DrWatson

Buy that man a drink! Well done, Mate! How about a rum in Jan?

Morning All, Has anyone got one (or two) of those plastic sit-on models that they want to move on? Coming back at Christmas with the whole whanau and looking for something to keep up at our place in the BOI that can be used and abused for fishing or poking around the mangroves etc. Also looking for a sailing/rowing dinghy that we can use for fishing further out in the bay. Something like this... http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/centreboard/auction-960331965.htm

Yes, it's prudent to default to prevention of collision rules. One might reasonably expect to be sailing under racing rules, during a race, but it was not entirely evident, upon reflection, if anyone was sailing to any set of rules at all in this entire regatta

At the end, my take was that mark room applies, moreover, unless pink entered the zone clear ahead, as the "inside boat" blue would still be allowed mark room. Blue boat would look to dip light blue and dirty boat if necessary, and then harden up. However pink boat had a different opinion, and in fact came sliding in yelling "Tribord!" Much fending and "oo la la, pardon" ensued. Pushed her way through between blue and light blue and left them in irons. Luckily the boats are only 200-400kg, so it was not that dangerous and in general a good mood. But crikey, never be sure that

oh, there was plenty of beer, and wine... and all shouting was conducted in best French....

So the proper course for blue boat is to tack, but is it? Given it's a down wind mark, the blue boat's proper course needn't involve a tack (normally - ignoring the crazy wind shifts), one can come in on port and leave on port. Both dark blue and pink boats can sail a proper course without tacking. In which case 18.1b would not apply and 18.2b is valid 18.2 b. If boats are overlapped when the first of them reaches the zone, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room. If a boat is clear ahead when she reaches the zone, the boat clear astern at tha

So, although I don't do a lot of racing, I did get involved in an interesting mark "rounding" scenario on Saturday. Allow me to consult the oracle, if I may. Situation, light and shifty. The bottom mark, as it was, was well over run by a number of boats, (possibly due to no one really being sure of the course, organisers included) but nonetheless a little competitiveness comes out in all of us even if the prizes are awrded randomly to the boat with the smallest kids at the helm. The situation below unfolded: Dark blue boat, light blue boat, and dirty boat, were approaching th

Managed to hit 16 knts 2 up in about 12 knts of breeze on Sat. 12 knts is about the most we've ever seen on our lake so although it's not a super fast record, it's pretty good for our millpond. Unfortunately managed to turn the tiller into match sticks when righting from a capsize . It must have got hooked on the mainsheet which flipped through on righting and, catching the breeze in the main, just smashed it clean off the rudder box. Did manage to sail the boat back to the harbour though, by carefully balancing the main while holding the rudder box with the other hand. Chris

38°C here this weekend. Madness set in... Was Dr Marino's stag. We set him adrift to see if he could catch some mermaids... 5h on the river, and he didn't catch a thing!!!

The stratus 747 might be a faster boat if that's your style... But if you're not 6' and you are used to living in a tent, then the variant will be heaps of room...

The theory of Evolution is not about survival of the fittest. It's about survival of the one most able to adapt. The one who is most fit for the ever changing environment.

Thanks AJ, Many of the initial reports I read were completely unclear on that. They implied it while at the same time confirming nothing. Such is the quality of reporting these days that the 6 deaths could have come from people being electrocuted on a boardwalk while watching the racing and it could have been reported as "6 dead during yacht race." I'm grieved to find out that the implications were in fact well founded.

Not a lot of sales pitch going on. System is for solar with wetback additional. There's nothing in the price but normally the stainless ones are more expensive and quoted as being the "rolls royce" of cylinders. It does seem strange to me, though, to have a stainless heat exchange coil for the wetback... Also mixing of metals like that...I can't see it ending well with copper fittings and stainless systems - heating and cooling contraction etc. Bu ti might be limited as to brands and suppliers as the solar system has a bunch of probes etc.

So what's a good HWC brad? We're putting in a solar hot water system, and have been offered choice of SolarMaster or Peter Crocks. One is copper inner 1mm the other 2mm stainless. I'm normally a copper man. Anyone have opinions on which way to turn? R

Any deaths sailing are generally a sad thing. But this article doesn't make clear how many of the fatalities (if any) were from the yacht race. It's possible that none of the fatalities were from boats. Perhaps the people who drowned were washed off the shore while swimming? Article states that not all of the missing were from the race boats. As at least one of the missing has been found at his home, it could be that now none of the missing or dead are from a race boat.

BP, I think I saw you drying sails on Tuesday, about 1300 or so. Or were you sailing off the mooring? We're up and about the BOI at the mo. Might see if we can drop by if you're around. R

That is a large difference. How long does it take to save the extra 1000? Just wondering. I know it's not easy. But it's not going to get easier unless we support each other.

I have looked hard at sail lofts in Asia, and although some sails are well made, I would still support a locally cut and stitched product, purely because I want to support local. If the local sailmakers lose our support, there will be a tipping point where the local lofts are no longer sustainable, and we no longer have the choice. Everything will come from China. Without the local competition or choice, after all sails start to come from Asia and the locals are gone, the cheaper asian product will escalate in price to be the same as or more expensive than the original locally made product

It's a gem alright. Has been on my "must see" list for some time now.

probably not your thing... but in your price range.... http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 949441.htm

Had dinner aboard.

The solution to that equation will be determined in due course...lol

My 3 extra hours per day are starting to pay off...

Yeah, I'm worried about that, lol. I'd rather believe it was something I haven't got right in the setup before I start considering the sailmaker might have not got it quite right...

Tired of never having any wind we finally got a trailer sorted and headed 200km down and East across the country to Lac Neuchatel. As you can see, there was a lot more wind... But after looking at the pretty reflections of mountains for almost the whole weekend, we were rewarded with about an hour of 10-15knts on Sunday evening as a thunderstorm came blasting across the lake, giving us the chance, after 3years, of getting the genny up during a bit more blow and having a play. No photos, unfortunately, but at least some fun was had. But my question is about getting rid of that