sv evi

Guava is currently anchored in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand waiting for a favorable weather window to make the 1100nm passage north to Fiji.  During the last 4 years she has spent the majority of time moored in Tutukaka, NZ.  I have made annual trips from Seattle to cruise the ‘Kiwi Summers’ for 2-4 months each year.  At the start of 2012 the chores began to attend to neglected maintenance and prepare to depart for the tropics.

Whangarei is maritime town with all the services needed to assist in prepping a yacht.  Boatbuilders, travel-lifts and hardstands, chandleries, sailmakers as well as all the other stainless, canvas, mechanics, etc and their respective shops are present.  Approaching Whangarei in March after a couple of months cruising Northland, Poor Knights Islands and Great Barrier, Guava’s 40yo, obsolete gear box began acting up and these symptoms had me anchored outside Riverside Marina, waiting for a hual-out.  During that time on the hard the project list grew (as it always does) and the jobs performed included but were not limited to;

-remove and rebuild old transmission

-remove and rebuild raw water pump

-rebuild altenator

-rewire Volvo

-clean and paint Volvo

-remove shaft log and replace cutlass bearing

-rebuild stuffing box

-remove, polish and apply ‘Speed Prop’ paint to prop

-replace zincs, bottom paint, boot stripe paint

-repair canvas dodger

-repair mainsail, working jib, recently acquired asymmetrical spinnaker

During this time the deflatable dinghy, TSSsssss was given much needed attention.  Patching and reinforcing the floor, pontoons and transom.   Worked on the old 8HP Nissan outboard that has been with me from the beginning.  Tried to trade it in for a newer, larger, shiny model but somehow just could not part with the old one.

Now at anchor and waiting, it gives me time to address some other smaller issues  like rebuilding the propane manifold, rewiring some lights, installing new ones, rigging new weather station, etc.  There is ugly weather on the way for the next few days and Jason (sv Bodhran) and I are patiently waiting for it to pass and ride the favorable window on the backside of the front.