Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Boating NZ

I was lucky enough to attend the recent Millennium Cup in the Bay of Islands as a guest on Allegro – one of the superyachts participating in the regatta. The 26m Azzurro sloop is owned by a Melbourne-based Australian who’d sailed her to the Bay of Islands directly from Tasmania, following the Sydney-to-Hobart Race. She was crewed by a handful of competent Aussies who didn’t need me to help with anything other than passing cold beers along the length of the vessel. For the record, we finished second in the Pacific Cup Division. Yes, I know there were only three boats in the Pacific Division – it’s the competing that’s important. But sitting on Allegro as a bit of extra ballast, I had plenty of time to monitor the action…

Volta Lighthouse – Italy’s famous lighthouse overlooking Lake Como now shines more brightly following the installation of a Vega VRB-25-LED rotating beacon. The lighthouse was upgraded to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the invention of the battery. It was named after Alessandro Volta, one of Como’s favourite sons. Casquets Lighthouse – to improve energy-efficiency the lighthouse was fitted with a Vega VLB-92 light. Casquets Lighthouse – built in the 18th century – is located on rocks 13km northwest of Alderney in the English Channel. The area is infamous for its shipwrecks. Salcombe Harbour – lying between Bolt Head and Prawle Point in South Devon the harbour has a sand bar that’s difficult to negotiate on an ebb tide with strong onshore winds. The new VLS-46 LED sector light (entrance marker)…

Versatile Dragonfly RAYMARINE’S NEW DRAGONFLY 7 Pro MFD (multi-function display) combines advanced dual-channel CHIRP Down Vision sonar, conventional sonar, precision GPS chartplotting and built-in Wi-Fi in an all-weather 7-inch high-definition LED backlit display. The 50-channel GPS makes precise navigation a breeze while built-in Wi-Fi enables live sonar streaming straight to a smartphone or tablet. Rewind, re-watch or save the day’s underwater record – or share it on social media. Dragonfly 7 Pro has an optically-bonded display that delivers sharp colours, wide viewing angles and no internal fogging. Its MicroSD memory card reader loads charts in C-MAP by Jeppesen, Navionics, and Raymarine LightHouse formats, and also saves sonar screen shots. Dragonfly 7 Pro comes with a transom mount CHIRP transducer with temperature sensor and a ball and socket tilt swivel mount.…

Black-backed gull The New Zealand Birds Online website says the black-backed gull (Larus dominicianus) “nest in colonies of up to several thousand pairs around the coast of New Zealand.” In reality they are way savvier than this and will have a crack at nesting anywhere that gives them freedom from predators, elevation and proximity to food. Marinas are too busy but high-rise buildings and motorways are acceptable, as most people are too lazy to get out of their car or climb a roof. Best of all is a moored boat, preferably one that is ignored by its owner. There is nothing casual about a blackbacked gull crapping; they are a territorial crapper. The crap is only a by-product of their desire to find a place to nest and raise their…

The motto is “We make cruising more fun” but there’s a serious side too. ICA offers an extensive knowledge base of resources and information specific to Extended Coastal (New Zealand and a developing section on Australia) and Offshore cruising, with an emphasis on the South West Pacific. It provides a wide range of fun events, cruising rallies, training, practical demonstrations, on the water preparation and backup to assist cruisers to “get out there”. Upcoming events include the CPS (Cruising Prep Seminar) in Brisbane and Cairns in June/July 2016; Multihull Solutions Sail2Indonesia Rally and Doyle South Pacific Rally in June 2016; and the Doyle Pacific Circuit Rally on again in 2017. Membership in the Island Cruising Association is NZ$65.00 per year and membership gives you access to the entire knowledge base.…

Peri peri prawns with roasted garlic aioli Our peri peri prawns have become a firm favourite in our household. A lil’ chilli kick alongside an insanely delicious aioli, and spruced up with a peri peri seasoning will get your taste buds tingling. The lime and roasted garlic aioli is super easy; try substituting the roasted garlic for a chipotle pepper if you want some “super spice” in this dish. Any leftover seasoning is fantastic to sprinkle over some hand cut fries for a little something special. INGREDIENTS – SERVES 4 PRAWNS 500g raw prawns, peeled and de-veined with tail left on ½ cup rice flour ¼ cup cooking oil (plus extra for chilli and garlic) 1 clove garlic 2 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced 2 spring onions, finely…

