2014 Solo Tasman Part 3: What could possibly go wrong Issue #2 - Insurance

Issue #2: Insurance.
The race start was Apr 14. In late 2013 my UK based insurance company advised that due to a change in international policy, where a company Underwritten by Alliance had a representative in Australia, I had to insure via the Australian based company. In this case I thought simple, go back to Club Marine (previously held insurance with them for about 10 years), present the survey from last year and get Offshore International Bluewater cover for the race. Not so fast he says......need another survey he says......must hold insurance with us for 12 months before Bluewater cover can be issued he says.....you want to race NZ to Australia he says......and so the banter continues. 


Result: In the end, my existing company Fastnet extended my coverage including race cover, to keep my stress levels and temper in check. Fastnet were awesome to deal with and covered me during my solo trip back from Malaysia, across and back to NZ and down to Port Stephens. Its a shame I cannot continue with them.

2014 Solo Tasman Part 2: What could possibly go wrong Issue #1 - Collision at Sea

What could possibly go wrong he said.......well, Mr Murhpy was hard at work on four fronts; collision at sea, insurance, keel joint and weather gods!

Issue #1: Collision at Sea.
In mid 2013, a large abandoned cruising floating footpath (ferro-cement) yacht drags its mooring and collides with the old 'Rogue' on her mooring. I am on board doing some maintenance when a 35-40 knot front rolls on through the mooring field. I stand up watching the weather drinking a coffee from the cosy cabin when suddenly a boat 'appears' where it should not be. I shoot out the hatch topside to look into the driving rain to see the 'footpath' descending beam on at my bow  and dragging her mooring with her. I wait as she slowly gets closer and closer all the while thinking of action plans in my head........first one is don't injure yourself. I wait  for the footpath to ride up my taught mooring line expecting any minute that her barnacle encrusted hull would cut RW free (with my engine in pieces) and we would both be on the beach.

The footpath rode up and up and up and slammed into the pulpit, then with the strength of a thousand steroid enriched Spartans, I pushed as hard as I could using the mooring line as the bow string and managed to slew her sideways down the starboard side. I raced back to get a roaming fender but by the time I returned to the bow she had collided twice more chunking the hull. I ran alongside and managed to intercept every collision so further damage was avoided, then stood and watched as she bounced her way through three trot lines of moorings until she rested on the beach.......on land where all footpaths belong!

The owner of the yacht was deceased so this added a twist to the whole saga, but I eventually recovered my Excess from the Estate 12 months later. Even though RW is a 1983 yacht parts are still available in the UK. Pulpit and stanchions replaced and repaired and the fiberglass returned to a reasonable condition noting the match of gelcoat would be tough.

Result: Insurance came through and Noakes completed the work in Port Stephens with little impact on my preparations for the Solo Tasman.

2014 Solo Tasman Part 1: Preparation

Rutland 913i Wind Generator

 The old 'Rogue' needed to be CAT 1 ready so many hours and dollars were expended to achieve the goal. I started 3 years out to avoid the 'sticker' shock of trying to do all at once. Great idea in theory but you still get some surprises no matter how much you plan....you just need to ensure contingency plans are in order and funded!

Prepped ready for the Survey in Newcastle

Backup power generation is also mandatory. I installed a Rutland 913i Wind Generator system and 40 watt solar panel all running through the Rutland controller. Very quiet system with just a hum that gives you comfort that amps are being generated to cover all my needs without running the engine.

Companionway hatches need to be opened from the interior and exterior and sliding hatches need to be held in either an open or closed position. I installed a beautiful (costly) piece of kit from the UK ensuring the hatch was secure when I left RW locked up in NZ before the race.

Latch operates internally and externally

Electronics required supplementation and upgrading. Raymarine came through with a nice sponsorship offer of a new Evolution Autopilot (AP) and discounts on any additional electonics I required. I had most of what I needed already so built in some additional redundancy and added an i50 Close Hauled wind instrument. In return I drafted technical feedback of the AP performance over the outbound cruise and during the race.

