2flit
-
Content Count
194 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
5
Content Type
Profiles
Media Demo
Forums
Gallery
Calendar
Store
Posts posted by 2flit
-
-
14 hours ago, Fogg said:
Cool thanks. Does she have a timetable she’s targeting?
https://www.peregrinasails.com/ some info here with a map showing stop overs
-
1
-
-
34 minutes ago, aardvarkash10 said:
Hire a NZ crew to fly up (or sail up) and bring it back.
Good point, we read on a Facebook site where a NZ citizen offered to sail a boat to NZ.... if someone was "stuck" with their boat and could not come to New Zealand.
-
11 minutes ago, Fish said:
You are correct Fogg, but then how come they can't return to the UK from FP? There are flights from there to Europe, possibly direct I think.
Fish... As a side note. The mother wrote me to say that they have no place to keep the boat around Tahiti other than a mooring. It's reportedly a $1M asset the sale of which is their only pathway back to having a home in the UK. She says that there is no hull insurance available to them in Tahiti where they could try to sell the boat. They can fly back to the UK... but what to do with the boat which they must sell?
-
6 hours ago, Fish said:
Slightly related, Tahiti PM catches it.
The latest official figure showed French Polyensia had 2754 cases of which 633 were active.
In July, the borders were reopened and mandatory quarantine requirements were abolished in order to boost tourism and revive the economy.
-
6 hours ago, Deep Purple said:
Almost all of Newstalk zb morning programme on this. Listen live or available on demand
-
7 hours ago, aardvarkash10 said:
They want to come to NZ not because their son died, not because of weather problems, but because their broker says the yacht will sell more easily here.
They left and buried their son in the uk, then returned to the yacht. Get that - they CHOSE to return to the yacht, recently. They have a range of options avaialble to them before that.
They could have stayed in the UK in August when they already should have known the position of the NZ govt on cruising yachts entering NZ.
Having chosen to return to the yacht, they could stay where they are and sell there, or appoint an agent to care for the yacht while they sort their sh*t out.
Its pretty clear they are making financial decisions here, not humanitarian ones.
Thousands of people daily have relatives die in-situ. They don't all suddenly claim that they have to get out of Dodge, and sell their assets in the best market available globally so they can "move on".
The article is an emotive and manipulative piece of trash journalism. Even the headline is deceiving and a distortion of the facts.
This (for me) is a truly tough one and it may be that the herald got some of the facts muddled? It might help to know that I had an exchange with the mother and she said that they had to leave FP with no time to spare to accomplish the burial of their son. Then apparently had to return to attend a judicial investigation hearing in September in Tahiti over this tragic death. It may be that they could not have stayed in the UK ? There is allot to this we don't know and many possibilities. In the end... I feel very very sad for this family.
-
1
-
-
5 hours ago, Fogg said:
It would net improve the economy because a NZ buyer would transfer $1m from their NZ bank account into a floating asset that requires ongoing spending and maintenance - even at just 5% of value that would equates to $50k pa average service fees pumped into the NZ economy forever. Unlike the $50k threshold for superyachts which would be a one-off spend this year only.
Clearly Covid has not changed any of NZ’s thinking horizons - they are as short-term as ever.
Frog, I'm trying to understand... If it is a foreign boat and a New Zealander puts 1M into it, That liquid capital leaves the country and is probably gone forever. New Zealand now has a 1M asset that is deprecating at some rate (high if a new boat and lower if old) Money spent of the boat is already in the NZ economy and is going into the maintanance of a deprecating asset (i.e. lost capital) instead of into say into a home or business, that usually increases in value. How does this actually build capital or help the NZ economy. I don't mean to disagree, I am looking to understand this better?
-
6 hours ago, idlerboat said:
Yep...stackpac and Lazy jacks. (regardless of your batten choice) Makes life so much easier. Full cars will allow you to drop the main even with the wind on...but they are very expensive..
