grantmc
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Posts posted by grantmc
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It's an ordinary, off the rack Hiab 008T-1. I don't believe Hiab offer 'Marine grade'.
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The above is real, I kid
I hate to think what that weight up there did to that boat's AVS. I would not do it...
My post is what I really saw, I kid you not. And yes, the possibility of sinking was likely increased, especially I think if it rained and the dinghy on the coach roof gathered some water. It is only a small launch, maybe 20-22 footer.
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We all know that there’s seemingly no limit to the modifications and improvements people will make to their boats. And sometimes they can be quite surprising. And I’m often left wondering why didn’t I think of that?
Tied up at the Picton visitors wharf a few weeks ago a family pulls up across the jetty from my boat in a little launch. When I looked up I thought what is that by the dinghy on the cabin top? When I looked closer I realised it was a Hiab crane. It’s purpose: to lift the dinghy on and off the boat.
Now I know even small hiabs aren’t cheap, nor is installation simple. Turned out too that in order to counter balance the weight when in use, they’d had to rearrange water and fuel tanks etc to the opposite side of the cabin.
And for those technically interested the model chosen was a Hiab 008T-1 crane (0.8 tonne metre) with a max. outreach of 3.8m weighing in at 125kg.
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If you've not done this event it is heaps of fun. Organised by Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club and open to trailer yachts and keelers.
Tie your boat up at Days Bay wharf, go into the Days Bay Pizza Pavilion at about midday. There will be cheap eats and drinks plus you need to register for $10 per person. Race start is 1:15 and you race to Evans Bay yacht Club. They usually have awesome prizes and everyone gets some.
Forecast at the moment is for a brilliant sunny day, 12 k northerly with high tide at 1450.
For trailer yacht probably easiest to launch at the Council ramp in Evans Bay.
ClickEast West Dash Poster Final 2016.pdf to see A4 Poster attached.
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Celestial navigation is still a major component of the Ocean Yachtmaster curriculum. And they don't allow the use of sight reduction tables. You have to work out the full PXZ triangle equation from sextant readings (at least they do allow a scientific calculator!). I well remember us all spending a Sunday afternoon off Paekakariki beach getting sunset sights. Using a sextant is still a good skill.
And of course an aspect of attaining Cat 1 is some proof the crew know what they're doing.
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That rock (it's called Walker Rock) is really nasty, and in a decent sea, can be very difficult to see, especially so at night.
The cruising guide doesn't have much information for Cape Jackson, certainly nothing in respect to when slack water occurs. The tidal diagrams only show an arrow but no times. It was the first place I looked.
In my version of the Guide (5th edition 1994) Keith Murray says 'The passage between the lighthouse and the Cape is clear for cruising boats, but often has tide rips and overfalls and generally to avoid these nearer to the land, than the lighthouse. There are strong tidal streams through this passage and to the seaward side of the lighthouse. These often run up to 4 knots, and set to the north-west with the incoming tide, and to the south-east with the outgoing tide. If the passage. If the passage between the Cape and the lighthouse is not passable then it's better to travel well out past Walker Rock. Avoid the area in bad weather.'
Although in writing this post now, I've looked up the NZ Pilot from where I think Keith has basically just extracted the above. It states 'The tidal streams around Cape Jackson are rapid and there is but little slack water. A strong eddy is formed ...' But it does go on to say 'The flood stream commences about -0030 Wellington and the ebb stream about +0530 Wellington.' So the advice I was given prompting my first post wasn't too bad irrespective of stream direction (at least at the Cape itself).
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Someone posted this photo on their facebook page yesterday. Photo was taken by an Evening Post photographer during a storm in 1963. The photographer was standing pretty much where the southern end of the apartments in question are located (they run north/south).
As you can see the sea is actually so deep from built up northerly wind waves and high tide that the wall is almost submerged (it's usually 1.5 mtrs higher than high tide).
In 1989-90 the western wall (in the photo's foreground) was raised by 1 mtr.
(At least I know that my boat's safe in any Wellington storm.)
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Have read the thread with interest. Just a comment on third parties that call authorities (such as Wheels friend watching the facebook page). Recently had a similar experience because the wife (still at home) of one of the crew hadn't received the usual daily phone call. We were cruising slowly around the north west of D'Urville Island and no cell coverage at all. After 2 or 3 days of no contact she became worried and called Coastguard who in turn contacted Police. Much to our surprise, crew of the Lady Liz IV knocked on our cabin door at the entrance to Port Hardy. Whilst they weren't specifically searching for us they still found us.
Cell phone coverage is crap in many places not so far away. For most of Cook Strait, for example, I don't get Vodafone coverage. But back to topic. My point is that people back at home (especially when they're not really aware of how difficult it can be to make contact can become worried). I think devices such as GPS trackers will result in far more such calls from worried people 'watching' at home.
