1. Art and Diseño

Doyle Sails Loft - Venue for
the first Club Night 20th Feb
2015
The Official Newsletter of the Island Cruising Assoc.
Cruise News
e-dition available for download from www.islandcruisng.co.nz on or before the 7th of each month
January 2015
The Lighthouse on
Tiri Tiri Matangi Island.
Hauraki Gulf NZ
Safety Demonstration Hosted by
Kiwi Yachting and Safety at Sea
Sat
et 2015
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2 Topical Articles this month
Full Round Up of 2014 and 2015
Updates PR and more..
This Month - Offshore Preparation Special.
NEXT ICA GET TOGETHER “DOYLE SAILS - LOFT BBQ”..
CLUB NIGHT - FRIDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 2015
The first Club Night of 2015 will be held at Doyle Sails Loft, Rosebank Rd. Avondale
Auckland. 5:30 Start Friday 20th February
www.islandcruising.org
KEEP CURRENT WITH UPCOMING EVENTS IN CRUISE NEWS
NEXT UP.
UPFRONT
FRONT COVER
NEXT ICA GET TOGETHER
Day four of the Christmas Cruise saw
a visit, with perfect weather, to Tiri
Tiri Matangi. The view here is from
one of the walking tracks towards the
Lighthouse. It’s hard to believe just a
few years ago this was farm land.
2015 SAFETY DEMONSTRATION
AUCKLAND
2015 SAIL 2 INDONESIA RALLY
Registrations are now open for this event.
http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/?page_id=2714
In Association with Kiwi Yachting and Safety at
Sea this workshop will look at Safety Equipment, 2015 PACIFIC CIRCUIT RALLY
Liferafts, Dan Buoys, Life Jackets etc their deploy- There have been a couple of late cancellations
ment and use. Feb 21st 2015 Venue, Orakei Dive for the 2015 PCR which leaves a couple of slots
Pools, Orakei Rd. Orakei, Auckalnd.
open for anyone keen to participate.
See page 8 for full details.
EDITOR'S
NOTES
With New Year celebrated we had into 2015 but before we go take a look at “The Year That Was2014” page 8 and a look at what’s coming in 2015.
It’s been a great year with lots of firsts and a few major accomplishments.
Thanks to all of you that helped out in 2014; our sponsors, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron,
all of you that attended one of the many club nights and or seminars. Our thanks to all the speakers
who entertained you at club nights and shared their knowledge in our Cruising Preparation Seminars, our daughter Jenna for all her work on club nights and a special thanks to Tony Whiting for
his support in a myriad of areas. But most of all Lyn and I would like to thank all our loyal members
for their continued support, without you we wouldn’t be here.
We look forward to 2015 with much anticipation and hope it delivers to all of you, all your cruising
dreams.
CLUB NIGHT FEBRUARY 2015
2016 DOYLE SAILS PERFORMANCE CRUISER RALLY
The first Club Night of 2015 will be held at Doyle This new event is currently in the build process
Sails Loft, Rosebank Rd. Avondale
but preliminary information and a link to regAuckland. 5:30 Start Friday 20th February
ister interest in the rally can be found on pg. 8
John & Lyn
CONTACT US....
Island Cruising Regattas Ltd. Trading as the Island Cruising Association or ICA - Directors;- John & Lyn Martin
email: [email protected] Snail mail: P.O. Box 534, Paihia Bay of Islands, 0290, New Zealand
Voice mail: mobile 027-242-1088 & 021-242-1088 Office:- The good ship "WINDFLOWER", South Pacific
New Zealand 09 8898 444 Australia - 073 0403072
Pg 2
Off to Sail the Dream... Will you be there in 2015?
www.islandcruising.co.nz
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Contents
4.. WHAT’S UP NEXT? & UPDATES
6
Christmas Cruise, Safety Demonstration and Feb Club Night.
Doyle Sails steps up as Sponsor for a different Type of Cruising Rally, one aimed more at the sailor amongst us.
5... WHAT’S UP IN 2016
An absolute must for the cruising sailor. Regarded as must have for the 2015 Pacific Circuit Rally
6... CRUISING PREPARATION FOR 2015
Getting your boat, crew and you ready.
13... PREDICTWIND OFFSHORE APP
14
14... SAFETY AT SEA 2015
The safety gear you’re going to need for offshore or extended 16
13
coastal this year.
16... THE YEAR THAT WAS 2014
And quite a year it was too.
16
17... LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015
Everything from club nights to rallies and more.
20...RECIPE.
20... PONDER THIS
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Ham Radio Exams
The Seven Seas Cruising
Association (SSCA) with
local assistance from
the New Zealand-based
Island Cruising Association
is hosting a ham exam
“gam” in Whangarei, New
Zealand on January 31,
2015 at 0930 local time.
A second session will be
held in Opua on April 18,
2015.
The purpose is to offer
US amateur radio license
testing. Examinees do not
have to be SSCA members
OR US citizens. The only restriction is that non-US
citizens cannot be a representative of a foreign government.
In the US, amateur licenses are now issued at three levels or classes: Technician, General and Extra. Exams for
each class are called elements and should be taken and
passed in sequence . There is no Morse code proficiency required; all testing is multiple choice.
Pre-registration is advised so the team can be sure of
materials and seating requirements. Registration and
testing is free of charge.
