Boat Trip

[stuartcnz]

We didn't get very far on this trip, but as promised I will show what photo's I did get. They are all in chronological order.

I left home at about 2am to catch a truck ride to Christchurch, we departed Dunedin at about 3:30am. With several stops on the way, we arrived in Christchurch at around 9:30am.

These first two photo's are on the way to Christchurch, in South Canterbury I guess.

[stuartcnz]

When we got into the yard in Christchurch I saw my old truck. It is an International Eagle, with an ISX Signature series Cummins engine. 525hp with 600hp three stage engine brakes. The trailer hooked up to it in the photo is not one that I pulled. I used to alternate between pulling a three axle semi and a five axle B-train behind it. Looking worse for wear, this truck was brand new when I was driving it.

[stuartcnz]

Here is the boat. Not quite what I was expecting, but seaworthy enough for the trip we were making, especially given the good weather forecast we had. This is in a marina that was smashed up in a storm a few years ago. All that remains are the concrete piles. So far as I am aware, it is the only place in New Zealand where you cannot get insurance coverage.

[stuartcnz]

After a nights sleep on the boat, we headed over to the fisherman's wharf to fuel up.

Off to port is the Tank Farm, with the Lyttleton township up behind it and the following photo is to the right of this shot, showing the container terminal.





And this is the township of Lyttleton.

[stuartcnz]

All fueled up and things made reasonably shipshape, we departed.

Heading out to the heads at the harbour entrance, with a partially inflated life raft lashed to the cabin top.



I took the helm when we departed, while my brother worked on various last minute chores to make the boat fit for the trip we were making. All of the photo's from the boat, while under way were taken from the helm.
Because of the extra stuff on top of the cabin, I couldn't see from the cockpit, so I put a line onto the tiller that lead around the sheet winches, allowing me to steer while standing on the quarter deck. The knots holding the line onto the tiller are called a clove hitch, for anyone interested.

[stuartcnz]

Some photo's around the harbour, as we head out.

Port channel marker, off our starboard quarter. It was nice to be in a harbour that didn't have the very narrow restrictive channel that my home town harbour has.



The next two photo's are looking astern back at the container terminal

[stuartcnz]

And just to demonstrate that this boat is really intended as a house boat, rather than a voyaging one. My brother has already put a couch on to it. Here he is, taking a break and watching the scenery pass him by.

[stuartcnz]

This next photo is as we are exiting the harbour entrance. Just to the right of centre is about the direction we want to go, to get to our destination of Wellington.



Out of the harbour now, and in the South Pacific ocean. If we were to carry on in this direction, the next land fall would be in Chile.



If we go in this direction, provided we carry on past the point on the right, we would end up somewhere around Cape Horn, just a few thousand miles away.

[stuartcnz]

At around this stage, we had turned north-nor-east and had started heading towards Wellington, when it became apparent that we were starting to lose oil pressure, so we decided the prudent thing to do was head back.

Here is a photo of the harbour entrance, on our return.



As it turns out, the pressure drop was normal for that particular engine and we could have carried on with the rest of the trip, but I think we made the correct choice, based on what we knew at the time. Had the boat had a full sailing rig as back up to the engine, we would have carried on, but it didn't. And it is always wise to be prudent on a boat. Just a few days before, a boat went missing further north, and has not been found yet.

[Rudy]

Stuart, it indeed was prudent to turn back. Getting lost at sea is a fearful thing. You may not have completed your journey, but you are still alive. There will be other opportunities to do it again. Glad to see you are still amongst the living. We, on this planet, need more of your kind.

[GoodClue]

Hello Stuart ... interesting pics and story, thanks ...
Why were you transporting the boat ... to have it refitted? Looks weather beaten ... was wondering about the sofa till you explained you were motoring and not sailing the boat ...
Hope you get another chance ... a whole new world to us high country landlocked bus dwellers ... Keep the stories coming ...
Doug

[stuartcnz]

Doug,
We were taking the boat from it's current location, to my brothers home town were he will be rebuilding it, into a house boat for himself.

I doubt that I will be on the next trip because of work, but it was good to have a go the first time, especially with the good weather we had.