Raymarine EVO Auto Pilot

I married the system to my existing Jefa drive and integrated all with my legacy and Seatalk NG system. Adjustment o the autopilot could be undertaken from the helm p70 control, helm touchscreen plotter (a65), companionway ST60 control, Nav station e7 plotter or even a tablet giving me total flexibility without the need to use a remote.

All was routed through my laptop running Open CPN and SeaPro 3000. I replaced the Ray 101 plotter in the cockpit with a new Raymarine a65 touchscreen installed in a rail pod, starboard of the helm. Not a fan of bright lights in my vision.

a65 Touchscreen in housing
can swivel

e7 Hybrid displays instrument data

An e7 Raymarine at the chart table serves as the Instrument relay centre repeating an array of data including windspeed, direction, depth, heading, drift, course, heel, boatspeed and speed over ground. An AIS package completes the package.

i50 Close Haul, Wind Tridata.
ST60 to be fitted

An Icom HF radio was installed with Weatherfax on the laptop (plus Android App backup) since I had no Satellite comms for grib files - I was racing blind after three days out when the Grib Files lost there accuracy so did my routing..... this is something I will rectify for the 2018 race.

Laptop runs Open CPN and Sea Pro 3000

A hired my Liferaft from Great Circle Liferafts in Brisbane and they did me a great deal due to the nature of the event and the need for an extended hire. They even threw in a SPOT tracker so home base could track my movements!

Great Circle Liferaft and Orange Spot Tracker.
C.A.R.D Radar Detector antenna mounted on starboard rail.

Catch Up Part 4: Racing in Port Stephens

'Rogue Wave' is affectionately called 'Rogue or RW' and her crew a pack of 'Old Rogues'. It took a lot of effort to transform RW from her 13 years as a liveaboard world cruiser to a racing machine.

'Old Rogue' with an empty belly ready to race.

Nearly eight (8") inches of waterline were recovered as weight came out of her internals and externals. Sails and hardware replaced and repaired ....the list is mind blowing looking back and I thank Relle for putting up with me as I put many many hours into the refit. I am not even going to touch on cost.....lets just put it down to labour of love!

'Sail Port Stephens'

I started racing with Port Stephens Yacht Club in a mixed fleet of around 22 yachts. First year in we did very well taking 1st Winter Pointscore, 1st Sternchaser and 2nd Summer Pointscore on an new boat with new crew. We surprised many (not the least ourselves!) and the 'old Rogue' earned her place as a favourite with the members of the club......she looks like a real yacht they say!

We enjoyed several seasons working our way up to a fifth place in the overall Club Championship. Great bunch of very welcoming people. 

I wanted to get an IRC rating and start to compete offshore. Pete and Emma in the UK sail 'Ruffian' have achieved many victories in mixed IRC fleets and inspired me to follow in their wake. RW rates at 0.931 with furler and single headsail making her competitive if I sail her well and the crew gels.

Forgacs Regatta Newcastle (NCYC)

We had our first taste offshore in Newcastle Forgacs Regatta and came last. Thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot. After another year of club racing we returned the following year and pulled a 3rd in Div 2 on one race and turned in a better corrected time in the offshore passage race than many Div 1 yachts including a Volvo 70! The problem is the Regattas are 90% windward leeward courses so we will always tail the fleet of the newer planing lightweights. 

Sail Port Stephens.....RW on song.
Note Geffro the spinnaker trimmer hard at work!

My gun crew for Sail Port Stephens

Keeping a core crew is difficult and every year the difficulty increases as the world throws up more toys, distractions, adventures.
My core crew of Daz and Ruth have been brilliant. Watching these two develop has been a pleasure and hearing of Ruth telling me she helmed through Sydney Harbour Heads was uplifting. The beauty of a small core crew is that they can do almost all positions when needed; so thanks to my crew!

