Vega - Final Preparations for the Tropics

Final Preparations for the Tropics

Vega

Hugh and Annie

Sat 19 May 2018 10:07

After three weeks back on the water and over six months since we arrived, final preparations for departure have been set back by a huge low pressure system coming across the Tasman Sea. Low pressure systems rotate clockwise down here and so we have strong northerly wind with torrential rain from warm air that has passed through the tropics on its way to us. We should get cooler, southerly wind as the far side of the depression passes through at the end of the week.

We had hoped to be ready by now for a few days sail around the Bay of Islands both to test the boat and see some local anchorages. Marking and stowage of the anchor chain, tying of the mainsail reefing lines and fixing the new wheels on the dinghy can wait for a dry patch. Drilling of holes in the transom of the dinghy has been quite a task, mainly because of a reluctance to commit the drill, given the consequences of misalignment of the four holes required for each wheel. Not only do the holes need to align with those on each wheel bracket but each wheel must be vertical when lowered............

We have been prevaricating about whether to get a more powerful outboard motor. You may recall that the dinghy will rise onto the plane with one person on board but not two. The problem is compounded with a load such as shopping. Things came to a head when we decided to buy our own dive gear. Annie is particularly keen on diving and you get much more opportunity to do so when you have your own gear. For us this means being with other yachties who dive and have a dive compressor for filling air tanks. We decided that we could accommodate things like a dive compressor, freezer, washing machine and so on if we dedicated the rear cabin to them but this would be at the expense of accommodation for visitors. Mixed bag this one of course (!) but on balance we like the fact that family and friends can join us from time to time. So, if we are with other boats and can barter full tanks for babysitting or a bottle of wine or whatever then we will do more diving. Which will mean not only lugging our dive gear around but getting to and from dive sites at a reasonable speed. The clincher was going to be whether we could sell our existing outboard. After six months of unsuccessfully advertising it around the marina we decided to try the NZ equivalent of Ebay. Et voila! Within a few hours a prospective purchaser was in touch and after the engine started first pull in the workshop the deal was sealed! Here in NZ you can still buy 2 stroke engines which are more reliable and a better power to weight ratio than 4 strokes. The Tohatsu 9.8Hp is our engine of choice.

And still it rains. No much fun testing out the new cruising chute furler in these conditions so all we can do is hunker down, write blogs and postcards and make sure all the onshore tasks are complete (customs clearance admin, final bills, chandlery items, food provisioning and so on). I have had one notable success on board. I managed to take the binnacle cover off to access the plug for the cockpit VHF radio handset. This was fitted directly onto the binnacle case and not using the manufacturers mount that requires a larger hole in the binnacle casing. Not only did I successfully enlarge the hole and reattach the plug so that it is now properly sealed in place, I also discovered the reason for only one of the two compass lights working. The supports for the whole wiring bundle within the binnacle had fallen away, breaking one of the compass light wires in the process. The compass wires are now reattached and working and the wiring supports epoxied back in place. A small but pleasing triumph!!

These posts are sometimes written over several days. We may be overtaken by updates that happen before posting. Like knocking the compass off the binnacle when removing it again and breaking the lighting bulb that was previously working. Or running the engine for an hour then to find that not only had the diesel return pipe come adrift and coated everything with fuel but also that the retaining bracket for the coolant hose had failed and allowed the coolant hose to fall against the alternator belt, cutting the pipe through and draining the coolant over the engine and into the bilge. We now have a bilge full of diesel and coolant to clear up and the replacement coolant pipe has to come from Australia which means it wont be fitted until next Wednesday or even Thursday. If we miss the Wednesday weather window we really will be tail end charlie up to Fiji!

Still, we do now have wheels on our dinghy, reefing lines, marked anchor chain, a fully functioning compass and a beautifully straightened and polished anchor. We also have a further week to resolve the standoff over the truly stupendous and ridiculous bill for the work on the anchor.

Some Australian reminiscences below.