sy Timoneer

Noon Position  33deg 57N 008deg 48 W

Course  – 220 Degrees   Speed –  11  Knots        Day’s Run – 218  Miles

Weather –   Sunny and comfortable following seas

Wind  – 9  knots from 098  degrees

We finally got away from Gibraltar around 3.30pm local time. The Caterpillar service man arrived after a 2 hour delay crossing the border from Spain. He determined that the speed sensor for the engine had been damaged while the gearbox was off in the yard. Jonny found a suitable replacement in our spares and all has been good since.

We entered the Strait of Gib with 25 knots behind us and made good speed in remarkable smooth conditions considering we had winds up to 35 knots against the incoming tide. At the end of the traffic separation scheme we headed SW in to the sunset and rounded the corner of Africa just after dark. All night we had following winds and seas and we have been making good speed.

I put the fishing lines out at first light this morning but the fish are obeying Penny’s request for no more fish until we have eaten some of the food in the fridges to make space. Sushi for lunch today to finish off yesterday’s tuna.

JC

Noon Position  36deg 08N 005deg 22 W

Course  –  Degrees   Speed –    Knots        Day’s Run – 193  Miles

Weather –   Overcast

Wind  – 22  knots from  060  degrees

We made it safely to Gibraltar around 7am this morning. We are all fuelled up and just taking on some oil.

Yesterday the engine cut out with no warning alarms. Jonny, our engineer, thinks that it was triggered by a faulty sensor but we are now waiting for a Caterpillar engineer to come and plug in his diagnostic computer to confirm that. Once we are happy with the engine we will get underway for Antigua.

Now we are waiting for lunch as Penny cooks up a tuna Jonny and Etienne caught yesterday.

JC

Noon Position  36deg 54N 001deg  42W

Course  – 237 Degrees   Speed –   11 Knots        Day’s Run –  262 Miles

Weather – Overcast with rain clouds around.

Wind  –  17 knots from  040  degrees

After sail trials to fine tune the rigs we ran the riggers ashore by dinghy and left Palma around 11am local time. We ran through all the safety gear on board and then did a man overboard drill and an abandon ship drill. The passage between Mallorca and Formentera became very rolly with swell and wind from behind. We have been making good progress and the rolling lessened when we reached the coast of mainland Spain this morning. We are now back in the western hemisphere. The fishing lines are out today but no luck yet.

We are due to arrive in Gibraltar at first light tomorrow to fuel up and leave as quickly as possible.

We are all glad to be away from the noise and filth of the shipyard and heading to warmer climates.

JC

We have now been in Palma for 1 month. The yacht is in many pieces with repairs being undertaken all around the boat. The crew have been busy cleaning all the fittings for the mast so that they are all ready to go back on when the masts and rigging are put back together. They have also been cleaning the inside of all the saltwater pipes in the engine room, treating the corrosion, priming them and getting ready to apply antifoul paint to them to prevent barnacles from growing and blocking them. We have had the ABS ( American Bureau of Shipping) surveyor on doing a 2.5 year survey. One of the things he is checking is the through hull fittings and all the valves for these. We have had to remove all of these valves and clean them before they are tested to ensure they seal. If not, they have to be replaced.

Through hull valves

The engine room is in pieces with the port generator out for service and the variable pitch prop (VPP) control box and gearbox are also out being serviced.

The engine room without the port generator.

The main salon has turned into a storage area with space being a premium as so many areas have been emptied to make room for works.

Mrs G’s cabin is in pieces to gain access to the stern thruster which needed bearings replaced.

This is the stern thruster from the outside where it has been lowered to remove the motor for servicing.

We have contractors doing paint repairs to the swim platform. This is a slow process where they have to grind out any corrosion in the aluminium then coat it with primer. Then they have to fill and fair it back to a smooth surface and prime the filler. Then they sand it again before painting a top coat.

This shows some of the areas which are now at the filler stage.

On the right is the hole where the passerelle normally lives. It is out for a full service of all the hydraulic rams and to be painted.

Swim platform door having paint repairs.

The painters also have built another tent over the masts and are busy working on repairing any small dings in them before painting starts.

This tent is 55m x 8m (180’ x 26’) to fit 2 masts, 2 booms, spreaders, Sat domes and radar cages.

