Terry B

Cool adventure and the antipode of where you were born is as good a reason to go as any other That antipodes tool is fun. Coincidentally I'll be within 50 miles of my birth place antipodes in about 4 weeks time.

Not a bad result I suppose. They must have taken note of the many of us who turned up at meetings

Try Manta Marine, Stoddard Rd, Mt Roskill. I've used them before. Never had any issues with them.

Reading Webb Chiles website today and he has a link to a hand water maker developed for third world that's only a few hundred dollars. Worth a look for those interested. https://www.quenchsea.world

Following on from OkeBay, even if we have we still have 'local' shops they could all end up being 'big box' stores - like almost all shops in the malls. Most overseas owned. Profits go overseas. So Kiwis become (even mores than even now) just wage slaves. We become a nation of worker bees. Look at tourist (as an example) hot spots around the world. Locals can't afford to live in their own towns. Barcelona etc. Queenstown anyone? A recipe for disaster economically. And social upheaval. Wildly different topics I know. But I do worry about our country.

Away for 7 days, came back to Westhaven Thursday before the wind. Heading back out tomorrow morning :)

Hi Aard, agree he's up for heaps however that's not what the law should take into account. Unbelievable that a man loses his boat and suffers severe health consequences and this guy who caused it gets a $10,000 fine. Recompense for the ferry guy? Apart from insurance on the ferry? What about his costs for on going health issues, loss of income, etc, etc?

Obviously I don't know the circumstances. BUT - if skipper of powerboat that rammed the ferry was at fault (and he's being charged and pled guilty) then a $10,000 fine is an effing joke. Discuss. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/boatie-who-sank-russell-ferry-pleads-guilty/BL2OROTANZA6PDIJORZ2ZYO5MA/

Spent a very pleasant cuppa hours wandering thru the basin looking at these fabulous boats. So much history. And lovely people - we chatted to 3 or 4 of the crews as they worked on their boats. A lot of French people. And a lot of women which is awesome. Will be heading out 14 Jan to farewell them on their next leg. Unbelievable that it's all so low key when you think of the Whitbreads of the past. Hats off to all the crews.

As someone who has built a dinghy from scratch and modified the plans to make it two part nesting, I would recommend buying a second hand sailing dinghy and cutting it in half, inserting bulkheads, reinforcing and repainting. Simpler. I think. Save a lot of angst. Unless, like me, angst is your thing :)

Cruise ship rejected entrance to NZ waters due to Bio risk. Second part of story is interesting............... https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/301015149/passengers-furious-after-cruise-rejected-at-new-zealand-border

At the first meeting (which started this whole thread) there were heaps of boaties there. Not enough room for all of. There were boaties, lots of boat tradies etc. You could see the council were surprised at the turnout. Even though nobody was allowed to speak, just the registered interests. And that meeting was same place and same time.

I also contribute, it's a good resource - albeit you have to take the info with a grain of salt. And if you're really interested in the subject you searched for on Wiki, you can delve deeper in all sorts of other ways. Love that it's ad free and a not-for-profit.

Just read a full description of what happened to Tom Robinson (the rower) on Off Centre Harbor website. Boat performed exactly as it should - but Tom forgot (for the first time) to shut the hatch when he went down below for something. And a larger than usual wave filled the boat. We've all done potentially daft things like this and it could have ended in disaster. Boat was designed to right itself - but not full of water. He's a remarkable young man. Lots of info on his website and Off Centre Harbor.

Equivalent weight difference between the two sizes is a 12 pack (of beer, as if I needed to define it). Safety at anchor. Pretty important.