Laura Dekker Sails into New Zealand - Her New Home

The Dutch sailor Laura Dekker has finally made landfall in New Zealand. Still a couple of months short of her seventeenth birthday, this charming young sailor has crammed more into her few years than most of us spend our whole life dreaming about!

One can only admire her tremendous spirit and guts in overcoming the unbelievable adversities she faced in even getting started on her adventure of a lifetime - let alone actually completing a circumnavigation and then sailing onto New Zealand which is to be her new home.

Being born on her parents yacht just sixteen years ago in New Zealand, she carries that country's passport and can settle in right away as a New Zealand citizen. 

Here are her two latest blogs from her website www.lauradekker.nl  of her arrival and subsequent activities. The 02 Sept. post shows her still at sea and her cool capabilities as a mature sailor with the technical no nonsense approach to the weather, sea conditions and her pending landfall at Whangarei, New Zealand. In the 03 Sept. post, having arrived, she let's herself go a bit with a more sixteen year old like commentary you might expect:

 2-9-2012

Yesterday was another interesting day, sailing close hauled at 25-30 knots of wind, I heard a loud flapping in the afternoon. The top of Guppy's mainsail ripped off! So well yeah...it was way too rough to change the sail at that moment. But Guppy was under the mizzen and the stormjib still doing more than 6 knots, so it was okay. Today the wind dropped down a little and I was able to change the main this morning. The next depression is closing in on us fast but I hope to be in Whangarei entrance at 17.00 local. I checked the weathernet and they said that it would be really good if I could make it before 19.00 local time. Until then, the wind will be staying under 30 knots and the waves will probable be fine to make it in. I know Gup can do it =D. Everything is going well. We're doing a good 7.5 knots now with a temperature of 14 degrees during the day. So that's taking a bit of getting used to. Oh and we saw albatrosses today. That was kinda cool :).

Laura

3-9-2012

Yesterday as I came in there was a boat with cameras aboard filming my entrance into Whangarei and then some media, all really nice people. As soon as we cleared in, I decided to go directly to the marina. I am happy we did that because it's pouring now! All the buoys were lit up along the way so it was quite easy. Immediately, we met some really nice people who took us for dinner, which was very cool of them. Then I just fell asleep right away and didn't wake up until the next morning. How lovely! As soon as we woke up, we went to the supermarket in the pouring rain and bought some fresh cheese and ham and bread for a nice breakfast! Yay! Oh and we got an umbrella too -.-. Then we finally had a nice hot shower and met the people at the Marina who are awesome. And then guess what?! Remember the boat Winddancer, that I met in South Africa and then had contact with in the Atlantic? Well, they left the boat in Curacao and they are here in Whangarei now (they have a house here) and we are going to have dinner with them tonight. Nice, hey?! I already love it here. And well, it finally stopped raining so we're going to go check this place out some more! Guppy smiles at me, so very happy to be here at her new home with her log stopping count, for the moment, at almost 36,000 nm. New Zealand, here we are!

Laura 



Laura's 37ft Jongert 'Guppy'



Laura is obviously a determined, resolute and resourceful girl - one look at her steady blue eyed gaze will tell you that - and no matter what she takes on in the future I am sure she will do well. With the nautical experience she has built to date there will be many opportunities open for her within the sailing world.

For the time being though, we can only heap her with congratulations on completing this chapter of her life and wish her well in her new country and the very best for whatever she tackles from here on. 

Good luck Laura.

Images and blog posts courtesy Laura Dekker, video courtesy YouTube 

You can read much more about onboard cruising life in my ebook 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise', dowloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Cruising Sailors Sail Cover Measuring Procedure

The time will come at some point in your sailing adventures when the mainsail cover on your yacht will need replacing. There are many ways of measuring up for a new sail cover, but obviously if you have a well proportioned measurer, tape (measuring and gaffer) in hand to do the heavy lifting, it makes for a much more simple and pleasant task for the camera operator!

Whilst viewing this instructional video please keep your eyes on the highlighted instructions for each step at the bottom of the screen. Missing one of them could upset the correct sequence!