For additional information or reservations: please contact the SSCA Volunteer Examiner (VE) team at
[email protected]. Or if at one of the local cruiser’s gatherings in NZ, look for Adam K7ST– s/v Bravo,
Richard KL0DR– s/v Red, or B.J. KB1VLG– s/v Evenstar. They will provide you with a copy of Instructions
for Potential Examinees which includes a list of study
resources.
PLEASE NOTE: Patricia Dallas K6AHS (yacht Chameleon, Gulf Harbour Radio & yit.co.nz) will be helping
to organize annual exam sessions. Maritime mobile
amateurs with General class licenses who are crossing
and who wish to help in 2016 as volunteer examiners
(VEs) in New Zealand may wish to consider upgrading
to Extra if exams are given during Puddle Jump events
in Banderas Bay and Panama City.
2015 SAFETY DEMONSTRATION
AUCKLAND
In Association with Kiwi Yachting and Safety at Sea
this workshop will look at Safety Equipment, Liferaft’s,
Dan Buoys, Life Jackets etc their deployment and use.
Feb 21st 2015 Venue to be confirmed. Click the link to
Register your interest.
http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/?page_id=3055
CLUB NIGHT FEBRUARY 2015
The first Club Night of 2015 will be held at Doyle Sails
Loft, Rosebank Rd. Avondale
Auckland. 5:30 Start Friday 20th February
If you haven’t been along to one of Doyle’s Loft BBQ’s
you’ll be amazed by the size and sophistication of
this, the biggest loft in the Southern Hemisphere.
Come along and enjoy a sausage and a beer or
wine.
2015 Pacific Circuit Rally
Only a two spots left due to cancellations!
"Off to Live the Dream"
What do Members say?
"100% satisfied"
John Hembrow- Red Sky
"Gold Standard Brokers"
Rodney Cowell
Jude and Grant- “Blinder”
Baileys Insurance Brokers Ltd
Al and Shirl- “Bravado”
‘We’ve made many true friends and lived
the cruising dream’
Just some of the comments from
participants in the 2013 PCR.
For more information see the “Sizzle Pack” on page 10 - 16 or to
register click the link below.
http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/?page_id=1301
Pg 4
For a Coastal or Offshore
Marine insurance quote
click the link on the
Island Cruising home page.
Ian and Tracey - “Providence”
‘Experience of a lifetime, definitely one for
the bucket list’
‘Best 6 months of our lives’
2015 Pacific Circuit Rally
"Special rates for ICA
members with "A" rated
Insurers, backed up by
superb claims service"
That's Neil Bailey's
promise to you.
www.islandcruising.org
PO Box 101101, North Shore, Auckland
DDI: +64 9 974 1784
Fax: +64 9 443 4479
Office: +64 9 444 8860
(free 0800 89 85 85)
35 Apollo Drive - Mairangi Bay
Auckland
www.baileysinsurance.co.nz
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What’s Up! in 2016
cont.
Advance Sea Survival Course.
The Tonga Rally will again run in 2016 with departure planned for Saturday 7th
May 2016 from Opua, subject to weather.
Recently we asked a group of around 100 cruisers if they’d be interested in a rally
with a greater emphasis on the sailing side of both passage making and cruising.
Well the answer was a resounding YES.
With that in mind we went forward with planning, developed a program and
secured a sponsor that could bring some great prizes to the event; the result is the
Coastguard have scheduled an advance sea survival
course for 28th and 29th of March.
The presenter for this course is ICA Member and
well respected tutor, John
Zimmerman, and covers both theory in a class
environment and a practical component in a wave
pool, a very worthwhile course for anyone heading
offshore. This is a much more comprehensive course
than the ICA Safety Demonstration in February.
“2016 Doyle Sails - Performance Cruiser Rally”
There will be more detail released over the following months but the jist is, this rally is aimed
at the cruiser that wants to sail and would prefer not to turn the key if they don’t have too.
There will be various classes in the rally so everyone has
a chance of taking out one of the great prizes.
The Preliminary Program sees a start Date in early June 2016
Start - Saturday 4th June at Opua - Bay of Islands - Northland NZ - subject to weather.
First Leg - Opua to Vuda Point Fiji (via the Minervas if the weather permits). Clearance will be
handled at Vuda Point Marina as will the arrival festivities.
There will be a number of fun events programmed including a Beachcomber Pirates Race,
Hobby cat challenge at Musket Cove and then to Robinson Crusoe Island for their world
renown South Pacific Dinner and Show. If the girls don’t want to take part in the strenuous
events there will be plenty of activities planned to keep them out of mischief too.
Boats are then on their own to explore Fiji before the start of Leg 2.
Leg 2 - the “2016 Musket Cove to Vila Race”.
Departure is planned from Musket Cove Saturday 6th August 2016. The course leaves Fiji
for Anatom, Vanuatu’s southernmost island where Clearance will be done at Anelghawhat,
the fleet will regroup and after some fun on Mystery Island, just south of the anchorage, will
head to Port Resolution a 40 mile sprint. Mt Yasur on Tanna is a must see before the fleet
heads to Vila to be Welcomed by Yachting World Vanuatu and the Waterfront Bar and Grill.
Boats are then free to explore Vanuatu.
At this stage Leg 3 is planned to depart Vanuatu to NZ on Saturday 10th September but if
there is enough interest we will include a leg to take in New Caledonia as well.
