Volvo uncovered

Ardmachree was pulled out of the water at Ashby's Yard in Opua and was on the hard for nine days. Bill spent his time taking off the engine box which has the galley sinks above that have to be disconnected. Then had the heat exchanger taken off and reconditioned, the alternator was also sent off to be checked out and an new exhaust elbow installed in the exhaust system. Also had the stuffing box restuffed. Kath spent her time cleaning the hull and then had a young man with very strong shoulders and a powerful polisher wax and polish the hull which came up looking like new. Meanwhile below the waterline she cleaned and polished the propeller and repainted the black waterline stripe ready for the underwater hull to be wet sanded. Bill rolled on the teal/blue bottom paint while Kath touched up around the rudder, skeg and thru holes.

Tide Grid at the Kerkkeri Marina

We had to put Ardmachree on the tide grid at the Kerikeri Cruising Club so we could take the boat over to Opua about ten nautical miles away to pull her out. She had been sitting in the marina berth and had only moved for five days last February in the last eighteen months while we had been away traveling in North America. It took Bill three goes to get out of the berth and enough speed to get around to the tide grid due to the amount of marine growth on the propeller and the bottom of the boat..



Mum lying on the dock checking out the oysters on the propeller.






The water is rather chilly and Bill is wearing a wet suit.

More Family at the house for Bill's Funeral

On the back terrace. Jan, Leslie, Kerry, Jenny, Pam, and granddaughter Vita








Dad's cousins Moyna and Lorraine with Mum in the middle.











Two of Dad's Great Grand children Emma and Kaitlyn.






Mum's cousin, Colin and my cousin Kevin

Family at the house

Mum's sisters Marg and Vera






Bill making sure that everyone has a drink



Cousin Kevin and Uncle Norman












Cousins Anns, Steve and Diane

and Bert who were our back neightbours at the farm for many years. There were many Hinuera Bowling Club Members at the funeral and dressed in their club colours for Dad. Bert gave a lovely eulogy to Dad during the service.

Donna and John in Matamata

At Mum's in Matamata the day before Dad's funeral Rose and Carl's friends Jon and Donna called in on their Harley Davison from Auckland. It was very kind of them to make the trip down to Matamata as Donna was working a long haul flight the next day and unable to attend the funeral.

Herongate

We were at Herongate to pick up Suzie their border collie for a month while Brian and Marilyn had a holiday in Turkey. We were meeting up with Bob and Nancey and taking the two motor homes, going camping north of Kamloops, then over to Pemberton, down to Whistler and back to Whiterock. But the day before they were to leave we received a phone call from Mum to say that Dad had had a stroke. He passed away in hospital later that morning. Suddenly arrangements were made for Suzie to stay with other friends and another friend to take Brian and Marilyn to the air port in Kelowna the next day. Meanwhile, Bill was able to get me a flight out of Kamloops the next day as well. He spent the next three days winterizing the motor home and getting it and the car ready for a long cold winter, then flying out himself.

Coquhalla Hwy to Kamloops

Early August we were heading north up the Coquhalla Highway to Kamloops on our way to Brian and Marilyn's in Vernon. This is the first time we have taken 'Dutchess' towing 'Granny' up this highway due to the steep grades but after our trip across Canada and around the United States, thought that we had not traveled anything quite as long and steep. 'Dutchess' handled the climb very well and the scenery is spectacular to say the least. Although it is the middle of summer you can still get snow falling here on the highway. Ahead you can see were avalanches have smoothed the side of the mountain.
One of several snow sheds that we passed through and you can see on the windshield that we have light rain.