A quick note about the Apple apps.
If you have updated the YIT app, then do not upgrade your phone/ipad operating system to ios10. It will break the app. If you have upgraded your operating system already to ios10 then do not upgrade the YIT app, it will stop working. I cannot fix this and am having to rebuild the apps foundations (Google has discontinued their framework on which it was built).
Android users are not effected, nor chrome users.
Gulf Harbour Raido:
Hard to believe it is time for people to be thinking about leaving the tropics and heading for NZ or Australia but boats are already underway. There are a few things we want to draw your attention to.
1. If you want to give a position report or ask a weather question on the way please make sure you have registered your boat details on YIT. Some of you are there but there is not sufficient information for us to use in an emergency. Some don’t even have their boat length or the radio contacts name. David sadly is not a mind reader and there are too many boats to be able to remember boat type and lengths. His advice to a 55’ monohull will be different from a 34’ catamaran.
2. Go to the www.yit.nz site. Click on GHR and then drop to the library. There are various papers that give all the weather factors you should be thinking about for your trip. We need to stress that the arrival weather is the most important. It is no fun heading into a SW gale off the coast of NZ. Do your homework. Work out your way points for various positions on route and what you think you will get weather wise – and then check your logic with David if you want.
3. Remember you will not be able to hear GHRadio when you are south of 30S. We will get a boat in the islands to call and relay your information so please have it ready and clearly give : latitude, longitude, course and speed, weather conditions.
4. Weather south of 30degrees is important so go back to the YIT library and download the paper called “Radio and fax weather resources” There is now a second page that covers coastal NZ. It gives the Maritime Radio frequencies and times, 4 a day, where they read the NZ Metservice weather situation and forecasts. After the overall situation the order is
Area Plenty – for those going into Tauranga
Area Colville – for those going into Auckland and Whangarei/Marsden Cove
Area Brett – for those going into the Bay of Islands / Opua.
5. You need to advise NZ Customs 48hours before arrival at the 12nm coastal limit. The following is an extract from the Yacht Pack . Yacht Packs should be available in the Immigration NZ offices in Suva, NukuAlofa and Apia as well as some marinas.
http://www.customs.govt.nz/inprivate/arrivalbyprivatecraft/yachtsandsmallcraft/Pages/default.aspx?s=12
The master of every craft en route to New Zealand must provide the following information to Customs at least 48 hours before their expected arrival time (12 nautical miles from the coastline):
Details of the craft.
Estimated date and time of arrival.
Customs port of entry at which craft will arrive.
Details of all crew and passengers on board.
The name of the originating port and any other ports visited on the voyage to New Zealand.
You can provide this information by downloading and completing the Inward report (small craft) (Form C1B) and the Advance notice of arrival (small craft) (NZCS 340) form.
These can be completed and returned to Customs by:
Fax: +64 3 358 0069 or Email: yachts@customs.govt.nz.
Masters must also notify the Ministry for Primary Industries. They should contact the local MPI office at or near the first port of call.(MPI is Agriculture who will check for banned products like honey. If you have an animal with you please do this before arrival).
6. There are now fees for entering NZ which you can pay in various ways except cash (credit card, EFTPOS, or check). These are currently NZ$20 pp. You get 3months when you arrive and after this you need to contact Immigration for extensions up to 9months – or 12 months if you have repairs. (Brits get an initial 6mo for some reason!).
Web/App:
--The blogs/updates and subscribers section has been completely rebuilt. I'm still having a few troubles with weird characters but am slowly getting to the bottom of them.
--There is now image rotation, on the website, on all new images that are uploaded. (old ones, just re upload them and then rotate it). Look for the little symbols in the corner of each image - when logged in.
--The website has a new look, incase you didn't notice.
--The app has a new sailing feature (Apple read the warning above before updating) and the menus have changed a little. There is a way to copy and paste from the app to other programs on an IPAD now. There is a slight bug with the Apple version, just make sure you press save, then email/copy button.
--Email reports can now accept times on the date. See the app email/copy button for the format.
I'm in the process of rebuilding the app so you won't see or hear from me (Mike) for a while!
Cheers
Patricia, David and Mike