A two piece stackpac with solid fiberglass rods that connect to your lazy jacks is great for cruising. You can let the stackpac sides drop below the boom and pull the lazy jacks forward to the mast and tie them there. I cut the pieces out for mine and supplied them and a roll of 50 mm seatbelt webbing to the local horse blanket and tarp maker to stitch it up. Fantastic and cheap end product.
Thanks for posting and I am trying to understand what you have done a bit batter... You cut what pieces out of what parts? Is the whole affair home made or did you modify a loft made stack-pack and from what vendor? A picture of the arrangement with the mainsail raised and the stack-pack battens 'fallen' below with the lazy jacks pulled forward would be very nice to see?
-
11 hours ago, Fogg said:
Thats' a youtube channel try here... https://bandbyachtdesigns.com/spindrift
-
1
-
-
8 hours ago, Fogg said:
The boat depicted in the article....The "Solandge" was birthed next to us before we left San Diego two years ago. They were practicing helicopter landing on the aft deck all day long.... allot of noise. We heard they were trying to get things ready for the owners imminent arrival. The whole thing with these super yachts getting in makes me feel like I got drug thru a knothole backwards, arrrrgh!
-
6 hours ago, 44forty said:
I can’t help wonder if any owners will try and pose as a crew member to get in to the country .
How long does the crew & Captain get to stay in New Zealand?
-
9 hours ago, Island Time said:
Fish, if you think the average cruising boat, or crew, is up to a trip around Cape Horn, you are sadly mistaken. You are underestimating the difficulties of that voyage, and the suitability of these vessels and their crews. Mostly. Some could, but they would be uncommon exceptions.
The other way (W) is possible, and boats go that way every year. However most of these boats would not have the endurance to do a non stop voyage of more than a month, they's need fuel, gas and provisions along the way. Right now they cant get any of that. Anywhere.
Most cruisers take YEARS to complete a circumnavigation, they did not plan on extended continuous voyages, and their boats are not set up for that.
What you, and others on here are suggesting is not, IMO feasible.
I think if this goes on much longer, some will try to stay where they are (legally or not), and try to weather a cyclone if they are unlucky enough to encounter one. Some will abandon their or try to sell boats and fly home, others will try what the German crew did, and some will try to sneak into countries that are closed. It would be a difficult decision, whatever way they choose.
I'm sure glad its not me out there this year.
Can Someone Please explain to me why the German cruisers who have EU passports (which allow them to stay in French Polynesia long term) .... why they can not have just stayed there or sailed back there to one of the two hurricane safe areas in FP?
-
23 hours ago, Fish said:
Sounds like the PT 11 would be a good fit for your specs?
2lift has one on his tramp, so will be able to comment on their suitability etc.
3.35 m (or 11 ft in old money)
http://www.ptwatercraft.com/ptwatercraft/PT11Description.html
Just came across this,
Anything you would like to know, glad to answer....
We have the full sailing rig w/carbon spars version. At anchor in Whangaruru at present, but headed back to the marina in Opua by the 6th. Glad to show you the boat and let you have a row or sail after that (assuming you are in the area? I've written the folks at PT WC about the situation and if I get something back about international shipping and the current order stoppage... will report back
(5).JPG.4b32d8d37beb8dfdf7fdcf26685c4a9b.JPG)
-
We have full battens on a square top main with Lazy Jacks, it's great when you drop the mainsail! We got rid of our rigid Selden boom vang (used to hold the boom up; it actually tore itself free of the mast on our last 2,000 mile passage) and allow the lazy jacks to hold the boom up when dropping the main. It would be nice if there were a way to more easily keep the full length batten ends from catching the lazy jacks when raising the main, esp. when it's gusty/variable.
I sometimes think that a diaper or stack-pack would be nice when reefing in higher winds. The gaskets tied thru the cringles is quite an eventful process after 30 knots is passed. We have so much roach that it's not possible to just stuff the sail away into the last reef fold an leaving it in crazy huge open folds seems way too much windage.
-
17 minutes ago, Tillsbury said:
Thank goodness it's gone flat calm down here this morning, although still chilly. I wonder whether he's in a position to turn for Lyttelton now things have settled down or continues north.
