Le Pelley.com

Okay, so we only now post annual skiing videos, and we even missed one from January. But that's better than nothing. This one is from a great trip to Mt Ruapehu last weekend.

Blogger seems to have forgotten about us, but we are still here!

We got out of Auckland for a couple of nights and headed to Wharepapa, bang in the middle of North Island. Amongst the green fields are some impressive ignimbrite crags with great routes on. I was last there 11 years ago and it hasn't changed much! Everybody climbed (including Gran and Grandpa). We knocked off a range of routes over two days, dodging brief showers. We started with some short easy routes and culminated in a 23m classic groove giving fantastic climbing. Fun had by all!

Talisker managed to go for her unofficial test sail on what seemed to be the last good day of our incredible summer. A launch party is planned for a couple of weeks time, but the 10 day forecast now gives rain and gales! There was excitement all round as we rigged on a very light-wind morning down at St Heliers beach. Rigging was quick and easy, and the pop-up rudder that Dad has spent the last 2 weeks building worked really well. Talisker is of course named after the only single malt whisky from the Isle of Skye. As she will be the tender to Pride of Islay it seemed quite fitting. And a good excuse to buy another bottle of Talisker. Everybody had a turn, and she ghosted along beautifully. Steering was well balanced, and the sail looked great from on and off the boat. There was of course a job list created a mile long after only an hour or so on the water but that was the purpose of the trip!

She's finally made it to the water for an informal test row, just hours before my birthday. All 5 of us jumped in and didn't get wet, even with a stiff row into wind blown chop. A few minor jobs to do, such as some battens and non-skid on the floor but very successful all round. Now to build the rudder and get her rigged to sail!

I'm on the final stretch. The inside is varnished and the first coat of varnish is now drying on the hull. Hopefully she will at least be rowing this weekend. I have the 4-part carbon mast (the bottom two sections are the oars with clip-in blades and I'm in the process of making the sail, helped ably by North Sails. No rudder at this stage, and nothing in the way of fixtures and fittings but that's all planned in my head now...

Here are the missing photos since the last post. Gluing the gunwales, constructing the bow tank and mast step, trying out the rub rail, epoxy sealing the timber, finished varnishing the interior, outside in the garden whilst constructing new splashes, and finally last night epoxy sealing the bilge strakes. Phew!