atahualpa domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home3/aboarddi/public_html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114The two big jobs were the second/final top up of the drive batteries and replacing the genset impeller. [...]]]>
The two big jobs were the second/final top up of the drive batteries and replacing the genset impeller. The first job went without a hitch. It was merely tedious.
The impeller replacement was a mixed affair. I’m replacing it as it’s come close to the 150 hour limit I place on them. For the first time ever this one came out without any broken blades. This could be down to the fact I spent some time cleaning and sanding smooth the interior of the impeller housing last time. On putting everything back together I made two mistakes. The first was forgetting to refill the raw water circuit and screen on the filter cap. The generator diagnostics picked this up fairly quickly and shut down the motor. Running the new impeller dry was not a smart move. When I filled the strainer and restarted the motor I discovered I’d forgotten to put the new gasket under the end cap. Salt water sprayed all over.
After that things got a lot better and I was able to run quickly through my remaining tasks. These comprised swapping out a broken hatch support, inspecting the bilges and pumps, retightening a screw at the base of the mast, cleaning the watermaker strainer, replacing the watermaker carbon filter, checking for water in the fuel filters (there was none), checking the manual windlass works (it needed cleaning) and testing the EPIRB.
The afternoon was little more relaxing although Helen defrosted the freezer and fridge in this time.
In the evening we met up with the Screams for dinner ashore and a drink or five. We ended up on the boat playing a few games of Fluxx.
I woke too early this morning we a wee headache. I’ve used the time to nail another Euler Problem perhaps just to spite myself. I’m slowly picking my way to 200 successes.
Today is car hire day, a mixture of pleasure and a few chores.
]]>At lunchtime we went ashore to meet up with and say goodbye to Stuart and Sheila from Imagine. We met up at Big Mammas pizza with them and the Passages, Screams and Jarana’s who are all here in Denarau right now. There can’t be many more 2010 Puddle Jumpers left in Fiji. Like every family, we eventually go our separate ways.
For a quick flashback on our times with Imagine you can click on the ‘Imagine’ category in the left sidebar or at the top/bottom of this message. I try and keep these categories up to date so our encounters with particular boats can be viewed in one go. I just used the link to take a trip back down memory lane.
As ever the pizza at Mamas was good. We stayed some time and had a few lunchtime beers/wine. The goodbyes were said. Stuart and Sheila are flying back home today and will return next April. They intend to leave soon after needing to get to Darwin by July for the Indonesia Rally. That’s way ahead of the pace we’ll be setting so chances are this was our last goodbye. But somewhere in the backs of our minds we hold onto the hope we’ll run into them somewhere.
After the lunch time libations we were neither willing nor capable of engaging in any serious work in the afternoon.
Today we both get on in earnest. I have some maintenance projects to do while Helen will get on with the inside work. It feels a little cooler today so that may help.
]]>Having earned our rest we took it. More reading. Another Euler Problem solved.
In the evening we had Steven and Darusha over from Scream for dinner then to watch The Blue Lagoon. Now we puzzle over the film locations which are all supposed to be nearby. We think the location where they were swimming in the caves was up in Sawa-i-Lau which we’ll head to soon. As for the rest, we don’t really have a clue.
However, Helen and I will be going ashore today to see far we’re allowed to explore. Perhaps we’ll recognize something.
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The winds were not our friend on the way spending most of the time too close to our nose to sail effectively. We therefore had the motors [...]]]>
The winds were not our friend on the way spending most of the time too close to our nose to sail effectively. We therefore had the motors running all the way up.
When we arrived the bilge pump was off again so another round of squirting grease into the shaft seal was in order. It’s good to know it can work. While testing I noticed a slight knocking sound timed with the shaft rotation. I’ll have to go and inspect the prop and shaft on the outside to see if anything is obvious up there.
We anchored right next to Scream who have been here for two weeks and are desperate to leave as they’re short of provisions. We soon had them over and shared a little of our extras so they can take their time returning. We ended up eating ashore at the Nanuya Island Resort. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced considering the location. It was good to hear that one of Darusha’s books has recently been nominated for a Parsec Award.
