Hi Ross, yes the Opua Cruising club meals are still going strong. The quality of the offering is really good now, a real step up in the last 2 years even though the people doing it are the same. I wou

Hi Ross, just one update to your information they sealed the Opua boat yard this year and a couple of years ago completed a huge expansion to the marina. They also have an extensive area of what are d

Hi all, I am a local being based an 8 hour sail North of Opua. For convenience I get most of my work done there and there are good tradesmen there. However there is more competition in Whangarei and s

Michael the wearing bushing doesnt have a part number. The seals have their dimensions around its outer face. I can get those numbers for you next time I am on the boat but if you are getting the wear

Hi Michael. forgot to say that when ordering any parts from Amel a photo is your best way of ensuring the correct part is dispatched which is why they request it. While our descriptions may seem clear

Hi Michael, seal are seals and available at any engineering supply company. However when you change the seals you also need to replace the wearing bushing available from Amel. I did once get one turne

Hi Nick. Rubbing a candle along the seams is very effective and surprisingly long lasting. Just repeat as needed. Kind Regards Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Hi Kimberly, a get you going for the moment fix would be hand moldable epoxy. I used it on the exhaust elbow on a previous yacht when I was on an ocean passage. It lasted well. The product I used was

I have a feeling that Bills sage advice will result in a flurry of mast ascensions. Good chance to check on everything else up there too. Cheers Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Hi Kimberly. All the cooling fluid in the bilge? Check all hoses and hose connections, simple stuff. Connections to the heat exchanger. I would doubt it is a pump failure. Hoses do split, particularly

Hi Kent, I got 8 years out of west marine deep ycle lead acid. And they only failed then because of a accidental catatonic discharge. Am now at 5 and a half years with golf cart batteries. Regards Dan

Hi Bob. I agree with Vladan as I said in a previous post. The oil cooler seems most likely and easy to check. Blown head gasket? Highly unlikely. Wrong symptoms. Cracked block. ? Unlikely too but I co

Hi Vladan, I like your mechanic. Bob should follow that lead first DANNY SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Hi Luls, When the SM is at rest the water level will overflow the top of the intake strainer if you remove the cap. So I would start by checking the intake is not blocked with sea life, eg mussels, ba

Hi JP, you have just reinforced my rule. I will never go up the mast on an external block halyard. On the main mast there is a spare internal halyard. On the mizzen I lower the sail and use that halya

Hi Bill, I had the same experience as you with the alloy tab wearing through .....twice before I discovered the nylon pencil. When we got Ocean Pearl home to NZ with the rigging over 10 years old I ha

Hi Bill, I thought that you pin with slot was original Danny SM 299 Ocean Pearl

Yes Bill, I had noted that but thought it worth sharing with the group that brush sticking could cause a go slow. As to the beer story, my furler motor decided not function as we entered a particularl

Hi Kent, over the years I gave found the first place to check sail control motor malfunction is the brushes. They choke up with carbon dust and stick. Usually it causes total non functioning so recent

Hi Kent, I find it disturbing that the western world have banned those drugs. Medically they proven safe and effective which cannot be said of their vaccines and alternative treatments. Glad you recov