Malua hauled for winter

For two years we have hauled Malua in Turkey. It was a great experience and the cost was very reasonable. This year we deceided to stay somewhere in the central Mediterranean so that we would not have to travel the long distance from Turkey to Italy next year. We finally deceided on Preveza because of its location and reasonable cost. The people appeared to be helpfull and the yard is not too full. many people have stayed at Cleopatra's Marina but since they built a swish new marina and do not let you work on your boat without permission I deceided to tru the yard next door - Preveza Marina.
We confirmed the haul date and set a time. What a change from Yot Marine where you may wait a whole day to be hauled. Well at exactly 8:00 Malua was in the slings and we were raised out of the water. No problems and no fuss, just a great group of people working together.
We then moved the travel lift down the lines to an open spot where they put Malua on a steel cradle and shored up the sides, bow and stern. It was then up to us to prepare Malua for the winter by removing all the outside gear, lines, hallyards and sails.

Malua hauled for winter

Malua was hauled at Preveza for the winter. We have returned to Oz for the southern summer.

Malua to be Hauled for Winter

Malua is now in Prevevza ready to be hauled out of the water for the winter as we return to Oz for the Summer. It has again been a long season. Starting at Marmaris in Turkey, traveling through greece and the Corinth Canal to the Ionian then north to Croatia and spending two weeks in Venice. We then sailed south through Croatia, Montenegro and back into Greece. We have spent a few weeks cruising around the islands.
Tomorrow it is up on the hard, off to Athens then back to fly out to London then on to OZ. A great season

Cos and sailing north

I arrived in Kos in the old harbour under the castle walls. The summer season has not started because there were only two other yachts and a large German gullet. The fellow had purchased it on the Internet for 15000 euro and then spent 20,000 fixing it up. What a great buy.

Richard and Marita arrived a dawn the following day after a very pleasant ferry ride from Athens. A double cabin, shower and dinner in the restaurant - the order of the day. It was great because they were not tired after their flight from Gatwick which as usual meant that they had to leave home at 4:00 am to get the cheap fares. We went to the local supermarket and stocked up with the essentials they needed and set sail for Kalimnos. We had an easy sail with Marita at the helm. Qualified competent crew in charge. I made a poor attempt to go stern too to the dock because half way in I changed hands on the anchor switch and started to pull it up rather than down. Well the second attempt we came in rather well and secured the lines in the usual spot. Off to the Australian butcher. Well I should say Greek but his father registered him as an Oz when he worked in Darwin so he had to show me his new Oz passport. Very proud to be an Australian. Just like the owner of the local hardware shop. He opened his wife's bag and out came his passport, drivers licence and other papers just to prove to me that he is a proud Australian. If the government ever forced its citizens to pass a English speaking test they would loose half of the population. The half that really want to be Australians.

The next day the the wind was from the south so we set sail north to Lakki on the island of Leros with its Italian art deco buildings. We chose to anchor out and threw out at least 40 m of chain which dug in rather well. The cat next to us dragged their anchor just as the sun set and almost landed up on the rocks. The wind continued to blow all night but the fetch was short so we had a good nights sleep. That evening we visited the local wood fired pitza place and had two great Italian pitzas in the right setting except it was Greece.

The wind was again in the right direction, over the stern but very light indeed so we motor sailed to Patmos the home of the Saracen pirates. St Christadoulos got permission in 1088 to build a monastery to St John the Divine who was banished here in the early BC era and wrote the book of Revelations in a cave just down the hill from the monastery. The rock in the cave is split into three being the holy trinity. It is a great story, the book exists but did he write it here, well we will never know but the tourists and believers come from far and wide. This cruiser has been to the monastery and cave twice. Richard and Marita enjoyed the site and the walk down to the harbour where we spent a few hours sitting on the waterfront with a Mythos in hand. What a way to spent and afternoon. We took a taxi back to the bay in the south of the island and enjoyed the local pork in orange sauce for the evenings meal.

Marita wanted to get some night sailing experience in while in the Med so at sun down the following day we set sail for Naxos in the Cyclades. The trip would take the whole night and we would arrive just as the sun was rising. The wind gods were kind to us with the wind from the north just on the bean at 15 knots. It was a great nights sail with two light houses as our waypoints along the routes. After turning at the northern light of Naxos we sailed south along the coast as the wind increased to over 25 knots and the sea rose to a good Med chop. We had to put a reef in the main an furl the genoa as we approached the red light of the harbour wall of Naxos town. The dawn was just arriving so we entered in the light just as planned. A great sail with only a small incident on route.

We dropped the anchor and let out 40 metres of chain then retired to sleep for a few hours. Unfortunately the chain was over a rock so as the boat moved in the now rising wind there was the ghastly sound of metal on rock. I could not pull in some scope or let it out but after a few hours the wind direction changed and the noise went away. That night the storm that had been brewing all day arrived with very heavy rain and increased wind. While Malua was inside the harbour wall the quay was only 40 meters away so at about 3:00 am I decided that one anchor was just not enough and I would not be able to start the engine before we hit the rocks so I started the engine as a precaution and stood anchor watch until dawn when Richard helped me deploy a second anchor. We both returned to bed to catch up on a few hour sleep. That day was also spent down below although Richard and Marita took a walk around the town. The next day dawned fine and we set up anchors after a bit of back and forth with the second anchor, it would not have moved during the high winds.

Sailed most of the way to Anti Paros and the wide bay in the south that Malua had previously visited. Two other yachts and the restaurant not yet open for the season. The on to Vathi on Sifnos the location of a great meal with Richard and Charlie after their "rescue" . I just had to phone them to find out their location which was in the Ionian. Great to hear they are still well and enjoying the sailing but from the web it sound as if the ex charter yacht is needing some maintenance. We walked all round the bay and high up into the mountains above the few houses, returning just in time for a great meal in the local tavern. A visit to the kitchen to choose what we should eat.

On to Serifos to meet the ferry to Piraeus. We arrived and took the local bus to the top of the town and then a leisurely walk back to the boat just in time to watch a flotilla of British yachts arrive full of excited poms after a good days racing to the next island. An annual event which had some traditions of a good time had by all. Richard and Marita caught the evening ferry to Athens and a day on the Acropolis before flying back to the UK. I was alone again. I had greeted a rather smart and fast looking sopped boat that had come along side the previous evening. A couple who had taken an hour to travel the 65 NM from Athens to Serifos. Now that is fast travel. The following evening the came back to the dock but not with the same speed or style. One of the blades from the second propeller had broken off and cut a hole right through the swim platform. It was unbalanced so the skipper could only use one engine. 5 knots not 50. He had arranged to have a new propeller shipped on the next ferry fro Athens and was going to change it in the water along side the dock. not a good idea and not an easy job. We collected the propeller from the ferry and moved his boat to the beach where we tied it to the lamp post and one of the local mooring buoys. Here we were able to stand on the sand and get some leverage to undo the large bolts that held the propeller to the shaft. They came off easily but pulling the prop off the shaft was another task. just as we were about to use the hammer we both graped the prop, placed our feet against the stern, took a deep breath and pulled for all we where worth. It came off. Great. The new prop fitted with only just a few mm of clearance when we had done up the two nuts and placed the split pin back in a new hole. What I would expect for such a prestigious vessel. The props cost 15,000 euro each just in case you think this was some piece of bronze. They are balanced and each have about eight blades. thankfully the boat is still under warranty so the manufacturer will be picking up the cost. We retired to the waterside restaurant to celebrate the success because they sped off to Athens and work. great couple and an interesting day. I have an invitation to speed across the water at more than 60 knots when I an next in their area. I cant wait.

I the headed off to Serifos as I worked my way north. On route the engine compartment blower fan stopped working so I had to find a replacement. I anchored in the town harbour just in front of the many waterside restaurants. The ferry make quite a swell as they turn to go stern to against the quay. My gangplank got caught under the dock and the ends crushed as Malua surged back on its anchor. Not a great sight but better than fiberglass against concrete. Having the bicycles on board is a great help in covering a lot of ground in search of a spare part. I found a chandler and did not expect them to have a fan but could you believe it the very same fan at a much better price and in Oz. Such a pleasure to fit it. So now I have the hum of the blower as we motor along keeping the engine room cool or more importantly the alternator cool to give out the required amps. That evening for the second time the two yachts with the Swedish family celebrating the fathers birthday came stern too along side again. They were having great fun from the old couple right to a young baby in arms. The British vessel I had met at Serifos can in and invited me to drinks and dinner. Great night but their outlook for the British economy is not good with their prediction of asset values only 40 % of their highs of a few years ago.

I packed up, untied the lines and was heading out of the harbour when from across the water came this holla of Harry, Harry. Who was calling me? As I turned to this distant figure on the dock he took his cap off and I instantly recognised my great Italian friend Francesco and Paula who I had last seen in the Halkadiki. They had just come onto the island and had moored in the marina away from the swell and were walking to the town to get some provisions. We arranged to meet in Mykinos in a few days time. I continues to Delos to see the ruins and the famous lions ( stone that is and not the originals. I anchored under the sign that said no anchoring and took the RIB ashore to walk around the ruins just as the last of the mornings tour group as leaving and an hour before the afternoon group arrived. 16 guided groups from an American cruise liner. Thank goodness I am not rich and have to follow the group.

I set off for Mykinos to look at the old harbour. I had to weave my way around the three cruise liners and two large sailing ships anchored in the bay. I put my nose in the new harbour which like many Greek marinas is not finished to again hear a bellow of Harry from the dock side. Francisco had arrived and was moored along side. I came in against the dock and they rafted up o9n the outside. They had two New Zealand guest on board their small boat so my vessel was used a shower room, beauty parlour and dining room. Francesco prepared a great pasta which we enjoyed after passing the pots from one vessel to the next. The following day they set off for Delos while I sailed to the bay Ornos south of the Mikinos town. Again the bicycles came in handy but I took the high road up over the mountain rather than the coastal route to get to Mykinos. Was it hot and a long slog only followed by a short sharp down hill flight to cool off.. This evening we had skate pasta on Francesco's boat with no passing the pots from vessel to vessel. I also saved tome water.

The next day was a day sail to Paradise Beach to see the beautiful people who had obviously not arrived for the summer. Well rather that than the previous visit which was an eye opener. Now off to Tinos and the route north but i fear the wind is coming out of the north and I will have to battle a head wind or wait a few days.

Return to Turkey Preparing Malua for Summer

I arrived with trepidation after the winter storms to find Malua just as I had left her. Nice and dry with a light covering of dust . Down below everything was shipshape. I struggled to get the RIB out through the companionway on my own but I knew it could be done, all I had to do is find the way it came in. At last after some struggle I found the right combination of tilt and angle and it eased its way into the cockpit. There was not much I could have done if it would not fit... get the chain saw is an option. I washed and polished the topsides, applying a new polish. The vessel looks good for a nine year old. I then set about sanding the anti fouling. What a job. Thankfully I have a very good mask to keep the dust out but in the end I was covered in dark blue dust. The showers will not get any weed in their drains after my shower. International anti fouling Micron Extra is expensive in Turkey about Aus $550 for five litres. I would normally apply 10 to 12 litres per session but this year I used a small roller and used only 3 litres for the entire bottom. We will see if it makes any difference. Last year after the trip to Istanbul the bottom was covered which took at least one knot off the cruising speed.

After the few days preparation I was lifted into the water. Last year I was moved at about 7:00 in the evening but got a great place in the water. I went out of my way to be pleasant to the people moving the boats because they have long memories. This year I must have been one of the first to go in the water and again I got a great spot on I pontoon along side some of the liverabords and early arrivals. I only had a few days to provision and get all the sails bent on. I asked Elstrom Sails to restitch the genoa UV cover which had come loose in places. They did a great job and everything fitted back in its place. The main sheet and halyard are showing some ware so I looked at replacing the spectra. The cost is just over the top - about $12 -$15 per meter and I need 75 meters. In the end I settled for some Turkish spectra which looks and feels as good as the OZ product. We will see when I have the time to splice the ends.

Yot Marine is feeling the pain of being so successful. The office has difficulty coping with the number of vessels settling their bills and checking out. It has a lot to do with a new computer system they have recently introduced which seems to be double entry with both side showing on the same page. The girls in the office struggle while the cruisers are still in their home frame of mind and want to do thing quickly and efficiently. You can see them sit in line for their turn and start to boil then storm out to come back the following day to go through the same wait. I am sure they return to their boat just to pick up a book and read! Some efficient American woman suggested that they have a list to which you add your name. First come first served. Great. The management then said only 30 names would be allowed on the list per day. If you are not there when your turn comes put your name on tomorrows list tomorrow. After a few days the whole idea was abandoned and the lady sailed off into the sun set. Try Turkish time. If you want some experience go to Tonga and wait for Tonga time.

