Waterline 03/12

March 2012 Issue No 161 ple

The Bay of Plenty & Coromandel’s own watersports news. Phone 07 578 0030

ase take one

Hitch hiker warning

Smarter building

Transtas project

Great whites

Floating home

02 WATERLINE

HIGH TIDES Add one hour for daylight savings

MARCH The Bay of Plenty’s own boating, fishing, diving, yachting and watersports news.

PH 07-578 0030 FAX 07-571 1116 PO Box 240, Tauranga.

1 The Strand, Tauranga email: brian@thesun.co.nz Waterline advertising & editorial deadlines Edition March 2012 June 2012

Deadline 24 Feb 2012 1 June 2012

Edition Sept 2012 Dec 2012

Deadline 31 August 2012 30 Nov2012

For advertising, call Sun Media’s specialist marine consultant Jo Dempsey 07 928 3041 email jo@thesun.co.nz Follow us on facebook www.facebook.com/Waterlinemagazine

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Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

APRIL Missed an edition of Waterline?

Keep up to date with Waterline and your local marine news on SunLive.

Everything you need including weather, tides and weekly fishing reports.

www.sunlive.co.nz

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Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr

0:36 1:24 2:16 3:11 4:08 5:03 5:55 0:25 1:16 2:06 2:57 3:47 4:39 5:33 0:24 1:22 2:22 3:23 4:22 5:18 6:10 0:38 1:25 2:08 2:49 3:29 4:08 4:47 5:27 0:03 0:48

1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 1.7 1.7

6:41 7:29 8:21 9:16 10:14 11:10 12:04 6:47 7:37 8:26 9:16 10:06 10:57 11:49 6:28 7:26 8:26 9:28 10:28 11:25 12:17 6:57 7:42 8:24 9:04 9:42 10:20 10:58 11:37 6:10 6:57

0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.4 1.9 1.9 2 2 2 2 1.9 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 0.5 0.5

12:53 1.6 19:03 0.4 13:40 1.6 19:51 0.5 14:31 1.6 20:44 0.5 15:28 1.6 21:40 0.5 16:27 1.6 22:37 0.4 17:24 1.7 23:32 0.3 18:20 1.8 12:56 0.3 19:12 1.8 13:47 0.2 20:04 1.9 14:37 0.1 20:54 2 15:26 0.1 21:45 2 16:16 0.1 22:36 2 17:06 0.1 23:29 1.9 17:59 0.1 12:44 1.9 18:53 0.2 13:41 1.8 19:51 0.3 14:42 1.7 20:51 0.3 15:44 1.7 21:53 0.4 16:44 1.7 22:52 0.4 17:41 1.7 23:47 0.4 18:33 1.7 13:05 0.3 19:21 1.8 13:50 0.3 20:05 1.8 14:31 0.3 20:46 1.8 15:10 0.3 21:25 1.8 15:48 0.3 22:04 1.8 16:26 0.3 22:42 1.7 17:04 0.4 23:21 1.7 17:44 0.4 12:19 1.6 18:27 0.4 13:06 1.6 19:15 0.5

1:38 2:32 3:28 4:25 5:20 6:14 0:51 1:44 2:37 3:30 4:23 5:18 0:08 1:05 2:03 3:00 3:56 4:50 5:39 0:12

1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.9 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 0.4

7:48 8:42 9:39 10:37 11:33 12:28 7:08 8:00 8:53 9:46 10:39 11:33 6:13 7:10 8:09 9:07 10:04 10:59 11:49 6:26

0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 2 2 2 2 2 1.9 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.7

13:58 1.6 20:08 0.5 14:55 1.6 21:04 0.4 15:54 1.7 22:03 0.4 16:54 1.7 23:00 0.3 17:52 1.8 23:56 0.3 18:47 1.9 13:21 0.1 19:41 2 14:12 0.1 20:33 2 15:04 0 21:26 2 15:55 0 22:19 2 16:47 0.1 23:13 2 17:40 0.1 12:29 1.8 18:34 0.2 13:26 1.8 19:31 0.3 14:25 1.7 20:30 0.4 15:25 1.7 21:30 0.4 16:23 1.7 22:28 0.4 17:18 1.7 23:22 0.4 18:08 1.7 12:36 0.4 18:54 1.7

Tauranga tide heights in metres.

Bowentown: subtract 5 minutes from Tauranga (both HW and LW) Katikati (Kauri Point): add 30 minutes to Tauranga (both HW and LW) Whitianga: High Water subtract 2 minutes from Tauranga HW tide; Low Water add 2 minutes to Tauranga Low Water.

Every effort has been made to ensure that these times and tides are correct, no responsibility will be accepted for any inaccuracies, omissions, or misuse or misinterpretation of the values for tides and times published. Times used in the tide predictions are in New Zealand Standard Time (NZST1).

BOWENTOWN

WATERLINE 03

Bowentown marina proposed Northern harbour boaties have wrapped up their ‘wish list’ for the northern harbour in a developer’s concept plan that includes a marina, with all-tide access – and a shopping centre.

“That’s a long term plan,” says northern Tauranga harbour recreational users forum chairman Selwyn Hill.

“It’s a concept that’s been talked about since Adam was a boy, and but they have just talked about a marina.

“Nobody’s interested in doing a marina on its own because it’s not viable. What we have created really, is the infrastructure to support that and the local area.”

The concept plan includes a supermarket and retail and commerce centre, with medical and dental as well, says Selwyn.

It’s a long term plan expected to become reality sometime around 2025-2030.

The Bowentown concept plan.

“Bowentown can’t really grow much more, but the Athenree area can grow - and part of the plan is for a causeway and an arch bridge that comes across the harbour from Athenree to Seaforth Road,” says Selwyn.

Years one to five of the 20 year

plan call for the obtaining of resource consent for Bowentown Boating and Sport Fishing Club new ramps & jetties, and for resource consent to dredge Pio Channel 55cm deeper.

Dredging the channel could be taking place this winter, if

the final stages of the consenting process go smoothly, says Selwyn.

“I’m just waiting on a cultural impact assessment from the Maoris, and then we sit down and make a decision, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” says Selwyn.

“If it gets a resource consent we are planning to do it over the winter when it’s not so busy.”

Other actions planned for the first five years include a presenting the proposal to the public, local residents and iwi.

The NTHRUF have got an experienced marina developer involved in the concept planning, but Selwyn won’t say who at this stage.

The concept plan has been presented to the users forum, and will now be discussed in the wider community.

“It’s still very early days,” says Selwyn. “But the seed is there for something to happen.”

HARBOURMASTER

04 WATERLINE

Bad news for everyone Like it or not, the wreck of Rena is going to be around for some time yet. The Master and Second Mate have been charged, but the mess that’s left behind is not something anybody can fix quickly or easily.

It’s bad news for everyone who uses Astrolabe Reef in any way – fishing, diving, setting craypots or watching dolphins. It’s bad news that there has to be an exclusion zone around the wreck. And it’s most certainly bad news that Rena grounded on the reef in the first place. But it’s just something that we have to live with for the time being.

The salvage master requires an exclusion zone around the wreck so that the salvors can concentrate on the difficult salvage operation without sightseers getting in the way.

The eight massive anchors for the crane barge Smit Borneo extend over a kilometre away from the barge, as does the extensive debris field on the seabed around Astrolabe Reef. The exclusion zone is currently being patrolled by the 52 foot aluminium work boat Macy Gray.

A highly skilled salvage team of around 150 people from Netherlands, Australia and Singapore are working for the appointed salvors Svitzer. A small consolation – the cloud’s silver lining if you like – is that these people all need to be fed with good Bay of Plenty produce, and those who aren’t based on board the Smit Borneo, are based in rental accommodation at the Mount, using local rental vehicles and dining at local cafes. Many of the salvage team have fallen in love with the Bay of Plenty and are envious of we lucky ones who live here.

A wide range of interesting vessels are in town helping with the Rena response. The Smit Borneo is 110 metres in length and can accommodate 152 people. Her crane can reach 54 metres and has a maximum lifting capacity of 500 tonnes. She’s some vessel! Her long-reach crane is being used for removing containers from on board Rena.

The massive ocean-going tug that towed her to Tauranga from Singapore is the Dutch 75 metre tug Singapore. This tug is anchored nearby at Motiti Island when she is not required.

SeaTow 60. Maritime NZ. Smit Borneo anchored near Rena. LOC.

BOP REGIONAL COUNCIL

WATERLINE 05

Macy Gray on patrol with PB SeaTow 60 in the background.

Impressive tug

Brandywine is a 41 metre landing craft, built in 1977 in the USA for the US navy.

Her strong bow ramp makes her ideal for removing containers and debris from amongst the rocks of Motiti and other shorelines with difficult access. She is capable of carrying three 64-tonne navy tanks on deck and has high-speed anchor handling equipment designed so the vessel can exit the scene rapidly once the tanks are on board. Brandywine is currently owned by Seaworks Limited and is normally based in Wellington.

The BK Subritzky normally carries bulk freight such as timber, aggregate and heavy machinery around the Hauraki Gulf. Residents of Great Barrier Island tell me they are having a long wait for their heavy freight with the BK Subritzky busy on Rena duties. The BK Subritzky is currently acting as a shuttle service, receiving containers, cargo and debris

from the crane barge and transporting them to the Port where they are unloaded each evening.

Go Canopus is an impressive tug of 62 metres in length, used for anchor handling and offshore rig supply duties. She can carry around 800 tonnes of deck cargo, with an additional 1500 tonnes of liquid mud, drill water, brine and other oil rig requirements, in various tanks. Her duties around Rena include shifting the crane barge Smit Borneo’s many anchors; recovering containers and receiving oil.

Side scan sonar sweeping of the sea floor by local company Discovery Marine Limited continues, using two small aluminium work boats, Discovery and Surveyor. As well as hydrographic surveying of Astrolabe Reef, DML’s job is to locate the sunken containers.

Other smaller workboats and tugs are all

busy responding to reports of debris from Rena, going as far afield as White Island and East Cape to collect pieces of cargo wreckage.

There are lots of interesting photos of the Rena salvage available on the web. The best collection is at www.maritimenz.govt.nz/ Rena. You can also keep up to date via the Regional Council’s website (www.boprc.govt.nz) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/boprc) for the latest news.

The grounding of the Rena is New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster, without a doubt. Please keep well clear of the Rena exclusion zone and the salvage vessels to give the salvors a fair go at cleaning up the mess so that we can all enjoy Astrolabe Reef again in the future.

