MapisM
Well-Known Member
UK experience on warm sun! How come?
I'll get my coat...
I'll get my coat...
Andiamo - Let's Go!
- Thread starter petem
- Start date
rafiki_
Well-Known Member
This heatwave is an event that occurs precisely 2 weeks prior to a planned cruise. This means the boat must be lifted prior to the cruise. At which point normal service is resumed, and 2 weeks of cold rains ensues. It is known as Sods Law.UK experience on warm sun! How come?
I'll get my coat...
MapisM
Well-Known Member
LOL, yeah, that's not totally unheard of also down here, I must admit! 
petem
Well-Known Member
Now that the season is properly underay, I thought I'd give a bit of a round up of the year so far. Our earlier two visits to the boat (April and May) suffered from poor weather so we only managed to get the boat out for a short pre-season shake down. One of my partners has been also been on board and gave the boat a run down to Moraira without any issues.
For this trip, we had plannned to stay on board for 9 nights and get over to Ibiza (see separate thread). Before that I wanted to spend a morning addressing various bits and pieces with Paul Meeson who looks after the boat.
Maintenance
Anchor Windlass and Chain - I'd never let out all of the chain and wanted to know what it was attached with. So we turned the boat around and laid out all 55m of the chain on the quay. It doesn't look very long from this pic but believe me it was hard work lugging it around!
Surprise surprise the chain wasn't attached (the shackle must have disintegrated many years ago). So a new bright red 2m rope bitter end was duly made up and the chain was re-attached. We also cut out some rusty links at the top of the chain and reversed it so that we now have the cleaner end of the chain at the top (if that makes sense). Paul was all for fitting a swivel but I wasn't convinced. With the chain fully let out I took the opportunity to mark it with some Osculati rainbow markers set as follows (keeping it very simple):
10m White
20m Blue
30m Green
40m Yellow
50m Red
Paul also gave the winch a quick service (probably the first of its life) which on the Lofrans Airon simply required the removal of a couple of bolts, removal of the windlass cone, a quick clean and a re-grease.
Next on the list was the fitting of the foredeck drinks holders that came with the boat. I doubt these will last the season before some clumsy oath stands on them at which point I will admit defeat and replace with some nice thick stainless ones. Amusingly, the two are no where near symmetrical, a throwback of the fact that the original deck molds were all hand made. Note that we didn't use screwcaps as Paul says they perish in the sun.
One of the cockpit speakers had given up the ghost after 16 years so these were duly replaced with new Sony ones (an exact fit for the old ones so 5 mins work).
On this trip I also took the opportunity to add to our tool set. We have always been a bit lacking in the electrical department so now have some decent wire strippers, some ratchet crimps and a box of transparent heat shrink terminals.
All in all, it was good mornings work and unbelievably nothing went wrong.
Boating
Our plan for the Monday was to set off to Ibiza for a few days. We mentioned this to a Belgium couple who we know and they said they'd be up for joining us. They had friends on board who had to be back so they'd just stay for one night. If we ever thought it was cramped on our boat, there were two couples and a child staying on theirs (a Sunseeker Hawk 34)!
Conditions were good so we set off late morning (after my wife's nail appointment - Gggggrrrrr). It was glorious day but a little bumpy so we got a little bit wet.
"Ratun", my mate's Hawk 34 en route.
https://youtu.be/no_OVt6q6nA
Cruising at around 3000rpm / 24kts we used approx 190 litres of diesel for the 75 (status mile) trip across. Journey took around 3 1/4 hours end to end and we arrived at San Antonio at around 3:30pm.
Once we'd checked in to the very smart marina (€57 a night) we took a water taxi across the bay to see an old friend who DJ's at a very smart hotel at the south of San Antonio bay. The following day we were a bit lazy and chilled out by the hotel pool again.
As you may be aware, we don't have a pasarelle but the marina will lend you a step for a €200 deposit worked well for us.
