On the hard

Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Sat 5 Apr 2014 09:32
Pos 35:44.39S 174:20.38E
Dockland 5

My short trip down river to Dockland 5 was done on Wedensday the 26/3.

I had to wait a while for the Mobile Crane to arrive to lift out the mast.
I had been working for several days to get the boat ready for dismasting and to get out of the water.

High water was about 3pm and we got a bit stressed to get the mast out and the boat out before evening.

We just managed and I spent the first night at the pressure washing pad. I got woken up the next morning by being moved to a different spot.


    
                 Mast is out.                                                                                                             For the first time in 12 years?

    
             Bottom is not to bad.                                                                                                            It's been 2 and a 1/2 years since last time.              


    
               The mud from RDM.                                                                                                         Away she goes.


On Saturday the 29th I decided to I decided to reward myself with a bikeride to the Pacific Ocean for a nice swim. Whangarei is quite a bit up the Hatea river
and i wanted to see the ocean. Perhaps I should have studied the map a bit better. Anyway after 3 hours hard struggle with hills mostly up it felt like, I reached
the Pacific at a small village called Pataua. There is a South Pataua and a North Pataua devided by a river with a small connecting walk bridge.


    


    
           A well earned swim.                                                                                                         And a Tui (beer)

    
                         Empty beach.                                                                                                           Finally back home.


I had a nice swim or two in the refreshing ocean. Not much people on the beach this time of year. After enjoying my beer and sandwich I headed back home again.
After struggling so hard to get there I decided to take the northern route back to Whangarei, hoping for kinder hills. Bad choise, it took me 4 hours to get back to
the boat. My legs were very wobbly and my bum was sore when I got back.

More will follow soon.
Lars.