The Wanderings of Chinook of Canada: RECENT UPDATES; present position & latest doings...

AUGUST 2011

2011-08-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

This blog details our wanderings to Jordan north up the Gulf of Aqaba and, what may be of interest to some readers, the trucking of Chinook across Saudi Arabia to the UAE as an alternative to the Red Sea route to Asia.

APRIL 16, 2011: Resuming our journey up the Gulf of Aqaba from the previous blog post, the next six days were spent on a mooring ball off the Club Med at Marsa Hamira. Dive boats and tripper boats came and went - usually between the hours of ten and two. We shared a mooring with one particular tripper boat several times and they gave us a lunch of fish, salad, fries and coke!

On the 22nd April we sailed back to Taba Heights to fill with water and check out of Egypt. Customs and immigration procedures was quick and courteous the next morning and we had Jordan in sight only 15 miles to the north.

A slight bit of drama with the Israeli Navy kept us on our toes - and wishing our navigation charts were more detailed. We crossed a mere half-nautical mile into their waters and in a flash the vhf radio cackled a firm request, a warning backed up within five minutes with a swift navy gunboat, bristling with armed personnel. Turning south to exit, then east and north again we called the Jordan authorities for instructions.

Checking in with customs and immigration was quick and easy, although the coast guard inspection the next day (along with the $100 fee) was lengthy and meticulous. We were one fire extinguisher short of passing and would not be allowed to leave unless we purchased another and updated our flares.Brian had not yet obtained his operator's card (licence to sail), but as we were not sailing away, the coast guard could not prevent us from leaving...

JORDAN: Jordan is landlocked apart from a small coastal strip adjoining Saudi Arabia and Israel. With little scope for sailing, all the boats in the Royal Yacht Club were power apart from a derelict French sailing yacht and the youth learn to sail program dinghys. Several day trippers operated from the marina. The club, in the large personage of Capt. Mahmoud is small, friendly, has a pool and restaurant and is a short walk from Aqaba's city centre. Berthing costs are very reasonable. A much-used boulevard along the sea front adjoins the marina - good for our biking and jogging as well as strolling activities. A small market area is nearby also with fresh produce, meat and fish and two large modern supermarkets are a taxi or bike ride away. Jordan is more westernized than most middle-eastern countries, and its tourist destinations make it an easy country to be in. English is spoken everywhere. It seemed that the downturn in tourism to middle eastern countries had also affected Jordan as it was not overly busy with tourists during our stay.

Our planned inland trips were to the capital, Amman, Petra's Valley of the Kings and the Dead Sea. Travel by bus is inexpensive and cheaper hotels can be found easily. The Valley of the Kings is awesome - we spent two days wandering around there.

It was a taxi ride from Amman to the Dead Sea and we found, as millions of others have, it is impossible to sink. Happily we floated for a short while in the hot sun, then visited the beautiful new ecological museum on the hills overlooking the sea. Interesting point: the Dead Sea water level is lowering by one metre annually. Plans to "save" it from evaporating completely include pipelining water from the Red Sea across the Sinai.

THE TRUCKING OF CHINOOK: After wintering in Egypt, we had fully in tended to continue our trip south down the Red Sea, around the Horn of Africa and across the Indian Ocean to India and South East Asia in February of 2011. However, the dramatic increase in the number of "incidences" in the Gulf of Aden made us seriously reconsider. Five small sailing yachts were captured by Somali pirates and the sad killing of the American crew of Quest swayed us. But we did not want to go back to tne Mediterranean and retrace our wake across the Atlantic to Canada. We would rather continue our east-bound “almost-circumnavigation“.

The high cost of shipping by ocean freighter was, for us, prohibited. We received quotations of $20 000 USD to $35 000 from five shipping companies - the lowest not even including a support cradle, loading/unloading and insurance.

It was “Fang”, a Japanese cruiser moored next to us in Hurghada Marina over the winter months, who planted the seed in our thoughts for trucking, as they had looked into this option - although later discarding it. It would involve hiring a trucking company to freight our yacht across Saudi Arabia from Aqaba, Jordan, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a distance of about 1500 kilometres. We had our previous yacht trucked in Canada - a short distance by an experienced and specialized trucking company and trucking yachts is common in North America. As we found out, not so in the Middle East.

After many internet searches and many long phone calls we found NABRESCO in Jordan, a company that looked promising. Raed Naber, the operations manager and 32 year-old grandson of the company's founder, was confident he could do the job. NABRESCO hauls heavy equipment around the middle east and had transported two power yachts before, but never a keeled sailing yacht. We could not find a company in the middle east which had.

NABRESCO's first-quoted price at first sounded excellent - a mere fraction of tne cost of ocean freighting. However, a support cradle had to be fabricated, the loading and unloading (and mast unstepping /stepping), customs and border fees, agents fees (an Arabic-speaking agent who handled such transactions on behalf of NABRESCO), insurance, our flights and hotels (as we could not accompany Chinook) and yes, some baksheesh, all began to escalate the costs.

Everything included, our costs finalized at around $11 000 USD. We could have cut $1000 or more off the final bill, but lessons are always learned the first time around.

As we had planned to do some inland touring in Jordan (the Red Sea and Petra) we went to the capital, Amman, to meet with Raed at NABRESCO to discuss the operation, and in particular the building of the support cradle on the flat bed trailer. We were highly impressed with the trucking company and the meeting we had with Raed and another manager gave us the confidence to go ahead with our plans.

The Royal Jordanian Yacht Club organized the mast unstepping with a local crane firm. This was done a week ahead of the trucking date (and in-water) to give us time to strip the mast of its rigging etc. We very closely supervised as the company had never unstepped a mast before.

Removing Chinook's cruising equipment was a formidable task. The solar panels, radar, wind-vane steering, barbeque, bimini and dodger structure, wind generator, anchors, booms, outboard engine, all had to be taken off and stored inside. We knew intrusive inspections would be made in Saudi Arabia and the UAE for alcohol, cigarettes, firearms, drugs, and pictures of women "unsuitably" clothed (that is, showing any skin), and had to arrange as best we could for customs officials’ access to the many storage nooks and crannies - and the bilges. A photo of the inside would never do justice to the amount of "stuff" stacked up on the settees and floor.

As Chinook was being lifted onto the flat bed it was found that the yacht club's travel lift could not lift her high enough, so NABRESCO called in a local crane company they knew to complete that job - cheaper than the yacht club (whom we had to pay anyway). The truck left after dark following 12-hours of loading and securing. The customs exit procedures had been done the previous day, thankfully, as that took several hours with the agent down at the shipping offices.

Two days later we flew to Dubai and spent time in hotels and sightseeing while waiting for herself to arrive. We went up the world's highest building and wandered dazed in the world's largest shopping mall in an unreal city. Dubai is pure glitz with little substance apart from the oil it is built on. Oil to run the electric generators which run the water distilling plants and air conditioners and concrete mixers. Sand is free. It was the beginning of the hot, hot, hot season and the high humidity. We purchased an air-conditioner for the boat but it had trouble keeping up, so we went back to a hotel.

Chinook would take a week to get to the UAE and another 3 days to clear customs due to the inexperience and inefficiency of the agent who made some costly avoidable errors. We posted a bond of the value of the import duty of Chinook - redeemable on exiting the country within 45 days. The plan then was altered slightly to sail to Oman and then back to a smaller northern Emirate, Ras Al Kaimah, where the tax time-restriction did not apply. During the inspection in Saudi Arabia, the hull was scanned and when the encapsulated steel counterweight in the keel was revealed, questions were raised and answers sought by drilling holes! $100 baksheesh helped the explanation that nothing was hidden (and averted the hole drilling) - all made by long-distance phone calls between the driver, NABRESCO and Brian.

When Chinook was finally released to us in Dubai, the mast was stepped and splashed at the Yachtmaster Boat Yard which is professionally run by Australian David Nunn. Located at the entrance to the Dubai Creek Marina, we visited that Marina and met, by chance, Sir Peter Blake's cousin's son, Phil, a pleasant Kiwi and the operations manager.

Clearing Chinook's insides as much as to allow us to motor, we took her eight miles to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club where we were invited as guests and could put Chinook back together again. In the heat and humidity! Club commodore Keith Mutch was very accommodating and we felt very much at home. Puns not really intended. The members were very friendly, interested in what we were doing, and we spent many happy hours during happy hours.

As an aside, a few days before we were due to leave Jordan, we received an email from Phil, an airline pilot in Dubai, saying he had found our blogs and was interested in purchasing a sailing yacht of our design - or similar. "And where was Chinook now? Where will you go after the Med? " We replied, "Funny you should ask. On her way to Dubai!" Which generated many more emails, a friendship and the berth at the DOSC. Very coincidental and indicative of the kinds of out-of-the-blue happenings which make this way of life so interesting.

