Recidivist

Going rate here for backpackers is $25/hr cash in hand. I have a couple of young blokes helping me out at the boatyard tomorrow. They are switched on and can work without me being around - I'll probably have to pay them at least $30/hr. Happy to do so, and if they have some time free the following week I'll have some more work for them.

What makes you think the 11.6 is tough? A mate in Darwin has cruised his 11.6 extensively up around New Guinea etc. A couple of thousand miles out, and then back again, months at a time. It's rigged with heavy dive compressor in the liferaft well under the cockpit, and a heavy bimini/solar panel/davits/ divetanks frame around the cockpit. Transom is immersed by an inch or so. Low topsides in the first place, and heavily laden makes for a fairly wet cockpit. In order to clear the bimini, he shortened the boom by about a metre, with no noticeable loss in (cruising) performance. They normally sail with a reef in anyway. He and his missus are off again soon for the 3rd (or maybe 4th) extensive trip. Before his first trip, Ollie built in a lot of new lockers, which assisted with stowage space. Main issue with 11.6's was that initially the spiderframe (keel support moulding) didn't touch the hull in the centreline when the outer portions contacted the hull. Drums of resin were used as weights while the frame was tabbed to the hull, but quite a few frames separated from the hull, leading to at least one keel loss and a lot of repairs under "warranty". The model ran for a long time with no issues I know of in recent models, but before his first trip Ollie dropped the keel off his to check it and we found his boat has centreline keel bolts (earlier ones were paired, with larger diameter bolts and more of them). Another I know of clocked a rock and nearly sank when the aft end of the keel punched up, ripping the hull almost halfway around. Another has the cabin top liner "popped" just aft of the main bulkhead from excessive backstay at some stage - but the moulding has stayed popped for 20 years! A number of boats I know have had the lower portions of the main bulkhead rot out - one had the chainplate exit vertically through the deck. One at least has suffered from soft areas of cabin top. A NZ version was holed in a collision and Auckland newspapers were extracted from the stringers - they were used as the core. This same boat was built with the mast extrusion used as "earth return" for mast light wiring. It has a lot of trouble keeping paint on the mast. It would take a lot of work to make an 11.6 into a good RTW boat, but if you're up for it, and find a good one to begin with, you might be OK. Personally, I'd look at an Adams 40 in that size/age/price range.

Fuck you. She did nothing that deserved death. Your society is fucked up - own it!

A worrying aspect of the cases cited is that it's only money that is targeted. Partly because allegation of money-laundering is being used as a justification, but still, the major cases here are about houses that have been used to grow dope, cars purchased from drug profits etc. Not so much concentration on cash, and accordingly there's more required to obtain transfer of the tile to someone's house! The shift from conviction based forfeiture came about because it was the small fry who got the convictions, but the Mr Big's accumulated the wealth. It appears there IS constitutional protection, but it's only after the event. Ours requires a court involvement BEFORE the forfeiture event. We can obtain an interim restraining order to freeze a bank account, but again, only if the Court is convinced. I have to say I don't like your system ... it's totally open to abuse and those links indicate it's going on!

OK, I know a little about this topic. I don't know the US system, but I'd be amazed if it is as the linked article suggests where police purportedly seize and retain for their own purposes money and assets without any oversight. In our small jurisdiction, property used in the commission of a crime is forfeited to the State if a Court is satisfied about the link to the crime. For example, the getaway car. It's not necessary for anyone to be found guilty of the actual crime. Similarly with property that is derived from a crime - a stolen car, for instance, or something purchased with the proceeds of a bank robbery. If there is not a direct link with a crime (for example, unexplained wealth), a debt is created to the State in the amount a Court finds to be the extent of the unexplained wealth. So, if you've got a $mil you can't explain, and the Court thinks it is more likely than not that the $mil was obtained unlawfully, the Court declares that you owe $mil to the State. Any assets you have, not necessarily limited to the $mil, are restrained by Court order so you can't deal with them. You can have the restraint lifted by using other assets to pay the debt. If you don't pay by other means, the restrained assets are forfeited to the State by another Court order. The step of imputing the debt is to address certain constitutional constraints our jurisdiction has that Aus States don't have. If you are found guilty of 3 drug offences (not mere possession, but dealing) over any period of time, the Court that finds you guilty of the latest offence can declare you to be a drug dealer. Then, all bets are off. The State will now take every cent you have, and every cent you ever come into. The number of people stupid enough to keep dealing drugs after 2 strikes is remarkably small. I reckon it's a good system. The biggest complaint I recognise is that the government doesn't have enough lawyers to ensure the system is applied in ALL cases. Because the lawyers have to decide on a case by case basis, they are exposed to complaints of capriciousness, but they just have to live with that. The lawyers who work in this field bring in significantly more than their own costs, but the money goes to "consolidated revenue", and isn't retained by any government Department, so there's no profit motive involved. There are protections for innocent parties whose property could be restrained or forfeited by the actions of others. Surely with all the constitutional protections Americans have, a person's property couldn't be taken from them without judicial process?

