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Foreign boat not allowed to leave.


Kestrahl

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Its just another ill-informed rant by another hippy about how uncle sam is twisting his nipple and screwing him. Time for the Ignore i think...

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Hey I've got some time to kill, so let's have a look at this in detail and try to put aside patriotic fervour

 

Well I like to post in this forum so at least everyone knows what is going on, and it can help people in the future maybe avoid similar problems. Also I quit replying on cruisers forum because the moderators delete and modify people's posts based on their own personal political views. Fortunately on this forum we can have a real discussion and maybe even agree to disagree.

 

A lot of people on yachts overstay their visas. True - I have done it in a few places. I thought I would be treated the same as everyone else, but apparently in NZ, they target certain individuals, and tend to place burdens on the poorest members of society while allowing the wealthier ones more rights and freedoms. Possible you are adopting too much of a victim personality here, but worthy of investigation

 

I was very tired on arrival and didn't realize I anchored in a bad spot. Anyway I like to admit when I'm wrong and try to correct things.

Good work

 

To answer some questions:

 

If you don't like how your taxes are being spent, you have options:

1. Contact Gary and tell him to let people leave as it would save a lot of money and trouble on both sides. Obviously the interaction between you and Gary is at the root of this story, I'd love to know the whole story but probably never will

2. Stop paying taxes.

 

I opted for the second option when I found out my country was bombing innocent people.

Good work again

 

For visitors to New Zealand:

It is illegal to experience winter no , just awkward for someone travelling by sailboat despite this being a very unique place and there being few options in the world to experience a Southern Hemisphere winter. Perhaps South America is the only options free from persecution. I hear that Chile and Argentina aren't particularly easy to visit in a sailboat with regard to red tape I wish I had known this before, so I hope someone can benefit from my mistake.

 

As for coiling ropes.. what is the point? You must uncoil them to use them so it is wasted effort. This type of inefficient logic continues to be suggested despite obviously having no value. Wrong - it is good seamanship and could save your life I had no rust when I left NZ, obviously it comes back fast and does not cause any problem, washing it off is a wasted effort. Fair enough

 

Now.. to hopefully answer some other questions and give you some feedback on what I think of NZ:

 

 

The natural beauty of the land is stunning, especially in the south island. There are many exotic plants and birds which are fascinating to experience. I had a wild robin land on my hand which was a magical experience. I can also say the marine life is in relatively good shape. There is a lot of life below the water away from populated areas compared to much of the rest of the world.

 

There are many un-crowded beautiful natural areas where one can anchor a boat for days or even weeks without concern, and a lot of interesting small islands to explore.

Yep - we like it

 

It is unsafe to travel by bicycle as there are few bike lanes, narrow winding roads with blind corners, and people drive fast and erratically. True I was cut off by a bus in Wellington and forced to jump from my bicycle and run to avoid injury. There are many hiking tracks which are wonderful, but they are not well connected throughout the country making it difficult to travel on foot without walking along roads. True Of course you can sail as I did, but it took me several weeks to get a weather window to reach the south island from the far north. The winds and seas along the way can be very intense. It is inconvenient or dangerous to travel in New Zealand. Maybe a bit of an overstatement

In many places the cross-walk states that motor vehicles have right of way. I am not aware of any????This is evidence of a backward society and very insulting to pedestrians.

 

The petrolium trucks state: "Allied petrolium, never run out" and the toxic bottom paint for boats states "Clean boats, living seas" both of which show clear evidence of denial propaganda. The last word sums it up - propoganda - it was advertising, nobody believes it

 

Much of the south island has recently been converted into a large-scale dairy farm 97% of which is exported. By the time this milk reaches China after being pasturized, the quality is greatly reduced, and a lot of energy is consumed. It would be more logical, productive and efficient to instead import 50 million chinese people and allow them to live in the south island so they may consume the product locally. :lol: :lol:

 

Now you may begin to understand the pressure being put on this land. It is not so clean and green as is claimed as it is supporting far more than the local population, especially considering how inefficient it is to produce milk compared to other food products. For every cow you can support two humans.

