The Cutlass - Lowry Bay Yacht Club

In this issue
• Commodore’s comments
• Upcoming events
• February diary
• March diary
• Scuttlebutt
• Marine medic course
• Sewing machine wanted
• Leaky dorade vents
• Mentoring a sailor
• Leaky roof appeal
• Cocktail: Sex with the Cap’n
• Orca sighings
• Dolphin antics
• Hector’s dolphin
• Ross Telford obituary
• Spirit of Rema update
Contact us at Lowry
Bay Yacht Club
www.lbyc.org.nz
info@lbyc.org.nz
PO Box 30 533, Lower Hutt
Phone: 04 568 3715
Fax: 04 568 3739
Radio: VHF 62 ‘Lowry Bay
Sports’
The Cutlass
Commodore’s comments
The summer holidays may be over, but the
summer is definitely not: sunshine and warm
weather continue as we all drift back to work,
but our fleet has found itself alternately drifting
slowly or speeding flat tack around the harbour
with the equinoctial winds. Most boats are now
back from holiday ready for the new season, in
many cases having enjoyed very pleasant
weather around the Sounds. It was great to
hear so many LBYC boats out and about as they
called in their trip reports to the friendly and
reliable Marlborough Radio and Wellington
Maritime Radio stations who watched over us.
February 2009
Opening day marked the return of racing, and the weather held
beautifully for the event. There was sunshine and a solid breeze for the
first race of the season, and a correspondingly good turnout of boats
decked out in flags and bunting. And the clubrooms were looking
fantastic, thanks to the large team of volunteers who gave up their
Saturday to help tidy up. A lick of paint in some obvious places and a
good clean-up means that we start the new year in good shape. A big
thanks to everyone involved.
The roof appeal has now gathered momentum and it looks as if we will
reach our target of $5,000 with a few more donations. This amount
makes it more likely that we could be successful in getting a grant from a
local Trust to supplement what we have already raised. Details on how to
contribute are later in the Cutlass.
Anne Callaghan has decided to resign from her position as Club Manager
due to other commitments. Anne has done a great job since taking on
the position a year ago: she is well known to members and was a popular
choice to take on the position, and proved her worth. Having strong
connections to the club as an active sailor, Anne has a very good
understanding of members’ needs and was able to add considerable value
to the role. We will miss her as Manager, but we will of course continue
to see her at the club and out on the water. Thank you Anne for all that
you have done for Lowry Bay Yacht Club.
Looking forward, the sailing season features the Sail Wellington regatta at
the end of February. The timing hopefully means more settled weather
which should encourage a good turnout of boats. We’ll see you there.
Geoff Thorn, Commodore

Visit the bar!
Most of our events are
accompanied by a drink and
good company at our lovely
club house bar, complete with
deck looking over the marina.
On Friday nights the bar is
always open, and our resident
chef Graeme cooks
reasonably-priced hot meals,
and on race days he does
things like nachos, and steak
or sausage sandwiches. At
other times you can buy pies
and snacks from the bar.
You can now get Julicher
wines at the bar – a step up
from the usual house wine.
Kids are welcome at all times:
we’re family friendly.
The bar is open on:
• Fridays 1700-2230
• Saturdays 1600-1800
• Sundays 1600-1900 on
non-race days, or from
the end of racing until
1900 on race days
Are you getting our
emails?
The club sends out regular
emails notifying you of social
and cruising events. Do let us
know if you’re not getting
them: the contact details are
on the first page of this
newsletter.
2
Upcoming events
Fujitsu Heatpumps Friday racing
On Friday nights come and join in our
more relaxed form of racing, going off in
groups according to your handicap, and
with no spinnakers. It’s a pursuit race:
you try to catch up boats ahead of you,
so that we all finish at the same time.
There’s nothing like it to start the
weekend, and you can stay for ….
Friday night meals
Look, I’m rilly, rilly sorry (not), but who
could resist? Our chef Graeme, who has
just had his catering contract renewed
(congratulations Graeme!) is just as
good looking, and turns out lovely hot
meals every Friday at a very reasonable
price. Come along after work, bring the
kids (there are meals for them too), and
let them run around outside while you
eat and have a nice drink in peace and
quiet, enjoying the sunset on the deck.
Ladies’ Helming Races
There’s a series of four Tuesday night
races starting 24 February for ladies to
helm in. Entries by 10 Feb to Judy via
the club email or 02745226521. If you
don’t have a boat, Judy may be able to
arrange one for you to helm. Crew can
be both girls and boys, and spinnakers
may be flown.
Sail Wellington Regatta
Lowry Bay Yacht Club hosts the Sail
Wellington Regatta on 28 Feb–1 March
(see Notice of Race at www.lbyc.org.nz)
Entry is $60 per boat for six races back
to back over two days. Registration is
on Friday 27 Feb at 1700-2000 hrs and
the briefing is Saturday 0830 hrs.
There are hot meals on Friday and
Saturday night, after-race bar snacks on
Sunday, and packed lunches each day,
Quiz night
The ever-popular quiz night is here
again on Saturday 28 March courtesy of
the House Committee. Make up a team
of friends and grab a table early. The
bar will be open as usual, with regular
breaks between rounds of questions for
you to natter and get a drink.