Click the link below to register your interest and receive more info on the rally.
http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/?page_id=3009
Pg 5
Boating Course
Advanced Sea Survival
28th & 29th March 2015
Sat 8:30am - 4:30pm
Sun 7am - 4:30pm
Venue: Te Atatu Boat Club
Wade Motors Ltd is a “one stop” automotive service center that has been looking
after drivers on the Hibiscus Coast and
North Auckland area for 26 Years and
offers ICA Members a 15% Discount on
all Service work, Tyres, Repairs, Radiators
and Air Conditioning and much more.
Phone:(09) 426 3559
Mobile:021808204
Address: 45 Foundry Road, Silverdale.
www.wademotors.co.nz
Contact Joanne
DDI: 09 361 4702
W: boatingeducation.org.nz
E: [email protected]
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Safety, Comfort, Speed.
T
he Title says it all, Safety, Comfort and last of all Speed.
We’re not racing, although if there’s another sail on the
horizon, hmmm. Mostly we’re also shorthanded, often
just two up so all the systems on the boat have to be geared
to the lowest common denominator. Most important though
is the order, get all your Safety gear sorted first, make sure the
boat is well prepared and all the systems have been checked
and checked again. Then look towards things that are going to
make life easier and more comfortable and finally, Speed. It’s
still an important part of the equation, provided you’ve sorted
the other two first but a good motor and drive system and good
sails (unless you’re in a launch) will make life so much easier.
Today’s cruiser is spoiled for choice when it comes to the gear
available. Technology makes up a big part of this and there are
some items here that are well worth the investment, but before
you go spending thousands on gadgets, be selective, there are
some essentials but there are a few other items of gear that are
a must too. Once you head out of the harbor whither you’re
looking at extended coastal or offshore there are many parallels.
SAFETY
Safety Gear
First up check out your local Safety Specialist. Safety at Sea,
a Kiwi Yachting company will help you make the right choices
and can courier to you anywhere in Australia and New Zealand.
Pick up a copy of the Yachting New Zealand Safety Manual from
Transpacific Marine in Westhaven or download from the SNZ
site…
For Australia, the Fremantle Cruising Club has a great publication, their Green Book, specifically designed for cruisers…
and a comprehensive checklist..
See also the recommendations from Safety at Sea on page 14
of the Jan 2015 Cruise News for some safety gear suggestions.
Navigation
Possibly the biggest boon for cruisers was the introduction of
GPS. Coastal cruising is a snap with charts, a few simple tools
and a hand bearing compass. It becomes a little more difficult
at night but I have immense respect for cruisers that sailed the
oceans of the world relying only on a Sextant and DR.
Our first offshore cruise was in 1995, looking back “Windflower” was very basic and while her skipper had been sailing since
his youth he too was green when it came to offshore. For Cat
One Celestial Navigation was a must so I took a basic course.
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sail-south-pacific.com
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Once I had my head around the theory it was time to put it into
practice. A quick trip out into the Hauraki Gulf with the class saw
us doing noon sights, first from a position at anchor where we
had a horizon for the sights and the following day, sailing. I remember thinking, “how am I going to do this on an ocean passage?” it was bad enough in a slight seaway off the back of Tiri
Tiri where my best efforts put my position closer to the bottom
end of Waiheke Island some 15 miles away. If the GPS failed, how
was I ever going to find Tonga?
Fortunately the GPS did its job to perfection and has now become so reliable that Celestial is no longer mandatory for Cat
One. Installing a secondary unit as back up and carrying a handheld for the grab bag will satisfy today’s requirements. Shouldn’t
be a problem, a quick check aboard Windy and we’ve now got
11 GPS devises aboard.
Taking the GPS as being on the “Must have” list, what else?
A good method of self-steering. With limited crew it’s just about
impossible to complete a long coastal or ocean passage without
some help at the helm, it’s been said a good self-steering system
is worth two crew members and also allows you to extend your
watch periods without draining the (flesh and blood) crew. There
are two methods commonly available, mechanical/ electronic
autopilots and windvane. Now I hear some of you groaning at
Windvane steering but don’t be too quick to dismiss them they
have many advantages over electric. First up they don’t rely on
power. Make sure you pick the right type, we recommend the Hydrovane unit for a number of reason. The Hydrovane has it’s own
rudder (great redundancy) and can be mounted on just about
any boat, what’s more it doesn’t need to be mounted central on
the transom, great for open transom and sugar scoop boats and
can also be mounted to accommodate davits and solar panel
arches. Check out the video…
If you decide on a mechanical/ electric system, make sure it’s up
to the task. Bear in mind the unit will likely be working 24/7 in
conditions far more demanding than a harbour cruise.
Electronics
On the electronics front, even before putting on a plotter or in-
Pg 9
tegrated system I would fit, in descending order. AIS, (Automatic Identification System) at the very least a, receive only
unit, at best a Class B Transceiver, they are a real bonus for
shorthanded sailing. A Radar, great for confirming your actual position (not all charts will give you a true position, there
are places, in Tonga for instance, the charts are up to 0.5 of
a mile out.) .
Boating Books
and Publications
Communications
The SSB is still present in many cruising boats and for general
boat to boat and Ship to Shore comms it’s still well worth
having. If you are wanting to add email and weather to your
comms requirements then satellite is the only real alternative. Satellite comms has seen a real step forward recently with the introduction by Iridium of the new Iridium GO.
