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Freedom GBE

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Posts posted by Freedom GBE

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Yep use 795 and VHB. Avoid screw/fastenings if possible (Thermal expansion). Discussion may need a little more focus on how attached ie external,rebate,frame and if perspex or lexan.

    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?

  4. 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.

  5. 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 rather than gybed and busted the top slides on the main. 

     

    Race over, limp acrross to Okahu Bay under gib only. Couldnt go upwind.tried motoring but then the prop bushes burned out. Managed to reverse into Okahu Marina and waited for hours until the wind dropped.

     

    I recomend a cat three inspection from Tim Clissold.

  6. If the leaner is awaiting a different start, then she should keep out of the start box. 

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

  7. 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?

  8. 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 into 2m chop, a lot more fun when the rig stays up. Getting home in one piece on those ocasions is celebrated more than winning. 

  9. 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 save the whole front beam from breaking. Erice calls it the frangible fuse. 

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

    • Upvote 1
  12. 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.

  13. 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. On coastal passages it wont be long until the mobile phone is al you need. I know I can call on several friends in the Multihull club who will save us and our boat.

  14. Hand-held VHF

    Flares

    Dye pouch

    Water

     

    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.

  15. http://www.propellers.co.nz/yamaha-propellers/

     

    Google Solas Propelors. Nz made. The rubber clutch inside thier props are harder rubber and wont slip like the Yamaha ones do. And is cheaper.

     

    The genuine Yamaha prop keeps slipping when the prop comes out of the water going through waves. We nearly ended up on the break water in Okahu Bay trying to motor back in westerley front when the Yamaha prop was slipping. 

     

    Looks like they are making a high thrust, four bladed, low pitch prop soon. Try one of those.

  16. I am with KM on this one after a bit of thought.

     

    I have seen a boat pulled apart at Nortcote Point boat ramp. It isnt all that good for the environment. Bits break of and float away.

     

    Most dumps have leachate pumps discharging to our wastewater sewers. Disolved copper cant be treated in treatment plants, it only gets diluted to acceptable levels and discharged into the sea. More fuel is used to scrap a boat and take it to a proper land fill.

     

    Shitters are already covered in seaweed holding them together and full of marine life. The antifoul has long worn of. There is a disused explosive dumping ground just beyond Tiritiri at about 30m deep. Dumping it there, in no time it will be covered with tons of contaminated silt from Auckland roads.

    • Upvote 2
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