Other considerations you will need to take into account are:

What type and weight of material do you wish to use.

Colour and edging.

Cutouts for lazy jacks and goosenecks etc

Securing material - most likely velcro - keeping in mind the effects of UV over time.

Depending on your budget you may also look around the deck to see what other items could do with protective covering.

Here are a few to think about having covers made for: hatches, dorades, GPS pod. If your outboard motor is clamped to the pushpit rail, a cover for that is also good practice.

If you have a teak deck and your boat is going to be stored on the hard for any length of time in tropical waters, then having a cover made shielding the teak decking is worth considering. When installed this would be stretched tight from the toe rails so there is air space between it and your deck.   

The more covering you afford your floating home at this time is money well spent as over the longer term it will pay for itself. And, if at some time in the future you wish to sell your boat, price is very much determined on the overall condition of her. Dollars spent now will pay dividends in the future. 

You can read much more about canvas care and general maintenance of you sailboat when cruising in my ebook 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise', downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com       

Americas Cup AC72 Catamaran Launch in Auckland New Zealand

With much fanfare and palpable excitement the Emirates Team New Zealand 

Americas Cup AC72 catamaran has been launched at the Viaduct Basin in downtown Auckland.

These new machines are massive beasts and absolutely dwarf the AC45 cats

the teams have been racing in the World Series up until now.



AC72 Official Launch - Auckland

The skills learned under racing conditions on the smaller vessels will now be tested to the max on the huge AC72 and I would suspect that all crews will be approaching the challenge with a strong mixture of excitement and trepidation. It will be like going to a whole new level (when you compare the size difference) of skillset and no doubt a scary proposition for every crew member.

The speed alone is something that will take time to adjust to and then the height the outside sponson will be above the water in the event of a capsize. A crew member hanging on and looking down with the prospect of falling, will be dangling almost 50ft above the water! a position every crew will be praying that they never find themselves in....?  

Size comparison Artemis AC45 and AC72

The video also gives an impression of the size of the AC72 as you walk around the hull - note all the various lifting and placement equipment - the crew are involved in a very complex and delicate task getting the huge wing up and the boat rigged, ready to go splash - which she does shortly after.


For the more technical of you, cast your eye over the spec. chart below to get an idea of the difference in size of the two classes of boats.

Specification chart comparison AC45 and AC72

When one considers the funding required to keep these challenges afloat (excuse the pun), it becomes blatantly obvious that none would survive if it weren't for the wide range of sponsors that support them. Emirates Team New Zealand have added one or two more in recent times and I am sure the other teams have a similar need.

With the launch of these amazing vessels the stage is now set to witness probably the most spectacular Americas Cup ever, with many rounds to go yet before reaching the final races in San Franscisco in July 2013 - watch this space. 

You can read more about racing around the cans in a much more modest fashion whilst cruising, in my ebook 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise', downloadable from my website www.sailboat2dventure.com

Sailboat Varnish Brightwork Maintenance that Glows

Varnishing your brightwork on your boat can be a time consuming affair, especially if you have let it go too long and deep sanding becomes necessary. So, as in all things, frequency is the key and you will find you can quite easily keep on top of it. You can varnish at sea on calm days when there is no spray flying, idle hours in a foreign port put to good use and of course the annual spruce up will undoubtedly include some varnishing in the programme.

As  the following article explains there is nothing more satisfying than examining your handiwork on completion of that deep burnished glow of freshly varnished timber (teak or otherwise) that helps to keep your vessel looking in top shipshape fashion.



Reflections in the Glowing Varnish Work 

'Varnishing wood on a boat is relaxing and rewarding. The look and feel of nicely varnished teak or mahogany enhances the appearance of any boat, even if it only has a little bit of wood. Keeping wood varnished is also an excellent way to make it easier to clean and to preserve it over many years.

Varnish will preserve marine woodwork in the condition it was in the day it was varnished. That means any blemish, residual stain, or dirt left on the wood will be preserved forever, so it is important that the wood be properly sanded and cleaned before varnish is applied.

