June 23, 2012 Blog Summary and Progress Report
Good day readers. This is Bill with a Dry Dock Half-Time Progress Report for SV Terrwyn, currently safe and sound 'on the hard' in Auckland NZ. She is under the watchful eyes of our boatyard friends, cameras and workers in Gulf Harbour Marina.
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| Gulf Harbour Marina Boat Services |
It has been nearly 9 months since we arrived in Auckland and it will be another 9 months until we leave NZ bound for South Africa early April 2013. Therefore this 'Half-Time Report'.
We have taken this opportunity in NZ to tune Terrwyn's systems from lessons learned during our first leg (Canada to NZ) last year May - November 2011. Meanwhile Cath and I have returned back to Calgary living and working full time towards our coming 9 month cruise (NZ - SA), April - December 2013.We love Calgary, our friends, families, our little old house and Bill's practise. Cath is flat out writing, managing our homestead - inside and out and being mommy to
Daisy our new baby Dane ( www.daisythegreatdane.com )who is growing like a weed. She is also mommy to Harley and Nessie but they have lots of life skills already.
Terrwyn has had "mucho trabajo hecho" and much more to come. Details below.
Back in Calgary we are gathering our navigational materials for the coming passage: charts- paper and electronic; sailing directions; pilot charts; cruising guides and assorted articles. We have also ordered a new Light Air (<10 knots true) symmetrical spinnaker from
PT Sails and gathering proper deep sea fishing gear, deck winch and stand up Penn rod and reel (both with 1,000 metres of line). Fishing gear was my biggest error of omission on our first leg. Marlin and Tuna are now duly warned.
Other Terrwyn tasks completed include:
- NZ Customs' blessing for keeping Terrwyn for 18 months in NZ.
- LOA from Bill's hospital for the required 9 months.
- Sailing Kitty filling up as quick as possible.
- Puppy care arranged for all three of our babies here in Calgary (thanks Cam) and Quadra Island (thanks Michael and Danielle).
- House sitting arranged again for Calgary (thanks again Cam) and Quadra Island (thanks again to Michael and Danielle).
- Terrwyn's refit partly completed and progressing.
- Engine, prop and shaft all reworked
- New electronics and instruments (Nexus) installed on an arch immediately forward and above companionway (boat speed, depth sounder, wind speed and angles, GPS).
- Rigging repairs - to jib sheet cars and tracks; new wire solent retractable headstay; Spinlock gear shift and throttle in cockpit.
- 2nd Ritchie magnetic compass to port forward cockpit bulkhead.
- Cold plate repaired.
- Upgrade solar panels from 85 watts to 300 watts.
- LED's and new speakers below deck.
- Install Irridium phone and docking station with email, fax and GRIB file capacity.
- AIS
- Overhaul VHF and SSB.
- Deck cover; topsides; and anti-fouling paint all to be done.
- Sole re-finishing, maserator and head re-fitted.
That's about all - B.O.A.T. units galore!
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| Billy stowing all halyards and replacing with 'messenger lines'. |
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| Cath taping in preparation for doing brighwork. |
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| Happy Skipper Billy on foredeck preparing for installation of new protective cover while Terrwyn is 'on the hard'. |
Our intention is to sea trial these items in February. Then Bill will return to Calgary for March while Cath stays on in NZ to re-provision. We will leave NZ, sail north to New Caledonia in early April and then WEST...
Further video clips of our Pacific crossing may be forth coming...crossing the equator and various landfalls to follow.
Thank you for following our blog. We intend to carry on beyond NZ and SA, to the Caribbean and back into the South Pacific in our circumnavigation quest in roughly 6 month blocks over the next few years - one ocean at a time.
Please comment with any questions that we will promptly answer.
Fair winds
Smooth seas
Billy
