First boating weekend of the season...

[Larks]

I see you're now going for that naturally weathered silver cabin side look JB? Is it teak? (Or just overdue?)

[John B]

Its taken an age to get the varnish off one section at a time so I've let it go grey and one even colour Greg.Yes teak ,but I've been very easy on it so I don't take too much off. I can just sand or scotchbrite up the colour and re finish it when its all done, still some of the old stuff in the grain. I might even leave it like that for the season and revisit it later. I'm trying to be really passive with it and not take too much timber.

[John B]

When I met Neil at a boat jumble recently he recommended I buy a particularly nice bronze Herreshoff pattern cleat, so I'm exploring options as to where that goes . so far I haven't been successful.



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That was some great light tackle soft bait fishing ,catching kahawai from the dinghy. I could have had 50 I tell you. kept about 8 ? and had another 5 or 8 at the boat, let em off or they jumped off.. so much fun. Fed family.

Capped it off with a lovely sail on Friday in about 10 or 12 knots , beating up the harbour to home. Just a fantastic few days. The recut on the jib seems to be worth about 5 degrees so thats good too. I always did think it was a bit full, and it needed a perk up to go with last seasons new main and mizzen.

[Larks]

I wouldn't bother sanding the colour back up, do you have access to anything like Teak Plus over there??? We used it and sold it when I was at Stella Marine and it's great stuff http://www.stellasystems.com.au/teak_deck_cleaners.php
It'll bring the colour up without removing any more timber and if you want to leave it unvarnished you can just keep using this. If you don't have this over there you'll more than likely have something similar.

[Larks]

When I met Neil at a boat jumble he recommended I buy a particularly nice bronze Herreshoff pattern cleat, so I'm exploring options as to where that goes . so far I haven't been successful.



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or


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paper weight??

Actually I've got four stainless ones just the same and which'd be a similar size (or not much smaller), I didn't realise they are a Herreshoff pattern. But I'm not sure if they're right for the H28....

[John B]

I wouldn't bother sanding the colour back up, do you have access to anything like Teak Plus over there??? We used it and sold it when I was at Stella Marine and it's great stuff http://www.stellasystems.com.au/teak_deck_cleaners.php
It'll bring the colour up without removing any more timber and if you want to leave it unvarnished you can just keep using this. If you don't have this over there you'll more than likely have something similar.

Yes good point,we do have something although I haven't researched it. I will before we finish. As you can probably see I don't spend much effort on cleaning the deck much either, I certainly don't scrub it as a matter of course.... just to prolong its life.

[John B]

paper weight??

Actually I've got four stainless ones just the same and which'd be a similar size (or not much smaller), I didn't realise they are a Herreshoff pattern. But I'm not sure if they're right for the H28....

Thats what Neil says ,so....

Paper weight ?. We have a flat rock that lives on the deck for just that purpose . Map rock, for holding the charts down ,but that seems like a worthy use for the cleat alongside its other duties .Its is turning out to be quite useful as it is .
For example , if I want the dinghy to sit alongside , I just put the cleat in the right place and cleat the painter on . Need to move it up a bit? , move the cleat. I don't know why I didn't get one years ago. I might have to name it.

[Larks]

Thats what Neil says ,so....

Looks like he's right, just did a search on Herreshoff cleats and this is what comes up, exactly what I have:

Sea-Dog Herreshoff Open Base Cleats - Stainless Steel

[John B]

He always is , I think I might name the cleat Neil.

[Robbie 2]

That was some great light tackle soft bait fishing ,catching kahawai from the dinghy. I could have had 50 I tell you. kept about 8 ? and had another 5 or 8 at the boat, let em off or they jumped off.. so much fun. Fed family.

I seem to remember a time when you said you were a sailor and couldn't catch a fish to save yourself
You must be doing something right to catch that many fish.............light tackle soft bait fishing is fun.

[John B]

Robbie...... But I discovered this method for catching fish! It involves this theory that to catch a fish , one must actually try putting a line in the water.
Those ones just schooled into the bay and were rising all around. 1 good snapper too. I suppose the soft bait stuff isn't really light tackle technically... braid an all, but its a light bendy rod and small barb hooks, so a heck of a lot of fun.

