We woke up early Friday morning, untied Proximity, and took her up river to Norsand boat yard in Whangarei. This is her regular haul-out where she will get new bottom paint, rig work, re-seal a few deck fittings and hatches, wash, wax, and polish the white sides of the hull, etc. It's all part of yachting and part of keeping an old boat from becoming an old boat. It's really amazing how intensely the sea and the elements seems to want to take a boat from you. We recently spent a full week polishing our stainless steel fittings and equipment on deck. Much of this steel is new, alot is 35 years old original equipment. After being out cruising a little over a year, it all looked the same. BAD. This process happens to new boats as well. We have seen much newer boats than us that have been "out" about the same time as us. Their steel looked terrible and neglected. It happens quickly, and made an impression on us. So now, our steel looks good, the hull will soon follow, and we will have some nice new things as well.

Meanwhile, this yard visit is quite interesting in that they use a method of getting the boats out of the water that is very novel to us. We have always had the boat brought out in a machine called a Travel Lift. It is much like a driveable crane with big, tall, wide legs. The Travel lift drives and straddles a deep water slip. The boat drives into the slip. The operator puts two slings under the boat, and they pick her right up and drive her to the work area.

Norsand uses a method more common to big ships (and yachts back in the old days). This is where they have a device like a "trailer" that is driven down a ramp leading into the water. The boat is then floated into the "trailer", blocks and braces are placed to keep the boat from falling over, and then the boat is pulled up the ramp. The process is slow, painstaking, and took most of the day. Small adjustments are made, checked and re-checked. In the end, we were out, parked very nicely, and we feel more securely supported than on the supports than the Travellift method uses. And...we got to see something new!

These boys know what they are doing too. The day after we hauled, they launched a big racing catamaran. This boat was at the limit of the size the yard can handle with maybe just a hand-width of clearance between the boat and the concrete slipway when they first started the process. Many people in the yard watched breathless, as the big girl went in. There was no drama, just an example of amazing skill. Have a look. (Click our gallery link!)

It's nice here too! The yard knows that nearly everyone here is from abroad, traveling the world, and lives on their boats. Thus, the yard is fitted up like a proper place to live. There is a nice meeting/eating area with a barbeque, a book exchange, refrigerator and freezer, nice clean showers, etc. Tonight we will attend a barbecue with our neighbors. There are two German boats, a French boat, and English boat, as well as locals and Aussies. A nice community - and it's a boatyard!!