we have been working 12 hour days. too tired to blog. Just look at the pictures.
Category Archives: 2023 season
Rotten luck
Another early morning start. We had taken the brass strips off the rubrail yesterday, and B began sanding and cleaning it, so today she kept ongoing with that.I epoxyed into position the new transducer for the forward facing sonar. I had just finished when B found a surprise. Part of the rubrail was rotten. This ment a trip to the hardware store for some timber to rebuild it. It took most of the day but we cut out the 2.4m of rot, finish sanding and treat all the rail with wood restore product. On top of it it was a hot day with no wind and we had no option but having a cold shower middle of the day to cool down and keep working. Sometimes B had no choice to play contortionist to reach the rubrail and Andrew had to keep balance as he was most of the day on top of the ladder.
Long shower
The warm water trickled down my back as I stood under the shower, not worrying about how much water I was using. Just letting the water refresh my aching body. It was the first time in quite a while that we were able to have a long hot shower. The marina facilities were nice and clean and a welcome necessity at the end of the first day on the hard.
We had Imagine lifted out of the water yesterday to spend 10 days on the hard stand. We have lots to do and today we got stuck into it. B started sanding the rubrail ready for painting. While I removed the damaged transducer and cleaned the hull ready for the new one.
By lunch time it was raining so we both started scrapping the remaining barnacles off the hull. We ended the day with me removing some of the name Imagine from the hull to make it easier to paint the white hull. B removed the skirt from the back of Imagine.
It’s not the battery
As we couldn’t do much work on Imagine we decided to go for a sail. I jump started the engine and we hauled anchor. It was a nice breeze and we sailed to Motohe Island where we had lunch. A bit swelly there so, we went across to Islington Bay on Rangitoto Island. This is where we spent the night along with thirty other boats.The wind was blowing 25 knots and the rain made us appreciate even more our sheltered cockpit.
It has been raining most of the day so we have just been doing things inside. When I went to start the engine to charge the batteries, it wouldn’t jump start. After a lot of work I traced the problem to the starter motor. Jump starting the battery it the last few days increased the current to the starter motor and it worked, but today even the extra current wouldn’t turn the starter motor.
While I was working on the engine, B attacked the wood cupboard and my tool draw. Now the wood is sorted into sizes and my tools are all neatly laid out. It looks wonderful. I wonder how long they will stay like that? From now on I have to ask permission to access my tools and make sure I put them back at the same place hahaha…Who said that we are living the dream life?
The rain has stopped just long enough to give us a beautiful sunset.
It has been raining most of the day so we have just been doing things inside. When I went to start the engine to charge the batteries, it wouldn’t jump start. After a lot of work I traced the problem to the starter motor. Jump starting the battery it the last few days increased the current to the starter motor and it worked, but today even the extra current wouldn’t turn the starter motor.
While I was working on the engine, B attacked the wood cupboard and my tool draw. Now the wood is sorted into sizes and my tools are all neatly laid out. It looks wonderful. I wonder how long they will stay like that? From now on I have to ask permission to access my tools and make sure I put them back at the same place hahaha…Who said that we are living the dream life?
The rain has stopped just long enough to give us a beautiful sunset.
Fire onboard
Boxing Day morning we headed into to town. The shops were packed. People looking for the Boxing Day sales. We found a vacuum and a small pump for the watermarker. All the places were closed that sold starter batteries.
We dropped the car back to Darren. He had given us a pump to try. Back onboard, I started replacing the pump. Of course none of the connections were the same as the old one. Tried Darren’s one it had too higher pressure, but finally the one we bought seemed to do the job.
Eager to go sailing, we jump started the engine and hauled anchor. We started the watermaker and I checked that it was making water. Everything seemed to be alright. After about half an hour I checked again and everything was working smoothly.
About an hour later, half way to Waiheke Island, we were both on deck enjoying the sun ( finally out there!) and dolphins sighting. I went down below to get some drinks and smelled something, a few second later the smoke alarms went off. I quickly turned off the power and saw the smoke coming from the cupboard where the watermaker is. Turning off the power stopped the wiring from continuing to burn and the smoke started to disperse. Thankfully the fire didn’t spread!
We decided to turn back to Whangaparaoa and as we anchored in Okoromai Bay the wiring had cooled and the smoke was gone. That when I could see the new pump had overheated and shorted out causing the wiring to burn.
Reluctant to put the same type of pump back in we have ordered one online. This means we are on tight water until it arrives. Luckily it has rained over Christmas and we have buckets full of rainwater that we can use for washing.
We dropped the car back to Darren. He had given us a pump to try. Back onboard, I started replacing the pump. Of course none of the connections were the same as the old one. Tried Darren’s one it had too higher pressure, but finally the one we bought seemed to do the job.