Jennifer Roberts, Harbour Master – Western Bay of Plenty

Swim with the Majestic Humpback whales of Vava’u Tonga. Full packages or day trip bookings available.

Contact : Jeff and Janine LeStrange 676 70872 email :hibiscus.miss@yahoo.com Phil Smith email :bigbarra@optus.com www.whales-in-the-wild.com

TAURANGA BOAT SALES

06 WATERLINE

A changing market Tauranga Boat Sales is meeting a changing market head on through the introduction of its new Green Tick Prelisting Inspection Programme.

The goal is to assist vendors in achieving a faster sale by giving buyers in the marketplace greater confidence in the boats they are considering for purchase.

“There are currently over 7,000 yachts and launches for sale on Trade Me alone” says Tauranga Boat Sales manager Brian Kent.

“Buyers have plenty of choice and are after quality choices. Having boats inspected by a qualified inspector prior to listing means buyer assurance, the availability of current and reliable information about the boat, and a much higher likelihood that the boat will attract buyer attention and viewing.”

The inspection starts with a thorough in the water look which includes hull and deck construction and condition, paint and exterior surface condition, a basic engine room and bilge review, along with a general look at the boat’s equipment.

The boat is then lifted out of the water for a look at the underwater hull condition, shafts, struts, skin fit-

tings and other items as required.

On completion, the owner receives a written report along with any recommendations to make the boat more appealing to the marketplace. Boats in the programme receive priority in promotion and advertising as well as preferred access to the exclusive Tauranga Boat Sales berth located at the Tauranga Bridge Marina.

Brian says “We think that the combina-

tion of well presented boats of known quality, and our comprehensive promotional and advertising package will result in a shorter time to achieve a sale.

We have taken a step back and looked hard at the factors currently influencing the market,

along with buyer concerns, and are confident that the Green Tick Programme meets today’s challenges”.

For most boats, the cost of being part of the inspection will be less than $500. Because Tauranga Boat Sales believes that partnering with vendors is an important part of achieving a sale, they are offering to rebate the full cost of the Inspection Programme from their sales commission when they sell the boat. “This creates a win-win situation where we have confidence in the product we are selling, and in the end there is no cost to the vendor.”

Vendors keen to get a result in the current market environment are invited to contact the team at Tauranga Boat Sales and discuss the benefits they will receive from the inspection programme.

“We are pleased to be the only Marine Brokerage in New Zealand to offer the Green Tick Programme and the benefits that go with it. Times are changing, and so are we!” says Brian.

TAURANGA BOAT SALES

WATERLINE 07

Introducing The Tauranga Boat Sales Green Tick Inspection Pre listing inspection reports on all boats

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BRIDGE MARINA

08 WATERLINE

New chandlery at Bridge Marina A new chandlery is open at the Bridge Marina, a move that provides a better service to Travelift customers.

Bruce Goodchaps from Bridge Marina Travelift.

It’s come about because Phil Rudd’s restaurant Phil’s Place has bought out the café which used to operate a small chandlery for marina and hard stand customers.

“The Travelift had the space available,” says Bridge Marina Travelift proprietor Bruce Goodchap.

“When Phil’s Place bought the café they did not want to do the chandlery. We needed the service to complement the hard stand and decided we would do it ourselves.

“It’s all about servicing the needs and requirements of the boats that are out of the water with us, and people in the marina.”

They stock Jotun Paints and Sigma antifouling. They also sell Altex and Interna-

tional paints.

The chandlery is going to concentrate on boat maintenance supplies says Bruce.

“It’s more about convenience.

It’s all about being here and not having to pop in your car.”

It is a ‘win win’ solution that also marks the end of an era for the Travelift.

The space converted to chandlery and now stocked with brushes masking tapes, grinding disks, nuts, bolts, paint and sandpaper, is the former ‘love shack’ which with the barbecue area outside was the hub of a thriving social scene.

Cruising sailors Brian and June lived there on and off between voyages for several years, but they have now bought a house in Tauranga.

Access is now via the Travel lift office. It’s a bigger space than was available at the café, and it is stocked with a wide range of essentials for people working on their craft.

NEW CHANDLERY SHOP OPEN NOW

International, Jotun, Sigma & altex antifoulings, primers and undercoats North Eastern end of the Tauranga Bridge Marina complex, 101 Te Awanui Drive, Tauranga.

(Next to Travelift office)

Tel 07 574 7166 or 021 685 438 travelift@xtra.co.nz

W909jdBridgemarinatravelift

Fully stocked for everything you need from brushes, masking tapes, grinding disks, nuts, bolts, paint and sandpaper

TIDES

WATERLINE 09

The power of the tides When I arrived here from Switzerland and bought a small trailer sailer yacht I quickly became aware of the power of the tides within Tauranga Harbour.

My mind went back to the strong tides that flow in the Solent, Spithead and associated harbours between the Isle of Wight and the mainland, the cradle of my sailing experience.

Over the past fourteen years I have learned to know some of the strong flows that occur at certain times, in several places and under diverse conditions. Recently two near misses involving anchored power boats have reminded me of hazards that can be experienced under light wind conditions. One thing not generally recognized is that a yacht sailing with the tide may not respond as expected to rudder movements when the wind drops to zero. Helm changes may result in a turn in

the opposite direction to the one intended because the pressure on the rudder from astern is the reverse of that under normal sailing conditions.

We are conditioned by experience to balancing wind and tide forces to make optimum progress on a desired course, avoiding the shallows and the sandbanks along the way, but sometimes meet unexpected conditions. It is possible to be sucked onto a bank by a strong tidal flow over the bank, and it is possible to be sucked up into Hunters

Tidal flow

Creek by a strong rising tidal flow. We know that to avoid a strong adverse tidal flow it is advisable to keep as close as possible to shallow water, or to take advantage of a favourable tide by remaining in the centre of the flow in deep water. With a strong breeze it is possible to chart a wise course avoiding anchored power boats whose occupants are serenely

fishing. However in variable light winds it is necessary to be especially vigilant. This is the time when a strong tidal flow can divert a sailboat from its intended direction and carry it on a collision course with an anchored vessel.

Avoiding action

An attempt to take avoiding action may not be effective since to tide has the boat in its grip and can carry it broadside on into the anchored fisherman. Recently sailing closehauled up the harbour with the tide we were on a course well clear of two anchored boats just off Rangiwaea Island.

Suddenly the wind almost completely disappeared and we found ourselves being borne by the tide towards one of them.

Our yacht failed to respond to the helm and if it had we would most likely have hit them broadside on if we had gone about, such was the strength of the tide. As it happened we were able to slip quietly by within a metre, giving the

anglers a surprise but not disturbing their trailing lines.

On another recent occasion having sailed with care against the tide between four boats anchored in the narrow channel between Rangiwaea Island and the sand bank that extends from the northern tip of Motuhoa, we were alarmed when the wind dropped and we found ourselves being carried back onto the anchored boats we had just passed. Fortunately we had time to drop the outboard into the water and get it started before a collision became imminent.

This incident caused us to become more aware of the dangers lurking in otherwise benign light wind conditions, and to know that we must think ahead when strong tides can dictate the course ahead. It is also hoped that power boat owners will spare a thought for the hazard they pose when anchoring in close proximity in narrow deep water channels.

By Bob Shaw

TYPBC NEWS

10 WATERLINE

Tauranga to Whitianga

CLUB NEWS Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club

TYPBC Women on Water

Omokoroa Boat Club

Tauranga Marine Industry Association

Mt Maunganui Yacht Club

Heading off on holiday aboard Fully Charged, Rose and I accompanied the yachts competing in the Tauranga to Whitianga race as it seemed a lot more interesting than sailing alone.

Conditions were perfect that Saturday of Auckland Anniversary Weekend with a sou-west beam reach in an easy breeze.

The fleet started with a mix of spinnakers, Squealer with her large asymmetrical and us with a screecher all cruising at around 7-8 knots. It wasn't long before the breeze freshened a little and genoas were hoisted and spinnakers dropped, except for Pterodactyl who held on to her kite but was now heading for Mayor Island, good luck with

that boys! Sabian, possibly thinking Pterodactyl was lost re hoisted her kite and took off in pursuit, which was jolly good of them. Soon the fleet was spread over a large portion of the South Pacific.

Squealer was going well, astern of us, the gennaker doing a great job as she dropped the fleet astern but at the far end of Waihi beach a large glassy area started opening up straight in front of us, Squealer saw this and gybed over and headed straight off shore in an attempt to sail around the bottom end of this, but as fast as they sailed, the glassy area spread offshore at equal pace, they gybed over and shortly thereafter parked up about two miles in our lee.

Obviously it was lunchtime!

The boats astern were pouring down on us still in fresh breeze.

This is the holidays Wind, and lots of it coming out off the coast with whitecaps, so down genoa and up #2 and we were off, goodbye Squealer. On we romped, yes this is holidays as they should be, all the way to Slipper Island and yes, you guessed it, we ran into a 3-4 knot breeze right on the nose while those behind were romping along under spinnakers again.

It wasn't long before we crossed tacks with Squealer then Arethusa, General Jackson not far away, we found light breeze as we headed out, Squealer went in. Blow me down the breeze comes in hard from the coast again and there goes Squealer, gennaker up and roaring along going great guns with a huge lead! Finally the breeze came out to us and the chase was on, powered up with the genoa hauling us along at up to 18 knots we

WATERLINE 11

eventually closed the gap and passed her stern as she bore hard away down wind to drop her gennaker, just before Hahei. We needed to get rid of the genoa and get our #2 back on. Rose does the foredeck thing as we keep the pace on, not dry and not easy but she did an excellent job and we rounded into Mercury Bay into a very fresh breeze, going for speed rather than height in the choppy conditions, romping up into the Bay, this is multihull heaven!

Thanks for the tussle Squealer, it was a lot of fun. I wish Frenzy had been there too as that would have really added to the dynamics. All boats finished within 6 minutes of Squealer - see the results on TYPBC's new web site www.yacht. org.nz We anchored off Cooks Beach and enjoyed a pleasant evening with nice wine and good food, yes definitely a great start to our holiday.

Roger Clark

Pending tax changes to impact mixed-use assets tax deductions Earlier in the year the IRD released an Issues paper which contained proposals to limit tax deductibility for mixed-used assets (assets which have both business taxable and private uses).

The proposals for mixed-use assets are targeted at holiday homes and other high value assets such as yachts, launches and aircraft, if the assets are used for both income-producing and private activities.

Officials’ concerns are focussed on the owners claiming deductions where the down-time of these assets (when unused) is related entirely to their income earning use.