We’ll probably hang out here for a few days. There’s a few things on my list of things to do on the boat. I could get it all done in a few hours if I put my mind to it but I think I’ll spread it all out over a few days.
]]>I did actually get onto [...]]]>
I did actually get onto doing some chores around the boat. I checked the house batteries – all fine. I inspected the standing rigging, tightening one of the locking nuts in the process. I cleaned the water strainer for the water maker as well as fixing a small leak where the nipple screwed into the cock. Bilge pumps tested fine.
In the evening we visited Scream for dinner, drinks and cards and got back tired and late.
Looking at the weather we have NE to N light winds for the next couple of days. Not perfect but it’s not bad to help get us east to the Lau group. With the details for our boat work sufficiently progressed we can leave today. First hop will be a short one to the east side of Taveuni which we’ll do in good light. That’ll position us well to leave early tomorrow for a longer passage east.
It’s exciting to leave and get going again. The sad side of all this is that this may be the last time we’ll see many of our friends here in this anchorage. But that’s cruising.
]]>During the day we just amused ourselves aboard the usual way. I decided to condition the batteries and [...]]]>
During the day we just amused ourselves aboard the usual way. I decided to condition the batteries and ran the generator for most of the morning. I had planned to do more routine checks of the boat but put it off to today.
Drinks aboard Callisto was fun and went on til late. Also there the Kilkeas and Passages’s.
It’s nice here but we need to get out. All this socializing is hard on the body. The bloodstream at least.
]]>Next task was to head for Opua to sell the car back to Phil from Cars for Cruisers. I had an agreement with Rob and Ruth from Albatross III to head up to Opua too and give me a ride back. Just before leaving we bumped into a young lady from the NE US whose on a traveling trip and was looking for passage up to Fiji. We offered to take her up to Opua and back to investigate things there and learn a bit more about making what she was trying to do work.
On arriving in Opua I let Lauren off to explore the area and agreed to meet up at the Fish and Chip shop at noon where I’d promised to buy lunch for everyone for helping out. The deal with Phil went through smoothly and soon I was walking away with a cashable check.
While waiting for Lauren to show up I bumped into Andy from Zephyrus which was a pleasant surprise. We chatted for a while and I asked about people looking for crew. He had a good lead and shared it with Lauren when she found us. About 12:30 Rob and Ruth turned up having seen some friends. Unfortunately the Fish and Chip shop in Opua had closed down so we headed off to Pahia for the banks and shops there. Half way there I realize I’d left my GPS unit somewhere so we headed back finding it with Phil.
Leaving the others to look around I first went to Westpac to cash the check using my passport to prove my identity. She had to call Phil to verify the check was ok to cash and he approved with the caveat I owed him a GPS unit. She found the explanation of his remark quite funny. My next stop was the ANZ bank to deposit most the cash keeping enough to pay for our new kayak.
With all the financials handled I found the others and bought all Fish and Chips on the waterfront which turned out to be overfilling but delicious.
Rob took us north out of Pahia for a different route back to Whangarei. A few miles out of town I realized I didn’t have our folder containing our boat papers and passports. Not again. So back into town we went. I checked first at the Westpac. The teller grinned hugely and went to the safe to retrieve my passport. I found the folder in the ANZ where I’d left it. Where was my head???? I checked to make sure it was still in the right place physically. I think my brain had already set sail.
No more mishaps beset us as we traveled back to Whangarei. Rob helped me collect the kayak which we placed on the boat. Helen had spent the day making a clean boat immaculate for the evening’s party. By now there was not much time left. I performed a few small jobs around the boat before showering and soon after folks began to show.
All in all we had the pleasure of welcoming the crew from Albatross III, Attitude, Blue Penguin, Boree, Callisto, Clara Katherine, Division II, El Regalo, Imagine, Jackster, Leu Cat, Marquesa, Proximity, Sail Away, Scream, Sea Mist, Sidewinder, Stray Kitty, Tahina, True Companions and Tyee along with one or two marina neighbours. That was about forty people at once. It was a great test of our through hulls as we were down about 6-9 inches in the water. We didn’t sink.
