Cruising Prep
With 40kts of wind blowing outside this is a mandatory indoors day providing time to update the blog while John works on the passage planning for our departure. We have settled back into life on board with some minor adjustments and lifestyle changes. These adjustments include no ultra fast broadband, walking 7 mins to get to the showers/toilets, not flushing toilet paper down the toilets, using the laundromat, using pumps to drain water from the sinks, getting used to our days being planned around the weather and on the really windy days the boat motion of Sabbaticus straining on her mooring lines as she gets pushed around. We are enjoying the water views again which makes a change from seeing Parliament from the front door in Wellington.
 |
| Fuel Filter Change |
 |
| Chain Plate Repairs |
After three weeks on
board the maintenance task list shows 35 jobs completed and only 7 to go -
we are almost ready to start sailing again yahoo! The major job was repairing a leak caused by the chain plate, this was a job that had been unsuccessfully 'repaired' before (by a professional yard), prior to owning the boat. This job took three days, in tight spaces, to get the 12 bolts removed, the chain plate free, cleaned and then reinstalled with silaflex (caulking compound). Of note the hairdryer is used more for boat maintenance tasks in drying various compounds than Leanne has ever used for drying her hair. We then waited a couple of days for the real test of our work - the water test - hosing down the chain plate to see if it leaked. We were both relieved to see no water leaking into the salon and the leak successfully repaired at last - although in reality only time will tell if we have been truly successful when we get green water breaking across the deck and the rig is under load.
After opening the salon windows we also noticed the rubber gaskets had perished. This was a two day job to remove the two large windows and scrape off the old gaskets and then replace with the new seals. Once again we waited several days to conduct the water test which was successful (again waiting for the green water test)! The range of jobs included several trips for John up the mast to clean the rig and refit a deck light, fuel filter changes, running and testing all the systems, inflating the dinghy, polishing the fibreglass and stainless steel, removing all the mousing lines, fitting the halyards and sheets and then finally rigging the sails. John also spent a couple of days helping some Aussie friends put the rubbing strake back on their boat so it has been a busy but rewarding time.
Over the last few weeks you can see the work tempo increasing as the boats are all being prepared for summer cruising. With 250 boats in the marina there is quite a community of expertise to call upon and activities to participate in. While the skipper does not allow time for the writers group or craft classes we did attend the diesel engine presentation. At least the best mate is allowed time in the morning for pilates on the dock.
The marina is very social and the bi-weekly happy hours are an excellent way to meet fellow sailors, share ideas and learn about the best places to anchor and travel to. Plus having an electrical engineer as a close neighbour helps when we have technical questions! Our neighbourhood is very international with Americans, Italians, Brits, Swiss and Irish as our immediate neighbour's.
 |
| A happy skipper - phew! |
As always the loggie
tasks must be achieved, with the inventory updated and replenished. With many choices in the beer section, the mate brought back a selection to be scored
each night to ensure the right beers are stocked before we depart - not surprisingly this course of action meet with the skippers approval! We
have been enjoying listening to the local radio station which is a blast
from the past with 80s music predominately played - surprisingly most of the songs are in English so we are able to sing along quite happily.
With our departure looming in the next week we are now taking a few days 'off work' and have a hired a car to sight see around the local area.
With 40kts of wind blowing outside this is a mandatory indoors day providing time to update the blog while John works on the passage planning for our departure. We have settled back into life on board with some minor adjustments and lifestyle changes. These adjustments include no ultra fast broadband, walking 7 mins to get to the showers/toilets, not flushing toilet paper down the toilets, using the laundromat, using pumps to drain water from the sinks, getting used to our days being planned around the weather and on the really windy days the boat motion of Sabbaticus straining on her mooring lines as she gets pushed around. We are enjoying the water views again which makes a change from seeing Parliament from the front door in Wellington.
After opening the salon windows we also noticed the rubber gaskets had perished. This was a two day job to remove the two large windows and scrape off the old gaskets and then replace with the new seals. Once again we waited several days to conduct the water test which was successful (again waiting for the green water test)! The range of jobs included several trips for John up the mast to clean the rig and refit a deck light, fuel filter changes, running and testing all the systems, inflating the dinghy, polishing the fibreglass and stainless steel, removing all the mousing lines, fitting the halyards and sheets and then finally rigging the sails. John also spent a couple of days helping some Aussie friends put the rubbing strake back on their boat so it has been a busy but rewarding time.
Over the last few weeks you can see the work tempo increasing as the boats are all being prepared for summer cruising. With 250 boats in the marina there is quite a community of expertise to call upon and activities to participate in. While the skipper does not allow time for the writers group or craft classes we did attend the diesel engine presentation. At least the best mate is allowed time in the morning for pilates on the dock.
No comments:
Post a Comment