The suggested rules will apply for assets that: • are used for both private and income earning purposes; • have a cost of $50,000 or more (except for land where the rules would apply irrespective of cost); • are unused for at least two months of the year and • are rented out on a short term basis.

It appears that the thresholds proposed have been set quite high for deducting all non-private costs relating to mixedused assets. The IRD are considering two alternate paths to go down. Under these, a relatively small change in private use in any given year could result in significantly lower tax deductions.

What does this mean for you?

If this legislation is passed, and you own some mixed-use assets (for example a boat), you may find the previous legitimate incidental tax benefits are no longer available.

The annual cash impact of this may be significant, depending on the value of the assets and how they are funded.

What should you do?

Talk to your accountant about the impact these pending changes in legislation may have on your current tax treatment of mixed-use assets. Or contact me, Paul Stott, Director, KPMG Tauranga on 571 1794 or pstott@kpmg.co.nz for professional advice.

TAURANGA YACHT & POWERBOAT CLUB NEWS

TYPBC NEWS

12 WATERLINE MOUNT MAUNGANUIYACHT & POWERBOAT CLUB NEWS

Trusting the wind

MMYC NEWS

Yachting is one of those sports at the mercy of the Mother Nature and her “trustworthy” elements.

Trust the wind to be absent when required to start a race.

And so it came to pass that the race was delayed until mid morning and the start line relocated to “A” beacon.

Just as well for a couple of the Whangamata crews, who made the most of Tauranga’s night life the prior evening, and would not have made the scheduled start.

You know who you are guys!

Drifting back and forth with just their mainsails up, the 7 strong fleet, glided back and forth, strategising in readiness for when wind finally did arrive. At about the same time a couple of puffs were felt, Caroline chugged by with Brownie at the helm on his way to Mayor Island. Wil’s voice was heard. ”Brownie.....can you do us a favour”....and it soon became apparent that Caroline was to briefly halt her journey and transform into a start boat.

The race started...and not in a very tidy fashion. Rocky chose to fish for wind out wide and headed for Mayor Island. Sunchero chose the rumb line and Gillian tried her old and tested trick of sticking close to the coast. Safari and Rhondine had “issues” getting started. Hanse Free and Bavarian Wave started with an altercation that resulted in an “Overlap” call from the Wave boat that left the Hanse Free crew bemused.

All day, Gillian made steady progress up the inside whilst Sunchero stuck to the direct route getting smaller and smaller as she sailed ahead of the fleet. Rocky disappeared for a couple of hours until off in

Arthur keeping watch on Bavarian Wave as she desperately tries to reel in Hanse Free.

Bavarian Wave as she cruises past during the first hal f of the race.

Sunrise behind Mayor Island as the fleet left Whangamata the following day. the distance ahead, a Hot Pink....yes...on a blokes boat...this is not a misprint, Hot Pink kite was seen bearing down on Sunchero.

Rhondine finally started making progress and kept a reasonable distance behind Hanse Free. Safari slowly overtook half the fleet using unconventional sailing tactics but with the prize giving in mind.

The wind finally filled in, the last half of the race and as Clark Island came into clear view, the thought of refreshments at Whangamata Marina became extremely appealing. Rocky “pipped” Sunchero at the finish line in a very close finish win-

ning the Division 1 race on handicap and line honours. Hanse Free and Bavarian Wave got into a tacking duel which saw the Wave change her headsail and pull out “local knowledge” in desperation. Sneaking between the islands ensured she stole the lead from Hanse Free by 2 minutes to get 3rd place.

Little is known about Safari as she disappeared past Clark Island or what Rex got up to in between passing the fleet early afternoon and arriving at the evening barbecue an hour late. One of life’s mysteries, I guess!

By Carol Andrews

OBC NEWS

New crew show expertise Sailing report for 25 and 26 February 2012.

Juniors Saturday 25 Feb. A beautiful fine and hot day with a crisp breeze from the NW, ( it was supposed to be Easterly!) Tide high at 12.15 and 1.8m gave our keen Juniors a testing time and some of the new crew were soon showing expertise.

We did not have enough starters for a Sunburst but we have promises for next Saturday afternoon at 13.30 for an afternoon class. Look forward to seeing you then!! You all did well.

Seniors Sunday 26 at 0900 The weather was similar to Saturday but we lacked the breeze.

Three yachts signed on, Keelers, WaveDance with a full crew now Hugh Reynolds has returned from the ocean; Blue Marlin, a Marlin 17 with Hamish Tennent in control from the Katikati Boat Club who had come to check us out, welcome Hamish, and Piccaninny with Murray and John completed the list.

The Course was from the club line to

D and E off Omokoroa Point then down channel between the sand bar and Motuhoa to G off Te Puna and home unless the wind picked up, which it did not!!

Start was at 10.35 and the big and stately Wave Dance took a flyer followed by Blue Marlin and Piccaninny.

There were several tacks up to E where Piccaninny turned first and led down channel against the tide with little breeze. It was slow going to G but Piccaninny held the lead around the mark and started to tack for home.

Tack for tack

Wave Dancer was there and tack for tack cut the lead and up until the last 200 m it appeared that the little Tasman had the chance of another line honours, but it was not to be, Hewie and Neptune conspired to give Wave Dancer a well deserved win at 12.49.12 with the Tasman only a minute and 18 seconds behind at 12.50.30!

Blue Marlin was third at 13.15.00 a very creditable finish for a single hander, well done Hamish.

The next events are:4th March, briefing at 12.00 Ladies Race 2

Harbour high tide is at 17.28 so be prepared for an evening cruise ladies!!

18th March, Karewa calls, briefing NOW AT 10.00 start at Panepane at 1100 to 1130.

High tide is at 17.44 at Omokoroa.

1st April, Kids on Keelers picnic cruise for our young sailors.

So the 18th will be the last points race. I will be away from 22nd March, back in July so will set up for prize giving in August and suggest a prize giving dinner or similar?

John Budden Sailing Convenor

I have just completed the 23rd Matahui Road School Boat day at the beach and it was neat to see the whole school on the water.

Hope Omokoroa Point will join us one day.

Help Lost on Saturday 25 February, in the channel off the Omokoroa Wharf, one complete mast, sail and boom off a StarDream centreboard sailing dinghy.

All the gear was near new, so anyone with dive gear that could help recover this sailing gear please ring Phillip Olds on 576 3540.

He will be stoked.

OMOKOROA BOAT CLUB NEWS

WATERLINE 13

HOBIE CATS

14 WATERLINE

Tornadoes and Hobie nats

Tauranga won the Tornadoes and Auckland won the Hobie Cat section of the Tornado and Hobie Nationals held March 2-4.

On a reduced programme because of Saturday’s high winds there were only eight races sailed for each fleet, instead of ten.

“On Friday we ended up doing four races which was the maximum allowable in the time,” says regatta organiser Andrew Knowles.

“I was well put together by race officer Warren Belk and his team. The wind was from west to south west and gradually increased from about five knots to nearly 20 knots by the end of the last race. There was only four hours of wind to be had and we used it perfectly.”

Andy and crew Roger Clark won all four Tornado races on the Friday, but with steadily eroding margins. Racing was cancelled Saturday because of high winds and

Preparing for day one.

resumed Sunday in light variable airs. They sailed eight races instead of 12.

There were six in the Tornado Fleet, and ten in the Hobie Cat fleet.

The Tornadoes were all from Tauranga, and were well beaten by the more experienced team of Andrew Knowles and Roger Clarke.

The Hobies were from Tauranga Auckland and a few from Wellington.

In the Hobie fleet the battle was between age and experience

HOBIE CATS

WATERLINE 15

Crafty old fox outsmarts youth crews with the overall winners Harry Handley 72, and Sam Bullock demonstrating the contenders for the youth slot in the multi hull worlds can still learn from the master.

“Harry Handley is the oldest skipper in the fleet and a bit of a legend,” says Andy. “He’s been world masters champion, and

he’s won a number of national titles.

“Sam Bullock is local young crew who’s also been to various world championships.”

They won the first two light weather races from various youth teams chasing them.

Tornado winners Andrew Knowles and Roger Clarke, from Tauranga.

Jason Marra and David Chalmers.

Gemma Jones and Tomer Sinhony who are aiming at the worlds youth multi hulls champs, managed a couple of winds and finished second with 25 points compared with the 12 points for the winning team.

There was a similar margin in the Tornado results with Harry and Sam on seven points and second placed D Marra and D Calmers on 17 points.

“It was the crafty old fox Harry Handley coming through and outsmarting the youth crews basically,” says Andy. “It was the same with the Tornadoes, though I’m not as old as Harry.”

The results are on the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club website.

BUTLER’S VIEW

16 WATERLINE

Patrolling Great Whites are nothing new There is a huge great white shark patrolling the harbour entrance, as if the Mount hasn’t got enough worries.

Weather bombs, Rena rubbish, global economy collapsing, the price of bait and the talk of the Tui beer ads being sexist and taken off television. So far 2012 hasn’t been a good year unless you’re a salvor or own the commercial part of the Port operation. So when the Great White story broke a week ago finally the boredom and gloom was relieved.

The story, as it goes, is that someone reported to have hooked a reasonably sized shark and was trying to get it into his boat when a giant great white (Carcheron Scartacrapoutufus) leaped out of the water, grabbed the reasonably sized bronzie, (actually swallowed it whole in one foul gulp if some versions of the ongoing drama are to be believed).

Appetite for bronzies

The huge shark then took off. Line peeled off the reel and eventually the frightened fisher cut it free, probably because an animal that size would have just whetted its appetite with a 6 foot bronzie, and it may well have come back and helped itself to a boat full of fishers.

That Great White was as wide across as a

reasonably sized car and left the fishermen speechless. Well it didn’t actually, it left him psychologically scarred and in a state of nervous verbosity. A bit like the ancient Mariner, being traumatised by thirst and hunger after weeks of being lost at sea, with only an albatross to eat. After the Ancient Mariner was rescued he spent the rest of his life hijacking wedding guests and waxing on about it.

I was in the Last Gasp Cafe reading about this patrolling shark when I mentioned to an old fisherman mate of mine that I was pretty sceptical that a shark as wide as a car would be able to leap out

The bigger the shark, the stranger the seagulls.

of the water and swallow a reasonably sized shark without capsizing the small a boat with tsunami like wave being generating by the speerlassh!! My old mate looked at me in the way fishers do when the gospel of a fellow fisher’s story is called into question.

‘Well you don’t know much then do you Butler’?

‘How so? The story doesn’t make a lot of sense to me’.

