Sardinia Summer 2015

[Hurricane]

Without tempting the weather gods.
It looks like a crossing to the islands is going to be on for next Sunday or Monday.
Hoping that it will be a leisurely pootle across.
Thoughts at the moment are to leave really early in the morning before sunrise - the moon looks good enough to see any pots during the first hour.
After that the water is too deep to worry too much.
When we pootle, we still do a fair bit at full planing speed so that should get us into Alcudia by mid to late afternoon - still early enough for the office to be open.

Talking to SWMBO today over a very pleasant tapas lunch followed by some delicious locally made ice cream in the Sant Carles town square, we are now considering spending a few days in Mahon. May be hire a car - we have never explored inland Menorca - thought it might be an opportunity whilst enroute to Sardinia. Weather will dictate, of course.

It has been a long two weeks.
JW is now as ready as she ever will be.
For those interested in photos here are a few more that I took whilst we worked on her.

Here she is with her new cockpit covers fitted

We put the bimini and flybridge cushions away each winter.
Here's a pic with them back in position.
Since taking this pic, we fitted the new helm seats that we bought at Dusseldorf.
SWMBO has also made a new "quick fit" helm seat cover that we will be using during the summer to keep the morning dew off them.

And finally - here is our anchor bridle (see other threads) after a wash and check.

For those interested, I will post again just before we leave and take some more pics enroute.

In the meantime, we will continue relaxing - weather today was perfect - wall to wall sunshine and evening drinks on board with friends.

 

[jfm]

Good going Mike. Looking very seaworthy. You're brave if doing the pots in total darkness but I suppose a full moon would just about make it ok, if no cloud. Yes please keep posting the pictures! Are you taking the 90mph flaming hoon jetski to Sardinia? :encouragement:

 

[MapisM]

Are you taking the 90mph flaming hoon jetski to Sardinia?

Hang on, do you really mean NINETY?!?
IIRC we already discussed that, and I knew she's fast, but didn't remember THAT fast!
Hurric, don't even think of not bringing the thing to CF. Unpolite as it is, I can't resist self-inviting myself for a sea trial!

PS: and fair winds for the passage, of course.

 

[petem]

Hang on, do you really mean NINETY?!?
IIRC we already discussed that, and I knew she's fast, but didn't remember THAT fast!
Hurric, don't even think of not bringing the thing to CF. Unpolite as it is, I can't resist self-inviting myself for a sea trial!

PS: and fair winds for the passage, of course.

Can I book my place in the queue after MapisM?!

 

[Hurricane]

Yes, MapisM is correct
It only does 70mph - but that might translate to 90 km per hour.

Yes, it is going to be loaded and you are welcome to have a go - best on flat water and somewhere where it doesn't offend others.

 

[Hurricane]

Good going Mike. Looking very seaworthy. You're brave if doing the pots in total darkness but I suppose a full moon would just about make it ok, if no cloud. Yes please keep posting the pictures! Are you taking the 90mph flaming hoon jetski to Sardinia? :encouragement:

I don't know if you remember but there are a couple of deep water marked channels in the approaches to SC.
Pots generally aren't laid in these channels so, in the past SWMBO and I have used these at night - that gets us about 4 or 5 miles out.
In the case of Sunday/Monday morning, the moon/clear sky etc might give us enough light so that we can avoid the channels.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Afraid to say, Mike, that inland Menorca is not as interesting as inland Majorca. Don't book a rental car for more than 1 day! Yes please bring that 90kph projectile to Sardinia

 

[Hurricane]

All jobs now done so yesterday we thought a day out trip to Alcanar (a small fishing port just down the coast from Sant Carles)
This would give us a chance to check that JW is fully operational.
First problem - the depth instrument on the FB again so this time cleaned the contacts with a switch cleaner - all fixed now.

Then we invited some friends to join in the trip to Alcanar.
We often do this run - it is a lovely village with typical Spanish restaurants overlooking the port.
So off we went - more boring pics!!

After part planing, part pootling, we arrived at Alcanar - WOT reached 31 knots - full fuel - full water and 7 people on board.

We always moor up on the fishing quay under the crane.

Then it was off to the restaurants - full menu 22 euros each inc wine etc. - bank holiday in Spain so the Menu Del Dia was more expensive that usual - usually it is only 12 euros per person.

Lunch usually lasts all afternoon here.
Ready to leave for home

Arrived back in SC to be greeted by more friends having just arrived - party continued for several hours on our home berth.

So, JW is as ready as she ever will be.
Plan is to take it easy here in Sant Carles over the weekend - early bed Sunday night and a crack of dawn departure for Mallorca.

