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Island Time

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Posts posted by Island Time

  1. Yep, done the 12v conversion. Pretty straight forward,  with a 12-48v dc-dc adapter, then a poe adapter, then a ethernet to starlink cable adapter. All available online. I had to cut my starlink cable to get it (physically) thru the stern mount, and then shorten for the install. Pretty easy, and been on the boat this weekend using it. Speeds been variable from about 60 Mb/s to about 170. Netflix, TV on demand, whatever all works great, as does wifi calling from the boat when no or poor cellular connection.  😀

    20230827_103636.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Upvote 1
  2. 23 hours ago, funlovincriminal said:

    The issue I have (and I would wager I'm not the first to suffer this)....

    Is that we have a particular trip in mind. Duration 6 months.

     And although we are a family of 4, part of the attraction (read persuader) for getting this endeavor off the ground with my fair lady is the ability to periodically home other entire families with kids for 2 weeks at a time to break up the boredom for the kids and her.

    So, myself who would happily go offshore in a Ross 40 or some such now has to look for something that can sleep 8-9, and sustain land folk who don't grasp the concept of not showering every day and opening the fridge every 5 mins, needing to plug hair straighteners in etc etc.

    So that sends you into the 50ft bracket. 

    Thing is, this may well be a one off trip.

    I'm  based in the Weiti, so draft is a concern. (Not flush so we can have a flash boat or a marina - not both)

    I'm happy to get a 1020 on and off piles by myself, a 40ft boat wouldn't present any bigger issue IMO. A 50ft plus beast becomes a bit of a burden even without having to haul and maintain.

    But living in the islands we are going to need outdoor space, as much as I want a 1220 to work, the small cockpit and sloping coamings even without a wheel attached make for a pretty camped under Bimini experience.

    Boat is sound in every other respect. 

    Champagne tastes maybe not, but definitely beer budget!

    Heaps of other boats with families out there. They won't be bored. Ever. The cruising community is cool.

    • Upvote 1
  3. Well, finally decided that I needed my own starlink system, as customers have them and/or are asking about them. Bought it from Noel Leemings - about $350. It comes with a router for WIFI and powering the antenna, a power cord, and a router to antenna cord. That's it, and that's all you need for a 230v setup. It's really easy to do, basically go to starlink.com, and create an account. It asks for the KIT number for your antenna, and then credit card details. I chose the basic local roam plan, $199/month.  Setup was easy - basically plug it in, name your WIFI network, and allocate a password. 5 mins later, all working..

    So, what does it do? Well, it's internet. Fast internet. Actually it's faster than the fibre to my house! The roam account lets you move anywhere in NZ, incl 8-10 K offshore,  but if you want further out, simply toggle priority data ($2 GB)  to ON in the app. Don't forget to toggle back off once you are back in the standard land area!

    Now, the standard Starlink is mains powered, and is up to 70w including the router. The next stage is to make it all 12v. I have the parts for that on order, including a replacement router. Cost for the parts for that is about $250 - coming from Amazon.  I'll update when that is here and going.

    Meantime I've removed an old WIFI long range antenna from the Wind Gen mast, and made a Starlink antenna mount adapter. The plan is to be able to simply remove the Starlink antenna from the boat, and attach to the House - so I can cancel the house Fibre connection. That way the Starlink cost will actually be $100/Month more than the std house fiber connection.

    The benefits afloat are significant. Wifi calling on cell phone anywhere, no cell service required. Full internet at speed, so netfilix, predictwind, crew.org, Weather from any source, video calls etc etc. Anything you can do on fibre, incl work!

    Got to say that even though I knew this was what it did, and I've set it up for customers, and used it myself on other boats, I can't help but be impressed to have it on my own boat. Tech is really moving on, and what a huge step forward for anyone in a remote location, cruising or ashore!

     

    • Like 2
  4. Ok, Please don't take this the wrong way. As you have no other answers perhaps I can offer a few thoughts?

    The Tasman is not to be taken lightly, and December can be windy. Expect to see 40-60 knots at some stage and you will likely not be disappointed. You may be lucky, but don't count on it. You may be unlucky and see more... Consider before leaving what your heavy weather plan is.

    I have done the Tasman more than 10 times, including Solo, and over 50000 blue water miles. You say in your ad that you are on your 1st bluewater passage, that's cool, we all have a 1st. Is the boat NZ registered and therefore Cat 1? If so, the crew experience is part of the Cat 1, and that would encourage a potential crew that you and your mate have sufficient experience.

    However you are also saying indirectly that you are not technically up to running a vessel of this type, and are looking for someone who is. Someone who is competent, (Qualified?) AND has the watchkeeping experience would likely expect to be Skipper. I would. 