Your sailing
committee:
The sailing committee
organises all the racing events
for the club. Feel free to
contact any of them to have a
chat.
Sailing capt: Tom Trapp (Piaf)
Sailing sec: Brent Porter
John Hermans (Mint Condition)
Manfred Wolff (Easy Spirit II)
Graeme McMillan (Blue Water)
Grahame Eathorne
Gordon McIntosh (Sika II)
John Lord (Joint Effort)
Judy Lymbery (Jigsaw)
Just cruisin’
Our cruising captain Grant
McNamara organises lots of
great events for the club:
technical evening talks on
interesting things, and events
out on the harbour, like the
fishing day and social cruises.
Come along to the next one
(see Upcoming Events): the
bar’s always open.
3
February diary
Wednesday 11 February
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Race 3: 2-hands 1820hrs, Full crew 1830 hrs
Friday 13 - Sunday 15 February RPNYC Line 7 Regatta
Friday 13 February
Fujitsu Heatpumps Pursuit Series A- Race 2 (No Spinnaker) 1815hrs
Wednesday 18 February
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Race 4: 2-hands 1820hrs, Full crew 1830 hrs
Friday 20 February
Fujitsu Heatpumps Pursuit Series A- Race 3 (No Spinnaker) 1815hr
Sunday 22 February
Pharazyn Auto Services Single Handed Series - Race 2 1000hrs
Fujitsu Heatpumps Summer Series Race 2 1300hrs
Wednesday 25 February
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Race 5: 2-hands 1820hrs, Full crew 1830 hrs
Friday 27 February Invitation Pursuit Race 1815 hrs
Saturday 28 February - Sunday 1 March LBYC Sail Wellington Regatta
March diary
Wednesday 4 March
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Race 6: 2-hands 1820hrs, Full crew 1830 hrs
Friday 6 March
Fujitsu Heatpumps Pursuit Series A- Race 4 (No Spinnaker) 1815hrs
Saturday 7 March
Night Race 1 2000 hrs,briefing & instructions 1830 hrs
Sunday 8 March
Pharazyn Auto Services Single Handed Series - Race 3 1000hrs
Fujitsu Heatpumps Summer Series Race 3 1300hrs
Tuesday 10 March: Club Night / Technical Evening 1930 hrs
Wednesday 11 March
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Race 7: 2-hands 1820hrs, Full crew 1830 hrs
Friday 13 March
Fujitsu Heatpumps Pursuit Series A- Race 5 (No Spinnaker) 1815hrs
Sunday 15 March Fujitsu Heatpumps Series: Yellow Div 1200hrs (2
races), Commodore’s 1210hrs (1 race)
Wednesday 18 March
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Series - Reserve Day 1
Friday 20 March
Fujitsu Heatpumps Pursuit Series A- Race 6 (No Spinnaker) 1815 hrs
Sunday 22 March Fujitsu Heatpumps Race 5
Yellow Div 1200hrs (2 races), Commodore’s division 1210hrs (1 race)
Wednesday 25 March
The Glass Shoppe Twilight Series - Reserve Day 2
Friday 27 March
Fujitsu Heatpumps Pursuit Series A- Race 7 (No Spinnaker) 1815hrs
Saturday 28 March Quiz night
Sunday 29 March Fujitsu Heatpumps Race 6
Yellow Div 1200hrs (2 races), Commodore’s division 1210hrs (1 race)

