S.V.TAIPAN: "PUZZLE" QUEENSLAND. MARCH 2025

The boat will be fun once all the work is done! So we keep telling ourselves. David is in his element. Upside down in a hole sniffing fibreglass.

Having attended to the mechanical stuff inside we left "Recovery" in Manly, after purchasing her in early September.

Returning from WA in January we had a list of underwater jobs to do.

The passage to Boatworks was uneventful and we were lucky to have good friends and cruisers Pam and Jon to accompany us. Our first night out was on anchor and we were a little concerned about the windlass performance. Switching seemed a little dodgy. Initially we thought it was windlass clutch slipping but it became apparent that the actual switch was not disengaging. Another thing to check.

After one night on the dock at Boatworks we were hauled out and choked ready for business. And a lot of business too! Watsons had been booked about 3 months previously and were right onto their jobs.

Pulling shaft for balancing, inspecting rudder bearing, replacing PSS Seal, and balancing propeller, replacing two cutlass bearings and installing a rope cutter. This took several days and there were no nasty surprises except that the removal of cutlass bearings was laborious. The guys recon'd they built the cutlass bearings then built the boat around them! Then a pretty gold coat of Propspeed was applied to the propellor and rudder. Now it looked like the dollars spent were worth it.

Clean fuel tanks

Sweep Marine were also engaged to pump out and clean out the two tanks, polish the fuel and refill one tank to see how much the tanks hold. It was confirmed that the tankage is 800lt per tank. This ment the boat had a bit of a list when we relaunched but it feels good to know you have clean fuel and clean tanks when you have but one engine and no sails! We also have nice pictures of the inside of each tank, new gaskets and some peace of mind.

Michael, David's brother gallantly stepped up agreeing to come over to help out with some jobs on the hard. With no fridge, (it decided not to restart when we returned from WA) it was a bit of a challenge. 38 deg days and very humid with it. No aircon on the hard either. Between Michael and I we got the new washing machine installed, the old fridge out and some galley improvements. A new Sarca #6 Anchor and 10mm chain with new chain gypsy to suit, was installed.

Print Image printed and applied the new signage and after just 2 weeks we were antifouled by CAS (who are fabulous,) and relaunched as "PUZZLE". Go figure! Still no fridge but ice from the Galley Restaurant saved the day.

Puzzle was in a pen at Boatworks for a couple of days of system inspections before we headed off down the Coomera river for some sea trials. (Well, waterway trials!) We were still fridgless. The refrigerator was deemed F@#*% so a new Vitrifrigo was on order but the container was stuck on the wharf while wharf people did what wharf people do. Don't ask!

Anchored at Currigee we launched the Dingy and much to our delight, the motor started first pull. The dingy is nameless and pretty old but seems to hold air just fine. The motor is a 2 stroke Mercury 2001 model. We had assumed it would be toast, but were thrilled to have a working tender. That first anchorage was a bit eventful however. The windlass, true to our suspicions, was faulty, and after Michael and David had to haul the anchor by hand we slunk back to Boatworks to investigate. The fun didn't stop there. On attempting to reverse onto the pen, both the thrusters stopped. Me... minor panic! The crew were on it though and we managed a not terribly graceful docking without anyone or anything getting damaged. Discovering (after docking fortunately,) that the engine wouldn't start .

David in his happy place

An electrician was called; a few wires on the windlass dangling here and there were replaced and the Thrusters, Windlass and Starter Motor were all given their own breakers. Previously they had shared only one breaker which was why we had multiple failures.

The fridge arrived and we used a Boatworks courtesy ute to pick it up. The big strong guys from CAS Antifouling gave us hand to get it aboard. The door was on the wrong side so after several Youtube videos and much bad language we managed to change the door and wangle the thing into the old fridge hole. It was of course "exactly" the same size.... NOT! So some carpentry was called for but eventually we had refrigeration. Nice fridge with nice freezer.

At last we were ready to head home to our berth in Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club in Manly. Once again Jon and Pam agreed to come as backup team and we left the pen at Boatworks confident that we'd got most of the niggly issues nailed. After anchoring at Jumpinpin without issue we spent a relaxing afternoon and evening soaking up the cruising life we all so missed. Onward next day to Dunwich and an opportunity to sample the new Brewery.

My experience on the helm being very limited, we elected to overnight at St Helena Island and make our entry into the marina at dawn. This way no one would be looking and the wind would be negligable. The plan worked and with great directions from the team we docked without incident.

In the pen, it's back to work of a different kind.

Watermaker installation.

Watermakers Australia 240V 160Lt per hour.

So many hours, so many trips into the bilge, so many times the entire wardrobe is pulled out and lain on the bed. So much stinking fibreglass resin!!!

Oh but wait! there's a cyclone coming! To Brisbane??? Yes. Its the first one in 50 years. Must be global warming! Oh but, wait, wait, wait, Alfred is just cruising down the coast chewing out the beaches on the way down and causing minor panic among boat owners. Tie down everything and fill the skips with all that crap on deck you thought you might need but now realize you don't have anywhere to keep it. And still Alfred ambles south, doing a few pirouettes on the way to keep the weather gurus on their toes.

A lot of rain at MBTBC

Waiting,waiting!

Team Puzzle decided to abandon the boat and hole up on the local Pub. one night... two nights... Three nights!! Enough!! Back aboard on the Saturday night, things finally hotted up. The wind piped up to around 50 knots overnight but we slept pretty well aboard Puzzle. No one sustained any damage and appart from the endless rain it wasn't any problem. We did have flights booked to Melbourne cancelled but managed to get out on the Monday.

Three days of rest and recreation with english friends in Daylesford then on to visit Ley and Neil, cruising friends in Williamtown for three days. Finally stopping off in Sydney on the way back for 3 days with Jo and Patrick, our trusty swabby and Taipan crew.