Antipodean Boats Connection

[PeterSibley]

I think I read that rainfall has fallen 30% over the last 30 years in the Southern States , that sounds about right.

[brucemoffatt]

I think I read that rainfall has fallen 30% over the last 30 years in the Southern States , that sounds about right.

Feels intuitively pretty close. It depends on whether the 'dry' years that recently broke were a drought or more then that. If a similar length wet period follows the 10-11 dry years, then it's a drought cycle and probably isn't a drastic change. if the wetter period is around 3 years as compared to a 10-11 year dry, then yes I'd say we are definiteoly in a drier situation. So far 2013 has been much drier in SA than anything I've recorded over 22 years.

[PeterSibley]

22 years isn't long in these things, no pattern is discernible in our weather up this way over that time... well the winds are different, far wetter winters , but that might all change again too.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Even through it was nice and sunny I had a lovely wet day with a consistent 10 knots with gusts up to 15 out on the Tweed River for the first race of winter. My posterior was on the rail on every beat to wind. It's now a little sore from hiking out, but my demeanour is considerably improved. Such lovely sailing and so few stinkboats. Spray from the bow glinting in the sunshine and washing everything down behind it.

[Phil Y]

Bugger ! I was going to visit them but I forgot !!

They all went home, visa problems I think, left the boat at Franklin. Not sure what, if anything, they have worked out with customs. Watch the government auction notices I reckon.

[Duncan Gibbs]

If customs do anything like you're suggesting they're going to do we really have cause for national shame.

[WX]

Even through it was nice and sunny I had a lovely wet day with a consistent 10 knots with gusts up to 15 out on the Tweed River for the first race of winter. My posterior was on the rail on every beat to wind. It's now a little sore from hiking out, but my demeanour is considerably improved. Such lovely sailing and so few stinkboats. Spray from the bow glinting in the sunshine and washing everything down behind it.

Was that on Sunday Duncan? It would have been good to get Redwing out on the river but the job on the pushpit was not finished and I was on my own...not quite ready for a solo.

[RFNK]

Solos are good Gary. On a boatvwith a regular rig, you can kick off with just a small headsail for a while. With your boat, couldn't you just reef right down and then ramp it up a bit as you become more familiar and confident with the boat?

Rick

[PeterSibley]

Pretty easy to stop, just drop your bundle ?

[Phil Y]

Rick would be the expert on visiting boats, but I suspect that if a boat enters as a visitor, it has to leave within a certain period, or it becomes an import. Then GST has to be paid. Although the Russians were lovely and their boat is interesting, I'm not sure there's anything shameful about applying the law to them.

[VladTepes]

No further news on the giraffe?

[RFNK]

Rick would be the expert on visiting boats, but I suspect that if a boat enters as a visitor, it has to leave within a certain period, or it becomes an import. Then GST has to be paid. Although the Russians were lovely and their boat is interesting, I'm not sure there's anything shameful about applying the law to them.

If I was an expert my boat wouldn't still be impounded I suspect! But yes, Phil's right. They'd have to pay 15% (GST plus import tax) and I suspect they'd have to have the boat fumigated - AQIS is stricter with imports than visitors.

Rick

[Portland]

The giraffe is now in Melbourne zoo , as happy as larry .
Rob J.

[purri]

Being my usual cryptic self I'd posit that waterfront industries are a series of small villages linked by gossip.

Meanwhile, I think I might be up sh!t creek with Grantala. She's been "up" ten days now and bugger all has been done. I'm getting the run-around by the shippie. I'm about to fire him methinks. I had a "woe is me" 1:30am call from him on Saturday.... pissed as a newt. He'd done what I reckon is about 4 hours raking by the time I got there Saturday... and today his phone is off. Apparently he wasn't there yesterday. Looks like I'll be doing some wheelchair caulking.

[WX]

Solos are good Gary. On a boatvwith a regular rig, you can kick off with just a small headsail for a while. With your boat, couldn't you just reef right down and then ramp it up a bit as you become more familiar and confident with the boat?

Rick

Reefing could not be simpler Rick, just ease off on the Halyard till the right number of panels have drop. Then tighten up on the Yard parrel and the throat parrel...2 minutes tops. it was more getting back into the berth with the Southerly blowing.
To be honest I was happy to put a bit of extra time into the sanding and varnish work.

[skuthorp]

Meanwhile, I think I might be up sh!t creek with Grantala. She's been "up" ten days now and bugger all has been done. I'm getting the run-around by the shippie. I'm about to fire him methinks. I had a "woe is me" 1:30am call from him on Saturday.... pissed as a newt. He'd done what I reckon is about 4 hours raking by the time I got there Saturday... and today his phone is off. Apparently he wasn't there yesterday. Looks like I'll be doing some wheelchair caulking.

You didn't pay him before he did the work did you Ian? Finance his bender?