Got any good
scuttlebutt?
Tell us the gossip for the
Scuttlebutt section of The
Cutlass. Email
info@lbyc.org.nz, or ring Katie
on 04 479 4913.
4
Scuttlebutt
Judy (Jigsaw) found out on a sailing course that some people are
used to sailing with children. Approaching the mark, Wendy’s
(Flashwave) commentary went: “Preparing to tack … … … Ready
to tack … … … … … … … Tackiiiiiinng … 3, 2, 1 … … … NOW!”
John Lord (Joint Effort) took his inaugural ride with the LBYC Motorbike
Adjunct on his spiffing yellow Ducati, but his lady pillion who was new to
motorbikes got motion sickness going over the Rimutakas. For the return
journey she ditched John for Gordy’s (Sika II) BMW tourer. John
plaintively asked: “Was it because of me or the bike?”
We won’t venture to comment on the reliability of Harley
Davisons, but suffice it to say that the King of Toys, Kim Naylor
(Shariba) is a wee bit grumpy as he had to abandon his Road King
in Hokitika on a South Island tour last Labour weekend.
But Kim was hero of the day for rescuing an Am Meer crew member,
Masha, who was knocked off her motorbike on the Port Road roundabout
by a Peter Baker Transport truck. Kim was there in 5 minutes with a staff
member and trailer to ferry the bike to the workshop in Wellington.
The bar tab at the launching of Clive Lewis’ Farr 35 must have
been very generous, because by the time the club bar officially
opened at 4 pm, the stayers were only interested in rehydrating
on soda and lime and so the bar closed early.
The Royal Port Nicholson yacht club race to Ship Cove ended with an
incredible two-hour wait for Furneaux Lodge’s runabout to take people
ashore for the party. The young buck driving the runabout was more
interested in taking people away from the wharf back to their boats and
returning empty-handed than he was in getting customers into the bar to
increase his boss’s profits.
Lowry Bay men are being taken in hand by their women, with
some sporting new shorty beards. But they clearly haven’t
cottoned on that it’s really a ploy to stop them being attractive to
other women.
Which crew member took recycling just a teensy weensy step too far,
shipping all her empty wine bottles collected in two years overseas on an
island that didn’t have recycling, back to New Zealand where she’s now
gradually releasing them into the weekly recycling collection?
Rick Leckinger (Jigsaw crew) borrowed a Nova 28 for a Christmas
holiday in the Sounds. After taking 14 hours to cross Cook Strait,
he got the mask and snorkel out and quickly found the reason why
it was so slow: there was a mussel farm hanging off the keel.
Weirdest things found on other people’s boats: a roll of weed matting,
and a box of chocolate-flavoured condoms. Why, why, why? And,
though I really don’t want to know the answer, why on the same boat?
Big ups for New Zealand wildlife: in a four week sojourn in the
sounds, Am Meer spotted orca twice, and dolphins five times,
including a pod of the rare round-finned ghostly Hectors dolphins.
Lucky, lucky John Lord was made an offer he couldn’t refuse for his yacht
Orca while he was on holiday on her in the Sounds. He sold up there and
then, and is now the proud owner of Joint Effort.

