[Knots - Speed Knot Tying]

I really like the 'inverted' bowline. I'd never seen that done before.

[Knots - Speed Knot Tying]

Here's a link to a video of a competition in Japan for fire fighters.

 

The competitors take know tying to a new level. Amazing too when you consider that many of the skills are happening 2-3 stories high, and if the knot isn't correctly tied, well ... ouch!

 

I've a new bunch of people starting a learn to sail class on Sunday. I wonder if I can get them up to this level? 

[YNZ National Sailing Centre Poll]

The poll/vote thingy doesn't work. Obviously when I tried voting No to question 1, questions 2 and 3 become irrelevant so I didn't click them, but the system displays 'Oops there seems to be a problem with your answers'. 

 

Anyways.

Someone earlier did somewhat sound out my own initial thought when I read the news release for YNZ. I wondered too why can't YNZ take advantage of some of the existing building infrastructure. Just about every club has a wonderful water front property, and most are under utilised (and some are even empty). Heaps of clubs have leased out/established (or are trying to) some sort of cafe/bar operation so that rental helps to cover the significantly increasing costs of their ageing buildings.

 

We've seen the rationalisation of many sports clubs. For example in the Hutt Valley the number of rugby clubs have diminished as they've had to merge. But as a result the old clubhouses they used are abandoned, and become a cost to rate payer as they are invariably built on Council land. Avalon Park for example has two basically empty club houses from clubs that merged and effectively ceased in the last 5 years. Just up the road at Naenae Park the club house of the old Naenae Club still stands proudly.

 

But my point is that many sports clubs are really struggling, and sailing is no exception. So this same rationalisation will occur as it has in mainstream sports. The really sad aspect of course is in little towns where there is only a single club and it closes. I'll cite the example of the Featherston Yachting Club. Technically it still exists, but no one has sailed out of there for years. The clubhouse beside Lake Wairarapa is all boarded up and the Council fights a graffiti war.

 

In Wellington, I've no doubt that there will have to be a merger of clubs in the next few years.

 

So I don't see that building yet another shrine in Auckland will help the real problems at ground level around the country.

 

Another aspect is that for these elite sailors, well they're professionals, so why should tax payers and sailing subscriptions subsidise them?

 

 

[Ports Expansion]

Yup, folks its time to stop these buggers stealing our harbour.

http://stopstealingourharbour.co.nz/

I hate web sites that play music automatically, even more so when there's no obvious off button.

 

But in respect to the topic you present Priscilla. People want to be able to keep buying more and more and more cheap stuff that originates overseas. That means bringing it in more and more containers by ship. 

[The Great Crew.org Boat survey]

Regarding the results for boat ages, there is a sudden drop off at 30 years, so what happened 30 years ago that there were suddenly fewer (new) boats being bought??

In 1979 Robert Muldoon's Guvmint introduced a 20% boat and caravan sales tax. The tax totally killed both the caravan and boat building industries within a few months. The tax was repealed in 1984 by the new Labour guvmint. But by then damage had been done, there just weren't many people around who could still build them. Most of the molds had been dumped too. And of course, as Sundreamer states above, 3 more years and we had the crash, mortgage interest rates well in excess of 20% and a serious recession

[The Great Crew.org Boat survey]

300 odd views, only 58 Boats logged??

And how do the stats work? I've looked several times (I'm noisy), so presumably have caused the counter to rise several times, but I only entered my boat once. 

[Christchurch surveyor?]

Hey guys, am looking at making my first keeler purchase and contemplating a survey. Any recommendation (boat will be of reactor/raven/tracker type) around chch area? If anyone had a ballpark figure on what I could expect to pay that would be helpful also..

Here is a list of the approved YNZ yachting inspectors:

Rob Carpenter rob@workboatsnz.com (027) 306 9791

Kit Grigg kit.rob.grigg@xtra.co.nz (027) 2804407

Bryan Treleaven b.treleaven@me.com (027) 232 0420

Would assume they'd all charge a commercially competitive hourly rate.

 

When I had my boat surveyed (Raven 26) I had to get the boat lifted (quick slip $120) and the surveyor took about an hour. A day or so later he sent me through a report. I think all up he charged me for 2 hours which included travel. I found the experience really valuable as he explained a great deal to me.