My old fisher mate asked me if I was around the Mount in the 60’s.

‘I was getting here as fast as I could back then, probably just over the hill but on my way any how.’

Shark scare

‘Well we had a big shark scare back then too, but not too many people know about it.

If they did the Mount wouldn’t be the resort that it is that’s for sure.’

‘Really, was the Shark the size of the Rena?

The Rena has certainly changed Tauranga’s resort status.’

‘Listen do you want to hear the story are you just going to continue taking the Pilsener?’

‘OK.’ I fetched him a coffee as a peace offering and sat down giving the impression I was all ears.

‘It was probably a Greatist Whitist Giganticus, well that’s what the University reckoned anyhow. Bigger than a great white and meaner than anything that has ever swum in the local ocean in all of history according to local people.’

‘What happened was that a bloke, Single Hand Sam, had just launched a brand new 18 foot Carl Augustin runabout, he was fishing just inside the entrance and had a couple of sugar bags of 10 lb snapper and was rapidly filling up a third sack when he hooked a 30 pounder. He fought it for some time before he finally was able to get a net under it and haul it to the side of the boat, as he bought it over the gunwale, a 7 foot seven gilled shark ripped off with the fish, the net and Sam’s hand.

BUTLER’S VIEW

WATERLINE 17

Putting up a fight Sam wrapped a bit of trace around his wrist to stop the bleeding and headed for the beach.’

‘People didn’t take lightly to that kind of bullying by smart backside sharks so Sam’s friends called for a council of war at the camping ground dining room. They decided to hunt the animal down and organised a massive shark hunt. A few guys headed out in Smackwater Jack’s big launch, they burleyed and fished for a couple of days and finally one of them hooked a shark,a seven giller about 7 feet long that matched the general description of the hand eating monster that dealt to Sam. ‘

In the hot seat

‘They took turns in the hot seat until the shark was pretty much spent and almost along side. It made one final run peeling off line in a frenzy. Bad Biddle Billy who was in the seat did all he could to stop the frantic rush and finally he had the shark pretty much spent.

The angry beast gave a little bit of final fight but Bad Biddle Billy was clawing in the line.

The shark dove down and the line went a bit slack. There was still a dead weight, but no movement. When Bad Biddle Billy got the shark alongside the guys on board saw to their amazement that it had been bitten right off just beyond the gills. They only had the head.

‘Wonder what munched that?’ I asked.

‘Shut up and listen, I haven’t got all day!’

‘The boys decided to find out so they set up a base on Matakana Island.’

‘They had Grunt Pussel make a huge hook

out of two waratah standards welded together, It was bent in the traditional fishhook shape, a big eye on one end and the barb and tip were honed to razor sharpness.’

‘How did they get it out, did they use a hot air balloon for a Kontiki?’

‘Look Butler, that was pretty close to taking the Michael, so if you want to hear the story, shut up and let me get on with it.’

‘OK..sorry, away you go.’

‘Smackwater Jack brought his launch close to the beach and a line was run out to him.

The line was attached to the hook and the hook was baited with a whole cull cow.’

‘Eh?’ ‘It was, a whole cow carcass, guts and all so shut up and listen......The line was attached to the 500 metre cable off a giant log skidder .’

‘Seriously!?’

Yep! They waited as the cow drifted out beyond the surf; Smackwater took his launch back to the wharf and joined the growing gaggle on the beach. That’s how I know the story is true, there were at least a dozen reliable witnesses.’

‘Anyway.’ He continued. “They didn’t have to wait long before the sea erupted and a massive shark that looked as wide as a Mack truck heaved itself out in a shower of spray. It had taken the cow in one swallow and the hook was firmly set.’

‘Man that must have been a sight alright.’ I said.

My old mate looked at me for a second, I thought I had upset him again but he gave me

the benefit of the doubt and muttered on.

‘You wouldn’t have believed what happened then, the log skidder was dragged down the beach. This is a big machine capable of hauling 80 year old pines out of steep gullies, the driver played out cable, then took some in then played out more and on and on he went.

The sun set, someone was sent to get more fuel and a couple of guys leapt up onto the skidder and poured drum after drum of diesel into the tank. By morning the battle was still raging, the beach was ploughed like a Dargaville Kumara paddock. By midday the shark showed no evidence that it was tiring. Toward evening though it was obvious that the shark was pretty much spent. At sunset it leapt one last time, dived steeply and disappeared under the foaming surf of the Matakana bank.’

Bringing in line

‘The driver began to bring in more and more line. He had about 70 metres (we called them yards back in those days) and the shark stopped fighting. The line was just heavy, there was a dead weight on the line.’

‘Really, I suppose you are gong to tell me they managed to haul a huge shark head onto the beach and the shark had been bitten cleanly off at the gills.’ I said.

My mate looked at me in disgust.

‘You already knew about it didn’t you, you bastard!!’

I think that if Phill Rudd’s new cafe at the marina wasn’t such a nice place to have coffee and lunch, my old mate would have wandered off in a huff.

MARINE NEWS

18 WATERLINE

Cheaper boating by smarter building The tale of how Rob Moores declared to the smoko room at Tauriko Sawmills that he could build a power cat for a tenth of the half million dollar price being asked in a glossy magazine, is true – but there’s more to it.

The displacement hulled powercat that 16 months later is the result of that declaration, is now in the water, confounding the critics and still giving its builder pleasant surprises.

What’s not generally known is that ‘4 by 2’ as he’s named the boat, is the continuation of an interrupted design discussion Rob was part of about 20 years ago.

Today Rob is owner of the Tauriko Sawmill, a job he fell into a while back when he bought a portable mill to cut timber for the house he intended to build on his lifestyle block.

Instead he cut timber for someone else, and one job led to another.

Before returning to the sawmilling roots of his forebears, Rob ran Coastal Electronics, the precursor of Bay Marine Electronics – and he built the odd boat.

He started building boats in Taupo where he built a 15ft 6” trailer sailer using timber frames, stringers and ply. His next boat was a 19’ trailer sailer using the same construction materials and methods.

He built a Reactor, NZ design 25ft cruiser racer, buying the fibreglass hull and deck and putting it all together. He’s built a 27ft keeler.

He’s also built four Pelin launches of varying designs.

Rob says building a boat is a method of enforced saving. He never had the full cost of the boat when he started a project.

“The idea I had here really was that a lot more people can go boating if they are realistic in their expectations,” says Rob. “If you make a start and you have got the vision, and the determination, the work ethic.

The completed project.

Timber, glue, a few screws and away I have gone.”

The paint is the single most expensive item on the boat, says Rob. It was painted in the shed where it was built.

“It’s quite adequate,” says Rob. “To get the perfect finish you have got to spend thousands of hours and $10,000 on coatings. That’s where the costs run away.”

Similarly the interior has a lot of wood showing, which is how Rob likes it.

there’s no plans. It is just a concept I’ve gone over at great length over many years.”

He started out with a quarter scale hull model that he ‘bashed

Rob Moores with his original pattern.

The design was also a bare bones approach.

Rob’s always liked the idea of displacement power cats; easy to build and easily driven.

He’s left chines off the flat bottomed hulls to keep construction simple and reduce built time.

Rob became interested in the concept of displacement power cats about 20 years ago when big game fisher Colin Lee, owner of Leilani one and two and Sealee One, was talking with Malcolm Tennant Multihull Design Ltd, the Great Barrier Express designer.

Colin wanted something to get him up to the islands. The boat was never built but the ideas stayed with Rob. “My boat had a very long incubation period”, says Rob. “Nothing is written down,

together’ out of a single sheet of ply.

“Once I had proved the concept, I could work on a full sized boat,” says Rob. “The concept was that it had to be very simply built. The hulls would be chineless, because that was part of the simplicity – and it had to look as if it was going to do the job.”

It is four sheets of ply long – which gives the 9.6m waterline length, and one sheet high.

The easily driven aspect of the design comes back to another issue Rob has with modern boating. Pushed along by two 25hp four stroke outboards 4x2’s top speed so far is 17.8 knots GPS over ground with a little assistance from the tide, but it’s the economical cruise speed Rob was aiming for.

He was going to be happy with a cruise speed of 12-13 knots, being able to achieve that with 10 people on board is a bonus.

With a performance of 200 nautical miles at eight knots, fuel consumption is about 0.75l/ hour.

There’s boats sitting in the marina because the owners can’t afford to run them, says Rob. “It’s got a fine entry and it still does extremely well in a following sea,” says Rob. It’s hand free. You can sit there with your arms folded.”

With the motors up 4x2 draws 300mm.

Weight overall is less than two tonnes.

Rob’s kept the displacement down by using lightweight paulownia in non-structural areas and Lawson cypress, which has twice the structural integrity of radiate, macrocarpa or douglas fir. The ply is from Moxons. Rob thinks he spent $2000-$3000 on epoxies, which he shopped around for.

MARINE NEWS

WATERLINE 19

Proposal for tsunami siren system Eastern Bay of Plenty Councils are joining forces in making a joint application to the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management for addition fire sirens.

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radios have been installed to communicate messages to the local community.

Tony says sirens, Readynet text messaging and VHF radios will not be used to evacuate residents and visitors, but to alert people they should turn on their radio to receive information about what further action they need to take.

He says evacuations plans are being developed to identify where residents should evacuate to, and how they should evacuate, according to the amount of time available to do so.

If the proposal is successful, it will be backed by a public education campaign to ensure residents know what action they should take when the continuous rise siren sounds.

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Opotiki District Council and Whakatane District Council are planning to use the sirens as part of the proposed tsunami warning system for the area.

The proposed system would see the conversion of existing New Zealand Fire Service sirens to enable a tsunami alerting system and the installation of a further three sirens.

The Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Coordinating Executive Group received and endorsed the application to the Ministry's resilience fund on Friday.

In May, 2011, the decision was made by the region's Civil Defence Emergency Management Group Joint Committee to adopt a suite of public alerting systems and to further investigate fixed siren systems for the region.

Opotiki District Councillor Shona Browne says existing New Zealand Fire Service (NZFS) sirens would be used to provide an additional warning system at a minimal cost in other areas of the country.

“This method of alerting the public is currently available in Thames Coromandel and in the Western Bay of Plenty District, as well as other areas of New Zealand.

“By adopting this system in the Opotiki and Whakatane districts, we'll be aligning our tsunami warning system along the majority of the Bay of Plenty coastline.”

The proposal is to convert existing NZFS sirens to produce a continuous rise siren for a period of 10 minutes, which can be activated via a pager number.

