Thoughts from Bernard

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Hi All,
Further to Andrew’s proposal that we should eventually split into 2 groups, one to own and operate the vessel(s) and one to administer bookings of cargo and trainees / passengers – My thinking is that it should really be 3 groups, to include a local, sustainably focused boatbuilding industry.

If we’re going to need a resource consent to build a ship near the sea, and to comply with OSH regulations, and build a shed and so on, it makes more sense to do it properly so subsequent ships could be built. We might also consider investing in our own portable saw mill! There is a ready market for naturally seasoned timber.
Another possible factor is that the proposed marina at Matiatia has no space for haul-out facilities… And the Boating Club launching ramp is limited to 10 tonnes. Maybe some marina berth-holders would like to suport a maintenance facility on the Island, we should talk to Graham Guthrie about this..

I would avoid a Travel-lift for hauling boats, which is ugly and energy-intensive, in favour of a floating dock that can use the tides to fill and empty it, possibly connected to a marine railway on the beach.

These thoughts are in response to Millie’s desire to see sustainable meaningful jobs on the island. A separate Business Plan would be needed, I think it would show it could work as a not-for-profit Trust, but doubt it could pay dividends on investment, at least in the near future.

TREES

I’ve had 3 approaches offering trees, macrocarpa and pine, all on challenging sites. The one in Enclosure Bay turned out to be Japanese Cedar, straight and tall, could be excellent for masts and spars. I met the owners, Brett and Monique Thom, they are felling them themselves, working on weekends, and would be happy to see them put to a good cause rather than wasted. A working party of about 6 strong men or 10 smaller people could skid them over the edge and down the steep slope to the beach, from where they could be towed round to Putiki Bay.

There are also several huge macrocarpas on the property which they want to thin out and eventually remove while protecting the slope from erosion, some beautiful boatbuilding timber there if we could find ways of getting it out… We’ve agreed to keep in touch.

Meeting 2nd Feb 2012

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This meeting focussed on the Topic:  Telling the story.
Present: Andrew, Millie, Bernard
We discussed activities that would continue to grow interest in the project and members of the network.

Actions:
1.  Arrange to talk to the Rotary Club  - Andrew  We will do an updated version of the presentation.

2. Publicity around the Coriolanus.

Bernard – with help from the boys has been restoring this quarter scale Brigantine.  It has now had its new maiden voyage and participated in the Maharangi Regatta.

– Make press release – Millie & Bernard
– Talk to liz about a story in next month  - ask how photos turned out (Bernard)

3. Starting to collect trees

Since the presentation we have been told about various trees that might need to be cut down and would go to waste if they could not be recycled.  One of the goals of the project is to use timber naturally seasoned, grown and milled on the island.

Collecting wood is an important part of the project – we may use it for building or simply as an asset.

We have been potentially offered:

  • Japanese cedar – suitable for masts and spars.
  • Macrocarpa trees.

We will try to arrange to cut and move these trees by hand and sea rather than using trucks.   We will organise a debarking and logging party, drag down to the water and try to move to a location where they can be seasoned for a year or more.

 

Sail Power in Santa Cruz

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Here is an example of how sail power is being proposed in California.

From: Jan Lundberg
Date: 27 January 2012 13:29
Subject: [sailtransportnetwork] presentation on local sailing networking
To: sailtransportnetwork@lists.riseup.net

Maties,
Here’s a rendition of a brief presentation for a Sail Transport Network vision for the Monterey Bay and beyond.  At the Santa Cruz City Council meeting of January 24, 2012, on the occasion of the Draft Presentation of the Climate Action Plan, we seemed to have made a difference:
As the City of Santa Cruz — known as much for its being a progressive town politically as it is for its good surfing — aims to cut its greenhouse gases, some goals are too modest, such as cutting within-town car-trips’ emissions by only 10% by 2020.  So I took three minutes to chime in on transportation:
“If I can stress two words to add the Plan, here they are: Sail power.”

Here are the other points I managed to make, after identifying myself as “Jan Lundberg, with CultureChange.org and the Sail Transport Network.  I’m a former oil industry analyst who would like to comment on transportation:”

•  You can sail from Santa Cruz and Monterey in a monohull faster than taking public buses.
•  It’s an ocean Sanctuary, so we need to honor and enjoy the ocean.  Picture tall ships at our wharf.
•  Sail power is the cleanest, most efficient energy: wind over the water, but it isn’t considered a factor as a technology or industry in either Washington, D.C. or our innovative region.
•  World trade is based on the dirtiest oil, bunker fuel.  Sixteen of the biggest cargo ships spew out as much air pollutants such as sulfur as all the world’s cars.  [Council members groaned at this bad news]
•  Today’s cargo ships have slowed down to 15 knots, the speed of the clipper ships 150 years ago.  [Hmm..!]
•  You appreciate your organic coffee, but what about how it is brought to you?  [Uhh...]
•  One way for sail power to get going is through climate protection.  The UN meeting in Durban was a flop, but fortunately there is a way to bring about meaningful action:
•  A debt-for-nature swap between the U.S. and China would be sort of like the deals made to protect rainforest in South America. The U.S. is greatly indebted to China, but if we cut our carbon emissions and let China take the credit, that country can benefit from future Kyoto requirements on emissions, simply by writing off a good portion of U.S. debt. Overdue U.S. policies plus local incentives that save energy and cut carbon emissions would make this treaty happen.
We’ll follow up with the City’s climate action coordinator, Ross Clark, who received my business card.  I mentioned to our communiity’s pedal-power leader at the meeting, Micah Posner, that bikes and bike-carts would be the land linkage to sailing ships calling.  Video of my Council presentation will be available soon at www.SailTransportNetwork.com, where we’ll also post the City’s Climate Action Plan along with further progress on injecting sail power into the Plan.  Does your city have a climate action plan, and does it factor in pedal power and sail power to the extent you feel necessary for the post-oil future?
 _ _
The above is now on the CultureChange.org homepage and in that website’s Sail Transport Stories section: http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/817/1/ - “Culture Change is unique / Update on Sail Transport Network” with useful links.
A recent report of ours that has gotten all over the Internet might be relevant for your sail power interest: “Direct Fossil Fuel Subsidies Worldwide: Half a Trillion Dollars Annually - commentary and findings” at www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/816/1/  It’s unusual for its critique of assumptions on civilization.
Jan Lundberg
* * * * *
Culture Change
Sail Transport Network

P.O. Box 3387, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 USA
tel./fax: 1-215-243-3144
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Next Meeting

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Thanks again everyone who came to the sustainability festival presentation.  Our next project meeting is this Thursday 26th Jan at 7pm,  at Marta’s house: 19 Great Barrier Rd (top house)

Hopefully some of you who expressed an interest in the project will be able to make it.  This meeting will be to review the feedback from the presentation and decide on the next steps.

Andrew

 

Welcome

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Welcome to the Waiheke Working Sail Project Website.

We are just getting started – but you are welcome to get involved and help.

If you would like to find out more come to our first presentation evening
at the  Oneroa Bowling Club,  7pm on Monday 16th Jan.

As part of the Waiheke Resources Trust Sustainability Festival.

Read more about the project on our about page:

Coming in 2012! Join WWS on a series of historical shipping reenactments around the Hauraki Gulf as we carry cargo by sail up the Thames and out to Coromandel. Stay tuned to this site for details in the coming months