Boating NZ September 2018

It’s September and that means it’s Spring. Officially. And that, in turn, means the boating fraternity’s pulse begins beating a little more quickly. A bit like bears emerging from hibernation, boat owners all over the country will begin rubbing the cobwebs from their eyes and boat covers. They’ll also wince at the nerve-jangling monotony of Greensleeves blasting from Mr Whippy’s van – with hordes of shrieking children in tow – as it cruises the suburbs. But rather than dwell on grumpy, uncharitable thoughts, focus instead on prepping your pride-and-joy for summer. This is a good time to assess the health of her batteries and bilge pumps, fit some new anodes, show the engine you love it with a gift of new oil – maybe a smarter set of squabs? If…

SOUTHERN PACIFIC CORMORANT 600 RIB This new 6m RIB is the third, and biggest, in the Cormorant range. She combines a rugged aluminium rigid hull for strength and performance, with an inflatable collar for comfort, stability and safety. A CARBON MOTH What happens when you make a carbon-fibre version of a vessel renowned for its skittishness and blistering speed? Grit your teeth and hold on. BLOKARTS It’s sailing Jim, but not as we know it. Land yachts, blokarts, speed demons – call them what you will, but these machines are quite a bit faster than their water-based cousins and demand unique skills from their pilots. RECYCLING BOATS Thousands of old, tired fibreglass boats are abandoned around the globe every year, posing not only an eyesore but also an environmental threat.…

Fifty-one years after she flipped at 300mph (483kph) on Coniston Water in the Lake District, killing her driver Donald Campbell, the legendary jet-powered hydroplane Bluebird K7 has been restored and is back on the water. Campbell, 45, was killed in 1967 attempting to break his own world water speed record of 276.33mph (442kph), set at Australia’s Lake Dumbleyung three years earlier. The fatal accident was recorded on film and in a few photographs – but much more haunting were his final words over the radio: “She’s tramping, the water’s not good…I can’t see much…I’m going…I’m on my back…I’m gone.” The hydroplane’s wreckage lay 45m down for more than 30 years, until it was recovered in 2001 by engineer and diving enthusiast Bill Smith. He – and the rest of the…

The UK’s new polar explorer – the £200m RRS David Attenborough – slipped without fuss into the River Mersey earlier this year, with the man she was named after doing the honours. The 92-year-old Sir David Attenborough says having the 129m ship named after him is the greatest of honours. When plans for its construction were first announced, the British public was invited – in an online poll – to vote on a name, and famously (irreverently?) opted for Boaty McBoatface. But authorities demurred. Says British Antarctic Survey director Jane Francis: “This is a serious science ship that required the name of a serious scientist. Its name recognises all the love and esteem the British public holds for Sir David Attenborough.” Still, onboard is a yellow submarine – which is…

A painting of the gaff-cutter Kate – by marine artist David Barker – is being used in a fund-raising drive to help with the completion of the historic vessel’s restoration. Built in 1898 as a trading cutter for the Kaipara Harbour, Kate is being restored by the Waiheke Working Sail Charitable Trust and, when complete, is to be used as a youth sail-training vessel. Barker – renowned for his paintings of boats and the sea – recently visited the island and the project and agreed to do a painting encapsulating the dream. A limited edition of 100 numbered, signed prints of the painting, suitable for framing, has been produced. They are available at $225.00 each. When all have been sold, a draw will be held and one of the buyers…

Australia’s Wendy Tuck has become the first female skipper to win the gruelling Clipper Round the World yacht race in July, crossing the finish line in Liverpool. Racing in a fleet of 11 yachts, Tuck and crew completed the 40,000nm-race after 11 months aboard Sanya Serenity Coast. She is the first woman to win any round-the-world race. In second place was another female – Nikki Henderson – also making history. At 25, Henderson is the youngest skipper in the Clipper race. Robin Knox-Johnston, the co-founder of the 21-year-old biennial event and the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, lauded the achievements. “The fact that we have first and second with both lady skippers is quite remarkable. They had battles with extremely capable male sailors and they…