Innehållsförteckning för November 2018 från Boating NZ

More than $250,000 in annual fuel savings for two Royal New Zealand Navy vessels is on the cards thanks to a unique engineering solution developed by the Navy and its fleet maintenance partner, Babcock (NZ) Offshore patrol vessels HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington were designed to run (mostly) on just one of their two main engines. The speed generated by one engine is generally enough for operational requirements. But the issue with this, says RNZN Logistics Commander Maritime, Captain Andrew Nuttall, is that the trailing shaft, even though not powered by an engine, still turns because of the wind-milling effect of the propeller through the water. This generates heat in the gearbox. “The pump supplying coolant to remove the heat is driven by the engine and, with it shut down…

Josh Junior won his second New Zealand Match Racing crown after beating Chris Steele 3–2 after a long, tricky day of match racing at the RNZYS. Junior had eaten Nick Egnot-Johnson and his Knots Racing team earlier in the morning, which left the second semi-final between Chris Steele and Leonard Takahashi’s Pacific Racing Team. Both semi-finals were close, but it was small mistakes from the younger skippers Egnot-Johnson and Takahashi which cost them against their more experienced opponents. Both contests ended 3–0. This put Steele up against Junior in a battle of past champions. In what were very shifty conditions, Steele took the first match quite convincingly and it looked like the final could be over sooner than envisaged. But Junior fired back in the next match to tie it…

Depending on the state of the tide, the runway is surrounded by a quagmire of mud and sand flats, thinly disguised, at high tide, by turbid brown water. But every year more than two million people pass overhead; sitting in that parlous state between being aloft and aground. Few people notice the cluster of buildings on the foreshore or, if they do, don’t give them a thought, but it’s headquarters for the 60 or so personnel of the Airport Emergency Services (AES) who maintain a 24/7 watch on operations. The airport firefighters are, like their urban counterparts, constantly on alert for potential danger and highly trained to cope with it. But, in line with the specialised nature of their location, they have a two extra tools. These are the two…

Warm sunshine bathed the X60 at its temporary Pittwater marina berth, where I joined the vessel for the last leg of its journey down the coast to Sydney. The new boat had left the factory in Queensland for a multi-day promotional tour, stopping at ports along the south Queensland and New South Wales coasts on its way to the Sydney International Boat Show. After Sydney, the X60 was scheduled to head over the ditch to her new owners in Auckland, where this same vessel would feature prominently at the Auckland On Water Boat Show in September. The X60, released at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in May, is an important model for Maritimo. The first in the X-Series range, it is the template for the new X50, which will debut next…

The world’s largest manufacturer of production catamarans, Bordeaux-based Lagoon is in serious expansion mode. The factory produces 350 vessels a year (power and sail, 38-78 feet LOA), and the plan, says sales manager Yann Wachten, is to boost this to 700. He says the factory’s struggling to meet demand – orders are now being taken for delivery in 2020. It’s an ambitious goal, but one helped by Lagoon being part of the Beneteau conglomerate. The organisation – which also owns CNB yachts – delivers around 9000 vessels a year. Production line efficiencies perfected at the various factories are being implemented at the Lagoon facility. The boats are launched at the site – on the banks of the Garonne River. It’s around 100km from the river’s Atlantic mouth. Boats are typically…

Demand driven by Maritimo’s new X-Series sports yachts and design upgrades to the M-Series Flybridge Motor Yacht range resulted in more than $10 million in contracts at the Auckland On Water Boat Show. The X60 Sport Yacht, which premiered in May, and the X50 Sport Yacht, scheduled for world premiere in 2019, were the highlights of the Maritimo display, with both models generating multiple sales. Maritimo’s lead designer, Tom Barry-Cotter, says the X50 is proving popular for its spaces and options, made possible by the X-Series aft cabin design. The X60 featured at Auckland had travelled from Australia to New Zealand under its own power, a less expensive and more exciting delivery option than the more usual shipping delivery. “Seeing a Maritimo complete a voyage like that builds confidence in…

But it doesn’t have to be like that. There are many things you can do to stay safe while crossing a bar and make it successfully to the other side. Here are a few simple tips all boaties should follow: When you cross the bar, make sure it’s the right time to do so. The optimum time to cross is within three hours before high tide if going out, and between three hours before and 1 to 1½ hours after high tide coming back in. Double check that the conditions are safe to cross both on the way over and when you return. If you have other people on board make sure they are also keeping a lookout astern and to the sides of…