Gaps in coverage will require additional sirens to be installed at sites near Waiotahi, Ohiwa and Ohope West End. Whakatane District Council Mayor Tony Bonne says the Eastern Bay of Plenty coastline presents many challenges for alerting communities to the threat of a tsunami.

“The proposed system presents us with an opportunity to provide a consistent and affordable approach to warning the public along a large section of the Bay of Plenty coastline.

“This will not only increase our ability to alert the community in areas with poor coverage, but also in the more built up areas of the Eastern Bay of Plenty.”

He says during the summer many of the Eastern Bay towns have a vastly increased population which results in difficulty alerting people.

“Our visitors are not aware of local systems, so an audible siren is a distinctive and simple way to ensure that residents and visitors can be alerted.”

Sirens are one part of a suite of measures being introduced to help prepare communities in the Eastern Bay for the possibility of a tsunami.

Readynet, a web-based application which stores and shares emergency management information, uses an electronic and SMS text message alerting system to send emergency information.

In areas with poor coverage where this might not be possible, VHF

HOME BUILD

20 WATERLINE

From page 1.

Armless boatie’s home build Leonie and Rod and their ‘boatahome’.

Rod Haines’ boat is a square looking thing a bit over five metres with a flat bottom that is the only floating vehicle in the NZ Motor Caravan Association.

It means the self-contained craft is a caravan when strapped to the deck of a flat-bed trailer, and an outboard powered boat when it’s in the water.

The Motueka couple are cruising the waters of the Tauranga Harbour in “Gentle” this summer.

The boat is built largely from a load of condemned plywood Rod bought cheap. It took about a year to build working part time, and was launched Christmas Day 2000.

Ask Rod how an armless man builds a boat, and he answers with a grin, with his toes, of course.

Rod used to own a trimaran in his bachelor days.

“The trouble with trimarans is when you go out to sea they go bump,” says Rod. “Leonie liked the shoal draft aspect of the trimaran but not the movement.”

And being armless, Rod tends to fall over board easily. The sailor’s adage of one hand for the job and one hand for the boat just doesn’t work for Rod who was born without arms.

So apart from the cockpit the boat is fully enclosed.

It was designed as they went. The open transom used to be a swing door as well. The outboard got in the way so they changed it.

Access is now via the port quarter.

There’s been a few other changes over the

motorhome’s 12 years. A six foot settee for the son became too short when he topped out at 6’4”, so they cut a hole in the bulkhead for his feet. It’s called the foot longer, says Rod. “It’s our design, we had a discussion on what we wanted,” says Rod. The bed was measured to fit. The angle of the bow was determined by the comfortable angle for reading in bed. The height was set so Rod and Leonie could both stand up inside.

There are demarcations over who is in charge of the 5 metre craft. Rod is the captain of the cockpit at the vessel’s stern, and Leonie is in charge of the cabin, where she says Rod is the cabin boy.

Rod did the cutting and Leonie did the assembling.

“He built everything below waist height and I built everything above waist height,” says Leonie.

The boat draws 8” or as Rod puts it, half a gumboot.

The box shape and flat bottom is not unseaworthy says Rob. “When you get into a bit of a jobble, she heels against the chine and digs in,” says Rod. “They will actually sail, about 30 degrees off the wind.”

When caught in a blow in the Marlborough Sounds, he had to send Leonie forward to the bunk to reduce the pitching.

Powered by a 9.9hp Mercury outboard, they cruise at about five knots. It’s got a top speed of 8-9 knots but with a flat bottom, slab sides that catch the breeze and that bluff bow, steering at speed is problematical.

Rod chose the engine size because that’s as big as he can start with his toe.

He had a bigger motor on the 19’6’’ aluminium canal boat they built and shipped to England, but that had an electric start.

At 7’10” wide, Gentle is too wide for the English canal lock, so they built a longer, narrower, aluminium boat. He was hoping to sell it in England, but the English turned their noses up at the opportunity because it wasn’t traditional enough.

It’s a subject that gets him started on a scathing comparison of canal boat construction techniques.

Last summer Rod and Leonie explored the 46 km long Lake Rotorangi in Taranaki, and the Mokau River. They have also cruised Lake Waikaremoana and Lake Rotoehu.

They left the boat and trailer with friends in Tauranga over the winter and picked up this summer after house-sitting at Te Puna for five weeks. It gave them a good opportunity to scout future missions.

They haven’t firmed up on options yet, whether to do the Waikato River and the lakes or head north and explore the west coast harbours.

CONDER MARINE

WATERLINE 21

Conder Marine expands Mobile outboard specialists Conder Marine are adding a workshop and office to their successful family owned and operated business.

From March 10 Russell and Arna Conder are taking over the former Power Boat Services workshop and office at 48 Hewletts Road (access off Aerodrome Road).

“It will be a big change but we’re looking forward to the challenge.” says Arna.

“This location is central to all our customers.

With customers spanning Rotorua to Waihi Beach and beyond, it’s a good base for us to work out of. The business has grown so much we can’t have just one man doing everything any more so we have taken Powerboat’s mechanic as well.”

Former PBS mechanic Peter Dickie is a fully qualified Yamaha technician who has been in the industry at least ten years and has experience working on all Outboard makes and models.

“Russ and Pete used to work together at Powerboat Services, and they have a really good working relationship.”

Along with the addition of another mechanic and the workshop is a second fully equipped service van. It means

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Conder Marine’s three year old mobile service will continue, with the workshop providing space for work to carry on in bad weather, or for the big repair jobs that can’t be done on site.

Conder Marine carry a full range of stock and accessories, which include Yamaha genuine parts. They are also able to source and sell new motors.

“We’ve kept the business small so far because we didn’t want to become a traditional boat shop as such. Our customers love our mobile service, and with full diagnostic systems for most late model engines including Yamaha, Honda, Evinrude and Mercury motors, we are just crazy busy.”

“So while the business is definitely growing, we’ve tried to retain our unique low-cost high-quality approach, and by keeping the mobile option going we are still servicing our customers as we have in the past, but we are also giving them a base to come to if they prefer. For example, urgent repairs, breakdowns, rebuilds, or if it’s a job that can’t be done on site, they can bring it in or Russ can bring it back to base, do it up and deliver it home again.”

From March 10 2012 Conder Marine will be taking over the former PBS phone number, 07 575 0872 and they will be adding Eftpos services for ease of account payments. Their contact details of condermarine@xtra.co.nz and www.outboardmotor. co.nz will remain the same. Customers can also contact Russell directly on 027 451 2353.

Conder Marine are having a “Grand Opening” on Saturday March 17, from 10am to 12pm. Everyone is welcome to come in and meet the team.

CLASSI

22 WATERLINE

Call FOR SALE

Finance for all marine finance 07-574 0002 or 0274 435 524 available 7 days

STARLING - “CARPE DIEM” 1130, Professionally built & launched oct 1994, Built on same jig as “Helter Skelter” (1131), This yacht and fittings are in excellent condition Has been compliant with Bow Jig. Extras include Aluminium Beach Trolley, Road Cover and Spare Mast. Asking Price $3,900.00. Telephone 021 120 7060.

CATAMARAN - 3yr old 11.4 mtr, Roger Simpson, Wildside, Twin 10 hp Yanmar, Diesels. 3 Queen, Size Double berth. Galley. Nav Station, Heads. Saloon. Usual instruments. Ph 07 866 5157 or email cox.wall@xtra.co.nz.

WATER PUMP - 25PSI, Sureflow. As New $120. Ph 0274 333 220.

FOLDING PROP - briski, 16 x 12. 25mm shaft. Right handed NZ. $500 ono. Very good condition. Ph 021 243 5555 QUARTER SHARE IN VINDEX 10 METRE LAUNCH - Shaft drive, 180 hp Ford Diesel Turbo, Sleeps 6, two showers, 3 steering stations cruises 10-12 kts. This syndicate has been operating successfully for 6yrs. A great opportunity to enjoy the pleasures a launch offers whilst sharing the costs. Based at Tauranga Bridge Marina. Price $20,000 Ph 548 2314.

HARTLEY TS18 - ‘Antares’ is in really good condition. Trailer has WOF. She has been beautifully built inside and out with painted wood interior and can sleep up to 4 people. Comes with Honda 5HP outboard motor with stand for easy storage. Drop keel makes her a great family boat for going to places in and around the harbour. She has had new aluminium mast and rigging by Mike McCormack and new winch and guide bars added to trailer, for easy launch and retrieval. All ready to go for 2011.

Asking price $4,500 ono. Phone Ian Gray 07 578 5022 or 027 572 9439.

4.95 ALUMINIUM MAST AND SAIL - plus centre board, rudder and anchor. All in V.G. condition. Open to reasonable offers. Please ring 576 0294 (has answer phone).

MOORING - C6 The Strand, Town Reach, Tauranga, new survey. Upto 10.5m. $1000 spent on survey. $4000 ono. Contact 07 307 9097 or 027 307 9009.

MOORING - Waikaraeo Estuary #5. Good position, good swing, good depth. Fully rebuilt. Suit up to 29’ boat. Phone 07 576 1309 YACHT - 26’ vanderstadt centreboarder, on launching trailer in hardstand. Very nice condition. 8HP yamaha outboard, alloy s/s rig. $12,990 neg. Ph 0274 272 054.

SPINNAKER - off Davidson 32. 11.5m-6.8m, orange/white. In good condition $600. Phone 06 868 8328 28ft Keeler - a well maintained gulf cruiser, sleeps 5, Yanmar diesel engine, Furling headsail. $28,000 ono. Phone, 07 864 7432.

LAUNCH - Steel launch, 30’. View B46 Tauranga Marina. $48,000.

Phone 07 843 4392 or 027 620 9712.

HARTLEY 16 QUIKSILVER mast and sails. Offers. Ph 07 576 0207.

TRAILER YACHT VENTURE 20 - good condition on trailer price $6000 phone 576 1165 WING PADDLES - Brand new, used twice in demos. Rochfort,carbon shafts and blades. Pair would suit double kayak, racing or fast cruiser or will sell separately. $300 each. 0274 996 747 LAUNCH - Steel launch 30’. View B46 Tauranga Marina. $48,000. Ph 07 843 4392 or 027 620 9712 GENOA - well used but ok. Hoist 44’, foot 23’. Offers. Ph 07 552 4419 HOOD MAINSAIL - as new, for Davidson 31. Hoist 31’ 9”, foot 8’ 10” with slides on hoist and foot, also boom for davidson 31 9’ 8” overall.

Ph 07 552 4419 CODAN SSB MKII - and antenna. Offers Ph 07 552 4419.