    I'd also advise a checksheet for use underway, preferably every watch, including visual inspections of all fluid levels (Oil, Coolant, Steering fluid, hydraulics etc, for all motors incl Gensets etc), and write down/mark the oil pressures normal position, oil temp, engine temps etc so you have a baseline. Deliveries are the most dangerous voyages, as you are learning the vessel.

    Good luck, I'm sure it will go fine!

     

    • Upvote 1
  5. Yes. But I've never bought a return ticket. Just a properly executed letter, it needs to look official, proper vessel stamps and letterheads help. Seafarers do this all the time, replacement crew fly in on one way tickets, but often Airline staff are not used to it. And check in with plenty of time. If you have issues, ask for a supervisor.

  6. You'll need an official letter from the owner/skipper saying you are signing on as crew. Best on letterhead,  and stamped with ships stamp. Otherwise airlines can deny boarding...

  7. You can give feedback here https://aucklandtransport.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4O50ulCJnvay6WO?URLTopic=mainlink

    This is what I submitted.

    I oppose the proposal to terminate the Gulf Harbour ferry service in 2028.

    It reduces public transport options in this network, increases congestion on the eastern half of the peninsula and will result in greater private vehicle use and carbon emissions. It fails to recognise the specific constraints of this section of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and the important role the Gulf Harbour ferry service plays in providing the fastest and most convenient public transport option to commuters travelling south to the city. As such it runs entirely contrary to the notion of an integrated public transport network on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and has the potential to produce perverse effects on that network as a whole.

    (b) This proposal will negatively impact people’s travel choices and their lives.

    ( a chance to briefly say if you live in the area and how it will affect you? Will you use a bus instead? Will it impact you travel choices and life more generally? How will this impact your travel if traffic congestion gets worse in the 10 kms of Whangaparaoa Road to the Penlink turn off in Stanmore Bay?)

    e.g This proposal will adversely affect the travel choices and lives of people east of the Manly shops. Significant numbers of people have bought houses in Gulf Harbour and surrounds because of the presence of the ferry service. Indeed the ferry service has been marketed by developers for the last 20 years as a selling point and at one point assisted financially by the developer at Fairway Bay.

    (c) The GH ferry service is a distinct travel option that has successfully served this part of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula for the last 25 years. It will not be duplicated by future improvements to the local bus service.

    The GH ferry serves a distinct catchment on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula that will not be duplicated by improvements to the bus service in 2028.

    The ferry service is the fastest, most convenient and comfortable public transport option for commuters travelling to the city. This applies to anyone living east of Little Manly travelling to the city. As such it is extremely unlikely ferry commuters will simply transfer to buses, indeed it is far more likely former ferry commuters will in fact return to their cars thereby exacerbating the already constrained roading network.

    The journey times and choice of sample journey advanced by AT are misleading. By AT’s own Hop data the majority of ferry patrons come from the general Gulf Harbour catchment not Manly shops (as used in the sample representative journey put up AT - the average travel time attributed to the ferry exaggerated as a result).

    The rationale of ‘duplication’ advanced for terminating the Gulf harbour ferry runs entirely contrary to what is being proposed for nearly all other ferry services in the RPTP where they are being extended despite the simultaneous investment of major new bus infrastructure in the same location. (e.g at West Harbour and Hobsonville the proposal is for additional peak, mid-day and evening ferry trips despite the fact an improved busway and express service from Westgate along the North Western Motorway is currently being constructed. Similarly at Half Moon Bay the proposal is to add additional peak and weekend trips despite the massive investment in the nearby Eastern Busway).

    Right up until this RPTP proposal went out last week, Auckland Transport has previously consistently signalled to the community that the Gulf Harbour ferry service would also receive a similar extension in services over time. As such this proposal represents a breach of faith with the community.

    (d) This proposal will add to the already constrained 10 kilometres of roading network from Gulf Harbour/Army Bay through to the Penlink intersection affecting both private vehicles and buses.

    There is approximately 10 kilometres of roading east of the Penlink connection which remains entirely unaffected by the Penlink project. It is also the part of the peninsula served by the Gulf Harbour ferry service and which will become increasingly congested for private vehicles and buses alike as development continues.

    This section of the peninsula already queues back to Little Manly in the mornings - Penlink does not do anything about this fundamental roading constraint east of the Whangaparaoa Plaza – there are no plans to widen or add lanes and previous studies through the legacy council have shown this to be prohibitively expensive. Removal of the ferry service will inevitably put more private vehicles back on the road for this 10 kilometre section exacerbating the congestion that already affects both buses and cars.

    (In short if the ferry service is removed $835 million will have been spent improving the travel times getting off the peninsula once at Stanmore Bay but simultaneously increasing the travel time and congestion actually getting to that turn-off – in essence one step forwards two steps back for any bus or private vehicle travelling from east of the Plaza).