A conventional fish finder is useless for locating a static item like a propeller on the bottom. The single sonar beam will simply show the bottom as being fractionally shallower as you go over an object. What you need is technology providing a 3D image – a forward-scanning or side-scanning solution – which delivers detailed, high-resolution images capable of showing an outboard prop sticking up out of the sand. Side-scanning technology works because the ping goes out to either side of the boat. As the echo from an object is detected so too is the ‘shadow’ behind it, which when displayed on the screen will readily show the object’s shape. The distinctive blades of a prop will show up, unless it fell into an area that cannot be seen –…

In 1908 the editor of the American yachting magazine Rudder donated several trophies to yacht clubs around the world for offshore racing. Two came to New Zealand, one to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and one to Otago Yacht Club. The RNZYS decided to run a night race for motorboats on December 12, 1908, from the Auckland wharves, around Sail Rock and back, a distance of 108 nautical miles. It had the benefit of a full moon and a kind westerly. The race was a huge success, with 14 entrants, of which 12 finished. It marked the coming of age of the motor launch as a serious, safe and efficient vessel. Line honours went to James Reid’s Seabird, but the handicap winner of the superb silver Rudder Cup was…

WITH CATLIKE TREAD The epitome of elegance – light and manoeuvrable – Bavaria’s new Nautitech 40 Open is a cat that delivers excellent cruising performance with stylish living. REMEMBERING TITANIC A tour through Belfast’s memorial to the most famous ship in history – her builders’ vision, her secrets, and her ignominious sinking. WICKED COMBO What do you get when you stick one of Yamaha’s mighty 425hp V8s on the back of an Extreme 885 Game King? A fibrillating heart. Yeeehaaaa! COMPOSITE SMARTS The foiling catamarans used at AC35 in Bermuda are receiving a new lease on life following a major revamp at the high-tech facility that is Core Builders Composites in Warkworth. www.boatingnz.co.nz…

The NZ Marine Industry Association and Coastguard New Zealand are urging the Government to take a closer look at the Auckland regional fuel tax which will hit Auckland-based boat owners twice – once when they fill up their cars, and again when they fill up their boats. The tax sees boaties paying more for their on-water recreation to fund roads and the consequences, says NZ Marine executive director Peter Busfield, go beyond introducing a barrier to recreational boating. “While it’s clearly unfair to tax a recreational group to pay for another sector’s infrastructure, the effects will be felt far more widely than solely in boaters’ wallets. The Auckland recreational boating industry contributes [to the economy] significantly, providing jobs and apprentice training.” The tax puts an extra burden on boaters without…

We – humanity – have 12 years to change our lifestyle in unprecedented ways if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change – and changes include eating less meat and abandoning our cars. So says the United Nations’ recently-released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which warns that 2030 is the point-of-no-return for us to adopt changes that will help to avoid a plague of droughts, heavy flooding, extreme heat and poverty. On our current trajectory, says the 400-page report, earth is likely to warm by 3°C. We need to cut that to around 1.5°C – as outlined in the Paris Agreement earlier this year. Scientists believe the effects of climate change – and these effects include droughts on one end of the spectrum to rising seas on the…

While classic schooners often participate in classic yacht regattas, they face the difficulty of having very different sailing characteristics compared with other classic yachts. This leaves them at a disadvantage under most current rating systems. Which is why owners and enthusiasts of these vessels have just launched a new initiative – the formation of the International Schooner Association. In late September the 40th edition of the Régates Royales in Cannes attracted what was possibly the greatest group of classic schooners gathered together in modern times. At a reception and dinner hosted by one of the vessel’s owners – Tomas de Vargas Machuca – owners or representatives of 10 schooners signed up to the launch of the new association. The intention is for the association to run events specifically and exclusively…

Owned by a Russian businessman, A is from the drawing board of legendary French designer Philippe Starck, and she was built by Nobiskrug in Kiel, Germany. Also legendary are Starck’s (and the owner’s) demands for exceptional standards of quality. That didn’t worry Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders (LSB) – the yard has an international reputation for its craftsmanship – but construction of the four vessels presented major engineering challenges. Auckland naval architect Brett Bakewell-White was tasked with turning the design concepts into workable boats, a challenge he readily concedes required outside-the-square thinking. But the results speak volumes – each of the four was a bespoke build process – and is a work of art in its own right. They do, however, share a few common features. A key one is the complete…

