Work Progresses as the Clipper Fleet Depart
Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Sun 4 Dec 2011 11:48
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Work on the skeg continues - it had kevlar around and now
it also has carbon fibre. The important addition is that the carbon fibre goes
all the way down to the bottom of the skeg, so over the cracked area
and inside the bottom rudder fitting. We hope this will give the strength
needed in the right places. It's been worked on every day this week, but rain
towards the end means it will continue next week. The windscreen panel
has been fitted. That was a leap of faith - there is a huge amount
of sealant involved so you only get one shot at it. To help, a duplicate of
the glass panel was made in plywood and 3 of us, Liz, me and the boat builder
here, practiced how we would get it in the frame (not easy as the top and bottom
frames cross when unscrewed and the heat treated toughened glass needs to be
gently bent to fit). Once we had practiced it a few times and had a plan,
it was time to do it for real and luckily it worked. It's been severely tested
today as it's been teeming down with rain. There is a small leak
in one corner and more sealant will have to be added, but it could have
been much worse!
Bunnings, New Zealand's equivalent to B&Q, is a good 20
minute walk away. The walk there yesterday (to get 10mm olives, for
compression joints used to connect our washbasin taps in the 2 heads) took
a whole lot longer. The reason - a seagull! It had got caught in
a fishing line which it had managed to wrap several times round its leg and
wing and then round a wire fence over the water. So it was hanging upside down
over the water struggling to get free. This was part way along the route, so it
was back to the marina to try and get help, but none was available, so the
seagull was given up for lost. But on passing it on the route again, it
didn't look that far out and the water didn't look that deep, so shoes and
socks off, trousers rolled up above the knee and in for a paddle. The fishing
line came off the fence okay, but it took quite a while to figure out how
to get if off the seagull. It did come off but the bird was exhausted, so taken
back to the boat until the SPCA (NZ's RSPCA) could come and collect
it. There is always something that makes everything take longer than it
should, but this was new one!
The Clipper fleet departed today for their next leg, the
race to the Gold Coast in Australia. You could pay to go out in a local
boat to follow the Parade of Sail and see the start of the race close up,
but it was overcast with poor visibility, so we gave that a miss. Just as
well as it started to pour with rain and has been pouring ever since. Along with
others we did listened to the speeches and watched as the yachts
left their pontoon berths in the marina. The wind is 20kts or more from the
north east, so they'll be beating into it, and a rough sea, as they head up the
east coast of the North Island. Nowhere near as bad as when they came in a week
ago, but still not pleasant if being lashed with horizontal rain! (And
they don't have a sprayhood to hide under like we
do.)
The rough sea has disturbed some oil that had collected
in the bilges of the Rena and there's now an oil slick heading for the beaches
once again. Everyone thought the danger of oil had passed. So perhaps
all the work delays that have kept us out of the water are not such a bad
thing after all!
 The skeg - a dry fit to check it will all
work. Carbon fibre, going into an epoxy mold, which is going
into
the bottom rudder bearing
(in 2 halves that are bolted
together).
 From the other side, but with the mould having
been ground and faired.
 The final skeg, almost ready for the final fitting
of the bearing (to be bolted and faired-in
with
epoxy).
 The plywood dummy window fitted. It will come in
handy should the window ever break again - God
forbid!
 The new window in
place.
 Container ships just across from the marina.
Tauranga is New Zealand's largest commercial port.
 This helicopter flies over us several times a day
to go to/from the Rena, with its lifting line hanging
down.
It uses this to pass goods to/from the ship, but
it can't lift containers - there's a huge crane barge out there
to
do that.
 Some of the 10 Yachts leaving the marina - each is
named after (and sponsored by) a place around the
world. New York
in this
case.
 Finland
 Qingdao - in China, the prettiest of the lot with
its red dragoon!
 And finally Gold Coast, Australia which has
won all 5 of the races so far to get to New
Zealand.
 Yachts milling around outside the marina in the
gloom waiting for the Parade of Sail to begin.
 The marina is not far from the end of the runway,
so with all these tall masts around, this plane has
to
be careful not to get too
low!
 The yachts are in V formation and heading down the
harbour for the Parade of sail before leaving for
the race start line, and the 8-12 day passage to
Australia.
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