Old varnish that cannot be recoated must be completely removed. I use a chemical stripper or a heat gun to remove it, then sand. If you leave the old varnish, it will look bright yellow underneath the new varnish, so be very thorough when removing old varnish.

If you are just recoating existing varnish, clean thoroughly and sand lightly with fine sandpaper. When building up coats of varnish, keep sanding to a minimum and use 220 sandpaper or higher. Always keep the varnish area as free of dust as possible. Each speck of dust that finds its way into wet varnish seems to turn into a boulder when the varnish has dried, and you cannot sand it out without losing the entire coat of varnish in that area.

Varnishing Over Oil

Contrary to what you may hear, you can apply varnish to wood that has previously been treated with oil. One of the main ingredients of varnish is oil, so the idea that varnish and oil are incompatible is obviously false. There are other chemicals involved, so it is a good idea to test your particular combination of oil and varnish on an unobtrusive spot to verify that there will be no problem with the varnish sticking and curing properly.

The only problem I have encountered when varnishing wood that was previously oiled is that oiled wood tends to gather dirt and dust and also tends to clog sandpaper. I like to give oiled wood a good cleaning with a scrub brush and some Dawn dishwashing detergent before attempting to sand it.

Choosing Your Brushes for Varnishing

I have used all kinds of brushes to apply varnish. I have learned the hard way why a good varnish brush costs more money: it's worth it. I have also learned that I can do pretty darn well with disposable foam brushes, so I use those. If you keep them well soaked and move slowly along the grain of the wood, the varnish flows on nice and smooth with few bubbles.

High-quality brushes for varnishing are more expensive, but do a much better job than the cheap brushes. The less-expensive disposable foam brushes also work very well.

If bubbles form while the varnish is wet, you can usually just blow on them and they will usually pop and even out as the varnish dries.

One of the reasons it is not a good idea to varnish in direct sunlight is that wood that is being heated will expel a little bit of air, which encourages bubbles to form as the varnish dries. Such a bubble is just like letting a piece of dust settle in wet varnish: it can't be removed without losing the whole coat of varnish in that area. It must be completely sanded out, or it will always be visible. If you must varnish in direct sunlight, do it late in the day when the wood is cooling off and drawing in air, and use some thinner to make the varnish flow more easily in the heat.

Applying the Varnish

Varnish should be applied in a smooth film, brushing from the dry area into the wet edge and then gently and evenly lifting the brush. Dragging a corner of the brush or allowing a drip of varnish to fall as you lift the brush are common mistakes, and avoiding them just takes practice. Try to learn on an unobtrusive area, and have a plan to complete the entire job while maintaining a wet edge. If it is not possible to maintain a wet edge, plan to make the "seam" where varnish coats meet occur along edges so it will not stand out.



Grab Rails Glowing

Sanding between coats should only be done with extra fine sandpaper, and only very gently. Some people do not sand at all between coats, but just wipe down the previous coat with laquer thinner. Varnish will stick without sanding, but you can get a smoother finish with a light sanding.

It is critical that the wood be properly cleaned after sanding before applying more varnish. I use a minimum of 3 coats of varnish for interior marine woodwork, and at least 5 coats for exterior wood. Because the first thing to break down in the sunlight is the UV protection included in good quality marine varnish, look for a varnish with a high percentage of UV resistant additives. In the tropical sun, expect to recoat unprotected wood at least once per year.

Adding Non-Skid to Your Varnish

For special applications such as cockpit grates and cabin soles, the more durable two-part varnishes are a good choice. To add a little traction, I sprinkle a little sand over the second-to-last coat after it is applied, or just mix it with the varnish. Let it cure thoroughly, wipe down with solvent, and apply the final coat over the sand. It makes a good non-skid surface as long as the sand lasts, but does need recoating once it is worn down enough that the sand starts to come off.

A good varnish job requires careful preparation and meticulous technique, but for those of us who love the look of finely varnished wood on a boat, the reward of removing the tape and seeing perfectly finished wood makes all the time spent worthwhile'.

Article and image courtesy www.boatwoodfinishing.com and images courtesy sailworld.com 

You can read much more about day to day and general maintenance when cruising, in my ebook 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise', downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com