Electric propulsion is nothing new for the company – the very first Sealegs, built in 2001 by company founder Maurice Bryham in his garage, had electric motors driving the wheels. Two later versions, termed E2 and E3, also used electricity, the E3 employing an electric motor to power the hydraulic pump driving the wheels. Hydraulic propulsion is standard across the rest of Sealegs’ model range, a petrol engine powering a hydraulic pump to drive the wheels. But the Electric E4’s combination of brushless electric wheel motors and lithium battery technology quite possibly represents the future of amphibious boating. Sealegs calls its electric drivetrain AmpTracs – Amphibious Traction and Control System. In many ways the new E4 is the best Sealegs yet. It’s quieter, faster and provides longer run times than…

Over the years I’ve chartered yachts in various parts of the Mediterranean – Croatia, Turkey, Greece – and in each case the lack of wind has left us motoring for 90% of the time. For 2018, I thought, we’ll go somewhere where we can hoist some canvas and actually sail. All my research pointed to the Cyclades. Sun-drenched islands, friendly Greeks, history – and steady winds. As the old adage goes – be careful of what you wish for… The Cyclades are synonymous with the meltemi, blowing consistently from the north at 20-25 knots. But it’s an unpredictable wind that can quickly morph into a hellish vixen whistling at 35-40 knots (and more!) for days at a time, particularly in the peak summer season (July-August). It often forces charterers to…

Fountaine Pajot unveiled its new 45-foot sailing catamaran at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival. The cat incorporates bold design, unprecedented living space, a luminous interior and a new hull design for improved performance. Designed by Berret-Racoupeau, the vessel boasts energetic lines, inverted bows, a newly-designed helm station and a light-filled interior. It delivers an expansive cockpit and the largest lounge in the category, plus extensive storage. There are generous relaxation spaces on the foredeck, lounge deck and in the cockpit. The electric swim platform is an option. Depending on the version, the owner’s suite and guest cabins each have ensuites. The catamaran will be officially launched in mid-2019. Priced from AUD$900,000 (plus shipping and taxes if applicable), the new 45 is available in the Asia-Pacific region exclusively through Multihull Solutions.…

A twelve percent increase in visitor numbers has been reported by the Auckland On Water Boat Show, in comparison to last year’s gate figures. “It was a really positive show and we had serious buyers through,” Terry Bailey of Arvor Boats said of the show, a sentiment echoed by many other exhibitors. “It was the best Auckland show for us in years,” added Maritimo’s Tom Barry-Cotter. Team Windcraft displayed a range of sailing yachts selling a stock boat from the stand, receiving two more orders with strong enquiries to follow up. Organiser Stacey Cook says the show team is thrilled with the results of this year’s show. “Our remit is to showcase the marine industry and help businesses flourish, so hearing from exhibitors the market felt strong and they received…

The new Rayglass Experience Open Weekend and Factory Tour in early September proved enormously popular. The new Rayglass Experience attracted large numbers of individuals, couples and family groups. Rayglass’s multi-award-winning Legend range of trailer boats were on display, as were the exciting new 3500 Sedan Cruiser and a selection of internationally-renowned Protector RIBs. Those attending were also able to see Rayglass boats in various stages of construction, meet the crew responsible for building the boats and check out Rayglass’s impressive service centre. New Mercury outboards and Mercruiser inboards, plus the latest offerings from Rayglass partners Maserati (including their new diesel SUV), Volkswagen, Garmin and Simrad were also on display. Many enjoyed a barista coffee in the new Rayglass Customer Lounge or partook of the Coastguard-run sausage sizzle. A lucky few…

There’s an elephant in the room: white-baiting. Whitebait is the fry (juveniles) of five native freshwater fish species. Of the native freshwater fish considered endangered – īnanga, shortjaw kōkopu, giant kōkopu, kōaro, kanakana/piharau (lamprey), and tuna (longfin eel) – the first four in the list constitute ‘whitebait’, along with banded kokupu, which is not threatened. Whitebait catches fluctuate wildly from year to year and the mix of species that make up the catch also varies, between seasons and from place to place. The consensus among fishers is that whitebait catches are on average worse today than 40 years ago. Anecdotally, the species composition of the catch is changing as well, but I could find no research to back this up. The whitebait fishing season varies by region. Unlike trout and…

