Quixotic forum posts in last 60 days

Just a guess, but might be the result of someone being interrupted during the work and thinking they'd already done that side, and not checking to make sure. Or the other classic is two people doing the work, being interrupted, and then one thinking the other one has already completed that bit, when they haven't, and again, not checking.

Whatever the reason, if it is not yet done, they need to spread the tails on those split pins. So I used the message the seller form alongside the ad to alert them to the apparent problem. If they respond at all, they may say the video was taken before the rigging work was finished.

FWIW, the most recent doc listed by ASIC for 30 June this year is a dismissal of a wind up application. There have been 3 applications to wind it up in the last 5 years, two dismissed and one withdrawn.

The history of Red Dot Technologies with ASIC is as follows:
Date Doc no. Description
30/06/2026 033080059 Notification Of Dismissal Of Application For Winding Up Order (519C)
3/06/2026 033062906 Notification Of Application To Wind Up Company Under S. 459p, 462 Or 464 (519G)
19/03/2026 032736105 Notification Of Withdrawal Of Application For Winding Up Order (519B)
9/01/2026 032707569 Notification Of Application To Wind Up Company Under S. 459p, 462 Or 464 (519G)
23/08/2024 6EFBQ0468 Change To Company Details (484) Change Of Registered Address (484B) Change Of Principal Place Of Business (Address) (484C)
21/03/2022 031260449 Notification Of Dismissal Of Application For Winding Up Order (519C)
17/11/2021 031088388 Notification Of Application To Wind Up Company Under S. 459p, 462 Or 464 (519G)
19/07/2018 030351659 Application For Registration As A Proprietary Company (201C)

Apparently North Sea Inflatables (northseainflatables.com.au) "has transitioned to the registered trademark" Noordzee inflatables (noordzee.com.au). The trademark was registered in 2024.

I've lithiums and no problem powering my jabsco heads or my muir anchor winch. If the batteries went in, in May and its July you're having problems with the toilet, makes me wonder about length of time away from the boat, and whether its a heads problem independent of the batteries (ie just a coincidence). Assuming it's salt water flush, you can get salt build up around the impeller, if there's evaporation from the bowl while away for a long period. And/or the impeller can bind to the porcelain when not used for a lengthy period, or if it has been run dry. Best to put freshwater into the bowl and pump a little through when you're going to leave the head for a long time. I'd try running the jabsco directly off an AGM, and if its not turning willingly, pull it apart and make sure the impeller is OK. If it does turn willingly on the AGM, then that does suggest it is the new batteries, somehow. (BTW I'm assuming you've remembered to open the stopcocks etc 😉 and haven't got a blockage problem with a holding tank or somesuch)

My thoughts as follows, but you have to be comfortable with your own decisions.

You don't want the wind on the nose. Check the weather frequently until you see when there will be favourable winds. Looks like southerly at the moment but turning Nor'Easterly on the weekend. Sunday may be your best day for making good distance. But you really need 3 days of favourable winds, I suggest.

Have you used the anchor? Anchoring single handed may require a bit of getting up to the bow then back to the helm. If you haven't done it before, then it may be good to have a practice before you need to do it solo when it's critical. Might be a good idea to get out through the Spit Bridge the day before you actually head out the heads, so you can anchor or moor and get an early start on your first full day of passage making.

If it's a short first day due to waiting for Spit Bridge, Port Hacking can be fine. It's about 20 nautical miles from Sydney Heads, so perhaps 4 hours if you can average 5 knots. There's a visitors' mooring in shallowish water (2-5m) in Bundeena Bay. May be too exposed in a northerly, though. If you draw less than 2m (say 1.5 or less), it may be OK for you depth wise. Otherwise perhaps not. Also only if its not already occupied - fair chance it wont be in mid-winter. Lowest tides are between 0.26 and 0.29m on 1 , 2 and 3 of Aug between 0400 and 0500 in the morning. I'm told, but haven't done it myself that anchoring in Gunnamatta Bay is good, noting it's a narrowish marked channel up the west side to get into that bay (and there's a ferry using the channel also as I recall, though shouldn't be an issue) . If you've no other workable option, you may be allowed to tie up at the end of the marina at the Royal Motor Yacht Club at sundown provided you're off again by 0700. You can call them to ask if you need to.

As has been said, days are short at the moment. Plan to still have at least an hour of light at the end of the day to point into the wind and drop the main, pilot into anchorage or marina or onto courtesy mooring and faff around stowing what needs to be stowed, etc. You want to be all secure before the sun sets. and preferably with a hot mug of tea made.

Plan to leave any anchorage or marina pretty much at sun up - have brekky and do your prep to go during first light. This gives you the maximum amount of time for making progress in daylight hours. So as much as nine hours if you're under way by 0700 and heading in to be on anchor, mooring or dock by 1600.

If your boat happily averages 6 knots in the winds you're expecting, do your passage planning assuming 5 knots average. Always better to arrive earlier on each day than your plan suggests, than to be still out as the sun goes down eg because the winds weren't what was expected.

Keep a reasonable distance off the shore before you head in to wherever you're going to anchor or tie up. Swells get steeper as they approach the shore and can also reflect back off bluffs and cliffs in deeper water creating confused seas close in.

Do tell Marine Rescue what your plans are (and update them if your plans change), but I suggest tell them you will be arriving at your next overnight destination 30 mins to an hour after you actually expect to be there. In my experience they'll be on the phone hassling you 5 minutes after you've not yet arrived, so leave yourself a bit of a margin, in what you tell them. In my experience they're more used to power boats and fishing tinnies, and don't get that progress when sailing is a little less predictable. If you then end up reporting arriving for the day earlier than you told them, no harm done.

Have the phone numbers already in your phone contacts for each Marine Rescue and any marina/harbour master you may need, so you don't have to search them up when you do need them.

I assume your engine works and you have enough fuel to motor if the wind dies and to manouever when anchoring, getting into a marina, putting the head into the wind and so on.

The new marina at Shellharbour is big and good, and 2 years ago was half empty when I stopped there when heading north in early July. It's about 40 nautical miles from Port Hacking, so 8 hours at 5 knots average and just under 7 hours at 6 knots average. So I'd call that a good days sailing and wouldn't try for more than that in a day.

From Shellharbour Marina to Greenwell is about 25 nautical miles, including getting out of the marina and east of Bass Point before heading south. So that's a short day's sailing of 5 hours or so if you have enough of the right wind. I am not sure how challenging the bar crossing into the river there is. Assuming you want to be entering late on the incoming tide - ie on the incoming close to high tide, if depth is an issue. High tide at Crookhaven is at 1144 on Monday 3 Aug and 1229 on Tuesday 4 August. So you'd want to be out of Shellharbour marina first thing to be sure to make it to the entrance for the crossing before the tide turns to go out. You've more time, tidewise, later in the week, but by Tuesday afternoon the wind is likely to be westerly and later in the week becoming southerly, so not favourable for heading south.

All the best.