Seasons Greetings

Merry Xmas everyone!

We actually managed to get away on time with all required jobs done - surely a first for a boat! It was only 20 minutes before we had our first drama - engine alarm going off and oil smoke coming out of the engine room as we gave the engine its first good hard workout after the off-season tune-up. Ever have that sudden sinking feeling..?

In the end it turned out that the engine was over-heating because the raw water intake seacock was so "free" that it had vibrated more than 3/4 closed under the weight of the handle, so a quick nip-up with a wrench fixed that. Better still, the oil smoke turned out to not be coming from the engine itself but from the stainless exhaust dry risers; it seems that the engine has never had a really hard run since the engine room was overhauled and it was the first time the dry risers got really hot, so all the oily residue that was still on the stainless under the thermal blankets started to burn off.

We've also had one genset go down due to a faulty circuit breaker, but that can wait till we get back. The inertial starter on our outboard also broke, but after a couple of tries with different materials I have managed to fabricate a replacement part that is working great. Beyond that, all pretty good.

The sail up the coast was variable but pretty good, broad reaching most of the way, with boat speed up to 10 knots at times, and for a little while down to having to use the motor. My brother Paul and his partner Rose joined us for the trip, along with my dad, and also Simon Jenkin who previously crewed with us down from Hawaii to NZ.

Paul, Rose and Simon left us in Russell and my mum joined us for Xmas. We then sailed up the coast to Whangaroa in what started out as a great beam reach and turned into a hard beat into 25 knots - Dad and I enojoyed it, not so sure about everyone else...  Mum and dad left us in Whangaroa and now we are just relaxing and doing the holiday thing.

Here's a few pics...

Sharon assumes the position.

Isi at the helm with Granddad.

Sarah's turn.

And Emma assumes her standard position...

Aye-aye, Cap'n!

Russell, Bay of Islands.

In Whangaroa Harbour

Kamalii Destroyed in Christmas Day Alien Invasion

Terrible news. In a surprise attack by body-snatching Afroaliens the crew of Kamalii was today taken over, with our good Captain possessed by the evil overlord of these extra-terrestrial invaders, intent upon bringing about world domination and afros for all.

"Take me to your hair stylist, Earthling!"

In a desperate bid to prevent the spread of the alien scourge, the crew of Alure were forced to launch a swift rocket attack to destroy the invaders, unfortunately with the complete loss of Kamalii in the process.

Tough break, but the world was saved.

A Few More Jobs

A few more jobs done. Thanks to Sharon's brother Mark and my Dad for their help in the sweltering heat today. Have also fitted some more climbing steps to the main mast so that attaching the main halyard to the main is not such a mission.

New inflatable Dan Buoy unit. Now we can get rid of that irritating old-style pole.

Instrument cluster on the binnacle finished. OK, not really a "cluster" since their's only one instrument, but one day...  Thanks to Jason for climbing the mast and re-fitting the wind sensor since I was too chicken-shit to do it.

May not look like much, but these new stainless plates around the main boom reefing blocks will hopefully put an end to the chaffing problems we had.

All Aboard

Finally, 2 days shy of a year since we arrived in NZ, the boarding ladder is finished and back in operation again. We missed this puppy when we were trying to swim off the boat!

The ladder got hooked by a sheet on the trip down and tore one side in half. A huge thank you to Vic Hinton who put in a lot of work stripping her down and sorting out the repairs. Super job, and the final result is brilliant.

Baby Got Back

Transom is varnished, lettering all fitted, looking good. (Yes I know I need to clean up the dribbles down the hull...and no it's not varnish.)

Another Milestone

I've been meaning to post a pic for the last week. We've finally finished varnishing the cabin (Yay!), so just the foredeck and capping rail to attack now, which will have to wait until after our trip away to the Bay of Islands; I have been banned from taking any varnish away...

Hmmm. Also need to do those grab rails...

Update

It looks like we are actually on track to get away for Xmas. Wonders will never cease.

Just one coat of varnish to go on the starboard cabin side, transom is done and lettering is fitted (just need to trim the excess bedding compound and will the post a pic), oil changes done, zinc has been replaced (thanks Jason!), even serviced the outboard. Just need to reassemble the reefing line turning blocks on the main boom and that is all the "must do" jobs done.

Very chuffed to get one minor job completed; ever since we left California I was unable to get data from our NMEA bus out to the nav computer. Finally decided to ditch the $300 serial-to-USB converter I got sold in the U.S. and replace it with a $50 one from Dick Smith's, and presto! Now have all my nav data coming through on the nav computer, including AIS targets and all that other good stuff us SailNerds love.