As mentioned above, to recover our bond, Brian sailed Chinook (singlehandedly) to the Omani port of Khasab in the Musandam Peninsula . Deborah could not go due to passport issues. A passort visa and cruising permit had to be arranged ahead of time (in Dubai). It was a four-day trip of 160 n.miles and is usually sailed with light northerlies. The spinnaker was used for several hours giving Chinook a racing speed of seven knots before it was found just too exciting. Checking in and out of Oman was done with the help of friendly local police driving Brian to the offices in town, three kilometers distant from the port. It was difficult to explain why he wanted to check in and then leave right away. “You come with and empty ship and you leave with no cargo?” was the question from the portmaster.

The trip back to Ras Al Kaimah in the stronger-than-forecast head winds was not so easy. Motoring into choppy seas was tiresome and finding a protected anchorage to spend the night was difficult along that coast. The check-in to RAK was easy and fast. Then the final 25 miles to the Royal Yacht Club of RAK was made before sunset. . Debby had a nearby hotel arranged and it was the sleep of the dead for one tired sailor that night.

The friendly Royal Yacht Club is a good place to leave a boat for a longer period of time, as we must do. However, the berthing fees are the most expensive we have encountered since we left Canada for a long-term stay - with the exception of Seville (where we stayed only two months). We only had a few days to prepare Chinook for closing up, but managed to scramble and leave with the plane tickets we had changed once already.

The whole "process" of trucking was all-consuming: planning, emailing and phoning, dealing with officials, as well as being physically demanding along with some anxiety. We almost packed it in at one point, and talked about selling Chinook again. In the end however, all thoroughly worthwhile and rewarding in ways we would not have thought about. We are able to continue our journey avoiding "Pirate Alley" and in October will return to "herself", wait for the southwest monsoon to cease, the northwest lighter and fairer winds to begin and sail the coast of India to S.E. Asia. More about that in the next blog.

HURGHADA AND THE RED SEA

2011-04-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

HURGHADA, EGYPT

Photo: a town along the banks of the NIle. Quite typical (from the bus)

We spent from December 21 until March 16 in the new Hurghada Marina in a bustling tourist resort area. White Russian was the main flavour of the town itself with some added beet-red Brits scattered among the native Egyptians. The local fish market was just outside the marina entrance as were the local “workshops” - welding, upholstery, small engine repair, and general hardware shops. Two large modern supermarkets were each a 15 minute walk away but hole-in-the-wall bakeries, fresh vegetable stalls and several butchers with fly covered beef and lamb carcasses hanging in the street were close by. Marina security was excellent, the showers needed a coat of paint but hot water was always there. We went to the fish market often as the prices were excellent for locally-caught fresh fish and shrimp and got to know the local market vendors by name.

In early January Deborah flew to the Turks and Caicos in the Bahamas to join her mother and sister and her sister’s family. As a bonus her son Andy and his girlfriend Kirsten also went. She flew back via Canada, extending her trip and getting a feel for the cold again.

Brian’s younger son, Paul came to Egypt for ten days; Cairo to see the sights with Brian, back to Chinook for a few days and then to Luxor (together). Paul packed quite a bit of sightseeing in during that short time - he may not remember all of it but his chafed bottom will never forget the camel ride at the pyramids. 20 minutes was quite enough.

Our time in Egypt was very memorable because of the “Peaceful Revolution” in January. We were to be “inside spectators” and for a time did not venture outside the marina boundaries which had high security. Most of the protesting and violence was centred in Cairo and Alexandria - Hurghada was relatively quiet. Local people here seemed to favour Mubarak until after his ousting when they said they supported the political changes. This seeming turnabout may simply have been that they did not want the tourist industry here (their livelihood) damaged by the revolution's bad press. And Egypt’s tourist industry suffered badly in the two months after the revolution - Hurghada in particular. Russians were not allowed to book flights here for months after.

In February when things were settling down we set off to see more of Egypt’s historical sites taking buses and trains to Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel. In many places, we were the only tourists at the sites and the only people in the hotels. All tourist sites were open except for museums. Brian had been to Luxor with Paul in early January but wanted to go again and, in a selfish sense, it was very special to see the sites with no crush of tourists.

Ramses 11 Temple Abu Simbel at sunrise

The shaft of sunlight penetrating the inner chamber

Most spectacular was to be inside the Temple of Ramses 2 in Abu Simbel at sunrise (06:22 ) on February 19 when, for the past 3500 years, the first rays of sun on the days around this date have illuminated three of the four statues in the temple’s inner sanctum. Amon-Ra, Horakhte-Ra and Ramses himself (who thought he should have been a god and planned this as his birthday and coronation celebrations). The fourth god, Ptah was the god of the underworld and kept in perpetual darkness. This phenomena only happens twice a year (November 21 and October 21 - and we were the only witnesses this time. Normally there are hundreds of tourists - probably blocking the rays.

Locals only traveled on the trains and buses - no tourist buses or "convoys" and we were given royal welcomes wherever we were. As we have said previously, Egyptian people and Muslims we have met in the middle eastern countries have always been kind, helpful, friendly and welcoming. We have never felt uncomfortable or threatened at any time.

Boat jobs: few boat jobs needed to be done in Hurghada as we had spent much time (and money) in Turkey refitting Chinook for the longer sailing journeys ahead - knowing the places we intended stopping may not have the resources - and Hurghada was very limited in resources. Although it has several marinas in the area the local chandlers cater to fishing boats, power yachts and local day-trippers - not sailing yachts. The quality of workmanship left much to be desired although we had some small welding jobs done as the prices were right.

Socializing: there were very few yachties living aboard for the winter and for most of the time we were amidst three French boats. Their limited English made for short conversations and although Deborah made friendly overtures using her French, we were excluded from their social clique. A Japanese sailboat, "Fang" was next to us. They have sailed most of the major oceans of the world over the past three years and with captain Takeo and younger crew members Huruna and Deucy planned to freight "Fang" back to Japan rather than venture further south in the Red Sea and through the pirate infested southern Indian Ocean. We met Gil again on Swiss-flagged Jacare) whom we had first met in Port Said and briefly an English and another Swiss yacht. Swede Per and Dutch Elly on Sybaris loved to eat at a particular fish restaurant and we joined them four times!

Sal Hashish Reef south of Hurghada

Late in March we met up again with Aussies Roger and Sasha on Ednbal whom we had met in Ismalia and we sailed together in the area, having sundowners and evening meals together in anchorages.

Sailing in the area: This area of the Red Sea is one of the windiest of the Red Sea. Daily averaging over 20 knots from the north with very few “downticks” makes sailing anywhere but southwards a chore. Every two weeks a light southerly wind occurs, but only for a day or two.

After leaving Hurghada Marina we first tied up on a mooring ball on a reef a mile off the town. Diving, snorkelling and fishing is a huge tourist industry and mooring balls are placed to protect the coral for anyone to use. Our first sail of the season was 15 miles south to Sal Hashish, a coral reef five miles offshore. Many of the reefs in this area enclose and protect the anchorage from waves generated by the strong winds. Dive boats and day-trippers with snorkellers stop for an hour or two at these reefs.

From Sal Hashish to barren Giftun Island, where it blew so hard for two days we could not get off the boat. Giftun Island to an anchorage south of Hurghada for several days, then back to the marina to re-provision, wash down and fill with water.

20 n.miles to barren Shaker Island for two nights then 8 n.miles to Endeavour harbour on barren Tawilla Island for four nights and 50 n.miles to barren Tiran Island off the Sinai Peninsula They are ALL barren with sand and perhaps some scraggly saltbush. At Tawilla we were able to walk and see the osprey nests, blown-in plastic bottles and oil “goop” from the nearby offshore oil rigs which coated the windward shoreline.

Then north up the Gulf of Aqaba along the Sinai Peninsula's east coast, stopping at Dahab, Nuweiba, and Taba Heights as well as several small anchorages in between. A small fishing boat approached us near Dahab offering us fresh fish for cigarettes and coka-cola. A deal! The fish was delicious on the BBQ that night. The mountains along the coast - particularly the Saudi Arabian shores are spectacular. High, rugged, bare rock and sand. The coast road runs along parts of it and there are many tourist resorts in various stages of construction on the coast.

Police visit via paddleboat, Nuweiba

When anchored off towns the local police always come to the boat to ask for copies of boat documents, passports and our Egyptian cruising permit - never in a uniform and often with commandeered fishing boats. In Nuweiba it was a very singular event when the constabulary arrived in a bright yellow paddle boat powered, over the 300 metres, by two local lads.