Any bright ideas?
We’re always on the lookout
for new products, or sailing
tips to suggest to our
members: let us know if
you’ve come across a good
solution for one of those
yachting problems.
5
Doctor at sea
A stitch in time
Learn how to save lives at sea by doing the
Marine Medic Course (level 2) at LBYC on
Saturday and Sunday 14/15 March.
Yacht Life Line, the authorised Coastguard
provider, will run this course. It's a
mandatory course for those wanting to
qualify for Yachtmaster Ocean.
Price for the course is $225 per person:
please send a deposit of $50 to the club to
ensure your place. For further details
contact Grant McNamara (Footprints) on the
club email.
If anyone has an industrial sewing machine
that could tackle sails, the club is looking for
one to be donated or purchased.
In these tight times, members want to be
able to stitch their own repairs, rather than
fork out for a professional mend. There’s
plenty of room in the clubhouse to spread
out a mainsail, and no doubt plenty of
people to give advice!
There will be a small donation for each use
to cover maintenance.
To donate a machine, contact Jennie Darby (Out-to-Lunch / Just
Desserts) on the club email.
Leaky dorade vents
Dorade vents can be a pain, particularly in
open seas, as they can let in water in during
stormy conditions. Desperate cruisers have
been known to stuff toilet rolls up the vents
to prevent deluges, but this solution is at
best temporary, and at worst creates
precious bogroll shortages.
David Moore (Kiss) has a brainy solution: he
suggests buying a plumbers’ nylon drain
test plug with a rubber expansion joint. You can get these in a range
of diameters. Insert a suitably-sized one into the dorade vent, and
tighten the wing screw to lock it in place and completely seal it.
When ready to let the fresh air in again, you drain the residual sea
water captured above the plug by undoing the cap at the top and
collecting it in a cup held underneath.

Send us your recipes
Got a bright idea for how to
cook things with limited
facilities on board? Or make
nautical but nice cocktails?
Share the ideas with us.
6
Mentor a sailor
Wouldn’t it have been great if, when you
started cruising or racing, someone more
experienced had been around to mentor
you through it? The Lowry Bay Yacht Club
sailing committee has decided to set up a
mentoring programme to do just that.
If you’re interested in helping as a
mentor, or you want help yourself, or
even just someone to come out with you
occasionally to see how you’re doing,
contact Tom Trapp via the club email.
Help mend the roof
The clubhouse roof is leaking, and we
desperately need your help to repair it.
Club members can donate $50 to purchase
a sheet of roofing iron. Contributors will be
recognized in The Cutlass, and by a notice
of appreciation in the clubhouse. Please
email the Club (details on front page) or
Paul Clarke (pclarke@pclarke.org) to donate.
Our thanks to those who have already donated to the roof appeal:
Barry King Brian Cooper
Crew of Minika Denise Ross
Dennis Wood Edwards Family
Forde Clarke Geoff & Jo Fellowes
Geoff & Katie Mathison Gordon & Fiona McIntosh
Hugh Poole Ian & Enid Craig
Ian White John McCafferty
Manfred Wolff Max & Mary Meyers
Paul Clarke & Debbie Snelson Patrick King
Peter Howse Phillip Orchard
Rosy & Ralph McCorkindale Rudi Schwieger
Shaun Ross Steve Manson
Steve Taylor Terry Bach
Wayne & Maureen Coomer
Sex with the Captain
No, it’s not what you get if you donate to
the roof appeal: it’s a cocktail recipe that
just happens to be called “Sex with the
Captain”. The following makes two drinks.
Mix a double shot of Captain Morgan
Spiced Rum (mmm – have you tried it?)
with a shot each of amaretto and peach
schnapps over crushed ice. Top up with
half and half cranberry and orange juice.

Tell us your holiday
stories
We want to hear your cruising
highlights, good or bad –
dragging anchors, great
fishing, drunken parties,
romances, gossip, and general
scuttlebutt. They’ll go in the
Cutlass! Or be brave and give
a talk at the club one evening.
7
Awesome orca
The distinctively marked black and white
orca, or killer whales, have been sighted
several times around the New Zealand
coastline this summer. Am Meer spotted
orca twice in January in Pelorus Sound
and at D’Urville Island.
Orca aren’t really whales: they’re the
largest member of the dolphin family.
They prey on squid, rays, fish, turtles, and
even other marine mammals, including
dolphins and seals – but, despite their name, attacks on human are
unknown. Males live for 50-60 years, and females live to 80-90. (The
photo is DOC’s - mine were all just fins.)
If you see orca or dolphins you can help by telling DOC: phone 0800
DOCHOTline (0800 362 468). Try to get photos, even if they’re of just
the fins, as these can have identifying marks that help DOC track them.
Dolphin antics
This isn’t a brag, because this amazing photo was a complete fluke,
with no skill on my part. It was taken at the end of a session snapping
common dolphins in Port Ligar, Pelorus Sound as we were coming in on
Am Meer at the end of the day. Two dolphins all of a sudden leapt out
of the water in formation in front of me, and splashed down again.
They hadn’t done this until then, and I was holding the camera at waist
level, thinking I had enough photos of fins in the water already. I just
hit the button reflexively – and incredibly this is what came out.