Monday came and I had to leave to be in Kos to meet Richard and Marita who were flying into Athens on the Wednesday. Like my car trips the third day is the most dangerous. Sailing into to Symi on a lee shore the wind got up and the sea was very short I felt it was time to furl the genoa so I could motor past the point. I furled the genoa and as I started to put away the sheets I noticed the starboard sheet was over the side, under the boat, trailing in the water. Engine in to neutral and a mad dash to the bow to retrieve the loose sheet. The down side could have been very dangerous but I keep reminding myself that Malua is a sailing boat and I can, like Captain Cooke sail off a lee shore but rather not in 25 knots of wind and a short chop. I was relieved to drop the anchor in they bay with the monastery.

Man Over Board

Man over board - The cry that every sailor hopes he never hears. Well it came on Saturday when I was sailing in a race in Batemans Bay on a racing yacht. I am the pit man controlling the halyards and lines as well as the sheets for the genoa. We have a large fellow on the foredeck who invited along two young fellows for a trial sail. In the marina we fitted the inflatable life jackets and instructed then on their use and why even young fellows should wear them for the duration of the race.
After a good start, a beat to the windward mark, a run down wind. We did have an unexpected jibe rounding the mark but nothing serious happened. We set off for the windward mark again and rounded that in third spot ahead of most of the fleet. The waves had risen and the wind increased to slightly more than 20 knots. Up went the spinnaker with out problems and the crew took up their positions. One youngster was asked to sit on the boom to hold it out!
With little warning we were running by the lee and the boat came over to weather with the boom jibing across the boat. The fellow had nowhere to go but follow the boom. He was projected into the water with a smart hit on the head as a passing shot. The bowman and myself got the spinnaker down and started to sort out the spinnaker pole. We were sailing away from our crew in the water. The skipper was flapping about with the mainsheet trimmer to get the boarding ladder out of an underfloor locker while the youngster inflated his life jacket and started to wave at us.
After a bit of shouting to steer the boat towards the crew and leave the ladder we tacked and started to sail towards the fellow in the water. By this time another yacht was in the vicinity.
We threw the youngster a line and with one mighty heave his friend and I lifted him out of the water, over the lifelines and into the cabin top. A Saturn rocket would have been proud of his trajectory. A relieved crewman found the situation funny rather than serious and we continued on with the race finishing third - not dropping a single place as a result of the incident.
There were many lessons learnt from that situation - the most important is that the skipper should continue to steer the vessel to the overboard crew and not worry about unnecessary things that other on the boat are capable of handling.
My worry over the incident is that I don't have total recall of every second of the event. I have snapshots of sections but I can not run through in my mind the exact sequence of events in any clear detail. Many things just happened and I am sure I was concentrating on doing those that were important to me but to review the whole incident is difficult. I am sure adrenalin has something to do with it. Age may also play a part.
We live to sail again and hopefully a little wiser and much more careful.

Servicing the Mooring

Camrod Marine has a commercial mooring in Batemans Bay located to the south west of Square Head. It is the mooring from which Malua came loose the fateful day it landed up on the rocks. At the time the mooring had been used by a fellow from the Coastal Patrol who had not used the swivel at the top of the mooring and abused the tackle. This I believe placed strain on the lower line which I failed to check. When we left Malua on the mooring the night of the Sydney to Hobart race the mooring parted and Malua drifted on to the shore. When I showed the line to an experienced mariner he suggested it had been cut with a knife. I do not wish to think that someone without a place for their vessel would cut the mooring through spite. Well anyway I now service the mooring every year. Yesterday was the annual survey.

Stephen and I took his Catalina across the bar and out to the Mooring. The mooring is in five meters of water. It has a large block with three chain links attached. To this we have shackled four meters of large link chain which is then shackled to a large swivel. Spliced to the top of the swivel through a galvanised thimble is a 25mm nylon line within a plastic tube. The mooring bouy is at the end of this 5 meter line. The tube is protection against abrasion and to make it easier to remove the marine growth that inevitably grows onto the line beneath the mooring bouy.

This morning the tide was about to run out so we either had to service it early at the top of the tide or hang around for the low tine. The weather was beautiful and the water was crystal clear so we started early. I scraped off the marine growth along the length of the mooring line as I pulled more of it into the dingy which we had towed behind the Catalina. After doing this for more than an hour the swivel was just below the surface and I had to don scuba gear and inspect the two swivels and the state of the chain and shackles. They where all in very good order. The lower shackle was buried in sand with no corrosion or wear. The upper shackle's stainless steel securing wire on the bolt had corroded so I replaced that with three strands. The nylon line was in almost perfect condition. The concrete block had not sunk into the sand as far as I would have liked so next season I will assist it into a hole with the use of a air lift pump to remove the sand at its base. I repainted the notice on the red mooring bouy – Not Safe – Do not use. So any person picking up my mooring will be well informed that they are not permitted and do so at their own risk.

Having completed the work we took Tegwin for a sail south towards Pretty Point where Denny has stationed herself with the camera. She took some lovely shots as we ran down wind then turned to sail back to the Bay. A great day.

Endless Summer

The southern summer is coming to an end and I fly north to again enjoy a summer in the norther hemisphere. This year the time at Batemans bay has been interesting if not challenging. I have joined the crew of a racing yacht. It is a light displacement with all the right gear. The skipper loves the boat and tries so hard but the crew and he just dont seem to have the skills to make it go fast. It is not always happy on board but I love the time on the water and enjoy the camaraderie of racing. I hope one day it will all drop into place and we will get the result the owner and crew deserve.

The Coastal Patrol has again sunk into the depths of factionalism and the control by the cronies. It seems to repeat itself every few years. It got so bad the local head quit and walked away from the position. I was asked to make a submission on the issues and way forward but as with all consultant reports they will only acknowledge what they want to hear. I wonder what will happen with the new organisation? Has all this impacted the rescue services is a moot point for we will never know because we have not been tested. There have been no real rescues for six months which is a good thing.

The marina, sailing club and rescue organisation has such characters it could be the subject of a crime novel - corruption, money and goods passing hands, court orders, boats adrift in the night, threats, lockouts, censorship, power plays and weak characters willing to go to any end to achieve their goals.......wow all we need is murder.

I cant wait to get back to the quit life of cruising in the Mediterranean.

Current Cruise - 13 Back to Turkey

Richard and Marita packed up and we waved goodbye as they boarded the local bus for the trip to Thessaloniki. The bus arrived late and they were on the edge of their seats to get to the airport in time for their flight back to the UK. Fortunately the trip was uneventful and they transferred by taxi to the Departure gate with more than a few minutes to spare.

We packed up Malua and made her ready to put to sea. We had to rush south to get to Turkey before our visa ran out. It would be tight and depended on getting a ferry from Turkey to Greece and then back again to Turkey with our new visa. We left Nea Marmaris with out the anchor getting snagged and motored in a direct line to the West Sparades Islands. The distance was more than 50 nautical miles. As usual the wind was from the south in the Halkidiki but after a few hours started to go round to the North East as predicted by the forcast. We soon had the main and genoa up and were sailing along on a flat sea at almost 6 knots. Our destination was Panagia which is a small island with a very narrow entrance to a well protected bay. We had to arrive before dark because of the entrance. The wind dropped off as the sun started to go down and we were able to motor through the 100 meter wide entrance with only 8 meters of water. I would not like to go through that if a sea was running into the bay. We started early just as it was getting light so I could see the entrance however the sea had come up and there was a swell running so the trip between the island was not very pleasant. Once we were away from the land the wind settled down and started to increase to over 20 knots, at time reaching almost 30. We had it on our beam and were reaching down wind at times up to 8 knots. It was great at last to have the wind behind us, the sun shining and little swell. The miles just rolled under the keel. We had set our destination as the Island of Chios which was 120 miles away - quite a long sail in one day. I knew that the moon was full and would be up when we had to reach our intended night anchorage. As is always the case with the Meltemi in norther Greece it started to drop as the sun set. We were still more than 50 miles from the northern passage between Chios and Inousssa. At about midnight the wind dropped away altogether and the sea started to flatten as we motored along the norther coast of Chios heading for the passage on the NW tip of the island. We were about 10 miles from the passage when the moon set turning the night into total darkness. Fortunately the cape at the entrance to the passage had a good light and the radar was working very well indeed. As I entered the passage which is only 650 meters wide I was confronted by a mass of lights on the port side of the channel. It did not appear to be moving and was about one mile off. I could not distinguish any navigation lights but the radar indicated that it was fast approaching but not on a collision course. It turned out to be a large ferry with all its lights on! It passed port to port and I settled down to navigate using the radar and the chartplotter. I had selected a bay on the south coast of Inoussa. It was unlit but from the chart looked bug enough and shallow enough to give us a good nights sleep. I motored into the crescent of the bay using the chart plotter and when the depth sounder indicated 6 meters under the keel we dropped the anchor. Our searchlight picked up the one headland but the rest were out of its range. We turned in to sleep. The following morning revealed we had anchored in the middle of a beautiful bay with more than adequate swing room and a great muddy bottom.

We sailed along the eastern coast of Chios and then across the channel to Cesme where we entered the marina. It was almost empty because a new owner had just taken it over and was busy moving the floating docks. We went into the town an booked our ferry trip for the next day to Chios. Luckily this time we did not have to spend the night away. The ferry left at 9:30 and within a hour we were again in Greece after officially leaving Turkey after 88 days. On arrival we got a Greek stamp and set about looking around the island. Unfortunately we should have been here yesterday because the summer tour had just ended. We decided to take a municipal bus into the southern part of the island to see the house decorations at Pirgi. We had just one hour to walk around the town before we had to get back on the bus for the harbour and then a quick walk to the ferry for the return journey. We arrived and cleared customs along with about 50 other people and we entered Turkey again with a 90 day visa - more than enough time to sail to Marmaris and pack the boat away.

The next day we purchased some fresh food and set sail towards the Greek island along the Turkish coast. Unfortunately the wind started to blow from the south so we changed direction and dropped anchor in a small bay on the south east coast of Chios called Kamari. The water was crystal clear. I set a stern anchor to keep up into the swell and not to swing too much within the small bay.As usual we took the RIB ashore and had a walk to the next bay to take some photos.

We pulled up the anchor as the sun rose and set off to sail south through the Greek islands. As predicted by the forecast the wind was light and from the wrong direction - south.

Here are some pictures of our Back to Turkey

Current Cruise - 12 Friends Visit in Halkidiki

We had arrived a bit early in the Halkidiki so we had to spend the time in this lovely cruising ground. For once we could go day sailing without a destination in mind, so if the wind blew from the north we sailed south. Then if the wind came up from the east we sailed west. It was a great experience. Fortunatly there are innumerable place to stay. The wind drops away in the evening so we motor to a new bay each night and drop anchor.

Richard and Marita arrived in Nea Marmaris after the inevitable rush to catch a 5 am charter flight out of Gatwick. They arrived on a very hot day without wind. They took a greek taxi to the bus station then boarded the local bus to Nea Marmaris. It arrived early so we were not at the bus stop as promised and there was some confusion when they had to get off. After a frantic phone call they jumped off in the centre of the town and we met them on the waterfront. A cold Mythos beer soon set then on the track to the cruising lifestyle. We had lunch and set about getting Malua ship shape in the Bristol style for four people. That evening we had dinner at a waterfront restuarant after setting about knocking a hole into the 20 liters of Limnos wine we had purchased for the occasion. Every Thursday in Nea Marmaris there is a good local market with fruit, veg, meat and fish on sale by the local vendors. In addition there are the sellers of everything one does not need but can afford "for a very good price" We stocked up on the essentials while Marita splashed out on the little extras in life that make it fun.

We then let go the aft lines and started to pull up the anchor amonst the many other anchors and mooring blocks of the local harbour. The wind was of couse right in our face blowing us back onto the dock and the other vessels. The anchor winch kept cutting out at the trip switch which should have been an indication that something was wrong, and wrong it was. The chain was under a Greek boat's anchor so we had to pull that to the surface put a line round it and unhook it before we could make any progress away from the bows of the other yachts. We came to the 15 meter mark and our anchor was still in 10 meters of water and not going to come up. It was firmly hooked under a chain attached to a large concrete mooring block. I quickly put on my mask and with a line from the boat dived down the 10 meter to attach a trip line to the anchor. with this attached I let the anchor chain loose and the tripping line pulled the head of the anchor from under the mooring block chain and we where free. Quite a bit of exitement to start a cruising holiday. It was then off to Porto Koufo for a quite evening on board.