Will report later on the crossing.

 

[SammyB]

Thanks for the great pictures! In the first one we can see our berth !
We are really looking forward to our stay at SC!
Have a great trip and hope to meet up in September.

 

[scubaman]

JW is indeed looking well ready for the trip!

Regarding the bridle; I'm going to make one for my boat for this season and got curious about the rubber dampers you have on yours, I hadn't thought of them. Are they more for damping the occasional tug from the chain or adding further insulation against the noises from the chain? Also the 'open' hook makes sense over a carabiner.

Anyway, bon voyage for tomorrow/monday!

 

[John100156]

All looks good to go Mike, safe journey - we took a boat down to Alcanar over Easer with some friends and had a great lunch in the square, there was a three master in your spot, but enough room for us to squeeze on the end.

 

[MapisM]

Regarding the bridle; I'm going to make one for my boat for this season and got curious about the rubber dampers you have on yours, I hadn't thought of them.
Are they more for damping the occasional tug from the chain or adding further insulation against the noises from the chain?

Not sure about Hurricane reasons, but fwiw the one I made for my boat eliminates the chain grinding noise completely, even if it doesn't have any dumpers.
Otoh, I guess that the dampers can "soften"a bit the snatch which you can feel when the boat swings along an arch in very strong wind.
Not that I ever felt a big need for them, but probably nice to have anyway, I reckon.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Are they more for damping the occasional tug from the chain or adding further insulation against the noises from the chain? Also the 'open' hook makes sense over a carabiner.

I have rubber shock absorbers in my anchor bridle too and it is for both of the reasons you state. It takes out some of the snatch loading which gets transferred to the cleats to which the bridle is attached and in my case, it stops the chain grinding in the bow roller, the noise of which makes it more difficult to sleep at night

 

[Hurricane]

Passage from Sant Carles to Alcudia (Alcudiamar)

Woke up at 05:00 yesterday but, although there was a good moon, the sky was completely covered with clouds.
So, we decided to wait an hour for the sun to start rising.
Eventually leaving the Sant Carles lagoon at 06:00 and follow the fishermen out.

Quite busy at that time of the day - this is the radar picture as we left.
You can see the delta's sand bank which forms the lagoon on the left and the fishing fleet on the right.
It is a Raymarine system so the little blue triangles indicate the AIS signals from the fishing boats - Note that most of the radar targets has an accompanying AIS triangle.

I set my system up so that the radar is "head up" and the charts are "north up" - personal thing - the way I particularly like to operate the nav kit.
This is the corresponding chart plotter's display at the same time as the radar pic above.
Quite a nicely grouped fishing fleet - don't you think?

The first part of the passage was very cold and the sea was lumpy.
Not good for our usual "pootling" so we popped onto the plane and headed in the direction of some clear sky - en-route to the northern tip of Mallorca.
After about 10 miles the water was too deep for pots so we decided that it would be warmer to drive from the lower helm - not something that we do very often!!
SWMBO was tired so she got her head down whilst I settled down for the rest of the passage.

Occasionally checking that everything is still secure - the 70mph projectile for example!!

It is times like these that you wonder why the industry has decided not to fit internal stairs.
This photo demonstrates just how useful they are when under way as well as for parties etc.
No apologies for the deck chairs inside the saloon - I thought that they would be ok in the cockpit but then, after we were well under way, I decided that they would be safer inside.
Later, we brought the cushions in as well.

An hour or so after SWMBO had gone down to bed, the sun came out and I throttled JW back to her pootling speed of 10 knots.

And it was warm enough to go up top again. A big feature of our engine electronics is that you can change driving position without changing speed - just press a button and match the controls on the new position with the ones from the old position and control transfers.

We were now about midway between the mainland and Mallorca.
The huge mountains of northern Mallorca easily picked up by the radar - bit strange because my radar doesn't usually work as well as this.
In this pic you can see the mainland and the island.

SWMBO was still asleep and I had an encounter that I didn't expect - about 10m off the port bow - a whale - by the time I got my camera it was behind us so apologies for the poor photo.
The water depth drops to around 1700m at this point so it is quite usual to see this kind of wild life here.

SWMBO then emerged and we had a couple of hours of idyllic pootling.

And then we were joined by some dolphins - usually, we stop and play but this time we decided yo keep on going at 10 knots. The dolphins loved it - we both stood on the bow watching them - ocasionally, they would look up to see if we were still there - kind of makes you wonder who was watching who.
Here's a youtube clip that I managed to upload today.



And this is a link to the full screen version of the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=boYRy413rD0

By the time the dolphins had gone, we were approaching Mallorca

Most boats have an autopilot - maybe people give them a name (George would be a good name) but we have "Poo the Penguin" - he is our pilot!!

