alibaba

Thanks Raz, that's exactly the info I needed - you saved me hours of research. Vetus looks pretty sound [ pun intended!]

I also have to do this job, the cork insulation layer is now brittle and crumbling. Not a problem, I just love contorting myself into interesting shapes to get the stuff out - not! However, looking up sound insulation is REALLY confusing. There are so many different types around, how do you choose the best for the job? I suppose that I'm going to go with 'you get what you pay for', and not to get a cheap version, but- the not cheap versions seem to range from 130 to as much as $500 per square meter. Does it make a difference,or do I just match the thickness and appearance of the old

Great paintwork Zozza- I now have something to aim at!

Just check the swell forecast. I've been in Oneroa several times in an overnight SW, and had to get out of there because, despite the wind direction, there was a good sized northerly swell rolling in.

Does anyone know if there are still parts to be had for Lewmar Wavegrip genoa winches. I have a pair of two speed self-tailing size 43. The jaws on this model are fixed, not sprung, like some of the more modern ones, and they are getting a bit worn and not gripping too well. When I stripped them down for a service, the rest of the parts seem pretty good, and the price for new ones is scary. The internet has not been of any help, those places which I have found, have a few parts , but not the jaws. Otherwise, has anyone refurbished the jaws on their winches successfully - with coarse

Almost right. The app notifies your nominated contact, not Coastguard. It is up to the nominated contact - your partner say - to take action by notifying Coastguard etc. There is no way that Coastguard could check on all the overdue calls which are not self cleared on the East Coast, they only check on West Coast Bar crossings. After all, on a typical summers day like yesterday, the Coastguard ops centre will take well over 1000 calls.

Relative who used to work for the fire service

Sorry to re-ignite[!] this topic, but I was checking my extinguishers the other day and noted that they were quite old [ ahem - 15years ]. I sought advice from my qualified fire techie who said that , a] yes they need replacing. b] the dry powder ones do work well, BUT, c] if I used one, I could just about write off anything it touched since removing the chemical powder afterwards was almost impossible. She suggested that the best for boats is CO2 foam, because the electrical problem doesn't exist for boats, being only 12/24v, and that it's reasonably easy to clean up afterwards, and the

Technically correct, but who is going to chase me up if I use my VHF without a licence? How would anyone know I didn't have one? If I put a trip report in with Coastguard, I Usually put it in with my boat name, not my name, so I'm a "nonny mouse". Guys/girls - buy a VHF and use it to stay safe, particularly on the West Coast. There is also a free app put out by Coastguard on which you can put in your trip reports. If you fail to turn up/return at the appointed time the person you nominate gets notified. They can then take action on your behalf.

How is your traveller set up on the 830? If you have a decent range on your traveller, you should find that, on the wind, dropping the traveller down and closing the slot should allow the boat to sail more upright without losing performance. Worth playing with, particularly in the gusts.

You shouldn't need to hold the international button while transmitting. That means that you have to use both hands for the radio. All radios should be able to be SET to either US or International. Please don't go the handheld way, the height of the aerial for VHF - line of sight- is critical. I would keep your new radio, the technology has been changing quite a bit over the last few years.

Outer Gulf is channel 60. However, if you can see the skytower, use 64. When you get as far up as Whangarei 60 slides into 05. Ship to ship locally is 62. Channel 16 doesn't belong to Coastguard anyway, its a Maritime NZ channel. You can still use it, Coastguard will be monitoring it in case of emergencies, If you call maritime on 16 they will then move you to a working channel - channel 71 in this area - to take the rest of your call. Look forward to listening out for you.

Yep- they will, but callsigns have nothing to do with VHF licences. So- you can have a callsign, which is a good idea anyway, as it a] identifies your boat [as 130 plus boats on the gulf are called "kingfisher",] and b] if you don't have a callsign, they will give you a temporary one to identify your vessel until you do. Coastguard are not interested in any enforcement, they are only concerned about your safety. So feel free to call coastguard radio, set up a trip report [ or use the free coastguard app ] and be safer. Coastguard do not report people for not having a licence etc.

1. Double check that you have it set to "International 2. Use channel 64 for inner gulf, or , from Gulf Harbour, channel 60. Do a radio check with coastguard radio- they are happy to do it. 3.Technically, we should all have VHF licences, [ and you CAN do that online] but... Coastguard would rather you use the radio for safety even if you haven't got a licence yet. I can't see any way that anyone can chase you up anyway. Merry christmas

How was the Kaipara Bar in a yacht? which entrance did you use?