The next day again dawned cloudless and unfortunatly windless so we motored round the point and north up the rugged coast to the great bay of Sikios. The anchor would not take after 6 tries so we deceided to go stern to the little wharf along side the fishing boats. Francesco was on his mooring so we could not use that. The snorkelling in the bay proved that the Greeks had fished out the seabed years ago but the fish in the restaurant made up for it. Francesco joined us for a great night of seafood, laughts and Italian stories. A quiet night, beautiful sunrise but again no wind so we motored north to a beautiful set of island around Nisis Dhiaporos. That evening we paddled through the northern passage in the kyaks and a paddle ski which we found floating alone way out to sea. A braai on the stern of Malua with the local sausage reminded everybody of the good time we all had in South Africa, Richard and I going back more than 50 years!

We has planned to take a cruise on a "pirate ship" to the south of the Akti peninsular to see the Monasteries of Athos. Malua was left at anchor in the Panayia bay. We arrived early and secured a great seat on the top deck before the bus loads of greek and other tourest decended on the vessel. It was quite different motoring across the sea in a large vessel not worrying about the wind and the waves especially around the notoriously rough Aki Pinnes at the base of the high Mount Athos. The description of the monasteries was factual but could not possible answer the question "why do people become monks and hermits never to return to the real world off the peninsula?" We cruised past eight of the sites keeping more than 500meters off the land because womem may not go any nearer to the land in case they excited the monks! We stoped at Ouranopolis for lunch along with the 400 other people on the cruise ships and then returned to cross the head of the bay and be back for the buses to be filled and leave us in the quite of the bay to have a evening meal at a waterside restaurant. On returning to Malua there was a minor panic when I discovered that I had droped my keys in the sand at the restaurant table. We were fortunate to be able to unloaked the companionway with the spare key hidden for just such an event. (we found the keys the next day in the sand)

The following day we went to the fish market on the wharf and purchase mussels and fresh sardines which we fried in olive oil along with paella rice Marita put together. The following evening we had the mussels in an Italian inspiered pasta dish which Denny created. We eat and drink well on Malua.

We sailed south with a light wind behind us and again entered the Sikios bay. This time we picked up Francesco's mooring. Dinner on board with lots of conversation before heading off the next day south round the cape Arki Psevdhokavas and back into the lovley protected bay of Porto Koufo. This time we anchored off the beach in the south next to the lagoon. No wind during the night or the next morning.

We stopped in at a lovely secluded bay just south of Porto Carras Marina for lunch and a swim before motoring back into Nea Marmaris harbour. We were able to squeeze into a spot on the floating jetty. That evening Richard took us out to a fantastic fish restaurant on a platform over the sea. While we eat squid, octopus and fish the fish below in the water were well fed from out left overs and the local bread. A great night to celebrate the end of a wonderful cruising time with our friends. Thanks R & M

The following day be uped anchor without any problems and set sail the 400nm south across the Agean back to Turkey. Fortunatly the wind was behind us and we raced off at 7 knots, quite a change from the previous four weeks. Here are some pictures of our friends visit

The next stage of the expidition was the sail south to get our visas and then south again to Turkey and finally to Marmaris to haul out for the winter.Back to Turkey

Current Cruise - 11 Sinthonia Peninsula

We sailed round the Akti Penisula with all the Monasteries right into a strong wind from the north. We where just able to beat into the wind and make our couse for Nisis Ammouliani however he had to negotiate the straits which had very shollow water. We slowed to a snails pace and watched the depth souder go down 20, 15, 10 ,5 ,2 then 1 and stay there for some time. Well, we came through with out touching bottem then tried to anchor off Nisis Ammouliani but after three attempts we could not get any holding in the thick weed. We sailed round to the Village just as two other boats were attempting to go astern too the wharf. We watched then and deceided to find another location.....charter vessels are a danger to wharf and yacht.

We sailed to a long beach and found a sand spot in the faiding light. It was a great spot opposite a small housing development. The next day we were off to Tripiti to see how Xerxes had dug a canal through the norrowest part of the penisula. Unfortunatly it is now all filled in but it did save him the sail south round the Akti penisula. From there we sailed to the Islands of Dhiaporos. On the inside next to the mainland the water is very shallow and you have to anchor out and take the RIB to shore but we found a deep inlet in the main island of Dhiaporos. Not much swing room but the holding is good. We watched as a thunder storm developed to the north of us. We let out some more chain and waited. Well the wind came first - a good sign. Then the rain. At the height of the storm the other boat in the anchorage was swing close to the shore and deceided to move, we quickly followed and dropped the anchor further up the inlet. The anchor went down first attempt and held. We then sat in the cockpit and watched the lightrning, thunder and rain. Everything got a good wash. Within an hour the sky had cleared and we had dinner.

We stayed a few days in the islands moving from anchorage to anchorage. It is so relaxing knowing that your next anchorage is only 6nm away. One day I set off on the bicycle to find a wifi internet hot spot. There was nothing in the local town and nothing at Ayios Nikolaos about 5kn away but I did stop off at a butcher to get some meat and some very tasty sausage which was very much like borewors. We had a braai on the stern of Malua that evening just as we had in the Southern Hemisphere.

We deceided to explore the Sinthonia Penisula on the eastern side. There are not many safe anchorages due to the prevailing wind comming from the SE. The wind during July and August is very mild so we were able to find places to stay. the most pleasant was Sarti where we again met Francesco and Paula - italians who live in New Zealand and have a boat in the Med and in North Island - What a live..endless summers sailing. The penisula is the holiday ground of the Greeks. They seem to stay in "rooms to let" or bring their own caravans which are located on any flat spot as close to the water as possible. Many have inflatables tied up on the beach in front. Only in the Med would you be able to do this.

The wind comes up to about 15 knots at 11;00 and the drops away in the afternoon. Some days it will blow from the NW but most days from the SE. The sailing is consequently wonderful. We had the big spinnaker up most of one morning as we sailed south to reach Poto Koufo. It helps to reach your destination in the early afternoon before the holiday charter boats come in. You can then settle back and watch their anticks as they either anchor on top of each other or go astern to the wharf.

We reached Nea Marmaris - that is the place there the Greeks from Marmaris in Turkey where transported in 1920 when the resettlement took place. No Turkish influence now just a small holiday town with an average public harbour. The locals with boats have established their place on the pontoon and guard their spots and those of their friend with every excuse. It doesnt wash with an Italian or an Ozzie. Fancesco and I both found a place on the pontoon. The following day I took a bus in to Thessaloniki to get some bearings for the windlass which had taken a beating with the new anchor and the difficulty in finding good holding. The SKF distributer had all the bearings and seals so the next day I was able to replace all the parts. I must say the designof the Muir windlass leaves much to be desired. I have had to put a wood support to the motor because it is only held by four 6 mm bolts to stop it from turning. Put a 12 ton boat at the end of that and the bolts break out of the cast aluminium housing. I believe the engineers have never sailed a boat in their lives - the mix of metals and the size of the bolts and housings is just inadequate. Well the windlass is now better than new and we can pull the new 30kg anchor up without fear.

We stayed a few days in Nea Marmaris restocking the boat then set sail for Porto Koufo but the wind was not helping so we changed destinations to a bay in the south of the Kassandra penisula. We flew the reacher all the way across the bay. That is the advantage of the Med there is always an anchorage down wind. Here are some pictures of Sinthonia Peninsula

Current Cruise - 10 Akti Peninsula

We left Limnos very early one morning and motored north towards the Halkidiki. There was no wind for the next 60nm. We arrived late in the evening after traveling north up the most eastern finger of the Halkidiki. This is where the monstries are. No female is to set foot on the penisular. Well we dropped anchor in a norther bay a long way from civilisation and spent the next few days swimming and collecting flotsum from the beaches. We then moved north to Nea Rodha whwre we anchored out. From there we moved east to a fishing harbour of Ierisssos. The first night there was a violent thunderstorm which washed the decks but also burst one of our fenders. Comes for going into a harbour. The local boat builder got some work when a fishing boat hit the harbour wall full speed ahead. They dragged the boat out of the water on a sled. Simple and effective. They have been doing it for centuries only now diesel in place of oxen. We sailed round the peninsular where all the monasteries are located. This is an indepedent state governed by the monks. Here are some pictures of Akti Peninsula

The next few pages is the account of the trip through Northern Greece.

Current Cruise 9 - Limnos

The exit from Turkey was fast, rough and with a lots of wind. We arrived after a down wind sail to Limnos and motored north into a large bay to throw the anchor for a well deserved rest. We then visited the land site for the Gillopolie invasion. This bay was where the ships gathered prior to the invasion of Turkey. It was also the place that the Generals stayed away from the fighting and where the injured soldiers and sailors were brought to be hospitalised. Many died and were buried on the Island. We visited the Commonwealth War Cematary at the end of Anzac Road. A rather desolate place. We were the only vessel in Ormos Moudhrou, a change from the day before the invasion when there were a hugh flotilla of battleships and troop carriers.

We sailed into Ormos Kondia for a night then on to the main harbour at Mirina which is the port of Entry for Greece. We had switched our colours and were now flying the British ensign. The greeks find non-EU boat a trouble. The clearance in while long was not difficult or expensive. My passport is still cleaan while Denny's has and entry right below her last entry - work that out. As usual we anchored in the bay just opposite the town wharf. Just before sunset a fisherman came out in his boat to warn us of an impending storm and to advise us to tie up to the dock. Taking local advice we droped 70m of chain and went stern to the wharf and secured ourselves to some large rings in the wall. An Ozie boat from Qld had done the same. Well at 11:00 the wind came in from the NW with gust over 30knots. The boats were bouncing around all over the place. We had a smaller boat on the starboard side but nothing on the port so I was able to rig a line from the bow to the dock to hold us against the wind. Having secured Malua I retired to sleep the sleep of the landlubber. By morning the wind had gone and no one was the wiser. We had to move off the dock to make way for the ferry but the next day We found a spot along side the Ozie boat.

The town is a typical Greek island village with a few extra shops for the local Greek tourists. Few foriegners visit this place. It is famous for its wine which we sampled along with the excelent pork. The following day we purchased big in the area of wine - a total of 60 litres in the form of a number of ten litre boxes. Stowable in the bilge for maturing. We stocked up with provisions and ste sail at dawn for the Halkidiki. Again no wind so we motored the 63nm. The next page will give you the detail. Here are a few photos of Limnos The next few pages documents the trip through Greece.

Leaving Turkey

What an exit out of the Dardanelles. The wind came up out of the North East and as we put our nose round the southern point of the Galipolli Peninsula we were hit by very strong wind and a very confused sea. The strong current did not help. Malua was tossed around in no uncertain terms. It took us a few minutes to put two reefs in the main and to furl the genoa. Of course things did not go to plan and we had to struggle to get it right. After a few minutes we had the wind aft of the beam and we were reaching at 9 knots touching 11 at times towards Greece. Limnos was our port of entry.

