Fah Kiew Tu

The Govt bastards made me have a TB test every year despite my always reacting positive as I'd been immunised as part of my microbiology course at university. No test, no passing annual medical. It was idiotic but that didn't stop them. I'm sure you've similar stories from the Navy. FKT

Well said. People like BJ and Raz'r chant stuff as if it were a mantra that switches their logic centres off. Try asking them some hard questions and watch them disengage and run a mile. Like why is it acceptable (rare, agreed but acceptable/legal) for a woman to abort a 28 week old child with no genetic issues? If this is OK as it's a woman's exclusive right, how about 32 weeks? If both are OK, why does the offence of infanticide exist? Surely if it's OK to terminate prior to birth and before say 36-38 weeks gestation, it shouldn't matter if it's in utero or out. Same gestational age after all. Why are 8 month babies which die in utero recorded as stillbirths not just miscarriages? If it's just some unwanted tissue that is. FKT

This. If everyone agreed an ultrasound was a required prerequisite for an abortion, they'd just change the goalposts to require something more invasive & expensive. FKT

My 'flat chat' speed is 7-8 knots. Which I almost never bother doing. Simple 3 sail rig. 2 litres/hour burn rate at 5 knots under power. Why burn 2X as much for another 2-3 knots... Shrug. I like poking about in the fringes of the waterways. You can go faster but unless you've got a catamaran, tri or a hull with a retractable keel, you can't go where I can go. In a lot of ways Dylan's Fisher would be a good choice of boat for southern Tasmania. FKT

How boring. We ghosted out of one of our favourite spots this afternoon, headed home under the foresail only because I was too lazy to raise the main. 2-3 knots gives a lot of time to look for wildlife, birds, have a cup of coffee etc. We only fired up the diesel when we ran right out of wind coming into our home bay & wanted to pick up the mooring. We'll sail/drift along down to maybe 1 knot if we've time in hand. My boat has a very inefficient rig judged by the ability to go to weather. But it's very easy to handle and I'm not in a hurry. If I am - I fire up the diesel. FKT

Yeah thanks for that. Of course you overlook the minor detail that my day tank actually *has* a small sump/low point in it. And guess where the fuel gets sucked from on its way to the filters on the engine delivery line? Yep, that very same sump. So any crap that gets that far - goes through the filters. And the fuel only got as far as the day tank by - wait for it - going through the other pair of filters thereby minimising the chances of crap getting INTO the day tank in the first place. And the sump can be drained. Any other suggestions for improvements? I'm always interested in how fuel system reliability can be improved. So far you've just called me an idiot for exceeding what you specify. I can live with that. FKT

Eugenics already goes on every single day in all First World countries and a lot of others as well. As it's low key and not called that, it escapes attention. But it's going on regardless. I don't have a problem with it seeing as it's driven by the genetic parent(s). FKT

Excellent. As I've been saying - just ignore the bastards and set up a system to do what you want to do, not what they tell you to do. Weather on the Channel is improving. If you like 20 knots from the south and 12C anyway. Much better today so I'm out of here on the tide. FKT

This. If the $300 was a fair offer, it would have been equally fair in reverse. He wouldn't take the deal he was offering, no more needs to be said on that score. I too have just walked away despite promises of riches if only I stuck it out. In retrospect I don't regret a single one of those decisions. Except maybe one where I should have seen the writing on the wall earlier but - it was a good learning experience. Off sailing shortly. Enjoy. FKT

Pretty sure Australia's done it - someone who didn't think clearing in applied to them & sailed into Brisbane comes to mind. Regardless lack of a law is quickly remedied especially in NZ with a single government and single political body. Lay up & bugger off is basically what I've been saying we should do - allow entry to Bundaberg, quarantine 2 weeks, lay up & piss off home. FKT

Just what I was thinking, as I remembered a 20 year war on bamboo... FKT

Did you miss this bit? "Their 16-metre vessel, Anita, arrived in Opua on Friday afternoon despite being declined permission to enter the country by the Ministry of Health." So they *KNEW* they weren't allowed to enter, did it anyway. The refusal was their first warning. Fuck them, they had their chance. FKT

Drill? *AND* its friends. Impact driver, jigsaw, planer, angle grinder, right angle drill, vacuum cleaner etc etc etc. FKT

Refused entry, deport crew, auction vessel alongside dock on an as-is, where-is basis, no reserve, proceeds applied to fines and deportation costs, balance if any transferred to nominated persons. See if the next boat planning to pull the same caper wants to go ahead... FKT

You also need to stop legislating someone's take on morality. Those laws cannot ever be properly enforced so lead to cynicism and corruption. Prostitution and drugs first cabs off of the rank. Porn another though it's a bit of a dead issue now. Plus making it clear that police are to record *everything* all their working time and lack of a recording automatically invalidates everything they claim. Persistent failure to record gets you taken off of public facing work altogether and loses you the privilege of carrying a firearm. FKT

That would be the 80% of the 50% who are below average... FKT

It's all good, lets us know better who & what we're dealing with. So they publish a lot of shit on politicians and prominent business people. What are they actually going to reveal? Lot of petty corruption and sex is all. That's situation normal. Replace the current clowns with clowns in waiting and carry on. FKT

What's wrong with 'fuck you-all I've got mine'? Oh yeah - that's actually honest. Can't have that. FKT

Sikaflex 291 works really well too. Best used just before you sell the boat, though. FKT

Too easy... FKT

Probably half the explanation. The other half being a complete unwillingness to learn & practice quite simple basic maintenance and then blaming the engine for the quite predictable result. I'm of the opinion that a lot of people *shouldn't* own or operate machinery as it's abuse of finely engineered equipment. I have a Massey Ferguson MF65 tractor. Perkins 4 cylinder diesel. I've owned it since 1988 and it was far from new when I bought it. Recently it needed a new battery then after 2 years of sitting unused, it fired right up and ran fine. Amazing what regular oil and filter changes can do for an 'unreliable engine'. FKT

Did someone mention my name? FKT

Ajax, I could fake a GPS track. Trust me. I could feed it to an AIS transmitter too. So no, I wouldn't accept it as proof of anything. WRT Sassafrass' comments, yes, I agree - cruisers can be made to comply and we could open up at least one port of entry with appropriate quarantine, hard-standing et al. We *could*. But there is zero political reason to do it and it would take management resources dedicated to it. I'd do it but I don't make decisions. Those who do, fact is the cruising fraternity are not voters, have no influence, are going to get no attention and nobody cares about them. Doing something involves the risk of making a mistake and getting your name in the press. Saying NO is safer. Especially when you consider that a non-zero number of cruisers are self-entitled arseholes who WILL break any and all rules just because they feel like it. Look at the threads here about cruisers who try to smuggle foodstuffs et al into Australia despite crystal clear rules. Those types are why there's little sympathy for the rest of you, even from people like myself. FKT

I'm not saying don't use tape, just offering up the Loctite products as alternatives. Personally I no longer use tape but that's my choice and as everything to do with engineering/fitting, subject to change as circumstances or knowledge changes. The 5331 works really well though. FKT

That would be maybe 1 failure in 8000 hours use - *if* you have half a brain and do basic maintenance... FKT