aardvarkash10

Long time, no posts. We recently had a run of bad juju with dinghies. The original was a 2.4m soft floor inflatable. It died as inflatables do. So we replaced it with a 2nd hand hard inflatable. It too died the death of bleeding air leaks unidentifiable. So, the weekend of Cyclone Hale, we bought a nice little ply dinghy in the rain. As with cars, houses, and dogs bought in haste on a rainy day it was less than ideal. The rot in the keel ran in both directions in the bottom sheet and half way to the gunwale at the stern. No wonder it was light. So a coup

On the basis of that exchange, I can confirm that IRD have been using AI systems in their call centres for at least the past 20 years.

how sad? They are only a couple of items more complicated than an axe - not like the euro or later jap diesels. It could well be worth repairing rather than replacing. Still not cheap, but you end up with an effectively "new" engine and you know exactly what you have. If you replace with a 2nd hand unit, you don't have that certainty. If you DO replace, I'd be interested in your old unit as a core for a rebuild.

they are coming up 50 yuears old - I know, I have one! Good luck finding a good one.

In the Herald a house swept out to sea would be reported as a great new way to get better coastal positions. They would mention the increase in value and the difference between that value and the RV. Frankly, a few property developers swept out to sea sounds like a very good idea.

At the forecast wind speeds any debris you hit will probably be no more than a gentle nudge...

damn. No Sad Face emoji.

Thanks for that advice - yeah, I had no plans to modify the existing pole (its a very nice carbon fibre one) and I'm more likely to build a new one. The idea of using the spinnaker block makes sense to me now having read both descriptions. We'll give that a go. When the wind drops....

Hi John - a bit out of the way but I know there are spare poles for various lengths at Brooklands Boat CLub, Wairoa River (Clevedon). Very sheltered, but not a lot of facilities. Draft dependant - 1.8m would be the draft limit. https://www.bbclub.co.nz/

this took 3 seconds to google... https://www.marlborough.govt.nz/repository/libraries/id:1w1mps0ir17q9sgxanf9/hierarchy/Documents/Services/BC/BC Appn Checklist Master/BAC0002_3_PIM_BC_Appln_Checklist_Jetties_with_Boatsheds.pdf I'm picking you will need resource consent and that probably means an environmental impact report, engineering report and detailed information about the intended use of the jetty. Given the number of these structures in the Sounds, I also suspect there will be several local firms who specialise in them and have all that info at their fingertips. These guy

great europe cruiser with all their rivers and inland stuff. Some clever ideas and thinking for generic cruising to. I particularly like the light and bright IKEA/Scandi looking interior. The "chain to the bilges" idea is great! And, yeah. Who uses a nav station these days???

some spare pole moorings at Brooklands Boating Club, Clevedon River if anyone feels the need. No good for anything deeper than about 1.8m draft. Good for multihulls.

apparently its now a yearly event. Book your calendar for 13/02/24 to enjoy its next full glory. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/weather-cyclone-dovis-heavy-winds-and-rain-set-to-strike-many-parts-of-north-island-including-auckland/ENVEHS2NY6HXDH6LMLILSTPZIY/

We are ditching the spinnakers - relegated to Garage duties for the forseeable. We have an overlapping furling genoa, and want to be able to pole it out for downwinders. The existing spinnaker pole is almost the same length as the foot of the fully unfurled genoa, but it looks ENORMOUS and is typically unwieldy. What advice is there from the brains trust on workable, practical, easily-handled altenratives to the carbon fibre jousting pole we have?

hey - without wanting to embarrass you into a wrong move, this would be an excellent candidate to learn on. As Zozza says, a cradle on your drive will give you all winter to sort out the issues (many but relatively minor) and have her ready for next summer at relatively low cost. After that process you will know her inside out and have confidence in her because of the work you have done. Your additional costs would include transportation to your storage, but in the big scheme thats not expensive - Zozza is a good source on those costs, he does it regularly! Yes it is K Mac's yacht

Valentine's Day massacre

Left Clevedon in misty rain on Friday and stopped on the western side of Motuihe. Rain closed in so we read and fussed about. Saturday we waited for a bit of clear weather and then crossed to Issy Bay, parked up and waited for my brother to turn up in his Townson 34. While waiting I finished setting up the tiller pilot finally. A raft up and conviviality ensued. Sunday we sailed to Onetangi, picked up an Ali dinghy and returned to Issy by way of the back of Motuihe. Caught up with fellow Spencerite San Fran, and ate and drank too much. Monday dawned misty wet again but s

We use an oil extractor pump. Designed for pulling oil out of lawnmowers and the like. The tank holds about 1.5 litres. I think it came from Bunnings, about $20.

We are moored on poles in the Clevedon river and get a lot of green staining throughout the year. Except, we noticed today, where water runs down off our bronze locker latches. There, no growth. Which led to the thought of spraying the topsides and deck with a copper garden spray to kill and then resist the biological growth. Has anyone tried this?

I went out to the yacht with the owner about 9 months ago. There was a small fault in the fuel system that the owner couldn't diagnose. Once fixed, the engine started and ran fine, the usual noises for a 35 year old diesel. IF you think the yacht meets your wishlist requirements and given you have access to mechanical skills, the operating costs will not be similar to any other yacht in your price bracket. Just do it. Even worst case it won't kill you. Probably.

I should get the "what does running your boat cost?" thread made sticky, it comes up a lot. Our pole mooring in Clevedon is $350/mth Insurance about $700per year. Haul and antifoul and 1 week hardstand for doing deferred maintenance about $1k/yr Club membership to get better access to haul facilities - $300/yr maintenance fund is the balance. Stuff like a recent sail service which was $450 for a relatively simple service. Last year I also pulled the engine out and replaced a rear main oil seal and replaced the exhaust header. My labour was free but would have been 12

my thoughts as a relatively new keeler owner. IT is correct - buying is the cheap bit. We spend about $6k a year to run our 10m keeler - its about the same age as the Easterly, different construction. Thats just basic mooring and operating costs, not upgrades. Getting rid of an old yacht that is unsaleable is expensive - probably double the current bid on this yacht. With that in mind and assuming that any cheap yacht is a poke in the dark, you need to figure out your appetite for risk. Can you accept a total loss if you have to give it away to get rid of it? The yacht itsel

I fitted two of these to replace the mechanical lift pump on SO. One in operation, one spare. Cheap as chips, works fine, perhaps a bit noisy if you are being picky.. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/car-parts-accessories/performance/fuel-systems/listing/3975467503

you have a private message!

without wanting to be seen supporting bush lawyer attempts, here is the relevant part of the act. Note that the actual documents required are at the discretion of the Chief Executive of Customs. They are made effective by regulations or by rules set by the Chief Executive who has wide discretion under the Act in setting the rules. I suspect the thinking around insurance for arriving private craft from other jurisdictions is that they have contributed nada to the NZ tax base and uninsured craft have historically cost the country through search and rescue, disposal, and other actions