We hope you like the
e format
Doing The Cutlass by email
saves us $300 in printing costs
each month. If you like
reading it on the toilet, you
can still pick up a printed copy
in the foyer, or ring the club
manager to get one sent out
to you.
8
Ghostly Hector’s dolphin These weird beauties ambushed
us for a ride on Am Meer’s bow
wave in Outer Queen Charlotte
Sound in late January 2009.
They are Hector’s dolphin, the
smallest and rarest New Zealand
species, and one of the smallest
in the world, growing no more
than 1.5m long. This is taken
from the bow as it hitched a ride.
They didn’t stay long: they’re
shyer than common dolphins.
Hector’s are easily recognizable with ghostly, light grey colouring,
rounded black dorsal fin, and short snout. They live up to 20 years,
and are classed as ‘nationally vulnerable’ due to their low numbers and
habitat close to shore where they get caught in set nets and injured by
boats. Newborns are particularly vulnerable as they swim slowly, close
to the surface, where they can be killed by boat propellers. As with
orca, DOC would like to know and get photos (see above for details).
Don’t hassle the dolphin though – if they choose to come to you for a
ride, fine, but please don’t drive towards them, and certainly not into
the middle of them: their echolocation is disrupted by engine noise.
Farewell to Ross Telford
It was with great sadness that
yachties learned of the death of
yacht designer and longtime
stalwart of Wellington yachting,
Ross Telford on 30 December
2008, aged 80.
Ross’ funeral at Old St Paul’s on
6 January was attended by a
large number of people from the
yachting and other fraternities,
including representatives from
LBYC. Many could not attend as
they were still away on their
boats.
Ross ‘Doughy’ Telford remained very involved in yachting right up to
the end of his life, doing volunteer work at the RPNYC Sailing Academy,
and on their race boat Te Ruru, and contributing to the upkeep of the
boats and buildings.
Forty years ago, Ross started broadcasting his weekly yachting radio
reports on Wellington Radio 2ZB, keeping Wellington up to date with
harbour and offshore races: John and Jenny Hargreaves wrote in his
tribute book that when Ross was doing commentary on offshore races,
the smaller boat ahead of the one Ross was sailing and reporting from
would always grow in length.
The online tribute book can be viewed at www.tributes.co.nz.

9
Spirit of Rema
Spirit of Rema is now anchored in Stanley
Harbour near the Cathedral, which is the
southernmost in the world. My previous
stop, Ushuaia, I found, was a city without
a cathedral and now here was a cathedral
with no city.
LBYC member Edward Anker
updates us on his adventures on
‘Spirit of Rema’, an H28, from
the Falkland Islands. Edward left
“DESIRE THE RIGHT” is the
motto under The Falkland Islands
coat of arms, a sentiment that
was amply demonstrated when
the Brits freed the islanders from
Argentine occupation in 1982.
There are a number of memorials
around Stanley to the event and
even now a house or two with
the Union Flag painted on the
roof. Falkland flags are a
common sight. There are some
notices to the effect that
Argentines are welcome to visit
but to forget the idea of
ownership.
It was the weekend and I opted to sit tight
and seek clearance on Monday. Before
then however a gale came in from the SW.
Although the harbour runs east-west for
about four miles and is only half a mile
wide, the sea built up to a nasty chop. My
old snubber soon reduced to one strand.
The wind roared at 50 knots, gusting to
60. The replaced snubber, another old length of 10 mm nylon lasted two
hours, then parted. The next was new, same diameter. I prefer a line
that stretches easily. This one chafed at the snatch block but held. This
is the first time I have experienced chafe at this point. I was fearful for
the stemhead fitting. The two anchors in tandem held OK. I was to learn
that this gale was a bit stronger than usual but what I had read about the
islands being very windy was borne out during my stay.
At the Falklands Port, Spirit of Rema was efficiently cleared, with a big
plastic bag supplied for the waste from imported food and a bill for £60.
Thies and Kicki, the owners of Wanderer III, paid a visit with an invitation
to dinner that night aboard the famous vessel. Andy Whittaker, whom I
had met in Ushuaia, had told them we were coming, and I was rewarded
with a lovely loaf of Kicki's bread. Spirit of Rema was rafted up with On
Rust and Traversay III was also at the dock, so catching up with Fien,
Hans, Mary Anne and Larry ensued. Another great arrival! David Clifton
was just about ready to sail back to the UK in his 28 foot Twister. The
boat had been in Stanley for two years having suffered damage on the
way south.

