2019 Late Season Video

Hurricane

Hurricane

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Sant Carles de la Ràpita
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It has been a difficult year managing the weather.
We didn't get a chance to do an early season cruise so I was hoping to get some good late season weather.
In fact, we did manage a quick few days in Mallorca at the beginning of September.
It was just as well that we had to return to Sant Carles for other reasons but the weather turned VERY nasty during the middle of September.
Never seen it before - 6m waves between Sant Carles and Mallorca.
In SC, we missed most of that bad weather as it travelled down the coast to Denia and Alicante washing out roads and towns on the way.

I was always planning on a late season cruise at the end of September/beginning of October so we waited and waited and waited.
Finally, we found a window of about 10 days so headed to Ibiza.

A problem with our steering system meant that we had to stay in San Miguel for a couple of nights whist SWMBO and I fixed things.
We then headed to Cala Tarida where we met up with our yachtie friends.
Their plan was to head to the east of Formentera so we joined in.
We all chose to head to Cala Pujols but it was clear that a better place existed - Es Calo
This part of Formentera was new to us - what a surprise.
Turquoise clear water and protected from all but east and north east winds / swell.
Only 127 miles from Sant Carles.
Or 92 miles from Cala d'Or for you guys berthed in Mallorca.

Anyway, I flew the drone and took lots of pics/videos so see for yourselves.



And here is a link to a full screen version of the video:-
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QlAAJDde4Tg

Aerial footage taken with a Mavic Pro (1) - 4K camera
Other video clips taken using an Osmo Pocket - some with a WiFi remote control.
Underwater photos taken using a GoPro "look alike".
Editing done using KDENLive under Linux
Where possible I record video etc using 4K and render the final cut in 1K (1920 x 1080) - this gives me the ability to zoom clips where necessary.

I hope you enjoy the video and like the anchorage.
 
I did enjoy :)
sometimes late season is the best season
I’m here enjoying a beautiful late summer afternoon

Anybody want to hazard a guess where?
 
Hurricane said:
It has been a difficult year managing the weather.
We didn't get a chance to do an early season cruise so I was hoping to get some good late season weather.
In fact, we did manage a quick few days in Mallorca at the beginning of September.
It was just as well that we had to return to Sant Carles for other reasons but the weather turned VERY nasty during the middle of September.
Never seen it before - 6m waves between Sant Carles and Mallorca.
In SC, we missed most of that bad weather as it travelled down the coast to Denia and Alicante washing out roads and towns on the way.

I was always planning on a late season cruise at the end of September/beginning of October so we waited and waited and waited.
Finally, we found a window of about 10 days so headed to Ibiza.

A problem with our steering system meant that we had to stay in San Miguel for a couple of nights whist SWMBO and I fixed things.
We then headed to Cala Tarida where we met up with our yachtie friends.
Their plan was to head to the east of Formentera so we joined in.
We all chose to head to Cala Pujols but it was clear that a better place existed - Es Calo
This part of Formentera was new to us - what a surprise.
Turquoise clear water and protected from all but east and north east winds / swell.
Only 127 miles from Sant Carles.
Or 92 miles from Cala d'Or for you guys berthed in Mallorca.

Anyway, I flew the drone and took lots of pics/videos so see for yourselves.



And here is a link to a full screen version of the video:-
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QlAAJDde4Tg

Aerial footage taken with a Mavic Pro (1) - 4K camera
Other video clips taken using an Osmo Pocket - some with a WiFi remote control.
Underwater photos taken using a GoPro "look alike".
Editing done using KDENLive under Linux
Where possible I record video etc using 4K and render the final cut in 1K (1920 x 1080) - this gives me the ability to zoom clips where necessary.

I hope you enjoy the video and like the anchorage.
Click to expand...

Nice vid , can I ask what the black disc is on the bow.
 
seastoke said:
Well that’s where my forum burgee goes
Click to expand...
Funny you should say that, because historically (at least in IT, not sure about UK) flying the naval jack at the bow was considered as an acceptable alternative to the black ball.
 
As with most people on here we were always told:-

One ball for anchor
Two balls for not under command (I like to think of it as out of control)
Three balls - run aground - or in other words a complete "balls up"

And on the same subject, when I was Commodore of my sailing club:-
A club burgee was given to each of the flag officers:-
The Rear Commodore had two balls sewn into his flag (club burgee)
The Vice Commodore had one ball sewn into his flag.
But the Commodore had "NO BALLS AT ALL"
 
Thanks again Mike for another nice video. I like the way you showed the location in the first 8 seconds :encouragement:

While watching the shots taken from your foredeck at anchor I was thinking that, with such a totally sorted "keeper" of a boat like JW, surely it must be time to think about fins or a gyro (?). Or are you going to build another boat before you hang up your boots?
 