This unit has changed the face of satellite comms. The old
Sat Phones were designed as a phone first, with a data connection that was clunky and difficult to interface. Not so the
Iridium GO that is a data connection with the capability of
voice. It’s simple to set up and easy to use and is our recommendation for the 2015 Pacific Circuit rally. It has the added
advantage of emergency DSC and vessel tracking.
Weather.
In 1995 on our first offshore passage there was no question of picking a good weather window, you may recall the
1994 “Queens Birthday Storm” which didn’t show up on the
forecast charts until well after the boats heading north were
in storm conditions. Not so today, weather forecasting has
seen a Quantum leap forward in recent years. There is more
raw data and the way this data is analyzed and presented
has made our life as cruising sailors much easier this development has been led by companies like Predict Wind. The
number crunching involved has until recently meant that a
connection to high speed internet was needed to compile a
comprehensive weather routing for a longer passage. With
Predict Wind’s new “Offshore App” weather routing while on
passage has now come of age. Again it’s our recommendation for the 2015 PCR.
Contact
Postal address:
PO Box 90546, AMSC
Showroom - 121 Beaumont St.
Westhaven, Auckland
Phone: +64 9 303 1459
Fax: +64 9 307 8170
E: [email protected]
www.transpacific.co.nz
Tablet navigation.
For the last number of years if you’ve wanted to do more than talk
to folks on the SSB and didn’t like using the local internet café’s
computer to do your emails and banking then a laptop computer
or mini desktop were the answer. Not any more, the age of the
“Tablet” is upon us.
We’ve chosen to go down the iPad route for boat related “Apps”
as there seems to be a better range than on the Android although
Mr Google is definitely catching up.
A couple of years ago the Navionics app was the be all and end
all for iPad navigation. Today though the flood gates have opened
and the power of the iPad has really taken off. If you search ‘marine’ on Apples iTunes store there are literally hundreds of marine
related apps for the cruising sailor. Manufacturers of onboard systems and hardware are also seeing the benefits and are writing
their own apps too, plus with a little hardware added to the mix
you can connect to your other ships instruments that run NMEA
and your laptop or onboard computer. Before you by an app for
navigation check out the iSailor app, it’s my favorite.
COMFORT.
We found Tonga, thanks to the GPS, but the trip up there was a
different matter. I and three mates sailed her up. We stood two
hour watches as we were hand steering and often had all hands
on deck for reefing and sail changes. No auto pilot, no roller furler
and all the hoisting and reefing at the mast. We took crew on all
the Ocean passages that year and determined that next time we
would set the boat up so we could handle her two up.
On that first passage we had some rough weather and as the wind
increased we went through the first, second and finally third reefs
in the main and from the number one genny through the number
two, three and finally the storm jib. All had to be dropped to the
deck, unhanked and the new sail hanked on and hoisted. We had
wet sails everywhere and the fore deck was at times a comedy. I
remember one crew, in full wet weather gear losing his footing,
landing on his backside with his feet forward as we buried the
bow into a wave. Green water rolled across the deck straight up
his pants, he had his arms outstretched at the time and water
erupted from his arms and neck like a fire hose. He was fortunate-
ly harnessed and clipped on but boy did he come back from the
bow in a foul mood. Getting out the cockpit with just two of us
aboard wasn’t an option so we put some hard yards into the sail
handling gear aboard. Fortunately we found “Garhauer” hardware, built for the cruiser, robust and at the right price.
Setting the boat up for shorthanded sailing.
Roller Furling headsail/s
Adjustable Genoa cars with lines led aft to the cockpit
All reefing and hoisting lines for the main and fore sails led back
to the cockpit.
A good Boom Vang so you can take the topping lift off while sailing and the boom will hold its position and not drop to the deck,
plus a good Boom preventer with lines led back to the cockpit.
(A preventer line or pulley prevents accidental gybing and locks
the boom in place to reduce “Slatting”).
Winches that are big enough that your weakest crew can trim
the sails.
All the above run through the proper blocks, sheaves, jammers
and pulley’s.
With this gear as a minimum one person can complete most of
the sail work required single handed.
Keeping Cool and Dry
Now that we had the sail handling and steering under control
the next item on the list was again comfort related. We had
spent the first year cruising with an open cockpit, no bimini, just
a very small dog house with little protection from the sun. Consequently we didn’t spend much time in the cockpit and hand
steering often meant full wet weather gear or being roasted under a tropical sun. So a cunning plan was hatched to close the
cockpit in. A solid top and flexible rollup clears all round, now we
quite literally live in the cockpit. This year we added sun shades
for the cockpit and a boat cover off the boom to keep the temperature below decks down.
energy and
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Watermaker
Still keeping away from the Bling, the next item was one that Lyn
had on her list right from the get go. Once we made the decision
Pg 10
Locations:
• 5G Miro Place, Albany, Auckland
• Gulf Harbour Marina, Whangaparaoa, Auckland
www.enertecmarinesystems.com
caLL 09 414 4730
e: [email protected]
Windflower, to the left obeying the 15deg rule and still
reaching hull speed. Also
featured is solid hardtop
over cockpit, canvas clears
and davits for the dingy.
To the right, dual roller
furlers on the bow and the
main sail boom “Preventer”
system. Also showing behind
the preventer is the
Garhauer boom vang.