10
I also met Jane and Marc leLec, Brit and French respectively. Their boat
Tevakenui which they had sailed from New Zealand had been involved in
an unfortunate incident in Stanley. They were nearing the end of a year’s
job of making repairs. Both are fisheries inspection officers and spend up
to five months away at a time. I was immediately invited to dinner where
I met their daughter Marissa who was attending the local school. They
had sailed to South Georgia and were planning a return. I was to see the
family a great deal and enjoyed many meals with them.
I was warmly welcomed at the Cathedral and soon invited to dinner by
Megan, one of the congregation. The five courses were out of this world
to a solo sailor. On my left, Nikki invited me to dig potatoes at her house.
These were in short supply and were expensive. This in turn led to
another "dig" by a visiting friend. Other veges appeared in my bag at
both places. I was able to do a job for both of my benefactors who
claimed that they had the best of the bargain but I beg to differ. On my
right, sat Jean and before the meal was ended I had been offered the use
of her house in Milford Haven, West Wales. Jean, a nurse and her doctor
husband Roger from Pembrokeshire have been working in the Falklands
for seventeen years. I thought I had dreamt it but at dinner aboard Spirit
of Rema they gave a rundown on the facilities in the Haven and it was
made clear that I could stay at their house rent free.
I was to meet other wonderful people, mostly expatriates, who made my
stay in the islands so memorable. They all loved the islands. People
who hated it here, apparently the only other option, did not stay long.
I moved Spirit of Rema to a creek at the end of the harbour where I lay
rafted to Tevakenui. A longtime expatriate from New Zealand had
recently installed some pontoons and were allowing boats to raft there
free of charge. Something about these islands makes people so
generous. Wanderer III was a neighbour and Thies & Kicki and I got on
like a house on fire. So similar in outlook, we just hit it off. I walked,
talked and dined in their company and became good friends. The three of
us were invited by Jane and Marissa to dinner at Government House.
Jane, whilst Marc was working away, had been asked to look after the
animals in the absence of the governor and his wife. On a previous
occasion one of the two ponies had died and whilst it had not been Jane’s
fault, she was rather nervous about her remaining charges; less the other
pony, which was being cared for elsewhere. Considering the population
of the country, Government House is very large. Having been extended a
number of times it is a rambling but attractive building. We had a guided
tour of this official residence, which had seen many famous people as
guests.
Time marched on all too quickly. I had to leave with respect to the
seasons. Thies and Kicki had been preparing for months to sail again to
South Georgia. I bade them farewell with a lump in my throat. The
vessel, which I had thought of as the Hiscocks boat, sailed out of sight as
“Thies and Kicki's boat”. In Whangarei NZ, they had virtually rebuilt
Wanderer III and saved her from literally falling apart. Thies is a
shipwright by trade, they both love the boat and she is in good hands.
She has sailed an astonishing 275,000 nautical miles and is on her fifth
circumnavigation.

11
My departure was a reflection of my arrival. Two and a half months had
seen the onset of winter. I left a convenient anchorage, where I had
carried out my final preparations, under staysail. I hoisted the main, but
before I could trim it, a squall hit with hail. I dragged the main down,
being careful on the skating rink of a deck. Then in poor visibility I
concentrated on avoiding running ashore whilst watching out for a large
yacht that was entering under power. I was now intent on heading north
to reduce our latitude of 52 degrees south.
Next time:- From 52 to 52
Best wishes to you all for a Happy New Year and to the sailors among
you, fair winds and a happy landfall.
Edward
Happy and safe sailing, Edward, from all of us at Lowry Bay Yacht
Club. We look forward to having you back here for the slide show!