Current Cruise 8 - Istanbul

After passing north up the Dardanelles we sailed across the Sea of Marmara and finally arrived in Istanbul.
The Challenge is to find a safe inexpensive place to leave Malua.
Istanbul
We found an ideal spot for our style of cruising. It is in a small swimming bay just at the mouth of the Yesilkoy harbour. The holding is good although there is not much room. I put two anchors down to restrict our swing and as a precaution. We take the RIB into the harbour and leave it along side a yacht. The train station is only ten minutes walk up the road through a rather upmarket suburb. We purchased an Akbil travel taken which is like an Oyster card so we could ride all the public transport without paying each time. The trains are on their last legs, not full but do they rattle. The metro on the other hand is air conditioned, new and crowded.
We criss crossed the city to get to the different sights and had a great time.
Images of the anchorage Yesilkoy
The different mosques are rather grand but dull compared to the catholic churches but used. The Mullah's singing at the prayers is just wonderful. Looking someway like a Turk I can get into the prayer sessions so I have an opprtunity to hear them in full unamplified voice along with all the movement of the believers. An experience to rememeber.
The Topkapi Palace is also grand but not very well presented. The Topkapi dagger with its three emerald stones in the handle is just in a hole in the wall while the Spoonmaker's diamond is very poorly lit. The best pieces are without a doubt the Chinese porcelain especially the green, white and of cource the blue ming bowls. The best collection in the world they say.
The archaelogical Museum leaves a lot to be desired but most of the best pieces are in someone else's possestion.
We visited a number of carpet shops who gave us a different spiel every time as to why they are better than the rest. One was married to a very Australian lady and their daughter came right out of Sydney until she started to try to sell you something and you realised that trading is in your blood. They were a bit put out when I told them my son worked for a dealer in Canberra. Well we all agreed that the carpets were not of the quality they use to be and it is getting more difficult to get good value. The tea and orange juise is always good and we didn't purchase anything!
The trip up the Bosphorus is a must especially on the TDI (IDO) ferry 17.50YTL pier three at 10:35. One can get off at Anadolu Kavagi to walk up the hill to the Byzantine fortress and to look into the Black Sea. The Mussels and Calamari at the fish restaurants are very good. Having done the tour I dont think it now requires us to sail up the crowded, choppy and dirty waterway just to be in the Black Sea.
Images of Istanbul

Current Cruise 7 - Sea of Marmara

The Marble sea: well it sure is not as flat as a piece of marble. We entered it via the Dardanelles and the wind and current were against us most of the way.
Sea of Marmara
We entered from the Asean side of the Dardanelles and started to sail again after motoring for two long days.
It was great. The sea was choppy but the wind direction did not make the sailing easy.
We deceided to skip the island of Avsa Adasi due to the lack of good places to stay and headed for Pasalimani Adasi.
The pilot notes that the western entrace should be negociated with care and someone on the bow because Rod Heikell put his boat on top a charted reef!
Entering the area we could see the shallows and the south cardinal mark but no dangers. The port mark was obvious but a lone black mark seemed in the wrong place until
I relised the cone on the top was a starboard mark so we soon changed course and entered a wide shallow bay lined with a few houses set in to hamlets Parsalimani and Harmanlis.
The former has a very stunted spire to the mosque. We anchoed in 9m to the west of the hamlet which turned out not to be such a great idea because
the swell enteres the bay, hits you on the beam. Not an uncoumfortable night but enough to make one move opposite the mosque the next day. We went ashore and found the bakery but no baker.
A young girl let us in and we purchased two great loaves. Hope they were not designated for one of the local families.
Marmara Adasi
We left Pasalimini the next day and shot down wind towards Port Marmara which has a narrow entrance and very little room. We anchored out next to a German boat who had returned from sailing round the world via Oz and SA. The town has a great feel about it. The harbour undertakes repairs to local vessels by dragging them up the hard on two sledges. We saw no mavna vessels just ferries, fishing boats and the odd local yacht. The Thursday market is good although small.
Saraylar
The marble quarries dominate the mountainside above the town and the bay has many empty freighters waiting to be loaded with large blocks of marble. We anchored in a bay NE of the town. It is sheltered but the swell rolls round the point and we had to put out a sterm anchor to settle the boat. The town is creating a swimming beach in the bay with a roped off area, a diving platfoem, shows and fresh water all fringed by a marble faced wall.
Images of the Sea of Marmara are at Marmara

Current Cruise 6 - Dardanelles & ANZAC Cove
After a hard days slog into the wind we stopped at Gokceada at about 1500 wherepon the wind dropped. We should have kept going and found an anchorage on the Turkish coast but we did not. We left the next day at 5:00 before it was light and motored into a light breeze towards the entrance to the Dardanelles. Give the SE Kumkale point a very wide berth because it is very shallow with a strong current flowing onto it.
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles is like a large deep river flowing from the Black and Marmara seas into the Mediterranean Sea. It has the classic shape of a meandering stream with the deep sides at the inside of the bends and the shallows at the outside of the bends. It can get very shallow in these wide bends so look out. The stream flows down the middle but there are many counter currents in the bays. Stay just outside the current line which you can see by the sea grass and rubbish. The recommended route north is to take the starboad or Asian side however if the wind is strong the local yachties seek the shelter of the European side which requires more vigilance, the pace is slower but the chop is less. We entered the Dardenelles with a local yacht who took the port side. We were ahead of him most of the way but as the wind rose and the chop increased we were under full power but only making 2 knots SOG and he arrived at Canakkale just ahead of us. We did not follow his advice the next day and struggled into the wind and waves on the starboard side. The wind was in excess of 20 knots most of the time.
Well we made the first days run into Canakkale Marina and put the bow to the wall. The 20mm mooring line was straining under the wind but we stayed away from the wall. We took a quick walk around the town which is dominated by the military with off duty conscrips aimlessly stroling around the town. It reminded me of my weekends in Walvis Bay in the 60's. We visited ANZAC House, a marketing location for Hassle Free Tours. We signed up for their half day tour of the Gallipoli peninsula. E60/p
Gallipoli Peninsula Tour
The tour is well organised with a very well spoken (english) and educated turkish guide. We took their ferry across the Dardanelles to a small hotel for lunch and then joined their bus from Istanbul on the tour of the northern battle fields. I met an ex ACTEW employee from Canberra at the hotel.
What can one say about the Gallipoli campaign, the organisation, the decisions, the people and the thousands who died there - one is left speachless. Having heard from people who have walked on the soil, through the trenches and up the hills and gullies I was surprised at how rugged the ravines and terrain actually is. I can understand how the two forces were able to be so close yet move men and supplies right up to the front line. For the British navy to think that they could blast their way up the waterways of the Daedanelles can only indicate that the First Lord of the Admiralty must have had whisky not salt water in his veins. Complete madness. It was a great tour and worth the time and money.
The day was a moving experience, thankfull that I am now too old to carry a weapon ever again.
The next day we set off at dawn before the wind rose and made a few miles before the full 20knots came right into our face. We were able at times to raise the staysail and get 20 degrees off the wind which did help but most of the time it was into the wind and chop. On the bends the stream gets quite strong and north of Lapseki the shipping lane is quite close to the shore. We had to take evasive action to get out of the way of a Turkish ship who wanted to cut the corner at full speed. On the first day we saw 31 ships and on the second more than 53 - all at close quarters, not dangerious if everything goes well. I was pleased to get into the relatively open waters of the Sea of Marmara.
Images of the Gallipoli Peninsula

Current Cruise 5- Ayvalik & Lesvos

We left Candarli with it's well restored Genoese Castle and save anchorage and sailed north into a northerly wind. By early morning it had got up to more than 20 knots with a short chop but the sailing was good. We tacked back and forth for most of the morning.
On the port beam was Lesvos while on the starboard was Turkey. As with a number of these large bays the wind can change direction and you can get a good lift but on the other hand in the corner of the bay the wind drops away altogether
and you are left with no wind with white horses not two chains away. In the end we switched on the engine and motored the last few miles through the islands and into the channel which is clearly marked with two south cardinals and three sets of channel marks.
It is reassuring when my waypoints which I set between the channel marks arrive on time and in the right place.
When in Ayvalik Limani known as "The lake" we turned south past the Marina towards Carnlik Koyu for a safe anchorage in a bay much larger than it appears in the pilot.
Ayvalik
The Carnlik Koyu bay is close by a major road which get quite busy in the early evening as the workers go home but the head of the bay
is next to the southern suburb of the town and is served by a municipal bus which turn off the main road into the back streets and return to the centre of the town. It is one YTL, pay as you enter into a large steel box which took two strong men to off load when we stopped en route to Ayvalik. In other parts of the world there would have been a highjacking but not in Turkey.
The town has some old greek style buildings and a distinct Greek feel because that community only left in 1923 when they were exchanged with the turks on Lesvos.
The Thursday market is the high point of the week when the out of towners come to set up stalls and purchase the goods from the stalls on either side of the narrow back streets.
It amazes me that people can buy all the goods - generally cheap and nasty. The tomatoes ranged in price from 1 YTL to 12.50 YTL a kg. What the difference is we could not establish. I purchased a range of tasty black olives which are quite unlike the greek Calamata olives having been processed in salt rather than brine.
While at anchor a Swiss vessel Octopus 1 anchored in the same bay so on returning from the market we stopped by to say Hello to Gerry & Brigitte. A delightful couple who accompanied us on Sunday up the adjacent hill Kucuk Koy to take in the view. We could see the full extent of the archipelago and the many anchorages. On the Monday we motored into the Setur Ayvalik Marina along side Bonito - Sandra & Merv. That evening we boarded the ferry for Lesvos on a visa run to update our 90 day Turkish visa. 100YTL per person return plus the E15 for the turkish visa - well it had to be done and this was the easiest route.
Lesvos
The ferry left at 1800 in the evening and passed out through the channel across the wide bay we had struggled up and into the Greek town of Mitilini. We arrived just after 2000 and raced to the the nearest supermarket to buy up big on wine and breakfast cereal.
The wine is always a hit and miss affair because you cant taste it and have to go on the Greek description on the label. We were able to fit 12 one and a half litre bottles in my bag with wheels which I could only drag but not lift. What is the legal Turkish limit on the duty free?
Immediatly we arrived at Mitilini we realised we were not in a Muslim country. The street were alive at 10 in the evening with families and people eating and drinking in the sidewalk cafe and restaurants. We stopped in at a little place to have some stewed beef and lamb with a half litre of red. Great meal.
Gerry and Brigitte had offered us their quater berth for the night having cleared out of Turkey on their way to the Greek Islands. They were tied up along side of the town wharf. It was great to rest our heads in a bunk rather than a park bench which was our other option. At six the following morning we sliped out and walked to the ferry dock to board the 8:30 ferry back to Ayvalik Turkey. Well who said a Greek ferry left on time if there was a large tour group to join you and they had not yet arrived. At about 10:30 after a good shoving scrum we passed through the immigration and was on the ferry to Turkey. On arrival the locals walk through the greek day trippers entrance and put their ID cards in a box and receive a ticket while the others have to wait for the visa offical to be summonsed. After the usual boarder delay we paid our money, reeceived our visa stamp and now we have another 90 days in Turkey - great.
I finish reinstalling Linus on my eeePC with a new distro having again lost the content by fiddeling without adequate knowledge. Hopefully this will be more stable and I learnt a lesson. Thank goodness for the backup.
We fill the tanks with water and headed out to anchor opposite the old town of Alibey. Late in the afternoon I saw in the distance a Halberg Rassie and a stars and stripes ensign. Could it be Meg my neighbours from Marmaris. With no answer on the VHF I jumped into the RIB and race after the dissapearing vessel. A supprised Susan greeted me from Meg
Susan and Bob had sailed more than 40 miles that day on their way north before entering Greece to sail west to the Greek Islands. We agreed to anchor in a nearby bay Kumru Koyu to catch up on the news. They arrived first and I came up along side and dropped the anchor they had given me. It took first time with a perfect set. We had them over for a roast chicken and potatoe dinner. A great evening. I hope we cross wakes again soon.
The following morning we set off north to Sivrice for an overnight stop on out way north. Look out for the reef off the beach - it comes up very quickly. Holding is good in the area but a very narrow area shallow enough to drop the anchor.
The following day we were off at dawn to round Baba Burnu where the wind rose to more than 25 knots all on the nose. A nasty chop so we set the furled genoa and tacked towards the Isalnd of Bozcaaada. We saw 14 ships in our vicinity all converging on the Dardanelles.
It is a nice harbour with helpfull people but not worth the 40YTL. The restored castle is worth a visit as is the local winery where you can purchase some over-priced wine which we did.
We left at dawn for the long slog up the Dardanelles.
Images of Ayvalik and Lesvos

Current Cruise 4 - Pergamon

We visited Pergamon while at anchor in Candarli - a very safe anchorage in a large bay with sand in shallow water.
Pergamon
This site was started in 399 BC and gained recognition under Alexander the Great. The Temple of Athena and the Library received wide recognition. It is larger than Priene andon a steeper hillside.
The library lays clain to be the largest in the world at the time. It grew it's collection to more tha 200,000 by borrowing volumes and not returning them. The Alexandria Libray did not like this rivalry and cut off the supply of papyrus.
The local went back to using parchment or pergamene made from animal skins. The sheets could be written on both side but could not be rolled up so they invented the current paged book which is easier to read. Like many libraries I hve known it was closed or down sized and Mark Anthony gave some volumes to Cleopatra as a wedding gift in 41 BC.
The Theatre is very impressiveoverlooking the valley however the Library had the best view and location. The Temple of Trajan has some good carvings but most of the best pieces have gone having been robbed by a german engineer Carl Humann who took the pieces to Berlin.
I found the site rather disappointing and difficult to get to at the top of a steep hill just out of town. Use at taxi but only pay E15.
Across town is the Asklepion in the middle of a miitary site. Again not very impressive especially the theatre which is
now used by the locals who have painted the row and seat numbers on the original marble blocks.
Images of Pergamum

Current Cruise 3 - Iassus, Didyma and Priene

Current Cruise 3 - Iassus, Didyma and Priene
We visited Iassus while at anchor in Asin Limani. The trip to Didyma we made from Altinkum and the day trip to Priene was made after Ephesus from Kusadasi. The images contain some text.