We raced in the PHS Division in Sail Port Stephens only to be flogged by the allocated handicap before we even started the first race. I had strategically invited the Skipper and crew of 'Anneleise' and 'Kindred Spirit' - both PSYC club champions, to join our crew of old Rogues. Whilst we struggled to be competitive on due to our handicap, we certainly made our mark, not to mention our the parties! A great week away from work I might add. This pic is during a torrential downpour and the smiles on these faces are priceless!

Catch up Part 3: 'Just Jo' to 'Rogue Wave'

'Rogue Wave' survey inspection Malaysia 2009

In 2007 I headed South to NSW on posting. Steph, our youngest daughter sailed from Townsville to Airlie Beach with me and did a great job in not ideal conditions. We had a few breakages and some wild weather. The rest of the voyage was solo and I loved every minute......ok some not so much when five LOWs compounded and formed a Tropical Low about 100nm east of my position. Christmas was spent holed up in Port Clinton for 5 days until it blew itself out. There is nothing at Port Clinton.....it is isolated. Despite this I loved the challenge and the solo bug had bitten.

I started looking for a bigger cruiser racer (with headroom!) and after a couple of years of searching I found 'Rogue Wave' in 2009. I headed off to Penang Malaysia and bought 'Rogue Wave' a 1983 David Thomas Sigma 36 with 3/4 fractional rig form the UK owners. In 2010 I returned to Malaysia and spent a month refitting her on Rebak Island near Langkawi before sailing solo back to Australia. I arrived in Port Stephens nearly four months later and again, loved every minute.

Catch up Part 2: From outback to ocean

I joined the RAAF in 1991 so sailing was on my 14ft Javelin Skiff and some Swarbrick yachts. In '93, we posted from Williamtown NSW to Tindal in the NT......about a 12 day drive and 350kms from the Arafura Sea with 7m tides! I sold the skiff to a teacher, and shipped her by barge to the remote island off Arnhem Land where he was stationed. My sailing was temporarily on-hold so was replaced by Barra fishing in a series of 'Tinnies' ranging from a 12ft 18hp punt to 'Double Plugger', my 4.6m 90hp Stessl Barra Boss ....ah that was a great boat...and quick.

'Just Jo' a  1976 Custom 30

In 2004 we posted to Townsville Far North QLD where I worked in Defence Recruiting. 

Whilst waiting for permanent digs we were holed up in the Quest apartments, strategically placed across from the TCYC. As usual I wandered the docks dreaming and this was when 'Just Jo' (Custom 30) first caught my eye. 

I left a note for her owner offering to crew. John took me sailing several times and I finally made an offer to buy.......complete with berth. Deals were done, boats and cash exchanged and I was now a keelboat owner and John (80) had a 90hp fishing boat he figured would sell easier than a yacht so he could by a motorbike and cruise the east coast! A lot of hours went into getting 'Jo' seaworthy for the long passage south that I knew would happen in 3-4 years time. Not only does she have beautiful lines, he is strongly built and a joy to sail. 

Catch up Part 1: I'm back.....sorry for the lack of posts....its been busy!

Its now Jan 2016 and a lot of water has flowed under the hull since the 2014 Solo Tasman Race, but I will get to that shortly.

'Jaycee II' a 24ft Sharkcat with 2 x 235hp circa 1983

A quick trip down memory lane........an old mate called John Kumm was my sailing mentor. This guy was Australian Water Ski champion and all round great guy. Hungry for more than cruising on Johns Fisher 32 'Seabird', I started to race. An old mate recently dropped this picture of 'Fat Albert' (circa 1985) a slightly modded J24 I used to crew on with five other volunteer Air Sea Rescue Skippers

It was a great fun working our way from the back of the fleet to the front over time, breaking stuff and scaring ourselves.....lets think about that for a minute.....scaring rescue boat skippers, it had to be bad! Competed in the Inaugural Jupiters Classic with 'Fatso' and we did ok for one of the smallest in the fleet.

'Fat Albert' circa 1985

After eight or so years in ASR it was time to depart for a three year stint in the QLD Ambulance Service putting both my mechanical and rescue skills to good use. In 1991 it was off to the Royal Australian Air Force for a change in lifestyle and the start of many adventures.