33FT WOODEN LAUNCH, 70h/p ford. GPS, VHF, stereo, auto pilot, electric capstan. Sleeps 3, 2 burner cooker and oven, electric toilet, game rigged. Good condition, on rented swing mooring. Best of offer $20k. Ph 021 0277 4294 TRIMARAN - 30’ piver, 15hp outboard, good condition, easily sailed.

$18,000. Phone Grant Lawton 07 552 0737 or 021 057 5755 MOTOR SAILOR - 37’ LOA Kauri, shoal draft, twin keels. 20 Horse Yanmar. Painted ready for season. $66,000ono. Ph 07 211 9200.

MOORING - Tanners Point. Good location, just been reconditioned. $6000. Phone Grant Lawton 07 552 0737 or 021 057 5755 BAY CRUISER - 28’, 200hp volvo diesel engine. All set for game fishing. Marina berth available if required.

WOODEN MAST and boom with standing riggings, free for removal. Ph 0274 393 028

TO RENT

MOORING AVAILABLE to rent Te Puna.Good depth and close to wharf.

Suit boat up to 30ft.Ph 548 0006.

MOORING - Omokoroa. Phone 021 114 7339.

Mooring to lease - Tanners Point. Suit launch or multihull. Long term. ph 5490091 SWING MOORING - for rent or sale at Tanners Point.

Recently serviced. Ph 578 0230 or 027 491 5616.

MOORING FOR RENT - Pilot Bay PT47 $25 per week. Phone 07 843 4392 or 027 620 9712 MOORING FOR RENT - Waikaraeo Estuary. Phone 07 843 4392 or 027 620 9712 MOORING - handy to Omokoroa Boat Club, suit up to 30’ boat. $17 per week. Ph 027 201 5113.

MOORING - Tanners Point. Good location, just been reconditioned. $6000. Phone Grant Lawton 07 552 0737 or 021 057 5755 MOORING - Omokoroa, close to beach. $20 per week. Registered mooring. Ph 07 548 0328.

MOORING - Closest mooring to wharf at Pilot Bay. Limited terms. $100 per month. Heavy mooring. Ph 575 9895 or 027 622 0451.

MOORING available for rent or sale. Pilot Bay, excellent position. Ph Ian 07 570 0333 MOORING to rent. Pilot Bay. Closest to wharf. Deep water. $110 per week. Ph 027 622 0451.

36FT HERRESHOFF, $45,000. without Mast & Sail. Idea, restore then go to cruising the world. Available, 12m Marina berth Sulphurpoint. Ph 07 544 3675

WANTED

WANTED TO RENT: Swing mooring for 25ft yacht, also short term marina berth. Phone/text Marc, 027 200 2316.

HARTLEY 16 Fibreglass trailer sailer. Ph 07 576 0207.

SPINNAKER to fit a Noelex 30. Ph 06 868 8328.

BIG ANCHORS - anything considered. Ph Tony 575 8264.

SWING MOORING - Pilot Bay. Suitable for H28 yacht, preferably close to shore for purchase or rent. Ph 572 2205 or 021 155 1245.

DIRECTORY

BATTERIES

Battery Warehouse Ph/Fax: 07 578 8056 25 Marsh Street, Tauranga 0274 894 056 Battery Direct NZ Free delivery in NZ www.BatteryDirect.co.nz sales@batterydirect.co.nz 0800 267 468

BOAT MAINTENANCE

GemCo Ltd R63 Hewletts Rd, Mount Maunganui Ph 572 2411 Hutcheson Boatbuilders Ph:07-578 8312

Robert Page Engineering 27 Glasgow Street, Tauranga Ph:07 578 4171 www.robertpage.co.nz

Matamata Motor Trimmers & Upholstery Boat clears, canvas work, upholstery Ph: 07 571 4421 Cnr Mirrielees & Cross Roads, Tauranga

Oceanz Stainless Engineering Ph:07-571 4130 30-34 Mirrielees Road, Tauranga www.southernoceanmarine.co.nz

BOAT SALES

Challenger Boats

142 Newton Road, Mount Maunganui Ph 07 575 0497 www.challengerboats.co.nz

Gulf Group Marine Brokers Ph 07 579 9716 email: tauranga@gulfgroup.co.nz www.gulfgroup.co.nz

Hutcheson Boatbuilders 07-578 8312

Mastertech Marine 60 Whiore Avenue, The Lakes, Tauriko Tauranga Ph:579 4240 www.mastertech.co.nz

Tauranga Boat Sales

Tauranga Bridge Marina: 07 575 0512 Sulphur Point Marina: 07 571 8443 Email: thecrew@taurangaboatsales.co.nz Website: www.taurangaboatsales.co.nz

CHANDLERY

Steves Marine Supplies Ph: 07 578 9593 18 Cross Road, Sulphur Point, Tauranga

WATERLINE 23

FISHING & DIVING

Big Fish Bait and Tackle Co Ph/Fax 07 575 9056 15 Newton St, Mount Maunganui Ph/Fax 573 4493 155 Jellicoe Street, Te Puke

Blue Ocean Charters Ltd Ph 0800 224 278 www.blueocean.co.nz email: info@blueocean.co.nz

Mount Dive Shop

15 Newton Street, Mount Maunganui Ph: 575 4418

Tauranga Marine Charters MV Manutere Brett Keller Ph: 07 552 6283 0274 351 353 Email: fishingcharters@xtra.co.nz

INSURANCE

Tauranga Insurance Ph: 571 0405 195 Devonport Rd, Tauranga

KAYAKING

Canoe & Kayak BOP Ph:574 7415 3/5 MacDonald St, Mt Maunganui OPEN 7 DAYS 9-5pm

Viking Kayaks

Specialising in fishing and recreational kayaks.

0800 529 253 www.vikingkayaks.co.nz

MARINA

Tauranga Bridge Marina

Ph: 07 575 8264 Fax: 07 575 8369 VHF: Ch 73 “Bridge Marina”

RIGGING

Mike McCormick

Ph: 578 3071 59 Mirrielees Rd, Tauranga

TRAILERS

Prescott Trailers

Ph 07-573 9130 29 Station Rd, Te Puke www..prescotttrailers.co.nz

Greerton Engineering Ph 541 0024 64 Maleme Street TAURANGA www.greertoneng.co.nz

CLUB CONTACTS

Mount Maunganui Yacht Club Ph: 542 0305

Omokoroa Boat Club

DELIVERIES

John Budden Ph: 548 1180 Alan Roberts Ph: 579 1967

ELECTRONICS

Keith Allen Dr, Sulphur Point Tauranga Ph: 578 6203

Ross Hislop Ph: 07 543 1023, mob 0274 770078 Email: hislopra@xtra.co.nz Bay Marine Electronics Robert McAllister Ph: 07 577 0250 www.baymarineelectronics.co.nz

FINANCE

AFB Accept Finance Brokers Ph: 07 574 0002

Tauranga Game Fishing Club

Tauranga Marine Industry Assn.

PO Box 13303 Tauranga Steve Glover www.tmia.co.nz or secretary@tmia.co.nz Tga Yacht & Power Boat Club PO Box 14352 Tauranga Ph 578 5512

24 WATERLINE

HARBOUR

Suspect marine hitch hiker warning Boaties are being warned of a hitch hiking, arm waving, invader that is trying to find a way north.

ough Sounds. Recently new populations have been seen in the Ports of Dunedin and Bluff.

“They readily colonize artificial structures, at times occurring in huge densities on anchored buoys, fish cages, wharves and vessel hulls,” says NIWA biosecurity scientist Dr Chris Woods.

“We have observed densities up to 180,000 caprellids per square metre. Boat owners are saying to us, 'what are these waving things all over the hulls of our boats?' when they slip their craft and discover the hull alive with movement.

“The males often have big fights with each other, it's like seeing swinging handbags at dawn,” says Chris.

Caprella mutica or skeleton shrimps are spreading rapidly round the coast hitching rides on boats or drifting algae.

They recently arrived in New Zealand waters and quickly established themselves in the south.

The longer term impact on local biodiversity is not known, but overseas studies have show it can displace native caprellids and potentially affect food supply to filterfeeding organisms.

Mass of caprellids on red alga clump. Photo by Chriss Woods.

The skelton shrimp was first detected to catch passing food. They have very small in Timaru in 2002 during baseline biota mouths but are omnivorous feeders and can surveys of major ports and marinas for MAF Excellent food filter-feed with their antennae, graze on algae, Biosecurity New Zealand.

“Seahorses like to eat them. Caprellids are and scavenge and prey on other small invertealso an excellent food for many other marine Multiple segments brates. They also eat each other when normal fish because they contain relatively high levels Also known as the praying mantis of the food is scarce. Skeleton shrimps can gradually of beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids," says sea, caprella mutica has long, thin, segmented change colour to match their background, Chris. bodies and short abdomens, so that their legs based on what they have been eating.

“It will likely spread to most areas of marine appear clustered towards their posterior. They Originally from northeast Asia the skeleton human activity throughout New Zealand grow to 50 mm in length. They have two pairs shrimp has spread along coastlines throughout in the near future, so please take care this of antennae on their head and the body has the northern hemisphere in the last 40 years. summer when transporting your boat between multiple segments. They hold their enlarged New Zealand seems to be the only southern different areas and think about what uninvited claws in a mantis-like pose, and use these for hemisphere country it has invaded so far. guests you may be taking along for the ride. feeding, grasping and fighting.

Since its discovery in Timaru the invasive Maintaining a clean and antifouled boat hull In the water, Caprellids appear to ‘wave’, as species as been found in Lyttelton Harbour, is one of the best defences we have against the they stand erect, but they are actually trying Port Levy and Pelorus Sound in the Marlborspread of marine invaders and pests.”

Big white pointer seen near harbour entrance Stories that a few white pointer sharks, aka great whites are now making an extended visit to the Astrolabe Reef are corroborated by a local fisher Kerry Grants’ experience near A Beacon.

Kerry and Scottish visitor William McIntosh were fishing from a 16ft Alicraft near the beacon one afternoon in mid-February, when they say they had a jaw-dropping close encounter with a big shark The pair had been out about 11 hours and had been plagued all day by bronze whalers taking bait and catches, so to test out a new rod and reel, Kerry threw out a bonito tail on 24kg mono. He lip hooked a 5-6ft bronze whaler shark and decided to play it.

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They anchored and he played the fish for about 20 minutes. The shark tired and Kerry began hauling in what he though was an exhausted fish, when it just took off.

