Toasted ?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

A lot of room without an engine down there!

;-) In ours it would equal at least 200 liters of drinking water ... very tempting ...

;-)

b.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

You have hit the two big issues,

1) Why are Bukh parts (and just about everything else for boats) so (...) expensive. If I bought new parts from Bukh the difference in the cost of a swap-over engine is not much extra.

(...)

It is not just Bukh. But at least Bukh can justify things by saying the engine is done well.

In any specific place Bukh may be more expensive than others as it is (I believe) Danish built, in relatively small numbers, and then add transportation/storage costs etc and pop comes your answer.

b.

[SurferShane]

Thanks again everyone!

I am a bit hesitant admitting what happen next, but here goes. During the day before I made the post I was competing in the Southern Cross Festival standup paddle comp at Port Stephens. I.E, I have a legitimate reasons for being in the port on a "journey". After I bombed out of round two I went to the nearest industrial estate and checked out the availibility and cost of everything I need to have another go at the repair. I also checked the price of good generators both at the stores and on the net.

So I get back to the boat well after dark. I knew there was a forcast of a strong NE wind and would have sailed to a secure mooring, but I did not want to sail through the other boats at night and honestly felt "toasted". Anyway, the NE that had been forcast the same day turned out southerly!

So 4.00 am I wake up to feel the boat bouncing off the bottom in a NE squall. I call Marine rescue and notify them of my situation. The fellow who turns up to coordinate the situation is excellent. They are not supposed to do "salvages", however, because it is dead low tide and their is movement in the boat, he is fine about calling their lifeboat to tow me off. He was also well aware of my situation due the fact I had called them back when the motor failed and that since I had been visiting their headquaters to charge my phone and computer. I had kept tension on the anchor via the sheet winch and first go I am off. They deposit me safetly on an adjacent Police emergency mooring.

So next morning - my payday - I go buy all the parts and then watch the finals of the comp. Given the fact the forcast for that night was a genuine westerly gale the sensible thing would have been to leave the boat on the protected Police mooring till it bows out?

Wrong! I get back to the boat just before dark and Maritime NSW gave slapped a 24 hr eviction notice on my boat dated 7.00 am that moorning. I did not leave the boat till 9.00 am. Nonetheless, the notice states that if I am not off the Police mooring by 7.00 am the following morning my boat would be towed and impounded at my expense, most likely while I am away attending the racing division of the comp.

Freaking out about the continuing harrasement by Maritime NSW. I try to phone them and sort out the matter, but it is after hours and I get no answer or message. So just as the gale starts brewing I sail off to some courtesy moorings 500 yards away. As I moor up the wind starts to intensify. The courtesy moorings are more exposed and there is a rock lee shore I put up my mizzen sail to stabilise the boat and take upresure off the mooring. Around midnight, snap, my mizzen boom breaks as the gale hits its peak!

Ok, there was a slight knot in the timber where the boom shattered. I also have all the tools on board to make a decent replacement. Still this whole situation is getting beyond rediculous. I have more repairs, my boat is even more disabled, I have missed the race, I am stuck in a perilous situation with the westerly gusting up to 30 knots and I am even more anxious about harrasement from Maritime. Welcome to boating in NSW!

[SurferShane]

Hey people, sorry about the long story, but I feel I need to get the facts out there. You never know, this mooring could fail late night and I might go down with the SV Tardis.

Hopefully there would be an inquest!

[hummingway]

Every body needs to unload sometimes. Maybe start looking for an outboard to get you through this patch. I don't know your neck of the woods but there's always some around here that aren't terribly pricey. Can you find a place to work on her where the harbour police aren't looking over your shoulder?

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by hummingway

Every body needs to unload sometimes. Maybe start looking for an outboard to get you through this patch. I don't know your neck of the woods but there's always some around here that aren't terribly pricey. Can you find a place to work on her where the harbour police aren't looking over your shoulder?

Thanks

I sent a mate a message about a long shaft outboard he might still have for me. Likewise, in six weeks I should be able to buy a generator. As soon as the gale subsides I will get into the repairs.

Yes, there are places much more casual up the coast. I just need to get through the next few weeks. In the meantime, I am putting a friend who is s leading Barrister in Maritime Law on notice about the harrasement. I am also keeping all the receipts to show I have been genuinely attempting repairs.

Come business hours Monday and try to clesr up any missconceptions with Maritime NSW. Regardless, from recent ecperience, I have discovered that even if you approuch them on reasonable terms all you get are threats that go well beyong their ambit

I will also see if I can get a commercial swing mooring for for the next surf comp in a few weeks. It would be nice to get back and not have my boat impounded!

It would also be nice to be having this conversation real-time with other boaters, but I am guessing most around here have already been driven away by the draconian attitude of Maritime NSW.

[rusky]

Come up to QLD, its warmer, nicer people, play league better and less harassment.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by rusky

Come up to QLD, its warmer, nicer people, play league better and less harassment.

