Sailing charts and some Scottish mist...

Wet couple of days this weekend... hunkered down with a good book and heater on after an Eggs Benedict special with good coffee at the Cafe.

Weather improving Monday with some nice sailing days predicted for next week.

Just changed the grease cartridge on the shaft bearing - drip-less system seems to be working well.  Will be good for another year or more. 

E63 - home away from home

Who said winter sailing was wet, windy and cold?  Been a gorgeous couple of fine sailing days...

I sure am glad I'm here this week and not the last!  As well as 300mm+ of rain and 160kph winds there was havoc amongst a large number of boats around the bays.  Walking over to the showers tonight the salvage crew were still trying to raise the 60ft 30 ton ketch which sank against the marina attenuator last week after 'ping-ponging' amongst the moored craft.  on the way through it took the flying bridge off one launch then hit 'Sala', a thirty foot sloop which was on our mooring near the channel.  The combined weight and the attempts of the ketch owner to start his motor somehow severed the mooring lines and both yachts ended up on the bottom after being smashed into the concrete and steel outer quarantine pier.    Sala was raised on Monday, but they are having trouble lifting the heavy ketch.  

Meanwhile there is no sign of our mooring... it's probably down with the dozen or so others which were dragged by their vessels across the channel and ended up being cut loose to save the boats from being wrecked against the wharves.  Hopefully the divers can locate it and restore it - the news is not so good for Sala which is probably a write-off.  Fortunately Helen had Sala insured but poor old Don, who lived aboard his ketch was not insured and only saved his passport and a camera as he jumped off while his boat/home was sinking.

It was a relief to get away yesterday after a visit from Roger the Sailmaker with some new and re-fashioned clothes for Kalai.  A window of a couple of promising days emerged and I set off downstream and with some trepidation on a gusty day, hoisted my mistress's new dress...

She's a beauty - 7-8 kts with only a little tidal assistance...

500 sq ft of sheer terror in a squall - I'll have to promise my better half not to raise it in anything over 25 kts!

Great to finally have a downwind sail to use.  Comes with a nifty sock so muggins can get the blessed thing down in a hurry if he needs to!















Headed for my favourite Opunga cove in a dying southerly (did I mention that's the cold wind?)  No heater tonight being 'off-grid' but at least the repaired solar panels were pumping up to 3 Amps into the batteries - excellent!

Early night and woke to a misty morning...

 Did I mention cold?  According to my little weather station, it was 5.6 outside and only 5.5 deg inside... crispy!



Good feed of bacon eggs and tomatoes helped warm the inner man...










Such a nice day I decided to mess around for a while and drifted in light winds for a couple of hours before dropping anchor in Army Bay then heading back to the Marina for the night... rain expected later. 

Managed to carry the Genny right up the estuary, before motoring the last bit.  Bit tricky getting back into the berth with the tide still ebbing - I went to jump onto the jetty only to realise I'd made the rope a bit short and had to quickly jump back on and reverse in a hurry.  I don't think anyone was watching..?

Tuesday - Lashing Day

Lots of lashing going on today... cockpits glued and stems made.  A long but good day with hot chips and potato cakes for tea and a working through until after 7 with great progress made by all!

BJ giving lashing advice

George all concentration applying glue

Lochlan deep in thought...

Bob consulting Arieta's plans!

John - Watch and Learn, watch and learn...

Richard getting a helping hand with bow shape template

Father and Son team - excellent work, David and Ken!!!

It takes a Village to build an Iqyax...

Great start today for our Skin on Frame workshop at 'The Factory' aka Mitcham Baptist Church. 

Eight enthusiasts  are building six BJ Specials - a modified Tom Yost Sea-Rider design, with a three other boats destined to receive new clothes (skins!)

Some early photos of progress...

Ken and John assembling 'strongbacks'

Richard hard at work...

The Clear One being stripped ready for a new suit of clothes

Packing up for the evening...

 Most of the framework is now assembled with cockpit gluing programmed for the morning (Tuesday) followed by glue/peg/lashing of frame.

Great atmosphere of camaraderie and fun - freshly roasted Coffee, home baking and even a 'boom box' for inspirational music!

Skin on Frame Workshop

Preparations for Winter Skin on Frame Workshop are now well under way...  much coffee has been consumed and animated debate regarding hull characteristics and rolling capability have resulted in the mark VII version about to be rolled out!

Nice clean lines... gentle sheer

A highly modified Tom Yost Sea Rider design is now ready for construction.

Arieta and Grandpa approve!

High quality Western Red Cedar (Milled from pristine 6.4m planks), local plantation grown Hoop Pine and CNC cut frames will be assembled in ten days by the Two and a half Revs along with half a dozen assorted neophyte Kayak Builders in the Factory

50 x 19mm Gunnels being readied

They go in rough sawn and come out smooth!

6 Iqyaks worth of timber!

Safety equipment is of course highly utilised...

Nice timber!

Measure twice... cut once!

Ahhh... the Holly Green Workshop fully utilised!

Should be a whole lot of fun!!! 

Watch this space...

Beautifully posed, boys!

As an aside - when we get the chance we like to have a special brekky on Saturday morning. 

 This morning Cathy and I are proud to announce and in fact were delighted to find the gift of not one, or even two, but in fact three sets of twins willing to sacrifice themselves for the breakfast table... with freshly roasted and superbly blended Ugandan/Ethiopian coffee it was hard to beat!

Another urban sighting - and a treat for a cooperative fellow

Success means a sighting of Ozzie exiting and re-entering the lower apartment complex earlier tonight. Whether that means that 'mum' is occupying the upper level unit or that they are still cohabiting in the lower unit has not been discerned... Needless to say that as soon as Ozzie saw me he/she scarpered along an outlying cedar limb and within a short space of time I heard noises in the garage... he (let's take a guess at the gender) was back on the starboard shelving waiting for the apple treat he could smell was coming (see photo).

 Having renewed acquaintances and exchanged brief pleasantries, I retired to the warmth of the house, in the hope that Ozzie got the message. After a reasonable interlude I ventured outdoors again and sure enough he was hard at work demolishing the remaining apple slices which had been strategically placed near his new abode.

No doubt we will still encounter one another along the way, but we are hopeful his new home will continue to appeal and that the garage becomes his local cafe rather than his place of fixed residence...

Bespoke accommodation and summary evictions...

Well... it appears that Ozzie is in fact 'Junior' (of indeterminate sex) now that 'Mother' has made an appearance.

Not sure where Ozzie's precociousness has sprung from, but curious he/she is allowing us to approach closely without any apparent fear of bipedal humanity.  Mother, naturally, is a little more circumspect and scuttles carefully away as dusk deepens.

Given the overcrowding issue in the sole kayak space available - plus the inevitable sanitation undesirables emanating from long-term occupancy... I decided to create some split-level alternative accommodation adjacent to their existing flat.

As you can see... multi-level bespoke apartment dwelling with protective baffles and non-skid entranceway... no expense spared!

After the construction phase was completed, further incentives for future occupants included:

• a trail of apple portions leading to the finely tooled circular entrance points
• a re-arrangement of existing accommodation involving a 180 degree rotation of former kayak accommodation and strategic location of plywood cover to negate re-entry
• indeed, a 180 deg rotation of all other kayaks to preclude a transfer of occupancy to a similar space

As you can see, the re-location to the stand of cedars immediately adjacent their former residence offers magnificent views and is handy to both food supplies and wide open spaces... what's not to like?

We shall see in the days to come whether this offer of new premises has been taken up...