Sardinia Summer 2015

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yes Mike, definitely keep the reports coming! The fouling at San Carles looks pretty bad but when I moored my boat in Club de Mar in Palma, the sterngear fouling was nearly as bad. The hull fouling was better although that might have been due to the fact that I used the locally recommended Titan antifoul paint

The shiny props and shafts look great. It will be interesting to see whether they make any difference to the speed of your boat

I hope and expect that you will find the sterngear and hull fouling less aggressive in Carloforte. My general experience is that the further east you go in the Med, the less severe is the fouling problem. Only FWIW, I think there is less intensive farming in the central/eastern part of the Med and therefore less run-off of agricultural fertilisers which promote barnacle growth. Also the water is a couple of degrees cooler as well which may help

 

[jfm]

Good stuff Mike. I love the polishing of P brackets and props! I'm also a fan of A Glaze - works well and is very easy to apply. Your pontoon berthing system there in SC makes hull sides A glazing easier too

Nothing in your first 3 pictures makes me want to switch from micron77 to Coppercoat! I'm sticking with my M77! Also, are those stacks of blocks under your keel okay? - they looked a bit dodgy to me!

JW herself looks in very fine fettle generally - was a good buy, looking back!

As regards cruising, I'm firmed up on a 2.5 week cruise around Balearics for late July and first half of august. Due to my brother passing through Balearics so to speak on the delivery of his boat from UK to Antibes he will be cruising there (too good a cruise opportunity for him to miss) so I'm going to join him. I will therefore probably not make it to Sardinia this year. I'll do a few trips to Corsica of course but not Sardinia. I'll look forward to reports on here of the forum flotilla's antics and sketches in Sardinia, later in the year

 

[Hurricane]

Yes Mike, definitely keep the reports coming! The fouling at San Carles looks pretty bad but when I moored my boat in Club de Mar in Palma, the sterngear fouling was nearly as bad. The hull fouling was better although that might have been due to the fact that I used the locally recommended Titan antifoul paint

The shiny props and shafts look great. It will be interesting to see whether they make any difference to the speed of your boat

I hope and expect that you will find the sterngear and hull fouling less aggressive in Carloforte. My general experience is that the further east you go in the Med, the less severe is the fouling problem. Only FWIW, I think there is less intensive farming in the central/eastern part of the Med and therefore less run-off of agricultural fertilisers which promote barnacle growth. Also the water is a couple of degrees cooler as well which may help

After the launch, we popped out into the lagoon to test her.
WOT was 31knots which is about right for her - full fuel and loads of our kit on board.
On her sea trials in Plymouth when she was new she was a 34 knot boat.
So 31 knots isn't that bad with all the ?rap on board.
I didn't notice any difference with the polished props though.

 

[Hurricane]

Good stuff Mike. I love the polishing of P brackets and props! I'm also a fan of A Glaze - works well and is very easy to apply. Your pontoon berthing system there in SC makes hull sides A glazing easier too

Nothing in your first 3 pictures makes me want to switch from micron77 to Coppercoat! I'm sticking with my M77! Also, are those stacks of blocks under your keel okay? - they looked a bit dodgy to me!

JW herself looks in very fine fettle generally - was a good buy, looking back!

As regards cruising, I'm firmed up on a 2.5 week cruise around Balearics for late July and first half of august. Due to my brother passing through Balearics so to speak on the delivery of his boat from UK to Antibes he will be cruising there (too good a cruise opportunity for him to miss) so I'm going to join him. I will therefore probably not make it to Sardinia this year. I'll do a few trips to Corsica of course but not Sardinia. I'll look forward to reports on here of the forum flotilla's antics and sketches in Sardinia, later in the year

Yep - we have always used "A Glaze"
Especially in the hot Med sun - it doesn't melt and run off like wax.
UK Style pontoon berthing is really useful for this kind of work - we can reach down the sides to clean.

Stacks of blocks
The boatyard manager was trained at Port Hamble.
A really helpful guy and takes his job very seriously.
All the kit in the Sant Carles boatyard was specifically designed.
In this case, I asked him to "block us off" as high as possible thus making it easier to get to the props etc.
Looking back at that pic though, I see what you mean - probably just the angle that the photo was taken.

Here's a better view

Note that all the boats are supported with proper steel supports and large wooden blocks for the keels.
Also note that every boat is then tethered to the concrete with webbing straps.
Winds in the winter months often exceed 80 knots and there hasn't been an incident of any boat being damaged in the wind whilst on the hard in SC.

