Taking an old boat to the Med'. What's needed for Med'-ising

You seem to have most things covered and others have made good suggestions. Just a few more observations.

Wireless remote is probably best compromise for windlass control. I have hand control on a wander lead and a wireless control but clearly make sure only one person is in command of the control. Works well.

Kedge is usually a Danforth type (often a Fortress) with short length of chain and 50m of rope. Roller on the stern useful as is some form of storage for the rode.

As you have no doubt already experienced, access to the boat over bow and stern will need some thought. How you overcome the problem depends partly on how athletic you are and your ingenuity. Doddery old G**s such as me really value proper passerelles. My choice would be one with a conventional socket on the stern and some form of fabricated bracket to use off the bow if you want to moor bows in. You also need to consider what you do with your windvane (if you have one). They are of limited use in the Med compared with say, Atlantic sailing and a real pain when mooring stern to. A good electric autopilot just about essential for relaxed passage making.

As duncan says 300l of water is fine, preferably in two independent tanks. Bottled water for drinking, tank water for everything else. Calorifier off the engine best.

Would not bother with dedicated thruster battery - you will be running the engine when using it. Better to add domestic capacity and beef up charging capability.

Navigation is relatively uncomplicated - line of sight, few tides/currents to worry about, little shipping etc. Aids such as AIS useful though on the passage out.

When spending money perhaps you need to reflect that the majority of your.time will be spent at anchor or tied up to a quay or marina. Of the small amount of time spent underway, the majority will be under motor, or at the best motorsailing. This and the demands on power for comfortable living leads one to spending money on the engine and associated systems. Your current engine was specified because the boat was designed for long ocean passages under sail with occasional use of engine at the beginning and end of a passage. If you do have the money to spend on a new bigger engine, suspect you will value the extra capability it gives you.
 
For my med sailing, I wish I had had the following:

New generation anchor - Manson, Spade, Rocna, etc.
Honda Eu20i generator, (or inboard diesel genny).
Sterling/similar charging regulator both for alternator and shore power charger.

Perfect..... I have.... Rocna, Honda 2, Sterling Reg, :) all came with boat.

S.
 
Fair points, Mysterious Particle. But you see many contented couples in the Med on non-AWB's which they've had the satisfaction of setting-up 'just so'. And it may well be that Scotty's boat has been painstakingly made just how he likes it -- a fairly important attribute in something that's about to become his home. Reading between the lines of his posts, he's a chap who finds that sort of stuff rewarding in itself. Only he will know, of course...as only he will know what budget he's comfortable with. Price isn't everything.

Your right up to a point macd,
I do get a sort of reward from doing such things..... that is ...... until I bend down to do work on my knees and they start playing-up, as does the reflux! :(
 
Hi Tranona.... thanks for you time on this
Quote....Passerrelle for the bow: I've seen lots of idea, the simplest of which is a bit of stainless tube of the right diameter held in the forward jaws of the bow fair leads, held in place by a bit of rope lashing, to which the plank is held by a bit of one by one and lashing. Other solutions include ever more complex brackets welded to the bow with pivots fitted to the gangplank. Anchor chain: we have 70 metres and have only used the full extent once or twice. No rope added to it, although we do have 50 metes or so we could use in extremis.
*************Possibly I need to do a new thread and to look on Google to find pictures.

Quote....we have a wireless remote control for the anchor winch, which means that it can be controlled anywhere on the boat. Only one controller, therefore removes the chance of a second person using the winch at the wrong moment and cutting fingers off...... Cost about £15 off eBay just search for winch remote control and take your pick.
*************Not sure how that helps.... if you havn't got the remote yet your fingers are in the gubbins of the windlass???

Quote....We use some redundant climbing ropes for our son for long lines to take ashore. They live in nylon stuff bags so that you fasten one end (either to the boat or ashore) and the line then just pulls out of the bag. No coiled ropes to tangle or reels to find a place for and the rope has lots of stretch to act as a shock absorber.
************* Do you rent your son out for such endeavours? What about floating lines? Does your son use flippers to swim out etc? What happens when it's only me and Mrs S who are not as young as we'd like?

Quote...air con - don't have it ourselves and never really thought about it. Sme friends of ours did bring one with them but took it home after the first summer as it was never used.
************* Possibly a new thread to see how many have done the same.