After two nights we decided to head back to the mainland via a stop at Moraira for a couple of days. I was a little nervous about doing the trip back on our own (the port engine stalling at the fuel pontoon didn't help) but we had a good run back. It was a little hazy so we couldn't see land at all times (as we could on the way over) but were blessed with the some dolphins swimming alongisde the boat (a first for us).
The only gremlin was the radar mast deciding to detach itself 3/4 of the way back but with some cables ties I managed to secure it well enough to complete our journey.
We arrived at Moraira early afternoon and tied up to the visitors key. Moraira is a delightful port and one of those places with a waiting list for a berth (even then you pay a fortune for one, plus you have to pay another fortune to join the yacht club, pay for water and electricity, etc. It's also got a nice anchorage overlooked by €10 mil villas.
Anyhow, we secured a berth for a very reasonable €35 a night. Again, having no pasarelle wasn't an issue as the visitors quay is alongside berthing.
This looked like fun.
We enjoyed a lovely two nights in Moraira (great restaurants and surprisingly good VFM) before heading back to Marina Greenwich (Campomanes) for the final two nights of our holiday.
All in all a great trip, it was just sad that we had to come back to work.
For this trip, we had plannned to stay on board for 9 nights and get over to Ibiza (see separate thread). Before that I wanted to spend a morning addressing various bits and pieces with Paul Meeson who looks after the boat.
Maintenance
Anchor Windlass and Chain - I'd never let out all of the chain and wanted to know what it was attached with. So we turned the boat around and laid out all 55m of the chain on the quay. It doesn't look very long from this pic but believe me it was hard work lugging it around!
Surprise surprise the chain wasn't attached (the shackle must have disintegrated many years ago). So a new bright red 2m rope bitter end was duly made up and the chain was re-attached. We also cut out some rusty links at the top of the chain and reversed it so that we now have the cleaner end of the chain at the top (if that makes sense). Paul was all for fitting a swivel but I wasn't convinced. With the chain fully let out I took the opportunity to mark it with some Osculati rainbow markers set as follows (keeping it very simple):
10m White
20m Blue
30m Green
40m Yellow
50m Red
Paul also gave the winch a quick service (probably the first of its life) which on the Lofrans Airon simply required the removal of a couple of bolts, removal of the windlass cone, a quick clean and a re-grease.
Next on the list was the fitting of the foredeck drinks holders that came with the boat. I doubt these will last the season before some clumsy oath stands on them at which point I will admit defeat and replace with some nice thick stainless ones. Amusingly, the two are no where near symmetrical, a throwback of the fact that the original deck molds were all hand made. Note that we didn't use screwcaps as Paul says they perish in the sun.
One of the cockpit speakers had given up the ghost after 16 years so these were duly replaced with new Sony ones (an exact fit for the old ones so 5 mins work).
On this trip I also took the opportunity to add to our tool set. We have always been a bit lacking in the electrical department so now have some decent wire strippers, some ratchet crimps and a box of transparent heat shrink terminals.
All in all, it was good mornings work and unbelievably nothing went wrong.
Boating
Our plan for the Monday was to set off to Ibiza for a few days. We mentioned this to a Belgium couple who we know and they said they'd be up for joining us. They had friends on board who had to be back so they'd just stay for one night. If we ever thought it was cramped on our boat, there were two couples and a child staying on theirs (a Sunseeker Hawk 34)!
Conditions were good so we set off late morning (after my wife's nail appointment - Gggggrrrrr). It was glorious day but a little bumpy so we got a little bit wet.
"Ratun", my mate's Hawk 34 en route.
https://youtu.be/no_OVt6q6nA
Cruising at around 3000rpm / 24kts we used approx 190 litres of diesel for the 75 (status mile) trip across. Journey took around 3 1/4 hours end to end and we arrived at San Antonio at around 3:30pm.
Once we'd checked in to the very smart marina (€57 a night) we took a water taxi across the bay to see an old friend who DJ's at a very smart hotel at the south of San Antonio bay. The following day we were a bit lazy and chilled out by the hotel pool again.