Images of Iassus

Images of Didyma


Images of Priene

Current Cruise 2 - Ephesus

While Malua was still on the hard I took a trip with some other cruisers to Ephesus, Hieropolis and Pamukkale. It very easy and great fun. On Malua's trip north we stopped at Kusadasi and then revisited Ephesus. Here are Denny and my notes.
We caught the minibus near the top of town and were dropped off at the road entrance into Ephesus which was just 150m up a small incline.
We spent more than four hour wandering around the site. The highlight was the villas under cover. Not only are they interesting but there are no crowds and it is cool.
The Library entrance dominates the area. It is imposing with the four statues of the then virtues between the columns. Not much is known about the library except it was burnt at one point so the scrolls were lost!
When we were finished with the site we went into the Selcuk Museum to see the finer pieces uncovered at the site. The famous statue of Artemis in three form is on display. Just around the corner is the Byzantine gateway into the Temple of St John - the same fellow who wrote Revelations on Patmos whose cave we saw on that island.
The next day we took at trip to Priene which we had seen against the mountainside when we sailed up the coast. It is huge with little restoration but the temple of Athena has some interesting interlocking stone slabs. The I gave my special speech at the well preserved bouleuterion -council chamber. Ther was only 1 of the possible 640 deligates present who as usual made some irrelivant objections - but that is normal! We returned to Sokok to get the bus back to Kusadasi after purchasing some fresh fish from a local merchant who cleaned and fillited it for us. Great taste and value.
Images of Ephesus

Current Cruise 1 - Marmaris to Kusadasi

Let go the lines - Malua is off on its 2008 expedition through the clear waters of the Turkish Coast. I am alone on the way north to collect Denny from Bodrum in a few days time. This will give me time to settle down and ensure that everything is shipshape and Bristol!

Malua soon fell into the cruising routine and things again worked like clockwork. While in Marmaris I had installed a remote anchor windlass switch at the steering console so I could raise and lower the new anchor without leaving the wheel. While alone this was a great help but will be redundant when Denny arrives.

The first days sail was only a short hop along the coast westwards to Bozuk Buku where I tested the anchor switch. During the night the wind changed direction and I had to beat a hasty retreat raising the anchor while moving Malua away from pending distaste at the hands of the every closing rocks. The new switch paid for itself on the first day out.

From there it was a short trip around the point across the strait south of Simi where we had cruised the previous season and north to the shelter of the coast west of Kos but on rounding Cape Krio the wind was behind me and I was making good progress so I set off for the Bodrum Coast and the bay of Godiva Korfezi. The wind decided to give Malua a test and before long it was on the nose with gusts well over 25 knots. Thankfully this did not last but the destination had to be changed so I did not need to tack to make the coast. I sailed into Cokertme and dropped the anchor well away from the recommended spot in the lee of the headland some distance off an American HR yacht.

The next day the wind changed and we both upped anchor and moved to the usual overnight spot in deep mud.

The short sail to Bodrum was again into the wind but on this occasion every light and I dropped anchor in the lee of the St Peters Castle which was built by the Knights of St John.

Denny arrived and we spent three night in the Bodrum Marina E49 a night. We soon left and anchored back in the bay.

Here are a few photos of Bodrum

Turkey Trip 0 2008

Malua was shipped from Australia to Palma in Majorca in Spain. From April 2007 to November 2007 we sailed eastwards

through the Mediterranean. Our adventure is chronicled in a

series of post on my blog. This web contains some observations, photos and parts of my log.

I arrived in Marmaris in mid April 2008. Malua was at home under the gum trees in Marmaris Marina when I arrived back in Turkey after the northern winter. The preparation prior to our leaving had paid off with no water ingress down below and no mould in the cupboards. The deck was covered in dust but I soon washed that off and set about running the halyards, sheets and lines. Ian from Remedy helped me replace the clevis pin on the forestay at the top of the mast and inspected the realignment of the engine shaft with the longer bolts. Hopefully this will be the last of these niggling problems left over from the days of construction at Cardiff.

Waiting to go in the water I took a tour to Ephesus, Hierapolis and the white limestones of Pamukkale with a group from the Marina. Great value and good fun.

Malua was launched late in the day after a long wait while the travellift crew made sufficient room between the refurbished power boat and the gum trees to get the travellift positioned over Malua to left her off the blocks. The compensation for being the last in the water at 7:30 at night was I got allocated a berth right next to the launch dock on G pontoon, only a stone's throw away from the shops and shower rooms. Here are some photos Launch

Malua felt much cleaner once she was in the water and I set about bending on the sails and inflating the rib. I was next to an American HR 42 with Bob and Susan. Very gracious neighbours who kindly gave me a 35kg Bugel anchor which is reputed to set quicker than any other here in the Med.

Wendy on Remedy had some dental work undertaken and recommended a fellow to put some caps on the two molars implants I had in my jaw. The fellow convinced me he had the experience and was about a third of the Oz procedure. It turned out the dentist had at least seen the type of implants and had the spanners to tighten the teeth. As is always the case in these situations something was lost in the translations and a vital part was not sent with the teeth so I had to wait a few days for it to arrive. The impressions taken, the teeth made and duly fitted in place with the help of a tiny torque wrench, some minor adjustments and I now have two new teeth to fill the caverns at the back of my mouth - all for about 1/3 of the Australian price.

Time had now passed and Denny had arrived in London and I was expected up the coast at Bodrum.

We are on our way north along the Turkish coast to Istanbul. Thereafter it is anyone's guess where the wind will take us - To Athens or back to Turkey.

The expidition has started

See my web page to get the detail at www.malua.com.au

when I get time I will update these pages.

Back in Marmaris

I arrived back in Marmaris to find Malua under a Gum tree where it had spent the winter. The cockpit cover had kept the leaves out while inside it was fresh with no water ingress or mould. I soon set about washing the dust off the boat and running the halyards and lines which I had removed. The topsides were polished and the damage to the keel sustained in Palma was epoxied. The anti fouling was still in good nick so I only applied some local mixture to the leading edges and rudder.

The day to go back into the water dawned and I was ready for the big lift. At two o clock the travel lift arrived only to find that it could not fit into the space between a huge motor cruiser which was undergoing a refit and the gum trees. After lots of talking and a bit of activity by the carpenters a path was cleared but the travel lift did not return until well after seven as the sun was setting. I was the last boat in the water that day. Fortunately the crew were ready to go home so they secured me in a berth very close to the facilities in a much sort after location.

Well Malua is back in the water, the engine is running and the shaft alignment that I had completed on the hard appears to be a great success. All it now need are some sails and a bit of wind and the expedition can begin.

Malua - Wintering in Marmaris Turkey

After a long expedition across the Mediterranean we finally arrived in Turkey and sailed to Marmaris to book our spot for the winter. After completing the paperwork plus all the entry formalities we set sail again to have some fun.

Richard – a school friend had joined us as we made our way towards Fethiye where we spent a few days. It was great to have a friend on board from the days when Richard and I use to mess around in boat near Cape Town. This time there were no fish or even crayfish but we made up for it at the local fish market where we purchased some prawns and had the local restaurant cook them for us. Too soon Richard left to return to work. We then sailed south east to wards Kekova Road. We encountered a bad storm while in the Cas harbour the night of the Rugby World Cup. The next day amidst the turmoil and wind we left the harbour for the safety of the open sea.

It was a tough sail to Kekova Road with the most confused sea I have ever sailed in but it was safe with no hard bits or boats to damage Malua. We dropped anchor in a bay and sat out two day of very heavy rain and moderate winds. When the sun came out we walked ashore and had a great time amongst the stone tombs of the area.

The sail back to Fethiye was against force 5 wind right on the nose. It was hard going and quite aginst my rule of not sailing on a schedule but we had to be back in Marmaris to haul the boat for the winter. Well one day I will learn.

We arrived back in Marmaris and set about washing the salt of the boat and preparing it for the lay-up. Having done that in Sydney only 10 months ago it was easy. I removed all the lines and halyards. Took off all the sails and packed then into the bags along with the other canvas work. The final steps were to wash down all the surfaces with a bleach to hopefully keep the mould away but fear not it will be there when we return in April 2008.

Greece

We have been sailing in Greece for more than a month. The western side was great with wonderful sailing and great land places to visit. I have now run in an Olympic stadium in Olympia the site of the original Olympic games.
We left that are - more later and sailed to the Greek islands. They told us about the wind - the meltemi. well can it blow all day every day at more than 20 kts. We got sick of anchoring in bay and not leaving mlua for fear of the anchor moving and finding ourselves on the rocks.
Well all that has gone and we are no in Amorgos having visited most of the Cycladese island. We are to move east and then check into Turkey for a month before returning to Greece to meet friends.
Updates will come when I can get a connection that works and I will update the web under the same conditions.

Sicily an Update

Sicily

The history of Sicily goes back to 1400BC when the first wave of people took a liking to this island strategicly placed in the centre of the trade routes from west to east. After the original tribes had established themselves they were overrun by the Greeks who where challenged by the Carthaginians but they were run out of town in 480BC and the influence of the Greek Magna Graecia took over and built some great temples on the island. The city of Syracusa on the east coast sided with the Romans and much of the Greek architecture was destroyed.

Rome's influence declined and the Arabs and then the Normans back from the crusades arrived. Roger had a great influence and built some magnificent churches with Jesus as the central theme. Cefalu and Monreale are the best examples. The latter rivals the best the Catholics could build in Rome.

The Mafia is said to have influenced the life of every Sicilian but for the cruiser one can only see the positive results of development.

Aeolian Islands

We left Tropea in Italy early in the morning to sail eastwards for the volcanic island of Strompoli. The wind was kind to us but as we neared the island it can straight on the nose so we had to motor onto the lee of the volcano which was giving off smoke and gas. It has the classic conical shape but unlike Mana in Vanuatu you are not able to climb to the craters edge. The island rises out of the depths and there is no place to anchor. We tried to anchor in 40m of water with lots of chain but as the wind came up and it grew dark the anchor pulled out. We picked up a mooring buoy. A yacht and a catamaran did the same, then spent almost an hour pulling stern to stern so that the crew could share their evening meal. What an effort.

At 4:00 we dropped the mooring and set sail anticlockwise round the island to see the red glow of the volcano as it released the pressure into its crater forming the famous "lighthouse of the Mediterranean". We did not see the glow only a dull grey cloud over the summit - in the dark and as the sun rose. Well you just cant trust these Italian navigation marks.

We then head south to the islands of Panarea, Salina and Lipardi on route for the safe anchorage on Vulcano. The scenery through these volcanic island with their weather and wind eroded rocks is very dramatic but one has to keep a sharp look outt for "above and below water rocks". We pulled into the crowded anchorage on the east of Volcano right in the wash area of the numerous ferries that stop here. Not a great place but relatively safe. On Sunday evening the charter and weekend boat left and the bay was left to the long term cruisers.

The volcano dominates this anchorage and small town supporting the many people who come here to climb to the top of the crater. On the edge of the bay there are hot springs and mud pools with the usual fat bodied tourist expecting some miraculous cure from coating themselves in the evil smelling ooze. At some points the sea water was hot as the water bubbled up from underground but you had to seek out the spot and the ferry wash soon disturbed the convections.

Italy an Update

Italian East Coast

After the dirt of Rome we were happy to set sail along the south eastern coast of Italy. We sailed south to the island of Ponza where the rich and famous come to place when they are not in Capri. The island has a wonderful harbour surrounded by high cliffs. You anchor in the shadow of the cliffs with the wind blowing way over the top. The water was so warm that Denny had a swim!

From here we sailed east towards the bay of Naples and stopped for the afternoon in a bay on the north side of Ischia where one of those touching experienced that make a cruise occurred. While cruising to the bay a small RIB came alongside. The two young lads started to talk to us in broken English asking about Malua and where we had come from. After a while they sped ahead and boarded a cruiser. Shortly they returned with a bottle of cold local wine saying we should enjoy Italy. They returned later, having been into the town with a fresh bag of Buffalo Mozzarella for us to enjoy with our wine. Such open generosity and kindness from a youngster will be a memory we will cherish.

The wind started to come up so we sailed to Cala di Corricella on the south of Procida. Did the wind blow. A large cat broke loose and drifted off into the distance which set the scene. For three days we stayed in the lee of the cliffs with 60meters of chain out. Only one of us would go ashore for short periods just incase Malua also lost its holding.

We were relieved to move on and set sail for Capri which we could see in the distance along with Mount Vesuvius. We had no intention of entering the marina in Capri because we had heard that the charges for our size boat are 150 euro or about $250 Aus per night. We motor sailed past the blue grotto and the rocks of Faraglioni before setting sail for Amalfi.