Steam pinnaces and launches were used by naval forces for liaison work, liberty boats and, from the 1870s, sophisticated craft carrying spar torpedoes for ramming or swinging sideways on to the hull of enemy warships or, far more effectively if they ran true, self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. It took a while for the idea that naval forces could use internal combustion-engined launches to carry out all of the tasks normally allotted to steam-powered launches and torpedo boats to percolate through the thinking of the British Admiralty and foreign navies. Steam launches were handicapped by the huge weight and bulk of their boilers and engines relative to their displacement, and by the time it took to get working steam pressure once in the water. By 1910, however, petrol marine engines had achieved…

1. Who designed the Cherub dinghy? 2. What was the name of the ship’s cat on Shackleton’s ship Endurance? 3. What does the term deadrise mean? 4. Built in 1964 and operated on Lake Wakatipu, what type of boat is Meteor III? 5. When boating where would you find a cill? 6. Which is the largest member of the dolphin family? 7. The South Island’s Lake Rotoiti flows into which river? 8. What is the Maori name and meaning for the North Island? 9. What is the standard engine used in the NZ Offshore Superboat class? 10. Have more fatal shark attacks been recorded in the North Island or South Island? 11. On a chart, what does this symbol signify + ? 12. Where is Image Boats based? 13. Does…

When I graduated to thinking about a launch after owning a number of trailer boats, I considered various secondhand options. But the struggle to find something suitable soon made me realise that satisfaction would require a more hands-on approach. Besides, the challenge of building my own launch was irresistable. Space in the backyard was sufficient (just), and building her there meant the project would always be on-hand to encourage regular progress. Furthermore, a consultation with a craneage company confirmed the completed hull could be lifted free and on to a waiting trailer. After acquiring a fine Ron Given catamaran design, the mundane task of establishing the “factory” became the pressing issue. First, a tent cover from Shelter Tent was procured. Next a flat ply floor was installed on a home-built…

Another Shaw design, the 7m Angry Dragon, is destined to keep the opposition on its toes. Launched within a few months of Learning Curve, Angry Dragon meets a very different brief – outright speed. She belongs to brothers Richard and Tom Kiff and their mate Stu Wilson, all of whom call the Bay of Islands home. All three travel internationally regularly for work, with Volvo veteran Wilson currently crewing on Rambler 88 and the Kiff brothers working behind the scenes on various America’s Cup and Volvo campaigns. But when they’re at home it’s time for fun. All have previously owned Shaw boats – Tom and Stu the Shaw 650 Snatch, and Richard the 650 Porn Star and 7m Custard Truck – and decided they wanted more of the same, in…

Part 3 – Rudder housing, Skeg and Keelbolts As designed Talent’s rudder housing is a 316 stainless steel tube holding bronze bearings. The lower 120mm of the tube is buried in the deadwood, the top is held by the cockpit floor, and a welded flange is screwed down to the inner keelson and bedded on epoxy. Sealing stainless to timber with epoxy is often problematic. Under stress the epoxy cracks, leading to a difficultto-fix leak which, because the stainless is buried in damp timber, creates a perfect environment for crevice corrosion. Like her rudder shaft Talent’s rudder housing had corroded and required replacement. A far superior replacement is an epoxy GRP tube with composite bearings. The GRP tube glues well to timber and can’t corrode. In conjunction with the new…

The National Government’s plans for a vast recreational fishing-only marine park in the inner Hauraki Gulf, plus another in the Marlborough Sounds, were announced in a White Paper on January 12. Prime Minister John Key initially proposed them just prior to the last election almost three years ago, but released few details at the time. The timing of this latest announcement, again just prior to an election, is interesting. The proposed parks are said to be part of a wider reform of marine protection legislation planned by Key’s National government. The proposed new Marine Protected Areas law, outlined in a consultation document released on January 12, only covers the 12 nautical miles of New Zealand’s territorial waters, conveniently leaving the much larger EEZ to be exploited. The fact that mineral,…

