On May 19, 1:42 pm, cruisin wrote:
On May 18, 6:05 pm, wrote:



cruisin wrote:
Greetings from Fiji,
A quick, slightly longwinded, note to report what happens to a boat
left alone with her keel in a hole for too long...not pretty.............
... The reality of things was kind of shocking, though, and I doubt I'll
ever leave our girl alone like that again. Bottom line is what we've
always known- the worst thing you can do to a boat is not use her for
too long.

Yep, gremlins invade boats that are left too long... it sounds like
you all had some bad ones, but made a speedy recovery. Glad to hear
everything worked out.

Just a suggestion: it may be cost-effective to replace the electrolyte
in your batteries. Batteries that are left flat invariably suffer loss
of capacity. It may be a relatively easy & cheap way chase out a few
electrical gremlins.

Putting the keel in a hole for dry storage may be common in the
tropics... that's the way boats are kept in much of the eastern
Caribbean. Harder to work on the bottom, easier to work on everything
else!

It's good to hear from you!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Yeah, except in this part of the world I think they're called
menehunes, polynesian cousins of the gremlins. I always like it when
they decide to fix something they've screwed up- it actually does
happen sometimes when you leave them a plate of coconut cookies at
night.
All we're waiting for now is a small, lightweight, brave soul to
ascend the mizzen mast to r/r the windgen blades, and a very laidback
NoCal vendor to ship a new contactor for the windlass.
So how does one replace electrolyte in batteries? Gotta get the old
stuff out somehow and find an all night electrolyte store for a few
quarts of new juice? I might try equalizing them first, something
I've never had very good luck doing.
Yes, it was kind of handy to have the boat set down low for getting on
and off, and polishing the hull. Also didn't have that scary feeling
of about to tip over like when she's on stands.
Any of the rest of the old regulars ever check in here anymore? I
mean besides WilNeal? Barb and I had an 11 hour layover in Auckland
and thought about looking up your old pal the Navigator as we drove by
the university, but couldn't remember his real name. Who knows if he
even teaches there anymore.
We're still hoping to take a trip south when we get to Queensland and
see if we can't find Tadpole. We're looking forward to winetasting
our way there.

If you get as far south as Tasmania, I'm still here. May not be in
another 12 months tho.

PDW

On May 22, 9:57*pm, Peter wrote:
On May 19, 1:42 pm, cruisin wrote:

.

If you get as far south as Tasmania, I'm still here. May not be in
another 12 months tho.

PDW- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey Peter, a blast from the past! Yes, as long as we're in the under
part of downunder we'll undoubtably want to check out Tasmania. Gotta
see a Tasmanian Devil in his native habitat! Probably won't have the
boat with us, but will try to look you up for sure. Any good winerys
in Taz?

Cheers,

Mike and Barbara

On May 24, 5:57 pm, cruisin wrote:
On May 22, 9:57 pm, Peter wrote:

On May 19, 1:42 pm, cruisin wrote:

.

If you get as far south as Tasmania, I'm still here. May not be in
another 12 months tho.

PDW- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey Peter, a blast from the past! Yes, as long as we're in the under
part of downunder we'll undoubtably want to check out Tasmania. Gotta
see a Tasmanian Devil in his native habitat! Probably won't have the
boat with us, but will try to look you up for sure. Any good winerys
in Taz?

Lots of boutique wineries that specialise in the cool climate
varietals. One is right across the road from my place.

As for wildlife, you could look on my front lawn any evening and see
wallabies, pademelons, bandicoots and a few other creatures. Grey
kangaroos are around too. Taz devils are getting scarce in the wild
but there's a park down the Arthur Peninsula with plenty, and the Port
Arthur ruins are a must-see.

Best time of year, climate-wise, is probably Feb thru April. December
& Jan can be hot & sunny or windy & rainy but by Feb it's usually
warm, calm and dry.