Puzzle no.253 Across 1. Reverse _____ knot – useful for joining different types of fishing line (8) 6. Sail close to wind (4) 8. Wind rope back on itself to make nautical knot (4) 9. Loot of pirates and shipwrecks! (8) 10. Fish bait scattered on water (6) 11. Deep dish from which seafood chowder might be served (6) 14. Type of oar (5) 16. Storage container commonly used in ships in bygone times (6) 19. Route of boat race (6) 21. Most recent previous winner competing in next America’s Cup, eg (8) 22. Curved timber at bow of ship (4) 23. Circles that are spliced or tied on ends of lines (4) 24. Synthetic rubber used for wetsuits (8) Down 2. _____-footed sail – this describes headsail that is…

A Danish-flagged cargo ship has successfully completed a trial voyage through the Russian Arctic, showing that melting sea ice could potentially open a new trade route from Europe to East Asia. The Venta Maersk, carrying a cargo of frozen fish, arrived in St Petersburg in August, having left Vladivostok (Russia’s Pacific port city) days earlier. Experts say this Northern Sea route could be quicker for ships travelling from east Asia to Europe (rather than via the Northwest Passage over Canada) because it was likely to be free of ice sooner due to climate change. It could reduce the east Asia-Europe shipping route from 21,000km (via the Suez Canal), to 12,800km, shaving transit time by 10–15 days. A.P. Moller-Maersk is the world’s biggest shipping group and the Venta Maersk, says Palle…

A billion oysters are being seeded in New York’s harbour in a bid to clean up its notoriously dirty water. An organisation called – well, The Billion Oyster Project (BOP) – is working with hundreds of partners, schools and volunteers to build new oyster reefs in the harbour. The project – launched four years ago – has so far ‘deployed’ 28 million oysters and they are already having an impact. “The water,” says Katie Mosher, BOP’s restoration manager, “has never been better in 150 years. We’ve definitely noticed an improvement when putting oysters on the bottom. There’s more fish, more crabs. It happens right away.” Oysters, she adds, are ecosystem engineers which create a 3D reef habitat. “It’s full of different shapes and sizes of oysters that other species love…

Once a yacht gets up around 50 feet, you might think that you’re going to need all hands-on-deck to get her sailing. But aboard the new-generation Beneteau Oceanis 51.1, the first of which has recently arrived here, it really is as simple as just pushing a few buttons. We took this brand-new boat, delivered for the Auckland On Water Boat Show in September, for her maiden sail before she was handed over to the new owner, with the team from 36 Degrees Brokers. A fine spring day, more breeze than expected and a weekday-empty harbour (apart from a lot of container-ship action) made for an enjoyable interlude. The secret of the Beneteau’s ease-of-handling is in the systems: a 45m2 in-mast furling mainsail and a self-tacking jib of around the same…

Who’d have thought – when Lloyd Stevenson built his first boat in 1983, a Davidson 40, that 35 years later he’d be building custom boats for some of the world’s most prestigious superyacht projects? But each of the boats produced by his yard over the past three decades, he insists, is testament to the unwavering craftsmanship of the entire team. The company has built more than 62 custom boats in this time, more than 20 of them the signature Elite mid-pilothouse design. Being able to custom-build exactly what a customer wants, rather than forcing him to choose from a limited number of options around an existing design, means that, by definition, the customer is always happy with the end result. Added comfort comes from the company’s reputation for standing by…

If you’re considering bareboat chartering in the Med, note that the skipper now needs an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). What? When did the rules change? They haven’t. “Holding proof of competency has always been required by administrations,” says Steve Crockett, training manager at Coastguard Boating Education (CBE). “It just hasn’t been policed. It may be that much of the new competency drive originates with insurance companies.” Many boaties querying the ICC, he adds, are somewhat miffed to discover that their CBE Day Skipper, CBE Boatmaster or even NZ Yachtmaster Coastal certificates have no standing beyond our waters. “That’s because our local certificates have no practical component or practical assessment. For example, a person can be the holder of a NZ certificate without ever having set foot on a boat.”…

