A fine weather window and favourable tides made last Wednesday the perfect day to fetch the 4 logs from Nugent’s Bay around to Putiki Bay, where they can be stored for seasoning. “Flying Carpet” was floating on the big tides and ready to go, so with the boys Tom and Joe crewing we motor-sailed around in a light Easterly.
The logs partially rolled themselves down the beach, but being tapered were inclined to go off course. With help from Alex and Millie some vigorous exercise got them down to the low tide line, whence they could be towed out between the rocks with the little diesel launch that the boys have put together from a beat-up dinghy and a 4hp motor off a generator. (Total cost$130!)
We found we could man-handle the 2 smaller logs up on deck, leaving 2 to be towed.
A pleasant lunch on board, then under way. The logs towed easily at 4 knots. Not enough wind for sailing, so motor-sailed round in 2 hrs, used 10 litres of petrol altogether. At high tide in the evening we rolled them up above the tide in the shade of the big pine tree at Pete Stoddart’s place, where Flying Carpet is moored.
Sometime soon we’ll peel the bark off to see what we have, and to prevent it harbouring bugs, but for this we really need a couple of stout trestles to put them on… And some finance so we can afford to do all this!