Kamalii: Dude, have you seen my posts?

I've just noticed that the couple of posts I've made with my phone have not come through. That's 1 point against you, Mr. Google.

The big blow was lots of "fun". At one point we counted over a dozen vessels re-anchoring at once in the bay, with winds clocking 50kts - 60kts. Apart from when one motorboat re-anchored over our anchor and then tripped it when they hauled up again, we did not budge, though spent much of the night swinging very close to a small fishing boat - but he seemed calm about it all.

Since then, it's been fantastic weather, and some great sailing, though the last few days have been almost no wind. Simon, Stephanie and Matt joined us in the Bay of Islands and we had some great sailing out across the bay. We sailed through the Tall Ships Regatta, which if course we should have been in, except we didn't know it was on. Some great yachts. I'm sure a lot of people were wondering why we were going the wrong way.

Since then we've motor-sailed down to Whangaruru, and then down to the Hen and Chicken Islands, where we spent the night anchored in South Cove on Lady Alice Island. The H&C's are a nature reserve and landing is prohibited. The bird life is amazing, and sunrise with all the birds was just fantastic.

We are now down at Kawau, and will head home tomorrow.

So far the only issues with the boat are both gensets failing, and continued problems with air in the main engine fuel line. The gensets have been a comedy; the starboard unit's wet exhaust bend fractured (internal corrosion, as they tend to do), but that's OK, as we have another genset. Except within a few hours the raw water pump on the port genset let go (yes, the same unit I had to replace the impeller on last season. This time the water seal let go AND the impeller shredded itself). So I swapped the water pump from the starboard genset to the port. Problem solved. Except the oil seal on the pump then let go and pumped half a litre of oil all over the place. Gods of Boating, what have I done to offend thee?! Anyway, have fully rebuilt the pump and the port genset now runs great, and a new wet exhaust bend for the starboard genset is in the mail.

Air in the main engine fuel line is a real PITA, though I have set things up so I can bleed it off under way, but it means every 40 minutes or so under motor I have to pop down to the engine room to do it. I will be ordering a vacuum test kit and and going right over the fuel lines - enough is enough.

I could really use another week (or 3) out here, but work calls. Sigh.