 

The farming practice greatly degrades the soil, at a rate by which it will be exhausted in 50-60 years. Daming of every major river greatly degrades water quality and natural beauty. This is an unsustainable practice, and is destined to fail catastrophically in this century. The people do not know how to manage the land properly. It is possible to support 50 million people, improve the environment and have more land devoted to natural areas, but these options are ignored to support an unsustainable lifestyle. Instead they have turned toward short term methods to maximize profit. There is no long term future in the current economy. Not my area of expertise but I have read this elsewhere - most recently that 90%? of NZ rivers are unsafe for swimming.

 

Wood treated with arsenic is still common even though it is banned from many other places as it is proven to be dangerous. This includes use in orchards and vineyards where arsenic is starting to be detected in the wine. This concentration will rise steadily in comming years. Treated wood is used all over natural areas to build steps and handrails on tracks for example where is it just beginning to leach into the soil, the extent of this damage will become apparent in the future as well.

 

In fact, New Zealand is well known for it's practice of spreading all sorts of toxic chemicals across the land, in many cases native bush, and using chemicals not typically used anywhere else which are extremely harmful to wildlife, and dangrous to humans.I have read this elsewhere as well viz the current 1080 debate

 

Tree-farming with clear-cutting is still common practice which desecrates the land, leaving it infertile and unable to support native plants after three harvests. Massive erosion is obvious in the queen charlotte and pelourus sounds and devastates marine life below as well. It is very inefficient to plant a single species of trees in an area, as this forces nature to be out of balance on many fronts.

 

Youth are "huffing" butane or lpg, and smoking synthetic cannibis. I have witnessed this in person in Whangarei. They are excited by "chemicals" going to their head with little concern for what these chemicals actually are. In california the same type of kids would be smoking real cannibis. I have a real concern for the future generations in NZ. Me tooThe older generation is much more sensible but is a dying breed. Since I am officially "older" according to my children at least, I cannot but agree

 

The methylated spirits contains denatonium benzoate which is far more toxic than the normal use of methanol any other country uses. This "logic" of alternate additives holds for many common chemicals.

 

The society or cities and towns are nothing special and best avoided. Many negative influences from the USA have infiltrated NZ like McDonalds and KFC. Sad but true For the most part it feels like the same country with different names. Except our cars are smaller, the light switches go down not up, and the water goes the other way around the toilet

 

Commodities are excessively expensive due to poor government decisions and high import taxes. For example, imported solar panels are highly taxed, while they are subsidised in California making them roughly twice as expensive. Maybe more to do with transport costs and being a tiny market

In NZ, most students are required to wear a school uniforms. This is a form of repression and a grave mistake. It has negative implications throughout society. It suppresses free expression, free choice, comfort, and beauty in favor of uniformity and control. This trickles down into the mental state of the residents throughout their lives and causes them to make unfair decisions which causes additional repression, a vicious cycle. All people are not created equal, in fact just the opposite is true, everyone is unique. Trying to force people to be the same goes against natural order and is like sailing against the seas; it is not very efficient, is likely to cause damage, and is generally a waste of time. Reading a lot into the wearing of school uniforms - but I tried suggesting to our local high school it was an iidea past its use by date and got shouted down -democracy at work

 

This leads to the extreme feminism. I am talking about a case where an entire room in the house is devoted to non-males. Do you mean Parliament house? Since I am the only male in our house I get half a bed and one corner of a wardrobe - the whole of the rest of the house belongs to the females This seems a bit odd to someone from a different country at first, but in fact is fairly sensible considering the level of repression and discrimination in this society.

 

I have never once witnessed any government official using sail or oar to power their boat. I have not seen a police officer using a bicycle. Maybe they do this in some parts, but it should be the norm not the exception. This a form of disrespect to the natural world by the authorities as they choose a means which causes needless environmental harm and over consumption of resources.

