400 engine hours on a new boat in 3 weeks

[Elessar]

"so can you take it to Gib for us" said the dealer. Yes said I.

10 minutes later......
"Can you come with us from Gib to Malta, then on to Genova" said the owner. " I'm not sure when she arrives in Gib"

I said I'd be delighted and that I knew when the boat would arrive in Gib, much to the delight of the owner.

The owners knew me as I'd trained them in the spring. They were happy I was taking their new baby across biscay.

Anyway, I'm leaving for Sicily tomorrow. The rest of the trip will be anchoring every night. So far we have stopped only in gib to dump crew and gain owners, and an overnight anchor in Tunisia as a quartering force 7-8 was a bit much. I didn't think the med was like this.

The arrival in Malta was amusing. The idea is the owners are fully competent by the time we get to Genova and I go on my way. So he is doing the mooring and I'm just there. It was really tricky and I had to take over. We had to go stern to a pontoon, with med style bow ropes. The boat was longer than the gap between the pontoons, and there was a fresh breeze blowing across the mooring. So back in at 45 degrees, get the stern in a bit, then there's enough room to swing the bow. Creep in. Took me abou 10 minutes I recon to get into the berth. Then the bow lines led aft when tightened, not forward as of course they should. The boat was sticking out so far into the fairway it blocked it. I argued with the marina staff, and stuck the bow lines on the midships cleats to hold us. It is the right size berth they said. The last boat was OK.

Anyway, they had booked us in for 19 ft, not 19 m. After I got her back out the owner happily got her into the correctly sized berth.

We've now spent a week in Malta tinkering and pottering. The blue lagoon in Gozo is rather nice...,,

No crew cabin and I'm being treated like a guest and friend. My wife came for a week last week and they were happy to entertain . I think we are now taking the slow route to Genova and I'll be here for another couple of weeks at least.

A nice little assignment. Photos to follow when I get home.

Ps did I mention the owner also owns a vineyard. If only all jobs were like this

 

[Greg2]

Sounds fantastic - raining here :-(

 

[Seahope]

As you say if only all jobs were like that I would work forever!

I remember the blue grotto from a holiday with my parents years ago. I always thought it would be great to go diving around that coast as I am sure there are many historical wrecks there to explore. A very unforgiving piece of coast if I remember rightly.

 

[tinkicker0]

"so can you take it to Gib for us" said the dealer. Yes said I.

10 minutes later......
"Can you come with us from Gib to Malta, then on to Genova" said the owner. " I'm not sure when she arrives in Gib"

I said I'd be delighted and that I knew when the boat would arrive in Gib, much to the delight of the owner.

The owners knew me as I'd trained them in the spring. They were happy I was taking their new baby across biscay.

Anyway, I'm leaving for Sicily tomorrow. The rest of the trip will be anchoring every night. So far we have stopped only in gib to dump crew and gain owners, and an overnight anchor in Tunisia as a quartering force 7-8 was a bit much. I didn't think the med was like this.

The arrival in Malta was amusing. The idea is the owners are fully competent by the time we get to Genova and I go on my way. So he is doing the mooring and I'm just there. It was really tricky and I had to take over. We had to go stern to a pontoon, with med style bow ropes. The boat was longer than the gap between the pontoons, and there was a fresh breeze blowing across the mooring. So back in at 45 degrees, get the stern in a bit, then there's enough room to swing the bow. Creep in. Took me abou 10 minutes I recon to get into the berth. Then the bow lines led aft when tightened, not forward as of course they should. The boat was sticking out so far into the fairway it blocked it. I argued with the marina staff, and stuck the bow lines on the midships cleats to hold us. It is the right size berth they said. The last boat was OK.

Anyway, they had booked us in for 19 ft, not 19 m. After I got her back out the owner happily got her into the correctly sized berth.

