Boat Competition

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Details: Written by: Richard_McKie; Parent Category: Travel; Category: Australasia; Published: 04 July 2020; Hits: 12538

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The Boat Competition

Earlier in the trip I had joined a team in the 'build your own boat' competition. Now it was time for the float-off.

The challenge was to build a boat not longer than 3 feet or higher than 2 that would survive a tsunami in the larger pool (a crew member 'bombing' nearby); carry six cans of drink for more than a minute without sinking; and sail the length of the pool, being 'whooshed' along if necessary by a team member, but not touched.

Bob Mason was elected captain and immediately began designing a part raft, part outrigger, rigged with sails resembling those on the local boats. Doug Truscott joined the team. We wanted bamboo but a local guy on Kiriwina suggested 'raintree'. Bob got him to cut around 15 linear metres, mostly of 3cm diameter sticks, with his bush knife (machete).

Two rafts would sit atop the two swimming pool 'noodles' I'd purchased in Brisbane that I estimated had sufficient displacement to carry six cans, together with Bob's superstructure. I'd already cut these in half and bound the four bits in pairs with duct tape - later removed - as twine was more aesthetic.

On Kiriwina we also purchased a couple of locally carved figures as crew for our vessel. My locally purchased figure would be the helmsman.

The helmsman - incompetent as it turned out
when not steering he was praying - it seldom works

Bob, our major enthusiast, also purchased a lifeboat. Doug had acquired some smaller crew in Brisbane.

Our entry in the boat building competition

The sails were involuntarily provided by Cunard.

Ours, when finally tested, as it had never been in water, was by far the most seaworthy - and the fastest. It actually sailed away with no encouragement.

Our wives were roped in as a cheer squad (a bit sexist but boys will be boys). Wendy was cameraperson.

My she was yar!

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The other three teams also built boats that passed all the tests. Apparently that's unusual - some usually sink after being loaded or bombed - much to the delight of the audience.

Two of our competitors - the one on the left about to be 'bombed' by the guy in the air

Unfortunately on the final race, our boat, well ahead to that point, crashed into the pool ladder near the finish line and the rules precluded Bob pulling it free. He was in the water ready to 'woosh' but our boat sailed off so quickly that he couldn't get there to woosh it away in time.

So we lost by a single point. The final race was worth seven and a half points. We never found out what happened to the half.

But most agreed that we had won 'hands down' so we had to have a couple of drinks to celebrate.

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Travel

Canada and the United States - Part1

In July and August 2023 Wendy and I travelled to the United States again after a six-year gap. Back in 2007 we visited the east coast and west coast and in 2017 we visited 'the middle bits', travelling down from Chicago via Memphis to New Orleans then west across Texas, New Mexico, Nevada and California on our way home.

So, this time we went north from Los Angeles to Seattle, Washington, and then into Canada. From Vancouver we travelled by car, over the Rockies, then flew east to Toronto where we hired a car to travel to Ottawa and Montreal. Our next flight was all the way down to Miami, Florida, then to Fort Lauderdale, where we joined a western Caribbean cruise. At the end of the cruise, we flew all the way back up to Boston.

Seems crazy but that was the most economical option. From Boston we hired another car to drive, down the coast, to New York. After New York we flew to Salt Lake City then on to Los Angeles, before returning to OZ.

As usual, save for a couple of hotels and the cars, Wendy did all the booking.

Breakfast in the Qantas lounge on our way to Seattle
Wendy likes to use two devices at once

Fiction, Recollections & News

Cars, Radios, TV and other Pastimes

I grew up in semi-rural Thornleigh on the outskirts of Sydney. I went to the local Primary School and later the Boys' High School at Normanhurst; followed by the University of New South Wales.

As kids we, like many of my friends, were encouraged to make things and try things out. My brother Peter liked to build forts and tree houses; dig giant holes; and play with old compressors and other dangerous motorised devices like model aircraft engines and lawnmowers; until his car came along.

Opinions and Philosophy

Manufacturing in Australia

This article was written in August 2011 after a career of many years concerned with Business Development in New South Wales Australia. I've not replaced it because, while the detailed economic parameters have changed, the underlying economic arguments remain the same (and it was a lot of work that I don't wish to repeat) for example:

between Oct 2010 and April 2013 the Australian dollar exceeded the value of the US dollar and that was seriously impacting local manufacturing, particularly exporters;
as a result, in November 2011, the RBA (Reserve Bank of Australia) reduced the cash rate (%) from 4.75 to 4.5 and a month later to 4.25; yet
the dollar stayed stubbornly high until 2015, mainly due to a favourable balance of trade in commodities and to Australia's attraction to foreign investors following the Global Financial Crisis, that Australia had largely avoided.

2011 introduction:

Manufacturing viability is back in the news.

The loss of manufacturing jobs in the steel industry has been a rallying point for unions and employers' groups. The trigger was the announcement of the closure of the No 6 blast furnace at the BlueScope plant at Port Kembla. This furnace is well into its present campaign and would have eventually required a very costly reline to keep operating. The company says the loss of export sales does not justify its continued operation. The remaining No 5 blast furnace underwent a major reline in 2009. The immediate impact of the closure will be a halving of iron production; and correspondingly of downstream steel manufacture. BlueScope will also close the aging strip-rolling facility at Western Port in Victoria, originally designed to meet the automotive demand in Victoria and South Australia.

800 jobs will go at Port Kembla, 200 at Western Port and another 400 from local contractors. The other Australian steelmaker OneSteel has also recently announced a workforce reduction of 400 jobs.

This announcement has reignited the 20th Century free trade versus protectionist economic and political debate. Labor backbenchers and the Greens want a Parliamentary enquiry. The Prime Minister (Julia Gillard) reportedly initially agreed, then, perhaps smelling trouble, demurred. No doubt 'Sir Humphrey' lurks not far back in the shadows.

So what has and hasn't changed (disregarding a world pandemic presently raging)?

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