    As such this proposal shows inadequate awareness of the internal network dynamics of the 15 kilometre long Whangaparaoa Peninsula. It assumes Penlink improves travel times along all the peninsula. It doesn’t. Whangaparaoa will therefore always remain a delicate balancing act in terms of traffic flows given its inherent geographic constraints with the ferry service remaining the best travel option for travel to the city from the eastern half of the peninsula for this coastal community.

    (e) The proposal runs contrary to repeated assurances given by Auckland Transport that the ferry service would be increased and improved in the future. It also runs contrary to the emerging integrated transport network on the HBC .

    This proposal runs entirely contrary to the repeated assurances given by AT over the last 6 years that the GH ferry service will be incrementally improved with additional sailings and improved vessels – assurances that have been backed up with considerable sunk investment in the GH ferry service – through implementation of additional sailings, the multi-million dollar purchase of the leasehold interest in the Hammerhead for the ferry terminal and associated parking (at the behest of AT) and the multi-million dollar payment for long term leases on the 3 ferry berths at the marina along with additional investment in ferry infrastructure at both Gulf Harbour and in the city.

    As such this proposal represents a breach of faith with this community who were not consulted in any shape of form as with their elected representatives (and it would seem the operator as well its CEO publicly stating “We regard the Gulf Harbour ferry service as a valuable and important part of Auckland’s wider ferry network.”

    The Gulf Harbour ferry service is a vital part of an emerging integrated transport network on the Hibiscus Coast involving private vehicle, bus and ferry travel. Penlink will enhance the overall network but to remove the ferry component as proposed will negatively impact the others to the detriment of

    the network as a whole. The significant investment of Penlink will be compromised on the eastern half of the peninsula as a result.

    (f) Auckland Transport’s assertion, as part of their rationale for eliminating the service, that ferry unreliability is mainly attributable to unfavourable weather conditions is incorrect.

    Ferry cancellations were simply not a significant issue when the previous operator 360 Discovery ran the Gulf Harbour ferry service up to 2019. Cancellations in the period referred to in this proposal (41.3% figure quoted) were largely the result of the well-publicised region wide crew shortages, vessel breakdowns and other operator-related issues. To suggest otherwise, as this proposal does, is misleading. Auckland Transport’s own travel data below, shows average annual cancellation rates averaged only 6.8% in the four years 2018-2021 yet a phenomenal 43.13% in the last 18 months.

    Average cancellation rates 2018 - 5.25%, 2019 – 5.79%, 2020 – 7.42%, 2021 – 8.91%, 2022 – 38.35%, 2023 – 47.91%

    As far as cancellations go, the main issue lies with the operator’s performance not the weather (and indeed AT’s ongoing failure to ensure that a satisfactory standard of service is consistently being provided as was the case pre-2021). This has led to the view in the community that AT is allowing the service to be run down through chronic unreliability and a high cancellation rate rather than adequately addressing the operator’s shortcomings on this particular run and indeed across the ferry network as a whole.

    (g) Overall carbon emissions will increase with the proposed termination of the ferry service

    The Gulf Harbour ferry service makes a significant contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions from the eastern half of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

    When the Gulf Harbour ferry was not beset with the chronic unreliability of the last 18 months it could average 16,000 to 18,000 boardings a month pre-covid with the previous operator (and that’s for just a 5 day a week timetable). Even with a 37.1% cancellation rate in March 2023 it still had over 10,000 boardings. Addressing operator reliability will see that number quickly climb back up again and increase even further with ongoing development in this area. The Gulf Harbour ferry can therefore make a significant contribution to an overall reduced carbon footprint for this part of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula especially if termination of the service results in the return of significant numbers of patrons to private vehicle use and increased congestion.

    Battery electric and hydrogen technology is progressing fast. In 5 years time there could well be improved options for longer runs such as the Gulf Harbour route in addition to the funded efficiency gains from the ongoing upgrades to existing vessels in the fleet that will result in better performance.

    The proposal to terminate the Gulf Harbour ferry service should be rejected and instead the focus in this RPTP put on increasing the weekly services at Gulf Harbour (including the trial of a weekend service). This would be consistent with what is happening with other ferry service across the region and with what has previously been planned for the Gulf Harbour service. It would also be far more consistent with the vision and goals articulated in this draft Regional Public Transport Plan.

    • Upvote 2
  8. For a start, AT were using passenger numbers from the last couple of years - covid and crap unreliable service so no workers want to go on it as they cant gaurantee to get home. If it actually leaves! The numbers were not wrong, but did not state the position accurately. Lies, Damn lies, and statistics! Picking statistics to suit your agenda is not being truthful...

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