 

For example, after the officials insisted on hauling my boat for inspection, I explained that the travel lift causes pollution and it would be best to use the tides instead on the nearby poles which I could scull to. This request was denied, and they even refused to wait for the tide to change to allow me to sail to Opua. Instead towed my boat several miles against the tide causing even more pollution as they favor convenience and over consumption over doing what is right. When the boat arrived in front of the travel lift, there was an oil slick in the water as there often is in harbours around NZ. This is true of the whole world, stop pissing into the wind and just wait for the coming collapse of Western society

 

I know, I sound very negative, but I see problems every which where I look in NZ. To be fair, I do think the USA has more problems and is even more corrupted, especially the federal government, and the fact that they have now "officially" denounced the constitutional rights, but these comments are of a different discussion. It has been a real shock to see so many people smiling in Vanuatu after being in New Zealand for so long. The people really are much happier and a lot more pleasant to interact with.

Now this is interesting, we came back after 10 years sailing and both agreed that people in NZ were far less pleasant than they had been when we left, something had changed. When we have been brave enough to state this in public others have agreed with us.

 

New Zealand, like anywhere else in the world is worth visiting.

 

Plants, birds, fish... the wildlife is unique.

 

It is best to avoid populated areas, be wary of the local people as many have bad intentions, and remain with nature.

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This leads to the extreme feminism. I am talking about a case where an entire room in the house is devoted to non-males.

 

The Kitchen? :roll: :roll:

 

 

Sorry, couldn't help myself! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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:lol: :lol: I've just been given a sneak preview of a movie based on Sean and his antics. It's a comedy obviously and will be released shortly, keep an eye out for 'Mr Bean goes Boating'.

 

Uniforms lead to extreme Feminists who take over entire houses, f*ck me that would have to be one of the funniest comments I've seen this year...... if it wasn't from such a homophobic dickhead.

 

I can now see why he got what he got.

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This leads to the extreme feminism. I am talking about a case where an entire room in the house is devoted to non-males.

 

The Kitchen? :roll: :roll:

 

 

Sorry, couldn't help myself! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

In my place they get two rooms, The kitchen and Laundry. Both strictly off limits to Males according to our house rules. Its never bothered me enough to argue with her who set the rules :-P

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As for coiling ropes.. what is the point? You must uncoil them to use them so it is wasted effort. This type of inefficient logic continues to be suggested despite obviously having no value. I had no rust when I left NZ, obviously it comes back fast and does not cause any problem, washing it off is a wasted effort.

 

Whilst I don't agree with your political stances (it is your right to have them),

I have to take you to task on ignoring basic maintenance, it is whilst doing the mundane jobs, like cleaning the boat, mucking out the bilges etc. that larger problems are noticed.

There is no excuse for not keeping a tidy ship, it's just lazy in my opinion, it doesn't cost anything and it is certainly beneficial to keep the only thing keeping you alive at sea in good order.

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.... if it wasn't from such a homophobic dickhead.

 

I'm not sure but I think you might mean "misogynistic dickhead". Maybe "misogynistic, homophobic dickhead" .... not sure. :D

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Yes Grinna, after checking my dictionary I think 'misogynistic dickhead' is far more accurate.

 

Shame about fellas like him though. He is the very type that will lead to the great cruising lifestyle and it's relative freedoms to be squished by the authorities. In fact similar idiots have already started it.

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For visitors to New Zealand: It is illegal to experience winter

> no , just awkward for someone travelling by sailboat.

 

Could you please explain how it is possible while avoiding cyclone season? This is potentially very valuable information for other cruisers.

 

As far as the non-male room, I am referring to the public house of anarchy in wellington which had a special room off-limits for anyone considered to be a male, and any non-male may live there free of charge for as long as they want. They did not have a non-female room even though I asked.

 

As far as coiling ropes.. when I am at anchor? Also, please.. I don't _want_ my boat to look tidy, then it would look like all the other boats and I might die of boredom at the sight of it. Rust is art.

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Rust is art.

No it's not.

In your case (after the long rant including that priceless gem about the travelift and pollution) it's rampant hypocrisy.

Squandering the planet's resources used to refine that steel in the first place because you're too idle to clean it and paint it.

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As far as the non-male room, I am referring to the public house of anarchy in wellington which had a special room off-limits for anyone considered to be a male, and any non-male may live there free of charge for as long as they want. They did not have a non-female room even though I asked.

