The scale of the thing

[John B]

This photo from one of the information boards was interesting I thought. Thats Ngataki in front of Rewa, the barque that donated towards a lot of her gear.
I've written about Rewa many times but just relatively recently , our last cruise of our season a few months ago ,we were anchored very close to the wreck..







...looking at that foremast over the side makes me feel quite wise in not getting any closer.

[Paul G.]

and




Nice waka doing a circumnavigation of the gulf

[Paul G.]

and looking back over the wreck

[dhic001]

Yep, don't ever anchor really close to Rewa, Most of the rig is lying on the bottom of the bay complete. If you get a clam day with really clear water, you'll see it all sitting on the bottom easily. I'm suprised to see the foremast like that in that picture. I'd always assumed they cut the rig off when they scrapped her, but appears not.

Rewa is looking more and more sad everytime I go out there. I guess she hasn't got many more years before she completely collapses.

Daniel

...looking at that foremast over the side makes me feel quite wise in not getting any closer.

[John B]

I've always felt a fraction nervous about anchoring in the bay, they must have had her anchored right across the bay with gawd knows what sort of junk ,and of course she busted that and swung in when they scuttled her. So there must be a lot more than just a mast and some rigging lying down there, all sorts of cables I would imagine. Having said that I've never had a problem and have never heard of one , so we'll keep on keeping on.

[John B]

Doubling up on the Rewa discussion I see ( in my misc boat thread) but I did go to an interesting day to look at some Jim Young boats on the weekend , run by the Tino Rawa trust and with some Classic yacht Association help.
Jim Young is a legend, a designer and builder of yachts and power boats since the late 40's. Highly inventive and quick to develop new ideas, renowned in NZ for his racing yachts , particularly from the 60's through about , say the 1990's when some world famous in NZ classes were built. Young 88's and Young 11's in particular.
A Jim Young powerboat is one you want because it'll be sliding along with half of the wake and much less power than most of its contemporaries.
And other rather famous designers have had their start in his yard or office too.

I missed the talks unfortunately but a couple of photos I took of three boats of his show off the depth and range of his designs I believe.

In this photo you have a development of his Rocket 31 design ( Positive Touch was the famous one ) called Extreme. She's from sometime in the '90's I believe.
And the rather slim older boat behind is Waterwitch from I'm guessing , the late '60's.



The boat with the varnish coamings, Tango is his first keelboat and has a Giles inspired reverse sheer, although quite subtle. She had a spade rudder when no one else here did.

Extreme is quite , er , extreme....

and her rig is a noodle with running back stays and 3 more sets of checkstays to keep it up. I don't know what she is made of but she's well pre carbon and exotics , so was reliant on shifting crew weight and a relatively light bulb in order to make her the planing keel yacht that she is.
Incidently , one of his early keel yachts is Fiery Cross, which is inspired by LFH's ' Sailing machine' and was built in the late '40's or early 50's ( I believe) with the canting keel and all. I have a photo of that boat somewhere, they never did really get the keel canting system sorted out properly and she had no one to race against because of the moving keel ( banned from racing ) so the keel was locked up and built in as fixed a year or so after launch.

An interesting story about Waterwitch related to me by the man who commissioned her. Doug is also a legend of a sailor and was and still is highly involved with TNZ and several Americas cups. Waterwitch was built in the Young yard and as was policy , the apprentices were shifted around to do all the jobs in the yard from the tools to the drawing office. The young man who happened to have the job of drawing out Waterwitch to Jim Young's specs and eye was a fellow called Bruce Farr.
I believe Bruce Elliot also later worked for Jim.



.. a bunch more photos and other information , half models etc on this site

http://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/0...-to-jim-young/

..

[CapnJ2ds]

Waterwitch is one of the Clearwater Cove fleet; Gary just took out our winter series with her, so she's still competitive. Gary's in his late 70s - as the old lady said to the youngfeller; "There's no substitute for experience!" Waterwitch is a bit like a (slightly) beamier skerry cruiser; long and lissome.

Regarding Johnny Wray's "South Sea Vagabonds", I was given a copy when my age was still in single figures. Still have it and I don't know how many times I've read it. When I'd occasionally get into a"Woe is me, I'll never get another boat, might as well turf myself off a tall building" sort of mood, a re-read of the book would restore morale.

[Stiletto]

Fiery cross managed to get some racing in during her years at Mangonui, they are a bit more relaxed about the rules for racing up there. She may have done a Coastal Classic or two, but I could be wrong about that as it was some years ago that we raced against her.
She was certainly the fastest boat of her age in those club races.

