Vivid by water, SYDNEY NSW 2023

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Hello fellow Cruisers,

Winter is just around the corner when I write this, though it has been pretty cold the past few weeks.

Whale season has started, and I hope many of you get the opportunity to sail out and say Hello to them as they pass on their way North – it is always a truly great experience to see them just outside our home waters.

At our last meeting, Andrew Pearson came and shared his experiences of going North, gave us great tips and inspiration for those who are planning a voyage up to Queensland and the reefs. The meeting was very well attended with both cruising members and guests. We even had visitors from Melbourne come and say hello as they are staying on the marina until heading further afield.

Looking ahead, we are all getting ready for the yearly safety inspections. Our auditors gearing up to audit the boats at the club and the rest of us getting our boats ready and up to scratch to pass with flying colours.

We will have a cruising raft up in Sugarloaf in June to meet up and get ready, if you are interested in joining with your boat, to get assistance and tips of what needs to be done, check our website and sign up for the event.

The committee is also planning for a few land events, both at the club and further afield, check our coming Compass Rose and/or the cruising events page for information.

We also have our Cruising AGM at the next meeting, 19^th June. Come along, meet your fellow cruisers, and ensure we are ready for the upcoming year.

There will be a life raft demonstration in conjunction with the meeting – if you have never seen one inflate – do come along!

Stay safe on and off the Water.

Sanna

Captain Cruising, SV RaRa

June winner: Kelly Clark with "Aurora Australis as seen from Sanctum in Randalls Bay Tasmania"

Send your photos to Mike McEvoy to enter into the 2023 Cruising Division Competition. Each Month the best photo received will be published and, in the running, to win a new Mystery Prize at the end of 2023.

Send your best photos (as a JPG / JPEG) - Remember … to be in the running to win the prize you must be in it.

Hint …. Give your favourite photo a Title and Place taken. Submit your photos to mmcevoy@bigpond.net.au

Good Shooting …!! Mike.

1. You see a light showing 2 white flashes.  What does this mean?
2. In the daytime – what colours and top mark would you see on the marker in Q1?
3. While pondering the mark in Q1, in heavy fog, you hear 4 short blasts on a horn.  What does this mean?
4. After working out the previous signal, what should you be listening for (hint – large vessel underway but possibly restricted in it’s ability to maneuver)? 
5. What is the term for the height between MHWS and MLWS?
6. You are on the eastern side of a strong low pressure system in the southern hemisphere.  What wind direction would you expect?
7. What term is given to a vessel which has gone aground at the top of a spring tide and has to wait two weeks for the next tide high enough to float off?
8. In Australia we are used to seeing red channel markers to port as progress upstream (ie away from the ocean).  Is this the same world wide?
9. You see a marker showing the following colours: red over green over red.  It has a red “can” topmark.  What is this and what does it mean?
10. You see a seaplane approaching.  Who has precedence – you or the seaplane?

I lost GPS on Kai Rani and could not see why I suddenly lost GPS. The E80 Raymarine screen also flickered a little as well. I thought the system needed to be replaced. God forbid that’s expensive. On further investigation I found that the GPS receiver ray star 150 has a battery installed Internally so I remove the GPS unit and pulled it apart to find the battery.  

I removed it and checked the voltage.  The cr2032 battery was meant to be 3 volts but was less than one volt.  I replaced the battery with a new lithium 2032, smeared a little vasoline onto the O-ring to help seal, then reassembled and re-seated to the deck.  I fired up the chart plotter(E80), it worked and the screen is now more stable.

It’s nice to have the GPS back and reliable again

Jeremy Clarke
SV Kai Rani

Martyn Colebrook  S/V SnO

It is very windy. I am tired and all alone. A simple task to move SnO from MHYC to her mooring at Seaforth Bluff. The wind is coming from various westerley directions. I aim for my little yellow buoy at the optimum angle which I determine by the way the other boats in the vicinity are facing.

My all time record attempt at single handed buoy 'pick up ' is thirteen. I don't want to beat this.

I move swiftly forward with the boat hook when I think I am within reaching distance. Missed it. Try again. The wind veers and the bow is pushed to one side. Another dance around the buoy. Try again.

I hope no one is watching from the houses above. Overshot. Never mind. Relax. Try again. Maybe reverse. Pushed too close to the rocky shore. Circle again. Oh dear. The wind veers. Round again. I have to be square on with the correct amount of propulsion maintained to counter the wind and tide, effectively keeping the boat static as I nose up to the buoy.

Theory and practice still do not align. I remember Andy, from Flying Fish, suggesting, a few months ago, that he would reverse up to a buoy in a similar situation. My patience having failed along with my bow forward mooring attempts dictate that I should try something new to add to the 'excitement'.

Digny, the dinghy, is tied to the stern so that doesn't help. I shorten the painter to prevent a propeller wrap. I have to reverse SnO downwind of the buoy and to the lee to prevent the stern being blown on to it and potentially wrapping it around the propeller.