Eager to go sailing, we jump started the engine and hauled anchor. We started the watermaker and I checked that it was making water. Everything seemed to be alright. After about half an hour I checked again and everything was working smoothly.
About an hour later, half way to Waiheke Island, we were both on deck enjoying the sun ( finally out there!) and dolphins sighting. I went down below to get some drinks and smelled something, a few second later the smoke alarms went off. I quickly turned off the power and saw the smoke coming from the cupboard where the watermaker is. Turning off the power stopped the wiring from continuing to burn and the smoke started to disperse. Thankfully the fire didn’t spread!
We decided to turn back to Whangaparaoa and as we anchored in Okoromai Bay the wiring had cooled and the smoke was gone. That when I could see the new pump had overheated and shorted out causing the wiring to burn.
Reluctant to put the same type of pump back in we have ordered one online. This means we are on tight water until it arrives. Luckily it has rained over Christmas and we have buckets full of rainwater that we can use for washing.
Christmas
We have finished the jobs we have been working on, so that we can have a break from Christmas to New Year relaxing and sailing around the Hauraki Gulf. We started Christmas Eve with Croissants and plans to clean up ready for our week off. That went to plan till about 3pm. That’s when the vacuum died, then the engine starter battery died and then the prepump for the watermarker stopped. It was too late to run around the shops to buy new ones, so we went for a walk along the beach.
Christmas day was great we spent it at Darren’s with other family members. Telling stories, reminiscing, eating and drinking too much before returning to Imagine.
We hope you all had a great Christmas.
Race weekend
Saturday 21st
We moved frm Opua to Russell where it was more sheltered in the quiet bay with only 20 boats. We didn’t know the Auckland to Russell boat race had started. It was about midnight when the first of the boats pulled into the Bay cheering and celebrating as they dropped anchor. Over the course of the night and into the morning the others arrived and shouting out to each other. By daybreak there were over 100 boats in the Bay. We could see it was going to be a party weekend, so we hauled anchor and zig zaged our way out of the bay. As we are going to head south when the wind changes on Tuesday, we started heading out of the bay of Islands. We ended up anchoring in Deep Water bay (the last bay in BOI before rounding Cape Brett for us to head South). This would give us shelter and a good head start on Tuesday.
It was only 2pm when we anchored, finally cheered up by the sun (after a week of grey sky and rain) and despite the 12 degrees water temperature on the intruments B couldn’t resist having a deep in the clear blue water (Anchoring in 8m depth water and we can still see the bottom). That was refreshing she said!
The rest of the day was as usual relaxing, playing cards and discussing what next need doing on the boat.
Auf wiedersehen and goodbye
We all got up late again this morning. It has been an overcast day with a northerly breeze. After breakfast we hauled anchor and headed to Paihia. Julia and Austin packed their bags ready to leave us. We all went ashore at Paihia and had fish and chips for lunch. After a short walk around town Julia headed off to the hotel (her last night in NZ) and Austin caught the bus to Auckland.
That left the two of us to do some shopping and go back to Imagine. We moved from Paihia back to Opua to get better shelter out of the wind. The rest of the afternoon we played cards and chilled.
We made it
We tied up on the customs wharf at 6am. It was a little stressful as it was pitch black sky and no lights on the wharf. The tide was rushing at a couple of knots with us, which meant we have to be motoring at 4 knots to retain steering. Once along side the wharf, B (at the helm) put Imagine in reverse to try and stop us. I managed to get a mooring line onto a cleat on the wharf and tie off the bow. This kicked the back of Imagine out a little and that was all the tide needed to pull us around. We had no control as the tide turned us 180 degrees. At least now we were facing the tide and could control the boat. We were then able to get three other lines to the wharf and secure Imagine.
We didn’t get any sleep just cleaned up the boat, had breakfast and got ready for Customs. We waited and waited. Eventually they turned up at 1pm. It didnt take long, but they did take all our meat and the remainder of our fresh fruit and veggies.
After we were officially in New Zealand, we left the wharf and anchored across at Russell. Julia was craving a beer, so we headed to the Duke of Marlborourgh hotel were we all enjoyed a cool drink. We strolled around Russell before having dinner at the Thai Restaurant. We returned to Imagine to enjoy the sunset.
Day 9
Almost there! Sixty nautical miles to go! We should arrive in Opua about 4am.
Today was a great day for blue water sailing. A gentle 1m swell, with 15kts of wind off the beam. It’s not very often that you would get these conditions out here. It has been the same as usual, doing your shift, eating and sleeping. B did say she saw dolphins off in the distance, but no body else saw them. Tonight’s dinner is using up all the left over food that Customs will want to confiscate tomorrow.