“The reel was screaming. Then it really took off like it was hooked onto a train or something.

“Within 30 seconds of it starting to take off - what we saw next, I swear what I’m telling you is true and there is no exaggeration at all.

“A great white came out of the water and took the whole bloody thing. Came right out of the water, completely out of the water, did the great white flip-thing that they do with seals.

“It was f**king huge. We never saw the length of it because of the angle it jumped on, but without a word of a lie, we saw the big white stomach and the black back and the shape. Very short and very fat, and the typical white pointer tale. Its stomach was about the width of the boot of my car. That’s an under exaggeration, I’m trying to be realistic here, but you would have trouble getting it through a sliding door mate. It was the size of a car, it really was that fat.

“And the splash was like a container being dropped from a helicopter.

It just took the six foot shark like it was a kahawai. It just ate it, straight down to its guts. I didn’t believe it.”

He cut his line.

“He hadn’t bitten through the trace and for about five seconds it ran with the line,” says Kerry. “It was like being hooked to a bus doing 70km/h.”

“I do a lot of surfing too, and it’s put the willies up me. It was just really impressive, you wouldn’t even consider trying to catch something like that.”

“We wanted to report it because a fish that big a size should not be in this place let along a great white,” says Kerry.

ROSS SEA

WATERLINE 25

After months of training walking to the Mount summit Whale enthusiast Brandon Stone is now halfway through his 750 km ‘Whale Walk’ raising funds to help protect feeding grounds in the Ross Sea. Photo by Bruce Barnard.

Whale walk to protect Ross Sea After getting up close to whales for many years Mount Maunganui’s Brandon Stone is trekking across the country to fundraise to protect the marine giants.

Brandon, who spends half his year running whale watch tours in Tonga, has a particular soft spot for the humpbacks that migrate to the island’s warm waters for birthing and breeding grounds every winter.

His fundraising will go towards protecting the Ross Sea, where humpbacks and other baleen whales spend the rest of the year, but Brandon believes we need to do everything we can to protect all marine mammals including the many visitors to Bay of Plenty waters.

Getting up close

“It’s such a great feeling seeing and getting up close to any marine mammals, whales or dolphins. You see the looks on people’s faces and they are blown away,” he says.

Brandon developed a passion for whales and marine mammals when completing his marine studies at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic before going on to skipper Tauranga’s first dolphin safari tours and helping produce a film on

whales in Antarctica. He says coastal Bay of Plenty is active with marine mammals at this time of year – including pods of hundreds of Bottlenose Dolphins and False Killer Whales that he saw off the coast before heading off on his walk. Other regular visitors include Orcas, Humpback and Pilot Whales and Common Dolphins.

As swimming with whales is banned in New Zealand the closest most get to the gentle giants here is the view from a boat, but Brandon goes into raptures describing the amazing experience he has had swimming with them in Tonga.

Amazing experience

“The awesome power of seeing them breach, their enormous size and intelligence and just the whole experience of interacting with a wild animal – it’s just amazing.”

Brandon says the sight of migrating baleen whales past the Bay of Plenty coast will become increasingly rare if the Ross Sea is not protected.

“The amazing Humpback Whales that we swim with every year in Vavau, Tonga, have migrated directly from these rich feeding grounds in the Ross Sea to Tonga to breed.

We want to support the protection of this

habitat and protect Humpbacks.” Brandon says it is critical to protect the Ross Sea’s feeding grounds of bountiful krill that the Humpbacks and other baleen whales fed on to ensure their ongoing survival.

As Waterline went to print he was almost halfway along his 32-day fundraising trek through 11 of New Zealand’s top walks that will see him cover 750km of iconic landscapes.

Brandon is aiming to raise $10,000 from donations for the Last Ocean Charitable Trust that is campaigning for a marine protection area in Ross Sea, but with his pledges for less than a third of this he was still hoping for more donations.

Since starting the walk on Stewart Island in mid-February he has gone on to cover the Milford, Kepler, Routeburn, Greenstone and Caples tracks, and was expected to be midway around the Heaphy when Waterline went to print.

His journey will come to an end on March 23 after he completes walks through the Abel Tasman, the Tongariro Circuit, the Waikaremoana Great Walk and a kayak along the Whanganui River.

All donations go into a draw to win $1000 of adventure wear from sponsor Hikoi.

By Hamish Carter

Increased activity on White Island A higher level of gas is being detected on White Island with reports of dead vegetation observed around the volcano.

GNS Science says while they have detected an increase in Co2 emissions, there is nothing to worry about.

Duty volcanologist Tony Hurst says the increase may be cause by low

lake levels, which may not be intercepting the gas before it’s released.

Other activity in the area includes a 5.1 magnitude earthquake which was centred 70 km north-east of Tauranga on Thursday.

It is described as being a deep quake with a focal measurement of 210km centred 50km north-west of White Island.

FISHING

26 WATERLINE

Add fishing licence to check list Fresh water fishers are getting more forgetful by the year, with Eastern Region Fish & Game Officers noticing a marked increase in memory lapses this summer over the previous two.

Fish & Game Officer Anthony van Dorp says staff issued notices to 22 anglers fishing the Rotorua lakes and Lake Waikaremoana during the holiday period ending Sunday, January 15 - to produce their licence within seven days.

It’s about three times the normal number of people who are unable to produce their fishing licence, as the law requires. It’s an intriguingly large increase says Anothony.

“All these folk appear to have licences – it’s just a case of, ‘oh, I left it in my wallet,’ or ‘it’s in the ute,’ or ‘I walked out the door and left it on the kitchen bench.’ They’re almost all good people who aren’t trying to get around the rules.”

The 22 anglers all had licences.

“They just need to make sure they have it with them. If you are going to go out fishing and you have your fly box in your pocket, make sure you have got your the licence is there as well.

“Some forget or are a little bit slack. It just adds to a little bit of work for us.”

Fishers who cannot produce a licence to a Fish & Game officer on demand have to present them at the Rotorua office.

“We make it a little bit easy for people If we are happy with the person we will let them email the details of the licence through to us. We don’t make them drive over and hand in the physical piece of paper. We use the modern technology to make he job a little easier.

“A lot we can check on database back in the office but one of the difficulties is we cannot check some on the data base.”

Licences bought in sports shops for example may not go through the administration process until the sports shop has finished selling the book.

“Then they send that in to our licence agent who does all the administration on it, so there can be a delay there.”

Anthony suggests anglers add the licence to their check list; lunch, fishing gear, clothing and fuel etcetera.

He also suggests carrying or storing the licence in the same place each time, whether it’s the wallet, tackle box or a place on the boat, so that it’s ready to hand over for inspection.

Those who are caught fishing without a licence can face not only a penalty for this, but also for giving false or misleading particulars, a serious offence under the Conservation Act.

Over the holiday period officers also intercepted two anglers fishing from a boat with two rods each.

In some cases it comes down to anglers not making themselves familiar enough with the regulations contained in a booklet which is always handed out with the purchase of a licence. “Or else they are simply trying to get away with it.”

It can become an expensive attempt at doubling chances if the angler faces a fine of up to $5000, and possibly the loss of fishing gear.

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Anglers willing to try a variety of fishing } methods are bagging the good fish, says Fish & Game Eastern Region staff.

Officer Mark Sherburn says anglers need to think outside the box a little as unseasonal conditions is producing mixed fortunes for most fishermen.

“It’s as if we’re a month ahead on the calendar, so methods like shallow trolling in the mornings and fishing for cruising fish around the weed beds is the way to go.

“Try the sort of locations and methods you would use in early autumn.”

The usual high summer water temperatures just haven’t happened, and with shorter days and cooler overnight temperatures, it doesn’t appear they will kick in, he says.

“Lake Rotorua, which often gets to well over 20 C, has remained in the mid 19’s for most of the summer.

“These temperatures are actually good for trout feeding and growth, but don’t necessarily produce great fishing.”

Mark says one pleasing trend however, is a lift in the condition of fish coming from Lake Rotorua, after a couple of years when they weren’t in good shape.

Reports from the lake indicate both boaties and shore-based fishers are seeing some gradual improvements.

Mark says some nice condition fish in the 1.0 to 1.5kg range have been caught at the mouths of the Awahou, Hamurana and Ngongotaha streams.

He says lake water temperatures also have an enormous influence on fish growth, and officers have had reports of a number of genuine trophy trout caught in January, the latest a tagged 5.5kg rainbow hooked in Lake Okataina.

HARBOUR

WATERLINE 27

Launch approaching for transtas project Danny Sunkel’s trans Tasman rowboat is getting closer to its launch date with the foam hull being skinned and final decisions being made about attaching accessories.

The unique craft, a near 40ft wave piercing, foam core, carbon fibre rowboat is being built at Pachoud’s for a row across the Tasman Sea – and back again.

“We are going well,” says Danny.

The underside of the craft was laminated and vacuum bagged in bi-ax carbon fibre this month before being turned over for the topsides to receive the same treatment.

But while the boat is getting closer to the water, Danny’s getting cagey about some aspects of the boat being shown at this stage because other long distance rowers are starting to take notice of the ground breaking Craig Loomes design.

“The guy who holds the Atlantic record is designing a new boat as we speak,’ says Danny.

The build is at the stage where Danny is making decisions on details of the fit-out – where the solar panels will be attached, and how many there will be.

He’s also happy some earlier decisions are proving themselves, like the decision to mount the access hatches at 45 degrees. It means he can step down into the forward and aft spaces without banging into the boat.

The main hull of the self righting multi-hull is 10.8m. With the side hulls the length overall will be about 11.8m.

Fully loaded it will weigh about 900-1000kg with Danny on board. It’s about the same or slightly heavier than most solo boats which are in the region of 800-1000kg, says Danny but more efficient in many ways.

The weight is beginning to nudge the limits a little, says Danny.

“We have built as light as we possibly can, but at the end of the day I have got to survive in it too. It’s still going to be lighter than the other boats given that it is a considerable bit bigger.”

The foam cores for the outriggers and floats were machined on the five axis cutter at CAD 3D Profiles and Mouldings in Birch Ave. “It is pleasantly surprising how much room it’s got,’ says Danny. “There’s a huge amount of storage compared with other boats.

“I’m really starting to think about fit out, how big the cut outs are going to be and how much space we make for the solar panels.”

He’s going to use a water maker and carry spares, but he’s also thinking about emergency water collectors just in case. There’s no decision yet on the paint job because Danny’s looking for a major sponsor.

“I’m quite keen on silver,” says Danny.

Danny’s hoping to have about a year in the water with the boat

before he embarks on the voyage – probably from the Hokianga.