One of the real characters of New Zealand yachting is James Davern, who in 1966 became the first New Zealander to win the Sydney to Hobart Race. But as we’ll see, there’s a lot more to Davern’s life than a single yacht race. Born in 1930 Davern’s boating career began when aged 12 he built a canoe from packing case battens and calico, then a Mk II version in corrugated iron, which he still owns. In those days he was living with his mother in Point Chevalier and one day he found the remains of an elderly P Class, which he patched up and taught himself to sail. His competitive nature soon saw Davern racing other P Class sailors and despite his boat’s age, enjoying the odd win. He progressed…

The Water Book by Alok Jha Headline Publishing $40.00 THIS BOOK TAKES you on a dual journey. First, a physical one as we join Jha in Antarctica, where the power and importance of water is reflected in the great ice fields, icebergs and world-shaping weather systems of the Southern Ocean. And secondly, on a parallel scientific voyage that explores the origins of water in the Big Bang, through the beginnings of life on Earth, the shaping of our civilisations and out into space again, where water is the key marker in the search for extraterrestial life. After reading The Water Book you’ll never look at a glass of water in quite the same way again. Dive to Adventure Edited by Egidio Trainito White Star Publishers $35.00 A PICTORIAL FEAST of…

There are 620 recognised species of snapping shrimp in the Alpheidae family, which has 45 or more genera spread through the world's oceans. Around 283 species belong in the biggest genus, Alpheus, including our native snapping shrimp. Synalpheus is the next biggest genus with 146 species, some of which are social creatures. Synalpheus regalis lives in colonies of up to 300 members inside sponges. All are offspring of a single large female. Rather like ants, the colony is divided into a single queen, numerous workers to care for the young and male soldiers to protect the colony. Most Alpheus species are solitary, although some share burrows with gobies in a symbiotic relationship. Alpheus species favour tropical and subtropical oceans.…

Nothing can prepare you for the shock of the first attack. I had delivered my new yacht, Siward, to the beautiful waters of Deborah Bay in Otago Harbour, cleaned her up and slipped ashore at sunset, full of pride in her first voyage. My reverie was abruptly cut short the next morning when I rowed out to her and found her covered in bird crap, with two resident black-backed gulls doing their best to defend what they regarded as their turf. After a short air war reminiscent of the Battle of Britain, I had managed to regain my boat. What I did not get back was my innocence when it comes to the cunning ways of birds. It has been a slow cold war ever since. After two hours of…

The alarm sounded and “No Fix, No Fix” came flashing up on the chartplotter, a most unusual occurrence. We were on passage from Pine Harbour to Port Fitzroy on Great Barrier Island a few days before Christmas. The day was fine but with poor visibility of about two miles. We had cleared Waiheke and were on track to clear the Ahaaha Rocks with no land in sight. My wife Pam was busy putting up the Christmas trimmings when the alarm stuttered a few times and then the chartplotter gave up the ghost altogether. This was no real problem as we sorted out the hand-bearing compass, paper charts and Breton plotter, ready for when some land became visible. We also turned on the radar which confirmed that we were clear of…

There has been much discussion relating to the use of tethers while working on deck. Some say they should be worn at all times and some say not at all (and in fact in the wrong circumstances they can be dangerous). I offer my views here. Some are deliberately inflammatory to get you thinking and illicit your response. My vote is YES to tethering. Not to tether you to the boat, but rather to stop you going over the side in the first place. A MOB should begin and end at the lifelines. My first rule – Don’t Go Over the Side – treats the lifelines like the top of a 500-foot cliff. Staying aboard, or in the worst case surviving a MOB, starts well before anyone goes on deck.…

In most of the Hauraki Gulf, including the full extent of the proposed new park, trawling and purse-seining are already excluded. Setnetting and long-lining, along with commercial scallop and crayfish extraction, is allowed but these commercial activities would stop if the parks become a reality. As it stands there’s already some protection from the most damaging and visible of bulk harvesting methods. In addition, fishing is excluded from dozens of extensive ‘no-fish’ zones to protect seafloor cables and the like, and with lower bag and higher minimum size limits, recreational anglers are taking fewer fish. The inner Hauraki Gulf is located inside the commercial fishing zone designated Snapper 1 (SNA1) on the eastern coast of the North Island, from North Cape to East Cape. Although snapper numbers in SNA1 as…