As you may be aware, we don't have a pasarelle but the marina will lend you a step for a €200 deposit worked well for us.
After two nights we decided to head back to the mainland via a stop at Moraira for a couple of days. I was a little nervous about doing the trip back on our own (the port engine stalling at the fuel pontoon didn't help) but we had a good run back. It was a little hazy so we couldn't see land at all times (as we could on the way over) but were blessed with the some dolphins swimming alongisde the boat (a first for us).
The only gremlin was the radar mast deciding to detach itself 3/4 of the way back but with some cables ties I managed to secure it well enough to complete our journey.
We arrived at Moraira early afternoon and tied up to the visitors key. Moraira is a delightful port and one of those places with a waiting list for a berth (even then you pay a fortune for one, plus you have to pay another fortune to join the yacht club, pay for water and electricity, etc. It's also got a nice anchorage overlooked by €10 mil villas.
Anyhow, we secured a berth for a very reasonable €35 a night. Again, having no pasarelle wasn't an issue as the visitors quay is alongside berthing.
This looked like fun.
We enjoyed a lovely two nights in Moraira (great restaurants and surprisingly good VFM) before heading back to Marina Greenwich (Campomanes) for the final two nights of our holiday.
All in all a great trip, it was just sad that we had to come back to work.
Last edited:
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Nice write up + pics Pete :encouragement:
It’s economical @ 190 L for 3 1/4 hrs ?
It’s economical @ 190 L for 3 1/4 hrs ?
Blue Sunray
Well-Known Member
An interesting update, thanks
rafiki_
Well-Known Member
Sounds a great trip. Well Done Pete and thanks for the pics
Bouba
Well-Known Member
Lovely trip report and great holiday. Loved the pictures (especially the four huge outboards for some strange reason). I also don’t have a hydraulic passerelle and spend a lot of time thinking about it.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
Nice report Pete. Those plastic cupholders used to drive me nuts on my Targa. I replaced most of mine at least once and then gave up and sold the boat
Hurricane
Well-Known Member
Great report, Pete.
You didn't get time to try any of the anchorages around Ibiza?
I suppose that the weather wasn't on your side anyway.
Weather wise, the season only seems to have just started.
You didn't get time to try any of the anchorages around Ibiza?
I suppose that the weather wasn't on your side anyway.
Weather wise, the season only seems to have just started.
petem
Well-Known Member
petem
Well-Known Member
A couple more random pics...
petem
Well-Known Member
Indeed, they were a Derek Carter fetish. The cockpit ones have a reasonable life expectancy but I fear the worst for the foredeck ones. Worse still is the fact that you can;t get the original acrylic colour. When cleaners aren't standing on them they are unscrewing them to clean behind which opens up the screw holes causing leaks.
petem
Well-Known Member
Yep, proof that fuel is never the most significant cost in running a boat like ours.
petem
Well-Known Member
It was more laziness Mike than poor weather!
markc
Well-Known Member
Great write up Pete! Some good fuel economy too!
Bouba
Well-Known Member
Seems to be a famous boat. Almost 100mph. And yes there is a matching carSome more of that boat....
MrB
Well-Known Member
Bigplumbs
Well-Known Member
Nice write up an looks like you had a good time.
Re the cup holders before they get broken why not use them as a pattern to make some out of a better and stronger material
I was wondering how much worry you had about the trip back on your own. With me I get something I call engine ear which is constantly listening to my engine stressing if the ‘note’ changes etc. It does not spoil my trip but makes it less enjoyable than it could be.
Having another boat with you makes this go away for me
Re the cup holders before they get broken why not use them as a pattern to make some out of a better and stronger material
I was wondering how much worry you had about the trip back on your own. With me I get something I call engine ear which is constantly listening to my engine stressing if the ‘note’ changes etc. It does not spoil my trip but makes it less enjoyable than it could be.
Having another boat with you makes this go away for me
jrudge
Well-Known Member
So about 17 kts. The s58 would have used about 470 lts. I would love figures like that!
Looks like a lovely trip
