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.