mooving fast now

[jonic]

Well what a few days,

Thought we would move to this forum now as we are well on our way.

Friday Nicola's car sold, the corsair delivered to our mooring, Saturday my house rented & my car sold, Sunday bought my sister's share of the flat in Gibraltar left to us by our dear old Dad! Just Nicola's flat in london to rent and Serafina to sell and thats it!

Plus this weekend attended LRC course and planned wedding. Getting very very surreal.

Decided to switch from ARC to Biscay Triangle followed by Antigua Rally as leaves Gib in october.

John and Nicola

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[Guest]

John, It sounds like your timescales are similar to ours (everything last minute), although we've had the boat for nearly two years (not much done in that time) we only sold the previous boat last month. Similar preparations to yourself - SSB. radar, goalposts and solar panels etc.. Have you chosen which solar panels yet?

We have signed up for Rally Antigua but can't see us being ready to leave untill mid July.

Peter Bringloe (Brighton)

(By the way, I probably should know, but what's an LRC course?)

 

[Guest]

Fast - it\'s a positive blur

Wow, you amaze me, things really seem to be falling into place for you. Hope sun shines on your wedding day. Couldn't see us being ready to leave in early June and yes, what is a LRC course? We will be heading to GIB also, if we see your boat (is it Moonshine) we will knock on the hull. If you see us (Notre Cas) come and have a drink.

 

[jonic]

Re: Fast - it\'s a positive blur

Hi Peter and Norma,

Glad to see its not just us caught up in this whirlwind. Haven't chosen Solar yet so any advice would be good. Yes the boat is moonshine, come over for a drink any time. We spent our fist night on her last night, no blankets, food or anything. We had only planned to go and see her to check lines etc, must be mad. Ended up driving back up to London this morning. Seems a very alien place to us now, funny how your mindset starts to change. We were both very much londonites.
Nicola has her last day at "school" tomorrow, I'm still waiting to get final confirmation from the tennants before I can let the cat out off the bag.
LRC course is RYA long range comms, covers SSB DSC, Satellite etc. Brain was already like a wet tea-towel but that just about finished me off!

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[Guest]

How Romantic

First night on your new boat. Will you miss London, living here, not a lot will change for us, we rarely get choices, it is take it or leave it. Have you done your SSB licence yet, you might find that fun, not. Husband finishes work FOR EVER
Friday week, then things will really get moving for us. At least our children are very supportive and if they think we are barking, are hiding it very well. I will really miss my net access and I don't really think that E cafes will be much of a substitute, still maybe I wont miss it as much as I think I will. I've been using computers every since they were available for home use, first one was a Dragon.
We are thinking of buying another anchor, a spade, lots of good reviews and chandler has made us a good offer on a stainless one (all our chain is stainless) what are you using?

 

[jonic]

Re: How Romantic

Romantic but very cold untill we got the eberspacher to finally fire. SSB course was no fun at all, seems to me that the gmdss stuff is too complicated for what should be fairly simple. Anchor wise we have big plough on the pointy bit of the boat then danforth and fisherman all on oversize chain. What are you doing for refrigeration?

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[Guest]

Fridges

We have a large fridge which is air cooled. Not the best for the tropics but is very economical and efficient at the moment and we thought that we would see how it went and maybe fit another once we are "over there". It is large and well insulated.but we don't intend to fit a freezer We have CQR for the front and a Fortress for the back, it is light but very strong, which is a consideration for us as there is no windlass at the back and being 54 and 55, we have to think of our backs. We have 150ft of SS chain but this is being increased. Fortress has a mixture of chain and rode, I forget how much. What are you doing for heavy weather, I'm in the process of making a series drogue and we will install two stainless straps at the stern to set the bridle from. We looked at parachutes but the chafe bit bothers me, although Lynne and Larry in their book make being caught in a hurricane sound quite fun, one gets the impression that, like the film Fatal Storm, once you go below, the storm stops!!! Last year we sailed up the Irish Sea beating, in a F7, it doesn't stop when you go below funnily enough. We are installing a trysail track and have already done the inner forestay (removeable). We have friends who left here in 1999 and they say that they have only seen heavy weather twice and they spend much more time trying to make the boat go in light airs. At the moment they are sailing around Vancouver Island and they up towards Alaska, it sounds like heaven. When they anchor, they throw over their lobster pot and then haul it up a while later and usually have said lobster or crab in it. Like you, they were quite young when they left and were only going for three years, they have decided at least seven now.

 

[jonjo]

Re: mooving fast now - October Start

I understand from another thread that the Antigua rally starts in October from Gibraltar.

Does the fleet head straight off transatlantic? I ask because it sounds a bit too early for established trade winds.

 

[Guest]

Rally Antigua

The rally leaves Gibralter on 27 October for Teneriffe, then leaves for Antigua at end of November. The web site is yachtrallies.co.uk

 

[jonic]

Re: mooving fast now - October Start

No, heads off to Tenerife for november transat

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[jonic]

Re: Fridges

Hi Norma,

Just got back from Italy......we went to a wedding......gave us a nice break from the boat stuff. We have the same fridge set up and are going to see how we go too. Heavy weather wise its storm jib and shut our eyes!
Big day tomorow, I resign from work.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[southchinasea]

Hi
Just revisiting the forum after a break and read through many of your postings
including the ding dong with a couple of others. Good luck! Our boat arrives
in Sep and we'll be living aboard. Apart from the odd passage to the
Philippines or Thailand it'll be weekend and day sails. My q is about this RYA LRC
course. Do you think a course is absolutely necessary? My mate showed me how to use his ICOM SSB and it's hardly rocket science right? What else did they cover?
Thanks

 

[jonic]

Good luck in Sept......what is the boat?

I understand that you have to have the cert legally to use the SSB. It does cover GMDS and DSC as well plus inmarsat so it is usefull.

Good Luck


http://web.ukonline.co.uk/yacht/serafina/

 

[southchinasea]

Thanks. French Plastique I'm afraid; Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 52.2. --- Need as much space down below as possible + Aircons etc etc - minimum 5 yrs liveaboard - 2 boys 10/14 yrs at boarding school and here for hols plus their various chums.
Cheers