To the left, 3 to 1 pully, adjustable genoa car system,
again from Garhauer.
To the right, Loafer keeping
cool with an over boom
shade cover. note the drop
down sides. An alternative is to do the drop sides
in shade cloth, a to see
through and b to allow some
breeze from the side.
Left, Hydrovane self steering
unit fitted to a performance
cruiser. Short handed ocean
racers are often fitted with
a Hydrovane, good course
control and zero power reqd
Right, the Open Ocean 12V
watermaker, simple to fit, its
modular components will fit
almost anywhere and using
around 25amps produces 50
Liters per hour.
Pg 11
For a 20% discount on PredictWind subscriptions
click the link on the ICA Home page!
Iridium GO!™ is unlike anything the
world has seen before. Powered by the
world’s furthest reaching network, this
compact, rugged and portable unit creates the first ever reliable global connection for voice and data communications
on up to five different devices
(smartphones, laptops or tablets).
www.predictwind.com
Cruising
this item has had possibly the biggest impact on our cruising than
any other single item. A watermaker. No more planning your
cruise around where you can get water, no more rationing. Long
showers, the ability to hose off after a swim and we can even
hose the boat down to get rid of all that salt after a beat to windward. Last year particularly there has been an increase in water
borne disease in the tropics with Guardia and Typhoid becoming
a problem in some areas. You can go complicated and expensive
with is one or simple and cheap. Open Ocean in NZ keep their
units simple, without all the bells and whistles that seem to be
the first things to break and with simplicity comes reliability, the
cost is an added bonus. We swapped our engine driven Open
Ocean unit for a 12V system two years ago. The engine driven
unit had done eight years hard service (we haven’t put tap water
in Windy since installing it) around, we estimate, 100 metric tons
of water and needed a service. Terry at Open Ocean introduced
us to the 12V system as an alternative and we were sold, still are
2 years later, brilliant.
Another very important item in the comfort department is a
good bed and your mattress needs to be of the highest quality. A
six month cruise on a saggy baggy mattress will taint your cruising experience.
Presuming you have your power generation under control you
can then move onto other comforts. Dive Compressors, Bread
Makers, Washing Machines and Air Con. And of course there’s the
Bling, all those shiny electronics and don’t forget the flat screen
TV and the DVD player, budget is your only constraint here. Just
remember though, everything you put on your boat is a source of
ongoing maintenance and you still need to keep something aside
for the things that jump up and bite you. For us that was a new
motor, I just love my new Yanmar but it came at a price. My wish
list had almost got down to some of the “Toys” I’d been wanting
for years, oh well there’s always next year.
Speed
up to the task of either extended coastal or offshore. Your sails
need to be bullet proof and be capable of deep reefing. Generally we’re not racing and getting around the boat while it’s well
healed is a pain, so cruisers will generally obey the 15 degree
rule and reef to keep the boat upright. On an ocean passage
that reef may be in for 10 days, it’s got to be well made or it
won’t last the distance and a saggy baggy jib won’t do you any
favors on the passage back to NZ with the wind well forward
of the beam. We have worked hard with Doyle sails and put
together a specification for a good suit of “Cruising” sails. Contact Andy P at Doyle on 0800 4SAILS.
In 2009 we traded in the old FORD for a new Yanmar. I’ve never
bought a new car so buying a new motor and drive train was
something that took a bit to get past. Now we’ve had nearly
30,000 miles under the keel since installing the Yanmar I can’t
imagine how we struggled through the last few years on the
old motor.
Last but not least, to get the
most out of your sailing, fit a
folding propeller. Gori www.
whitingpower.com are the top
of the line and allow for an
“Overdrive” setting which is
great for motor sailing. For the
lower horsepower the Kiwi
Prop http://www.kiwiprops.
co.nz is a good alternative,
they now have a four blade option for 65 to 100hp and one
specifically for sail drives. For those with a small aperture try
Hydralign from JBC Yacht Engineering www.hydralignprop.com
Good propulsion, either via the motor or sails is right up there.
We have seen several cruisers last year with sail problems. Some
of it’s old age but some is original manufacture. The sails on a
production boat that are designed for harbor sailing just aren’t
Pg 12
Not all sails are
created equal,
especially for
the cruiser.
Heavy displacement or light,
Stratis GPC - the sail for every cruiser.
Stratis sails = perfect shape.
Perfect shape = more power, less heel.
More power = a faster passage.
Less heel = more comfort.
The perfect equation, a happy skipper...
and a happy crew.
Call our technical team
0800 472 457
or visit www.doylesails.co.nz
Key Features
•
Weather data auto selected from route
•
Highly compressed files
•
Automatic download resume
This new application from PredictWind for Mac and PC is revolutionary for accessing weather data when offshore. Accessing GRIB files, Weather Routing,
GMDSS forecasts and Satellite Imagery is now a simple task with the unique and
user friendly interface.
•
Auto generate email requests
•
Satellite or SSB connection compatible
•
Iridium GO! interface
Selecting the weather information needed is now as simple as setting up your
route, and the relevant GRIB files, Weather Routes, GMDSS text forecasts and
Satellite Imagery are automatically selected. The complexities of requesting files
via email have been automated and all file transfers are compressed in a BZ2
format.
