Recent content by gavin_lacey

First let be stress I am not a tax accountant. That said I believe that the 183 day thing is not absolute. If you have your main family home in the uk, pay tax in the uk on savings or a pension, have a car taxed in the uk etc etc then you can remain a uk tax resident even if you exceed 183...

Seems very expensive. twice ARC fees.

Its not your budget that is the problem, it is your choice of boat. 26ft contessas and folkboats have crossed the atlantic. Well within your budget and fit for purpose. Note my 38ft boat could cost up to 300euros per night in some italian marinas in summer. I pass through expensive areas out...

If you are determined to buy such a boat trhen use it in waters that are basically sheltered. People cruise the Ionion in ribs sleeping under the sunshades in the summer. Distances rarely exceed 20 miles. Offshore passages need 2 means of propulsion. If you carry a 6-8 hp outboard as your...

Boats such as those you are describing are RCD cat C. In most european countries owners of such boats are restriced to 6miles from a safe haven and pretty calm conditions. Whilst not advocating a rigid adherence to such things for British boats it must give some food for thought. They are...

Apology accepted Charles. My point is that whilst 7mm chain is fine for your 31ft boat it would be rather light for a bavaria 44. As someone who has used my bav 38 in the med for some years since sailing from the uk and only fitted an electric windlass this september I do know about the...

3g is invaluable if youy spend any amount of time at anchor. Weather forecasts in understanable form on demand. VHF forecasts are often unintelligble or unobtainable. If you spend most of the time in marinas then wifi might suffice.

I would suggest that the suggestions of 25m of chain will give real problems. The only point of the chain is to keep the angle at the anchor low. I would suggest on a bav 44 that 7m of 10mm or 5 m of 12mm would be ideal. this means that most of the rode is rope and can therefore be used on a...

I really dont think that the weight would be a problem. The dinghy weighs quite a lot less than an extra person in the cockpit. Unless you are into weight concious (saw handles off toothbrushes) racing the convenience of davits wins out. Davits not only avoid the airborn dinghy scenario when...

Everyone has the right to their own lifestyle choice but there can be consequences if you want to rejoin family life. Children and grand kids develop their lives without close contact. Xmas traditions, for example, develop without you. You cant suddenly decide to return to the fold and expect...

You have to sign up by text for the passport rate and can opt out. It is not triggered by making calls or recieving them. If you do not opt in to this rip off you are just charged for your calls and data at rates that are not that high these days.

Chris dont sign up for the £3 per day deal. Turn off data to prevent your phones automatic updating and searching for emails which will run at around 0.3Mb per day. Turn on data, check your emails, send emails and get a forecast and then turn off. It will probably use less than 2Mb which are...

Vodafone appear to be determined to rip travellers off. I am currently going through ombudsman about ending of data traveller. They claim it was an add on. I claim that it was taken out as part of an overall deal including phone, minutes, texts, data, during one phone call and as such forms...

I manage with 200w of panels plus a rutland 213 wind genny. 480ah of house batteries to bridge the gaps. It has been said many times but it is far more cost effective to reduce consumption than to buy and run generation. A really well insulated fridge and LED lighting (Those from Sea Rolf are...

My boat stays in the water year round. Only lift for brief servicing. Got 2 years out of Micron extra including long time of no movement. Currently using Tamarind, ablative stuff sold in greece but made I believe in Israel. It has been on for 16 months and on swimming the hull I found 5...