[Robbie 2]

Yes...to tell the truth I have yet to try my braid soft bait outfit. When I finally get my boat finished and in the water this will be my first go to rig.
I have done and enjoy lots of light tackle fishing..........mostly 2 or 4 kg line with a bait caster rig casting lures or sometimes free floating tiny pieces of bait down a burley trail.
Lots of Fly fishing.............both salt and fresh water for trout.
Those Kahawai are great fun when taken on a tiny shrimp pattern fly on a slow sinking line with a flyrod. Trevalli love this fly also.
I once caught 20 Kahawai like those in a days fishing at Cape Brett.............I only took home 4 though.

[snow(Alan H)]

JB
You were a long way from home today...... sniffing out bargains at boat junk sales????. The biggest pile of junk I have seen in one place in a long time :-)

[John B]

Yes I was at Steve h's place up norf Alan. o.. hang on ... no you mean the gulf harbour boat jumble.

We got there late and there was nothing ,not even a cleat. You were there?

[snow(Alan H)]

Yes I was at Steve h's place up norf Alan. o.. hang on ... no you mean the gulf harbour boat jumble.

We got there late and there was nothing ,not even a cleat. You were there?

The jumble, u were driving away when I was arriving - total junk. It was not my reason from going to GH , if it was I would have been a little p_ssed

[John B]

2011 is looking up as I have a crew job on Riada's young sister called.. RiadaII .
She's a 1980 revision of our 1975 Riada. Originally built in a way that she looked very similar apart from the obvious ketch/ sloop rigs ,but with some racing rating influenced bumps in the run aft and some reasonably subtle alterations particularly in the bow sections. 10 or 15 years ago she had a major makeover with a pilothouse hard dodger added and the rig changed from masthead inline double spreader to fractional swept spreaders and a boom furler.( edit .. she was inline fractional rig, not masthead,changed to swept spreader fractional, )
Nice boat , fast, and great cruiser with the shelter we don't have.
We first met them on our 08 cruise in Whangaroa harbour in Northland and have caught up periodically since..

2012 is looking up as I have a crew job on Riada's young sister called.. RiadaII .

She passed her Cat 1 today,That allows us to set the departure between 10 and 12th this month, destination Fiji via the Minerva reefs again if all goes according to plan.

That should give me a start to making it through winter. heh.

2013 is looking up, as I have a crew job on Riada and Riada II's younger cousin, Grand Prix. I'm beginning to get excited about it, its been a difficult winter. I can't wait to get on outa here.
She's another multi skin cold moulded kauri boat, 47 ft this time and extremely well set up for cruising. 1985 compared to RiadaII at 1980 and Riada at 1975.



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[PatrickXavier]

Fantastic. You've been sounding uncharacteristically down in the mouth. This should fix it.

I'm already looking forward to the reports. Even if your dalliance with ever-younger craft is unbecoming.

[Steveh]

I'm going to have to do an inventory check.

[John B]

We just had a quick trip on Grand Prix so here's a bunch of pics.. She was in Noumea after travelling up there in April or so. She hadn't moved or been used so she need a bit of work and that delayed us a few days. Mostly fuel filters and just a general run over the systems and check the rigging etc.
She's a refined and later design than our boat and a couple of feet longer plus perhaps 18 in more beam. Beautiful boat built like ours without regard to any rule.. Riada is 1975 and Grand Prix is 1983. A lot happened in those years.
She was freshly antifouled and ready to go in the water next day after we arrived.







rig check .. all good



port Moselle marina





..

[John B]

A nice setup with a big #1 outside, a #3 full hoist blade inside and a staysail on an inner forestay inside that



being able to switch between the two furlers on the go meant for fast travel and no downtime on sail changes.
we ended up reefing the main several times but didn't need the staysail.

Grunty boat and just a very good fast passage maker with often very easy 100 mile 12 hours. we didn't drive her hard overnight so couldn't claim a 200 mile day but did do 185 and that was with a lay to for a while while we fixed a minor issue aboard, and the breeze went light too. Plenty of 9's when the breeze was up.