Last year I did an international trip and one of the crew had a Spot Tracker. Cool I thought and I passed on the details so my family could all watch the trip as it proceeded. And twice a day a new position popped up on their maps. But when I returned home I wondered what might have happened if updates stopped occurring. If it were me watching at home, and one of my family were sailing in the wide open ocean, and no updates arrived then after within a couple of days I would be tearing my hair out with worry. And yet I well know there are many reasons why the updates might stop; flat battery, dropped in the sea, forget to enable it to send, operator error, run out of credit cos the bill wasn't paid. Is out of range still valid? I've no idea.
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Your best bet is to contact Clubs and add yourself to their wanting to crew lists.The links below might help.
Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club
Port Nicholson Yacht Club email Nicci Wood the Sailing Secretary sailing@rpnyc.org.nz
Port Nich also has a section on their noticeboard for people wanting to crew. Noticeboard is pretty easy to find, it's to the left of the bar.
There's also Worser Bay Boat Club which is basically a dinghy club.
Quite a number of other groups around town also have sailing/boating groups. Close to you that spring to mind include Vic Uni Sailing, Sea Cadets, Coast Guard, sea Scouts, Dragon Boat Racing and Waka Ama. Oh and Welly Classic Yacht Trust skippers are always looking for both crew and people wanting to help with maintenance.
Such groups are not only looking for participants but they always need people to help run the programmes. I'm sure the Sea Cadets don't just send a bunch of ten year olds out by themselves on their wonderful keel boats several times each week. Maybe you'd enjoy helping with things like the start box/boat, boat maintenance. All clubs struggle to get people to drive the safety boats for example.
Include what type/size/style of boat you prefer, ie dinghy or keeler or whatever. Most skippers with boats involved in some sort of regular sailing programme need crew, and so when they read your advert, the first thing they're pondering is whether there might be a match with their boat, crew and style. So suggest you also include whether you're into super serious racing, cruising, crossing Cook Strait trips etc. Or maybe just a bash round the cans in a slow fat little racer/cruiser on Friday nights.
And whilst age isn't specifically important I think it helps to say if your 12, or in your twenties or fifties. Similarly state what types of boats you have and/or want to gain experience with?
A particularly good place to go, if you're interested in keel boat racing is the Clyde Quay Boat Harbour (in front of Port Nich Yacht Club). Gawk at their web site for races times and turn up at the harbour an hour or two before hand. Wander along in front of the boat sheds and say hi to the people getting their boats ready.
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I've been sailing the Marlborough Sounds the last couple of weeks and I came across an old salt based at Picton who swears one should only round Cape Jackson at high tide Wellington. I'd never heard that advice before.
Do any of you share that view, or have alternative suggestions.
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So they do work. Wow!
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I think there are some real advantages of choosing a trailer sailor as a cruising yacht rather then a keel boat.
The obvious; neither mooring fees nor anti-fouling (ok you might have trailer park costs but they’re significantly cheaper).
An outboard motor; so much simpler. You can take the motor to the repair shop. And an inboard motor adds so very many extra systems, (water, exhaust, fuel, electricity etc), through hulls etc. For that matter you can take the entire boat and trailer for maintenance/repair, even if it's only to your own home.
If you want to take your boat for a sail around say Lake Taupo, it’s very simple. Don’t know where you’re based but 2 or 3 posts above have mentioned they’ve sailed Cook Strait. But you could also take the boat on the Ferry, that’s a big advantage. Just this week I know of several boats that have had to be left at Picton/Waikawa because their owners had to get back to Welly for work last Monday. That can quickly become expensive, obviously mooring fees, but also now there will be added cost of getting self and crew back down to Picton to bring the boat back in a suitable weather window.
Actually on this I remember once being at D’Urville and boat developed a prop shaft problem. We decided safest to sail to Nelson, (rather than back to Wellington), where the boat could be repaired. But due to weather, and commitments etc it was six weeks before we could get back down to Nelson and sail her home. The mooring fees were pretty horrible, and of course it’s not like your home marina stops charging because the boat isn’t parked in her spot.
And of course in choosing your cruising destination you can drive there. You want to go and sail Fiordland or Bay of Islands or wherever, it’s easy. Whereas with a keel boat, whilst the sailing to/from the destination maybe lots of fun, (and I’m not knocking that), who has the time? Most of us have work responsibilities. I would so enjoy sailing my boat round the Coromandel, trouble is that it's the best part of weeks trip just to get there and a week to get home again (assuming the weather is playing ball). And as above, if something goes amiss much more difficult and expensive to correct away from your home base.