Penny’s galley is also getting some attention after 12 years of use. It is getting re-varnished.

All the doors and draws have been removed to be sprayed in a spray booth. They are now covering all the surfaces they don’t want to spray varnish on. It will need a lot of degreasing and a light sand before they can start varnishing.

We have another 6 weeks in Palma before we have to leave for the Caribbean. As you can see we have a lot on and a very big jigsaw to put back together.

Timoneer has been in Palma for 2 weeks now . During this time we have taken all the sails off and sent them to the sail loft for an annual service. Next we had to prep the masts to be lifted off. This requires all the hydraulics and electronics up the mast to be disconnected from the boat and preparing all the pins, that hold the rigging to the boat, ready for removal. Then padding has to be attached to the rigs to prevent damage from the stays hanging down. This took us four days and then it was time to move the boat to where the crane would pull the rigs. They started with craning the booms off making way to take out the mizzen.

The mizzen is more difficult due to the huge amount of electronic cables for the 2 satellite dishes, 2 radars and numerous telecom and VHF antennas, as well as hydraulics for the mizzen sail.

Then we had to turn the yacht around and come in bow first to remove the main mast. With the main mast being 170’ (52m) tall, it requires a very big crane to pull it plus a small crane to help lay it down.

Once on the ground we need to strip all the rod rigging and it all gets trucked to the UK where some will be replaced and the rest of the rods and fittings will be tested to make sure there are no cracks.

Once all the radars, domes, lights and other fittings are removed from the masts then they are hung and ready for the painters. Next week the painters will build a tent over them .

While all this has been going on we removed the swim platform from the stern of the yacht so that the hydraulic rams can be serviced and the platform and transom painted.

Timoneer then got lifted out of the water where we will remain for the next 5 weeks. So far we have lowered the rudder to replace bearings and we have removed the prop and shaft for servicing.

Noon Position  39deg 09N 004deg  38E

Course  – 285 Degrees   Speed –  11.5  Knots        Day’s Run – 270  Miles

Weather –  Sunny with 7-9’ (2-3m) swells from North

Wind  –  11 knots from 054   degrees

We rounded the southern end of Sardinia as the sun set. At the same time we started to get breeze and swell from the north. With 1 reef in the main, mizzen and staysail we motor sailed at good speed through the night and had a much more comfortable night than the previous one. As the morning went on the breeze swung further towards NE and we got out the genoa. We have been making good progress today and with less than 100 nm to go we expect to anchor off Palma late tonight.

JC

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Noon Position  39deg 18N 10deg  17E

Course  – 250 Degrees   Speed –  10.4  Knots        Day’s Run – 212  Miles in 22 hours

Weather –  Very mixed

Wind  –  8 knots from   240 degrees

We left Marina di Stabia near Pompeii at 2pm with light wind and drizzle. As the afternoon went on we got wind from the south allowing us to motor sail at 11 knots. Then the wind swung further west and picked up until eventually we had 25 knot winds on the nose. We also had some spectacular electrical storms during the night and bumpy seas. Not a great night’s sleep crashing through waves. At one stage we were only managing to do 7 knots. This morning the wind and waves dropped and we have been making good time. We now have the south of Sardinia in sight. We have had the fishing lines out and got a tuna to the back of the boat this morning but it got away as we were trying to gaff it to haul it on board.

We have another 370 miles to go and should be anchored off Palma late tomorrow night.

JC

The trip did not start well on Saturday 31st August with Georgia and Natasha missing there connection in Rome and Melissa and Hannah arriving on time but with no bags. Luckily there are plenty of flights between Rome and Catania and an hour after planned we were all on our way to Siracusa to join Timoneer. There was a very impressive electrical storm that night and the girls stayed in and caught up. Prior to arriving in Sicily we had gone 99 days without any rain.

Sunday the guests went for a walk around Ortigia, an island with a walled city and connected to mainland Siracusa by a small bridge. They also went to check out the ancient amphitheatre in Siracusa and had the compulsory pizza while in Italy.

