Preparations
JJMoon Diary
Barry and Margaret Wilmshurst
Sun 20 Apr 2008 09:39
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We are
not in commision yet, but we are getting there. We arrived back in New
Zealand on 16th February and two days later were hauled out at Ashby's, the
local yard. We had heard mixed reports of Ashby's; yachties are as bad as
most other groups at trumping each others' tales of woe, but we had a good
experience. As you would expect this was down to the quality of work and
enthusiasm of the people actually working on the boat.
  JJ Moon on the hard Marcel, our electrician and Barry with the new wind generator The painting team have been responsible for the finish to the NZ Admirals Cup boats. 'Nuff said. Pete the shipwright made a fine job of the new toilet base - better than new - and put considerable effort without complaint into renewing recalcitrant skin fittings. Rick Lowes of Lowes Engineering is a very good mechanic and an interesting man. He overcame numerous small problems and left the machinery in better shape to face the Pacific again. We had quite an emotional hour over a cup of coffee when he called in to say goodbye and we wished him well for his venture into the Mediterranen on a superyacht. Luiz is a yachtie like us; a Chilean skipper earning a few dollars working for Lowes for three months. He is a bright and resourceful man who tackled a filthy job for us, full of good humour and bright ideas. It was a pleasure to have him on board.
We went back in the water after about three weeks since when
Marcel from the electricians has been installing five new batteries, wiring up
the new wind generator, installing a new smart regulator to replace the one that
"drowned" in the Pacific and re-organising the fat cable part of the 12v
installation. We are not quite finished with all that yet and the cost
mounts up. However, once again the boat will be in much better condition
for his ministrations.
 A neat job after Marcel
has been at work.
Below
this blog we have put up a list of the things we have done (mainly have had
done) since we arrived in November. We have kept it separate because it is
VERY BORING! We include it as a memo for us and to interest any fellow
boat owner out there in the kind of thing cruisers find themselves doing when
they spend time in a place with good facilities and skills.
When we got back from Europe we had nowhere to live while we were out on the hard and two days to find something suitable. We fell on our feet more or less straight away at Pine Lodge, a small motel five minutes' drive away. The accommodation suited us fine, there was a swimming pool that was almost exclusively ours and we soon became friendly with Maureen and Garry who treated us very well. They have since retired to their motor boat on this marina and we are keeping up the connection socially.  Pine Lodge - our home for 3
weeks
Social life has been pretty good generally with interesting people coming and going. Mags has been attending St Pauls, the very church where the first British Resident was welcomed ashore in 1833 by settlers and Maoris together following a joint request to the world's biggest colonial power to do something to halt tribal fighting and protect all residents from unwelcome depredations from overseas. By all accounts James Busby behaved very well and some seven years later the famous treaty was signed at Waitangi, just up the road, which still forms the basis for the generally very good relationship between white New Zealanders and their Maori fellow-countrymen. We visited Waitangi - it has a heartening story to tell. Mags has also been keeping fit with yoga and I have been trying to do some sensible walking.  St Pauls, Paihia
We have had some little medical and surgical adventures. We need not go into the details in a family blog; suffice to say that they all ended happily and provided more colourful details to life's rich tapestry..... The weather has been mixed. This is being written during a sustained period of sheeting rain and high winds which seem very like the reports we read of the conditions which caused floods in the south of England. At the moment we are just keeping our heads down, grateful that we are not "out there". Soon it will become frustrating. The mains electrical supply keeps failing. DANGER! READ NO
FURTHER! The following material includes BORING
JARGON and may INDUCE DROWSINESS after only a few lines.
It should only be read by those with A NEED TO KNOW.
Work done
in New Zealand 2007/08
Spars, rigging sails and covers Renew broken boom slider for clew outhaul Ream out and provide new s/s bearing for the gooseneck Tighten the forward lower shrouds Valet the mains'l Valet the genoa and renew the sacrificial UV protection strip Renew all stitching to spray hood Completely re-stitch and repair bimini Provide new canvas cover for the outboard motor Anchor Re-mark the chain Fabricate a spare drop-nose securing pin Main engine and fuel supply Renew sound insulation to the engine compartment Eliminate a leak in the salt water cooling system and renew the internal anode Eliminate a leak in the fresh water cooling system Renew 2 cooling water hoses Check and clean the injectors Renew 2 cocks to the hot water draw-off Renew the connection between fuel tanks to eliminate slight leak Re-bed an inspection cover in the lower tank Renew draw-off hose in lower tank Fabricate a new draw-off connection to the lower tank and change the generator supply from the upper to lower tank Remove defective copper fuel pipe and renew the main engine supply in flexible pipe Fit stop valve to sea water strainer Generator Remove generator, overhaul and replace, including checking injector, renewing various gaskets and welding s/s exhaust Provide fuel lift pump and connect to electrical supply Electrical Fit 4 new deep cycle flooded lead acid batteries for the house bank, total 420ahs Fit 1 (larger) engine start battery Fit D400 wind generator complete with regulator, 2 dump loads and stop switch; connect to batteries and switch gear Renew damaged smart regulator with Balmar ARS-5. Connect to shunt and switch gear. Change main 12v isolation switch from negative to positive supply Fit link switch to connect battery banks Re-organise and rationalise heavy duty 12v cables Provide supply and relay to water maker lift pump Plumbing Fit new lift pump and strainer to water maker and run pipework Fit new salt water pump and tap at galley sink and run pipe to existing skin fitting Engineering Fabricate mounting pole, base and struts for wind generator Hull and under water Haul out and scrub off Paint anti-fouling and adjust waterline Clean and polish the topsides Renew JJ MOON and DARTMOUTH on stern Renew zinc anodes to prop, bow-thruster and 2 fridge/freezer keel coolers Renew skin fittings and cocks to engine sea-water intake, aft heads sea-water inlet, aft heads outlet and port side cockpit drain Fit new skin fitting and cock forward for water maker inlet Provide additional packing to the stern gland Shipwright Form a new base for the forward W.C. Ease and adjust sole boards Renew hinge to freezer top Renew hinges to saloon fwd. starboard. locker Repair hinges to saloon port. lower locker Renew restraints to companionway steps Dinghy Sell Zodiac and 3hp Yamaha Malta and purchase Aquapro SMR 860 RIB with Yamaha 8hp 2 stroke outboard Diving equipment Purchase Mini-Breather scuba diving equipment Spare parts etc Purchase numerous spare parts, pilots and charts Generally
Carry out numerous minor repairs, improvements and
cleaning operations
Work we did not do Renew the cooker Raise the guard rails and fabricate solid s/s in whole or part Install Electro-Scan sanitation treatment and disposal device Improvements to large canopy |