[John B]

Hey Cap , did you get the Rusden book ? Thats hilarious , $20 at boat books in Westhaven ,selling off the old stock.
I heard something disturbing on sat from a good source regarding the Dove ( Paulmarkson), you hear anything?

[John B]

Fiery cross managed to get some racing in during her years at Mangonui, they are a bit more relaxed about the rules for racing up there. She may have done a Coastal Classic or two, but I could be wrong about that as it was some years ago that we raced against her.
She was certainly the fastest boat of her age in those club races.

Shes about 45 or 47 ft long from memory and only about 7 ft wide, so she's a real splinter , must look for that photo. have you heard anything about the Dove ,Grant?

[Stiletto]

have you heard anything about the Dove ,Grant?

No I havent.

[CapnJ2ds]

Hey Cap , did you get the Rusden book ? Thats hilarious , $20 at boat books in Westhaven ,selling off the old stock.
I heard something disturbing on sat from a good source regarding the Dove ( Paulmarkson), you hear anything?

I'll have to get myself in there. (You shouldn't tell me about books going cheap - I'm a Certified Boat Book Addict )

Haven't heard anything about Dove/Paulmarkson. Wassup?

[John B]

Definitely get it cap. You'll love it . Rascal of the pacific ... something like that.

Dove , saw her ( new owners ) out at christmas and a couple of months ago at a boatyard in Whangarei getting an antifoul and a bit of work done, told on saturday she's finito after going ashore up north.

[snow(Alan H)]

Doubling up on the Rewa discussion I see ( in my misc boat thread) but I did go to an interesting day to look at some Jim Young boats on the weekend , run by the Tino Rawa trust and with some Classic yacht Association help.
Jim Young is a legend, a designer and builder of yachts and power boats since the late 40's. Highly inventive and quick to develop new ideas, renowned in NZ for his racing yachts , particularly from the 60's through about , say the 1990's when some world famous in NZ classes were built. Young 88's and Young 11's in particular.
A Jim Young powerboat is one you want because it'll be sliding along with half of the wake and much less power than most of its contemporaries.
And other rather famous designers have had their start in his yard or office too.

I missed the talks unfortunately but a couple of photos I took of three boats of his show off the depth and range of his designs I believe.

In this photo you have a development of his Rocket 31 design ( Positive Touch was the famous one ) called Extreme. She's from sometime in the '90's I believe.
And the rather slim older boat behind is Waterwitch from I'm guessing , the late '60's.



The boat with the varnish coamings, Tango is his first keelboat and has a Giles inspired reverse sheer, although quite subtle. She had a spade rudder when no one else here did.

Extreme is quite , er , extreme....

and her rig is a noodle with running back stays and 3 more sets of checkstays to keep it up. I don't know what she is made of but she's well pre carbon and exotics , so was reliant on shifting crew weight and a relatively light bulb in order to make her the planing keel yacht that she is.
Incidently , one of his early keel yachts is Fiery Cross, which is inspired by LFH's ' Sailing machine' and was built in the late '40's or early 50's ( I believe) with the canting keel and all. I have a photo of that boat somewhere, they never did really get the keel canting system sorted out properly and she had no one to race against because of the moving keel ( banned from racing ) so the keel was locked up and built in as fixed a year or so after launch.

An interesting story about Waterwitch related to me by the man who commissioned her. Doug is also a legend of a sailor and was and still is highly involved with TNZ and several Americas cups. Waterwitch was built in the Young yard and as was policy , the apprentices were shifted around to do all the jobs in the yard from the tools to the drawing office. The young man who happened to have the job of drawing out Waterwitch to Jim Young's specs and eye was a fellow called Bruce Farr.
I believe Bruce Elliot also later worked for Jim.



.. a bunch more photos and other information , half models etc on this site

http://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/0...-to-jim-young/

..

John - further to the Bruce Farr story - in his intro to Jim on the Friday, Doug said that he invited the young guy out on the 1st sail & on the day he said "Thanks for inviting me Mr Reid, this is the first keel boat I have ever sailed on" …. amazing when you consider that Bruce Farr went on to such greatness.

More photos here http://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/0...-to-jim-young/

[RFNK]

Alan, what's that yacht there in your photos with the bright coaming and wooden mast? It isn't one, but it looks similar to a Tasman Seabird, probably a bit smaller.