It was an early start Monday to head off on a road trip up Mt Etna and a big degustation lunch trying some of the local wines. While they were ashore we moved Timoneer 40 nm up the coast to Riposta. We had hoped to anchor off the stunning town of Taomina but a large swell rolling into the bay put an end to that idea. Instead the guests caught a taxi to Taomina the next day and went exploring, returning to Timoneer for dinner.

Wednesday we headed off up the coast of Sicily past Taomina and through the Messina Strait.  It can get very busy with traffic going through here and you can also get 4 knots of current, whirl pools and rough water  on a calm day. We had a relatively easy transit, timing it so that the tides were not in full force. We continued on to Vulcano Island where the guests were going to climb the volcano for sunset but decided against it and went for a swim instead. The next day was spent relaxing other than trip ashore to go swimming in the hot springs. They decided against that as well as they were not so keen on the sulphur smell.

Friday we cruised past Lipari and Panarea Islands on our way to Stromboli Island. The 4 guests and 4 of the crew headed off on a guided hike to climb the 926m (3038’) active volcano. Unfortunately Melissa was not feeling well and so her and Hannah turned around. The others continued at a forced snail’s pace to the top. They did not make it in time for sunset but on approaching the top the cloud dispersed and they were given a display of red hot magma exploding out of the crater below. Then they had a fun fast decent down a scree slope in the dark and arriving back at the beach at 11pm.

We left Stromboli at first light to start the 12 hour journey to Amalfi. We had the fishing lines out with no luck. We had amazing conditions with flat water and no wind. Two hours out from Amalfi the breeze started to pick up and we had our first sail of the trip. With full main and genoa we were doing 11-12 knots peaking out at 12.5kts. The sea was pretty calm off Amalfi and we anchored and sent the girls ashore to check out the town before dinner. It was a beautiful sunset looking along the Amalfi coast as the lights of the many little villages slowly came on.

Sunday we had breakfast on our way to Positano where the guests went ashore for an hour wandering around the town and then we continued on to Capri. The blue grotto had dozens of people waiting to go in so we went around the north side of the island and anchored amongst the hundreds of other boats for a swim and a relaxing afternoon. We went in to Marina Grande for the night and the guests went up to Capri town for dinner and a walk around.

We left around 10am and the guests had breakfast on our way to Marina di Stabia near Pompeii. They went to Pompeii but were back 3 hours later as it was too hot and crowded. While they were away I got a call from the 3rd airport in 10 days telling me they had found the 2 lost bags. This time the airport was Naples. Finally the bags had caught up with us after being lost in Berlin and going to Rome, then Catania and on to Naples. Just in time to get dressed up for their last dinner. Hannah was so happy to have a choice of clothes that she changed outfits between each course.

The taxi arrived soon after their 6:30am pancakes, blueberries and bacon, to take Melissa and Hannah to the train station to go to Rome. Georgia and Natasha head off to the airport at 12:30pm

We are now getting ready to depart for Palma this afternoon.

Wednesday at 6:30am we departed Kapsali as dawn arrived. Luckily there was a lot less wind than when we docked 3 days earlier, making for an easy departure. Soon after we hoisted the main and staysail and left the lee of the island. Unfortunately the wind direction forced us south of west rather than north of it. This seemed to start the theme for the wind for most of the journey meaning we had to motor sail and even then it was slow going. One bonus of going slow is the fishing. We managed to catch 2 big eye tuna and we lost 3 fish, 2 of which we got to the back of the boat before they spat the hook out. Penny made us lovely seared tuna for dinner last night and we had sushi and sashimi for lunch today. This morning the wind turned to the North and with full main and genoa we were heeled over and making good speed. Unfortunately it only lasted around 6 hours and we are now going slow again with light wind from behind and choppy seas. At one stage this afternoon we had to stop to clear masses of rope caught under the boat. Zayn dived in with a sharp knife and 5 minutes later we were on our way again with a few hundred meters of fishing rope on board. We have had the fishing lines out today but no luck yet. We still have about 3 hours of daylight so fingers crossed.

We will be changing time zones when we arrive in Siracusa tonight, arriving around 8pm Italy summer time. We had hoped to arrive in daylight but the weather has not played the game meaning the 380nm trip will have taken us nearly 40 hours. I normally plan on averaging 10 knots or more  but we could not maintain that this time.