I have form and do not want a repeat. Tim Gordge the mooring man, and past saviour, is not in sight.
I tie a mooring line to my starboard stern cleat and bring the line to the boarding platform.

I have the same problem as with the bow forward buoy pick up in  maintaining the correct propulsion, and steerage, in reverse, at the correct angle, to prevent the stern from being blown away.

Eventually, I am able to touch the buoy with my hand. I hold on to the push-pit and am just about to reach the wheel and throttle at the same time. Too fast. I will be blown onto the buoy and scissor it with my propeller.

Several attempts later I master the art and manage to thread a line through the buoy loop.

At last, I am secure and can take a breath. Next trick is to tie the bow to the buoy. I attach a mooring line to the bow cleat and run it to the stern. I have to use two lines tied together as my lines aren't long enough. I reverse up to the buoy and tie feed the bow line through the buoy loop. I then, yard by yard, release the stern line and heave on the bow line until eventually SnO is facing the correct way and I can reach the buoy and secure her properly.

I wasn't timing myself but reckon it took about an hour.

One of the many occasions when I think of selling.
However, another useful lesson learnt.

Salmon cheesecake

A great dish to have serve for lunch, a starter or dinner on its own.

Perfect to prepare at home and bring to the boat.

Works great for a few days if kept chilled.

Possible to freeze too.

6-8 serves for main meal

Base:

• 250 gr pumpernickel
• 100 gr melted butter

 Topping:

• 4 gelatine leaves
• 500 gr smoked salmon
• 500 gr cream cheese – room temperature
• 200 ml cream fraiche – room temperature
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• Garnish: Dill

Instructions:

1. Mix the pumpernickel in a food processor finely and add the melted butter, mix together
2. Add the mix as a base in a dish, can be aluminium or something with removable sides. I use smaller aluminium dishes as these are easy to store on boat
3. Put the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 mins
4. Cut the salmon in smaller pieces
5. Mix the cheese, cream fraiche carefully
6. Remove the gelatine from the water, squeeze out the water. Heat the lemon juice in a saucepan and add the gelatine to melt. Mix this into the cheese mixture
7. Put the filling onto the base. Cover and let chill in fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably longer.
8. Serve with plenty of dill on top and cut into pieces.   

   Sanna s/v RaRa

1.     This is an Isolated Danger mark.  It means that there is a danger although possibly clear water all around..

2.     Red and black, with two black balls on top.

3.     This is a pilot vessel engaged in pilotage duties.  Keep clear – there is probably a large ship nearby.

4.     A power vessel underway is one long blast- however if it is restricted in it’s ability to manouvre (due to narrow channel, tugs in attendance, etc) it may use one long and two short blasts to signify this.

5.     Mean Spring Range.

6.     A low pressure system in the southern hemisphere has winds spiralling in towards it in a clockwise direction around the low.  To the east of it you would expect northerly winds..

7.     Neaped.

8.     No – we are in “Area A” – in Area B (the Americas, Japan, Korea, Philippines and Taiwan) red is to port when going towards the ocean.

9.     This is a “Preferred Channel Port Marker”, but check your chart for the exact meaning (as for all markers which you are unfamiliar with).

10.Under the rules the seaplane has to give way to you, whether it is on the water or airborne – but don’t be stupid, try to give it a good clearance!

Hi Cruisers,

With everything that has been happening at the club of late it seems really important that we keep the Cruising division connected, alive and well.

I understand it’s been frustrating with some of the club changes and challenges but ultimately, we have a wonderful group of friends, a fantastic cruising captain, and we all enjoy being out on the water so lets see what we can do this year to further strengthen our group.

Evan and I returned just in time for the last CD meeting (a couple of weeks ago) and found the Harbourview room upstairs had been painted and the bar was open.   Our meetings are now going to be bar staffed.  That is great.    Cheese platters are back on, and the BBQ has moved upstairs, which seemed much easier to access.  A lot has changed in our absence!

So, with our AGM coming up in a few weeks I wanted to send out a nomination form to invite you to be part of the committee.   If you have limited time but are happy to help out when needed, but don’t want to be on the committee formally, please let us know this as well.

Also if you know of anyone who would like to come and speak about their adventures or endeavours let us know that too!  We are always on the lookout for interesting presentations.

On Monday, June 19^th  We will have our normal BBQ dinner at 6:30pm, everyone is welcome then our Cruising Division meeting will kick off at 7:30pm for a quick AGM followed by Phil Darling giving us a first-hand demonstration deploying a life-raft.   Have you ever seen a lift raft deployed?  Now is your chance.  This will be done upstairs in the harbourviews room I believe.

Please find the AGM Nomination form below, please return before next CD meeting on the 19th.

Warm Regards
Kelly
MHYC CD Secretary