Fish

I think it very odd that a visitor such as Wheels to a marina required a safety induction. Normally safety inductions would only be required for contractors carrying out specific works around the marina, not for visitors on private boats. I've given this some thought. The conclusion is that the marina has heard about, or been tipped off about Wheels. I think it most likely that riggers mate did it. It is most likely to be Wheels association with KM, and Wheels penchant for breaking stuff, or as KM refers to it "product testing". Nothing is safe. This is verified by Wheel's avatar tag

I wonder how many brokers are reading this and thinking, if only they paid a professional...

Been trying to work out the current weather. Forecasts are all over the shop. I.e. Changing from day to day for 2-3 days out, which a makes planning a weather window complicated. I'm starting to think that small cyclone between here and Noumea is really screwing up the normal patterns. Nothing is predictable at the moment, have had 140 mm of rain the the last 30 days, accept there is supposed to be a drought. Hope Wheels trip goes well, the current pattern looks like there is nothing serious for a bit, but IT's plan B is a good plan B...

Stop whining about it affecting your world champs then. Looks like reality is making you feel uncomfortable, or is it the realisation that kids lives a more important than a yacht race?

In 49 days during July to August 2014, Isreal killed about 2,200 Palestinians in Gaza, including women and Children. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Israel–Gaza_conflict How many Palestinian kids are racing at the Worlds in Langkawi?

Israeli officer: 'We will gas you until you die' Israeli border patrol officer threatens to kill all residents of Aida refugee camp if Palestinians keep throwing stones. October 2015 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/israeli-forces-gas-die-151031140951304.html Are there any Palestinian kids racing at the Worlds in Langkawi?

Last month Isreali army storm a Palestinian hospital, disguised in, amongst other things, as a pregnant women, hold hospital staff hostage and carry out an extra judicial killing. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/israeli-army-unit-storms-hospital-kills-palestinian-151112050130289.html

The difference is you can't choose the colour of your skin, but you can choose how ruthlessly you oppress the Gazians. That's nothing about being anti Semitic. And ISAF will pussy out.

I don't see what the problem is. It's not like the Malaysians are shooting / bombing / starving / or preventing the medical treatment of the Isrealies.

In reality, I think they use any opportunity for a press release (i.e. topical story of a rescue) to push the message. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as education is required on the topic. My only reservation is they sound very myopic on the subject, and very rarely give any meaningful comment on what actually went wrong. Same applies to the three guys rolled trying to cross the Manakau Bar at dead low tide with a big westerly swell. One guy actually reported being trapped in the boats cabin by his lifejacket. They actually used a chilly bin to keep them afloat, but there aren't cal

"We just can't stress enough the importance of taking and wearing your lifejacket when out on the water. Things can happen in an instant and by wearing your lifejacket you're giving yourself the best chance of survival." Classic life jacket bollocks. Not wearing a life jacket had absolutely nothing to do with that incident or the resultant long search. Not knowing where he was was the major route cause of the issue. Said he was at Whangarei Harbour, specifically #7 bouy, but was at Mangawhai................ The fact that he was able to potter around in a 3 m dinghy, walk around on dry

Welcome newbie Addem, Very good examples of laws we do need, on the basis they would have greater benefit / reduction of harm than life jackets.

Waa waa waa, poor professional athletes, waa waa waa Don't worry about the people that have to live there. We have wastewater systems in NZ to prevent risk to public health. That is so infants and children don't die of dysentery and other preventable diseases. Diseases we don't normally hear of in NZ, because we have 'prevented' them (the definition of a preventable disease). It's real basic infrastructure engineering with very clear benefits to the health of the community. Doesn't cost much. Shame they couldn't spend the cost of hosting the Olympics and all the associated corporate spons