Amphibious eco-tourism vessels incorporating Sealegs’ robust System 100 will explore Australia’s coastal wilderness without spoiling it. The first of three new 12.8m amphibious craft joined the fleet of eco-tourism business Pennicott Wilderness Journeys in September to work Victoria’s largest coastal wilderness area, Wilsons Promontory. Sealegs International collaborated with Naiad Design (NZ) and Western Australian boat builder Kirby Marine to integrate its System 100 Amphibious Enablement System (AES) on the three new Naiad Eco-tourers. The remaining two vessels are scheduled for January 2019 delivery. Sealegs works alongside boatbuilders globally on new opportunities to commercialise the System 100, which supports the amphibious operation of large vessels. System 100 AES is available on order worldwide as a standalone system to established boatbuilders with an approved design. www.sealegs.com…

Savings of up to $1,250 are now available on selected 2.5–115hp Mercury FourStroke outboards through Mercury Finance. The Mercury FourStroke Revolution promotional savings offer is available to recreational and commercial customers until 23 November, 2018. Savings range from $100 for 2.5hp outboards up to $1,250 for 115hp models, with total savings depending on horsepower. The engines deliver reliable starting, fuel efficiency, smooth operation, electronic fuel injection (EFI models), robust components, excellent corrosion protection and SmartCraft digital monitoring on selected models. www.mercurymarine.co.nz…

After more than 10 years in business together, Mark Schmack and Jason Snashall will each pursue new pathways within the marine industry. Jason recently purchased all of Orakei Management Limited (OML), trading as ‘Orakei Marine’, a successful business he and Mark built together, while Mark has joined marina developer Tony Mair. With the development at Kennedy Point Marina kicking off, Mark, who is Tony’s son-in-law, will be right in the thick of things. Jason, has big plans for OML: “There are exciting times ahead for Orakei, with the America’s Cup around the corner and some interesting business ventures in the pipeline. It will be challenging, but I have a fantastic team behind me.” For clients the change will be seamless, says Snashall. www.orakeimarine.co.nz…

HDSLIVE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAYS Some of the changes in marine electronics are evolutionary and are driven in no small part by the smartphone industry. Screens are sharper with higher resolution. They’re brighter and more responsive to touch and gestures. The four models in Lowrance’s latest HDS series of multi-function displays – with the new generation HDSLive – all boast gorgeous screens. The brightness and clarity of these high-definition SolarMAX screens is remarkable – and they’re viewable in direct sunlight, even through polarised sunnies. A new bezel provides more screen with less plastic surround, and they’re easier to flush-mount than previous models. Though they’re full touch screens, they’re equipped with buttons if your fingers are wet or the boat’s bouncing around. The top-end models (16- and 12-inch) now feature high-performance quad-core processors,…

There are several good examples of fully-electric or hybrid boats, some of which we’ve reviewed for this magazine. But what’s different about Torqeedo, the German manufacturer of electric boat drives, is the range of power options it offers, from ultralight 1hp motors for kayaks right through to 80hp models (soon to be 200hp). Torqeedo manufactures a range of inboard and outboard electric engines, some with hybrid options and some of them portable. It also manufactures high-quality batteries, so can offer complete propulsion packages. The range starts with the Ultralight, a compact but powerful electric motor weighing less than 9kg, including its high-performance 915 or 320Wh (watt-hours) lithium battery. Power from the Ultralight 403 is equivalent to a 1hp internal combustion engine, delivering speeds up to 10kph and a maximum range…

“Between January 1 and March 31 this year we handled 47,733 radio calls,” says Coastguard communications coordinator, Mike Buddle. “That includes bar reports, trip reports and calls for assistance.” The busiest day was February 28 when 1,964 boat skippers called the operations centre. About 68% of the calls involved mechanical, electrical or fuel problems. Medical mishaps, falls, strokes or cardiac arrests also account for a fair bit of the workload. “But flat batteries and running out of fuel are two of our biggies,” says duty officer Hemi Manaena. “We’re often called on to do medevacs from Waiheke Island – our boats are big and heavy enough to get out there and back quickly and comfortably in bad weather. And we get many, many calls for missing people.” Boats using many…

Built in November 1946, Slàinte is a 27-foot Chris-Craft Super Deluxe Enclosed – resplendent in her gleaming brightwork and original chromed fittings – looking pretty much as she did on the day she was first launched. Hull #507, she’s one of only a handful remaining of the 864 of this specific model that rolled off the Chris-Craft production line in Michigan, on the shores of Great Lakes, in the years after the Second World War. How she came to be cruising around Lake Rotoiti – some 72 years later and half a world away – is a fascinating story, and one that once again illustrates that boat restoration projects are often born in the most obscure, improbable circumstances. A good place to begin unravelling this odyssey is with her name.…