"

Keeping the German registration is ok, so long as the new owner qualifies to have a German registered ship (possibly you don't - can't remember German requirements), but legally the skipper needs the qualification of the flag state - if you're sailing out of NZ. Many places won't ask you see your qualification, but some will.

Cut up a pair of your old redbands and screw them to the bulkhead?