Quote.... we have a 1000 watt Maplins inverter that is wired to the main battery's via a switch. Cost about £90. It does fine for the very few times it gets used. By now, guests know that it's no use bringing their hair dryer with them.... We have accumulated 12v charging leads for just about all the major mobile phone makes, along with iPod and iPad chargers, so the only thing routinely using 240v is the computer printer and the hot glue gun.
************* Mrs S. has an electric piano.... must find out it's demands and how pure an a.c. is required

Quote....Iwe have roller blinds over the hatches in the saloon and fore cabin, silver on the outside. Kept closed during the day when there's no wind
************ I've just visited friends with a modern caravan, (yes a road version of an awb :) ) and that has some superb roller blind/mosquito screens. Will do more research into caravan accessories.

Quote....there really isn't much difficulty in finding water in the Med. We have 300l on board and with a sea water tap for washing up we can easily go two weeks between fills. If you have space available, then a water maker may be a better use of space.
************* Any water maker recommended/ I like the idea of having a seawater tap.... must add to list, now standing at 81. :

Quote....do play with it and make sure SWMBO is happy with it. Splashing into the sea is an essential part of temperature management in the summer.
************* apologies, without my comment it makes duncans reply seem 'blue', but yes looking at it I may need to extend ladder or gat a new one.


SSB Quote........as has been said, not much used in the Med. Probably not worth the costs involved in fitting new antenna and counter poise. Hope that helps.
************yes but son wishes to go to Azores first and pretend to Mrs S that we missed the turning! ??

ta
S.
 
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Quote...air con - don't have it ourselves and never really thought about it. Sme friends of ours did bring one with them but took it home after the first summer as it was never used.
************* Possibly a new thread to see how many have done the same.
Quite some recent and extensive threads on the subject, here:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?366087-Portable-A-Cs-again!!
and here:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?367516-Air-conditioning-33-foot-boat

I deserted my boat and fled the northern Adriatic much earlier this year because it was too hot - in the middle to upper 30s C. I usually break my summer cruising and go home for August, which is normally too hot and crowded, but bailed out well before this year, which may be setting a standard with climate change. Air conditioning is very much on many owner's agenda now where I moor.
 
re: bow passarelle.
You see all sorts of contraptions used but the transverse tube through the pulpit is simplest. Simple mount a pair of U-bolts to the gang plank, slide on, and it pivots neatly.
However:
1. Standard bimini-type 25mm tube (1.25mm wall thickness) will bend, as you'll notice from all the droopy ones you encounter. You need thick-wall stuff.
2. Lashing this is fair enough, and certainly better than the tortured hose-clips you often see. A stainless fabricator near Ocean Village in Gib supplies (or used to) custom-made stainless brackets precisely for this purpose. Regret I can't remember his details but maybe a Gib forumite might know? He also supplies thick-wall tube.
 
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I've done a quick ask to see the cost of a 5000btu air con' built in unit.... http://translate.googleusercontent....id=227&usg=ALkJrhgvyOa-nWMsW7rJV4Ugl2_n6gRr_w
(NB before VAT and that's before fitting it)

FRIGOMARINE D.O.O.
Poslovna adresa: Cebini 24, 10010 Zagreb
OIB: 93508841721
Telefon: 01/ 660 8596
Fax: 01/ 601 1258
Item # Description Qty. UM Unit price Discount Amount
9108548387 DOMETIC MCS 5 KLIMA H/G 1,000 KOM 2439,00 15,00 % 2.073,15
US003 Shipping costs 1,000 KOM 50,00 0,00 % 50,00
Total without discount 2.489,00
Discount value 365,85
Total goods 2.123,15
TAX (VAT) 0,00
Total Document EUR 2.123,15

Probably a sound investment if your budget allows on a boat of more than £100k ??
 
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All you need for the med is:-

1) A big floppy hat
2) A big supply of factor 50 suncream
3) Some one to apply said cream to your back
4) A plank so you can get on/off when moored stern to
5) mosquito repelant or some one else who tastes better to mosquitos to sleep next to you
 
re: bow passarelle.
You see all sorts of contraptions used but the transverse tube through the pulpit is simplest. Simple mount a pair of U-bolts to the gang plank, slide on, and it pivots neatly.
However:
1. Standard bimini-type 25mm tube (1.25mm wall thickness) will bend, as you'll notice from all the droopy ones you encounter. You need thick-wall stuff.
2. Lashing this is fair enough, and certainly better than the tortured hose-clips you often see. A stainless fabricator near Ocean Village in Gib supplies (or used to) custom-made stainless brackets precisely for this purpose. Regret I can't remember his details but maybe a Gib forumite might know? He also supplies thick-wall tube.

