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Steve Pope

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Posts posted by Steve Pope

  1. I think "Mediteranian" should be a clue as to how successful its eradication, control will be. They stopped worrying about it in 2010 in Auckland!.  I spent 3 years on the water around Greece / Turkey /Italy, never saw it and was totally unaware of it. I think we should worry more about the Kina barrens and the loss of kelp beds, sea grass etc. We are responsible for most of the imbalance in the aquatic food chain! Commercial fishing, Kahawai as fishfood for overseas salmon farms for example.  Remember how terrible the arrival of the Pacific oyster was when the harbour bridge was being built, soon became a money making business and that got it a stamp of approval. At least with fanworm, NZ waters will me all that much cleaner!!

    • Upvote 4
  2. Northland Regional Council  contracted fiz boats are once again diving on (all) hulls in Northern waters in the search for and containment of the dreaded fanworm. There has even been mention of prosecuting yachties found with it, as has already happened in Fiordland. I'm not sure if that was for fanworm or some other forbiden organism. 

    I did find out from the NRC chairperson that the cost of the boats and diving contractors is being paid for by MPI, and not NRC as I had originally thought.

  3. An offshore flag will give you freedom to leave NZ at any time that suits you, no cat 1 to comply with, though it is well worth using it as a guide so you are adequately prepared if and when you go abroad.

    • Upvote 1
  4. I have a couple of "plastic" clamping pieces on my Windvane SS. I machined them up from 70mm od uhmwpe solid. they have both cracked along the clamping threads and at the back of the clamp, (most stressed place) I have re-searched a little re UV resistant "plastic" and found that uhmpwe isn't all that up to it. Can anyone suggest an alternative that would be considerably more suitable and who might stock it.

  5. As you and I know there will not be one of us who hasn't at some stage made a call or a choice that has turned to custard. When you are on the water something that you have done many times successfully, can lead us to think that "this" time will be no different. My experience sailing says a 30 second time difference or a 50 metre difference in position may well have had them saying "hell" that was close. Bad call? maybe, but once you are out there and the conditions are far worse than you expected them to be, you would try to make your best effort to get your charterers safely to a safe bay / harbour. I'm sure he could not have foreseen the cabin being torn off and boat capsized and destroyed and doubt that anyone else would have. It was his livelihood after all.  Innocent until ?? Hearsay doesn't carry any weight. I will await the official findings.

  6. 4 hours ago, khayyam said:

    The actual generation mix depends quite strongly on how much rain has fallen and thus how much water is behind the dams. Right now electricity is extremely cheap, because it's been wet and there's heaps behind the hydro dams. Last year it was dry and prices were very high as they conserved the water.

    In relatively recent times, since the sale of state energy assets it has been not uncommon for water to be dumped from storage lakes to keep energy prices high to the benefit of shareholders, not consumers. Also the pricing to high users (Comalco for example) is probably as close to the cost of production as they can get, as moving that power onto the general market and the infra structure costs required to achieve that are considered to high to do.

    • Upvote 1
  7. 3 hours ago, Kevin McCready said:

    I don't understand the reference to 64 caterpillar. But it pays for itself over its lifetime they say. 

    I think all pre "sparky" tugs would pay for themselves over their lifetime, some probably several times.

  8. On 1/03/2019 at 9:11 AM, Adams said:

     

    Thanks for the insight on the availability of weed! Years sailing around Pacific Islands and around New Zealand waters...never once weed fouled my prop. It's a folding prop. And it's new (but has Propspeed). Maybe one of those rope cutter attachments would help. Or maybe a good few revs in reverse or a good wetsuit are in order.

    A few years back doing the same trip you are doing I picked a large lump of kelp off East cape, I blamed the slow down on an opposing current, I only found the culprit when anchored in Gisbourne.

  9. The Mediteranian basically has no tide, any rise or fall is related to barometric pressure. It does have currents though, usually 6 hourly + - with very little time between the changes of direction, very noticeable in restricted waters. Between the mainland and the island of Evoia (Greece) for example or the straits of Sicily, (between Sicily and the toe of Italy being 2 of the more prominent ones). I believe the water comes into the Med from the Atlantic on the Spanish side and goes out on the African side and takes 7 years for 1 complete circulation, and then is also the water coming from the Black sea also adding to the flow.

  10. 9 minutes ago, Deep Purple said:

    You know what's funny....Ports of Auckland recently commissioned a fully electric tug boat.