For his Tracker Position: My Predict Wind still shows 19.0 kn wind and 15.7 foot seas at 7AM to 8:30AM this morning. There is most certainly an old rough sea out there
-
1 hour ago, Fish said:
I'm feeling cold and tired just reading this. I'm not sure how much more I can handle...
Tracker shows him doing 7 knts NE, and past Banks Pen right now. Doesn't look like he is trying to (or can) get into the lee and have a rest. With my rudimentary knowledge of that area, the wind would fair funnel out of any of the harbours / bays on the lee side, and would be diabolical trying to get into, wouldn't they?
Edit, Le Bons Bay is currently 27 gusting 40, and had gusts around 60 knts from noon to 3 ish. Lyttleton (on the port break water) is 29 gusting 36 knts but straight down the harbour.
It looks like it will settle down quite a bit by late morning tomorrow (Wednesday). I think the loss of his engine is tending to keep him out at sea a bit more now.
-
He's almost around the Banks Peninsula with some shelter in it's lee a long way back in.
However, this was just posted.....
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. The sea was churned into a froth and the waves rapidly increased in size.It took all my strength to heave on the tiller and keep us in course. I looked behind me and a vertical wall of water loomed right over me. “This is going to hurt”, I muttered to myself as with a roar it broke over the boat and hurled me across the cockpit. Fortunately I had two tethers hooked on and was brought up short before I was smashed against the sides.
I realised I couldn’t keep this up for more than a couple of hours and aimed for the safe haven of Akaroa 10 miles ahead. We struggled on.
Suddenly, in a big gust, the furling line let go and the full genoa instantly deployed. This was disaster. I was suddenly helming a giant wind surfer which was doing 15knts down the waves. At that point the wind rose to 60 knts and we were doomed. I lost control on a big wave and the boat broached, we slewed on our side and the sheet snapped. I managed to haul the helm around, frantically winch in the other sheet and bring us into a heave to situation with the sail aback. Things were not looking good. We were laid on our side. There was far too much sail up, it was flogging terribly, the rig was shaking and the remaining sheet was rapidly sawing itself through on the shroud. I quickly grabbed a spare sheet and made my way up into the mayhem that was happening on the foredeck. With considerable difficulty I rove a new sheet, made my way back and got the furling line onto a winch then let go the windward sheet. It took me five minutes to laboriously furl the sail while it did it’s best to self destruct and shake the mast out of the boat.
Things went quiet. I unleashed the helm and turned us downwind. We have been running ever since under bare poles and making 5 to 10 knots under the relentless wind and giant seas. We get smashed fairly regularly by breaking waves but the boats fine and apart from a wave that just forced the main hatch open and drenched everything we are getting along nicely.
This was forecast to be 35 knts and it sure as hell isn’t. I hope it eases off soon.
-
1
-
-
So.... If we are taking about the specific case of the Germans; They are EU citizens and can remain in French Polynesia. They would not have been kicked out of FP or had their "time run out"
-
11 minutes ago, Fogg said:
He’s 77??? 😳
Yea... I think so. A few days ago I went to look at biographical info on him and what is a fascinating life....
He started out cutting his teeth working at a navel design firm working on nuclear submarine and frigate design got his navel architecture ticket but decided designing and building a 20-somthing foot trimaran back in the 1960's was more like it and took off across oceans, then a stent as captain and 1st mate fighting nuclear testing in the Tuamotu in blockades, then doing sail training on square riggers, ticket there and doing youth sail training... A bunch of other stuff thrown in along the way and somewhere I picked up a date of birth around 1944... but I could be wrong He is an inspiration and well over age 70 for sure!
-
1
-
-
We were sitting in Wangamumu at anchor last night with some 40+ kn gusts and almost flat calm water thinking of this 77 year old fellow out there on the edge. I am heartened an uplifted by his good natured approach to all that he is sailing thru, he inspires me and my life feels somehow larger for how and why he is doing this trip. Time for me to make that donation...
-
1
-
-
8 hours ago, Black Panther said:
In October covid didnt exist.
