Vorpal Blade

I still reckon you will break at least half of them putting them back on. Given the time and materials you have put in to these its probably cheaper to just get all new ones. Either way with a 50% breakage rate you will still have to get some new ones and they will be the ones that still work after the sail has been sitting in its bag for 6 months whereas the reconditioned ones will probably have corroded and frozen up again.

Got the VB and a few other keelboats out of the water today at Little Shoal Bay, another 12 more or so to haul in two weeks when the tide is right. Let the winter games commence - some exciting mods this year!!

One of the set up screens when first starting it up has you select battery type, closest Amp capacity to whats there and a few other parameters. Whats a peukerts factor anyway, sounds more like a measure of seasickness?

The system I use plugs directly into the shunt and there is facility to switch it to suit any battery type AGM, Lithium, Pb, etc etc. Once connected it then measures/determines the battery capacity and works from there. Our house battery bank is only charged via solar, the engine start system is fully separate and maintained by the solar but also charged by the motor. I tried a DVSR in the system so the motor could charge both but it didn't get along with the solar so i took it out. I prefer the systems are independent anyway.

Yes, my entire solar system is from them and its all been good since installed (other than a full meltdown of the MPPT controller) which they replaced. Also got their AGM batteries. HEAVY, but good. Im not sure how the monitor copes with the battery degradation over time, I don't know enough about it all in that respect. I just know the sun makes amps appear in the battery, the fridge/plotters/stereo/lights/kids etc use those amps that have found their way into the battery and Ive got a cool LCD screen thingy that tells me how many of them I've got left. Hauling out in the weekend of the 13t

Battery monitors are essential, Ive got one of these on the VB, tells me anything I need to know about the state of the batteries, Voltage levels, % charge level, A/hr "left in the tank", Amps coming in from solar and going out via the kids idevices, plotters, stereo etc etc. Also indicates when the system is charging (solar inputting more than is going out) or the opposite. This one can monitor two separate batteries or banks of batteries.

A friend of mine owned it up until about 7 years ago. I sailed on it a bit and helped him sort the rig/sails. It was beautifully built (Roberston Boatbuilders) and sailed Ok (for a 30ft leaner). It has a near identical sister ship Ixion but that one has a twin spreader in-line rig whereas JJ has a swept spreader jobbie. The narrow stern meant it wasn't a rocket downwind but upwind it was very nicely balanced. One thing I do remember about it is the wide side decks, really great when you are sitting on the rail but not so good when sitting downstairs enjoying an apre sailing rum. The saloon

Kevin Anderson or Kevin Johnson??

Wont upload a 659KB .jpg that is 3186 × 1333

Id post some pics of it on its mooring as it was just by us, but Im still having problems getting photos to upload. Interesting looking boat.

Well, there's the perfect beauracrat's solution then... To reduce boating accidents and drowning statistics the Govt/local council must immediately enact a law banning people from being in the water when swimming and on/or near any water while kayaking.

Iv found the kayakers between Rangitoto and Okahu Bay the worst, sometimes the lead one will have a flag a metre or so above LWL and there will be a trail of targets , stragglers sometimes up to 50m behind. A fast, pass safely astern of them usually gives them a bit of encouragement to paddle faster. The pilot boat is just as constrained in its speed/location as any large launch and has to comply with COLREGs just the same as every other launch. The difference here being they actually know the COLREGs whereas it would seem a proportion of larger, fast launches perhaps illustrate they dont pur

Knowing some of the Pilot boat crew and how its affecting them perhaps we leave the speculation for a while. The full report will emerge.

but the 9kg swap-a-bottle is never going to fit in our gas bottle locker. It was built for the 4kg jobs, we carry 2 off them, one for the cooker and the other for the BBQ.

While the Outremer 43 light is a great boat this one is a bit overpriced, this is basically the 38 with a bit whacked on the back at the factory. Any of the Outremer light series is worth looking at - they essentially take the base version and extend them to add waterline without adding much weight. Personally I would like to get hold of an Outremer 55 light, perfect cruising boat for 1 or 2 couples and capable of very fast and safe ocean passages.

I was just listening to the radio (1700 today) and the forecast was for Storm force winds of 60 - 70 knots in Auckland, plagues, pestilence (whatever that actually is) and general death and mayhem. I think they are broadcasting this here so it makes those in the BOP actually getting the thrashing feel like its not just them. Heres Windguru's take on what's happening for Tiri tomorrow, looking good for a nice reach to Tekouma tomorrow. Who else is heading that way??

Breeze just swung to the SW here on the north shore, I guess the worst has gone somewhere else.

I went out to the boat yesterday afternoon, in the passing rain, fitted another mooring bridle, took off the furler, removed the lazy jacks and strapped the mainsail to the boom with a sh*t ton of webbing sail ties. Took off all the cockpit covers, rudder blades, and anything else that could be removed, strapped all the halyards up etc etc and finished everything at the very moment the rain stopped. Looking at the track of this thing I think we will get spared the brunt but we will still get a few hours worth of it, hopefully coinciding with the low tide.

I had a neighbour climb over our back fence the other sunday while I was busy sanding away with the world's noisiest random orbit sander. He politely asked if I could desist between 11-30 and 12-30 as he was having an open home and didn't want to put off the punters. A reasonable request I thought, instead I set about making some cheap and nasty disposable polyester moulds for boat parts - I chose poly cause its smellier and the wind was in the perfect direction...

Ive never seen ducks laughing either, flying or not, strange behaviour indeed.

a 3mm poly cord up the hanks is a better option than bungy in that instance.

And you guys thought I was joking when I said Sharknado was in fact a valuable Civil Defence instructional documentary..... http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11829000 And then there is Sharknado 2, all about what do do when your airline pilot gets eaten by a shark mid-flight

wow, gusting over 100 knots at Hamo !!!!! at 8:15 this morning it was 97 knots gusting to 120 holy shite! Check out these live obs.

You must have really pissed off one of your neighbours recently!!

is it standard upholstery vinyl you are trying to glue as a headliner? if it is don't try 999 as it is just as noxious as the ados and you will have the same problem. You need a less "toxic" adhesive. PM me if you like