Quick Fix: 36° 37.4 S / 174° 47.2 E
May 24th 2014 (day 2,550)
Conditions:  Wind: 25/NW  Hard Stands

Saving Sails
Owning a boat can be expensive, there's routine maintenance, repairs and upgrades that need to be made to keep the boat, and the crew, safe and happy. For your average full time cruiser the annual cost of keeping your yacht's systems in good working order is approximately 10% of the vessel's value. One area that can quickly put you over your annual budget, however, are your sails, so caring for them is a good investment. We recently had Dream Time's suit of sails serviced by a sailmaker, who after doing a little re-stitching and reinforcing, said they were in good shape and if we continue to take care of them, they might just see us all the way around the world. So they're cleaned, flaked, bagged and ready to carry us to Asia! - NH

Quick Fix: 36° 37.4 S / 174° 47.2 E
May 20th 2014 (day 2,546)
Conditions:  Wind: 5/W  Hard Stands

All Coming Together
Dream Time is a construction site - we have a gaping hole in her forward deck where the bowsprit usually rests. Her booms lay strewn around on the coachroof, stays are secured to shrouds. Gear that is usually neatly packed in the sail locker and lazarette are scattered across the cockpit and quarter deck. Inside, the companionway steps rest atop the salon table, and the engine is hovering above a hole in the bilge where the forward diesel tank used to live, and all clothes, cushions and bedding has been removed as there's a fine layer of dust covering everything. But as chaotic as it all seems, we're making great progress. Today, for example, after being reinforced with new teak, we reunited the two halves of our bowsprit - progress! - NH

Quick Fix: 36° 37.4 S / 174° 47.2 E
May 18th 2014 (day 2,544)
Conditions:  Wind: 5/W  Hard Stands

Anchors Away
We sent our anchors away last week to get galvanized. After seven years of use, our primary 60 lb CQR was a little worn around the edges, and our older secondary 45 lb was rusting away on the roller. East Tamaki Galvanizing did a great job restoring them, and they look like new. As both anchors are genuine CQR there's no lead between the flukes, so it only cost $150. We've also ordered 300 feet of new 9mm chain for our primary anchor. The old chain is only four years old, but 1,460 days of swinging over limestone rock and coral took its toll. Some say the chain was perhaps salvageable and suggested we get it galvanized to save money, but with so much riding on our ground tackle, spending money on new chain seems like a secure investment to me. - NH

Quick Fix: 36° 37.4 S / 174° 47.2 E
May 15th 2014 (day 2,541)
Conditions:  Wind: 20/SW  Hard Stands

Our Bronze Throne
Only boaties, and perhaps Winnebago owners, will appreciate the significance of this entry - I have recently finished a complete restoration of our Skipperhead II. Known in the industry as the 'Bronze Throne', this Humvee of marine toilets is the most durable on the market, its components were cast from solid bronze, it weighs in at a whopping 58 lbs, and it's powerful enough to suck down a grapefruit. But after a decade of use it was showing a little wear, and a failed flap valve spring had transformed it, regrettably, into a bidet. So after stripping off the old paint, giving it a fresh glossy white powdercoat, and replacing every spring, valve and gasket, I'm relieved to report that our Skipperhead II Wilcox Crittenden marine toilet is once again fit for royalty. - NH