Hello from a new liveaboard under 30ft from Australia :-)

[CruiserPete]

Hi lovely people :-)

Just wanted to say hi on the actual forum as I've introduced myself on the website.
Just purchased my first live aboard yacht and in the process of moving from house (rental ) to boat (I'm the owner )
I joined the site a few years ago with the plan of firstly getting back into sailing via Trailerable sailing boats and with the intention of eventually becoming a live aboard.

My plan was a 5 year goal to be living aboard with another 4 years after that to retirement after that on a larger liveaboard... I started out in 2012 and here I am in 2016 and about to move aboard my 27ft Columbia 27 (similar to Coronado 27 in the USA). I'll liveaboard for about 3 years and then upsize to something about 32-34ft as my last boat, my retirement boat. I'm a year in front of my initial goal so that's worked out pretty darn good :-)

I purchased and sailed the boat from Melbourne (Australia ) to Tasmania via Bass Strait and she sailed brilliantly. The sail was just over 40hr (248nm) and it was brilliant.

I installed a Raymarine EV100 autohelm to help with the sail and also a Lowrance LINK8 VHF/AIS plus a Raymarine GPS Chart plotter. I also purchased the required paper charts for Bass Strait including the outlying islands of King and Flinders as a backup to technology failing in case I needed refuge from storms. I carried 40L of diesel as extra and topped up the 60L inbuilt SS fuel tank. This gave me approx 60hrs of motoring at 5kns with a 40hr trip. Lastly, I installed all new Wichard Lyf-safe safety jack lines on the deck as well as 3 D rings for the safety harness tethers. I used two 2m tethers for the cockpit work and a 1m tether for the deck work. I also installed two safety ladders that were hung from the port and starboard to aid getting back onboard if I was to 'go over the side'

I actually sailed Bass Strait using the Navionics App on my iPad (with a backup Navionics app on my Sony Andriod phone) and the Navionics app was just brilliant...absolutely brilliant. I'm hard pressed to understand how manufacturers can compete against an $85 (Aussie map) app on an ipad (9inch screen) against a $1799AUD 9inch chart plotter.

I purchased three backup battery chargers at 10000mA so I'd have extra power to charge my phone or iPad it the boat lost power...

All in all, it was a fantastic way to get acquainted with my new home and she looked after me brilliantly. I have every faith she will continue looking after me.

Video of some Dolphins following us in Bass Strait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ssSQq720-M

A pan of Bass Strait - Sailing my home... well, home lol - heading South East with 10-15kn North Westerly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T9l0SVYY8s

Cheers all, Pete

[Reefmagnet]

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Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Pete, and welcome aboard and to the on board life. You sound pretty well based, and the success of your delivery trip was a testament to that. Well done!

So, where are you located in Tassie? PErhaps our wakes will cross, and we can say g'day in person.

Cheers,

Jim

[Kim Gregory]

Pete,
Looks like you are off to a great start!
Have you read this blog? Fun read of some great New Zealand sailing areas near you!

The Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick: New Zealand

They started with a Raven 26, and moved up to a Moody 346 when they got to the USA. "we left the rat race and we moved onto our boat at the end of 2013 and cruised around New Zealand for a while..."

My boat has been to Tasmania with the first owner, but I haven't. - Kim