Christmas 2015

Christmas tree in Orion's wheelhouse

Putanui West

Orion lying Putanui West buoy

Two glorious days and nights of calm, hot days. Just Sue, me, and the dog. Waved hello to some people on the second day, but really just had the place to ourselves. Went out on deck in the middle of the second night... the sea was like glass, a plane of obsidian black you couldn't see nor barely sense and in the firmament above Orion and the Southern Cross charting our position in time and space. Recommended R-n-R.  Amusingly, it looks like a party of three sitting on the aft deck, but it is just Sue sitting between the two aft bitts.

Pelorus River

Off Havelock Slipway

Sue drove around to the slipway in the car with Poppy, and took this picture while we were waiting for the yard to adjust the cradle. It was a big tide and it stood for an hour at least.

Oh, joy!

We got the news we'd be going back in the water Saturday. She went afloat no problem, and Joseph Griffiths had the wheel again for his knowledge of the narrow channel: "Don't look at your depth sounder, you're better not to know."

Joseph on the wheel

Oh, joy! We have been afloat for 48 hours now, and the pump has yet to go off. I looked - no water, wow! All this was, it was a butt joint and Alan (shipwright) couldn't say whether it was a nail hole or the caulking in the butt itself that was letting water in. Anyway he replaced two nails with silicon bronze screws, and caulked the joint, and it's tight. As is the weepy transducer, all dry now. Also fixed the wee bump on the stem (long delay shifting gears when you have a Gardner idling at only 420 rpm married to a Twin Disc reduction gearbox, more bumps likely in the future) and sharpened up the boot topping (thank you Wayne). Also followed the 'O' Bros advice to reduce the zinc and bonded the remaining anode to the aft bearing housing, thanks to Joseph for your work on this. In a very good space right now.

Brief haulout

Hauled at Havelock Slipway

We have hauled out to do a few minor jobs: inspect the hull after the delivery trip; fix a few minor leaks; reduce the zincs. Joseph Griffiths went on the wheel, negotiated the narrow channel, and put her on the cradle. Took a couple of goes to get the cradle right, but then she sat very nicely. 

Creature comforts

Bunks made up in the fore end

Pictures of Tangaroa and Amazon

Cabin lamp and picture of WT28

Sue has been busy painting in the fore end, and making up the bunks, which just makes the whole thing look really inviting. The cabin lamp is not wired yet, but we'll find a nice warm LED if we can, and there are two more brass lamps to go in the corners and light the table. We're keeping the CCFLs Brian originally fitted because they're nicely installed and if not particularly moody, they're useful when you want to see what you're doing. The engine room has gained some LEDs too which has reduced the load should we be stopped and fixing something in there while away from shore power.

Engine room LEDs

Sue on board Orion

At last we've been finding the time to do some jobs, and it feels really good: fixing the leak in the big fridge heat exchanger; painting in the fore end; changing the bulbs in the engine room for LEDs; drawing off a fuel sample from both tanks; remaking the electrical connections to the bilge pumps; finding the leak; hanging up the cabin lamp; re-purposing the galley locker to store enough food for the longer missions we plan; understanding the water tanks; replacing the Jabsco fresh water filter; working out how to stow and launch the dinghy; and getting Poppy used to her life jacket ready for when she needs trips to the shore for you know what.

Poppy hopeful

Poppy analog mission

We're planning to haul out at Havelock Slipway for a few days at the end of the month, do a number of small jobs we missed up in Greenhithe.

Paradise Bay

Ade and Janice

Janice and Helen

Joe catches his first fish ever

Passing a mussel barge in the channel

Entering Havelock

Departed Havelock dead LW (neaps) to see just where the mud is. Local skipper Pat Copp with us, advising. 7 POB {Sue, Steve, Pat, Helen, Janice, Adrienne, and some random German guy} 1 DOB {Poppy}. Anchored in Paradise Bay. Back on the berth about 6pm. Stayed aboard.

Inaugural cruise

Poppy on watch

Bex, Ryan, Pat, Steve

Sue and Ryan

Our inaugural trip out of Havelock Marina. We stayed on board on the Friday night and it was windy with things rattling and ropes creaking. Day started 20 knots from North West easing and 4/8 cover clearing. Departed at 10:00 6POB {Sue, Stephen, Bex, Ryan, Pat, Colin} 1DOB {Poppy}. Poppy's first trick as ship's dog. Local skipper Pat Copp engaged as pilot to show us the channel. 11:30 On a CC Buoy south side of Putanui Point. 12:00 Off Raetihi, Kenepuru Sound. 13:30 On the fuel jetty Havelock, took 600 litres. 14:40 Back on berth H8 port side to. Popped some fizz to celebrate our first trip out. Had some sunshine and sat around on deck before packing up. Day ended with 25 knots from SW, 8/8 low cloud, spots of rain.

