We've been on the hard for almost a week, and we have just about everything checked off our "to do list". First off, was assessing the condition of the bottom paint. Once the hull was pressured washed, we saw several areas where the anti-foul paint had worn off. We had the option of doing touch up areas with new anti-foul or painting the entire hull with a fresh coat of anti-foul. We decided on option B, figuring we will glide through the water faster, it would help keep barnacles and other things from attaching to the hull, and it would just look better. So, after two days, the bottom paint was done.


New anti-foul paint on the hull.

Next on the list was having our transmission worked on. A few days before we moved to the boat yard, Tom started the engine, just to make sure the engine was running smoothly. Now, I should say, that we have been running the engine about once a week, again, just to make sure Ethel was happy. So, with the engine running, Tom stuck his head into the engine room, and noticed that we had a leak coming from the transmission. After doing some research online, he suspected that a seal needed replaced. It was a good thing that we already had our haul out scheduled, because the transmission work could only be done when Tanga was out of the water. So, Friday, Tom and another guy worked all day long on the transmission, taking it apart to access the seal. The hardest part of the job was trying to remove the corroded bolts and screws. A blow torch was needed. Now, the seal has been replaced , the transmission is put back together.

The last item on the list was installing our new transducer for the depth sounder. The thru-hull for the old transducer was bigger than the new one. So Tom filled the hole with epoxy and then waited a few hours for it to dry. Then, he drilled a 2 inch hole into the hull and sanded to it down so that it was flush on the inside and outside of the hull. A quick installation of the transducer, with a good coating of 5200, and it was done. Now, Tom needs to run the wire up to the cockpit and that job is done.


Tom sanding down the new thru-hull to make it flush with the hull.


New transducer installed, view from the outside of hull.


New transducer installed, view from the inside of hull.

So, with everything wrapping up today, we are hoping to be put back into the water tomorrow. We have just a few items to get done once we are back into a dock slip. We want to drop the jib and make sure the jib halyard has no chaffing points. We also want to add more markings on to our anchor chain. Once those are complete, we will be looking forward to leaving Whangarei and heading north to Opua. We will be clearing out of the country from Opua, obtaining some duty free diesel, and looking for a weather window to start our passage to Fiji!

One last thing to mention. It's getting cold here. We hear ads on the radio for buying firewood, we saw pumpkins for sale at the local hardware store, we are running our portable heater in the mornings and evenings and we learned yesterday, that New Zealand does daylight savings, we didn't know that. Yesterday was the end of daylight savings and we turned the clocks back one hour. Fall back!