This morning we woke fairly early and after doing last minute internetty things we dropped of our key to the shower block and headed out. As we headed down the river the winds were light and behind us. And cold. We motored on batteries alone for about 30 mins before turning on the generator. Near the river mouth we caught sight of True Companions ahead of us and called them on the radio to greet them.
As we rounded the heads we hit a dead patch and used the opportunity to raise the new main. We crossed our fingers hoping for wind as we really wanted to see how our new sails would perform. We didn’t have to wait too long and soon we were in winds that were to vary between 10-20 knots as we headed up the coast. We were gobsmacked by the improved boat performance. Before the boat speed would fade below about 12 knots under main and jib. Now she was achieving above 1/2 wind speed all the way down to 9 knots on the beam. We’ve never seen it so good.
We have found a couple of issues. The reef points on the new main are higher up than before and now the 1st reef only has a turn of spare line at the winch which is not enough to reef on the fly. We also have new modes of vibration on the luff of the main which we need to figure out how to handle. Apart from that everything seems to be in amazing shape. It feels like we have a new boat.
Our original plan had us making our way up the coast in smaller steps. With reduced wind tomorrow and nasty northeasterlies forecast for Friday we’re aiming to cover as much distance as we can today and complete the trip to the Bay of Islands tomorrow where we can find shelter from any type of wind. Our goal for today is the Whangamumu Bay which we visited last November.
We’ve now settled into a pleasant sail up the coast putting on and taking off our warm clothes as the sun goes in and out. We have about a knot of counter current but we’re doing well against it. We even have a line out for fish but nothing caught yet. We’ve shed the land life and are back on the water.
]]>In the afternoon both Helen and I were both awash with fatigue. Perhaps it was coming down from the adrenalin of the wobbly nut. After three weeks of dust and dirt and being a day from launch, the possibility of being delayed was not a pleasant one. But we kept on and energy did eventually renew.
One other event which could have been a lot nastier than it ended up occurred when I was taking a hard drive over to Tahina. I took a short cut under the some boats and was just about to jump a ditch when the firm footing for my take off turned out not to be firm at all. I plunged into the ditch arresting my fall with my shin on some rocks. There were scratches and numbness down my leg but no extra joints. The hard drive and my bones were intact so all else was secondary and a relief. Karen and Frank tended to my condition by preparing soapy swabs to clean the dirt out of the wounds and giving me a big band aid (which later took off a lot of hair) for the main bash. I refrained from taking any further short cuts for the rest of the day.
The external work is now more or less complete. The anchor guard is now in place and the anchor chute epoxied. We’ve had bigger screws put into the mast based and have had propspeed applied to the props and shafts. Bar one small section on the starboard side the sides of the boat have been polished.
The main entertainment for the day came from the launch of a multi million dollar power cat which didn’t go as smoothly as it could. The truck bringing it to the yard fractured in a few places and they had one big mistep (it appeared) when they placed it on the ramp above high tide. While it was interesting to watch from time to time our main interest in seeing it launch was to know there was no bloody great boat stuck in the ramp we’re due to exit on Friday (today !!!!!).
Towards the end of the day I dropped of a case of beer for the workers as a thank you. Turned out to be very welcome as Peter is taking them down the river this evening for a ‘booze cruise’ and this will add to the party.
We finished the evening by sharing grilled sausages and veg with Dennis and Allison from Kalida. We had a good time together and the evening ended off with their sharing some of the Fiji experiences and our taking notes on places to go.
Soon.
Today, if you hadn’t guessed, is launch day. The sails will go on. The polishing complete. The dinghy raised. The boat raised and rudders fitted. This afternoon we’ll be off.
Oh. How can I forget. I uploaded pictures of the concert/wetlands walk from last Sunday (you’ll need to go back). And I’ve uploaded some pictures of the boat work. Here.
