SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip

We finished our haulout. We were out of the water for 2 weeks. The rudder is repaired. The swim step has a redesigned connection to the boat. Hopefully it doesn't leak....ever. The side stays are rebedded (no more leaks in rough seas). We had all the doors adjusted so they will close. Wind instruments now have lights (they were burned out). The bottom paint is new. AND Karen varnished the worn spots on the interior of the boat (BIG job). Stantions and bimini structure that were bent in the microburst event in Moorea are removed and straightened and reinstalled. Our failed water pump is fixed (now becomes the spare) and we got a new pressure switch for a spare. The refrigerator drive has been replaced with a freshly machined part and we got a spare for when/if that one fails. The refrigerator sounds much better The gen set now has a reconditioned salt water cooling system. The pummice from the volcano plugged the salt water heat exchanger. We bought a boat pole to replace the one we lost in Vava'u. We've ordered more spares for the salt water pump that the refrigerator uses. They haven't arrived yet.

When we get to Auckland, we'll get started on the new mainsail and on replacing all the lines and reworking the hydraulics.

The repairmen in New Zealand have all been excellent and while it is not cheap, it is a pretty good value when compared to Seattle prices.

After the haulout we cleaned the boat. That was a 2 day task! It is amazing how dirty the boat gets (inside and outside). The cleaning was full on hands and knees using soft scrub or 409 cleaner. Plain old soap and water was just a beginning. But now we are having our first dinner aboard at anchor and IT IS GRAND. (I'm having feta cheese and olives and anchovies in my salad!) We've posted a position report showing us in Tutukaka, about 50 miles from Opua. Tomorrow we'll do another 45 nm or so and then Auckland! This is a lot like cruising in the pacific NW. We picked good weather. The two days that we were cleaning the boat they had a thunderstorm in Auckland that was so bad it made international news. People died. Yesterday it was better. We could have gone if we wanted to deal with 40 knot winds (tailwinds though..,.)! Today, it is sunshine and 17 knots (on the nose, of course).

It is great to be cruising to another new place and to see more old friends. Jim and Barbara Cole are coming for the Christmas holidays. We're going to take our new car and tour New Zealand together.

Finally, I need to mention that we took some time between varnish coats and went to see the GIANT Kauri forrest and Cape Reinga. Wow. I'll post a picture. But first I want to show the fish I caught.....