That gives us tomorrow to wash the boat, fuel up  and re-provision ready for the next guests arriving Saturday. More on that trip later.

JC

On the 17th of August Mrs G was joined by her daughter Robin and 4 of her college mates, Dee Dee, Betsy, Nancy and George. The adventure began with Betsy’s luggage not turning up. We left Athens for the island of Aegina where we dropped the guests ashore at Ag. Marina and they caught a taxi to the ruins of the  Temple of Aphaia. They continued across island to Paleohora, the old capital of Aegina which was deserted over a hundred years ago. All that remains are around 30 churches over the hillside. Meanwhile Mrs G and Timoneer motored around to Aegina town and went ashore for a bit of shopping. This island is known for its pistachios and George bought a couple of big bags for everyone to try. There was no sheltered anchorage in town so we headed south and found a spot to tie stern-to to the rocks south of Perdika village.

Sunday we headed across to Methana to bathe in the Sulphur thermal springs. Unfortunately they were closed and no one could give us any information of why. We continued on after lunch to an anchorage south of Poros town for a swim. After dinner the guests went ashore in Poros for a wander around the town. This is the time when the heat has gone out of the day and shops, bars and restaurants come to life. At 11:45pm Betsy’s luggage finally arrived on the ferry from Athens.

After breakfast we went to the idyllic island of Hydra and went stern-to to the breakwater dock. The guests and Mrs G all went ashore exploring the shops and enjoying lunch ashore. They were so taken by the island and the friendly residents that we extended our stay here to 2 nights. Hydra is a maze of narrow streets built up the hillside. There are no cars or motorbikes allowed. Mules and donkeys are the local means of transport. The second day some of the guests headed off on a hike up to one of the monasteries high above town with amazing views of the surrounding islands. In the evening, some of the crew went out for dinner with the guests at the Sunset Restaurant for a lovely meal and evening.

To protect the credit cards we left Hydra in the morning. We put up the sails and had a nice sail for about an hour before the winds became light. We then had to motor  and dropped anchor for lunch at Ormos Kosta , a beautiful bay on the Peloponnese north of Spetses Island. After a swim and lunch we continued North to Navplion. This town was another great find and a shopping mecca. Mrs G spent hours out on her scooter shopping and only returned because the battery was getting low. The rest of the guests went off for a day trip inland to see the ancient Greek theatre of Epidhavros and the Cytadel of Mycenae.

Friday morning they checked out one of the museums and did some more shopping. We left Navplion after lunch and tried a bit of fishing on our 4 hour journey south to Kiparissi. No luck with the fishing and when we arrived in Kiparissi there were hundreds of jellyfish in the bay. That cancelled any ideas of swimming. It was a pleasant evening with no wind and we had a BBQ but unfortunately wasps found us and forced dinner to move indoors.

Saturday we stopped for a dinghy tour in to the small harbour village of Ieraka. We carried on to Monemvasia, a medieval walled village built on the side of a big rock. On the top of the rock is the remains of a fortified village and some churches that are still in good condition. The village below has wonderful narrow alley ways full of little shops and restaurants.

As there was still no wind and flat water, breakfast underway gave us an early start as we continued south along the mountainous coastline of the Peloponnese. We arrived in Avlemonas on Kythera island for lunch after passing the remains of a ship wrecked cargo ship around the coast. Unfortunately jellyfish put off the swimmers and we continued to the port village Kapsali. Just as we were preparing to dock, the wind that had been missing for most of the trip, finally started to blow making for an interesting docking. The guests took a taxi up the hill to the town of Kythera and looked at the ruins of the castle. There are fantastic views of the harbour and bays below. Meanwhile Mrs G cleaned up a sea urchin from the rocks behind the boat, ready to take home to add to her collection from around the world. The guests then went for a swim at a bay across the harbour.

Monday was another day trip ashore to check out the archaeological sites, churches and natural sites of Kythera and a lunch ashore in a tavern. Unfortunately they also got to see fire fighting planes in action which were trying to put out a scrub fire. Then there was time for one last swim in Greece’s warm, crystal clear, blue waters before dinner.

It was an early start for the 35 minute drive across island to the airport for their 8:30am flight back to Athens. Goodbye Greece for this year.

Timoneer is now on its way to Sicily.

JC