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What a small world. This boat, her name is Cariolanus, was moored alongside my boat at Clyde Quay till a few months ago when the Council moved it round to Evans Bay. I heard that the mooring fees were long overdue and so the Council sold the boat on Trade me, to, presumably, recover the fees. As reported it hadn't moved for years and the hull was covered in weed and mussels. The boat is a wreck and only good for dismantling. Astonishing it still floats. There was certainly concern when it was under tow.
As an aside it is a shame that there's no simple and cost effective way of scraping such wrecks. People that don't know any better just see an opportunity for a cheap yacht that only needs a water blast and a coat of paint. I feel that the Wellington City Council, in this instance, share some responsibility as they've only been concerned with the money and have been happy to dump the problem on some poor misguided mug. As if $500 is going to help towards the City's debt.
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You're right Matt, he had a salty end that was somehow appropriate.
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For those that aren't aware there's a sad footnote to the Totorore story.
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Caper was moored at Seaview marina and owned by a Wellington family until about 6 years ago. She was used very little and I think health issues eventually forced her sale. An astonishingly nice boat. I believe Caper was still in survey when she was sold.
I spotted her in Fiji last year at Vuda Point marina. Still looking quite magnificent too.
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Have been quite fascinated in the responses.
Clearly the majority of posters and their crew only ever fall in when they plan to do so and also
- when close enough to swim to safety, or
- when someone is close by to help pull them out.
How fortunate.
I (and those around me) on the other hand have always fallen in quite by accident, with no expectation or forward planning. The falls have happened just climbing off the boat into a dinghy, whilst on the dock trying to help a boat berth plus other occasions. Nor am I an especially good swimmer. I've also seen someone fall out when a spinnaker caused a broach. That was nasty.
Most of the negative responses seem to have been from skippers and I can't but wonder how, as skipper, I'd feel if one of my crew drowned.
And of course life jackets don't provide a 100% guarantee. Nor do toe rails, anti skid paint, life lines, flares, epirbs, life rafts, cat 1 certificates et al. And there are risks in wearing a jacket. And no it wouldn't be much fun watching your boat sail off into the distance in the water wearing a life jacket.
Nor do I see anything wrong with life jackets being an aid to body recovery. As sad as a sudden death is, a body results in a much better experience for a grieving family. Both from practical (wills, probate etc) and emotional (certainty, funeral) perspectives.
And that post referred to by Black Panther written by Brian Hancock. In my view an absolute crock of sh*t written by a total dick head. BP did you post it to wind people up or as a joke? But as one respondent mentioned, the safety laws are because of the morons.
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I use black Trilux on the 'ship which also has that 'intertidal' problem. Works for me.
I've never heard of Trilux. Where do you buy it and what specific antifoul type do you use? cheers
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Just wondering what others think about life jackets. I know it’s been knocked around here over the years, but is there still reluctance for compulsory wearing of jackets?
I raised the topic at my rag n stick club a year ago at the annual Safety meeting. Every week I see many crews going round the cans without jackets and we’ve had the odd incident including m/wobs. As a Club I felt we should set an example, but the proposal was knocked down very quickly and I was left wondering why.
The rules too as to what exactly a life jacket is and the (optional) features included make what seems to me no sense. For example crotch straps, light, mouth/splash cover, whistle etc.
So is it time for a law change? Should sailing/boating clubs include rules for compulsory wearing (especially when racing)? What do you think?
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We'll I guess it depends on what the 3 bolts are holding.
An alternator bracket. It's not possible to bolt that to another position.
But it's not the first time I've had stripped threads in awkward positions and it was more a general question. Hoping someone might have a treasured trick they'll share.
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Wondering if someone might have a suggestion. On the block of my aluminium engine are 3 bolt holes, 2 of which have basically lost their thread. As a result the bolts don't tighten.
I've tried new bolts with loctite and a little thread seal tape but no improvement.
Ideally I would use helicoil inserts but the access would require more or less taking the motor out.
Any ideas?
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Hi Shane
You might get better interest if you give some details of the boat and your experience and the skill level of crew you are looking for
Bob
what he says
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When are you intending to sail over Shane?
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I read the newspaper articles that Ketchup provided links for (thanks).
Amazed to read "In August 2007, one-time millionaire property developer and bar owner Thwaites was sentenced to 400 hours' community work for tax evasion, and found $1.4 million to pay employees' tax deductions which had not been passed on to Inland Revenue."
Works out to $3,500 per hour. And to put salt in IRD's wound the 400 hours is in effect tax paid too.
What would have been the consequences for a young brown boy from South Auckland who stolen $1.4 million?
Dinghy Hoist
in MarineTalk
Posted
Nope, and I never even thought to ask. It was just a little launch and they were into diving. The guy told me that the previous owner had fitted the hiab himself.