Ballast

Scrap zincs

Orion carries a small but noticeable starboard list because of the weight of the shower and heads structure on the starboard side aft of the wheelhouse. Brian had dealt to this with water ballast in two bags under the main cabin bench seats. On the trip down from Napier these started leaking and a damp carpet in the cabin and frequent but short duration activation of the aft pump were the signs.  We emptied and removed them. Now we've been shopping for some discarded zincs which we found at Metal Recyclers in Blenheim— $150 for 200 kgs.

Ship's dog

Ship's Dog Poppy

Ship's dog Poppy on gangway duty. There are quite a few dogs along Pier H, and Poppy knows all of them now. Also there is mother duck with her eight chicks. No doubt there are more creatures to be prevented from boarding the Orion unless they can show their credentials. Woof woof.

Arrival Havelock

Orion arrived Havelock

Handed over all shipshape

After a not uneventful voyage from Napier (they towed a yacht that could not start her engine in a dead calm but a bobbly sea from Cape Palliser to Queen Charlotte Sound), and after spending a quiet night in Mahau Sound, Orion and her crew berthed on H8 in Havelock Marina. This is expected to be Orion's home at least for the foreseeable future.

Wanting to show our appreciation beyond just paying the fee and expenses we gave presents of a beautiful decanter of Nelson's Blood to Skipper John Burns and a bottle of Jura "Superstition" single malt to chief mate Peter Browne. 

John Skipper Burns

Peter Browne

Today we have parted the best of friends as they boarded the Bluebridge ferry for home. The weather window that finally got Orion down here is already sliding shut. The barometer is trending down, it's raining, and by Monday a big southerly swell is forecast up both coasts of New Zealand.

Pelorus Sound

Wonderful news that Orion is laying to a combined clubs buoy in Mahau Sound tonight. We'll learn the details of the passage tomorrow, but it seems she made good time. John says in a text, "Got virtual diesel heater glowing nicely below decks with ducted air through forecabin and wheelhouse". What he means is that the big Gardner is something of a night storage heater, and he's left the engine room doors open to warm the cabins. The days have been nice, but the evenings are still chilly.

South side of Putanui Point

Castle Point

With Castle Point abaft the beam, John and Peter captured a stunning sunset and the perigee moon. Tonight, September 28th, the full moon is the closest super moon of the year.

Sunset (pic John)

Big moon (pic Peter)

Cape Turnagain

We woke this morning to a text to say Orion had departed Napier. The weather is set fair for the next few days. On board are John Skipper Burns and Peter Browne. Early afternoon, John sent two photographs.

Cape Turnagain

Peter Browne on watch

Tsunami alert

A magnitude-8.3 earthquake off the coast of Chile has sparked a tsunami alert along the east coast of New Zealand, including Napier. It's good to know that John Burns is there keeping a watchful eye on Orion, and of course his own Panther. John emailed last night to reassure us that Orion had plenty of water under her, and plenty of mooring lines out. Even so neither of us slept very well, and we suspect John was up half the night too. I watched breakfast TV and they showed pictures from Gisborne marina, and things looked pretty quiet there with a rise of about 30 cms. The alert has not been lifted yet as waves reflected off the Pacific Islands are expected to arrive later in the day. The follow-up is that it turned into not much over here, but we all feel for those Chileans who died, and for those now faced with cleaning up the mess. We were spared, but these events always serve as a reminder to make preparations and have disaster plans in place.

In the bilges of my mind

When we became aware of the pitting corrosion in the tail shaft we were all trying to think of any boat we'd ever heard of actually shearing a shaft. The Interislander ferry Aratere is easy, and everybody gets that one. But no-one guesses Cousteau's ship, the Calypso. Not only did she shear a shaft, but she did it 1800 miles from the nearest drydock. In the clip below jump to 18 minutes 40 seconds to see the action. Run on past 21 minutes to hear Cousteau's reflection: "...in the bilges of my mind."

Guardian

Gardner 8LXB

I am so privileged to be the current guardian of this long-lived engine. My family came from Manchester, so that connection is special for me. To hear it idling, or to hear it in full song, both are a joy.  It's 14 litres, makes well over 150 hp and well over 900Nm torque for around 2 litres per nautical mile. The gearbox is a TwinDisc 3:1 reduction with a 40" 4-bladed propellor. We get 7 knots at 900 rpm and 9 knots at 1300 rpm. There's full standing height in the engine room, access all around the engine, a workbench, and lockers. Orion carries 1200 litres of fuel giving her a range of 1000 nm at 7 knots or 700 nm at 8 knots.

Hawke's Bay

Departing Tolaga Bay for Napier

Arrival Napier Monday August 3rd

Lying Napier 

Took fuel oil on arrival 700 litres. Steaming time Greenhithe to Napier 1 day 23 hours (TBC by SJB). Further details of the passage to be posted here once they emerge. 

