Pacific Crossing
Papeete, Tahiti, January 14th, 2012.
Long time since last post as nothing to report of consequence as off the boat back home in Melbourne waiting out the Southern Hemisphere cyclone season.
Marina Tania, Tahiti. Image source: https://tahiti-ocean.com/
As mentioned previously, the plan is to head back to Tahiti late April for a 3 week cruise to Fiji, via Cooks, Nuie, and Tonga. Go home again for a couple of months for family and work, then across to Vanuatu and leave the boat there again for a couple of months before the one hop to Sydney of about 7 days, and in time for our ritual New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour for the most fantastic fireworks display on this planet.
Straight after this we head further south to SKIES eventual home base in Hobart, Tasmania, where she will be in the heart of the best cruising available in Oz in my view.
I have invited the titular head of US Nordhavn owners, Milt Baker and his wife Judy to join us in January 2013 in Tasmania, and they have accepted.
Those who have an interest in what "Tassie" has to offer some reading can be found on this blog some time back, or the blogs of Egret, or Opal Lady.
The beauty of Tassie in my view is the enormous diversity of cruising grounds in such close proximity. Also we live only one hour away by plane, or an overnighter on the ferry across Bass Strait.
For the next 3 months I have some preparations to attend to away from the boat:
e.g. new monitor screen for the pilothouse, satellite compass battery to be replaced (I'm told I may have to unbolt the processor and send it to the US, as the battery - wait for it - is soldered in),
and purchase a couple of the fantastic new Dyson fans for air circulation when the aircon is not being used,
and get myself in a mental state to prepare for unknown issues that I just know will surface when back on board, as these things happen when a boat is left idle.
My friend Mark Johnson who is currently in the Phillipines on his N55 Myah keeps me abreast with any problems he is confronted with, and being the same boat, but out of the yard a year later than us, it could be his problems may revisit us on SKIE, but then again maybe they won't and we will have a completely new lot.
Now these are just normal everyday boat issues that come with boats that have done some miles, or as said previously, boats that are all left alone for some time like ours.
Tamu, who is looking after her at Marina Taina starts up the three motors and let's them run when ever he washes the boat.
I haven't got him to load the wing or main as it is a big responsibility to make sure you don't pull the pier down.
We are Med moored and have 4 aft lines, and 2 forward which should make a secure hold to engage the transmission, therefore loading up the motors.
Diesels need to be run with a load on for good health. Bob Senter tells me when he loads up his motors on his boat when tied up very securely, he cleans the bottoms of all boats in close proximity.
I have heard that a new owners website has been established for N55, N60, and N63's. This is great for the owners, and replaces the N55 HUR blog that I started 5 years ago which withered due to lack of interest, probably because it was becoming stale, and my lack of interest in running it due to being a landlubber for the past 12 months.
My outside of work hobby over the past few months (sating an Alpha type personality) has been creating theme gardens at our country property, and we have just completed a 700 m2 succulent rockery, and starting now on a fernery, with a waterfall. Where we live on 22 acres, although very hilly, we have to bring in hundreds of large rocks from 100 km away, not a local rock in sight.
Getting on the boat again will be a little strange, but were sure it won't take long to get back in the swing of things.
Margaret will fly in to our destinations for local cruising, but I have plenty of experienced friends available to help move the boat across the rest of the Pacific.
Getting people to help is an easy task, and why would you blame them when they can see all of the great places we are going to see.
Next week I'm planning to meet up with Adam & Eve Block in Sydney who hail from San Francisco, and have just crossed the Pacific on their N47, Eden (note the play on names here).
I'm going to try and convince them to go to Tassie just so they can stop in at Eden before crossing Bass Strait. They will probably be welcomed by the local brass band.