I have a few more pictures to add and take so I’ll republish this album when it’s complete.
]]>On the external projects more progress was made than anticipated. The dinghy arrived. The anchor roller strengthening is now complete. The chain chute is complete. The props / shafts were returned from having a hole drilled and pin inserted. The new sheave was cut. Our window inserts are now expected early next week and I postponed the forestay work to Monday.
I actually had a little time to study a few Euler problems and have now developed a strategy to solve one of them which I’ll implement over the weekend. It’s interesting going back to them as at first they all look far too complicated to solve but sooner or later dormant brain cells wake up from their slumber and go to work.
Around 2:30pm we broke for the day and cleaned up for our afternoon out. The town of Whangarei was putting on a farewell seminar/show for the cruisers who’ve spent time (and presumably quite a lot of money) here in the town – particularly on services to their ocean battered boats. First was a very impressive traditional Maori challenge, far better than the one we saw at the Maori experience in Rotorua.
Next we had a half hour lecture by weather guru Bob McDavitt. For those that don’t know him, he puts out an excellent cruising forecast each Sunday that makes a relevant read every Sunday. As such he practically received a heroes welcome by the cruisers as a result of this service. He does offer professional guidance / route planning to those that wish it. His half hour brief was very informative. He confirmed the weather scenario for leaving north that I’m now already anticipating. More importantly he helped us understand the broader context for the weather patterns and their near term impact. We’re in what’s called a declining La Nina situation which historically extends the cyclone season. Thus the general recommendation is not to leave until May. This fits our general plan which was to be ready by the third week in April and to take the first available weather window. That window should now appear early May. This extra time allows us the opportunity to flex our new wings (once installed) with a sail, perhaps, up to Opua before we leave.
Next was the BBQ which was a fine feast. I thought I was taking a little of everything but my plate ended up piled high. Having had a light and early lunch I was famished and polished off the lot.
Finally we were given a cultural Maori performance by a national competition winning local singing group. Again – far better than the ones we’ve seen at tourist attractions. We are lucky to have the opportunity in our lives to go cruising and further privileged to be given such joyful, harmonious and passionate performances.
We were not alone for this farewell presentation. We sat amongst old friends from the ‘class of ’10’ puddle jumpers : Attitude, Boree, Callisto, El Regallo, Imagine, Leu Cat, Proximity, Scream & Tahina. There were plenty of others there too and the sad thing is was our need to catch up with old friends prevented us from really making any new.
Being in the company of so many friends and having the Polynesian dancing and singing going on made most, if not all, of us keen to start our crossing and get back out into the wonders of the South Pacific. Just got to get the boat work finished !!!!!
We finished the evening by inviting Frank and Karen over to a messy Dignity to share a bottle of wine. Almost like being back out on the water. Except for the gentle rocking. The slapping of waves. The warm nights. The beautiful beaches. The great snorkeling. No yard dust. Not having to pee in a bucket. Ok – so not quite so similar but we’re on our way soon.
ADDED LATER: All too easy. Euler problem nailed. Off to work.
]]>Our next stop was the Sky Tower where we had booked a jump from the observation deck. Ben and Helen didn’t feel it would be thrilling enough to justify the cost so it was down to Sam and I. With perfect weather the view from the top (and on the way down) was perfect. Stepping off the rim of the tower was quite intense. We were left dangling for about 10 seconds before the brakes were removed and we plummeted to the ground. Something to remember. We both received a free pass to take a ride to the observation deck which we gave to Helen and Ben.
Sam did a little more busking to help rebuild his entertainment kitty. Sam and Ben left us oldies to go back to Richard and Krista’s apartment near Ponsonby where they were due to meet up with Ian from Sea Mist and go out for the night. Helen and I had a meal out and watched the fireworks at midnight from a spot near the Sky Tower. There were fireworks from the tower and down on the river. We’d been told by a taxi driver that the river fireworks would be a long way away which turned out to be wrong advice. But we were able to see both which was quite good. We returned to the hotel to share a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the New Year.
Happy New Year to one and all.
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