Freedom GBE

Dyneema

Cant wait to get out there on the SSANZ 100 miler. What are the rules if we see whales ahead? We just dip I suppose, by how far? We can lift the boards up. Dolphins etc see us coming but these whales are unlikely to see us right? 100 boats might scare them away which will be ashame. I also hope all ships are looking out for them. I think they have to slow down in the Hauraki Gulf.

Good words Idler. Slow down is not in our vocabulary often enough. The turtle often wins the race. I am very suprised to hear how many died. Possibly got swept away, could not hold on to the hulls. We are never inside the hull when we are flying a hull but you might actually be safer in the hull during a capsize. We have a set of jack stays that we can turn over onto the bottom so that we can tie ourselves and gear onto the hull, not if but when we capsize.

Can we now sleep in for another 10 minutes? Or do we have to listen carefully at tomorow nights briefing.

The chain is required to set the anchor in a bit of wind without it bouncing around and ressetting when the tide and wind turns. You dont swing around in a canal. We have a small aluminium anchor on a couple of meters of chain that we take ashore and bury deep in the sand that holds fine. It is great for puliing the back of our boat close to shore to hop on and off.

Dad glues holed boat. Fiberglas kit from Bunnings $25, easy.

I would be in for a race to the Mercs but obviusly not on CC weekend. I have never been there, too far for my family to cruise to. Reading David Thatchers book: Mercury Cove ( at the head of Hururi Harbour) is sheltered in all wind directions, a low ground swell does enter the anchorage in strong southerly wind directions. There is plenty of deep water in the first half of the cove. Nice photos in the book. Maybe a race the next day with the Tauranga clubs to the nearest supply shop.

First do the Coast Guard Day Skipper course. Penny Whiting did a sailing course, not sure if she is still doing this. Much better option then doing the learn to sail program in an Optomist.

Our perspex windows leaked from day one, no screws. I have now added machine screws, hopefully that will fix it. If it doesnt, the windows may have to be replaced with fiberglass with a clear resin. Can you put a dark tint in a resin that will still allow light to come through?

The mah for these things are at 5 volts which fooled me. Bought a 12000 mah one from burnsco on special, still pricy, thinking it would be twice as good as our cheap 5ah battery. It kept turning of, It stopped working after 4 months and was glad to return it.

Got the App Wind Dan on my phone rescently. I like it a lot and its free.

Wont forget that day. Easy 25 knots on the start, fractional kite up. Wind got up, sending it through a small gap between the wharfs and a container ship. Couldnt slow down or go forward to drop untill behind the container terminals. Pumped and like so far ahead of the fleet. We didnt reef to second reef because we didnt have the inner forestay set up properly and had the lecture form the inspector. Bare headed, so overpowered, couldnt reach, only point upwind or smoke down wind to Narrowneck. Now blowing 40+ which wasnt in the forecast at all. Attitude passed as per pic above, we tacked rathe

Leaners awaiting a different start.in the start box during our start is common. Good answer.

What are the rules when a heavy leaner dordles around the start line before thier race and a lightweight cat is charging at the line at speed. One day it may end badly and turn a cat into splinters. I asume the leaner has no rights at all?

Only need our outer stay for mast head kite and code 0, we have a mast head runner as well. We like to keep the mast straight. Seldom use fractional kite.

Inner forestay is unwritten item that is checked by good inspectors, some inspectors will get justifiably slightly angry if you dont have one fitted properly. I think you got the picture and TB explains it well. A deep reef puts the top of the mainsail well below the forestay. The forestay is pulling the top of the mast forward and the main is pulling it backwards, bending and easily breaks the mast. Even more when it is rotated a lot. Had to use inner forestay when it was suddenly gusting over 40 knots, not racing anymore just in survival mode. Trying to sail upwind, hobbie horsing in

Easy. Not allowed to use the motor, no need for a steaming light right, duct tape and torch will do. Tricky bit. The second reef will invert the mast, need inner forestay. Drill 5mm hole in center, front of spreaders, tie 5 mm Dyneema, attach pulley system on front beam and hook to 5mm Dyneema. The inner forestay needs to come of during tacks and taken through the dork to the other side. More trickery. Drop and running over kite at speed happens to everyone, something has to give. Need a piece of string, strong enough to hold up prod during normal drops but will snap under load and s

I intend to bring an AIS allarm that fits in my life jacket and there should be few nice cruisng cats coming from behind that should have allarms popping up on their dashboards. If we flip they can see exactly where we are to pick us up in no time.

No life raft, good decision in my opinion. Keeping CAT 3 is important because there is no way the comitee can randomly check boats on the start line. A life raft on a wooden catamaran is as usefull as an ash tray on a motorbike.

Integrated and I would buy a short lanyard no longer than your arm.

At Northcote point we are getting new gate installed and shut at night so that the place will be nice and quiet and easyer for burglars to go undetected.

Ours chain needed upgrading three years ago, bottom chain is now 20mm top one is 16mm. Welded rings. A lot heavyer than it used to be, feels good. The swivels get replaced every time apparently. We only require inspection every three years. We needed to notify our insurance company, they were ok with this. I personally would not want too many cowboys. Contractors will then have to cut corners to compete. Four or five registered contractors is enough in my opinion. If they rip people of or stuff up they get struck of.

Submersable electric pumps (water cooled) are the norm for a long time.

I was thinking duct tape as well. Might sound silly but it has saved us from doom several times already. We have an old flare in our grab bag just to keep inspectors happy. Electronics all the way, 6 ways of comunicating with elctronics either on us or in grab bag. EPIRB in bag PLB in crew pocket. AIS alarm inside my life jacket. RT on one of us. Keep coast guard happy, but I wont leave my boat so I wont call them unless I realy have to. Powerfull torch in grab bag. little ones on us. Mobile phone currently inside boat, I need to get a better water resistant one that I can keep on me

powerfull torch knife mobile phone in waterproof bag perferably old fashioned non touch screen type AIS alarm spare bottle of rum Some of these items should probably be in your pockets.