Pre-Pharoh necropoli, Sinai Desert

The White Canyon, Sinai Desert

While in Dahab we took two road trips: the first in a 4X4 through a desolate Sinai mountain region to hike through two "canyons", a stop at an oasis for a Bedouin meal (flat bread baked in front of us with flour the goats had been licking, a vegetable stew and a salad) Returning we stopped at a necropoli site of 20 ancient circular stone tombs that the origin of is long lost to antiquity - probably "pre-pharoh". The second trip was to the base of Mount Sinai where the 7th century Greek-Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine is situated. This monastery was granted "privileges” by a charter of the Prophet Mohamed during the rise of Islam and has been protected and maintained for centuries by the Christian monks in this Muslim country. Deborah climbed Sinai later in the afternoon to watch the sunset at the summit (with other tourists). Wind-chilled, she arrived back at Chinook at 9 p.m., where Brian enjoyed a "quiet, warm time" and saw the same sunset with a chilled gin and tonic.

St. Catherines Monastery Mt. Sinai

We were very disappointed initially to find the Taba Heights Marina to be in the same stage of construction as the 2002 guide book describes. Very small and very expensive for short stays ($10 USD per night but a one-time “admin” fee of $44), no toilets or showers, - however, on the “guest dock”, where we were sandwiched between two ferries, water and electricity was available. We were very lucky to have the Taba Heights public relations officer for hotels and the marina, Katie, an ex-pat. Brit, take us first to the only supermarket in the whole complex area (catering to staff and with very limited supplies) and then to the Intercontinental Hotel where we were able to purchase fresh food (for very reasonable prices) from their “hotel stores” - meaning the food they buy for cooking for their guests. It was super of Katie to do that - over and above the call of. There is no “town” in Taba Heights as tourists come on “all-inclusive” packages, but there is a shopping mall with shuttle buses between hotels. We were also given free passes to use the spa area, including pool, hot tubs and gym of the Intercontinental by a friendly supervisor, Kareem . By the end of our stay we were very happy to have stopped in there.

Our cruising permit expires at the end of the month so we will leave Egyptian waters in the north of the Gulf of Aqaba to Jordan. Chinook will be trucked overland through Saudi Arabia to Dubai in the United Arab Emerites. This is to avoid the infamous “Pirate Alley” in the Gulf of Oman and South Indian Ocean. Sailing the west coast of India in the North-East Monsoon in 2012 (January - April will be “pirate-free” . In the meantime, to avoid the extreme summer heat of the UAE we will leave “herself” alone there and fly to Canada to spend a cooler summer. But, more on that in the next blog.

Tea time in the Sinai Desert

At the Karnak Temple, Luxor.
Where are all the tourists?

Brian and Per safe in the arms
of the Thursday night belly dancer

The bowsprit adorrned
- Hurghada Marina

Summer 2010 Egypt: the Suez to Hurghada

2010-12-27T02:15:00.000-08:00

Dodging ships and oil platforms in the Suez Canal

LEBANON TO EGYPT

The passage from Lebanon - 240 n.miles took us a total of 50 hours. We had great following winds and sailed all but 25 miles - and that was because making our way in the wee dark hours of the morning on the approach to Port Said (Sa’ Id) through oil rigs and capped wells was a bit daunting.

Entering the channel to Port Said itself we were obliged to take on a “pilot” to guide us in. He began asking for baksheesh the moment he came aboard - we had expected that - so were able to cope with him. The pilots we were to have later for the trip down the canal were gentlemen by comparison.

The Port “club”was very dirty and the wash from the ferries, pilot boats and large freighters was quite unnerving, setting up a constant surge and fore and aft bounce. We had double lines to the dock, the stern anchor we initially set dragged, so we reset with the main anchor stern-to with help from the crews of yachts beside us. We did not venture near the men-only toilets or showers!

The city of Port Said was also very dirty - garbage littered the streets (few overflowing containers), rubble and flies. We visited our “agent” (Felix Shipping Agency) who was to arrange our “formalities“: passport visas, Canal Authority transit procedures (tonnage measurement and pilots) as well as our stay at the “club”

The trip down the canal went well all 90 n. miles taking us a total of 20 hours (in two legs) with our “pilots”, Moses and Sayed - quite nice guys. Moses phoned his wife and daughter and Debby had a short chat to them and he taught us the pronunciation of the basic Arabic numbers. Sayed was the devout one and left the cockpit to pray on the foredeck three times - at noon, 3 p.m. and sunset. Neither asked for baksheesh, but it is understood that they were to receive some - and we gave gladly.

Photos: our "pilots" Moses (above) and Sayed

We had to wait to complete the transit halfway down the canal in the oasis town of Ismailia because of weather. An extensive low pressure system covering the whole of the Eastern Med. hung around north of us for a week creating very strong south winds (and wanting to sail southwards after exiting at Port Suez we took the better place to wait) The canal was actually closed for the first time in 20 years! It was also quite chilly (down to 18 C). The desert winds covered Chinook with a layer of fine red dusty sand - inside and out!

While staying at Ismailia we took a bus to Cairo and spent 3 days plodding around the pyramids, commiserating with the mummies in the museum, slinking around souqs and nodding at the Nile. All great fun! The Canadian Hostel was our bed and breakfast place - cheap enough ($30 USD/night) although we did get what we paid for. The advantage was that it was right downtown near the Metro (subway), the National Museum was across the road and the bus station a 10 EL ($2 ) taxi ride.

Cairo is interesting. The traffic is sheer madness - no rules apart from one: whoever is in front has the right of way, so of course it is always a race to get in front! For a driver to stop for a pedestrian is simply not done, so crossing roads we stuck beside locals and weaved our way across with them.

The pyramids at Giza (a Cairo suburb) are really awesome. We went deep inside the ‘Great Pyramid” to the burial chamber along a steep, dimly-lit narrow passageway. Not good if you have claustrophobia. Fewer tourists this time of year made the Giza area even better although the touts had fewer to tout to, meaning we were frequently hassled to buy trashy souvenirs and camel rides.

Photo: the fish market in Ismailia

We have found the Egyptian people to be very, very friendly in spite of what you often hear. Backsheesh is still a way of life - but if you look on it as a form of tipping and build it into overall costs it is not too bad. Which leads us to mention Karkar, the friendly marina assistant at Port Suez Yacht Club. The young man who said he wanted nothing from us but asked for t-shirts, caps, a recommendation and of course a small donation for his 5-year-old son!

THE RED SEA PASSAGE TO HURGHADA

The 200 n.miles to reach Hurghada we planned to do in one passage. We were not to receive our cruising permit until Hurghada and therefore could not go into ports along the way - although anchoring was permitted (if we were prepared to put up with the hassling by coastguard and police patrols. It was getting closer to Christmas and we wanted to be settled. Motoring out of Port Suez for two hours (where were those forecasted north winds we had waited for?) we were soon able to sail under foresail for a few hours. As the wind grew stronger we reduced sail more and more until by midnight we were running under bare poles in force 6 (near gale) winds Surfing down the waves at 8 knots (Brian saw 10.5 knots on the GPS when sliding down a particularly big one) made the auto pilot “give up” so it was hand-steering for much of the time.

We were sailing just outside the shipping lanes but having to keep a good lookout for the dozens of freighters approaching from behind. Moving through the four offshore oil fields was not as bad as we expected as the platforms are well lit. Chinook performed well - we always feel safe as she handles strong weather well in spite of us. Brian’s seasickness, of course, returned.

Over the two days we made great time until we turned west, beating hard to reach Hurghada; it took us over six hours to cover the remaining 20 miles, still blowing 35 knots under our tiny storm tri-sail and motor!

Photo: a bridge over the canal

Chinook entered Hurghada Marina (large and modern), almost 48 hours to the minute after leaving Port Suez with a tired, wet, cold crew. We think sometimes we are getting too old physically for this stuff, but then we forget the rough times quickly (not sure which is worse…)

The next round of formalities were effected by our agent (Felix) - customs clearance, visa extensions, a cruising permit - with doses of baksheesh helping. It is virtually impossible to accomplish formalities on ones own without spending a tremendous amount of time and hurdling the language barrier.

Christmas! We did not even think about it - being in a Muslim country, warm weather, very few signs of Santas in the stores, no Xmas music anywhere, no smells of turkeys roasting... We enjoyed a nice fish dinner at a local restaurant on Christmas Day and phoned our families.

Brian and Deborah

Summer Cruising 2010 Turkey to Lebanon

2010-12-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

At the Crac des Cheveliers, Hama, Syria

This blog describes six weeks of our sailing adventure from leaving Turkey to Cyprus, then to Syria and on to Lebanon.

CYPRUS:

We left the fishing harbour of Aydincik on the south coast of Turkey at 6:00 a.m. on the 10th October for the 50 n.mile sail across to Girne (Kyrenia) on the northern coast of Cyprus - the Turkish half of the island; in Turkish “ Kuzey Kibris.

