Back in September 2010 – nearly four years ago now, at around 4.30am on a Saturday morning, a large 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch. I was fast asleep at the time, and can only describe the experience as terrifying. The sound is like a freight train rumble roaring towards your house, then everything starts to…
Originally posted on Do-It-Yourself Advice Blog.:
Fenders are an important piece of equipment for your boat as they keep your boat’s hull from hitting the dock, or even other boats. Protect your fender from the elements and your boat’s hull from chafing with a soft cover for your fender. Fender covers are simple to DIY…
Christchurch is a perfectly placed city to live in if you are a lover of sailing and skiing! The harbour is 20 minutes drive from the central city, and the mountains are just over an hour away. The two hobbies work so well together as well! We sail from September to June, and then the…
Wildwood has been needing a new paint job for about the last five years. We have been nursing it along by filling and patching up bits here and there, but ultimately that made her look like she had bright white shiny spots over the dull hull. As it is her 30th birthday next year, I…
I am always amused when I read a fashion magazine showing stunning models dressed in heels and gorgeous outfits on yachts! Oh how I wish I was as glamorous as this! Sailing along on the bow in a stunning outfit, high heels on with the wind not ruffling up my beautifully styled hair… I am sad…
A couple of years ago I was up in Queen Charlotte Sound sailing with some friends and we came across this yacht – Kokomo. She is 58 metres of pure gorgeousness! In fact I was speechless when we came around in to the bay and saw her anchored. I had never…
The yacht club mid-winter swim is on the last day of the winter series race. It co-incides with our prize giving. For some reason a couple of years ago we dedided to make it a club annual tradition. For some reason most people don’t seem too keen to partake – myself included. When I did…
There are many upsides to boat ownership – Haulout time is a downside… It begins with finding a suitable time of the year to do it. As we sail from September through to June, and ski from June to October, it doesn’t leave many spare weekends to fit this essential task in! This year the…
It is not often that we win anything on Wildwood. This is mainly because we race around with things like hand crank blenders, a fridge full of beer, scatter cushions and magazines, when all the other yachts are stripped completely and even have special ‘racing’ floorboards and light weight anchors. It might also be because…
A barometer reads air pressure – basically the weight of the column of air above it. Learning how to read a barometer can really help read changes in the weather as the barometer identifies areas of high and low pressure systems. Air naturally wants to travel from areas of high pressure to areas of low…
Astrolabe Sailing 