Boat jobs are progressing!

When taking the genset out, it was found that last time the technicians used wrong washers wat the 3 support points. This created a major problem. With John we’ll find a solution.

I also ordered Starlink. It’s unfortunately currently the only possibility to have fast internet on board at a reasonable price.

Yesterday, I removed with Chris, the bow and stern side thrusters. The pervious owner had them attached because he couldn’t handle the boat well enough without them. I know how to handle the boat in difficult wind and docking situations by using lines. I assume that I will gain an additional 1 – 1.5 KN on speed.

I also decided to renew the teak on the lowest step of the transom. The old one is almost removed. While removing it I saw the right decision a was good.

So I’m pretty busy these days.

Beside the boat jobs I’m also working on a new blogging side. Basic tests are done. I’ll publish the new link here. Should you miss the link information here, please sent me an email to reinhold@cat-mare.de and I’ll forward you the new link.

Weather is good. Mostly dry and sunny. But the temperatures are going down sometimes during the nights and then I need an additional blanket. The warm nights around the equator are further north. I’m looking forward to them again.

I also found a crew member, who will embark in Fiji and will sail with me to Japan. She can’t before. We have frequent video calls and enjoy preparing each other for the long sail to come.

Now I need to start my work of the day.

During the night we had winds between 20 – 30 KN. It was a bit noisy with all the singing of the wind in masts of the boats. MaRe was vibrating, which is normal. Once, while being on the hard on Croatia with MaRe, I had 30 – 40 KN of winds from a bura which was blowing.

Yesterday morning, when the wind was already weaker, and I went to the toilet, a marina staff came to me to tell I have to leave the hard stand area now. “Where should I go?. I’m living on my boat” was my answer. “You have to go to the marina building and wait there until the wind is down at 1200 – 1300” was the reply I got. I didn’t believe what I was told because the wind was already below 20 KN. I went back to MaRe to prepare my things and had a quick muesli because I was hungry. I took my mobile phone, my PC and the 2 big and the small power banks and finally left MaRe and was brought to the marina building where there were already a few other sailors living normally in their boats on the hard stand.

Seems to me that the order to leave the hard stand area at winds already below 20 KN is as strange as having the power cables to be certified for fitness before one can plug into the shore power.

I’m curious what will be the next in this row.

The good thing yesterday was that I got a parcel with the chargers for certain power tools I have on board.

The bad thing was that I could not replace the solar charger controllers for the panels I have on the cockpit roof.

However at least I could do a lot of work on my PC. This PC work I continued beyond 1300 to complete it. Back to MaRe I could finally form and bake my bread. Pottering around with free things, fixing my dinner of pan-fried potatoes and tzatziki because I had half a cucumber left.

Another day has passed with no boat work possible. Sh…. happens and it can be in form of rain and wind.

After pushing a lot that work starts it really started now since I’m on the hard.

The Dean from Cover Up came and we discussed what needs to be done on upholstery and canvas work to make an offer.

John who already fixed a raw water leakage at the PRT side engine, found thé cause of a small oil leakage at STB engine raw water pump. The oil shaft seal, although replaced only 9 month ago was pretty damaged. Now it gets a new shaft sealings.

I removed already the sound absorbing enclosure of the genset. Then John will be will separate the diesel engine and the generator to get both parts out for cleaning, detailed inspection and safety exchange of parts found to be better renewed.

I also started removing parts of the teak deck at the transoms. Some of the teak strips got lose and water gets under them.

Bad news, rain is expected for 2 days. I don’t know if you can imagine which words are going through my brain…

I’ll use this shitty, cold (18 degC!) weather to do IT work in the next days.

Ann, an old friend of mine from my Japanese language course days in Osaka in fall 1982, came over from Australia for a week.

She could experience living on MaRe while she is on hard and I’m trying to get work organized, writing plenty of emails etc.

However, we had long conversations about many things and definitely also what happened to us and other friends from the old days in Osaka.

We also had good dinners. To mention a special one, she made an excellent chicken curry. I also learned how to make roasted potatoes, something I never did myself. And, we had Bialetti made mokas and chocolate!

As Marsden Cove Marina is really in the middle of nowhere, we had a few walks to and inside the part of the marina where the boats are in the water and to the seaside of the housing area between the marina and the sea.

On Friday, we were lucky, because John, the diesel engine specialist who works on MaRe, took us with him to Whangarei. His wife needed to see a doctor at the hospital, thus we got the chance to see the Hundertwasser Art Center.
https://www.hundertwasserartcentre.co.nz/
Friedensreich Hundertwasser is an Austrian artist and architect who is famous for his non-straight lines, spirals, can color full buildings

I’ve seen his buildings in Vienna and now saw also one here.

I got the idea to change the “boring” front side of our house with Hundertwasser like patterns. Wonder how my wife will think about my idea. Maybe while sailing I’ll draft some patterns and colors.

Today Ann will need to fly back to Australia. Most likely we will meet again in Japan where she flies more often to see other friends of us from the Japanese language course days back in 1982.

Thanks Ann for coming over from Australia.