Most on here will know that I'm a great fan of OpenCPN - the free PC based chart plotter - I feed my PC into my plotter screens so we can instantly switch between the systems.
This pic shows an AIS target on the PC's OpenCPN display.
It shows the CPA very clearly - the target in this display was a huge tanker and we passed a couple of miles in front.

Then we finally arrived at Cape Formentor - just 10 miles then onto Alcudia.

And then safely "tucked up" in the Alcudiamar marina.
We were worried that we wouldn't get a good berth but the visitor berths are quite empty at the moment - so, actually, we had a choice - this will probably change as the season progresses.

Actually, we were both knackered - just time for us to give Jennywren a well deserved wash down before having a shower and then it was off for a steak at the Meson Dulcinea. Regular visitors to Alcudia will know that this is one of the best steak restaurants in the world. Again, last night, it didn't disappoint us. Mine was as good as I have ever had.

So, we now have week here in Alcudia whilst our son competes in the "Iron Man" next weekend. Initial thoughts are that we will pop down to Mahon on Sunday/Monday and wait for the sea to settle - probably set off for Carloforte on Wednesday/Thursday (a week or so from now). That's assuming we can tear ourselves away from the Meson Dulcinea!!!

I'll post another report next week from Mahon if people are interested.

Mike

 

[BartW]

It is times like these that you wonder why the industry has decided not to fit internal stairs.

exactly!

interesting thread and interesting updates Mike,
thanks a lot for sharing, I'm following from the very beginning with much interest,
Oh by the way, you still have a very nice boat ! and apparently in tip top condition,

encounters with the wild live, are alway's extraordinary, we love that

good stuff !

 

[Cheery]

Interested? You bet I am, I am going to use this post to reinforce my insistence on a life afloat to SWMBO.

 

[jrudge]

At the airport leaving Mallorca and I can confirm it is a lovely lovely day. Shame I am heading home !

 

[SammyB]

Great report
I give my vote for more please!!

 

[djefabs]

Hi Mike
Love your Nav. setup, I remember it well.

I set my system up so that the radar is "head up" and the charts are "north up" - personal thing - the way I particularly like to operate the nav kit.
This is the corresponding chart plotter's display at the same time as the radar pic above.
Quite a nicely grouped fishing fleet - don't you think?

I also don't understand why internal stairs are not fitted. Possibly a 'bean counters' decision, certainly not from an owner who uses their boats.

It is times like these that you wonder why the industry has decided not to fit internal stairs.
This photo demonstrates just how useful they are when under way as well as for parties etc.
No apologies for the deck chairs inside the saloon - I thought that they would be ok in the cockpit but then, after we were well under way, I decided that they would be safer inside.
Later, we brought the cushions in as well.

Good Luck to your son with the Iron Man competition

Am very interested, following your travels. looking forward to the next instalment.

 

[Hurricane]

Hi Mike
Love your Nav. setup, I remember it well.

I set my system up so that the radar is "head up" and the charts are "north up" - personal thing - the way I particularly like to operate the nav kit.
This is the corresponding chart plotter's display at the same time as the radar pic above.
Quite a nicely grouped fishing fleet - don't you think?

I also don't understand why internal stairs are not fitted. Possibly a 'bean counters' decision, certainly not from an owner who uses their boats.

It is times like these that you wonder why the industry has decided not to fit internal stairs.
This photo demonstrates just how useful they are when under way as well as for parties etc.
No apologies for the deck chairs inside the saloon - I thought that they would be ok in the cockpit but then, after we were well under way, I decided that they would be safer inside.
Later, we brought the cushions in as well.

Good Luck to your son with the Iron Man competition

Am very interested, following your travels. looking forward to the next instalment.

Thanks Derek

It was the experience that we (both SWMBO and I) gained with you that gives us the confidence to do the longer passages.

Although I say it myself, we are now getting quite good at handling JW with just the two of us.
Admittedly, there was very little wind when we arrived yesterday but we parked on the visitors berth and then went straight to our berth without any commotion.
In these circumstances, we use our new DIY headsets which really work well.
You can chatter between each other about stupid things that you otherwise wouldn't say.
So, when an important decision has to be made, it can be done with the least amount of hassle.
You just stick them on your head and talk as if the other person was right next to you - even conversations with the dock masters can be heard by the other person.

I've done a "write up" on them which might appear in the next issue (July I think) of MBY.
Believe me, if you have never tried them, you wouldn't appreciate just how good they are.
We even had some of the yachties using them at Sant Carles before we left!!