Friday 19 April 2013

Dinghy drogue

I thought my upper body muscles must have gone to the pack over summer when I struggled to lift my end of the dinghy out of the water at Magnetic Island.
But it seemed strange that Royden was finding it harder than previously as well.
Alarm bells! There's a hole ....
Closer investigation revealed water running out from the the davit attachment points on the alumunium bottom.
The eroding metal meant that when we dropped the dinghy into the sea, the flotation tanks were immediately filling with water. No wonder it was so heavy.
While it wasn't likely to sink (in the short term) and we could keep using it out at Horseshoe Bay, it needs a long term fix or possibly/probably replacing. In it's present state, it would make a good drogue - until it sank.
We had a lovely trip back to Townsville around the western side of Maggie. The wind was too light for the mainsail but both the head sail and Code Zero got a run, which also meant we were able to furl them away a lot more neatly than when we put them back up a few weeks ago in the marina.
Unfortunately the mackerel weren't biting this trip.
Heading back to Townsville in superb conditions.

2 comments:

  1. That would make fishing in the Daintree from the dinghy a more adventurous sport xx
    leigh

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  2. Weather looks beautiful!! See you tonight, in less pleasant weather :-S

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