The day before yesterday, I did, beside plenty of PC work, some boat jobs. Among them I got the remote controller for windlass working again. It looks fine now and I’ll check it every few days.

I also could cut an about 1 m piece from a chain to connect it to special hole at the anchor and to attach at the other end of the chain the line for anchor buoy. Then I have again a buoy marking the anchor position and having a line to pull the anchor out backwards when it sticks somewhere at the sea bottom.

In the evening around 2000, Paul, the 12V-specialist, came by and we discussed the approach to the solar panels change at the stern (meaning above the davits) and the Starlink installation.

We also looked at prices I found and he can offer. Result is that I order because I found better prices.

Yesterday, I ordered the solar panels. As for the charge controllers and a display for battery monitoring I found 2 sources, where my preferred source, will match the prices of the lower price source. This order needed a bit preparations, but today I will complete this order.

Yesterday I also got a call from Starlink and could clarify some issues. Result is that when I order before the 30. Jan, I can get a special price being 34 % reduced. Therefore, I’ll order just before the 30th and delay the activation of the account to the limit of 1 month. After this month I’ll change my service plan from “residential” to “roam”.

Today I have a list of emails, which I have to deal with. I also want to complete the attachment of the anchor line and buoy. Thus I’m not bored…

Learned yesterday that the head of Cove Boat Works is on vacations until the 12th and no stuff is instructed to work on my MaRe. Richard knows since we met in December that the haul out will be on the 6. Jan.

What I didn’t know that it seems the start after New Year is pretty slow.

On the 6th, I met a Japanese who has also a company, Yamato Boat Worx (Worx is correctly spelled), which can work on the boat yard. I asked him yesterday to provide me nets for the railings and for the bow. Additionally I want to do the window repair with him/his company. It seems to have experience in the work which needs to be done.

In the meantime I also learned how I can get the 15 % tax return. I just hope it works even when I pay by credit card.

Today I have a meeting with Paul the “12 V specialist” with whom I want to make the work around the solar module replacement and maybe also the power supply for the Starlink system.

I still need someone for canvas and upholstery work.

Please keep fingers crossed that things progress well.

MaRe is safe on the hard of the boat yard of Mardsen Cove Marina.

I was a bit nervous today. The wind blew with 10 KN from STB onto to MaRe and I had to get her out of the berth in the marina with no way to PRT. The only chance I had was keeping the line from MaRe’s STB bow backwards to a cleat at the floating pier about in the middle of MaRe. When I move MaRe forward, this will pull MaRe’s bow to STB and with the rudder and the STB engine I can get also her stern away from the pier on her PRT.

Then Willis, the marina assistant, came and told me that MaRe’s haul out will be delayed. They have to do an emergency haul out. This news kept my inner tension high. I knew that my tension will only ease when I’m out of the berth.
Sh… happens!

When Willis came again, I instructed him on my plan and asked him to ease the STB bow line slowly so I can get out of the berth.

I casted all lines in certain order off while pushing MaRe with idling engines forward.

Willis eased the STB bow line as I indicated him and when I was about half out of the berth, I casted this line off as well. I had enough space on PRT and could turn MaRe into the fairway.

I felt relieved!

When I arrived at the slip where MaRe was to be hauled out, the haul out crew was waiting. They were not only good but also very friendly.

Pretty quickly MaRe was on the the hydraulic boat trailer and move to the boat yard where she will be placed for the next weeks to do all work which needs to be done.

Normally when I look from the salon towards MaRe’s stern I see water, now I see meadows. I need to get used to it.

For quite some days since I’m here, I was very busy with writing emails and searching the internet for electrical components I need for 2 boat projects.

There are first solar modules. I need to replace the old, 3 x 100 Wp solar modules at the stern because they don’t deliver much solar power anymore. A friend from Germany, who sailed with me on MaRe in the San Blas islands in Panama and happens to be specialist for solar power, recommended to look for industrial grade solar modules. He also recommended special Vicodin MPPT charge controllers. The first internet search project. His recommendation are very good. A local 12 V-specialist who was introduced to me for 12 V work on boats proposed 3 modules of 130 Wp each. This would have resulted in 390 Wp. With the information I got from my friend, I found industrial grade solar modules with 450 Wp per module. With a small modification of the solar modules support structure above the davits for the tender, I will get a total solar power of 900 Wp. An increase of 230 %. It was worth the time I spent at searching the internet.

Next was my Starlink project. Although I regard Elon Musk as an arrogant Idiot, who stole the idea of low orbit satellite based internet from a European, there is these days no reasonable alternative to get internet connection while sailing.

It took me days to find out what’s the best configuration and the best data plan for me at MaRe. I exchanged messages and emails with friends and fellow sailors, asked also in sailor’s forum, read forwards and backwards through spec sheets and installation guidelines. And when I knew all I need to know, the price information in NZD I got from the Starlink homepage appeared to be wrong and no shipping time information is given. “I’m contact Starlink” I thought. However, contacting someone at Starlink is not so easy. First they collect name and email address from a person, then one has to answer a bunch of bot driven questions, which partially are repeated. Finally one can leave a bot steered message on their homepage. When all is done, one gets a screen displaying the information to call the following number. It is a NZ phone number. The modern way of enterprises to hide behind their homepages and humans are replaced by AI. This is a negative part of our AI ruled future life.

