Recent content by Flica

I never thought my comments would rouse such excitement - for which I'm duly grateful. Whether or not the Autohelm 1000/2000, is not fit for purpose is a point for discussion, but one first I'd discuss with the manufacturers, bwfore creeping up behind the board, management and workforce and...

I'd tend to avoid Italy - significantly more expensive with fewer facilities than the rest of the Mediterranean. My experiences of N Sicily, Cefalu and Trapani, Sardegna, Olbia and Corse, Bastia would probably be stop-offs for the much more desirable waters of S France. Malta is very...

Before the UK joined the EU, I was involved, as a pedestrian, in an RTA. My EHIC was all I needed to be seen to in a Sanlucar hospital, including a X-ray, and subsequent OP visits. OP visits to an hospital were unusual in Spain - you were supposed to go to your GP for follow-up. Whilst our...

Thanks, I am aware it was quite different - it had a compass-rose you turned, no buttons. If you only want to spend £500 on a keypad tiller-pilot you have to accept it leaks water and is unfit for all-weather use. I did with my Autohelm 2000. If you want an all-weather pilot you have to put up...

When I got my 3rd boat in 1972, I bought one of the original MkII Autohelms. That did 7 years of Channel crossings on a 26' boat and even survived the Fastnet Gale with nary an Hiccup. When I bought my current boat in 1990, I put an Autohelm. At the end of it's 1st long passage - Poole to...

All is dependent on the competence of who is skippering. Boat size is (almost) irrelevant. Just that LWL is proportional to max displacement speed.

My mast is a 2 panel rig, of 13.68m, it's possible to manhandle it alone, but not raise or lower it - I guess about 280kg. As it has to thread through the deck to locate on the keel raising or lowering by hand is just not feasible.

As part of RNLI training I, with 3 others, spent a short time in Cardigan Bay, in a liferaft. There was a shout, so instead of the 20' in the raft we'd expected, we were left for 2:30. By the end of the 1st hour we were no longer fearing death, but actively praying for it!! The only time I'd...

I was alerted by the gurgling sound; of course the speed of ingress is dependent on how deep below the waterline the shaft might be. Unfortunately this increases dramatically as the boat goes down by the stern. It starts very slowly. but increases geometrically - not amusing.

Get new from PSS - they are one use, cup-point. UNC thread. It's very disconcenting to notice a cold current of water over your feet, whilst at rest. It happened to me in 1995 in Weymouth - attempting to re-use the old grub-screws.

As with all things the horse-for-course element is the most important. Having done the exercise myself I bought a Mantus. In about 600 deployments it's dragged once, not set 3 times and (at age 81) is handleable. Prior to that I was satisfied by a genuine CQR, I use Delta and Danforth as...

I've stopped in all the places so far suggested and without exception you will have to pay for the facilities for which you're looking, either in mooring costs, airfares or discomfort. However one place not mentioned has been Monfalcone, at the end N of the Adriatic. Several quite impressive...

On a sailboat having a cutless bearing go should be no problem - after all your main mode of progress is by sailpower (or is it?). In fact it coat only 40% more for two than 1 bearing, when last I got one - so 3200 hours and 10 years later I'm still shaking the shaft and finding no play. I just...

When I was resident in France I had an account with Credit Agricole. To top up the account I used to write a cheque on my UK bank, in £ and have it converted to FF and later into €. Rates were at or above mid-market and they never made me a charge. It was a Credit etranger passbook account, but...

It was for a 6m boat - and it was in 2007. I hope that satisfies the carpers!