Great video thanks Mike. I’m told by most people who know the Balearics that Formentera is the nicest of all the islands. It certainly looks beautiful in your film.
 
jfm said:
Thanks again Mike for another nice video. I like the way you showed the location in the first 8 seconds :encouragement:

While watching the shots taken from your foredeck at anchor I was thinking that, with such a totally sorted "keeper" of a boat like JW, surely it must be time to think about fins or a gyro (?). Or are you going to build another boat before you hang up your boots?
Click to expand...

Very unlikely that there would be another JW.
Actually, that movement you detected is quite nice - great for that afternoon nap.

The time that I really regretted not having stabilisers was a couple of nights earlier than the days that the film was taken.
We were in San Miguel with very little wind to hold us into the swell so the boat rocked a huge amount all night.
Not enough to make us seasick because it was just the two of us and the main bed is low down in the bottom of the boat.

It was unfortunate that we were in San Miguel.
In the past, in San Miguel, we have tied back to the rocks which would have made that night more comfortable but........
On the way over, we had a problem with our steering system.
About 48 miles out from Ibiza, it sprang a hydraulic leak resulting in no helm at all - boat veered in all directions - steering wheel made no difference.
I diagnosed the problem quickly and added more hydraulic oil.
That lasted 10 miles so I added more which only lasted another 5 miles.
It was clear to me that I didn't have enough spare hydraulic oil to see us all the way to Ibiza.
During the 4th time of filling, I was in the lazerette and was horrified to hear the engines then change tone.
The last thing I wanted was an engine problem as well.
In fact, it was SWMBO on the flybridge learning how to steer the boat using the throttles.
So, at 10 knots and no control over the rudders, we pointed the boat at Ibiza using just the throttles.
To top it all, the weather deteriorated and we were getting waves breaking over the bow with significant spray over the flybridge.
Normal in those conditions, we would have gone below to the lower helm.
If anyone has approached Ibiza from the north, they will know that there is one white blob of a hotel complex that you can see from 15 miles out.
Along with extended vectors on our chart plotter, this was our target.
The hotel complex is in in San Miguel which we knew as a safe haven.
Of course, once into manoeuvring within the anchorage, we wouldn't have used the rudders anyway but all kind of things go through your mind.
So, when SWMBO said "thats a nice bit of sand" we just dropped the anchor - there and then - in the middle of the bay..
Later that afternoon, we cleaned up the oil leak and found that it was leaking from a pressure switch.
The following morning I called Sleipner and spoke to Bryn who has always been very helpful.
He explained that the pressure switch is designed to cut the oil pump when the helm reaches full travel.
So all we had to do was cap off the pressure switch port and then we could use the helm carefully.
In fact, we were able to break the pressure switch into to parts, fit a rubber stopper and put it back thus stopping the leak.
The helm the worked for us for the rest of the cruise but I will be giving it some TLC and new parts during the winter.
Great support from Sleipner though - and when we needed it.
Also great courage from SWMBO - the whole experience was quite frightening - not being able to control the boat at sea.

So, in normal circumstances, we would have tied back to the rocks in San Miguel like in this video at 3 minutes 15 seconds



And with just the two of us on board, we opted to leave the boat in the middle of the bay, not re-anchor to tie back and just live with the extra swell.
And at that time, we didn't actually know if the helm was working at all.
I suppose that stabilisers would have helped in this case.
 
Bryn and his team are great, they’re helped me on a number of occasions. They go out of their way to provide assistance over and above what can reasonably be expected.
 
longjohnsilver said:
Bryn and his team are great, they’re helped me on a number of occasions. They go out of their way to provide assistance over and above what can reasonably be expected.
Click to expand...

Yep
We went over to Plymouth today - another project for JW this winter.
On the way back I popped into see Bryn.
He immediately recognised me and offered to help me with parts for JW's steering system.
It is great having them on the doorstep.
BTW - In his private life, Bryn is a keen motor boater.
 