Rick

[John B]

John - further to the Bruce Farr story - in his intro to Jim on the Friday, Doug said that he invited the young guy out on the 1st sail & on the day he said "Thanks for inviting me Mr Reid, this is the first keel boat I have ever sailed on" …. amazing when you consider that Bruce Farr went on to such greatness.

More photos here http://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/0...-to-jim-young/

Yes thats great isn't it , Doug's told me that before.

Rick , do you mean Tango in my photos, Jim Young's first keelboat . She was Giles influenced.

One of the characteristics of a Jim young Keelboat, particularly the Young 11 from the 90's , is a finger light helm. They ( the Y11's in particular) have a deserved reputation as an utterly delightful boat to sail.

[RFNK]

I guess so. It's the one that Extreme is pointing at, anyway. The photos on the website Alan linked to, show it in profile. Very nice hull!

Rick

[RFNK]

By the way, I contacted Nillson with a few questions about windlasses but never received any reply. Anyway, I bought a Maxwell, low profile thing - RC 10. I hope it'll be okay! I don't have time to fit it yet but I hope that'll change soon. Of course, I need to quickly grab a degree in engineering to fit it properly so that might take a bit longer .....

Rick

[John B]

Dang, that's disappointing. Don't forget to check for 'the provision to fit a chain counter' ie a hole in the gypsy for a magnet. and a corresponding hole for the sensor in the base. Just for the future ,when you succumb to a wireless counter and windlass control. heh heh heh.

Wiring for just up ( solenoid switch) or both ways ( simple switches but a lot more wiring and breakers/relays etc) ??

[RFNK]

No chain measuring electronics for Masina!

I think I'll have both, up and down. Funny you ask as I only have one switch now but next week, I'm going out on a friend's boat to check out his two-switch system.

The Maxwell windlass seems good - NZ company too, isn't it? We like to support our neighbours (NZ, Asia ....).

Rick

[John B]

A lot more wiring for going both ways but the switches only need say a 8mm hole in the deck,just enough for two small wires. When you just have just down only,there tends to be a full solenoid switch and that needs a say , 40mm hole in the deck and heavy battery cabling to the switch... much bigger hole. I have an auto anchor wireless counter and remote , I love it.
I don't really know anything about Maxwell quality, they were very unhelpful to me over a hatch so I ignore them. You'll be dealing with an agent so you'll get some service no doubt.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

John, I just picked up an Elliott 5.9 from the local club that was used as a trainer.
Plan to use it in the local twilights and short course races.
I'm over racing big boats, thought would be fun to sail a dinghy for old blokes.
I gather they still race as a class over your way.

[snow(Alan H)]

I guess so. It's the one that Extreme is pointing at, anyway. The photos on the website Alan linked to, show it in profile. Very nice hull!

Rick

Rick , it was the Jim Young - 'Tempo' view here http://waitematawoodys.com/2014/10/0...-sunday-tango/

[John B]

John, I just picked up an Elliott 5.9 from the local club that was used as a trainer.
Plan to use it in the local twilights and short course races.
I'm over racing big boats, thought would be fun to sail a dinghy for old blokes.
I gather they still race as a class over your way.

That'd be a hell of a lot of fun .. hardly a dinghy though Paul just a lifting keel for the trailer isn't it? They were quite renowned here and have lead to many classes, all the youth training here went to Elliot 6's and now 7's I think. I don't know where they race but it wouldn't surprise me that they still were. I never met Greg Elliot but I knew his late brother Bruce.

[John B]

This is Fiery Cross, the Jim Young version of 'the sailing machine'. Built as I said earlier ,complete with canting keel circa late 40's ( I think ... maybe in the 50's.)
Now with locked up keel



.

[RFNK]

I have to admit, i thought Tango looked better in Alan's first photo. I don't really like the look of flat or reverse sheer - just a personal, thing of course! The hull shape otherwise looks fantastic!

Fiery Cross looks pretty amazing! Lots of waterline ......

Rick

[John B]

Winter , its winter here, this is my winter thread.

I found a wooden boat to park under too.



some might remember that this is the boat I sailed on from Noumea to Brisbane back in , in ... 2013. ( Moreton bay in the middle of the night... never been so tired)
Fantastic thing , just lazily eats the miles. We didn't do a 200 mile day but we certainly exceeded 100 miles in 12 hours, all with no fuss no sweat either. 46 ft ( 47?)Laurie Davidson design .
I'd heard she was coming back , but I hadn't seen her.

[RFNK]

Okay, okay, the new red car is very nice! Like the boat too!

Rick

[John B]

Yes its fun, but it is just a little ole MG after all. Not as if it was sumfin exotic or anything.

