I have been busy lately, I recently left my job in politics and started a short term contract at my yacht club, helping out in the office until a new manager is appointed. Sadly, about a year ago, the club manager passed away suddenly. He had been involved in the club for many years and had…
Banks Peninsula was initially called Banks Island by Captain Cook when he circumnavigated New Zealand back in the 1770’s. When you are out at sea it is easy to see why, as the Port Hills and Mt Herbert rise high above the very flat Canterbury Plains, making it look like the Peninsula is sitting it…
Seth has been doing a school science project on Astronomy. One of the projects he had to do was to find out how to find South using the stars.
Winning isn’t everything unless you are sailing with Team Machine… The only thing that comes close to being as important as winning is looking good! – Rule #1! Andrew has just spent the last few weekends racing another Young 88 called Flying Machine. Here is his report of how this last weekend went…
I have been a member at Naval Point Club Lyttelton for about 15 years now. I spent a couple of years as the Rear Commodore for Keelboats and I have always helped out running the crew list, maintaining the club Facebook page and helping organise social events. This time last year, our long standing club…
Despite learning all my lights and being a nerd with the Coastguard Boating Education flash cards, when you are at sea at night it is really hard to decipher navigation lights on other boats. I think the main difficulty I have is knowing how close you are to the other boat. We don’t have radar…
Yes I am back to studying again! Time to refresh the old buoyage knowledge. It is handy stuff to know (especially if you have an exam coming up or are planning on navigating in a new area!) Non sailors – please read on, you might learn something for a quiz night. Sailors will probably (hopefully)…
My first memory of the Americas Cup was the 1987 challenge in Freemantle – Perth. I had recently started sailing, and was addicted. I must have been 11. I had a little pink Optimist called Dire Straits (after my favorite band).
I am approaching my 40th birthday this year…! That means I have been sailing for… gulp – 30 years! Cue the record scratch rewind noise… Lets head back on a trip down memory lane to how it all began…
I am on to my next Coastguard course now… Inboard Engine Maintenance. So once again I am going to be using the blog as a convenient place for me to store my study notes for my future reference. How engines work is a complete mystery to me, however I am super keen to learn! So…
Astrolabe Sailing 