Hurricane said:
It has been a difficult year managing the weather.
We didn't get a chance to do an early season cruise so I was hoping to get some good late season weather.
In fact, we did manage a quick few days in Mallorca at the beginning of September.
It was just as well that we had to return to Sant Carles for other reasons but the weather turned VERY nasty during the middle of September.
Never seen it before - 6m waves between Sant Carles and Mallorca.
In SC, we missed most of that bad weather as it travelled down the coast to Denia and Alicante washing out roads and towns on the way.

I was always planning on a late season cruise at the end of September/beginning of October so we waited and waited and waited.
Finally, we found a window of about 10 days so headed to Ibiza.

A problem with our steering system meant that we had to stay in San Miguel for a couple of nights whist SWMBO and I fixed things.
We then headed to Cala Tarida where we met up with our yachtie friends.
Their plan was to head to the east of Formentera so we joined in.
We all chose to head to Cala Pujols but it was clear that a better place existed - Es Calo
This part of Formentera was new to us - what a surprise.
Turquoise clear water and protected from all but east and north east winds / swell.
Only 127 miles from Sant Carles.
Or 92 miles from Cala d'Or for you guys berthed in Mallorca.

Anyway, I flew the drone and took lots of pics/videos so see for yourselves.



And here is a link to a full screen version of the video:-
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QlAAJDde4Tg

Aerial footage taken with a Mavic Pro (1) - 4K camera
Other video clips taken using an Osmo Pocket - some with a WiFi remote control.
Underwater photos taken using a GoPro "look alike".
Editing done using KDENLive under Linux
Where possible I record video etc using 4K and render the final cut in 1K (1920 x 1080) - this gives me the ability to zoom clips where necessary.

I hope you enjoy the video and like the anchorage.
Click to expand...

Nice, Mike. Particularly impressed with your tracking/panning shots from the drone. HeliTele quality.
 
Elessar said:
Nice, Mike. Particularly impressed with your tracking/panning shots from the drone. HeliTele quality.
Click to expand...

Yes - if you take enough footage, you can often find something the looks OK.
If I spent more time on it, I would use the "active track" modes and then let DJI do it for me!!!
Actually, I can never remember the sequence of things to do to get the various intelligent modes working.
I had a go earlier when SWMBO and I filmed a yachtie with his new spinnaker - we used the RIB - I just managed to get the active track working in time for him to drop the spinnaker!!
From that experience, it seems that you have to be quite close for the DJI electronics to recognise the target to track.
And then when it finally "locked on" I didn't have the nerve or remember how to circle the target.
I think this is all about practise practise practise and then more practise.
So all the footage in the above video was panned ising manual flight controls.
Some of the zooming was done during flight by flying closer but most of the zooming was done in KDENLive on the PC when I got the footage home.
 
Hurricane said:
Yes - if you take enough footage, you can often find something the looks OK.
If I spent more time on it, I would use the "active track" modes and then let DJI do it for me!!!
Actually, I can never remember the sequence of things to do to get the various intelligent modes working.
I had a go earlier when SWMBO and I filmed a yachtie with his new spinnaker - we used the RIB - I just managed to get the active track working in time for him to drop the spinnaker!!
From that experience, it seems that you have to be quite close for the DJI electronics to recognise the target to track.
And then when it finally "locked on" I didn't have the nerve or remember how to circle the target.
I think this is all about practise practise practise and then more practise.
So all the footage in the above video was panned ising manual flight controls.
Some of the zooming was done during flight by flying closer but most of the zooming was done in KDENLive on the PC when I got the footage home.
Click to expand...

When I used to work on cricket some of the cameramen would get so bored they would lock off the static wide shot. Even though it was a static shot, as soon as they did the director would notice. The point is something done manually isn't quite perfect, and is all the better for it. Electronic music versus an instrument etc. it sort of breathes. So don't figure out the active track because you are very good indeed at panning manually. I'd label active track as the "roof surveyor" setting :) BTW one zoom in particular caught my eye because the pace of it was too constant. That would have been an electronic zoom from what you are saying. If there is a setting for the zoom speed to be a sine wave rather than a square wave I may not have noticed. (but that is me being super picky I'd be delighted with a video that good myself!!)
 
Hurricane said:
Yep
We went over to Plymouth today - another project for JW this winter.
On the way back I popped into see Bryn.
He immediately recognised me and offered to help me with parts for JW's steering system.
It is great having them on the doorstep.
BTW - In his private life, Bryn is a keen motor boater.
Click to expand...

Yep, he kept a Fairline in Darthaven for quite a few years, now he has something different in Torquay.
 
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