Northland Work and Play

Three weeks have passed in the New Year for us in Northland. As usual, we’ve kept ourselves quite busy with work and play. On the work front we’ve tackled a number of small projects and a few larger ones. One larger project was finally freeing the seized bolt on the rudder post. If you recall, we had planned to drop the rudder in Mexico a year ago when we hauled out to install new bearings. However we discovered at that time that the rudder post was stuck due to a seized bolt. We were nowhere near a place that could fabricate a new bolt in case we destroyed it while trying to remove it, so we decided to put the project on hold. Replacing the rudder bearings then was preventative maintenance, and it still is now. Our friend Pajo came over and worked with Mark for half a day squeezed into the aft lazarete alternating between heating, hammering, and prying on the bolt. Finally it gave way! The old bolt was not destroyed in the process but we decided to have a nice new one fabricated anyway, which only took a day at a local shop in Whangarei. The new bolt has the added benefit of a real hex head that wont break in the future (like the old one did), since the old hex head was just a lightly welded on nut. Solving this seized bolt problem means that when we haul out we will finally be able to drop the rudder and replace the bearings.

A time consuming though simple project was adding depth markers to our new chain. Our old chain came with a mix of color-coded zip ties and small color-coded plastic inserts that always popped out when passing through the windlass. Over time we replaced the plastic inserts with new zip ties but those also wore through with sun and salt exposure. Prior to buying the new chain we had already decided to go a different route for marking the chain. We decided to sew on durable webbing at 25-foot intervals. On a nice sunny day, we pulled the Sailrite sewing machine out on to the dock and meticulously laid out our chain so that each 25 feet would lay right next to the Sailrite. Kris got to work cutting the webbing, melting the ends to prevent fraying, and threading the webbing through the chain at the correct intervals. Meanwhile Mark sewed each piece of webbing in place methodically moving from the first 25-foot marker along to the final 300-foot marker. Kris’ biggest challenge was the gusting wind. It was swirling around the marina making it extremely hard to keep the flame going on the lighter long enough to melt the ends of each piece of webbing. Mark’s biggest challenge was running out of thread in the bobbins. He was sewing 3 heavy duty bar tacks over each piece of webbing which used a lot of thread causing him to constantly pause work to refill the bobbins. It was a long process, but we’re both very happy with how it turned out. We’ll see how well these markers hold up when we get back out cruising in a few months.

Another time consuming though relatively simple project was replacing the gimbal mounts for the stove. The gimbals allow the oven and stovetop to swing along with the swell, keeping the food level while cooking. Over time, the weight of the oven and constant motion wear down the parts. Going into it we knew it would take some time because the replacement mounts (being a new and improved design) were not exactly identical to the worn out original mounts. A few hours, some grinding and cutting later, and the new mounts were installed and the oven was back in place. Now we don’t need to worry about the oven suddenly crashing down. Other small projects included buying a rearming kit to replace the one we used during an accidental PFD inflation while crossing the Pacific, resealing the port chainplate to stop a leak, replacing shore power circuit breakers, installing the water heater pressure relief safety valve, and epoxying and painting a portion of the aft bulkhead behind the watermaker panel.

We are taking care of ourselves by going to the dentist for routine cleanings and getting blood drawn for standard wellness tests. We also both joined gyms near the marina. We’re adding a few additional comforts to the boat as well. Mark installed our new quiet Sirocco Elite fans in the salon and galley. Our fans get a lot of use, especially in the tropics, and we’ve replaced aging and broken fans with the latest in 12-volt brushless motor technology. We also bought a portable fridge/freezer for additional food storage. It fits perfectly where our generator used to sit in the garage. Additionally, we replaced a few parts on the barbecue grill so it can be used once again.

Life is not all work in Whangarei, we’re making time to play too. We enjoyed a New Years hike to Peach Cove at Whangarei Heads with cruising friends. We hiked up and along a forested ridge and then straight down to sea level, taking 809 stairs each way. Kris’ sister Kathrin came for a visit and we packed in the fun with a hike through A.H. Reed Park to see the Paranui Falls and 500+ year old kauri trees, an afternoon at Ocean Beach where we tested our new sun shade, eating at local food markets, a hike up to the Mt. Parihaka lookout over Whangarei, and visits to Phat House brewery and Marsden winery. We visited a nearby kiwi nocturnal house where we got to see a kiwi running and hopping around in the dark while foraging for food. Kiwi populations are struggling throughout New Zealand, and as flightless birds their main predators are dogs. Kiwis are nocturnal and throughout the country there are a handful of captive breeding programs where you can view young kiwis in nocturnal houses prior to their release into the wild. Adorable. We took in a lot of history at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, enjoying a tour from a local Maori guide to learn about New Zealand independence and the impact of the treaty between the British Crown and Maori chiefs. We attended a cultural musical and dance performance there and got to see the Ngatokimatawhaorua waka (ceremonial war canoe). This is the same waka we saw paddling out to welcome to Hokule’a and Hikianalia back in November. It is the largest waka in Aotearoa. It was really fantastic to have the opportunity to learn how it was built, to touch the hull, and to see the intricate carvings up close. And of course, we rounded out Kathrin’s visit by going to the Kawiti Glow Worm Cave. This is the only glow worm cave in the country on land owned by a Maori family. Family members lead the walking tours into the cave and in addition to seeing the sparkling magic of the glow worms up close and learning about their biology and lifecycle, we also learned the history of the land and people of the area.

Last but not least, we finally made it out to the Poor Knights Islands for some diving with local friends, Crispin and Miranda. Kris met Crispin through scientific diving many years ago and he was kind enough to take us out for a full day of underwater fun. We dropped on some beautiful dive and snorkel sites and we motored into multiple caves and through massive arches. Diving the Poor Knights is overwhelmingly spectacular. You have to be careful not to let your jaw drop because your regulator will fall out. The shear number of fish in this marine reserve is mind blowing. We were treated to the unique mix of warm and cold water species with bright tropical fish darting around and eels peaking out from behind kelp and rocky sponge-covered reefs. We spotted lots of nudibranches, scorpionfish, and a few large stingrays as we made our way through underwater canyons and caves. After diving we made one last stop near some pinnacles to observe a massive trevally bait ball complete with hundreds of Buller’s shearwaters (which breed exclusively in the Poor Knights Islands). It was so insanely inviting that Kris had to jump in with them, laughing and smiling through her snorkel the whole time.

Next Stop: Haul Out in Whangarei