Navigation lights

   

navigation lights

I have just replaced my old navigation lights on the Nanook with the new type of LED lights. They are twice as bright but use only a fraction of the electricity. I also bought a small portable LED light for use as cabin light.

stern lights

Nanook action shots

In the summer months I usually take part in trailer yachts regattas, on Sundays at the Ngaroto Sailing Club.

trailer yacht

A trailer yacht is usually kept on the front lawn at home. The keel is not fixed and it can be retracted by a winch. The mast can be easily lowered for the boat to be placed on a trailer for towing. The furthest place to which I have towed my boat was the Bay of Islands. A distance of 370 km. 

Usually I sail on Lake Ngaroto near Te Awamutu, about 20 minutes from my home in Hamilton. I have also visited Lake Taupo, Tarawera, Rotoiti and Rotorua. My dream is to sail Lake Wanaka and Milford Sounds in the South Island.

The big advantage of having a yacht on a trailer is the savings in mooring charges and the convenience of working on the boat at any time. 

Many owners spend a great deal of time, especially during the winter months, adding small improvements and modifying the layout inside the cabin to suit their individual needs. In fact some of them spend more time working on the boat than sailing it! It is a DIY dream come true for many. If you run out of ideas, just polish the hull or some thing! For safety reasons, when I explored Lake Taupo two years ago I installed a marine VHF radio. Of course a radio would not work without a power source. Immediately I was looking for a 12 volt marine battery.

After I have the battery I might as well install a car stereo inside to enjoy some soft music and also add a cabin light. Perhaps I would like to do some night time sailing. Then I will need a compass, navigational lights and charts including perhaps a depth sounder, GPS and EPIRB. Be very careful there; the expenditure will quickly snowball out of control. Now I understand why some one once wrote the definition of a yacht as a hole in the ocean into which you throw all your spare cash. Smile!

give me 60 !

My sister, Cecilia is on the winch raising and lowering the centre board (keel). One year all my relatives decided to come to New Zealand to pay me a visit. They came from Brunei, Miri, Kuching, Kuantan, Amsterdam and Melbourne. I entertained all my guests by taking them sailing on my trailer yacht, Nanook at Lake Ngaroto.