I'm wanting to hire / rent / borrow a cutlass bearing pulling tool. Specifically I'm after one that can remove the bearing with the shaft in place. Bearing is 1 1/4 inch by 1 3/4 inch by 5 inches. Bearing is in a P bracket, so 'easy' to get at. Anything like a Shaft Pro or home made equivalent would be ideal. Please contact by private message if you have one, happy to pay commercial rates for a tool that can do the job

I'm wanting to hire / rent / borrow a cutlass bearing pulling tool. Specifically I'm after one that can remove the bearing with the shaft in place. Bearing is 1 1/4 inch by 1 3/4 inch by 5 inches. Bearing is in a P bracket, so 'easy' to get at. Anything like a Shaft Pro or home made equivalent would be ideal. Please contact by private message if you have one, happy to pay commercial rates for a tool that can do the job

Don't get me wrong, we knew the boat needed a clean for some time. The context was that we didn't touch the boat for 20 months due to family commitments, and that was as bad as it got. If we were using our previous international soft ablative, over that time we would have had serious fouling with grass and probably a good layer of mussels going on. There is a wide range of performance and satisfaction reported by different people for the same a it foul. I wonder if there are some subtleties in the application and maintenance that make a big difference, I.e. Humidity or heat when applying, na

Photos of copper coat, first clean in 20 months. Last dried out end of March 2014. Basically no grass, small handful of barnacles. 'normal' slime and not much else. Note the prop shaft did have mussels growing on it, and the prop needed attention also. Very pleased with the performance of copper coat. Boat had very little use of this period. Boat cleaned and photos taken 26th November 2015.

Hi BP, If you had new antifoul applied in May this year and are getting mussels now, you have a technical / application issue. As Wheels says, I would raise that with the supplier. We dried out yesterday. First time since 29th March 2014. Hull was good, did need a clean, but just a reasonable layer of normal slime and a small handful of barnacles. No grass, I was surprised. Almost thought I didn't need to dry out, until I saw the prop shaft, which had mussels all over it and the prop needed attention also. I've got photos which I will put up when I get a moment.

I think you are all misunderstanding Kevin. From the basis of that Coastguard press release, it is clear we need a law to make the logging of bar crossings mandatory. They were commended for logging the bar crossing, not for wearing life jackets...

If the compulsory education law worked, surely there wouldn't be any ignorant people to save? Surely? I think you just sunk your own argument (should have had a life jacket on it) And what law says I must have insurance? never heard of it (I must be ignorant!)

Haven't seen a goal post to move - you haven't been able to give a coherent argument as to the benefit of a life jacket law. We are at risk of getting into a circular argument. Looks like you can't give an example of a law that does protect the ignorant. I can't actually think of one. I am happy to listen though if you can. The fact of the matter is, a law for the compulsory wearing of life jackets will not prevent ignorant people from drowning. The only law that will stop ignorant people from drowning will be to stop all people from going on the water. Do you support a law that bans

Help me out, name one. I'll tell you what is different about the law you name and a law for life jackets.

A law wont save the ignorant. That is why Coastguard focus on education so much. Education is the answer, not another law.

Kevin, I'm sorry that you were in that situation. Please understand that I agree in the fundamental benefits of wearing lifejackets. My 2 year old has two life jackets, and a good harness and clip line, and wears one or the other at all times. I don't want to ask about the circumstances of your situation because I'm sure it can be very emotive. The fundamental difference here, in my view, is the decision making of the person in charge, verse the blunt instrument of a law. I go back to the example of 5 guys in a 12 foot tinnie, go out in a 40 knot sou-Wester, but believe they are safe becau

Kevin, You and Grant are advocating the benefits of wearing lifejackets. That is admirable, but you are missing several steps in the argument. I can only assume that you are assuming that: 1) wearing lifejackets will do... what? ... save lives?, and that; 2) having a law will make more people where life jackets, therefore, saving lives? In the case of seatbelts, there was clear evidence of the initial problem, several hundred people a year were dying, dozen per weekend, in motor vehicle crashes. This has now reduced to 'just' about 300 / year, from highs of around 800 / year. Wearing