How did I just KNOW it was going to be China?

Who the fuck do these tinpot countries think they are? Telling me what I can and can't do. I'm an AMERICAN Goddam it, and that gives me the right to do whatever I like, anywhere in the world. Merica, Fuck Yeah! You think it's strange that an Australian judge takes umbrage? Anyway, I'm out. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Not disbelieving you, but can you provide a link for this? It's just that Local Court matters aren't put up on the net like Supreme Court decisions. Also, the judge concerned is a relieving Judge and has only been acting in that role for a couple of months, after being retired for some years. BTW, his last name is misspelled in the article linked in the OP, so you've done well to track him down. I'll let him know he's got a stalker, he'll be chuffed. Anyway, drunken aboriginals throwing punches are an everyday occurrence for NT Cops. Blowhard idiots doing burnouts in trucks in city streets is a little more unusual, even for the Territory. You will note that Gordon was charged with driving in a dangerous manner, and pleaded guilty to that charge. A lesser charge of driving in a manner that causes loss of traction (burnouts) was available, but obviously the cops didn't think that reflected the seriousness of the conduct. And Gordon AGREED by pleading guilty.

Oh well, in their airconditioned cocoon, the cops may not have been able to hear the screeching of tyres, or smell the smoke, from 50 metres away around the corner! Fuck, I thought they were supposed to have a permanent presence in Mitchell Street - someone gets the shit beaten out of them almost every night there! Dilligaff - sensitive much? Try getting outside more often.

You call it commonsense - I call it redneck hillbilly fucktardness. You can keep the fuckwit. (I have no objection to him racing on a track, or doing burnouts at a race meeting - NOT on public streets)

Do you know this street? I drive it every day. Mitchell Street is quite narrow - the only way to turn without a 3 pointer would be to drift it. 600hp, several ton truck, crowds around, plenty of drunks. Sorry, but if you think this is admirable, you're as much a fucking idiot as Gordon. As I said, my mates who are into motor racing (one has a race car, another an ex Rossi bike) don't stand up for him - why are you?

Charged on the spot is my impression. The guy isn't very smart - the city police station and watch house is about 50 metres away from where he put on his show ... he's lucky they gave him bail. US cops would have shot him mid-donut!

None of my motor racing mates have spoken up in his defence. Public street, not controlled AFAIK. Guy asks a private security bloke if it's OK WTF?. Of course the cops charged him - there'd be outrage if they didn't. The judge is a mate of mine - very sensible chap, keen sailor and not a killjoy. Gordon came across as a seppo blowhard, looks like that's what the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport thought too, it was them that pulled his licence to race in Australia, not any government. I'd say that's peer judgment.

Hey, I often used to (pretty much retired these days), and the protest committee, and the appeals committee. But sorry, Saorsa, I don't get the meaning of your comment? Anyway, it doesn't matter. PA is so full of USA centric insider sniping that I'm not interested in engaging. As I said, I just pop in from time to time for insight into the (oops, maybe that's a sensitive topic)... The only time I post these days is when I'm pissed. But I'm still watching you ... Bye

Hah! G'day mate. Sorry, PUI last night. Thursday night at the club. I know you too (but I won't out you), and you're smarter than the throw-away line I jumped on. I guess if you gave a more fullsome response it might make it easy for others to pick your ID. Anyway, hope all is well. Thanks for the kind words (I only wander into PA occasionally to try to fathom what the seppos think of their place in the world these days - it must be deeply embarrassing, eh) Cheers