Now I’m waiting for replies from various companies, which closed over Christmas and New Year.

But I also had to pleasant days. A friend of mine from my days back in 1982 at the language school in Osaka, and her husband are living in Auckland and visited me for 2 days. It not only was nice to see each other again, to have nostalgic conversations about our student days in Japan, discussions of current days topics, but they also took me to Waipu, a place about half an hour to drive. It’s a place where many people from Auckland have a second house. As these days were off for most people, the beach was pretty filled and so was a famous restaurant close to the beach. I had my first NZ fish & chips. Thanks Ljubica & Jeff for these two days. More will follow.

Today, I have to call Starlink, to do laundry, search for a DC-DC step-up transformer from 12 to 48 V to be used as the power supply for my Starlink, and I have to write at least a dozen of emails. I’ll not be bored.

In one of my last narrations I wrote “Boh and her family are always good for a nice surprise.” and they proofed it again.

One day, just before Christmas, I came back to MaRe from a visit to a sailor, who I met in Panama and who happens to be here as well.

When I came into MaRe’s salon and I saw someone was here. This someone left food on the table. And then I saw a small note and understood it was Tanya, Boh’s mother. The steaks were delicious but compared to the cake she left just normal. She brought me a big piece of a homemade cake. This cake was worse or better “worth” than, but definitely more addictive than a line of cocaine and a shot of heroine the same time. It was an incredible delicious fruit cake! Later I learned it was developed by Boh and her mother and contains fruits and whisky. No more words needed.

Then there was Terry, Boh’s grandfather. He first wanted to pick me up for fishing on Christmas day. However, as rain was forecasted, fishing was cancelled and he invited me for a Christmas breakfast at his place. Pick-up at 0745 at MaRe. I decided to bake fresh bread and some l’epis to bring along as my present. I prepared the dough the day before, made an overnight bulk proofing in the fridge, and got up at 0500 to form and bake the bread and l’epis. My timing was not as I good as I wanted it to be. Thus, Terry needed to wait a bit until the l’epis were out of the oven. (Terry I’m sorry for that!)

We, he, his wife Maria, and his friend Billy had a delicious breakfast at his house in the middle of paradise. There house is a very beautiful natural environment.

After breakfast we went to Boh’s parents place. Where family and friends gathered for a talk and a drink in the garden. Terry introduced me to Felice (I hope the spelling is right), Boh’s younger sister. Then I saw Boh in the living room in a bit damped light. I gave her a hug and recognized she was a bit hesitating…. I hugged here sister Grace who really looks like Boh!

It was a nice time with this kiwi way of a Christmas gathering outside on a terrace being surrounded by trees. A really different Christmas for me.

Later be took me along the waterline of Whangarei. There are plenty of little marinas, boat yards and other workshops doing all kind of boat work. The kiwis love boats.

Thereafterwe went back to Terry’s place, where he showed me how he pumps water only with solar power from a stream close to his house to his diary farm up the hills.

The whole area north of Mardsen Cove Marina, through which we drove, is green with small hills. Ideally for diary farms, which can be seen left and right of the roads Terry took.

Back into the house, Terry took the guitar. He plays it damned well. And when he gave it to me I was feeling sad because I didn’t play guitar for so many years and started to forget even cords…

As Maria seems not to be happy with Microsoft I prepared a live USB stick for her, with which she can look a Linux Mint and the most important applications being included without installing it first. At the end the talked about an invitation for dinner, which we all understood as the installation of Linux Mint at her PC. Let’s see what’s coming up.

After an excellent dinner Terry brought me back to MaRe. Thanks Terry for the nice day and Maria for the delicious food.

It would not Boh’s family if above would have been all the surprises.

A few days later I got a message from Boh. She had recovered from a cold and she’ll pop over. As I know that she likes my bread I tried to bake fresh bread for her. However, she came too early and I even didn’t have time to form the bread. She was on her way to the South Island where she got a job thus didn’t have much time. But, I appreciate a lot that she popped over to MaRe before heading south for a 2 day drive. But now about the two other surprises of this day. From Boh I got a nice kiwi-kitchen-towel. Kiwi birds, kiwi birds with a kiwi fruit, kiwi birds with a rugby ball, and kiwi birds with silver fern are the patterns of this very kiwi-kitchen-towel.

The other surprise came from Tanya. It really shocked me. She send me a sterling silver pendant, which is formed following the shape of a part of a tusk shell. (I’m not sure if “tusk shell” is correct.) The pendant it’s just beautiful.

Boh and her family are always good for a nice surprise, aren’t they?

For all of you a happy New Year filled with health, many happy moments, and in normal and sailing life “fair winds and a hand’s breadth”.

(For all non German sailors “hand’s breadth” is the short version of “have always a hand’s breadth of water under your keel.)