Jim's blog

I spent a bit of time yesterday fitting the new nav lights to the side of Dovekie's cabin, refitting the stove and then tidying and cleaning up a bit into a state that sailing could be contemplated. (Nearly) All my tools are at home now and I'll just take of the ones I need each time I go out.

This morning Jo and I headed down to meet Gord at the Dovekie's marina berth, a little later than intended but the weather was holding up. The clouds were obscuring the sun pretty well and the wind was fairly gentle. The idea was to head out around Mana Island, anchor in behind for a cup of tea and Xmas cake, and then head back home for lunch.

I got sails, halyards and things set up while Gord moved the anchor back into position up forward and connected the chain to the nylon warp, ready to drop once we got to a suitable spot off Mana.

Reversing out of Dovekie's berth is simple. She won't turn in reverse - at least not the direction she needs to, so its straight back, then forward with tiller hard over. With little wind the bow came around nicely and we didn't need to do a three point turn. The tide was coming up the channel so it was a slightly slower trip out to the bay than it can be but Mr Volvo played nicely and pushed us out. Gord pulled up the sails and we reached out almost due west at 5+ knots in 10-15 knots of (variable) wind.

Once off the top end of Mana we headed downwind along the west side. There was a bit of a swell and short chop that Jo didn't really like but we got down far enough to start turning and noticed the white caps coming closer with the flood tide up Cook Strait heading against the wind.

Just before we got into the shelter of the island and headed for the anchorage and a cuppa, I found that I was holding the tiller in my hand and it wasn't connected to the rudder any more - in fact it was broken off and the stump end looked really rotten - BUGGA! The tide was pushing us toward the rocks at the south end of Mana and we couldn't steer. Gord jump up and dropped the sails, closely followed by the anchor. I jumped up and dived down into the cabin to grab a length of rope to lash the tiller back onto the side of the rudder, and made sure the VHF was on channel 16. Jo wondered what she was doing there at all and kept out of the way while I proceeded to slip coming out of the cabin with my piece of rope as a wave went under us, and head butted the mizzen mast while I scraped the skin of my shin on the top of the companionway.

It didn't take long to get the tiller lashed to the rudder head, decide it would cope with the load, start the motor, lift the anchor and get under way again. The lashing slipped and needed to be tightened several times as we motored back to the berth. It wouldn't have been quite as much of a problem if the offset propeller didn't keep turning us off course to port all the time so needing constant pressure to go straight even when the waves/swell (now coming abeam us) weren't trying to do the same.

Luckily the tide was almost full in the channel so there was only a little current to worry about and the jury-rigged rudder coped with that just fine. Likewise getting into the berth was a cinch with no wind to blow the bow off.

Not a great trip for Jo's first on Dovekie but a good run for the new motor.

I'm glad the tiller didn't break when we were close in a lee shore as we came around the south end of Mana - the water gets deep quite quickly so my 100 feet or so of anchor warp would have been struggling to hold us.

I'll be able to refit the tiller if I shorten it a bit but it is getting a bit rough so I'll get started on making a new one. I'm thinking light and dark woods laminated into a neat curve and varnished - or maybe not.........

A lot of people just seem to fit nav lights directly onto cabin or hull sides without worrying about the requirements for correct alignment to meet the rules.I have made up a couple of angled blocks for mounting my port/starboard lights on the sides of the cabin that give a much closer approximation to the correct alignment than if I just screwed the lights on - and the new location is easier to wire than the old one.

Looking closely at the inside of the cabin top while painting some of the repaired areas I am convinced that Dovekie was built without the raised cabin top and that it was lifted at a later date. There are glue lines across the cockpit bulkhead that match the lower cabin top lines and are symmetrical side to side. They also match bright wood stripping along the sides between the cabin windows at the right height.

I saw some recycled oregon in a front yard while walking the other day that could serve to make a new mizzen boom. I knocked on the door to see if they would sell some but no-one was at home. Will have to go back again.

Made some good progress in the weekend with fixing reefing hooks on both sails, rigging the main sheet, fixing the patch in the coaming, painting the interior of the starboard bulkhead etc.

Having decided to fix a cheek block for the mizzen sail reefing line I drilled a couple of holes for the screws and found the wood coming out of the boom was sodden. Looks as though I have a bunch of rot and I am trying to decide whether to make a new boom as it's only 3 metres of 3x2 with a bit of shaping, or whether to pull the current one off and see whether it is a bad as first impressions seem - and what are the main boom and the masts like!

Anyone got a few metres of nice clean old oregon with close annual growth rings to spare?

Over the last couple of months there have been several young seals living in the Marina. Sleeping on the end of a pier, and swimming around chasing fish at other times.

Couple of weeks ago there was a dolphin under the road bridge nearby too.

Dovekie is coming along well now.

I have finished painting the cabin top/side/cockpit and still need to run around the deck to seal of the tiny cracks along the planking. I am very pleased with the colour of the non-slip areas of the cabin top - Altex Kumeu White. There is no water leaking in so I am hopeful the putty between planks is sound (apart from a few places I have replaced).

I have undercoated the inside of the cockpit bulkhead where i replaced a big patch of ply and need to get some top coat on - another short job but just one on the list.

I refitted the winches on Saturday after cleaning and re-greasing. They spin well now. Still need new jib-sheets and to set up the reefing arrangement.

The floors from the stern and port side lockers are at home for painting. They don't need much so I'll do them one evening, or two counting undercoat.

The angled blocks for mounting the nav lights on the side of the cabin top are roughed out but need a bit more shaping before fitting. Looking at some on other boats I seem to be over-thinking it but there is no point in having them if they are not set up correctly. Maybe it's not so important when you are bobbing around all over the place and a few degrees of alignment are academic.

Mel bought me a GrabOne voucher for a discount in the Barton Marine shop so I went in with her and Sam yesterday to buy him a junior sized life-jacket in preparation for his first time out sailing. Will need to make that a calm day so he isn't put off. Maybe after Xmas.