Amalfi is the home of the Knights of St John with their particular cross and the use of the fleur-de-lis as the mark for north on the charts and compass. They also wrote the first maritime code regarding trade at sea. What a great place. We stopped to get fuel and was greeted by a blond Italian who said he had married an Aussie girl in Bondi who was no an Italian mamma with a six month old bambino in an apartment up on the hill overlooking the marina. Would we use his marina or tie up along the public wharf? What a question? 55 euros a night later we had a great time along side the superyacht cruisers and sailing vessels all with crew. The company was great and the position secure plus we did not have to contend with the wash from the many ferries that came and went all day and night.

The town of Amalfi is perched on the hill side surrounding the harbour. the shops and church with its great doors made in Constantinople are built on the sides of the only valley for miles around. The town has a great feel with narrow streets, small doorways and dark alleys leading round in circles. On our first morning we set off up the valley and followed the roman built steps/road up the side of the hill. After about two hour of hard slog we came out on top of the mountain overlooking the harbour and town. What a great view.

The following day we took a local bus to Ravello perched 1155 ft above Amalfi. The town is famous for hosting writers such as D H Lawrence, Gore Vidal and even Greta Garbo but more recently holding a week of chamber music concerts in the gardens of the three large villas. We found the gardens not as well set out or maintained as the gardens of Bowral in the Southern highlands of NSW. We chose to walk down the mountain. A decision we regretted about two hours into the decent as our knees were about to collapse. That night the rain came down. Not just light European rain but heavy thunderstorm downpour. Malua got a good wash.

The coast further south to the Straits of Massina around the Gulf of Policastro has few places to stay. The only remarkable item are the watch towers that dominate the high ground all along the coast. Give Marina di Scario a miss because the mooring lines are not secure and we hit the wall with our stern.

We finally reached Tropea which is a new marina overlooked by the old town 196 steps above the waterfront. The old town has a lovely feel about it and as it was my birthday we dines out on two consecutive evenings enjoying the local seafood and wine.

We had been invited onboard an Australian yacht Time Out The owner is undoubtedly the rudest person I have encountered while sailing. He did his organization, his family and himself a great disservice not that it matters but he is a prominent person in Australian life. I hope are wakes never cross again.

From Tropea we set off for the Aeolian Islands of Stromboli and Volcano on route for Sicily.

Sicily

This little known island is the gem in the Med. It is full of history, stones and bones. The people are wonderful and generous while the sailing can be quite challenging.

Rome Update

Rome

What can one say about Rome that has not been said before. We moored Malua in the mouth of the Tiber at Fiumicino expecting to see the twins float by but all we saw was garbage. The river was so polluted you would have to get a shot if you fell in. The tap water stained the decks and turned a t shirt yellow.

The bus service into Rome rivalled the worst in the world except nobody paid which could be the problem. The Metro on the other hand was a pleasure to ride. We spent 14 days travelling into Rome every day concentrating on one section of the city. I loved the place but found the Romans approach to the tourist the worst we had encountered. My first and last transactions in Rome they attempted to rip me off by short-changing me, only to be settled in my best Ozzie Italian.

I would not return and would definitely not spend a lifetime understanding the place however there are some magical moments like looking at St Peters through a key hole and looking down onto the alter from the top of the dome in St Peters. The steps designed by M. Angelo in front of the chaotic museum Capitolino with the big foot and the horseman in bronze plus the Villa Borgese are also stand out places. Ostica Antica as a Roman ruin is the most extensive and best preserved and well worth the half day in the sun.

The traffic has to be seen to be believed but I must say they are the most courteous drivers I have ever seen.

Corsica Sardinia Update

Corsica

The sail to the Sardinia West coast was easy. This was Denny's first long passage where she would have to stand watch alone with only Harry on board. We had chosen a full moon which came up on the first night while Denny was on watch - she thought that it was a large ship appearing over the horizon. We carried the reacher for a full day with the wind abarft of the beam but then the wind dropped and we had to motor the last few miles round the north west cape into the Golfo dell Asinara. We had difficulty finding a place to anchor because of the marine reserves. The next day we set off for Bonifacio in Corsica.

I did not have any chart for this area and my chart plotter's charts ran out a few miles to the east. In preparation I had copied Google Earth map of the coast and the port and had the waypoints plus CMap charts on the computer but I had no depths or real detail. The Bonifacio Straits are very busy with shipping and are supposed to have a fearful reputation for severe weather. We traversed the straits in almost a flat calm and arrived at the port just as a ferry was exiting. The moorings were quite full but we were able to pull alongside a French yacht.

Bonifacio is where Nelson hid the English fleet after the battle of the Nile. Nelson though it was a great place but the French negotiated to keep Corsica. It has a lovely French feel to the town, shops and restaurants. We dined out here but were disappointed in the choice and quality of the food. Again the wine featured in our shopping list. The harbour is overlooked by a magnificent walled city and fort which we visited.

Sardinia

We set out with Dennis and Jo on Aurora who I had heard in the Pacific in the Port to Port Rally in 2004. It is a small world the sailing community.

We left them in the Fornelli passage and sailed to La Madealena to get a cruising permit only to realise that it was Sunday and everything was closed. This is the naval headquarters of the NATO task force and therefore dominated by the USA both on the water and in the slums of the town. Not a nice place to be.

We spent the night in a small bay then beat a hasty retreat out of the area towards supposedly the best sailing grounds in the world at Porto Cervo where the Aga Khan has built a very up market marina and resort. We went ashore to find the place deserted except for the shop girls in the exclusive boutiques lined up next to each other in the tastefully decorated mall.

The port is the most expensive in the Med. On race day it must be great if you are part of a sponsored team but for us anchoring out in the bay it is just ordinary.

On the 8 May we upped anchor and set sail across the Tyrrhenian Sea for Rome.

Balerics Update

Mallorca

After visiting the Watson Smith extended family in Wales and England we flew to Palma on Mallorca to wait the arrival of the Erasmusgracht. We checked into a out of town apartment where we could cook our food and unpack all the things we carried in our bags. We spent the week or so visiting the old city of Palma built by the Romans in the C4 but flourished under the moors eventually coming under the Spanish rule. The Gothic cathedral built in 1230 dominates the city and overlooks the waterfront. The harbour is filled with yachts and cruisers. They range in size from 40 feet to 100 meters. Just when you think that you have seen the largest along comes another which is larger. There is no room for the casual cruiser to moor so you have to find a spot and negotiate with the Mariner manager on the spot.

We off loaded Malua and found a spot at Marina Alboran which had a number of charter yachts which were coming and going so as one left we slipped in. The people were very helpful. It is located right on the main drag near a chandler where I was able to purchase a few odds and ends. The supermarket was up the road so Denny and I were, after a few trips with our wheeled suitcase able to restock the boat.

Note: when shipping from Australia stock you vessel with all the goods you require for your cruise right down to engine oil, cleaning agents and tins of food. Don't bother with taking tinned Italian tomatoes or Spanish olive oil. The customs don't care and the shipping company doesn't either. You may save some money but you will save a lot of time and have the brands you are familiar with. The same applies with yachting goodies although the chandlers in Palma have the range and depth of the best in the world. Docking warps are cheap.

While in Palma visit the Cathedral, Arab baths, the old city and the Museu de Mallorca with the statuette of the 4th c warrior in bronze which is just the greatest. The castle on the hill and the art gallery of Joan Miro are all must see visits as is the train ride inland to Soller with the Picasso pottery and pictures.

On 5 April 2007 we set sail from Palma and sailed along the coast to the bay where we had rented the apartment then eastwards to Palma Nova and onto the port of Andratx - the oldest harbour and marina in the area. We anchored out and took the bikes ashore in the RIB to ride up the valley to the old town. Bike paths where provided next to the highway but our experience was that the drivers were very careful and courteous to people on bicycles. After a days riding we sat on the waters edge in one of the many cafe and had a few cold ones before returning to Malua anchored a stones through away.

Note: I purchased a LED anchor light and fitted it at the mast head next to the VHF radio antenna. It puts out such bad radio interference that you have to switch off the radio. Either locate the LED in a different spot or get a different type - how do you test.

From the south west coast we sailed across the Bay of Palma and past the C Blanco to the very narrow inlet Cala Pi. What an experience. There is bareply enough room to turn you yacht when you get in but with the help of Tim on Lady H we were able to drop anchors fore and aft and secure Malua ahead of his vessel. The sides of the cala rise steep out of the water and give you protection from the wind but not the swell. Fortunately there was no swell and we had a great night however the following night when we repeated the process the swell came in at 2:00 am and we spent a very uncomfortable night being thrown around by the waves bouncing off the side of the cliff face only meters from us. We were relived to see the sun rise and leave the washing machine.

The east coast of Majorca has a number of wonderful bays - cala ranging in size from very small to quite large. They are less than a half days sail and the holding is always good. Some even have marinas. Our favorite is Porto Colom where we moored Med style along the harbour wall. It became obvious that a gangplank is required if you wish to step off your yacht on to the quay with any sort of dignity. Malua not having one I set about making one from a ladder I purchased and filling in the rungs with a long strip of marine ply found at the local ship builder. A low cost option which will double as a ladder when on the hard.

We Cala hopped north up the coast towards warmer weather because the wind was always cold and the nights required at least a jumper and a blanket on the bed. Puerto de Cala Ratjada is the furthest point north on the east coast. We pulled in along side the outer harbour wall. The town is clustered around the harbour which has a few fishing vessels, ferries and small boats. The next day we set off for Menorca.

Menorca

Our first open water sail. We set off with no wind and a clear horizon but as we crossed the channel a thick fog descended on us. The radar gave some comfort as the freighters passed ahead and astern of us. Then just as soon as it arrived it evaporated and we could see our destination in the high cliffs of Menorca.

Ciudadela has a very narrow entrance then opens out just wide enough for an inter island ferry to turn. Being early in the season we were able to secure a mooring berth right in front of the best restaurant on the water front along side Velshedia with Graham and Mary Pay from Dorset (new grandparents).

The city has a very Arab influence although in 1558 it was over run by the Turks. The old city was built with narrow streets, many of which lead to a dead end so you have to keep you wits about you. The market with a covered arcades is great. The shopping experience is out in the industrial area which we reached by bike. Here there are many factory outlets selling shoes and leather goods.

Menorca is exceptionally rich in megalithic structures built around 1500 BC. these are Taulas - T shaped stones, Navetas - boat shaped structures and Talayots buildings. We spent two wonderful days riding through the country side visiting these sites. One the oldest existing building.

Reluctantly we left Ciudadela and sailed clockwise to the north of the island to Fornells. Most people sail through the south. We continues round the island to the famous port of Moa or Mahon which was prized by Lord Nelson who though it would be the centre of the British Med fleet however the politicians decided that Malta would be the place and Mahon is now small commercial port visited by cruise liners, ships and the yachts passing east or west across the Med.

We moored stern to a floating pontoon on the northern part of the narrow bay. It was a great place to take the RIB to the shore and climb the steps up to the old town. From here we rode our bikes into the country side to see the Taulas and Talayots. The provisioning is good here either in the old town or out of town at the supermarket. I stocked up with a few bottles of Spanish wine which at 1 to 2 Euro a bottle is excellent value and very drinkable. Malua's waterline is down.

We were waiting for a weather window to sail the 220nm to Sardinia but the moon was full, the wind in the right direction so we set sail a 9:30 for the two night and three days crossing. A great sail eastwards.

Sailing in the Med

The internet access has not been good in Italy and Sicily but we are now in Greece and I have found an internet cafe so here goes.
We spent 14 days in Rome then sailed south down the coast. Amalfi was out of this world. We moored next to the super yachts and spend the days climbing the mountain. We then sailed south but the coast is not yacht friendy so after a week or so we sailed to Volcano north of Sicily. This is a huge volcano and a string of islands. We had some lovely sailing and days at anchor then sailed to the sicily mainland which turned out to be fascinating. Palermo and Montrial could blow the mind. After sailing anti clockwise round Sicily we did a three day passage to Greece. The sail was great with the reacher up to the whole day. At night the full moon was up so we could see the shipping as it passed.
We checked in at Pilos in Greece then sailed north to Olympia where Denny and I ran on the Olympic track. The site and museum is fascinating. we are now sailing east towards Athens then towards Turkey.
I will update when I get access and the time.
The boat is going well but there is very little wind so we spend quite some time with the motor.

