Week 7

Shed nearly complete now and bringing in all my saved up timber.Mostly EUCALYPYUS PILULARIS. Ive had for years and is nice and dry.Also som KAURI AGATHIS and WESTERN RED CEDAR, and TOTARA.We have a wood rack/bracing on the eastern side..

Also paid a visit to PK to see his Penobscot 14 in mould-lovely skiff.....

ISSUE 6

The shed is pushing to completion and workbench installed on top of the container.

Now getting into the demo work on Mason Bay-old hatch and deck torn up and close inspection of the RIBS. not so good!......

Week 5

Work contiues on the shed. Steps up to the top of the container where there will be a workbench.Meanwhile removal of plumbing and wiring continues....

Shed Work

Week 4 and must get the shed closed in as a big blow coming. Used old vinyl signs12m by 4m lets a nice light thru and cheap and strong I think 600gms. Plan on workshop on top of the container, and stairs not steps up to the boat........

Crane Day

Crane ordered and arrived on time,complete with a rigger!
Jobs to do and in this order:
1-Lift steel main mast off
2-lift mizzen mast off
3-pull out motor and place on already made bearers.
4-pull out 2 fuel tanks[alreadt empty of fuel 300l left]
5-pullout 160lt hydraulic tank-also MT.

Then it is time to erect the 5 timber portals and brace for the shed over Mason Bay

 Then time for a rest and beer!......

Second weeks work

Getting right into the stripping of Mason Bay. Fuel tanks out,motor moved aft ready to lift out aft companionway.de-wiring,removing birdsnest in the air intake for the motor!Meanwhile making the timber portals for the shed.

Crane next week....

Setting up Camp

Lots of stuff to do-like Build a shed and strip the boat.Started with building 5 timber portal frames stacked one on top of another ready to lift into position when the crane comes.Also when the crane comes-lift the masts off-remove motor-remove fuel tanks.All has to be done before the erection of the portals! Also I had to scrub the boat out of 50 years of gunge-filthy job..Also bought a 20ft container to store stuff and removed all the ballast-1700kg mostly rusty sash weights. Ready for the crane.....

Haulout

May 9th 2010 was the haulout date at high tide at NORSAND boatyard.Murray has put us over bthe West Bank where all the long termers and some nohopers are.

Arrive Whangarei

Lovely trip across from Gt Barrier Is. to hometown, Whangarei. No real problems on the trip except the little leak which was fixed easily.
Had one last trip out with the Brothers for fishing off the Heads.

Next up the Haulout and work begins!....

East Cape

Good run from Gisborne up to East Cape and on to the Great Barrier Is. Passed the volcanic Island of White Is..came up to Collville Passage inthe night and moored in Whangaparpara early morning. Easy passage, but its a long haul across the Bay of Plenty.


More later.....

Departed Wellington late in afternoon and had a lumpy ride across Palliser (is there any other way!) and wended our way up the Waiarapa coast with a light SE.Its a long way.Passed Napier the followig night and arrived Gisborne after lunch. Caught a few tuna on the coast, had to race a shark for one but got most of it in! Moored to visitors berth outside the Club-very expensive but we only planned 2 nites.Had to meet a fellow Brother of the Coast.Sunny clear weather........

So we departed Lyttleton towards Gisborne. However off the Kaikoura coast wind from NE and up to 25kts.Kept going at 1600 revs but dropped off a few waves and started to leak. Reefed the revs down to 1300 and speed down to 4kts and more in tune with the seas.But the leak stayed with us so we scrambled in to Wellington ahead of the southerly change.Pulled in to Seaview marina at 2am. Next day arranged for a haulout-what an obliging Marina!.Lifted in the Travellift for aday and spotted the leak. Actually hard to miss, looked like the Niagra Falls! Recaulked and tingled a few spots and back in and away that afternoon for Gisborne.One crew left due to time constraints.

To be cont........

While in Lyttleton saw this rather nice ex fishing boat.
The marina a bit of a deserted spot,still showing the ravages of the blow some years ago that decimated the marina.
More to follow......

After spending a few days in Akaroa we heard that Davey Jones on the "KELVIN" was enroute from the Marlborough Sounds where he has a property to Lyttleton for building supplies. He's always an inspiration and the "KELVIN" has one of my favourite motors, a Lister JP4. We motored around Banks Peninsula to Lyttleton for a meet up.......

On our way up the coast. No problems except off Dunedin the next morning-fuel blockage.All cleared and away again in half an hour.
First stop was Akaroa,small village on the south side of Banks Pen.French heritage.

This is an ongoing catchup stand by!.......

Ready to depart Bluff

After 2 weeks preparation we (3 mates) ready to depart fuel dock .Have on board 1700 lit for the ISUZU 6BD1 with 3:1 reduction gear.
Destination Whangarei, via East coast of New Zealand, distanced 1200 miles.

This catchup to be continued......