Wednesday 5th August

Currently waiting on weather to continue to Havelock. This low pressure system is expected to bring strong winds and snow to low levels on south island. For our northern hemisphere readers, note that the water goes down our plughole the opposite way to you... winds blow anti-clockwise around a High and clockwise around a Low.

Rounding East Cape

East Cape, East Island

This neat picture was taken by JSB this afternoon as they made the turn to the south. On the left is East Cape, and on the right East Island, seen over Orion's stern. Fair to say that while in the fishing Orion roamed around following the season, but this would be the longest trip she's made in over a decade.

Bay of Plenty

Peter Browne, Mate

Dolphins bow riding

More dolphins bow riding

White Island anchorage

Setting forth

JSB shaping up for the Colville Channel

Weather set fair for a couple of days

Port Charles, anchorage on the Friday night 

Eve of departure

Delivery skipper and mate, eve of departure

John Skipper Burns has spent a week attending to a number of small but important details. Sweat the small stuff, because it is the small stuff that can escalate into a breakdown or into water ingress. There's a lot to be learned from JSB, and I'm sorry not to be there. Tomorrow he plans to fuel up, victual up, and go into the anchorage ready for the off. Picture by John Butler.

Afloat again!

Afloat again after refit at Salthouse

We didn't realise what a turning point this was going to be, emotionally. Big moment for us, Orion going afloat after six weeks hauled at Salthouse. This has been the most awesome time: putting right the very few things that were wrong; catching up on some regular old maintenance; and making a couple of small improvements. Now we need to say thank you to Salthouse, and get John Skipper Burns back from mid-Tasman, and start heading south.

No. 16

Found this on YouTube. Go Number 16!

Just to clarify, for those readers who are not boaties, the big blue thing is not Orion. The big blue thing is an Auckland Harbour tug. You're looking for a smaller white boat with light blue trim going along in the midfield and flying the red duster; three figures can be seen on the aft deck. Skip to [1m 54s] and you'll see her.

Obsessed? Us?

Water sample

This is a water sample taken from Pier H Berth 8 at Havelock Marina. Details are in the page titled "Observations" in the right hand column of this blog. Pictured is the kit for measuring the Relative Density and the pH. After a rain event Havelock fills up with fresh water, and H8 is right by the outfall from a creek. This has the potential to be a Good Thing because alternating between salt and fresh can have benefits with both weed and critters.

No real drama

John Burns was to come up on Wednesday July 1st, which thing he did. But on the very day he was traveling we found pitting corrosion in the tail shaft, in the usual place, in way of the stuffing box. We should have inspected it earlier, but we didn't.

John Skipper Burns

So John took the opportunity to have a very good look around, and after making a few recommendations, satisfied himself that Orion was about ready (except for the corroded shaft) for the trip South. John has gone off now to sail a boat back from Bundaberg and will return to Orion in about two weeks, the time it should take to do the work on the shaft. All part of the fun when you own a boat.

The new shaft from Chatfield Marine

Additional detail for geeks:

It's crevice corrosion, and possibly occurred during the time she lay idle in Whangarei before Brian bought her. It's hard to really know how bad this kind of corrosion is just by looking at it. But there's significant loss of strength, and with the best part of 1000 Newton metres of torque made by the Gardner 8LXB and multiplied by the 3:1 reduction gear, there is the potential for even a 3-inch shaft to shear, and Simon Willis of Chatfield Marine confirmed this. Various courses of action were mooted, from doing nothing based on the premise that the corrosion was historical and Orion had been going around like that for years, to replacing the conventional stuffing box with a floating seal to prevent similar problems in the future. Sue and I felt that we couldn't live with a known (quite major) defect, and that equally we didn't need to fit (expensive) modern solutions that would involve disturbing the stern tube. So we took the middle road, and decided simply to replace what was there, but with SS2205 instead of the existing SS316. 316 would have been the standard of the day when the existing shaft went in, but 2205 is commonly used today. To quote Australian Stainless (ASSDA): "The grade has excellent corrosion resistance and is superior to grade 316, performing well in most environments where standard austenitic grades may fail. 2205's low carbon content gives the grade a high resistance to intergranular corrosion and has better resistance to uniform, pitting and crevice corrosion due to its high chromium and molybdenum content. As 2205 is a duplex stainless steel, the grade is also less sensitive to stress corrosion cracking in warm chloride environments, unlike austenitic stainless steels. The grade also has good resistance to stress corrosion cracking when exposed to hydrogen sulphide in chloride solutions. High mechanical strength combined with excellent corrosion resistance gives 2205 high corrosion fatigue resistance."

Shippy details

Handrail on cabin top

Handrail on wheelhouse side

When Orion was in the fishing there would have been plenty of gear to hold on to when she was rocking and rolling. One hand for the ship, and one for yourself. With the gear gone and the low bulwarks we felt a bit unsafe, so Nick made us these teak handrails. Nice shippy details.