Fogg

I've just had a surprisingly great experience (not a phrase often associated with insurance companies) with Pantaenius. Their nearest office is AUS but they cover NZ and whole of Asia and when I presented them with a complex situation including a boat I own but have never even seen being delivered by crew to a shipping terminal in Asia and then brought to NZ as cargo etc etc... they totally took it in their stride and offered me cover for the same rate I was paying in NZ. Also, they have a relatively small office so when you call them you speak to one of the same 2-3 people each time so they g

Yes but Youtube post is the firsthand experience of a cruising couple who have been using a home-made Spindrift for several years - including the pros & cons. The whole video is all about the Spindrift.

Spindrift

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12370022

His voyage seems like so many offshore trips - mostly being either scared sh!tless or bored sh!tless!

Likewise using WN. Keeps whole crew connected 24x7 and never struggled with coverage expect in holes where there literally is no coverage like the blind spots out at Barrier that don't receive Spark or Voda.

What happened this morning Tue Sep 29 2020 I am sitting on the floor, wedged between the saloon berths,cold and damp in my wet weather gear. I am watching the clear blue sky through the skylight. Occasionally it goes green as a big wave breaks right over the boat. Inside is a shambles. I would like to be somewhere else. Things were going fine this morning as we ran before an average gale and everything well under control with one third of the genoa rolled out. Then things escalated very quickly. Suddenly it was blowing 50 knts. The autopilot was overpowered so I took over. Th

Thinking ahead to the day he (hopefully) makes it back to Waiheke I reckon this guy deserves a hero’s welcome. Anyone else think we should welcome him back with a little convoy? I would say weather permitting - but after what he’s been through I feel a bit bad being picky if it’s a bit wet & windy on the day he returns to the Gulf! 😳

He’s currently showing as doing 7kts heading NE which all looks about right. He’s obviously supremely capable but it must be taking a toll on him being constantly battered in coastal locations which bring different hazards to an open ocean storm. I hope he gets a reprieve soon to re-energise his psychological batteries.

"I have had a hell of a morning. I am too exhausted to fill in all the details now but suffice to say we are now running under bare poles before 50 - 60 knot winds."

How come this guy has flown below the radar for most of his life? By which I mean he’s not exactly a household name but seems to be a Kiwi sailing rockstar. Am I right in thinking that most of us here have never heard of him before? He seems to be a massively quiet achiever who has missed the headlines of other kiwi sailing achievements. I’ve only lived in NZ for 20yrs so maybe you guys knew about much earlier?

He’s 77??? 😳

Now sold (on TM)

Now sold (on TM)

It doesn't get any less compelling to read, does it?! Trying to remember why he chose this time of year to make the trip?

Yeah it’s a ‘big gulp’ moment to pull the trigger on buying an oversees boat sight unseen but we’ve just done that very thing (not a Pogo tho)! In this respect Covid is both an opportunity and a pain - the opportunity is there are now some amazing deals to be had on nice boats stuck in places around the world where their overseas owners can’t get to them. Asia and Europe are hotspots for this right now. The downside is obviously the risk of buying sight unseen but some of the deals available make the risk worthwhile (in my view). But I might change my opinion once our new toy arrives. 😳

Yes somebody told me that he arrived in NZ in the summer and was up around BOI originally

He’s the best nautical writer I can remember for a long time...

You’re probably right there’s not much competitive impact from Covid. But viewing spectacle will be diminished by the lack of ‘buzz’ from seeing all the international visitors in Auckland both on water and land. And this ‘buzz’ is evident whether you are physically at the venue or watching TV from other side of the world. If it’s just a scene of kiwis watching with few other supporter flags being waved it will feel flat for viewers - and competitors surely?

Agree. Which is why I think he should write a book. It would need minimal editing and be a great mini-story.

In summary it demonstrates that buoyancy is all about surface tensions & pressures - not gravity.

Too much time, BP, you have way too much time...

I hope he's able to get some video footage - it would make epic viewing! Nowcasting is showing N 60 kts so it's the real deal down there.

Thanks. Done.

If all the pointers now suggest the AC will be a flop on several fronts: 1. Commercially 2. Competitively 3. Experience & viewing spectacle ... then why not postpone it 12 months? If they did it for the Olympics to preserve the spirit of the event then why not for the AC?