Photo: the old harbour at Girne

Arriving late afternoon and tying up at the Delta Yacht Club in the commercial harbour was not without drama: the pontoons were protruding out at a level lower than the tarmac and with sun in our eyes and the strong following wind we managed to plough into them - no damage done, luckily. The new harbour/marina is scheduled to open late in 2011 and is some 2 miles east of the town. Delta is subject to ferry traffic and a few large Turkish freighters but there was little roughing up from this traffic.

The town was a 35 minute walk away until we discovered the "shortcut" which did cut 15 minutes off it (joggable in ten, Brian boasts). Getting orientated, finding internet access, local markets and supermarkets, cultural events and visiting the old port with its Lemesos medieval castle were our immediate priorities. Although late in the season, it was still very, very warm, and on this island, very dusty, so wearing shorts and t-shirts was still the order.

The most recent “troubles” in Cyprus were in the 1970's but in 2008 the UN buffer zone was dismantled so the border between the "Republic" - Greek side of the island is now very relaxed and many people cross freely, daily. No visa or stamp is required on entering the Republic, but an entry and exit stamp for Turkish Cyprus is.

Fortunate to find a jazz recital by a quintet at the 12 th century Bellapais Abbey in the nearby mountain village of the same name, we took a taxi (no buses) and enjoyed after a delicious fish dinner in the 'Tree of Idleness” restaurant after exploring the village and abbey. We sat under the 200 year-old tree and watched gawking tourists rather than the 1950's village life described in Durrell's book "Bitter Lemons of Cyprus".

Coming across a tandem-paragliding outfit, “Highline”, Kiwi-run - Oscar (a Cypriot with NZ-wife Angela) and Dean (a Kiwi) were the pilots we decided to do a flight as the location was excellent. Debby did very well after she finally opened her eyes and Brian went back for a second flight a week later. We ran off the edge of the 1500 metre high mountain range and "flew" for 20 minutes, touching down gently in a field below.

We finally found a clinic to get inoculations for typhoid in the Greek Cypriot side of the city of Nicosia at the old (a.k.a. decrepid/dirty) hospital. A total of 45 euros each for the doctor (who had to issue a prescription), the pharmacy (buying the serum) and inoculation itself. It was well worth it given the places we intended going to - and we simply could not get that immunization in Turkey.

Wanting to see more of the island we found that several day-trips by bus were the best way for us - very cheap transportation. Then a three-day trip to several cities in the republic. From Farmogusta in the east to Pafos at the western end, Lemasos in the south and other villages in-between we stayed at small hotels "with character", ate a local restaurants and traipsed around hot, dusty towns with ruins. Memorable were the citadel at Famagusta, Roman ruins at Pafos and nearby Hellenistic-era rock-cut tombs for the rich (and dead).

Two weeks was not really enough, but it was time to move on as the season was too. Diesel fuel was obtained at the marina and jerry-jugged back to Chinook, an oil and filter change completed, our marina fees paid, checking out procedures completed and the next morning we set sail for Lattakia in Syria.

SYRIA:
The passage to Syria was our first "overnighter" for more than two years - total of 30 hours over a distance of 125 n.miles. With some light winds to fill our new gennaker (performing marvellously) after leaving Girne, we made four knots for eight hours until the wind died completely forcing us to motor the rest of the journey. The shipping traffic was light and with our new AIS VHF ("smart radio" - Automatic Identification System) identification of ships' position, distance from us, direction, speed and closest closing distance made a much more relaxing night passage for us. Better than radar!

Contacting "Lattakia Radio" at Sierra Charlie - the 12-mile reporting point for ships inbound to Syria - we received our instructions and clearance and proceeded to the harbour/marina. Weaving between fishing boats in a very shallow, goopey-muddy bottom (as we found out when leaving) we tied up along-side with the assistance of the marina manager, Ammar, extremely helpful and courteous.

The next day we rowed a stern anchor out and positioned Chinook bows-to with springs and double lines for the forecast high winds (which did arrive). A yacht we had just met in Cyprus had been struck by lightning here a week earlier and fried all their electronic equipment. Of course that made us a little apprehensive of late summer storms. Packing our oven with as much electronic equipment as it would hold, was another precaution we took as ovens can act as a “Faraday Box“ excluding “jumps“ in static electricity.

Perilous taxis in and around the city were cheap ($1) and the Syrian people were very, very friendly. "You are welcome here" was said dozens of times a day along with "Can I help you". We never felt threatened in any way whatsoever. English was not uncommonly spoken in the city.

Photos: the ruins of Palmyra (sorry Deb)

It is not permitted to cruise the Syrian coast, so leaving Chinook in the marina under the care of the day staff and the night-watchman we first took the train to Aleppo, where the attractions were the souqs, the citadel and the old Christian quarter. Great lamb dinners at the "ShishKabab" restaurant around the corner from the small hotel. Aleppo’s cuisine is unique within Syria.

A bus trip to the city of Hama to visit the amazing Crac (castle) des Chevaliers (the last bastion of the Crusaders) and the nearby St. George Monastery (hung with many dragon slaying relics). Then another two-hour bus trip to the desert town of Palmyra where extensive and well preserved 1st century Roman ruins are protected as a World Heritage Site. A concert of traditional music and dance was performed by a visiting group from Qatar on our second night in the reconstructed theatre. The Qatar Prince himself attended with us also.

As luck would have it, the finals of the Syrian Camel Races were to be held the last day we were in Palmyra; after a short taxi ride we were among the few spectators at this amazing event cheering on Clydes and Bonnies. Each racing camel had a radio-controlled jockey strapped on its hump - the owners whipping their flagging steeds faster with a push of the button from their cars following in an outer track. Betting was not visible but we are certain it went on privately.

Then to Damascus (again by bus) for 2 nights and three days of exploring the fascinating old section of the city; its souqs, the Umayad Mosque (one of the holiest places in the world for Muslims, the Christian Quarter, old Damascus houses, eating local food as well as buying fruit at markets and dodging the crazy traffic.

During the usual Syrian breakfast of tea, rolls, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and olives we met some young Kiwis. One of them, Sina from Whangarei had cruised around the world on her parents’ yacht with them for 10 years. She and her mother rescued her father when he went overboard in rough weather.

Photo: Belly dancers fashion

We flew Syrian Air back to Lattakia (one hour flight /$25 USD) and prepared Chinook to leave for Lebanon two days later.

Initially we had decided not to visit Syria. However we are very glad we had our minds changed by other cruisers we met, as the amazing history, culture and art, together with the kindness of the people make it a “not-to-be-missed” country.

LEBANON

Photo: The marina at Jounieh from the cable car height (1500m)

The 100 n.mile overnight passage to Lebanon, (again with little time actually under sail) was peaceful with little shipping. On leaving Syria we were instructed to sail 12 miles directly off shore before turning south. At about 6:00 a.m. we had to contact the Lebanese navy 12 miles from the port of Jounieh, to which we were headed - again for permission to enter Lebanese waters. At eight in the morning a Lebanese Navy Patrol boat approached us at high speed, we were questioned at length (this after having given all our information previously at the 12-mile checkpoint, Oscar-Charlie. At this point we had wind and were sailing well but were asked to "stop" while the patrol boat took photos and questioned us. We are still unsure whether they knew that “stopping” a sailing boat involves time: heading into wind, dropping all the sails and turning on the engine to keep into wind, especially in a lumpy sea. Young men in power boats…

Tying up in the marina at 1400, checking in with customs, port authorities and marina staff took another hour, leading us to an early night (as we do after tiring overnight sails). The marina was also part of the Lebanese Auto Touring Club with swimming pools, tennis courts, a gymnasium, a nice jogging area and we were able to take advantage of some of those facilities.

Photo: The monument to the Lebonese Struggle

There is a real presence of the army in the town - a large base next to the marina, a tank with armed guards outside the marina, soldiers everywhere in the town. The assassination in 2006 of the prime minister (Hariri) - just recently attributed to the Hesbollah movement - keeps Lebanon on its toes. Although Muslim but with a larger percentage of Christians, there is a seemingly much more open and relaxed atmosphere toward dress and alcohol. English is quite commonly spoken.

Although the Lebanese coast can be cruised to a limited degree (but with many hoops to jump through) it is such a small country that we took day bus trips to Tripoli, the capital city Beirut and the ancient Phoenician town of Byblos, a world heritage site - the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the world (7000 years) - also attributed as the place where the modern alphabet was "invented". Visiting the Beirut city centre we saw the amazing reconstruction after the Israeli bombing in1982; traffic is excluded from this military-guarded area and part of the colonial French legacy are the many cafes and patisseries - yum!

Chinook's brightwork (woodwork for ye landlubbers) was in need of touching up after a hot sunny summer so Deborah got out the varnish and brushes. Brian purchased reasonably-priced prescription glasses in the town to view her work.