I know who he is. I will get his contact details for you. I am seeing him later in the week.
 
Well, didn't make it last year due to improvements to 'Ambler' taking longer than anticipated and then extra strong westerlies for weeks on end, making day sailing with my 'best crew' not an option if we wanted to make quick progress.

Therefore if you first don't succeed..... we'll have another go!.

Passerrelle...... I have eventually found an ideal ladder arrangement to act as passerrelle and therefore still have the above for sale which proved just a little too heavy and perhaps too belt and braces for my needs.

S.

On here somewhere....
http://s725.photobucket.com/user/johnscottorn/library/?sort=6&page=3
 
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I know who he is. I will get his contact details for you. I am seeing him later in the week.

A few years ago, on this forum, we conversed. You were talking about picking us up in the Roller and giving us a tour of the Rock.
We are nearly there! Albufeira for a couple of months and then we will come visiting!
S
 
Well it nearly went belly-up when we tried to go south again this summer.
First the common problem of intended crew members dropping out nearly too late to get replacements.
Then with crew in place, all was being loaded up whilst last possible checks were being done, prior to a safety briefing.
Engine oil dip stick out….. Water in oil!

One week later, after son and another young Belgian crew had stripped, thoroughly cleaned out the mayonnaise and rebuilt engine with new head gasket, we set off towards Salcombe.
We ran the engine for most of the way at steady revs prior to finally torqueing down the head and adjusting tappets.

We crossed the channel in thick fog…. A blessing to have ais, radar and active radar reflector fitted.
After Ushant, skies cleared for 4 days and nights with following winds building from F4 – F7.
Twin poled out genoas to start with, ending up with half a poled genoa and a well reefed main as the troughs were pretty big.
We aimed for Baiona, just north of the Portugese border which we made on our sixth day . Son had been there before at the end of a similar, but more eventful Biscay crossing and thoroughly recommended the Real yacht Club moorings.

Mrs S joined me a couple of days after and we both liked the area so much, that the rias of Galicia are to be our home for the next year or so.
Anyone sailing or driving out care to take my winter cover out for £75?

S.
 
It's hot and expect to motor a lot, as mentioned. We had awnings we could tie over the cockpit, over the boom and over the forward cabin. For when there is wind a windscoop for for fore and aft haches. We also had fans in the saloon and aft cabin where we slept. In the Caribbean if a passage was 12 hours or more we would leave at dusk and sail at night when it was cooler.
 
Yes we've weighed up many of the pros and cons and reckon we may forego the Med completely although Ambler is now well fitted out for coping with the heat.

In the Galician Rias, the weather has so far been mostly sunny, with temperatures like an extremely warm spring day in south of England.
Some days have been misty early on but there is generally wind to sail most days in areas that can be completely sheltered from the Atlantic swell.
Only when in a marina have we felt too hot so far but it's easy to anchor off most towns and villages, to then dinghy to shore. oh, and you don't get those cricket things making that wretched noise as you can do off the Greek Islands.

The seas are not over busy as they seem in the Solent. It's an area where we've seen only a few red ensigned yachts but very popular with the Irish, a few Dutch and a handful of French.

You only have to Google a search and you will see what a beautiful area it is. Beaches everywhere, mountain backdrops, excellent walks, pleasant old towns in some areas with great taperias and restaurants.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=g...oTCM6136D9nscCFUtXGgodNlsHWQ&biw=1280&bih=845

The Galicians are friendly, even though many struggle with English as I do with Spanish. Even the fishermen wave and are generally very friendly.

Flights can be made to and from the U.K via Vigo, Santiago or just over the border at Porto.

The costs, not surprisingly, are generally down as far as marinas are concerned compared to the South of England. We've just left Ambler at Cangas marina (11m long, 9 days with shore power) for 90 Euros.
Food shopping is about the same as the average supermarket back home but alchohol is generally cheaper.... hic!

S.
 
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