 

 

Unisex public toilets are hardly a NZ only phenomenon BA.

Next time try the mens.

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Well I like to post in this forum so at least everyone knows what is going on, and it can help people in the future maybe avoid similar problems. Also I quit replying on cruisers forum because the moderators delete and modify people's posts based on their own personal political views. Fortunately on this forum we can have a real discussion and maybe even agree to disagree.

 

 

 

Boat Alexandra, I don't agree with any of your views and do agree with fairly much every post addressed to you on here, but I do find your posts and point of view fascinating and hope you do continue to post. I don't agree with it, but please don't let that stop you from posting.

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Boat Alexandra,

 

Firstly I'd like to say well done and I'm glad you made it safely to your next destination. I wish ill on no man. I would have liked to have spoken with you over summer when I was in NZ, but our paths did not cross.

 

Your aspirations and life ethos are admirable. It is important to stand up for what you believe in, and to “be the change you wish to see in the world”, if I may miss-quote Ghandi. One person can make a difference, but not necessarily in the way you think.

 

Firstly, let's look at the world and the societies and democracies you have experienced and how they work at a fundamental and philosophical level.

 

This might be waffling and boring to some other readers and I apologize in advance.

 

Democracy, of the sort we understand, is actually one of the poorest forms of government. It makes people feel good to have it, or believe they have it, but because democracy essentially represents the average choice of a people, one invariably finds that it represents average people and not exceptional people and that it leads to average governance, often by average governors, with policies that favour the average and not the exceptional. Now, why should I believe that the average is a bad thing or that some people's opinion or voice should count for more? Because, at a personal level, no one wants to think that they are average. You, I, and Jonny Meths Drinker, we all have the answers to the world's problems, but no one listens to us or gives us a chance. Sh!t Man! That sux!

 

The root of the problem. In democracy, two idiots can overrule one genius. Frighteningly, in voting this happens all too often. Intelligent and educated people are less likely to follow the crowd and therefore their choices, their voices and their intellect is often lost to the average. And remember, half the population are below the median intelligence. A frightening thought. Logical cause and effect arguments are not necessarily their strongpoint.

 

One only has to look at the way populist fervour, or religious fundamentalism, has such a strong and pervasive effect on all societies, including functioning democracies.

 

However, despite its drawbacks, democracy is the best thing we have. The intelligence and compassion required for benign dictatorship are almost invariably at odds with the personality type required to seize and maintain power; greed and altruism make for uncomfortable bed mates.

 

The establishment of Western democracies, and yes religion has played a part in this, and the system of division of labour whereby we pay tax and delegate matters of governance and security to a few, chosen by us all, enables some very important features of our societies which you and I benefit from enormously. The most obvious but sadly also most overlooked are the security and tolerance that these structures have enabled. The acceptance of common law.

 

This tolerance is what stops any nation you visit from blasting your little boat out of the water on sight. This security is what enables you to sleep at night at anchor without fear of having your throat cut by some local who thinks your plants and solar panels are theirs as much as yours, and that your presence in their sphere is an affront to their existence.

 

So let's look at your personal situation. As David H has pointed out in his commentary, you do a lot of good things, and you are well intentioned. You also make some comments on NZ which many in NZ would rather leave their heads in the sand and not hear.

 

Minimising your impact on the planet is good. Very good. Just be careful that the choices you make are backed up with sound science. I call on science here because it’s not good feelings, karma or astrology or homeopathy that make the world go round, but pure reductionist science (in the absence of human madness). Keeping your boat bottom clean with antifouling paint is the lesser of two evils. The introduction of marine organisms into an essentially innate environment can, and does, have dramatic negative impacts. Invasive species which find the NZ marine environment particularly tasty have the propensity to easily out-compete other parts of the ecological web, and also cross niche boundaries and capitalize a far larger proportion of resources. Large scale disruption like this leads to reduction in diversity, and can lead to complete ecosystem collapse. But I’m sure you know that. The localised environmental dangers of toxic paint are proportionally far less that the widespread and self propagating destruction of a delicate ecosystem through invasive species introduction.