After two weeks in Lebanon it was time to make the trip to Egypt where we will spend the winter (Hughada in the Red Sea). Good winds arrived after waiting several more days and after topping up with cheap diesel fuel (80 cents/litre), butane cooking gas and water we left Jounieh at 0900 on November 27 bound for Port Said, 250 n.miles due south. Egypt, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea will be the subject of the next blog.

Brian and Deborah

Photos below: Waiting for buses, the mosque in Damascus, fast food for Deborah, head-scarf fashion, camels a-racing!

Summer Cruising 2010 - Starts and Stutters

2010-09-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

Summer Cruising 2010 - Starts and Stutters

Above : Map of proposed summer sailing - some completed, some yet to go...

It has been sometime since the last blog was written - Ye Faithful Readers will recall last
November! We escaped the northern winter with a (flying) trip to New Zealand (via Canada briefly) returning to Chinook in the spring where we had left her in Marmaris, Turkey in the marina's boatyard, "on the hard", awaiting the extensive refits we had begun before leaving.

The NZ trip will not be detailed in this blog as it is dedicated to the sailing aspects (again, for the faithful). We did have a great time there, of course, again, as in previous visits, buying an older van to trip around in, camping (mostly) and staying with friends and family. We spent Christmas in Canada before going and stopped in British Columbia and Ontario on our return to Turkey in April to see our sons (and their families).

NO PLAY BEFORE THE WORK IS DONE... . And plenty of work there was to be done too

Picture: Chinook's mast being unsteppedby the Doyle Sails crew.

When Chinook was hauled in December, her mast was also unstepped and laid beside her for inspection (for rot - wooden masts being prone to that scourge), sanding, painting, rewiring and receiving her new rigging lines. Her hull was scraped of all the old antifouling paint so that blisters could be addressed, applications of new barrier coats and antifouling and a testy through-hull fitting was replaced.
A cockpit cover was made from Sunbrella to keep out rain, the dirt and dust of the boatyard. The windows of the dodger were replaced - after 6 years the sun had hazed the plastic.

The battery banks were replaced with Optima AGM batteries (two 90Ah house and two 55Ah starting/windlass batteries) and the new solar panels (two 110 watt Solara - new generation) placed on brackets that allow them to orientate fore-aft and beam-beam.

And finally in December, before leaving her alone for the winter, the watermaker and electric windlass were put into place, neither plumbed nor wired as yet. The autopilot ("Coursemaster 80" with a hydraulic ram) was to be left for installation in spring. (Our Volvo-Penta engine was lifted out for a thorough overhaul in mid-May).

Picture: the Katadyn 80E Watermaker

NO REST IN THE WORK YARD

With so much to be done on Chinook the working days became long and tiring as the days grew hotter. The ladder we had to climb seemed to grow longer each week and by midday the heat inside the boat was quite unbearable. We managed to finish as the real Turkish summer heat hit and envied other yachties who were in the water - and those who had left on their summer cruising. Early morning and late afternoons were the obvious times to work. The engine was refitted four days before the splash date of June 14, the mast restepped two days before going in.

Pictures above: Mehmet and his gang install our overhauled engine

In the meantime, our life-raft was serviced, a new spinnaker/drifter crafted by Doyle Sails in Istanbul, the auto helm installed, and the steering quadrant was "beefed up" with stronger fittings and new cables.

To ensure we did not become totally absorbed in what we were up to - and thus become boring people - we did not miss out on one bit of socializing as there were several (6) NZ and (3) Canadian boats in the Marina over the winter and spring and that of course meant the mandatory drinks at happy hour and an occasional meal at the marina's restaurant - particularly Friday nights. We attended a couple of musical concerts in town and Brian "jammed" with the guys on Thursday afternoons at Netsel Marina.

SUMMER CRUISING AT LAST: FALSE STARTS AND TEETHING PROBLEMS

The launching was far from spectacular. Placing "herself" gently in the water was expertly done by the marina staff and we hung in the slings (in the water) while leaks were sought. However, Mahommet, the engine mechanic, anxious to be efficient, had the engine in gear with full revs when turning the key. The boat lurched forward in the slings - had it been in reverse, rudder damage would have occurred. Sliding out we found the steering cables had been put on backwards - turning the wheel to the right made Chinook turn left! Very tricky getting into our mooring! Finally later in the afternoon, Brian developed a nasty flu’ bug laying him low for a few days. Stuff happens…

Our maiden cruise was purely to put hours on the engine so that it could be checked over; the valves adjusted, an oil change and the head block tightened. Half an hour after breaking free of the marina and well into Marmaris Bay we noted the bilge pump going off "too often" and found the new stuffing box was leaking badly - for a while. It stopped, then leaked again; finally we saw that the propeller shaft was loose in the flange - moving backward and forward as we changed gear. We decided to anchor for the night anyway as it did not leak when the shaft was not turning. We returned slowly the next day to have that problem fixed. Then off again a few days later to build up the required engine hours - and twenty five engine hours later we were back in Marmaris where Mehmet and his gang did the necessary work finally leaving us free to sail off for what remained of the summer.

ANCHORAGES EAST :

Picture: Kale Koy at Kekova Roads from the Castle

This season (so far, July, August and September) we cruised slowly eastward along the south coast of Turkey. This area tends to be hotter with less wind than the cruising grounds of northern Turkey (last year), but to our mind more beautiful with mountain ranges in constant sight. There has been no significant rain since leaving Marmaris. The anchorages on the map below were all quite pretty with clear warm water. They can be "Google Earthed" at your pleasure. Turunc, Ekincek, Fethyie, Gocek, Kas, Kekova Roads, Finike, Cineviz and presently, Kemer.

Picture: At anchor in Kekova Roads and further below, our neighbours.

The summer daily heat has been quite terrific, the norm was 35 - 39 C. Debby made a new shade awning from old sailcloth material to keep the sun off the decks and we installed more fans inside. Swimming, reading, napping, and more swimming made up the daily routine and only now, in late September, the nights are cooler and pleasant for sleeping (20 C) We met up with several cruisers we knew from Maramis as well as meeting many new people - one of the good aspects of our life..

At Fethiye, Deborah flew to Canada for two weeks to play nanny to her grandsons (Lucas and Ryan) on a trip to British Columbia. While at Kemer, Brian flew to Canada to see his first grandson, Luca (6 weeks old), stopping off at the Southampton Boat Show on the return to buy a new EPIRB and an AIS-capable VHF radio and other toys. In that time, Debby went to Venice, Italy for a few days to see men with long poles...

One notable excursion from Kemer was to hike up to Mount Olympus to see the Chimera. There are actually about twenty Mount Olympuses of antiquity but a 20 minute hike up the one 15 kilometers south of Kemer (near the ruins of yet another ancient city of Olympus) has the winged fire breathing lion and goat-bodied, snake-tailed mythological creature slain by Homer‘s Bellerophon. In the present day it is a natural phenomena of trapped pockets of methane gas escaping from a sloping rock face with unquenchable flames. It has occurred for thousands of years here - the small fissures in the rocks changing in size and location. It was once a beacon to sailors. At this site there are ruins of an ancient Greek sanctuary - one of the stones has an inscription on it roughly translated to: "Stranger, fart not into the wind here lest thy buttocks become a burning ring of fire…" Worth the hot hike to see it.

When your holding tank no longer holds…. After only 12 years of dubious service our aluminium holding tank finally corroded through and some pretty nasty liquids were leaking into the bilge - along with a thriving colony of small bugs and their maggoty offspring. The hot days surely let us know about that situation. We gingerly took the tank out in Finike and ordered a new polypropylene one from DepoTanks in Marmaris. Brian took the eight-hour bus to Marmaris with the measurements and it was freighted to us the following week. Then came the installation with new hoses and valves. Bravo Debby for the great bilge-cleaning job! We do use our holding tank in anchorages and then dump on passages - not as obvious as you would think, as many boats do not have them here. Why they ever made tanks of aluminium in the first place is beyond us…

Future plans: From Kemer we will sail further east and plan to be in Cyprus in mid-October, Syria in November and then into the Suez Canal and Hurghada, Egypt, by early December. More on those adventures when we actually have them. We must note that we will be sorry to leave Turkey. It is a fabulous country, having great cruising areas, very friendly gentle people, superb weather (if not a little hot in mid-summer), readily available (and cheap) fresh fruits and vegetables, historical sites in every town. One of those places!

Pictures below: Brian IS the engine; a bus driver beating the heat between shifts;

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Summer Cruising 2009 Part 3

2009-11-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

SUMMER CRUISING 2009 - PART 3

Map: Our completed summer route.

Our last blog left you at Marmaris Yacht Marina in September when we had gone back to do some work on the teak deck - trying to waterproof it more effectively. Brian went off to the Southhampton Boat Show in England for three days to buy some big ticket items for Chinook; these we had shipped to Rhodes, Greece, intending to pick them up in October.

Slippin' away again from Marmaris we sailed to Fethyie - about 50 n. miles east, anchoring off the town of Ekincik for two nights to break the trip.