Grand Prix is still for sale I think. She's been a bit over capitalised , a lot of money spent bringing her back up to a high standard. So even if she's a relatively expensive boat , she's going to be a bargain for someone.
I forget her exact construction , but she's multi skin and IIRC ( have to check my pics) she has more structure than Riada, ribs or more stringers.. must look.
The rig layout impressed me big time . She has a version of a solent set up , with a big #1 out on the bow and a #3 just inside that but with a near to full hoist. ( and another demountable stay inside that for a storm jib.)

so trucking along in 18 knots and it might breeze up ... so you'd peel out the #3 inside the #1. The 3 would slither on out with no stress on it at all ,sliding out on the 1.
Then you'd furl up the 1 with no power in it, blanketed by the 3.
You'd never lose a second in your boatspeed and one person could do it all.

We reefed a few times but mostly it was just a bit of main depowering and shuttling back and forth between the jibs.

Ggggreat passage making boat, very comfortable and fast...beautiful motion .

looks like a reef and #3 here. Heading to Orstryliah.



full rig here..


I haven't been on a boat for a month or so, I'm getting antsy.

Edit: She is indeed still for sale.. a listing should anyone like to look at her interior. Obviously I've spent time on the boat , but don't stand to make a cent should she sell, etc etc...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boat...-506158306.htm

[John B]

Something to park beside this weekend when I went down to work on the boat....



The starboard car seems to fit below the window line of that there truck.
...

[John B]

Lookit what I found today, down at our old stomping ground no less. Nice beaver.



Times they are a changing , thats for certain. None of this lets haul an old boat boat out at Okahu bay anymore, the council has money to harvest.

[Larks]

John, there's a great book out there somewhere about the history of the Beaver. We had them up in the Whitsdundays and they flew guests in and out of Hayman a few times a day when I was there. Air Whitsundays who owned them had the book in their terminal a Shute Harbour and there were some great tales and photos in there about the popularity of the Beavers in NZ for their incredible robustness and ability to access remote areas. They were the original series 1 Landrover there.

One great story with photos showed a Beaver looking incredibly over-loaded with fencing gear and with fence posts poking out through both doors about the width of pontoons or so. I'm sure if I google long enough I might find it

here's the book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortal-B.../dp/1550547240 it's a while since I've seen the pic so I'm hoping I haven't enhanced my memory of it over time.....

[auscruisertom]

[QUOTE=John B;4604872]Lookit what I found today, down at our old stomping ground no less. Nice beaver.



Times they are a changing , thats for certain.

That picture brings back a few memories . One had to be dressed well to fly a beaver in the Northern Canadian winter as there where no heaters and with the draft coming in through all the cracks the wind chill made it colder inside than outside.

[Phil Y]

Yes its fun, but it is just a little ole MG after all. Not as if it was sumfin exotic or anything.

Grand Prix is still for sale I think. She's been a bit over capitalised , a lot of money spent bringing her back up to a high standard. So even if she's a relatively expensive boat , she's going to be a bargain for someone.
I forget her exact construction , but she's multi skin and IIRC ( have to check my pics) she has more structure than Riada, ribs or more stringers.. must look.
The rig layout impressed me big time . She has a version of a solent set up , with a big #1 out on the bow and a #3 just inside that but with a near to full hoist. ( and another demountable stay inside that for a storm jib.)

so trucking along in 18 knots and it might breeze up ... so you'd peel out the #3 inside the #1. The 3 would slither on out with no stress on it at all ,sliding out on the 1.
Then you'd furl up the 1 with no power in it, blanketed by the 3.
You'd never lose a second in your boatspeed and one person could do it all.

We reefed a few times but mostly it was just a bit of main depowering and shuttling back and forth between the jibs.

Ggggreat passage making boat, very comfortable and fast...beautiful motion .

looks like a reef and #3 here. Heading to Orstryliah.



full rig here..


I haven't been on a boat for a month or so, I'm getting antsy.

Edit: She is indeed still for sale.. a listing should anyone like to look at her interior. Obviously I've spent time on the boat , but don't stand to make a cent should she sell, etc etc...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boat...-506158306.htm

John I like the sound of those 2 inline furlers. And your description of how they work. Balia originally had twin forestays, side by side, for trade winds sailing. She's since been converted to a single furler, with a too small genoa. One of the things I intend to upgrade when I get a bit serious about sailing her. 2 inline furlers sounds like a great setup.

[Hwyl]

That mainsheet arrangement is out of character with the rest of, what is a lovely boat.