Steve Pope 255 Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 He is now a true sailor, engine packed up, What a capable guy, and still with a sense of humour. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Yep no engine, broken water pump that can't be fixed, and a wet bunk, and now hove-to slowing down to avoid bad weather ahead. http://waihekeworkingsail.org/mikes-journey/follow-mike/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi_jon 27 Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Magpies and Nugget Point Sun Sep 27 2020 Sunrise saw me coming up to the South Cape of mainland New Zealand. Actually it’s not called South Cape - that’s actually on Stewart Island - but its MY South Cape and I rounded it as the South Westerly came up on me in an ominous dark line of cloud, preceded by the biggest rainbow I ever seen. I have been running before it all day now, hugging the coast so the seas don’t build too much. The wind has shifted more West now and boy, is it blowing! Dark squalls come barrelling up and blast me with 40knts. Within a mile of the shore there are two metre waves. A magpie blown off the land desperately tries to land on the boat but is tumbled out to sea. I scrape past Nugget Point which gives me a brief lee then we go charging off towards the Otago Peninsula. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi_jon 27 Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 A new challenge Sun Sep 27 2020 The lights of Dunedin show bright off to port as we approach the Otago Peninsula. The wind has died to 15 knts which is a relief after a rather intense day. Its means we wallow along in a very ungainly fashion as I am not putting up any more sail. I am sticking with the one third genoa that has seen me through the day. I know there are squalls out there in the blackness just waiting to pounce. Its freezing. That wind is bitterly cold. I got up on the foredeck and rotated the wind deflector so I could light the diesel heater. I need to dry some things out. For my stupid act of the day I left the quarter berth porthole unlatched and a wave filled the cockpit. It burst open the porthole and firehosed my bunk. My nice warm burrow is now a soggy mess. I am not a happy Marmot. Just to make life more interesting the engine can no longer be used. This morning the overheat alarm went off. I quickly diagnosed that the water pump was no longer pumping. It’s a mechanical pump- not belt driven. I took the face plate off and found three of the vanes had broken off the impeller. No problem - I fitted the spare, all nicely lubed up with silicon grease, and started the engine. No water. Took it apart again and checked I had everything fitted correctly and tried again. Nothing. I took the faceplate off and turned over the engine. The shaft did not turn. This is a pretty good indication that the shaft has sheared. I spent an hour lying on the floor undoing the impossible to get to bolts that hold the pump on the engine. All this as we rolled and heaved through the waves, tools and bolts skittering around me. Pump in hand I could see it was fine but when I looked inside the engine I could see the yoke that the pump shaft slotted into had sheared off. That’s terminal. So I am a sailing vessel now, pure and simple, and I am going to have to sail all the way home. Which is OK - but I did like having an engine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi_jon 27 Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Into the vortex Mon Sep 28 2020 Its sunrise and I am about 6 miles out from Moeraki. I am semi hove to with the tiller lashed to leeward and a scrap of genoa sheeted hard in, making about 3 knts. The reason I have slowed down is that my Grib files show a nasty little vortex developing around my position and lasting about six hours. The winds are going to be very intense and a bit contrary in the north easterly quadrant up ahead, directly where I want to go. They shouldn’t be so bad where I am so I am hobbling along waiting to see what happens. When it passes I will have a good angle to run for Banks Peninsula. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 It doesn't get any less compelling to read, does it?! Trying to remember why he chose this time of year to make the trip? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 He chose this time of year because he can't go to UK to do canal boating, which he does every winter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 0 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Bit of a contrast to canal boating, shesh! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2flit 52 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 We were sitting in Wangamumu at anchor last night with some 40+ kn gusts and almost flat calm water thinking of this 77 year old fellow out there on the edge. I am heartened an uplifted by his good natured approach to all that he is sailing thru, he inspires me and my life feels somehow larger for how and why he is doing this trip. Time for me to make that donation... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 He’s 77??? 😳 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2flit 52 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 11 minutes ago, Fogg said: He’s 77??? 😳 Yea... I think so. A few days ago I went to look at biographical info on him and what is a fascinating life.... He started out cutting his teeth working at a navel design firm working on nuclear submarine and frigate design got his navel architecture ticket but decided designing and building a 20-somthing foot trimaran back in the 1960's was more like it and took off across oceans, then a stent as captain and 1st mate fighting nuclear testing in the Tuamotu in blockades, then doing sail training on square riggers, ticket there and doing youth sail training... A bunch of other stuff thrown in along the way and somewhere I picked up a date of birth around 1944... but I could be wrong He is an inspiration and well over age 70 for sure! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 How come this guy has flown below the radar for most of his life? By which I mean he’s not exactly a household name but seems to be a Kiwi sailing rockstar. Am I right in thinking that most of us here have never heard of him before? He seems to be a massively quiet achiever who has missed the headlines of other kiwi sailing achievements. I’ve only lived in NZ for 20yrs so maybe you guys knew about much earlier? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 I reckon he should do the next Golden Globe Race. His boat probably wouldn't qualify though... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 A rough entry to Thompson Sound Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Mike Delamore grew up on Great Mercury Island before moving to Waiheke in 1966 when his family bought the Matiatia Farm. After travelling around the world across both land and sea, he returned permanently to Waiheke in the 1980s to raise a family and work on what would become the Fossil Bay Farm, as well as establish the Waiheke Island Steiner School and Kindergarten. After a long career in sailing that included time as a Fullers ferry captain and helming Super Yachts across the Atlantic, Mike retired from professional sailing several years ago to focus on his accommodation business, Fossil Bay Lodge, and traverse the canals of the United Kingdom each summer in his canal boat, Morgana. Mike has more than 20 years of maritime experience and has travelled over 50,000 miles at sea from Alaska to the Antarctic. Mike holds Superyacht Master 3000Gt and NZ Offshore Master Unlimited marine tickets and is a qualified RYA tutor and examiner. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Romany 163 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Crikey. I need not have worried about him closing on the coast in 50 knots. He has had a plan the whole time. Cunning fox! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
El Toro 115 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Any update on this fulla? I pity him in this storm... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Heading for Banks Peninsula Mon Sep 28 2020 The dogleg into the coast didn’t really achieve much although I did have a nice flat run up the coast to Oamaru. I am not sure what happened to the vortex but quite likely things were much livelier further out to sea. What I thought was rain coming over the hills was actually snow. The hills were dusted in white almost down to sea level. No wonder my hands were cold handling the sheets and working the winches. Eventually the wind settled in blowing a steady 30 knts out of the SW and I have set a course dead downwind for Banks Peninsula, 100 miles ahead. Another sleigh ride through the night. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 268 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 Sunrise and big seas Tue Sep 29 2020 All night we have been racing before the wind and waves. Every now and then I have to get out in the cockpit and gybe over the genoa to keep us on course. The wind is bone chillingly cold and when all is in order I dive gratefully into the warmth of the cabin below to thaw out my freezing hands. Sunrise brings an impressive sight. Huge seas are rearing up behind us, breaking in tumbling white avalanches. Foam is streaked along the surface by the 35 knt wind and the boat is carving a roaring wake down the face of the waves as we reach speeds up to 10knts. Up ahead the rounded shape of Banks Peninsula is revealing itself in the morning light. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 "I have had a hell of a morning. I am too exhausted to fill in all the details now but suffice to say we are now running under bare poles before 50 - 60 knot winds." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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