Steve Pope

There is some coastal shipping, mostly being containers to ports that the big boys don't go to or not on the main highway route (sea version) Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Lyttleton and Dunedin. When we had an effective coastal fleet there were no containers, everything loaded by waterside workers. It ranged from the Holm line, small coasters up and down the coast and out the the Chathams, up to Union line ones that were considerably larger.

You could just swap out the position of the existing v/v to after the regulator. If it's working fine why replace it?

Dave Molesworth, he is still around, a friend has 1 of his steelies, Pigiron a circumnavigator.

Teak

I'm sure KM will find something for you but if not send me a PM.

I'm sure you don't have to. if you stick with wood there are a range of hard woods you could use, tealk being one of them

There are quite a few yachts "stranded" around NZ with their overseas owners unable to come to nz tosail them away.

I've got an old seagull you could use as main engine??

If you find what you want, buy a couple of spares so when the next one fails you can fix it asap.

Kiwiprop are good, (3 blade) in my opinion, reverse is like a brake! Going ahead, it is a little less efficient, compared to the Bronze one it replaced, possibly 1/2 a knot lost. Though in my case that is mainly due to the prop diameter being restricted by the small aperture size, therefore restricting the max prop diameter the engine / gearbox would be capable of using. Currently running a 14-1/2" would be much better with a 17". alwaays compromises. As IT says 5 grease points, plus adjustable pitch. Blade are tips more vulnerable to damage, being plastic. But damage one tip and you only ha

re speed, the average cruising speed over distance for "cruising" yachts under sail, without wings and swing keels etc. is around 4 1/2 knots, the further you go the closer to that it will be. Of course if you start up the motor it becomes irrelevant.

you can always do it yourself, lots of folk did their own back in the day.

Yep, I'm sure that you have done and are doing your best given that using bolts was not possible. It is just that although keeping the loads reasonable is the aim, the wind doesn't know that. Many is the time in my early sailing days and occasionally even now I have put off reefing because I decided that the puff / squall isn't going to be much, to realising that it was another underestimation. Of course you can always ease / release the sheet when needed, a flapping sail is better than a flying winch.

just try to ensure that no one is on the "flying" side of the winch when it is under tension.

definitely bolts and nuts, Nylock and washers.