No Internet Connection so no Story

We have sailed from Menora to Corcisa and then to Sardinia and am now in the mouth of the Tiber spending two weeks in Rome. The sailing has been great and the port along the way very interesting especially the very old civilisations. We crossed the sea and entred the Italian mainland to see Rome. We are moored in the mouth of the Tiber and take the train into the city each day. There are very internet access points so the story is short but will be updated in the next few weeks as we sail south.

Porto Colom

Dawn brought little wind and a smooth sea and we set sail for Cala Santanyi further north. Here we anchored alone in a inlet with a beach and tourist development around the hill tops. Again I set two anchors and adjusted the stern anchor to get the stern into an increasing swell entering the Cala. By nightfall the swell had risen and Malua was rock and rolling back and forth. It was not dangerous but sleep was impossible as Denny and I were tossed from side to side in our bunk. As the sun rose so did our anchor and we set sail for the calmer waters of a marina for a good sleep.

Porto Petro turned out to be rather small and full so we anchored in the bay and fell into a deep sleep. The following day we sailed north into a friendly marina at Porto Colom and berthed stern too at the marina wharf, surrounded by restaurants and overlooked by an old town with its white walled houses and red tiled roofs.

Cala Pi

The east beckoned and we up anchored at dawn to set sail across the southern part of Minorca to round the south eastern most cape of Point Salinas. While the sun was shining the wind was light and from the northeast so we tacked around the cape and northwards past the high desolate cliffs, destined for a secluded beautiful inlet called a Cala. These inlets may be large but frequently only a few boat lengths long with a width just sufficient to turn a vessel. One must anchor and then either drop a stern anchor or secure the vessel to the shore with a strong line. On entering Cala Pi we found another 40ft British yacht anchored at the head of the inlet but managed to turn at their bow where we dropped anchor. The skipper came over in his dinghy and offered to take out our stern anchor to restrict our swing. The water is crystal clear and one can see the bottom as well as your anchors securely embedded in the sand between the weed. We took the RIB ashore and scrambled along the cliff tops overlooking the Cala and Malua. As the sun set the wind dropped and the sea turned to glass and we slept the sleep of a contented traveller.

Riding the country side of Mallorca

After more than two weeks of grey skies and rain, the sun rose into a clear blue sky and with it so did our spirits. We were ready to explore the hinterland of the Port of Andraix and ride our bikes into the countryside and up into the mountains. We loaded our two mountain bikes into the nine foot RIB along with Denny, I and sustenance for the tour de Minorca. The bicycle paths in the area reflect the wealth of the local authority who must receive a substantial income from the tourist housing development. It was a pleasure to cycle on the red painted bicycle path up the valley towards the huge cathedral dominating the town of Andraix. On reaching the forecourt we found the building to be windowless and rather dull especially compared with the rose window of the Palma Cathedral. The town reflected the cathedral and we soon left to cycle towards the mountain range in the west. The bike paths soon ran out and we were left at the mercy of the narrow roads and the Spanish drivers who I must say give you a wide berth, so different to the Australian aggressive speedsters.

We crossed or rather pushed the bikes up a pass and descended into a sleepy little town set in a valley. The ochre coloured houses with their red tiled roofs were set round the town square with a church housing a marble statue brought by the Trappist monks in the 18^th century. The French bread, local cheese and tomatoes put the push back into the peddles and we crossed the mountains for a speedy down hill glide back to the port. Like many of the locals we took up a position in one of the many restaurants overlooking the bay and enjoyed a chilled beer to watch the sun set into the sea.

Malua in Balearics

Palma de Mallorca has been the crossroads of the western Mediterranean since man sailed the seas. We visited the Museu de Mallorca and saw pots and tools dating back before 1000 BC. Also in the museum are a few bronze statuettes of warrior from the 4 century BC along side Arab, moor and Christian relicts. The town of Palma is dominated by the Cathedral built in the 15 century on top of an Arab mosque. The sun sines through the giant rose window right into the main building. The exterior is of local sand stone with high pinnacles which were added during the 19 C along with Antoni Gaudi’s iron work and canopy over the main alter. Quite extraordinary. Adjacent to the Cathedral is the old town with its narrow streets, three story buildings and beautiful doors and windows. We strolled through this old quarter taking pictures and taking in the atmosphere. Further uptown there are shops and boutiques to satisfy the massive tourist demand. The number of people on the street has increased dramatically since we arrived before Easter. It must be very crowded in the summer.

After unloading Malua we moored in a marina overlooked by the Cathedral and set about getting her ship shape and Bristol. Not an easy task as the crane which loaded and off loaded Malua dropped small pieces of rust on to the deck and topside. These have now rusted and left brown marks. When the weather improves I will set about removing the rust and shining the topsides but till them we have some sailing to do.

We left Palma and sailed south west along the coast. This part of the Balearics is very developed with German and British tourist, even this early in the season crowding the sidewalks. Unfortunately the weather has been cold and wet since we arrived in Palma so the sun has not brought them out onto the beaches.

Our first anchorage was at Las Illetas – a small bay behind three islands. It is close enough for the day trippers to come from Palme when it is crowded but in the evening we had it to ourselves. The following day we sailed south into a cove dominated by three large square holes in the rock face. The pilot indicate these are Phoenician tombs cut out of the rock. They are large and deep 40 *40m into the cliff face and defiantly carved from the sandstone. I am not convinced that the final size was created by the Phoenicians but they are impressive and makes one wonder who came this way back in the mist of time.

Further westwards we stopped at Puerto de Santa Ponsa which must be the most beautiful marina in the world. The entrance is narrow but it opens out into a 522 berth marina surrounded by overlooking hills and cliffs. The facilities are great right up to a travel lift at the far end of the valley. We chose not to enter but anchor out for two nights. It rained day and night the entire time we spent in the anchorage. We had to move just to stay sane and sailed/motored into the port of Andraitx. This is a fishing and yacht harbour. The fishing boat are similar to those in Ulladulla but more closed deck to protect the crew from the bitterly cold wind. The crew look the same the world over.

We anchored just outside the harbour in a quit spot with good holding so we were able to go ashore and explore but that story will have to wait.

Malua has arrived in the MED

On Thursday before Easter the Erasmusgracht docked in Palma - the sailing capital of the wetern Med. There were ten yachts on the deck along with 65 containers full of onions destine for Tesco in the UK. After some raised voices the British load master was able to direct the local Spanish stevedors how to rig the slings to lift the yachts off the ship. There were some tense moments when the two cranes lifted the 65 ton Oyster off the deck and attempted to move it over the side. They did not move in harmony and one of the slings started to move forward. The owner just stood and looked with wide eyes as it slowly moved over the side in to the water.
By the time they were ready to lift Malua it was well into siesta time so they thought they could place the slings over the impeller through hull..... think again mate this Aussie was having noting of that. They moved the slings and started again. Compared to the other lift it was easy and we were in the water and steaming towards the marina in down town Palma.
This is such a yachting centre. Just when you think you have seen the largest yacht along comes another which eclipses it by 10 or more meters! They are just huge.
I started the task of getting the yacht ready to put to sea. All the halyards and lines had to be run again. It was a task but eased by the thin line I had left when they were removed. The water tanks have been filled, the fuel full and the batteries fully charged.
We set off to provision the food from the local supermarket. We filled two supermarket rollies and rolled them down the streets of Palma on the way to the Marina which in on the waterfont at the edge of the city overlooked by the great cathedral.
In a day or two Malua will be ship shape and Bristol and we will be able to go to sea. Oh for the wind in the sails and the motion of the sea under our keel.

Watson Smith Cousins

Being an only child I have not enjoyed the company of an extended family. It did not help that my father left England and settled in South Africa. I then added a few miles and migrated to Australia. Out of the blue and letter landed on my doorstep....Are you Harry the son of Harry who was the son of Harry. Yes but actually it was Henry in place of Harry. Well this opened up a Pandora's box of relatives I knew about on the family tree but had never met. On Sunday about 42 descendants of the Watson Smiths arrived to say Hi. Was I blown away. I have captured some photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/harryws20
The gathering was great. Thanks Jan and Ian for organising the party.

Stop in Journey to Med

We arrived in London on our way to the Med. It was exiting to do all the sights especially to visit Greenwich where I stood with one foot either side of the prime meridian. It was only two years ago I sailed across the 180 degree date line from west to east near Fiji and now I stand again with one foot in each hemisphere. I was also able to set my watch to the exact GMT.
The weather was cold with snow in the air but it cleared to give us three beautiful days. We visited the art galleries (Portrait, national and Tate) and some of the museums. It was also a great thrill to have dinner with my old school friend of 45 years Richard and his wife.
From London we travelled to Worcester to visit family- Jan and Mike.

Malua on Erasmusgracht

The picture shows Malua on Erasmusgracht at S 18°42' W 115°48' I received an email from Captain Westerdijk who has changed the position of the yachts to optimise the deck space. The Australian stevadores could learn a few things from the experts.

Malua Progress Across Pacific

After loading Malua on the Erasmusgracht I could turn my mind to organising my trip in the Med. General advise is move on to your boat before you set sail so you can tie up all the loose ends. Well sending the yacht away and still living in you home is the next best thing except that when you find all the things you forgot to load on to the boat. You soon realise that the 20kg baggage weight limit on the aircraft to the Med will be blown away by the large admiralty pattern storm anchor you found behind the garage door! Thank goodness I have three other types of anchors on Malua.

The photo is the plot of Malua crossing the Pacific thanks to the Erasmusgracht Master recording it on the ship tracking site. http://sailwx.info/shiptrack/ I will continue to follow the vessel right into Palma and may even use it for Malua.

Planning a trip before embarking on it is a novel experience for me. I have in the past set off and taken each turn as they came along. No specific planning, just go with the flow and what looked good at the time. Fun, exciting and you meet the unexpected but what did I miss? With the help of the Internet, Google earth, cruising guides and friends this current planning session is a great experience - almost as good as the actual trip.

At this stage I have redirected mail, purchased insurance, cancelled subscriptions and deliveries, serviced cars, redirected mail, set in motion end of financial year actions and cleaned up all those loose ends I never quite got round to do. Unfortunately it reminds me of what my father did before he moved from this earth.

We leave Oz on 19 March bound for London – Greenwich, museums and the other sights. Then off to see the extended family I knew I had but have never met. What an experience. Fly into Palma to meet Malua on the 27 March and then off on the cruise of the Med.

On Board Securing Malua

On board the ship the Master organised the securing of Malua. The cradle was welded to the ship and eight straps used to tie down the yacht to the ship. I re-connected the back stay, removed the genoa halyard and used the main halyard as a backstay. The anchor was placed in the locker, the fenders put away and the lockers masked up to keep the water out. I then closed all the through-hulls, turned off the power and closed the companionway for the last time. The loading and securing was complete. I could relax.

We waited around to watch the other yachts being loaded. There was a 40 ft racing machine, a Swan 45 and finally a 83ft Oyster called Darling. While being long it was also heavy at 65 tonnes. The ship required two cranes to lift it on to the deck. As it was raised out of the water the ship listed to starboard under the weight. Slowly the yacht was lowered onto the deck and secured.

The Erasmusgracht will complete the loading on Friday and leave on Saturday for Tauranga in New Zealand then on through the Panama to Palma de Mallorca in Spain arriving some time towards the end of March.

The next chapter of the adventure will then begin.

Loading Malua on Erasmusgracht

Steaming towards the Erasmusgracht secured along side Darling harbour in the dawn light I realised we had finally arrived at the end of the Australian chapter of the Malua story. It was so exciting. The next time I would be sailing Malua it would be in Europe on the Mediterranean and that would be only 40 days away!

We arrived alongside to find a 43ft yacht already on the vessel and the stevedores struggling to load a power boat. They did not have the correct loading equipment and it appeared as if they did not have the experience with loading vessels from out of the water on to a ship.

The Australian water front has been plagued with industrial and demarcation issues. Only certain groups of union staff are permitted to do designated tasks. This was evident today. The Master of the Erasmusgracht and the load master from Sevenstar had to hold their tongues as the P&O crew struggled to load the powerboat. We stayed alongside the ship waiting our turn to be lifted out of the water.

The mast of Malua and the temporary backstays appeared to pose a problem for the stevedores. They asked me to remove the backstays but I refused and suggested that the current lifting rig should be change to a more suitable arrangement for yachts. There was a long delay but after more than an hour the correct lifting rig appeared attached to the ships cranes I was relieved. The stevedore crew came aboard and with the help of the divers and my marks on the hull we soon had the slings in the correct place. The crane slowly lifted Malua out of the water as we tested the weight distribution and how secure the rig was. It was time to leave Malua as they hosted it up over the side of the ship. The fourth time Malua has flown from the end of a crane’s slings (in and out of my yard in Canberra during the fit-out phase of building).