He’s hoping to make landfall in Australia somewhere in the northern NSW-Gold Coast region.

The return journey will be attempted later the same year when he hopes to pick up the westerlies towards the end of SeptemberOctober.

If anyone wants to get involved, Danny can be contacted danny@dannysunkel.com

MARINE PRECINCT

28 WATERLINE

Marine precinct struggling on The struggle to replace the former 600 tonne slipway is not over yet. A council decision rejecting a recommendation to explore business options has been roundly criticised by the Chamber of Commerce and the Tauranga Marine Industries Association.

The former slipway was sold to Western Samoan interests following its disassembly and removal to make way for the second harbour bridge.

The 600 tonne slip was originally built to service the Bay of Plenty Harbour Board tugs, saving the trip to Auckland or Whangarei. It also supported a collection of largely steel ship service and support industries as a variety of commercial vessels used the Tauranga slipway for their insurance required slippings and checks.

To make up for the loss the council and Priority One came up with the idea of expanding

and modernising the haul out facility using council owned land that incorporates the former Baigents timber site between Mirrielees and Cross Roads.

The plan is to concrete it and install a 300 tonne capacity Travelift, and sell or lease the road frontages for sheds and offices. There’s a gap in the market for a suitable facility that will take the uber large recreational yacht and moderately sized coastal commercial boats.

A search for a private developer to undertake the project has been unsuccessful so far.

The council vote against looking at business model options is expected to be revisited.

The Mayor and councillor Terry Molloy were absent from the meeting.was absent s that could get the turned down the “We will continue to work with the other entities that want to see this thing go forward,” says TMIA chairman Brian Kent. “We don’t see it as being over based on the decision made the other day by any means. The solution is still going to involve the same entities.”

Tauranga’s Marine Industry Association, a group representing more than 70 marine

related businesses has been working on the central marine precinct project for about eight years, says Brian.

“I think the way forward is really based on a council decision to provide long term security to the private sector entities that might be involved in it,” says Brian.

The marine precinct as planned involves high set up costs in providing the hard stand, such as concreting most of the site between the waterfront and Mirrielees Road to take the weight of the 300 tonne Travelift and provide the yard space for the boats – but with no real prospect of a return on the investment in the shorter term.

“You’re talking 75 years plus or possible ownership with covenants,” says Brian. “It’s a straight up outlay with a return over time.

There’s obviously business and capital risk in those decisions.

“With the right type of long term security to a developer or consortium in the industry, there is a viable proposition to stage into a long term result over there.”

By Andrew Campbell

Crossing bar course for boaties Tips for avoiding serious capsizes Lifepac NZ Provides High Quality Emergency Survival Kits.

Boaties who use the Raglan bar are being invited to attend a course to aid them in their navigation of the bar, Coastguard Raglan is hosting the course next month, with support from Waikato Regional Council.

Raglan harbourmaster Steve Soanes says safe boating resources and regional harbour guides will be provided to participants.

“The Raglan bar can be very tricky and hazardous to negotiate and there have been a number of serious capsizing incidents in recent years.

“We urge anyone intending to cross the bar – who hasn’t already learnt how to do so – to attend the Coastguard Raglan course, which helps ensure boaties are more aware of how to negotiate it as safely as possible.”

The course is being held at the fire station on Wainui Road on Sunday, March 11, from 8.30am.

Lifejackets will be required on the day as a trip out to the bar is included in the course. People wanting to register can do so by emailing raglancoastguard@gmail.com

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COASTGUARD

WATERLINE 29

Young skippers expected to share A reparation payment putting 26 young people through a day skipper’s course is expected to lift the general marine knowledge of all the youth groups involved.

The court ordered a payment of $3000 to the Coastguard when Omokoroa skipper Keith Longley appeared for sentence after crashing his boat into the Western Channel maker (pictured right) and killing his friend Richard Evans.

“Because we were sort of presented with the money, the court decided as part of his reparation to make a payment to coast guard, we were just very mindful of not wanting to appear to be benefitting from it being a tragedy,” says Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard operations manager Simon Barker.

“We just thought it would be good to put it back into the community.” It means 26 young people from local Sea Scout troops, Young Mariners and TS Chatham Sea Cadets will undertake the two day course over the weekend of March 10/11. There will be 14 sea scouts, six young mariners and five sea cadets taking the day skipper’s course, and they are expected to pass on what they know to their fellows.

“We will supply them with morning tea, put on a barbecue lunch make it a bit of an occasion,” says Simon.

Depending on time on the Sunday they may also get a closer look at TECT Rescue.

For an adult a Day Skipper course normally costs $170. The course focuses on basic boating safety and the rules of the road at sea.

“It’s an interactive course,” says Simon. “They get around a table, lay out the markers on a big board where the channel markers would go, it’s not just sitting and listening.”

Course tutor Donna Bennett says New Zealanders have a freedom on the water that in other countries is licenced.

“The freedom that we have as a nation has always been ‘the waters there, well use it’ there are actually rules out there and things to help keep safe people probably don’t realise,” says Donna.

“Hopefully they are going to spread the word as well. We are hoping the kids that have been nominated to come on this course are potential leaders that are going to go back to their clubs and pass it on to them, and then all these kids are going to take bits and pieces home to their parents. That’s all part of it as well.”

It’s the sort of course that would make a good annual event, if someone will fund it.

By Andrew Campbell

30 WATERLINE

BLACK SWAN

They don’t make then like that any more The product of two small town rivals, the launch Marlborough is the former Marlborough Sounds light house tender and was built as a collaboration by designer Bill Carey and built by Jorgensen’s.

Marlborough was built in 1969 for the Government to service the light houses on the exposed seaward ends of the Marlborough sounds, a job she did for 22 years before being sold and converted into a charter vessel.

Built and designed by people who knew and understood the requirements of being able to operate in Cook Strait in

most weathers, Marlborough is constructed of Ironbark and Kauri. Ironbark from the keel to the waterline and Kauri planking above the water line, with Matai decks.

The decks are surface in ply and glass.

Marlborough is 14.7m LOA 4.7m beam and has a 1.8m draft.

She’s powered by a 180hp Kelvin Diesel giving a cruising speed of 7.5 knots.

Her workboat design includes large walk around decks. . The boat also has a seven tonne insulated fish hold, dive compressor, trolling poles.

Accomodation iinclused one double berth and six single; a toilet shower friged and four burner stove and oven.

The electronics include VHF, SSB, Radar, Autopilot, GPS, Chartplotter, fishfinder, depth sounder, CD player, TV, DVD. Marlborough is a very capable vessel in full survey – from the Ranfurly banks to Three Kings.

Contact Brian Worthington at Gulf Group Marine Brokers for full details.

GULF GROUP

WATERLINE 31

MARINE BROKERS LTD Tauranga Selection Ph 07 579 9716 tauranga@gulfgroup.co.nz OWNERS: BRUCE LEGGATT AND NEIL CAMERON

BERTRAM 35 GRP, 1986, powered by twin 250hp Volvos. Game rigged/ chair, 2 stations, hard top & clears. 1 dbl & 4 sgl berths, toilet, shower, fridge, 2 bnr/oven, auto anchoring, holding tank, good electronics, fuel computer. Great fish catching record. NZ$ 235,000. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393. 8838T

VINDEX 37 Vindex 37,Built by Keith Dobson. D/D glassed construction, powered by twin 250hp Volvos, 4 double berths. Selling complete with a 14m Sulphur Point marina berth. NZ$ 195,000 Incl marina. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393. 7251T

CAV 32 Popular Bob salthouse design and built by Cavaliar yachts 1974,GRP,23hp Sole diesel. Autopilot,VHF,sounder,plotter,rare cav 32 with a forward cabin. Tidy example of these capable offshore or coastal cruiser at a affordable price. NZ$ 35,000. Ph Mark Robinson, A/hrs 0274 792 195. 2103T

GENESIS 3100 GRP, 1988, powered by 230hp Volvo, 1996. Game rigged/ chair, teak cockpit, hardtop, bait station, holding tank, toilet, shower, fridge, freezer, 4 burner/oven. Electronics include VHF, GPS/chartpotter/ fishfinder combo, autopilot. Nice example of these popular vessels. NZ$ 125,000. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393. 8784T

BAYLINER CIERA CLASSIC 2252 2002 model, cuddy cabin with hardtop. 5L Mercruiser petrol & alpha I leg, 33 mph. Double berth or 2 singles, toilet, trailer - rego & WOF. VHF Garmin GPS. Great weekender that could be towed or go on drystack. NZ$ 49,500. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393. 8792T

VINDEX 32 GRP, 1970’s, powered by 145hp Perkins. Game rigged/ chair, cockpit covers, bimini, 2 double & 1 single berth, toilet, shower, 2 burner/oven, fridge, freezer. VHF, GPS, plotter, fishfinder, inflatable & outboard. NZ$ 89,000. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393.

8795T

FARR 1020 GRP, 1984, powered by 21hp Yanmar. Alloy mast, s/s rigging 2006, extensive sail wardrobe cruising/racing. 4 winches, rewired & repainted 2007, boom tent, holding tank, frig, freezer, 2 bnr/oven, toilet, BBQ, inflat, comprehensive electronics, loads of extras. Great cruiser/ racer. NZ$ 125,000. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393. 3565T

BRIN WILSON Classic displacement, 1962. Kauri carvel planked, 120hp Lees Marine, 2 stations, 5 berths, electric toilet, fridge, freezer, 2 burner/ grill. Walk thru transom, VHF, fishfinder, GPS/plotter, CD player. Nice traditional family cruiser. NZ$ 69,000. Ph Brian Worthington, A/hrs 027 447 2393. 8739T

58 Cross Rd, Sulphur Point

www.gulfgroup.co.nz

32 WATERLINE

Come and view over 800 listings on our database www.gulfgroup.co.nz or come visit our ofďŹ ce at 58 Cross Road, Tauranga (around

by Nautilus Apartments).

Oliver Royale 4300 1997 GRP, powered by twin 315hp cummins, ex surveyed vessel. Gamerigged, Cyril Jordan game chair, cockpit controls, hardtop with clears. Auto anchoring, toilet, shower, fridge and two freezers, 4 burner oven. 4 single and two double berths, VHF, SSB, Radar, Fishfinder, GPS/Plotter.

Autopilot,CD,TV,DVD,remote spotlight,large fishing cockpit with bait tank. Vendor consider trading Northland property.

Contact Brian Worthington 027 447 2393 ď ¸ tauranga@gulfgroup.co.nz