Meantime there's a free boat about. As is, where is, needs new mast.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/21/wo...-rescue-sailor

[Portland]

That was 3 months ago , I wonder if its still afloat?.
And then there is the Russian boat too.
Jeez , if a bloke had an old trawler he could have a go at salvaging those 2 !.
Rob J.

[WX]

Good luck with it Ian, hope it all goes well.

[skuthorp]

Likewise Ian, must be frustrating for you.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Rick would be the expert on visiting boats, but I suspect that if a boat enters as a visitor, it has to leave within a certain period, or it becomes an import. Then GST has to be paid. Although the Russians were lovely and their boat is interesting, I'm not sure there's anything shameful about applying the law to them.

I thought the plan was that they were donating the ship to the ANMM as a sailing exhibit, so their intention was to stay here long enough to ensure the donation went smoothly. Now the ATO want to stick their mitts into the deal and ruin it for the Russians, the ANMM and the rest of us. Shame...

[RFNK]

Well, good intentions aside ..... why would the ANMM want a Russian viking ship? Indonesian and Vietnamese fishing boats, lakatois, anything Dutch, would be a heck of a lot more relevant!

Rick

[brucemoffatt]

I'd be doing it if I could get under the damn boat....

and if I was anywhere near Sydney I'd be under there with you. More important even than Grantala though is that you don't do permanent damage to your knee, so here's hoping the shippies come good and take up the load.

[Duncan Gibbs]

I'm not sure, but when opportunity knocks... At least that's the message I garnered from the display beside the vessel when at the WBF. Whether the ANMM had accepted the ship is another question, but impounding the ship and then auctioning her off would be more than a little ungracious.

[Phil Y]

I hadn't noticed what their sign says. I think at the moment she's a nice curio down in Franklin. I'll be down there for a few days in mid May, see if I can find out what's going on. I don't know whther the Caravelle is still there, but with them and the Baltic Trader (forget her name) it was certainly an interesting sight. A bit "Disney meets Franklin" though, to be honest.

[skuthorp]

I sent Phil's pic of the Caravelle and the Russian ship moored together to a friend in England. I wonder if that's ever been seen before given the disparity of era's and geography. And in Franklin, Tasmania to boot.
I hope the tax office relents, but I suppose a boat is a boat is a boat to the form fillers and button pushers of this world.

[brucemoffatt]

Just back from the sailmaker's shop. Will have a new Scamp sail shortly

[PeterSibley]

Well, good intentions aside ..... why would the ANMM want a Russian viking ship? Indonesian and Vietnamese fishing boats, lakatois, anything Dutch, would be a heck of a lot more relevant!

Rick

You're not denying Russian Viking settlement and their frantic competition with the Portuguese are you ? It was a close run thing !

[Phil Y]

You are relaying all this with remarkable composure

[WX]

Don't ever let anyone tell you straw bale houses are an easy way to build...it's SERIOUS HARD WORK!
It's fiddly, laborious and consumes prodigious amounts of mud render. My right arm is killing me from trowelling on mud for 8 hours today and I've only done one day of it...and it was only one side of one wall. Stud frame with corrugated colourbond cladding is the way to go.

[RFNK]

Probably right but I hate working with steel. I hate cutting the stuff in particular. I've been milling up recycled WRC boards for cladding today - I like working with WRC! But steel cladding is really very good in the long run. We've used a lot of it on our place now, and I still have a fair bit more to put on - but I just can't enjoy working with it! The easiest way I've found to cut it is with a circular saw, even though I always feel like I'm starring in a sci-fi horror movie when I'm ripping through that stuff. Angle grinders destroy the colourbond, jigsaws bend and scratch it, those electric shear things are hopeless at cutting corrugated iron unless you're a wizard, nibblers don't work at all, tin snips are good but too slow - the circular saw just rips through it. It's pretty noisy - even I have to wear ear muffs!

Rick

[PeterSibley]

I've got a blade with little square teeth, about 120 on a 200 mm blade. It has to be the noisiest tool I've ever used .... well if I'm cutting corro with it ....

[RFNK]

Yes, I use a blade like that. When I first used it it didn't work very well - it tended to burn through the metal and I was disappointed. Then I tried putting it on the right way round and found it worked much better. A few million decibels quieter too!

Rick

[PeterSibley]

Mine runs either way...I'm sure it does ! The teeth a precisely square so it's the same either way. It's easy to sharpen... I just run it against a block of concrete and bingo, nice square corners.

[skuthorp]

Bruce, book arrived today. Thanks very much. You are on the shelf between C. S. Forrester and Frank Marryat.Have a look at the slide show here,
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...at-Show-photos
I think you may enjoy it.
Jeff.

[m2c1Iw]

Bruce, book arrived today. Thanks very much. You are on the shelf between C. S. Forrester and Frank Marryat.Have a look at the slide show here,
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...at-Show-photos
I think you may enjoy it.
Jeff.

Yes he has been busy I got one too, it's my birthday tomorrow how did you know Bruce.

Many thanks
Mike