 

[Lozzer]

That's a very professional looking yard. I am in the boatyard in Sotogrande, I will post some photos tomorrow. It's disgusting I promise you... Can't wait to show.

 

[Hurricane]

That's a very professional looking yard. I am in the boatyard in Sotogrande, I will post some photos tomorrow. It's disgusting I promise you... Can't wait to show.

I remember walking past the Sotogrande yard a few years ago - IIRC massive travel lift.
It would have been about 9 years ago and it looked ok then.

Yes, we are all very pleased with our yard in Sant Carles.
Not only can we work on our own boats but they don't mind if we sleep/stay on board whilst in the yard.
As I said above - it is all mainly down to one guy who MDL brought out from Hamble Point.

 

[MapisM]

Yes Mike, definitely keep the reports coming!

+1.
Looking forward to catch up soon in CF!

 

[Hurricane]

Fixed my depth problem on the F/B
It was a poor connection on the old Seatalk connectors.
Just unplugging and reconnecting seemdd to do tge trick.
I've got some switch cleaner so I think I will clean them and give them a squirt.

Also, a friend of mine introduced me to the local Volvo engineers today so I asked him to look at my crane problem.
He thinks that it is a simple electrical connection problem like the Seatalk one.
So I will be disconnecting all the solenoid wire connectors and cleaning them as well.
These connectors on the crane are those little cubes with spade connectors on one side.
Almost exactly like the ones on my MTUs that caused problems last year.
If this does fix the problem, I think I will be cleaning any other similar connectors that I find on the boat!

"A Glaze" is progressing still but the big job today has been teak cleaning - F/B still left to do.

I'll take some pics when I get time.

Not going to comment on the weather yet - only to say that there is a Mistral forecast so we will be at least waiting for that to pass before heading to Alcudia.

However, I was thinking of doing a run down to the next port south of here - Alcana is i nice day out and it will give us a chance of a "shake down" - we usually make the "menu del dia" last all day.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

These connectors on the crane are those little cubes with spade connectors on one side.

Funny you should say that because those spade connectors seem to be the source of the problem I have with the solenoid valves which operate my sternthruster not working. The yard has suggested making a box to give some kind of protection to the solenoid valves and the connectors

Yup seen the mistral forecast for Tuesday. Looks to be quite a blow. Fortunately we're not due out in CF until Thursday

 

[Hurricane]

Yup seen the mistral forecast for Tuesday. Looks to be quite a blow. Fortunately we're not due out in CF until Thursday

Bit of a dilemma developing.
I said that I wouldn't comment on the forecast but......

This is the Mistral that I was referring to:-
A classic low over eastern Europe and highs developing over Biscay.
Tuesday 11:00

Forecasting forward to Wednesday at 11:00

Then Thursday at 11:00

And on Friday at 11:00 a new Mistral seems to be starting to develop

So Saturday at 11:00 it might look like this.

We want to be in Mallorca before the following Tuesday - meeting our son then.
So, there seems to be an opportunity developing for a crossing next Thursday - hoping that the sea will have had time to rest from the big one on Tuesday - if you know what I mean.
Probably no scope for pootling - might have to do a 4.5 hour dash.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Bit of a dilemma developing.
I said that I wouldn't comment on the forecast but......

Bugger, just seen it on PassageWeather. We generally postpone any short trips if the weather doesn't play ball. I'll have to keep an eye on that

 

[Hurricane]

Still early days but the second one doesn't seem as though it is going to be as bad.
Maybe Monday 4th would be a good day for us to cross to the islands.
Fingers crossed that it develops like that.

I'll be putting my extra lines back on in SC for that first one though - looks like at least 40 knots

 

[scubaman]

Mike, please keep the photos and reports coming. I'll be watching that forecast. Have a safe journey.

 

[Hurricane]

Bugger, just seen it on PassageWeather. We generally postpone any short trips if the weather doesn't play ball. I'll have to keep an eye on that

Fingers still crossed but, thankfully, that second wind system doesn't seem to be developing - does that mean your trip out is back on?

I always use Windguru and Passageweather.
Windguru - I watch the GFS model for the longer forecasts and then consider the WRF ones nearer tge time - I also set up "spot" forecasts down my route/cruise.
Then nearer the time I also watch the Passageweather's more localised maps - mainly just it's GFS model but sometimes I will look at Passageweather's other models.
Passageweather is also very good at forecasting the sea state - again nearer the time.
So, at the moment, it looks like our run to Mallorca will on or just after next weekend.
The big "no no", of course, would be to go on Tuesday - 6m waves forecast off north west Sardinia!!
Final decisions will become more clear as the forecasts become more accurate.