    They have found on delivery that they do not have the electrical infrastructure to fast charge it so they have 2 yes 2 diesel generators parked on the wharf charging it

    I have heard that at full "electric" power it can only run for 30 minutes???

  11. 4 hours ago, khayyam said:

    Wow. That doesn't leave many places that they'll take!

    We used to have Bailey's on a swing moorning. Been a few years though, can't say for sure that they still do.

    Baileys don't seem to be an actual broker anymore, they appear to be tied to Vero, maybe even owned by Vero? I asked about yacht insurance around a year ago, 25 miles inside the Kaipara harbour at Pahi, on a brand new NRA approved mooring and was told they were NOT insuring any vessels on the West Coast of NZ. There was no suggestion of trying another company.

     

     

  12. As a point of interest, Ive foundwhen anchoring in a tidal harbour , I have found having a small to medium sized sea anchor streamed over the stern when anchored in gut or hole in the tidal stream that has rocks or other nastys outside of the chanel was a one of the better things I have tried. When the tide ebbs it keeps you in the centre of the flow. when  the tide turns at full ebb I would pull it up onto the transom as the sides of the chanel will keep you in it as the flow returns until you reach full tide. Then you stream the sea anchor once again.

    It is at full tide with no flow that the boat can easily leave the chanel (wind) and become grounded outside of the chanel. Depending on the shape of your keel, you will soon  lie over on your side until the next high tide rescues you. Don't ask how I know!!

    • Haha 1
  13. 1 hour ago, Psyche said:

    Dredging the breeding areas? Its a bit like the handwringing over the snapper fishery, yet they allow fishing in spawning season. If we go down the list there appears to be some pretty basic mismanagement of our fisheries  https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/44896-Stock-status-table-for-fish-stocks

    I guess we can do our bit by not buying them either

    The average Kiwi family generally can't afford to buy fish in the first place. Let alone scallops.

    I remember a country calendar program about the Flounder fishery in the Marlborough Sounds having failed and not recovering. The local commercial flounder (Once upon a time) fisherman didn't seem to be able to join the dots that he may have had some responsibility. All natural resources are finite!!!

  14. Wow!!!! How lucky are you!!!, maybe you don't need the motor at all!

    I often think about the small boat sailors (early version of Countdown grocery deliverers, I supose) that delivered stuff by water on the Kaipara or similar harbours 150 years ago. They would have to have known every current, sand bar, safe bay, often sailing single handed, no Nanni's then, just maybe a big oar.

  15. Normally only used after changing the filter or cleaning the water trap, usually, as aardvark says, when things have turned to custard in unpleasant conditions.

    Often on a yacht that is used infrequently, there is a build up of detrius in the fuel tank, this usually becomes apparent when it is all shaken up in the conditions he mentions, (murphys law) and you have had to install a new filter etc etc.

    Invairiably it is the same time your wife / partner realises she has been conned, and she becomes certain that she can find better things to do whenever you suggest going for a lovely romantic cruise!!!

    • Like 1
    • Haha 2
    • Upvote 1
  16. A lot of Marine diesels don't bother with an air filter as there is a shortage of (no) dust when you are out at sea, unless you are sailing close to the Sahara or somewhere similar. You can certainly fit one if you choose, but I think?? your air pickup isn't designed for one.

    It certainly wont have any effect on your current problem.

  17. Yeah! one of the more dramatic highsides in recent times, with all the electronic stuff available the riders can almost get away with anything. Tyres most probably???

  18. I seem to remember that Wallas stoves were fitted to police? customs? pilot? vessels. Their was an article in Skipper Mag a year or 3 or more back, about a new build. They could be used as a heater as well. The price back then was beyond the reach of most yachties. Of course the Dikinson diesel stoves are still available,  but much more suitable for Southern waters on fishing boats. There was / is? an importer / agent in Invercargill / bluff.

  19. 5 minutes ago, harrytom said:

    An old alcoholic reckoned its the dye that makes you go blind,so before drinking it,pour through an old stale loaf of bread😀 That a direct quote from the old hermit,"Snow Harris" many yrs ago when Mansion house bay had the pub. Knew my grandfather well but never elaborated on what they got up too.

    The dye was put in it for that very purpose, the fear of going blind, of course any quality alcoholic knew the solution, (Not a pun) very much as as Harrytom says.

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