•
Top 4 weather models - PWC/PWG & CMC/GFS
Simpler, Faster and More Reliable PredictWind Offshore App
The Offshore App will work with existing satellite or SSB communications and
has also been developed as an approved Iridium GO! application. When used in
conjunction with the Iridium GO! the boat’s position is automatically updated on
the map. If the satellite connection is lost the auto resume feature restarts the
download, saving connection time.
PredictWind has combined the world’s leading forecasts and tools, in an
App, that will make getting weather data via a Satellite or SSB communication incredibly easy. Find out more or download the Offshore Application free of charge http://www.predictwind.com/grib-files/
Iridium customers can see the Iridium constellation at any time, to check the
optimal time for a voice or data connection. The Offshore App can be used with a free account to download the Offshore
GRIB files from PredictWind in addition to the GFS & CMC forecasts. A PredictWind Standard/Professional account unlocks the essential weather tools
including high resolution GRIB files, Weather Routing, GMDSS text forecasts and
Satellite Imagery.
Iridium GO and the PredictWind Offshore App are This Screen shot shows the PWG and PWC weather routes on this tab with the
the recommended comms and weather tools for the GFS and CMC forecasts also available. From the tabs on the LHS; Route, Swell
and Current info is also available. All this in a small 1.8kB file.
2015 Pacific Circuit Rally.
Pg 13
Christine Kling
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writer, sailor, dreamer
On June 1, 2014 DRAGON’S TRIANGLE was
released by Thomas & Mercer as an ebook,
paperback and audiobook. This is the sequel
to my 2013 book, CIRCLE OF BONES. That first
novel in this adventure thriller series featured
a pair of new characters: Riley, a female former Marine, now single-handing her forty-foot
sailboat, and Cole Thatcher, a maritime archaeologist
searching for the wreck of a World War
II French submarine, the SURCOUF,
that went missing in 1942
S
Safety Gear
Keeping yourself an your crew safe on passage and while cruising is the skippers
responsibility and starts with a well found boat, good education and quality safety
gear aboard.
There are certain items that are mandatory and others that just make sense. In this
article are some of our suggestions from practical experience but a trip down to your
safety experts, Safety at Sea is an essential part of your preparation.
Life Rafts - This is one item we hope never to use but if we do, are we able to
get into it. Remember the old adage, “Climb up into your life raft” believe me if you
thought the boat was uncomfortable the Life raft will be much worse.
FREE OFFER Christine’s first
novel SURFACE TENSION will be
offered free Dec. 5-15 on most platforms. http://www.christinekling.com
Whiting Power Systems
Pleased to stock and support Gori propellers in
New Zealand and the South Pacific
Gori 3 Blade Folding Propeller
Note the easy access boarding platform.
A Cheaper alternative.
This folding propeller marks a technological leap forward
in the development of propellers for sailboats with large
engine power. It is now possible for these sailboats and
motor sailors to gain the folding propeller’s advantage
under sail, combined with the fixed propellers thrust capability when motoring plus the Gori “Overdrive” feature
for maximum torque while motor sailing.
156 Beaumont Street,
Westhaven, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Ph +64 9 358 2050
www.whitingpower.com
Pg 14
Life Jackets and Harnesses- Although these are two different items they
often come combined. We use the Baltic range (as shown) . Make sure the unit is
comfortable and easy to put on, you’ll wear it more often if it is.
I also use a three hook elasticized tether you
can stay tethered even if you need to unclip
to go around something and when I’m working at the mast the short tether allows you to
form a stable platform to work from.
MOB and Recovery-
The first MOB pole I had on Windflower was essentially a hinged stick with a flag
on one end and
a weight on the
other with a length
of bungy to activate the assembly.
We tried it once,
couldn’t see it from
more than 200 m
away.
Our new strategy
starts with “Don’t
go overboard” sounds silly but treat the lifelines as if
they were at the top of a 100m cliff. That said while we
plan not to go overboard and set our watch and deck
protocols to minimize the change we still need to
be prepared for the worst.
Satellite PLB’s are starting to loose favor to be
replaced with AIS PLB’s. An AIS PLB when activated will show on your ships AIS as well as EVERYONE else’s that are in range. The McMurdo Smartfind can also be used by divers as
it’s waterproof to 60m. These units should be worn at all times, better yet have then
fitted to Auto activate on your Life jacket.
Next, on Windflower, I don’t go out on deck unless there is someone in the cockpit,
end of story. If I’m the “fool” and gone overboard then
at least someone else can follow the MOB protocol,
Send over the Danbuoy/ JonBuoy, hit the MOB button
on the plotter or other devises and steer a course back
to the idiot in the water.
Now you’ve found
the idiot that
went over board
you’ve still got
to get them back
aboard. The exact
method needs to
be worked out in
advance and is
specific to each
vessel. The correct gear though can go a long
way towards making this easier.
EPIRB’s-
There are two types, ones with GPS and ones
without, don’t stint
here, buy a GPS enabled EPIRB.
There’s a host more safety gear available so either visit
Safety at Sea in Westhaven or visit them online at
www.safetyatsea.co.nz
Pg 15
Pg 16
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Looking back now on 2014 it sure was a busy year for ICA.
SEMINARS.
It all started in late January with a flight to Perth,
Western Australia for
the start of the Australian Cruising Preparation
Seminar tour. 9 Seminars
later we were in Cairns some 5000miles as the crow flies and
6,500 KMs by car, we picked up the car in Melbourne. During this series we introduced over 120 couples to the joys of
cruising and hopefully helped them get out there and live the
dream.