We've now spent a week in Malta tinkering and pottering. The blue lagoon in Gozo is rather nice...,,

No crew cabin and I'm being treated like a guest and friend. My wife came for a week last week and they were happy to entertain . I think we are now taking the slow route to Genova and I'll be here for another couple of weeks at least.

A nice little assignment. Photos to follow when I get home.

Ps did I mention the owner also owns a vineyard. If only all jobs were like this

What a job!!!!! I'm very envious. I've swum in the Blue Lagoon on Comino myself, what a marvellous place.

 

[fireball]

Pah. I dont like this moboing lark. I managed 15 minutes then had to come home!! Didn't even get the wake shot! Twin engines?! Give me sails any day!

 

[benjenbav]

We salute you, Elessar.

Berthing a 19m boat in a slot for a 19 footer and then only moving when the capitainerie complains that your bow is blocking their johnny foreigner fairway is somehow reminiscent of Drake or Nelson.

 

[Kawasaki]

We salute you, Elessar.

Berthing a 19m boat in a slot for a 19 footer and then only moving when the capitainerie complains that your bow is blocking their johnny foreigner fairway is somehow reminiscent of Drake or Nelson.

Yes, fair play that is some boat handling
Yes, fair play that Blue place at Gozo fairly nice
Nice one, not jealous at all

 

[Elessar]

over 500 now

Up over the 500 mark. We've done sicily and the staights of messina, and are pottering up the coast. We are due in Genova on Tuesday and I'm due to leave. But he's now asked me to go onto Antibes with him. Fine by me.

Stopped in a marina last night, as I had to come to Sweden for a couple of days for a pre arranged family event. 290 euros per night. Flip! Not even very nice. He's going to take the boat to elba and anchor and I catch up with him there on Sunday. He's happy anchoring but still likes a bit of support in marinas.

I will easyjet back from Antibes and he can do his first solo into a berth he has practised. Then I come back to reality.......

 

[duncan]

yep some marina's can be pricey when the boat length gets up!

51' (with a mast) was enough to keep me in anchorages and on restaurant pontoons a couple of years ago.

however, it does sound like you are enjoying yourself which, as a boating professional, just isn't cricket....

 

[BlackMagic]

hmmm.... Gozo blue lagoon. Kit up with scuba gear on beach, swim across blue lagoon and through cave into open water with a straight drop down to the depths. So clear you get vertigo swimming along the rock face whist inspecting the Grouper!

 

[jfm]

Up over the 500 mark. We've done sicily and the staights of messina, and are pottering up the coast. We are due in Genova on Tuesday and I'm due to leave. But he's now asked me to go onto Antibes with him. Fine by me.

Stopped in a marina last night, as I had to come to Sweden for a couple of days for a pre arranged family event. 290 euros per night. Flip! Not even very nice. He's going to take the boat to elba and anchor and I catch up with him there on Sunday. He's happy anchoring but still likes a bit of support in marinas.

I will easyjet back from Antibes and he can do his first solo into a berth he has practised. Then I come back to reality.......

Fantastic stuff Ellesar. I'm just back in France from Balearics and have done a mere 250hours. Elba is a big safe anchorage (in Portoferraio) but it's such a nice town it would be a shame not to get a berth in the harbour. Last time i was there though, the berthing helper guys pulled up the ground lines as I was reversing into the berth, and caught my prop so I got a big tangle. Thanks guys. They said it was illegal to dive yourself but no worries a port diver would come round soon, which he did, for €200, and of course it turns out he was the brother of the guy who tangled my prop in the first place

He's gonna have to get used to the e290 thing. That's the rate. La Spezia is worse! On your way up, try to call in on Porto Venere (nr La Spezia) as it is beautiful, especially if you approach with that little island on your port side as the sun is setting . It's the backdrop to all the Riva big flybridge brochure shots. Also Portofino is lovely but it's a rolly harbour and not great for overnighting

And drop by when you get to Antibes. I'll be on the boat the next two weekends

 

[Chas25]

Mark,

Sounds horrible, how are you coping!!