 

It’s a matter of being pragmatic and choosing the lesser of two evils - or giving up sailing and just walk or swim everywhere. Did you make use of any motorised transport when you were in NZ? Did you by chance purchace or use anything which was transported from its place of manufacture to you using fossil fuels? We always have to look at the bigger picture.

 

One thing you don’t seem very good at, if may be so bold as to suggest it, is empathy, or at least seeing things from someone else’s view point. This is what separates the extreme fundamentalist from the idealist. One knows when to back down, and the other blindly rushes against the brick wall of majority, complaining when their head hurts, insisting that the world should change but never willing to change themselves. You must be the change you wish to see - and that goes for being able to change.

 

Something else you’re not stunning at is managing your own expectations and, more importantly, the expectations of others.

 

Fighting the system is admirable, but the system is big. It’s huge and it is peopled with good and bad, and also with people competent, and people incompetent. You can’t swim against that current to change its course. You must work with it. Massage it, cajole it. Then one person can have an effect. One person might make a difference.

 

Leaving your boat messy because “you might die of boredom” is a prime example of this. As unfair as it is, in the real world, people WILL judge you by looks. I’m aware of more than one person who has already judged you on your looks, rather than on your character or your good intentions. Moreover, leaving your sheets and lines all over the show is just plain dangerous. If you happen to need to rush on deck at 3 am and you can’t find your headlamp (don’t say it will never happen), I can assure you that dying from boredom won’t be your biggest risk. There is a difference between a well sailed and tight ship albeit tired and rusty, and a messy lazy one. Sorry to say it. Moreover, blaming MNZ for a broken/lost solar panel because you ended up in a storm is just trying to point the finger at someone other than yourself. You state in the next sentence, I think, that it’s also bad ‘cause now it doesn’t fulfil its other purpose as a storm dodger…

I would suggest that using a solar panel as a storm dodger is a sure fire way to break it.

 

By the way, driftwood in NZ is protected under the conservation estate as valuable foreshore ecosystem… you shouldn’t have been collecting it. The fact that many of us do doesn’t make it right.

 

Be a little more humble and less righteous, you will get a lot further. Be ready to accept that not everything you do or think in life is right. Be smart enough to know when to keep your mouth shut, and when to speak your mind. Give up on your personal conspiracy theories – they’re for solipsists. The world isn’t out to get you, and the world doesn’t afford you extra leeway because you’re American. If anything the world generally abhors Americans, rightly or wrongly. You can’t distance yourself from America citing the foreign policy (bomb everyone) and then with the other hand proudly clutch your passport and claim international laws (which are by and large policed by the US, the EU and a few other wealthier and more tolerant states).

 

Be smart enough to realise that what you don’t know far outweighs what you do, and that with sailing and the ocean, the more you learn, the more you learn there is to learn. There are people far more experienced than yourself, and some of those people have even tried to help you.

 

And remember, the world is a VERY small place, and the internet is very far reaching. It’s easy for something written by even the most eloquent, well intentioned and admirable writer to be misinterpreted and make that writer look like a complete twat.

 

Go well.

 

Coil Your lines.

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Right on the money good doc!

I just hope the righteous lad reads its absorbs it but then again he might get a little lazy and bored.

 

It is obvious he hasn't had a real scare offshore because if he had everything would be in its place.

In my humble opinion it is never one event that gets you into trouble when the crap hits the fan its.... the domino effect that builds from that one often simple event that has you scrambling in pretty short order- not having your boat ready for that potential crap is just asking for trouble.

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"his own path, his own "moral direction" may be his undoing." "perhaps a fools path"

"He may win few friends in his quest, but not likely"

His greatest victory is that he will make talk. Without knowing it, others will open in debate.""they will question the things that they hold steadfast...even if they dont admit it to others"

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Without knowing it, others will open in debate.""they will question the things that they hold steadfast...even if they dont admit it to others"

Until they are censored out of existence for posting certain facts that don't suit the moderator's agenda.

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Brilliant Dr. W. Very eloquent indeed. I wish I had such a tidy mind so I could take the whole situation and wrap it up with a bow like you did! I'm impressed! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

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