This area is a sea turtle breeding ground. We took the ‘tourist tour’ up the swampy Dalyan River and saw many large adult turtles. It was the wrong season for hatchlings but we enjoyed an interesting presentation, including a feast of Blue Crab (a major food of the turtles). Further up the river near the town of Dalyan are ancient Lycian tombs carved out of the cliff faces 4000 years ago. Lunch at a local restaurant and the slow swamp trip back with a stop to explore the bay where turtle eggs hatch - we did see some discarded leathery shells the guide had conveniently found.

Photo: At Dalyan; in the background the 4000 year-old rock tombs.

From there, 25 n.miles to Boynuz Boku (Bay) stopping for two nights before anchoring off the town of Gocek(3 miles away), a touristy place but at the end of the season it was sleepy enough.

Fethyie was the next destination (12 n.miles across the bay) and there we anchored for seven nights. We met up with several cruisers we knew (from Marmaris) and we all had Sunday lunch at the local fish market. Here, as in many Turkish towns, you can buy the fish of your choice at the market and take it to one of the local restaurants where for 5 lira they cook it for you and serve it with the usual salad, rice and potatoes.

Photo: Fethyie from 2000 metres - note the all paragliders. actually 50 - 75 in the area at any one time

Fethyie is one of the most beautiful places in Turkey. The high mountains surrounding the bay, the clear waters, the benign climate (hot in mid-summer). The downside is that the bays are crowded - many sailboats and gullets and many, many tourists (mostly Brits) in the towns. We had planned to be there at the end of summer when it was not so hectic - but it was still quite busy. Also, a real pollution problem exists because of the number of yachts dumping their waste water. The local governments are addressing this but it may take a few years to enforce the new regulations which include grey water tanks (as well as black water tanks) and pumpout stations with an electronic card system to keep track of when and where a particular yacht has pumped out. Much needed.

Photo: Brian at 2000 metres hanging under a paraglider. Hussain is the pilot.

Fethyie is also one of the best places in the world for paragliding, and of course Brian had to have a leap! 30 minutes slowly gliding down from a 2000 metre (6000 feet) mountain with staggering views and a gentle standup landing on the beachfront made his day! A tandem flight with a "pilot" of course, not a solo….

Our Turkish visas were due to expire and so we made the planned sail to the island of Rhodes (about 40 n.miles) to exit Turkey and re-enter ten days later. We were extremely lucky getting a slip in the busy Mandraki Harbour in the town of Rhodes - just metres from the place where the long fallen statue of "Colossus" stood. A very busy harbour at any time.

In Rhodes we picked up our boat show goods from A1 Yachting but unfortunately were not able to recover the VAT on them, as we had expected. Any goods purchased for pleasure boats, private aircraft and automobiles are not eligible for VAT exemption - an E.U. "directive" enforced by Greece.

Then, a nice sail back to Marmaris, stopping on the way for three nights anchoring in Ciftlik Bay where we had first anchored in June. Our friends John and Mo on Fuga caught up with us there and we had a great reunion. Still warm enough to swim (and we did!)

Marmaris Yacht Marina had a dock waiting for us when we arrived on 23 October, and here we now sit, doing those boat jobs as "winter" approaches. There are many familiar faces here as well as new ones and the social life is hectic once again! Two of our good friends, Terry and Fiona on Roam2 and Tony and Pat on Full Flight left to sail through the Suez to Egypt and next year the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and South East Asia as part of a rally. We will be following their journey with much interest. Roam2 has a website should you also wish to follow them. (The Voyages of Roam ll)

Photo: a wee bit of excitement at the marina when a large sailing boat caught fire and later sank. The helicopter missed more often than it scored a hit...

Photo: Marmaris Yacht Marina - the town is in the distance - 8 km.

Chinook herself is due to be hauled out and put "on the hard" on December 1st and we will then fly to Canada for Christmas then on to New Zealand for three months for yet another summer - in a camper van rather than a boat!

Overall, it has been a quiet summer for us - meaning that we have not done the mileage we have in previous summers - and we found that quite relaxing. Yet we have seen some beautiful and interesting parts of Turkey in quiet, out of the way, non-touristy places. We would thoroughly recommend the Turkish west and south coasts as a cruising ground.

Our next sailing blog will probably not appear until after May next year. We do not plan to "blog" New Zealand - well maybe, it is very bloggable...

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Summer Cruising 2009 - Part 2

2009-10-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

SUMMER CRUISING 2009 - PART 2

Photo: Deborah with our favourite "fruit lady" in Bademli

Our last blog was written mid-July, from Pasa Bay just south of Ayvalik and since then we have ventured a little further north and then began the trek south - this time with winds to sail and the promise of revisiting some of the places we had briefly stopped at on the northward journey.

Photo: Cesme Castle from the marina

The bay of Sivrice was our furthermost northern anchorage for five nights - a small holiday village south of the Dardanelles. The fruit and vegetable truck came through town (the one and only street) daily and the fresh fish truck was regular in the afternoons. Apart from that the two stores along the waterfront had limited provisions and so it was finally the need for tank water (not drinking water as that can be purchased anywhere) that sent us back to Ayvalik Marina to ‘tank up‘. Also, being able to leave Chinook safely for the night in the Marina enabled us to take the ferry to the Greek island of Lesvos to renew our Turkish visas - good for another 90 days.

On the way back we had stopped at Akcay (one night) and Poroselene Bays (two nights). We found Akcay had nothing to recommend it, while Poroselene was a barren island but starkly beautiful. Again with clear warm water.

The town of Alibey, not far from Ayvalik was well worth the stop for seven nights - at anchor just off the town. A holiday place for Turks basically, with many fish restaurants and good provisioning in Ayvalik, a short bus ride away. The gullet processionals - out in the mornings at ten and back again at five was quite the circus especially when their anchor chains became entangled.

From Alibey we stopped at Bademli for two nights with the resolve to return there after the forecasted meltemi had passed. We spent the meltemi anchored off Candarli (not far away, but very protected), and blow it did, hard, for six nights. Candarli was a quiet town and another holiday place for Turks - few foreign tourists and very few yachts.

Photo: the local water supply - every town has several

We called Bademli the Bahamas. If there had been coconut palms instead of olive trees it would be hard to tell the difference. Clear, amazingly turquoise water (although little beach sand). We stayed seven nights. The two km walk into the typical Turkish town (locals only, no tourists there) was a hot stretch (we did hitch one ride from a local) and in the village were able to get most provisions including fresh fish. Surprisingly few other boats came and went, chartered or cruisers, although we met up with the NZ boat, The Nora J whom we had met in Ayvalik.

Photo: Inside a mosque school; Deborah had a tour.

Further south again to Eskifoca where we spent six nights. A very strong catabatic night wind is set up by the surrounding mountains and around 10 p.m. it whistles down into the bay. The first night we had ventured into town to look around (very touristy - again, for Turks) and shortly after returning to Chinook we began dragging our anchor into deeper water. This was the first time for five years we had dragged and the first time with the bulwagga anchor, which always sets first time. The “bull” had set, but through the weed into gravel and it simply pulled the weed out of the gravel. We defy any anchor to remain set in gravel in a blow! We re-anchored, put out more chain and took turns on watch for the rest of the night.

The next morning we decided to use the new marina which was still under construction and “free”. We were “helped” to the dock by a young man who did not know any better, tied us too soon, breaking a bobstay when we hit the concrete wall. An hour later, an official-looking character came along with a receipt book (the receipt book made him look official - not his actual appearance) and charged us 20 lira a night to be there. Great price! we thought, and paid him for two nights, getting a doubtful-looking receipt from him. The “helpful” young man returned later to practise his English with us and told us we had been scammed - there was no charge to moor there! “Mr. Officialdom”, of course, had long disappeared. We had the broken bobstay welded at the local sanayi (workshop area) the following day.

It blew hard for the next three nights so we were glad to be in the marina, venturing back to anchor on the fifth night off Eskifoca where we were kept awake until 5 a.m. by a huge rock concert on the nearby island. Thousands of campers, massive screens and sound system, light shows, and a few good songs. The soldiers at the Army base (across the road from the anchorage) sang in the morning parade - we were not sure which was more entertaining!

Eskifoca was also renown for the many seals that inhabited the coast (“foca” is the Turkish word for seal) - although we did not see any there was a small colony on one of the islands nearby. But we did have our fill of freshly cooked mussels from street vendors - spiced mussels with rice in the half shell - 50 Turkish korus (cents) each. Yum!

Motoring another 40 n.miles in no-wind conditions further south and back to Cesme again where we spent three nights in the marina (another unfinished one so only half the cost but no electricity or water). The town itself is lovely and we did enjoy staying there waiting for wind.

