The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft, je
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spec's One of Milford Sounds' iconic waterfalls Length Beam Draft Rig Sails Maximum displacement Engines Cruising speed Daytime capacity Overnight capacity 28.5m 8.4m 1.65m ketch fore and aft, jib and flying jib 170 tonnes 2 x 50 Series MTU diesels 9.5 knots 120 passengers 36 passengers VIP.WB12 replaced to meet increased demand from the new showers, toilets and sinks. The water is drawn from the existing holding tanks and fed into a cold, freshwater supply and a hot water ring main. Three quick-recovery hot water cylinders heat this ring main. During the day, the water system's pumps fill two stainless steel tanks on the wheelhouse roof, which means during the night these tanks can provide a head of water for showers and taps without the main pumps coming on. One tank holds seawater that is linked to a completely separate system to flush the toilets, so there is adequate fresh water during the longer Discovery Cruises. Fresh water is used on the shorter cruises, eliminating the traditional bad smells that can develop with dying plankton contained in the water when pumped into the system. All wastewater is gravity-fed into holding tanks for pumping to the main blackwater tank during dayrunning mode. The shower, heads and toilets were carefully selected to minimise water usage and subsequent holding in tanks. When the old linings were removed, the engineers found that several areas of the hull required blasting and painting after 19 years service, but other than this the hull was in remarkable condition, bearing testament to the efforts by Jim's construction team during the initial build. Much of the inside of the hull was left completely untouched and the exterior completely repainted to bring the finish up to the level of a new boat. All of the machinery on board was in good running order due to Real Journeys' extensive maintenance and service programme. However, the refit provided the opportunity to reset the four-yearly survey cycle, so all of the machinery and plant, including the shafts, were inspected, tested and serviced. One of the key requirements for this refit was that the Milford Wanderer had to be pulled out of service, and back in the water for the start of the new summer season in Milford, Q-West and the contractors worked extremely hard, within tight deadlines, to get her back into service in time for the upcoming season. Real Journeys found that the refit had a surprising benefit: her weight was reduced by around one tonne and her masters now comment on how well she is handling. Milford Wanderer is much quieter than before, with less vibration in the hull in a seaway, or when going over large waves on coastal voyages, and her new layout includes cabin doors that muffle internal noises at night. The level of the fitout and finish is high, similar to that on a superyacht, and while the interior changes were major the boat looks much the same externally to the untrained eye. The delivery trip home was a sweet sail down the west coast from Whanganui back to the Sounds. Brian Humphreys, Real Journeys' current engineering general manager says she is the best performer of their five scows. Remembering one particular Northern Fiords trip in heavy seas between Doubtful and Milford Sounds, Brian says that the old girl can still deliver a thrill for the sailors at heart. With waves washing over the decks and down onto the wheelhouse he really enjoyed the trip, even if those with less iron in their stomachs didn't, and as an engineer, he was thrilled to see the old girl ■ performing so well. NZ WORKBOAT REVIEW 2013 57