My hotmail address gets to me eventually, when I remember to check it.
If you do bring the boat there's good anchorage out the front of my
place and I have a mooring there for a 42' Gazelle, tho it's in fairly
shallow water. Colvin designs don't draw much.

PDW

On May 27, 10:45*pm, Peter wrote:
On May 24, 5:57 pm, cruisin wrote:





On May 22, 9:57 pm, Peter wrote:

On May 19, 1:42 pm, cruisin wrote:

.

If you get as far south as Tasmania, I'm still here. May not be in
another 12 months tho.

PDW- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey Peter, a blast from the past! *Yes, as long as we're in the under
part of downunder we'll undoubtably want to check out Tasmania. *Gotta
see a Tasmanian Devil in his native habitat! *Probably won't have the
boat with us, but will try to look you up for sure. *Any good winerys
in Taz?

Lots of boutique wineries that specialise in the cool climate
varietals. One is right across the road from my place.

As for wildlife, you could look on my front lawn any evening and see
wallabies, pademelons, bandicoots and a few other creatures. Grey
kangaroos are around too. Taz devils are getting scarce in the wild
but there's a park down the Arthur Peninsula with plenty, and the Port
Arthur ruins are a must-see.

Best time of year, climate-wise, is probably Feb thru April. December
& Jan can be hot & sunny or windy & rainy but by Feb it's usually
warm, calm and dry.

My hotmail address gets to me eventually, when I remember to check it.
If you do bring the boat there's good anchorage out the front of my
place and I have a mooring there for a 42' Gazelle, tho it's in fairly
shallow water. Colvin designs don't draw much.

PDW- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks, Peter, for the kind offer. Maybe we'll enter Arabella in the
Sydney-Hobart and sail down! Do they have a "Furniture Class"? We
could get the trophy for slowest elapsed time no doubt.
One way or another, we will get down that way, I'm sure. We're
planning to spend at least 6 months to a year checking out Australia
and hopefully selling the boat in the meanwhile. Can't afford the
commuter-cruiser lifestyle anymore.

Mike and Barb

"cruisin" wrote in message
...


Thanks, Peter, for the kind offer. Maybe we'll enter Arabella in the
Sydney-Hobart and sail down! Do they have a "Furniture Class"? We
could get the trophy for slowest elapsed time no doubt.
One way or another, we will get down that way, I'm sure. We're
planning to spend at least 6 months to a year checking out Australia
and hopefully selling the boat in the meanwhile. Can't afford the
commuter-cruiser lifestyle anymore.

S'matter Mike? Did the old lady abscond with the contents of your bank
account like she did her former boyfriend's? If not now, sooner or later,
just don't make her mad. Remember you are now and forever her slave or else.
Keep this in mind as she gets bigger, older, lazier and crabbier. So she's
making you sell your boat and give up cruising? It figures. I tried to warn
you about that woman but you wouldn't listen. I tried to tell you she was
trouble but she managed to pull the wool over your eyes.

Wilbur Hubbard

On Jun 1, 5:19*pm, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:
"cruisin" wrote in message

...

snip
I tried to warn
you about that woman but you wouldn't listen. I tried to tell you she was
trouble but she managed to pull the wool over your eyes.

Wilbur Hubbard

Yeah sure Wilneal, we all know you really just wanted her to join you
in your purple-upholstered passion pit of a v-berth!

Mike the Bunyip-hunter

"cruisin" wrote in message
...

Yeah sure Wilneal, we all know you really just wanted her to join you
in your purple-upholstered passion pit of a v-berth!

Oh come now! If you're talking about the v-berth in Captain Neal's, world
famous, blue water, Coronado 27, surely you jest. There is no way in Hell
Ladysailor could fit in that small space. Besides, the Good Captain would
only want her to stay in the galley where old women belong provided she's a
good cook and dishwasher. For the v-berth the upper age limit is 30 years
old and the height limit is 5'2" and the weight limit is 110 pounds.seems
like I remember him telling me something along those lines.


Wilbur Hubbard
Allied Seawind 32, "Sea Isle"