We ended the year with our final seminar in Auckland with a
further 20 couples attending at the Royal New Zealand Yacht
Squadron.
CLUB NIGHTS.
In late 2013 we “Affiliated” with the Royal New Zealand Yacht
Squadron and their Ocean Cruising Division. Club nights were
moved from the Parnell to Westhaven and a very successful
“Focus on Cruising” series of club nights saw ICA and Squadron
members vote with their feet and an average of 70 attendees
per month made 2014 the most successful for club nights, ever.
MAY DEPARTURES
Weather was the main factor in getting the fleet away with
a series of lows forming in the tropics making finding a
suitable weather window to head north hard work.
The Tonga fleet eventually got away 8 days after the
scheduled start and had a great trip north with most
stopping at Minerva Reef for a couple of wet and windy
days before resuming the passage to
Pangai for clearance into
Tonga. Unfortunately
with a rapidly reducing
time framework the NZ to
OZ rally was abandoned
and the boats made there own way to Australia for the start
of the Sail 2 Indonesia rally.
SAIL 2 INDONESIA.
2014 saw the inaugural running of this rally with 23 participants taking part. Thanks to the Cairns Cruising Yacht
Squadron who hosted and entertained the fleet while in
Cairns and Our partners in Indonesia, the Indonesia Tourism Ministry and Raymond
Lesmana did a fantastic
job with the fleet through
Indonesia. Apart from a few
minor changes to the route
through Indonesia and just
one Muster Point on the Queensland coast the rally will be run
again this year.
SAIL FIJI.
Three years in the making we finally
launched the first cruising guide to Fiji
Water since Yachtsmans Fiji in the mid
80’s. Sail Fiji was launched in September
to rave reviews as an IPad App and will
shortly be launched in Android format.
WHERE WAS WINDFLOWER IN 2014?.
Good question, Windflower was indeed supposed to be one
of the boats in the Sail 2 Indonesia fleet but time, boat issues
and other commitments saw us stuck in Opua until late May
at which time it was too late to sail west so instead spent the
remainder of the season in Fiji. This allowed us to take part in
a couple of regattas we hadn’t planned on at the beginning of
the year.
to attracting more of the the Mom and Pop cruisers.
The festival is held late October/ early November and last year attracted 53 yachts taking part. Seen as
a way for early education, our New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industry sent representatives to both
Musket Cove and Vava’u to explain our Biosecurity regulations. A move that was well received by the
participating yachts.
ALL POINTS RALLY.
This annual event is now in it’s seventh year and growing each year.
2014 saw the first year of an open collaboration with the local marina
company for the Bay of Islands Marina, which was a huge success. BOI
Marina brought much to the table and helped make this a truly memorable event for the 126 participating Boats.
CHRISTMAS CRUISE.
The last official event for the year saw a total of 17 boats either join us
for sections or complete the whole event, a great turnout of ICA member boats.
MUSKET COVE REGATTA WEEK.
Always good fun and being in Fiji, taking part in the Musket
Cove Regatta Week was a must do. We also got roped in to
help and ended up taking on Sports Day. We must thank some
previous rally participants here as
the Powerade Tryatalon was modeled on their events held during
the 2013 Pacific Circuit Rally, thanks
Barry and Jill on Centaurus. The
whole regatta went very well and
was great fun.
VAVA’U BLUEWATER FESTIVAL WEEK.
This was a first for us. Held every year in Vava’u to attract
the migrating cruisers this week long festivalis a great way
of promoting New Zealand as a destination for these boats.
Worth tens of millions to the New Zealand economy each year
Yachting Tourism is now starting to get noticed with emphisis
gradually changing from the ever shrinking Superyacht market
Looking
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Last year saw us develop
a closer working relationship with NZ Marine
and their Destination New Zealand Program which we are helping
by providing resources, research and assistance with Logisitc. In return NZ Marine are
helping us to spread the message of Destination South Pacific.
Our first event this year is a part of this closer association in the form of the Millenium Cup where ICA
will be providing resources and logistic support for the event as part of the NZ Marine team.
Pg 17
W W W. H Y D R O VA N E . C O M
Let Hydrovane steer you home safely.
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LOOKING FORWARD TO 2015 cont..
CLUB NIGHTS.
Club nights take a break in January but are back to monthly for the remainder of the year with 10 planned. The
first is in February with a club BBQ at the Doyle Sails loft in Avondale Auckland followed by a visit to the Kiwi
Yachting’s new facility in Mount Albert the following month. It’s back to the Squadron in April with the start of
the 2015 “Focus” series which will then run through winter with a lineup we think you’ll all find interesting and
entertaining.
OPUA CRUISER FESTIVAL.
Working closely with the BAy of Islands Marina, ICA will again be presenting the Opua Cruisers Festival in the
lead up to the May departure of the rally fleets and the overseas vessels departing from Opua.
The OCF will again feature a series of seminars covering everything from Medical to Chart Marking sessions for
all the Pacific Island Nations as well as providing access to Duty Free supplies and a line up of fun events.
PACIFIC CIRCUIT RALLY
The PCR is the only Pacific Based rally to depart Opua in May this year and again features clearance into exotic
destinations rather than the usual clearance ports across the SW Pacific.
The rally is programmed to depart Opua on Saturday the 2nd of May with the first clearance at Pangai in the
Kingdom of Tonga’s beautiful Ha’apai Group.
