Progress

We're still waiting for our new battery controller, but had decided that we could get on with some more stuff in the meantime.  The last few days saw the relocation of the keel proximity switches, and measurement of the string pot values for the full cant range and centre.  And many small tweaks to instruments, calibrations, etc.

So no more sailing yet.  The string pot will now travel back to Auckland to have the accurate values put in, should only take a few days (during which the weather here looks like it wouldn't really allow much sailing anyway), hopefully will be back and working by the end of the week.  We won't get all of this set up properly until Bob comes back to Wellington, which is determined by when the BMS arrives, which we thought was going to be last week.

In the meantime, some video clips from last Saturday's all too brief and limited sail with the A6

Sail #2

Things are moving slowly, lots to set up.  So not much sailing at moment, this is the first time in 10 days and no more sailing for a while until more stuff is sorted...

The Lithionics battery guys are holding us up a bit, much of the electrics including PLC commissioning still awaiting a BMS (battery management system) box to arrive the from USA before they can be completed.  So we are still sending 1-2 people down to manually cant the keel. With the solution to our Lithionics battery problems taking a while to come from the US, we can't charge the battery bank except from shore, pretty much eliminating electric keel canting.

Our mast needs a bit of a re-tune for some more rake and bend.

But last Saturday, 10 days after sail #1 in almost no breeze, we went out for a bit of yachting.  This time a cool 13-15 knot southerly, we saw 20 TWS for a few moments.   Upwind with a main that was roughly half backwinded, and jibs not sheeted close in (rig tune is out and don't have the inhaulers set up either yet), we were sitting on just over 8 knots.  Reasonable, but I suspect not close to as high or as fast as the boat is capable of.  Our only useable kite (apart from the Code 0) was the A6.  The A6 looks great and will be a weapon on strong breeze but it's not quite the horsepower that you'd want in this sort of boat for ripping downwind in 15 knots..  having said that, we did average about 13-14 knots off the wind most of the time (at fairly hot angles) and peaked at 18 knots through the water in 20 TWS.

Thanks Mike for taking most of the pics ...

First Sail

Blink went out for her maiden voyage last night - light air, never much more than 6 knots and averaging 3-5 with large patches of glassy water.  We still don't have everything finished, so were a little limited for cant angle, a few temporary rigging solutions, and sails on their first hoist with a couple of small refinements possibly needed once we adjust the mast rake slightly.

With the masthead Code 0 at about 90 TWA, we were doing about 8 knots over ground (instruments not calibrated yet).  Upwind about 7 kts SOG but at a fairly wide sheeting angle (inboard tweaker not set up yet).

Glassy water, 4-5 knots breeze, code 0, 7-8 knots boatspeed.  We like.

Blink is Launched

Blink was splashed at Seaview today and motored over, accompanied by Caniwi Te Ruru from RPNYC, to Chaffers Marina, her permanent base.  All went very smoothly apart from the weather, which was at it's worst for the hour or so of the launch and delivery across the harbour.

And the water came up to exactly where Mr Shaw said it would.

Some of our favourite pics from friends and crew:

Claudia Vause with our camera's card... (thanks Claude!)

And Mark Holmes

And Joerg

Mast and Rigging in the boat today

Ballast added

Keel fitted in Shed at Seaview, bolted in pretty smoothly

... home

Passing through Waiouru just after 5pm

... through Ngauranga Gorge.  

... turning into Seaview Marina, 8.45pm

 John (JJ) Klinac, Exclusive Boat Haulage.  Safe and efficient deliverer.

En Route ....

Blink left Craig Partridge Yachts this evening ... stopping at Silverdale to pick up the rig tomorrow morning from Hall Spars, planned to arrive in Wellington Wed during the day.  

[ & nice work finding a suitably stunning truck ]

Antifoul on, just about there ...

The levitating boat trick.