Simon

Thanks for all the updates guys and great to hear she will be saved. I had admired her lines for some time and it would have been a shame if that had been the end ....

Does anyone know the story about he small white classic keeler that has sunk on its mooring in the SE corner of Okahu Bay? It has been down there a couple of weeks I would guess. It had been somewhat neglected for some time as the mast had come down and was laid across the deck. Seems a shame a little classic with great lines should be dying this way. Anyone have any information?

Is there a tracker operating - can't see anything on the website?

Amen to that. Approx 6% of Auckland Port's freight leaves by rail; the rest on trucks into the most congested stretch of roading in New Zealand. Auckland will have another 1 million people in the next 20 years. Its just not sustainable to have a an operational freight port in the middle of the city, particularly as its capacity will need to grow over time. Many other countries have realised this and ports have moved accordingly - it is not unusual for 19th century solutions to be needed to addressed in the 21st century. In reality its not a question of whether the Auckland Port moves, the

Worth celebrating that a Kiwi boat has won the 18 footer world championships for the first time in 45 years on Sydney Harbour .... And after all that trying, we get first and second! Well done to the boys on Honda Marine and Maersk Line. Does that mean the next JJ will be sailed in Auckland?

Interesting and informative article on the dolphin issue from McGredy, Winder &Co (and copied here with permission) Queen’s Dolphins – A Year in the Making What a difference a year makes. One of the very first things His Worship Phil Goff did upon storming into office last year, before he was even sworn in, was to put an immediate halt to the building of a dolphin for cruise ships attached to Queens Wharf by a gangway. He had campaigned unambiguously against anymore incursions into the harbour, and this wasn’t going to happen on his watch, not on your life. It was a powerful

Actually the returns from the Port, if we properly factored in the returns of the operation against the true market value of the land, are pathetic. I feel sorry for anyone sailing between Westhaven and North Head - the narrowest part of the channel just became 85 metres narrower. And about 2/3 of the ferries that currently skirt the end of Queens Wharf - ie the most congested part of the entire harbour - are now going to be 85 metres further into the channel. Because the Port has been able to sell Queens as the only cruise ship option, it also clears the way for their 5 story car par

You could see if the Explore Group team would lend you a couple of their 50 footers. They could look the part with their MH rigs.

Hoisting sail off Queens Wharf at 12noon. With that bowsprit, reverse stem, wings and huge rig it is hard to miss!

Just coming up Auckland harbour past Princes Wharf as I type.

Epic fightback from the Kiwi 470 women too - second place after back-to-back wins today. Good result if they can finish in the medals after the week they have had....

There is a good chapter on the updates Cookie made to Krisis in one of the 'blokes and boats' books that was published 10-15 years ago. Apparently he was going to sell Krisis to get something more cruising orientated, but then got his tape measure out and started making a few additions....

Re Playbouy, IIRC the mark they didn't go inside wasn't marking the end of the start line and wasn't a mark of the course so there was no requirement to go inside it?

Thanks Wheels - was thinking PA10 could be a good way to go as a practical mid-course among the options. Given the mast has never been painted, after a good clean/degrease, what grade sandpaper would you reecommend to roughen the surface prior to paint application? Thanks.

Does anyone have a view on the best way to paint an un-anodised aluminium mast? Not a big job as its for a 65 year old classic sailing dinghy that spends most of its time under cover or sailing on fresh water. I have had advice to just wash the mast with turps and then water and dry, then apply a water-based galv iron primer and enamel top coat. Is this enough given the mast has a pretty benign life or is it worth going to more complicated two-pot solutions? While protecting the mast is a factor, a key reason for painting it is appearance (the boat has a wooden mast which comes out f