Leaving our departure until later is better - lots of friends out here in Sant Carles - so more time with them. Also, I believe the "lurker" who watches this fourm will arrive out here before we leave as well - it will be good to catch up with him as well.

Boat prep is still going on.
Cleaning lady should finish off the A Glaze on the FB today - she is doing it in her spare time.
SWMBO had a good go at cleaning all the electrical contacts on the crane but it still has an intermittent fault.
Not a huge problem - more an annoyance - been doin it for a year os so now so not a show stopper.
I spent an hour or so on Google and now suspect the hydraulic valves (Bosch) - mechanical bit sticking every now and then.

Today/tomorrow I am going to have a good look at the dinghy and jetski - their batteries have been on float charge all winter but I need to start the engines and give them a run. I've loaded all the parts/oil needed for servicing them - during our time in Sardinia, SWMBO is going to fly home - it is the WI centinary this year and she has some interesting events to go to. So that will leave me on my own in the sun to do little jobs like dinghy/jetski servicing. Thats the plan anyway.

I can't believe you are interested in this stuff - but I'll take som more pics of the boat's prep progress.

Mike

 

[RogerRat]

I didn't notice any difference with the polished props though.

Hi Mike,

I think I know why...



The props are a lot smaller than they used to be now.

Referring to the 'boring' bit above, I like to see these lift and clean posts as it gives us all heart. You know how when you put the boat back in, you get that warm satisfied feeling, similar to when you've just brimmed the tanks.

Then... the fuel levels go south and the fouling builds up, knowing full well that you'll have to do it all again next time.:ambivalence: Seeing how JW turned out gives us all renewed hope. She still looks like new. Thanks for that.

Coppercoat versus M77 is interesting too. JFM swears by M77 and yet copper lasts for years with just a jet-wash.

Whats the verdict Mike?
IYCO


Roger.

 

[Hurricane]

Quick update on the crane.
I launched the dinghy this morning.
The crane didn't put a foot wrong.
Maybe SWMBO's electrical contact cleaning worked.

Dinghy started on about tge sixth attempt and the Jetski started immediatly.
Flybridge A Glaze now completed - Flybridge teak tomorrow.
So things are still on track.

I'll post a couple of pics when I can get to my PC

 

[Hurricane]

Hi Roger

Yep - Coppercoat insn't as good as M77 but without Copperciat, it would have been an impossible task for one guy to have a boat lifted, blocked off on the Friday afternoon and ready for relaunch on the following Monday evening.

If I were ever specifying a new boat again, it would defifitely have Coppercoat applied.
I think it is cost effective and easier than A/F.

 

[Hurricane]

OK - Here are a few more pics

Firstly, the Flybridge - not A Glazed when this pic was taken and the teak will be done tomorrow.
However, I have fitted some new Fusion speakers - only onto the old Audio Radio - I have some plans and parts for an upgrade but that will wait until later in the season.
In this pic you will see that all the seats are still inside the boat - removing them from the winter keeps them in good condition.
We will bring them up after I've cleaned the teak - it is a messy job.
Also the liferaft has returned from its service.

Quite difficult working out here - we keep getting drawn to the club for those cold beers - in Spain, I order my beer "Tankard Frio" - which gets me about a pint of ice cold beer poured on to a thick tankard from the freezer - result is (literally) ice cold beer.
As you can see the bar is just a short walk away and at this time of the year it is nice just to sit on the terrace and watch the world drift by.

Sometime during the next few days, SWMBO says that she will try out "this year's toy".
I bought one of these earlier in the year - don't know if it will be any good though.
http://www.seadooseascooter.com/RS_CMS/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=37
SWMBO said she will test in in here.

Finally, a pic showing the Dinghy beside the Jetski - note the clean bathing platform - it is not easy but my aim is to try and make the teak look like new.
We have new cockpit covers - the ones in this pic came with the boat which we use for the winter months.
The new ones will go on soon but, generally, in the Med even those go below for most of the summer.

 

[John100156]

Making me feel very boat-sick Mike, we're not out again for 5 weeks, booked our lift and scrub for 4th June. Had to cancel he last one due to high winds.

Anyway,hope the trip goes well and the sea-state settles in time and you get a good crossing - safe Journey and keep the reports coming....

John & Loraine

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Mike just FYI we have had something come up in the UK that might preclude us from travelling out to CF this weekend irrespective of the weather. Good luck with the crossing to the islands. The weather looks to be settling down nicely for this weekend coming