darkside

That shelf between East Cape and Hicks can be horrible. You have to go out around 15 miles to get deep water which is hard to get your head around for a 12 mile leg. Last time heading North we had very steep seas with the peaks so close together it was hard to keep the boat moving. Mind you I've had it flat calm there as well.

The small frame Bosch 120 amp alternators aren't very robust. We fried about one a year while doing our circumnavigation. We were told that they were developed for auxiliary lighting on tractors and the like. No idea if that is correct. The advantage was the very low price compared to the large frame "marine" units of similar output. 150 hours is pretty poor however.

It's probably a good thing it wouldn't tack with those fat armas as the grinder would disappear pretty quickly. The three engines are a mystery. No idea about the shark but this is the location of Chinas chart datum. There were statues of navigators like Magellan, Zheng He and Cook.

Seen in Qingdao yesterday. Perhaps the beam was a little modest so they felt the need to add a fin keel. And a bulb. Then I guess the drag was quite high so add a couple of outboards to help out the saildrive. Fast boats have coffee grinders so lets have one of those as well. It's not a big yacht so put it on the foredeck.

I have a considerably more modest Hill cat and for sure the Barrier in 2 hours is no problem. Mine is 2.6l/nm I met Voodoo in Napier, we were heading north, they south. They wanted to know how far out the cray pots were off Palliser as they wanted to cut the corner. Speed seemed to be an obsession. Sorry for the thread drift, my bad, kitty.

Wrong number of hulls and I think shafts but you could film at that speed all the way to Fiji with this. https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/auction-1847372031.htm?rsqid=4948a932d2cb49e2b6aa11c946e384ac

Do you want your engine to be in its sweet spot in flat water, choppy water, even rough water off a lee shore, getting through that reef pass against the ebb, motorsailing, and for added complication on a catamaran, with one running or two? Not an easy decision.

I think you will find Yanmar and Isuzu are pretty similar under the paint and marine parts. Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Yanmar Diesel Engine Co. agreed to mutually supply diesel enginesfor industrial use, starting this year. Isuzu will supply Yanmar with engines from 4.8 to 5.2 liters displacement, while Yanmar Diesel will supply engines with displacements from 0.5 to 3.3-liter displacements to Isuzu.

That's a little unfair on Yanmar. Alfa Romeo actually have a marine diesel, sold as an FNM (by Lees in NZ) and I was unlucky enough to own two of them. Last I heard that boat is now on FNM motors numbers 5 and 6.

Twisty add a relay close to the starter on the JH, problem solved. We had the same issue on the catamaran as the wiring is light. It certainly won't cope with the ten meter wiring run we had to the starboard engine Syohana for swapping the raw water impeller on a JH just take the starter motor off when you begin the battle. You can get the impeller out with it in place but way easier with it out of the way. A little tip with the Yanmar sail drives, you can get a blockage up the water intake on the leg from any soft plastic. Happened to us in the med twice. After swapping the perfect

Yanmars are great. I have had GMs, JHs and currently two 315s which are actually Toyota Landcruiser motors in disguise I believe. Buy your parts from Singapore and be happy. Mazda starter motors interchange with the JHs for example.

I haven't raced for years but how about at least 65% of the crew have to be club members? So all short handers have to be members but everyone else can take one (or more on big crews) newbie to give them a taste without joining a club first.

There were perhaps half a dozen there. Flat calm when we left but I see E 20kn + already at Channel

Bottlenose dolphin amongst the yachts in Oneroa this morning

Lies, damn lies and statistics I think is the saying. Most of the foreign flags had sailed a long way to be able depart from NZ. Some a very long way. A couple of points to ponder.... 1. how many of the foreign flags that needed help would have failed Cat one 2. how experienced were the crew on the NZ flagged boats that needed assistance

I subscribe to Yachting World and some issues I'll read 70% of it. Not cheap but comfortably the best all round sailing magazine for what I want. My wife wrote a few articles on our circumnavigation for Boating NZ, home schooling, Red Sea and other destination stuff back during Rebecca Hayter's first stint. You don't see much of that content now. I guess most people follow blogs for that info now.

I owned Expressway for a short time and very pleased to hear she has the tiller back.

It can get strong around there. This was on a flat calm day. Maybe the decision to turn towards Spirits Bay was taken a little early?

We had a raft self inflate while we were out to dinner in Mahon. They take up quite a bit of space in the cabin. Luckily we could see the valve and didn't have to stab it.

The fee per tonne is on their measurement of course. We were very pleasant with the measurement guy and our Grainger 46 was recorded at 40 tonne. My guess around 9500kg but what the heck. However those that got grumpy were charged more or not measured at all and had to wait more days at the Suez end of the canal. Still a bargain compared to going the other way.