The wind did eventuate and allowed us to sail the 20 n.miles to Sarpdere Bay (2 nights at anchor) and then we sailed the 40 n.miles to the Greek Island Samos anchoring illegally again in Pithagorion Harbour and seeing several other cruisers from Marmaris.

Photo: local fishermen - common occurrence every morning around Chinook.

From Samos to Altinkum, 30 n.miles, sailing two hours (slowly) and motoring five when the wind died completely. It was a pleasant place and we stayed six nights. Another holiday place (for Turks) with the gullet processionals out at ten the morning and in at five p.m. We went into the brand new Didim Marina (opened the previous week by the prime minister) for a couple of hours to get filled with diesel and water.

35 miles south, sailing most of that to the holiday resort town of Bitez which is near a major city - Bodrum. Bodrum has a large airport and at this time of the year thousands upon thousands of Brits (mostly) fly in to the cheap resorts.

Photo: reading under the awning

Bodrum was very touristy, but Bitez was a lot quieter and the bus (dolmus) service between them is cheap and very frequent, so we did go in twice to get our fill of a "larger place" and do some shopping.

Liking the place, we stayed eight nights at anchor there. Brian took windsurfing lessons here and got a little extra practice in - now he can sail in wavy lines, tack, gybe, run downwind, fall off (does that really well) , and was only rescued once when he got a bit far out with an offshore wind...

At this point we decided to return to Marmaris to do some work on the teak decks while the weather was still dry and return to the Datca Peninsula next spring. So the next two days were travel days (70 n.miles) , anchoring overnight at Parmak and Kuzubuku Bays.

The extreme summer heat that we were expecting actually was not as bad as we had thought it might become. Days were rarely hotter than 35 celcius, - a dry heat, little humidity - the boat was sitting in I

25 degree water - which we could always jump in, there was always a breeze, and as long as you were out of the sun It was tolerable. Nights were around 25 degrees. Deborah sewed an awning (see photo) and it was always pleasant reading under that in the heat of the day.

Back in Marmaris we were quite surprised at the number of cruisers who had returned, having finished their summer cruising, so we met up with many familiar faces including our good friends Terry and Fiona on Roam. Fiona had broken her leg slipping on a wet dock and had very little mobility - not enough to remain on their boat and with hospital appointments to keep they were staying in a hotel. This put a real damper on their summer and has jeopardized their plans to sail via the Suez to the Red Sea late in the year .

Deck jobs were done, and Brian took an unexpected and profitable trip to the Southampton boat show where he spent quite a wad on new equipment for Chinook. Imported goods into Turkey are very expensive (shipping and taxes) so what was purchased - at “boat-show prices” (and returned VAT) will be freighted to Rhodes and we will pick them up when we leave Turkey to renew our visas and Turkish Cruising Permit in mid-October. We expect to save in the long run.

More on this in the next blog, including our sailing exploits to Fethiye on the south coast of Turkey.

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Photos: Deborah on an adult exercise playground - many towns have these. Brian still jogs - even up hills...

summer cruisİng 2009 Part 1

2009-07-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

SUMMER CRUISING 2009 - Part 1

Photo: one of the many noisy gullets we encounter

There has been a noticeable gap in our blogging - excuses range from prepping to detach ourselves from the marina at Marmaris after almost 7 months, to having been on the move to get north before the strong northerly summer winds ("meltemis" ) start to blow. However, those of you who follow our blogs regularly will note that excuses are nothing new…

But we did finally make it off the dock and onto the hook and have been sailing northwards along Turkey's coast for over a month now, slowly, stopping at more interesting places. We have anchored in some spectacularl places - high mountains , crystal clear waters which are warm enough to swim in (and we do so every day) and off interesting towns with interesting ruins. A bonus for us so far: fewer charter boats and cruisers to crowd the anchorages, possibly a consequence of the economic crunch.

Photo: Deborah and her Kahn

It was a very pleasant spring - April had many days of 20 - 23 degrees, a little rain but no cold temperatures. Turkey is renown for fresh fruits and vegetables and the seasonal produce we have been buying at local markets is excellent: strawberries, cherries, apricots, a hard green "plum" eaten with salt, fresh garlic bulbs, green onions and fresh herbs (parsley, mint and dill particularly) citrus fruits and of course tomatoes, tomatoes and more tomatoes. Prices are a fraction of what they are in Canada and New Zealand. A region not far from Marmaris has three growing seasons within one year and we benefited from that at the Thursday and Sunday markets all winter long.

Photo: at anchor off Mersıncik
This summer, “the plan” is to simply enjoy relaxed a cruise around Turkey - in particular the south and west coasts which have quite incredible scenery. We have grown to love Turkey, the friendly Turkish people, the wild country and the cheap, safe living here. We intend not to sail the long mileages we have the last four summers as there is so much to see in this country. Although the Greek Aegean islands are at our fingertips it is a lot of bother (and expense) checking in and out of Turkey and Greece so we will probably not visit many Greek islands this summer - at least “legally“.

Photo: the town of Turkbuku
There a few negatives: certainly we are not looking forward to the heat that is coming - there will be many hours spent in the Med’s salty water cooling down. The mosquito netting is already up at nights and the mast seems to attract cicadas. We encounter many "gulets" - a type of tourist-cruise boat, wooden, traditional-style, that tie up stern-to-shore in the anchorages beside us and immediately turn up the music and party all night long. So all is not all entirely peaceful...

Photo: shoeshine man - stıll lots of busıness for them
The first few anchorages we enjoyed after leaving Marmaris were those of the bays of Ciftlik, Datca, Mersincik, Yalikavic and Turkbuku, sometimes with a small town ashore and sometimes nothing much at all, although the remotest had at least a restaurant ashore. The place names may not mean a lot to you as reader unless you have visited Turkey or want to check them out on Google Earth for the satellite photos, so for that reason we gloss over the detail of many of them.

The prevailing summer winds are northerlies which makes it difficult to travel north, but easy to find sheltered anchorages. However, when the southerlies blow, yes, we can move north without beating into headwinds but there are actually very few sheltered places on the northern coastlines. Bit of catch 22. Many anchorages are quite deep and the practice of tying the stern ashore with a long line (to reduce swinging and dragging into deeper water) is one we would rather avoid - particularly in gusty conditions. The last time we tied ashore we chafed through our brand new stern line. Photo: A statue of the much revered Kemal Ataturk - every town has one

At Altinkum another Canadian sailboat named Chinook anchored beside us for the night, but the biggest coincidence was the skipper’s name was also Brian! We spent an illegal night on the Greek island of Samos (did not go ashore though and were ready to plead “emergency!“) next to our friends John and Mo Walker on Fuga and near Tony on Red Marlin whom we have also met up with twice more (unplanned). Three nights were spent off the ruins of ancient Teos with a long hot walk into the town 3 kilometres distant. Photo: flırtıng with the Sultans lion at Cesme

We hid out from a week-long blow at Alicati which is billed as the windsurfing capital of Europe (really) with hundreds of windsurfers in near proximity to our anchor spot. Seven further nights in the marina there firmed our resolve to avoid marina stays if possible, but after leaving Alicati we did stop off at the unfinished Cesme Marina (no facilities but half-price cost) for the next night to visit the town and castle (1504). Cesme is renown for its naval base in the 1700’s and the defeat by the Russians in 1770 of the Ottoman fleet. The sea battles were depicted by a Russian painter and a dozen of the very large originals are in the castle museum.
Photos: windsurfıng school and old wındmılls at Alicati - consıstently the wındıest place ın Turkey. Note the wınd farm ın the surfers bay - nearly 50 turbınes.

Canak Bay was next, then Ayvalik (the marina for 2 nights to hide from some stormy weather which never quite arrived) and then to a sweet little anchorage a short bus ride out of town, where we are presently sitting. Another Canadian boat is near us (Bokra), also two American boats (Interlude and Southern Cross) and Tony on Red Marlin - again coincidentally.

Turkey has a fishing culture (rather than an industry) and a variety of fresh fish are easily purchased. Many fish farms are dotted around the coastlines - as well as mussel farms. We both very much enjoy fresh mussels whenever we can get them - delicious done in butter and olive oil with garlic, parsley, dill and perhaps a little balsamic vinegar on the side to dip them in.

From our present spot we will venture only another 50 n.miles north (we have already sailed 350) before slowly drifting south again stopping at all the places we missed on our way. The south coast of Turkey is on the agenda for the late summer and autumn - some of the best places to come. A day “pilgrimage” to the Anzac fields at Gallipoli and the Dardanelles (by bus) is planned from our furthest port north.