Or are you saying they should go there now? Then they would need a b1b2 visa. This can take years. I know this. It also requires quite a bit of money. ( first time i got one in 1980 it was $10,000. )
No... I am saying that they could have gone three separate ways to avoid the risk of hurricanes.
They are Germans this means they are EU citizens. As an EU citizen, you are allowed to stay in French Polynesia and are allowed to renew this for quiet some time. Given this status:
- They could have stayed put on Nuka Hiva thru all of this. Which is exactly what we are doing here in New Zealand. We had planed to go to Fiji this season but decided that it was inappropriate to leave here and expect to have a hurricane refuge in some other country.
- They could have sailed south to the eastern Tuamotu where There have been no recorded cyclones in the Tuamotus in a La Nina year. and the eastern end of the archipelago is basically hurricane free at all times. While it can get windy, there are an almost unlimited spots to anchor in the Lee of the Motus.
- They could have had the option of refueling and re-provisioning here and departing west I suppose they are pushing that way anyways?
By mentioning Hawaii, I was only disagreeing with your statement that you can't sail there because of Hurricanes, and I pointed out that "World Cruising Routes" lists the Oct-Dec time period as a most desirable time to make this transit. Waiting until November is very practical. According to Noonsite Hawaii is open at this time but I have no idea of any other visa status that these two men and a woman from Germany may have. They do have all the options above.
I still wish to reiterate that I too wished and had hoped that New Zealand would open it's borders to cruisers, but out of fairness to all the gov chose not to. This is very understandable, it is justified, and reasonable.
-
2
-
11 hours ago, Black Panther said:
Yes, The USA has a consulate in Papeete that is open. (This is actually where the Germans left from)
Sorry but departing north from Tahiti is a recommended time..... October-December Tahiti to Hawaii is a recommended time in "World Cruising Routes"
-
20 minutes ago, Island Time said:
Although Cyclones are rare in Tahiti, or any part of French Polynesia, they do happen.
The Germans were on Nuka-Hiva, chances of a hurricane there are nil. It's more likely to see allot more wind trying to get to New Zealand!
And the Eastern Tuamotu are almost nearly as hurricane free. You can get hull insurance in both places during hurricane season. The actuary tables on this sort of thing bear out the conclusion that these areas of FP are as safe places to be.
-
6 hours ago, Black Panther said:
Realistically few if any of these boats/crew are up to a non stop passage from Tahiti to Europe via the Horn. That would be carnage. Most of them wouldn't have the range to sail back to Panama. Can't go north, can't go south, cant stay put.
What would you have done?
I think the next thing to happen will be a boat arriving and bypassing customs.
I don't see how they would be 'stuck' in Tahiti? With a Carte de Seyjour, they could easily sail to Nuka Hiva or sail to the eastern Tuamotu for hurricane season, or even Hawaii to the north.
The issue (in the case of New Zealand) is not about safety and quarantine. It is about fairness to everyone. There are thousands of people who want to enter New Zealand. Some of them held valid entry visas, some are actually family (foreign wives and husbands) of kiwi citizens who are refused entry. It would seem unjust to allow a foreigner in only because they arrived by boat. As my shipmate has said....Allot of the complaints seem like calling Waaa! All these boats have the opportunity to Sail north or East out of the cyclone zone. In this case the Germans had been in Taiohae Bay. This is an excellent place to live out the cyclone season. I lived there aboard my sailboat for 10 months. The whiners are the people who are self centered and don’t want to be flexible. I’m not where I want to be right now and I sure as hell am not going to sail forth and push myself through borders. There seems to be two camps emerging. 1. Those who respect other countries’ laws and cultures and 2. Those who want to do whatever serves them.
Like
-
5
-
Deep cycle battery found empty...
in TechTalk
Posted
If a flooded cell is dry and been charged; you have a permanent loss of capacity in the area of the 'dry' plate.
If there is 'no fluid' in the battery and it was being charged (as in charged dry). The entire battery is history. Get a charge controller for the solar panel and buy another flooded battery, then you should be fine.