Last Days in Sydney

Denny arrived from Canberra to assist with the final preparations and the loading. We had anchored next to the Sydney Fish Market which provided us with the wonderful Australian ocean produce. I wonder if we will again see the quality and range of fish and shell fish available any where else in the world. We feasted on fish (red snapper), oysters and prawns over three days as we prepared the boat.

Last minute purchase where made: Tilley hat for Denny, scanpans, digital camera, Asian sources and additional cloaths suitable for the marinas of the Med.

Preparation for Departure

The final touches have been completed, now all that was required was to stow some equipment and remove the halyards, sheets and lines from the vessel. I understand the outside of Malua will be covered in oil and grime after the ocean transportation especially with the passage through the Panama Canal. The halyards were removed and in their place I ran a light line so they could be pulled back into their original locations. It is amazing the length of line one has on a yacht when you stack then on the deck. Most of these lines have not been removed before and now require a good wash which I will do before re-running them when Malua reaches Palma.

I changed the oil and filters on the engine, filled the diesel tank and pumped the bilges completely dry. The hatches and cockpit lockers were taped closed and the RIB and outboard stowed.

To load Malua on to the ship I will have to remove the back stays and place temporary lines to hold the mast up during the crane lift. This is always a tricky business because Malua has two heavy roller furlers forward of the mast. The side stays are abeam of the mast and any movement will push the mast forward. This happened to me on Alibi when I was on the hardstand. The crane touched the mast which fell forward, crashing over the side and bent the stantions. Thankfully on that occasion nothing major broke and the mast was not damaged but I would not like that to happen to Malua’s taller mast.

The news arrived that the Erasmusgracht was due into Sydney harbour on Thursday evening and we would be loading at 7:30 on Friday morning.

Over the Bar

The day to load Malua on the vessel was set for the later part of February but some how it came forward. Unfortunately the tide and water over the bar did not make a similar adjustment. The last high water at the bar that I could cross with safety was on 6^th February thereafter I would have to wait more than ten days. This did not coincide with the loading date in Sydney of 13^th February. I had to complete all the preparation tasks and cross the bar on the high tide on Saturday 5^th February. This took no account of the weather for the trip to Sydney. I have always said I would not sail on a timetable but when the weather was suitable. Two days before the shipping company advised that the loading date had been brought forward to the Thursday 7^th February – not much time to reach Sydney and a schedule.

Stephan joined me for the sail to Sydney and the weather forecast turned out favourable. We crossed the Batemans Bay bar on Saturday morning and headed out to sea with a forecast of southerly wind to push us to Sydney.

The wind did not come through as predicted so we spend some time motor sailing towards Jarvis Bay where we anchored for the night. We had a great pre-prepared meal and a restful sleep after the excitement and pressure of the departure.

At dawn the follow morning we set sail and the southerly rose to a convenient 10 knots. We raised the spinnaker with its new snuffer and sat back in the sun to enjoy the run north to Sydney. We arrived just as the sun set and anchored inside the north head in Quarantine Bay.

Monday saw us motor under the Sydney harbour bridge and into Blackwattle Bay next to the fish market. I then settled down to prepare Malua for its departure and wait for the instructions to load.

The Final Touches

A yacht is never finished. That can be taken a bit too far and I am guilty of that. When Malua was launched there were still many little wood working tasks to be completed. The vessel was seaworthy and the systems worked but the final finishing touches still had to be completed. Over the past month I have tackled these by installed the fiddles around the bench tops, fitted doors to almost all cupboards, panels to the bulkhead and cover strips where needed. The final few days in the marina in Batemans Bay was spent in a frantic rush to pull all these together.

New cockpit cushion covers were delivered, the dodger had new canvas attachments and the sunscreens around the bimini had to be adjusted for the new dodger.

Two days before I was due to sail the final touches where finished. Denny came on board with the storage containers filled with all the odds and ends one needs on a vessel when you are far from home. The storage spaces were cleaned and the junk accumulated during the Pacific cruise was removed or just thrown away. The containers were stowed and everything put in its place – ship shape and Bristol!

Near Tragedy Averted with Malua Aground

We were preparing Malua to sail out to sea to rendezvous with the Sydney to Hobart yachts as they sailed south past Batemans Bay. We crossed the bar on high water and secured the vessel to my mooring off Square Head in Batemans Bay. We left Malua that evening in light winds and a moderate swell.

At 4:00am on Wednesday 27 January 2006 Nicola, Iain and I left our house and headed off to launch the Rib to travel out to Malua on the mooring. In the darkness as we traveled over the bar Malua was not on its mooring. We could see at a distance the white of her hull in the surf of the Square Head rocky shoreline. My heart sank as I saw the waves crash over the bow of the vessel as it rode the swell on its side. It was hard aground on the sand meters from the rocks.

We came along side and scrambled aboard, it was listing to starboard at an alarming angle. I quickly radioed a “Mayday” asking for assistance. It was 5:00am and the tide was going out. Terry and Zena on Sivershot answered immediately and said they would steam to our assistance. The Coastal Patrol offered to send a crew. The Water Police contacted me but said they would not come to my assistance preferring to help the glamour boys of the Sydney to Hobart yachts!

Iain in the RIB took the main anchor out about 15 meters but could not pull it further as the waves were breaking over the RIB. We then ran a strong line out to Sivershot to attempt to pull the vessel off the sand.

With every wave we moved inches forward as the anchor strained and Sivershot pulled. We had turned the bow directly into the waves and they now washed down either side of the vessel.

The Coastal Patrol RIB arrived and took my second anchor some 50 meters off the starboard bow to prevent it being washed towards the rocks not more than 10 meters from Malua. Their efforts to pull the mast head over to reduce the draft had little effect with the falling tide.

At approximately 7:00am I called off the rescue effort as the tide was almost at it lowest point. The RIB returned to base but Silvershot maintained the pull on the vessel ensuring that it would not turn towards the rocks. I kept the strain on both the anchors from the windlass and the two main winches in the cockpit. All the lines remained taught at all times. The relay on the anchor winch was not keeping up with the load and tripped out on many occasions. During the wait for the high tide I rewired an extra large relay into the circuit to solve this problem. It helps to know your vessel and how to address problems.

Denny arrived along the shore to capture the near disaster on film. I was so glad to talk with her.

All we had to do was wait and prepare the vessel for the high tide and to drag it off the sand. The hatches remained water tight and no water had entered the vessel. A cupboard had come open and the contents were on the floor. One of my tool boxes had come adrift and gouged its way across the sole. Further than that everything below remained secure in its place.

Malua was now well over on its side with water up to the starboard gunnels and the vessel resting on its side, keel and rudder. The sand gradually washed away from the keel and made an indent in the sand. A potential hazard later in the operation. Thankfully Malua lay on sand with the rocks a mere 10 meters from the vessel but none directly in contact with the hull. I climbed off Malua and walked around to inspect for damage but everything was intact. I also survey the area for potential rocky outcrops and the route to the deepest water.

At about 10:30 the tide started to rise. The swell continue to march at Malua who started to rise to each wave, unfortunately as the bow rose the rudder started to bang into the sand. This went on endlessly as the tide rose. A sickening noise down below.

The Coastal Patrol contacted me to say they were waiting for the tide to rise so they could cross the bar. I confirmed the rescue plan with Mick Kelly who had received permission from the Eden Police to assist in the rescue. A major change from the previous policy of not assisting stranded vessels. My volunteer time spent on the crew of the BB Coastal Patrol has paid dividends. Thanks guys.

At 11:30 we had dragged Malua more than 5 meters from the low tide position. The tide was rising fast to reach its highest point at 14:15 – almost a meter higher than the low water mark.

The cavalry arrived in the form of the Coastal Patrol Waveney Type Lifeboat. Iain in our RIB retrieved their tow rope and I secured it to the bow cleat of Malua. The RIB Rescue started to pull the mast head line to reduce the draft.

The power was applied to Malua’s engine and those of the other vessels. The lines stretched to breaking point and Malua moved slowly forward. We moved out of the hole around the keel and the vessel lay over on its starboard side as another set of swells lifted the boat. Slowly we moved towards deeper water, then Malua was free under its own power.

The lifeboat retrieved its towrope and the Rib Rescue recovered its line to the mast head. Silvershot let loose my lines and I pulled in both anchors.

The rescue was successful and an environmental disaster averted thanks to all involved. I motored Malua back to it berth in the marina. The only damage appears to be the end of the keel and the bottom of the rudder.

Fitting Front Window

The final steps in completing the dodger are now in place. I have built a frame to hold the Lexan in place when I secure it to the dodger. Because it is bent this frame will have to stay until the silica is dry and the Lexan is held firm. I have placed rubber spacers in the window frame so the silica will not be pressed out by the frame. Within a few days the hard dodger will be complete. All I need now is to give it a final polish and fit the hand rails

Side window in place

The dodger is fitted and securely bolted down to the deck. It looks great and fits perfectly. I will put a wooden cover strip over the bolt heads to make it look finished.

The side windows went in without much of a hitch although it was a lot of work. The front window will be the challenge with the curvature. I will embarked on that today.

Final Stages of Dodger

The final stage of the dodger is in sight. I am concentrating on the inside to make it look less rough. I filled in the spaces with foam and used a bit of micro cells to smooth off the inside. It has turned out rather well with a smooth surface. I flow coated the inside and sprayed it but unfortunately ran out of the Almond Ivory used on Malua.

Vince told me last week that his Lexus Lexan Mate did not have the dark grey Lexan. I had suspected this for some time which confirmed that I should have walked away from Newcastle on the first morning as I wanted to do. Hindsight is wonderful!

I have now sourced the polycarbonate and will fit the dodger down at the coast.

Hard Dodger Fitting

Yesterday I started to fit the hard dodger onto Malua. It was quite a challenge because the wind was blowing and it was cold. The wind reached almost 30 knots directly from the Antarctic. I had to keep it tied down and move it carefully when I needed to cut the bottom to fit the boat. It took much longer then I expected but in the end the fit was very good indeed.

I started to form a glassfiber lip on the inside of the dodger which will be used to secure the dodger to the vessel. Today I will add more layers and start the create a lip on the front outside. This will be removable and secured by bolts. The solution to the opening for the halyard on either side still has to be solved.

When the fitting is complete I will remove the dodger and take it to Canberra to complete the inside and spray it with the cream flowcoat.

Additional Battery Bank

I finally added the additional battery bank which is 4 six volt Sonnenschein SB6 200 amp-hour under the aft cabin bunk. It fitted well and I was able to secure then with little effort. Then begun the task of rewiring Malua to divide the electronics from the motor based equipment. It was obvious that I had to isolate the chart plotter from the other components. After 18 hours of sailing with the autohelm the draw on the current fell below the chart plotters cut-off voltage and it would cut out.

To overcome this I split the electronics on one battery bank and the motor based equipment (winches, windlass and autohelm) connected to the second battery bank. There is still the starter battery. To achieve this I had to install a second four position heavy duty switch (Off, 1, 2 both). This then had to be wired and the other wires re-routed to suit the new layout. I created the attached wiring diagram well before tackling the job. It was easy to follow and everything fell into place. I also uncover an anomaly that had challenged me since I completed the original wring. The power no goes off then the negative is switched off.

The test will come with a overnight sail with the autohelm working away but with 1,000 amp hour I am sure there is enough capacity. The gen-set will have to work hard to keep the capacity up but with a 150 amp alternator and a smart regulator it will find it easy. The two solar panel are able to put in 8 amps of current which will ensure it is always topped up.

Glassing the Plug

Yesterday, the hottest day of the spring we decided to fibreglass the plug. Vince's yacht is in his factory and the deck is right under the roof so the temperature was right up there like an oven. As a result the fibreglass went off well before time and we struggled to get it wetted out. In fact it was a debacle. The plug was covered with different thicknesses of glass, some of which were well covered in resin while the others were still dry. Thank goodness it is only a mould.

I designed the windows on the plug then set about cutting the wood to form the frames in the female mould. These will be screwed to the inside of the mould.

Vince will remove the female mould from the plug and buff the edges to form the final mould. I will then return to Newcastle to lay-up my dodger before he does the same for his dodger.

Fitting dodger plug

I took the dodger plug to Newcastle to fit it to Vince's Adams 40 which is still under construction. This gave me a change to check the measurements and to see it in situ. I think it will look good although there is still a long way to go so there is still a down side risk.
Collected the sails from Noth loft after having a snuffer fitted to the big spinaker. They repaired some wear and tear on the working sails. I am still very pleased with the choice of North sails - the value, quality and service.