Till the latest dramas started that was exactly where I was heading after I compete in oneore surf comp in Sydney. Hopefully things will come good yet and we can catch up for a beer!

Oh I also hope no one thinks I am being a drams queen. Instead, I am hoping the posts gives anyone over here thinking of doing what I am a taste of the reality of living a board and sailing around NSW Australia.

[chall]

Originally Posted by rusky

Come up to QLD, its warmer, nicer people, play league better and less harassment.

Yes to the first, yes to the second and the fourth(sadly) but on the third I am hurt, mortified and aghast

Come on, we may nearly almost be good enough to stand some chance of winning this year.

Shane really sorry to hear things aren't getting any better.....laws of boats, things go wrong all at once, together and in a big way.

On the long arm of the law( Who aren't actually the law, but in fact people we supposedly are paying to help us out on the water) I have several things I could say about them as an organisation, and the rules they 'enforce' but most of it would get me banned

[Wotname]

Hang in there SS

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by chall

On the long arm of the law( Who aren't actually the law, but in fact people we supposedly are paying to help us out on the water) I have several things I could say about them as an organisation, and the rules they 'enforce' but most of it would get me banned

This is the part I don't get either. The flywheel drama started a few months back when I was steaming out of Swansea channel late night. I had only been on the lake for ten days with one sail back to Newcastle in between. The first weekend I was helping a mate in the merchant navy slip his boat. The second I was attending the Classic Boatfest.

So Maritime wake me up in the morning and have a go at me about anchoring in the navigation lane. When I told them I had broken down without asking me what the problem was and what I would need to repair it, they offer to tow me to the ocean side of the openning bridge that crosses the channel. I.E, just get rid of me off their waterway.

I did the best repair I could. However, without access to power tools I could only remove and replace four of the six bolts leaving the flywheel slightly off place. How nice would habe it been for then to be a bit more considerate and tow me back onto the lake so I could sail over the yacht club and do a proper repair?

The worse part is the repair failed as I was entering Port Stephens. In the lee of Tomaree Head, before I could get the sails up and find some wind, the boat drifted onto the outside bar and got cleaned up by a 3 metre set. This is when I first contacted Marine Rescue. Luckily, by the time they got to me I had sailed the boat behind Fingal Island and safetly anchored.

Like seriously, had Maritime been a bit more considerate I could have done a proper repair that would not have put my life in danger! Now the repair is getting harder. Then instead of continuing my journey I am stuck on another waterway again being harrassed.

[BlueSun]

Hang in there Shane. We have just arrived in NSW and its pretty eye-opening to hear your story. We are budget cruisers too and are a bit worried about being a target for draconian rule-makers. Skipper is a mechanic, so if we get up your way (Port Stephens right?) before you have sorted your engine troubles he'd be very happy to have a look at it for you. Good luck mate.

[Ex-Calif]

I hate to be the guy to cr@p in your Wheatabix but I don't think the police are required to be a towing service.

Yes you've had a bad run of luck with the motor. Yes you are on a budget.

But they should tow you back to the lake? How far is that?

So far you had a couple of not quite emergencies and have had to tie up in places you are not normally supposed to tie up. What if some other dude was camped on that police mooring when you needed to use it for your emergency?

In the US you'd call US Tow and be responsible to get your boat out of channels, navigation ways and off private and restricted moorings.

Around here in Singapore we are constantly arranging buddy tows, some of quite some length.

I did about a 1 1/2 hour tow on a guy who's engine gave up the ghost. It was in a river and sailing was not possible at this point in the journey. My boat at wot threatened to overheat twice and we had to proceed at reduced throttle.

Don't understimate how tough towing is on the good samaritan's equipment and boat.

If you need an engine to navigate your boat in and out of channels, avoid other traffic and generally get around then, sorry, it's your job as boat owner to get it sorted.

Maybe the NSW water police are in a conspiracy against you but my observation of the thousands of boats in Sydney on a weekend indicates they are not all having the same experience as you...

Sorry if I sound harsh and good luck with your boat recovery.

[sabray]

These gov guys are doing their job. Someone voted for the rules under which hey don't owe you anything. Your upset and they towed you once to safety.
Better treatment then you would get US side frok ourHarbor master. Here they are a fee collector agency and won't intervene in a pre disaster situation.
Your unhappy because you can't hang your boat on a emergency mooring while your surfing. And your not sure you can maintain the boat or keep it seaworthy or have proper ground gear. Sorry I'm not graced with Apologetic tones sounds like you need a sailor spirit you are responsible now. Get your gear in order and don't expect some bail out from anybody.

[BlueSun]

There is a big difference between "just doing your job" and being unreasonable. I dont think Shane is asking for a bail out - just some understanding of his situation, and certainly not insisting he put himself or his boat in danger.
Anyway, our taxes pay their salaries so... ;o)