darkside

I've seen one in Vavau. Pretty sure it was moored in front of the Christchurch yacht club when at home. An older single hander who used to dive off the spreader as a party trick.

Eastern side of the Tuamotus was the worst we saw out in blue water. Same sort of stuff mostly fishing boat discards. However most polluted anywhere was Straights of Malacca through to Thailand.

There is a really good article in the February issue Yachting World by Jimmy Cornell about the extraordinary changes that have occurred in the cruising routes used over the last twenty years. Most of it bought about by piracy and the virtual closing of the Suez as an option. It was also noted the changes bought about by climate change with the North West passage now getting much more viable. However for every win there is a loss with a typhoon being recorded in every month in the NW Pacific in 2015 so there is no longer a "safe" season there. With our first ever category 5 in May in the SW P

A bit of excitement on the final day. The Kiwis got one good start but later T boned the Poms in a classic port/starboard (kiwis in the wrong). A bit of duct tape and the kiwis sailed on. The Poms however took on a lot of water and had to be craned out.

Yes and monohulls record higher wind gusts because the top of the mast is all over the show.

We bluffed our way into the VIP area and quite good viewing. We can see the whole course from the hotel and this seems to be where most of the crews are staying. I saw a bit at Genoa last year at the boat show but no Kiwi entry then.

We watched a bit of it here in Qingdao yesterday. Very light breeze most of yesterday but more this morning for the last day.

I'm insured through AON with Cunningham Lindsay. I had a claim for over $40k a couple of years back (hit a rock at some pace). They were great to deal with, prompt payout etc.

Asking price and what you actually pay for it are quite different, especially if it is in the San Blas where buyers are few and far between. Lovely spot by the way. Vorpal blade if you find a 55 light for under NZD300k can you PM me? Awesome boats.

While dagger boards can help a well designed fixed keel cat will climb well enough to windward. Weight is the real enemy in cruising cats, long skinny hulls help a lot. I'm a Grainger fan but if you really want bang for your buck: http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/1998/Outremer-38-43-2959202/Panama#.WPWlavl96M8

Pictures of the project Southernman? Sounds like it has the correct number of hulls which is a great start.

I wouldn't bother for the Pacific. We had a 12v Shenker but only because we were living on board for five years and yes we had a washing machine. It isn't in anyway necessary and they break down a lot. I would also go engine driven next time or better yet 230v. That way you can have the whole thing somewhere nice to work on it because you will have to. We did supply water to a couple of other yachts that had run out but that was in the Red Sea.

I agree. My wife wrote a number of articles for NZ magazines, mostly for fun the payment was minimal. When we were circumnavigating Fatty Goodlander was probably the highest profile cruiser/writer, we met him briefly in Lumut. It is way easier to "monetise" your cruising now with Youtube etc and good luck to those that do.

Any sightings of them out?

I've climbed on three unmanned dragging boats to save them from damage in Whitianga, Heretonga around the back of the Barrier, and off Bodrum. I would have no hesitation in doing that again. The first we tied with a long warp to a nearby mooring, one we towed back in and re-anchored just as the owners arrived back and the third we broke into, got it started and motored around until the owners arrived back. (that one wasn't their fault, the anchor had fouled on a length of steel pipe) Our most interesting poor anchoring incident though was in Tobago Cays when a French yacht dragged and swept a

Yes last night, yes 9.39pm but visible for about 30 seconds I guess. It's been up there for nearly 20 years now. We had a great view of it while doing a trans tasman a quite a few years ago.

Yep saw it fly over at Opito Bay

I'll second Urquharts Bay. Good snapper fishing in the anchorage.