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[John B]

The original plan was to cross the Coral sea heading SW for Sydney ( about 1100 miles) but with flexibilty if the weather changed. A nasty bit of weather started developing as a low deepened in NSW and we were headed by a southerly, so we turned right and made for Brisbane instead.

That meant our sunset changed from



to





and in a perfect weather 101 lesson we had the breeze back from south to SE to NE and eventually NW as the top of the high pressure slipped across us and the next system stacked up behind it.


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[Thad]

Thanks much, John, but you are a sorry lot you are! Gee wiz! Too nice.

[John B]

I forget what time we arrived off Moreton bay but it was dark and theres quite a channel. I'll have to check but if I said that from the first channel marker to the Brisbane river was 25 or 30 miles as the crow flies , then by the time we ran the channels around the whole outside of the harbour , we'd travelled more like 50 or 60.
ie all night.

We only met 5 or 6 ships in the channels and the lights were all good once we'd got the methodology of them, then there was the channel into the Brisbane river itself and up a few miles to the customs dock at first light.




nice trip , 9 days away from home , fabulous boat, good company and food.
cool.

Oh and the customs and immigration guys... I'd heard that they were pretty tough and hard to deal with, there's been quite a buzz around the cruising community. These guys ?...just perfectly nice efficient guys doing a good job. Nice blokes, very good to deal with.

[John B]

Thanks much, John, but you are a sorry lot you are! Gee wiz! Too nice.

Cheers Thad, Do you want to hear what we're doing tomorrow ? it involves getting on Riada for a quick trip to a big party. ( I'm so pleased we made it back so as to be able to go, its special)

[Larks]

Complete with a Ben Lexon boom!!

[John B]

Complete with a Ben Lexon boom!!

Its been Miller'ed out!

She's built slightly differently to most cold moulded kiwi boats . Strip kauri over ribs and then 2 more skins over that for a 1 inch thick hull. I wish I'd taken a photo of the inner skin... each strip of about 2 in wide had a small bevel on the edge so it gave an appearance of match lining inside. A Philip Wilson build ,so top quality work . Lovely motion and as I said , just lazily eats the miles.

[Thad]

Sure thing! Go for it.

[Robbie 2]

Thanks for that John.........beautiful pics to enjoy along with the story.

[John B]

Sure thing! Go for it.

We're off to a shindig at North Cove Kawau, Thad. There will definitely be some interesting boaty people there.

[John B]

Cheers Robbie, not much of a tale though. Actually I'm still a bit buzzy from the lack of sleep , I haven't caught up yet . Noumea is interesting! the French food, the exotic language, the very attractive women! I ate the food... no one understood what I said, I tried not to look but suggested to my boy that it might be a good place for a young man.

Thanks for that John.........beautiful pics to enjoy along with the story.

[RFNK]

Great! Thanks for the great photos - what a lovely boat! We found the NZ and Oz Customs and Quarantine people to be great to deal with too. Both countries have strict rules, for good reasons. Stick to the rules and I can't see why anyone should have too many problems.

Looks like you had great weather for your trip! Sorry we didn't see you down here though!

Rick

[PatrickXavier]

That looked like welcome relief from a dark winter. Your mast climbing proclivity reminded me of this.

[John B]

That looked like welcome relief from a dark winter. Your mast climbing proclivity reminded me of this.

I see the similarities, usually through a foggy bathroom mirror. Strangely enough, no one else does... why is that I wonder.
But regarding the mast,I just go for the ride though Patrick. Someone else had to really work hard at pushing a button.

[John B]

Great! Thanks for the great photos - what a lovely boat! We found the NZ and Oz Customs and Quarantine people to be great to deal with too. Both countries have strict rules, for good reasons. Stick to the rules and I can't see why anyone should have too many problems.

Looks like you had great weather for your trip! Sorry we didn't see you down here though!

Rick

Rick! I met Noel and Litara Barrott on the weekend. They were keen to hear of your trip and would love to hear more about it.

[RFNK]

That's great JB! I'll send them some photos and a bit of a spiel. I'd also love to know what they're up to!

Rick