There will not be a dedicated Tonga Rally this year, vessels wishing to sail to Tonga are welcome to join the PCR
for that leg only if they wish.
SAIL 2 INDONESIA.
This year the Sail 2 Indonesia rally sees it’s second outing. Following on from last year we received great feedback from the 2014 fleet which has resulted in some changes to the processes and the route through Indonesia which are set to make this years rally bigger and better than last year. Our partner in Indonesia, Raymond
Lesmana, has been working hard putting together the new program and working with the local delegates to
ensure everything is in place for the fleet departure from Cairns in July.
VAVA’U BLUEWATER FESTIVAL
ICA will again have a presence at this event, late September/ early October this year. This year’s festival program has been extended thanks to the hard work of a team of volunteers led by our Vava’u Port Captain Greg
Just from Cafe Tropicana.
ALL POINTS RALLY
Mid November will see the eighth running of this fun event sponsored by Bay of Islands Marina and assisted by
the Opua Business Association. Our goal is to see this years numbers exceed 150 boats.
Pg 19
SV SOLSTICE
17m schooner rigged Donovan steel motor sailer Draws 1.5 m ,
beam 4.6 m Engine - John Deere 130 hp ,5300 Hrs . Cruises 6-7 kts
Generator - kubota/ Stamford 8KVA Dive compressor - Bristol Diesel 2000+ L. Water 3500 L Fridge, freezer, microwave, gas oven and
burners, washing machine, TV, DVD , full galley equipment Shower,
manual pump toilet , holding tank Hydraulic hauler/ davit Electric
capstan and bow thruster Raymarine electronics, - chart plotter,
sounder, 30nm radar, auto pilot SSB, VHF Liferaft, epirb , - both
require service Coppins sea anchor and drogue
3.6 m Southern Pacific RIB with 15 hp Yamaha Retractable duck
board and boarding ladder
3 cabins, master with basin, - huge volume boat with lots of storage Proven offshore cruiser
, has done 3 South Pacific
trips and 2 circumnavigations of NZ.
Major refit and paint in ‘06,
mechanically excellent, due
for haul out and anti foul/
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Great Value at
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Ph 09 4079390 /
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E:- [email protected]
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JOHN’S SAVOURY SCONES
JOHN’S SAVOURY
SCONES
Ponder this
New Zealander’s originally existed as members of
small bands of nomadic hunters and gatherers.
They lived on animals on the plains during the summer and would then go to the coast and live on fish
and mussels in the winter.
The two most important events in all Kiwi history
were the invention of beer and the invention of the
wheel.
The wheel was invented to get man to the beer.
4 cps self-raising flour
100g chilled unsalted butter,
cubed
1 sm onion, finely chopped
2 cps grated cheese
1½cps (375ml) milk, plus extra
to brush over scones
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease & flour a baking tray.
Sift flour, add butter, rubbing butter between fingers until
mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in onion & cheese, and
season with salt & pepper. Add milk, cutting into dry ingredients with a knife until just combined – do not overmix.
Place mixture on tray and form into a flat oblong. Cut into
8-10 pieces, separating slightly. Brush with extra milk. Bake
for 20-25 mins or until golden.
Serve with butter.
VARIATIONS: Add diced cold meat such as ham, salami or
smoked chicken
Sliced olives, capsicum, mushroom, tomato
Blue cheese or feta
Enjoy....
These were the foundation of modern Kiwi civilisation
and together were the catalyst for the splitting of New
Zealander’s into two distinct sub-groups:
1. Nationals, and
2. Labour.
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that
was the beginning of agriculture.
Neither the glass bottle nor aluminium can were
invented so while our early Kiwis were sitting around
waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close
to the brewery. That’s how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night, while they were drinking beer.
This was the beginning of what is known as the National movement
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting, learned to live off the Nationals by showing up for
the nightly BBQ’s and doing the sewing, fetching, and
hair dressing.
This was the beginning of the Labour movement.
Some of these Labour men eventually evolved into
women. They became known as pooftas.
Some noteworthy Labour achievements include the
domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy,
group hugs, and voting to decide how to divide the
meat and beer that the Nationals provided.
Modern Labourites and Union leaders drink imported
beer and they like their beef well done.
Pg 20
Sushi, tofu and French food are standard
Labour fare.
Another interesting, evolutionary side note:
most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.
Most social workers, government workers
local and national, personal injury lawyers,
journalists (especially at The DomPost), TVNZ
staff, and group therapists are Labourites.
Nationals drink domestic beer, mostly Steinlager or Speights.
They eat red meat (rare), and still provide for
their women.
Nationals are police officers, engineers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots, business owners, farmers,
Doctors and Nurses and generally anyone who
works productively.
Nationals who own companies, hire other
Nationals who want to work for a living.
Labourites produce little or nothing.
They like to govern the producers and decide
what to do with the production.
That is why most of the Labourites created
the business of trying to get more for nothing
- and usually plead for government money to
fund their unproductive, parasitical activities.
Here ends today’s lesson in New Zealand s
history.
It should be noted that a Labourite may have
a momentary urge to angrily respond to the
above before forwarding it.
A National will simply laugh, and be so convinced of the absolute truth of history, that it
will be forwarded immediately to other true
believers and to more Labourites - just to piss
them off.
And there you have it.