Bridge Marina, Tauranga, North Island
Friday 4 June 2021
You know things are quiet when the feature topic of the day is an 8 minute drive down the road to the local supermarket to buy some food. Admittedly, I did have Tim Tams on my list, along with the basics of cheese – Mainland Tasty of course – bananas, bread and sliced ham, but no matter how you spin it, there’s really not a lot to be said.
Actually having a car to drive around in, remains a fantastic benefit, for which I am continually grateful, and that remains a feature of every day !
The weather remains fine, so I was able to hoist both dinghies off the foredeck and into the water. After completing a small amount of polishing and painting from the small dinghy, it now hangs neatly off the stern davits.
The big dinghy, however, was a little more of a challenge to lift over the side – single handed – but I final pulled it off with the aid of my lifting pole and it now rests against the hull on the port side, piled high with stuff – fenders, tarps, lines and snorkel gear, all packed in a large bulka bag.
So the foredeck is all clear and ready to resume the painting process, started in Wellington. Almost completed in Wellington, I should say, because it’s just about ready for the top coat! Very exciting. Well, it is for me.
I wish I’d taken a photo, but I completely forgot. Oh, I just realised by new phone takes pretty good shots at night … I’ll give it a go
Having talked about possums last night, today’s animal of focus is seagulls. Specifically Silver Gulls, rats of the sky, if you prefer – although I know there are some people, admittedly mostly non boat owners, who actually like these birds and wish them well in all their endeavours.
I’m not one of them, you may have guessed, because, like the possum, they invaded our human-space. I know, you could argue – possibly very convincingly – that seagulls were here first. (Not the case with possums in New Zealand of course.) What was once sand, reeds and marshland is now concrete walkways, roads and wire fences. So what’s a bird to do – move postcode?
I think that’s what we’d really all like them all to do. Fly away to make their own nest, in the “wild” … it’s not as if they have any foxes here to keep them awake at night. But instead, they stand side by side, in massed throngs on most marina pontoons – particularly the floating breakwater a short distance from here – hundreds and hundreds of them … all squawking and arguing with each other; for hours. It’s the same conversation, no doubt about the same unresolved issues, every night, until about 10:00pm when a hush descends and all seems to go quiet – except for the occasional recalcitrant oddball – but that’s the same everywhere.
If the noise was the only issue with seagulls, then I suppose you could live with it. But the other, more important matter – particularly for boat owners – is that they crap all over the place – with no thought to the consequences. Mostly on boats. Then at certain times of the year the critters build nests, lay eggs and have babies – and so continues the circle of strife.
While I’ve been ranting, I see our fishing boat neighbour has returned as expected. He must be tired because it didn’t take him long to pull in, tie up and head off. We quizzed him the other day about what it takes to be a fisherman … licences, regulations equipment etc and he started with something like … “Well, FIRST, you’ve got to be certified f… insane … you really f… do!” … pointing to a gadget on the roof of his boat he declared … “that’s a f… tracker put there by the Fisheries, so they know where I am every second of every f… day … even sitting here at the wharf”
Having encountered fishing boats out on the big blue, naturally focusing on fish, and not silly incidentals like … “where you’re going” … “who else is in the vicinity” and “shouldn’t I turn on my AIS so others know which direction I’m heading” … I briefly considered taking the opportunity to ask whether he’d ever had any near misses with other boats, or was in the habit of turning his AIS on when he was out at sea … but I felt it might not be the best time…
Happy Queen’s Birthday everyone … the annual holiday where even republicans have a soft spot for the monarchy.
Smooth seas, fair breeze and slow news day
Rob Latimer
NZ2020 