Photo: the wıshıng tree above the anchorage at Ayvalik - whıte ribbons tied on for luck

Our next blog will be in early September. Please keep in touch it is always nice to hear your news also. Brian and Deborah

Photo: one of the streets ın Ayvalik

2009-04-07T05:14:00.000-07:00

WINTERING IN TURKEY 2008-9

Photo: The Blue Mosque in Istanabul

NOTE: These are our latest periodic updates and more in the spirit of blogging, although we do block commenting. Family and friends are always welcome to email us with their comments and questions. Blogs appear in reverse chronological order (i.e. latest first) and only go back about a year, as before then they may have been incorporated into another web page representing another section of our journey (see the home page). Photos may be enlarged with a click but to return to this blog, click on to the "return" arrow (top left of your screen).

We have enjoyed sitting in Marmaris Yacht Marina in Turkey despite it being the coolest and wettest winter in this region for years. Well, when you don't know any better… We chose Marmaris partly because of the winter climate, the cheapness of living here and the beauty of the area - with the promise of exploring inland over the winter months. We have found the Turks to be very friendly and helpful - but we have struggled with the language as it has little bearing on English - although we have learned some basics and niceties, and the many Turks who speak some English have rescued us often. And the whole population seems to smoke after the age of ten!

With not much to report on the actual sailing front, this blog may give you an idea of Turkey as a destination - and without meaning to turn it into yet another travelogue (you can always skip those bits), this has been our experience - very positive..

MARMARIS YACHT MARINA - OUR WINTER HOME

Marmaris Yacht Marina is one of three large marinas in the area - and several other smaller ones - Mamaris being the large tourist town nearby. This marina “houses” about 2500 boats with about another 2500 total in the others. There is every type if service and facility available for boats - small to huge mega-yachts with many businesses comprising an army of skilled workers

Photo: Christmas dinner at a local restaurant with liveaboards

The liveaboards are mostly Brits with a fair smattering of Americans, Aussies and Kiwis, Dutch and German and even a few Canadian boats.. Activities make it a real social club with every event imaginable being organized - from karaoke and sing-a-long nights in the bar, quiz nights, bacci-ball Sundays, boat jumbles, ladies' coffee mornings and skippers' forums, ballroom, belly and line dancing lessons, the morning “cruiser net” , organised trips and tours, and the list goes on. Netsel, the other marina nearby in town, also has a live aboard community .

We get in and out of town (8 K away) on the local dalmas (say: “dahl mash”). The word in Turkish means “squeeze” and given the numbers that try to pack into a 16 seater van, minibus does not describe the vehicle aptly. It reminded us of the guaguas and other minibuses in the Caribbean.

EPHESUS, CAMEL WRESTLING AND ROAMIN’ IN THE RUINS

We joined an organized trip for 2 days to Kusadasi, first to watch the annual camel wrestling. In this event - well attended (crowded) with a carnival-like atmosphere complete with music and Turkish fast-food, male camels fight over females in heat in an arena. Side betting is not allowed but probably does go on and with thousands of people in attendance no alcohol was sold nor evident on the sly . The winning male camel must neck-wrest his opponent to the ground, but unfortunately does not claim the bride - she is whisked off to entice the next pair of males to battle over her. A different twist to the cockfighting we saw in the Dominican republic…

Photo: The library of Celsus at the foot of the main street

The Mediterranean’s best-preserved classical Roman ruins at Ephesus was next on the trip. It gave us a good feel of what life may have been like in those times. Fortunately we roamed them in the low tourist season as it is packed in the summer - being a major tourist destination. The Great Theatre, the villas and the Library of Celsus are all the best preserved we have seen in the Med. so far.

We also took a trip to Izmir to do some shopping in places like Ikea, imagine that here in Turkey! As well we were able to see the Agora (a marketplace built by Alexander the Great) but the old bazaar in the centre of the city was the main reason to go - as well as seeing some more Turkish countryside on the trip. Turkey’s third-largest city and very entertaining place.

ISTANBUL : THE BOATSHOW AND THE CITY

Photo: Fishburgers on the Borphorus

In February we joined the marina-organized trip to the Istanbul boat show - really just an excuse to see that city (we stayed on an extra few days) and there we were joined by Brian’s niece Lucy who came back to Chinook to stay for another week. The boat show itself was very good but we were rushed for time and did not see everything we wished to.

Istanbul is a fabulous city - well at least the old downtown area. We visited all the famed mosques, the old bazaar, the spice market, the underground cistern, saw the whirling dervishes dance, ate native (including “fish burgers” on the riverside), had a ferry tour of the River Bosphorus and generally walked our feet off. The bus trip was 14 hours each way, but with frequent stops for WC breaks and food. The Canadian and US Greyhound Bus service could learn from the Turks with their large modern, spotless buses complete with on-board coffee, tea and snacks, all free of charge.

Photo: Olives at the spice market, Istanbul

CAPPADOCIA - LOOKING DOWN ON LOVE VALLEY, CAVE HOUSES AND UNDERGROUND TOWNS

Photos: The Valley of Love and (below) Cave houses

We have just recently (April) returned from five days away with our friends Terry and Fiona (“Roam 2”) to a region called Cappadocia (Kapydokya) which is almost slap dead in the centre of Turkey. The area is renown for its interesting weather-shaped rock formations and the cave homes that were carved out of those by the inhabitants in (approximately) the 4th century AD. We saw some quite amazing dwellings, churches and an extensive 8 - level underground town. It was a 13 hour overnight bus trip each way - the best way to travel. The hotel we stayed in (the Walnut House in the town of Goreme) was inexpensive and quite nice with the typical Turkish breakfast of a boiled egg, sliced tomatoes and cucumber, fresh white bread, olives and cheeses along with copious cups of Turkish tea. Apart from one organized day-long tour we took local buses to other towns and tourist points nearby and ate good meals at cheaper family-run restaurants. It snowed the third day we were there - but that did not faze the intrepid Canadian-spirited souls that we are…

In Cappadocia an exciting event for us was a flight in a hot air balloon -about 45 minutes long -floating gently above the local countryside and towns with about twenty other balloons in the windless early morning. A great flight and another longish story, sometime…

VISA RUNS TO RHODES (GREECE)

Our Turkish visas have a 90 day life. To extend them all we need to do is take a one-day ferry trip to the island of Rhodes (25 n.miles south of Turkey), spend a pleasant day there and buy another 90-day visa (only 45 euros) on re-entry to Turkey. Chinook herself is allowed to be here 12 months after which we purchase another cruising permit for her (about 90 Turkish Lira ($60 CAD). Being here also has Chinook out of the E.U. to avoid paying VAT on her.

Photo: Hot air ballooning over Cappadocia

IN THE CHAIR WITH DENIZ THE DENTIST

We both had dental work done in Marmaris - Deborah a crown and a couple of fillings; Brian, ten crowns (inclding a bridge) and four fillings. Deniz the dentist is 28 years old (had his birthday on one of our appointment days), English speaking and extremely competent using modern equipment and methods. But the cost was amazing: about one tenth of Canadian costs for the same work.

THE SELLING of CHINOOK

As you may know Chinook is for sale. Reluctantly, and we will not let her go easily. After having advertised her for a short time on the WWW, we have had a lot of interest generated - probably because the price is so attractive. One buyer who, after extensive inspection, signed the agreement to purchase papers and then reneged on putting down a deposit - a bit unsettling when people can pretend to be who they are not. We have several other interested buyers coming to see her shortly. Our sales page is www.chinookofcanada.com if you are interested or could pass the info on. We are not in a hurry to sell; when it happens, it happens and we continue to live aboard comfortably and happily in the meantime. When she sells we will be looking to buy another boat on Vancouver island (living aboard) and sailing that fantastic BC coast in the northern summers and flying to New Zealand for their summers.

KEEPING THE OLD LADY HAPPY

Chinook now has new safety lines with new gates and pelican clips, new cast brass cowl vents gleam in the sun, and a new stack pack (lazybag) system envelopes a brand new mainsail. Doyle Sails (Turkey) fabricated the sail in Istanbul- USA designed . Some of the rigging has been replaced and the bimini structure has been revamped to allow easier access to the cockpit. The usual sanding and re-varnishing will be done as soon as the weather allows and the “up the mast” trip several times for inspections and to repair the broken wind speed indicator cups.

SUMMER PLANS

This summer we plan to be cruising the Aegean sea - in particular the south and west coast of Turkey and the Aegean Greek and Turk islands. We are looking forward to a more relaxed cruising schedule compared to last summer’s “odyssey” and will be back in Marmaris by November for winter. Another trip (flying) to NZ is tentatively planned for early 2010. Unless Chinook sells, then we may be homeless for a while…

Pix: Lucy taking a break in a mosque and Deborah taking a break on 2000 year old toilets

2008-10-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

Summer Cruising 2008 - Greece

Photo: Transiting the Corinth Canal

Croatia to Greece (September 25)

At the time of writing we have just arrived in Turkey after a 700 n. mile "whirlwind" month through the Agean islands. Bad weather including the “meltemi”, the Greek term for a very strong northerly that can last for weeks, held us up a twice on the journey, so we did not see as much as we would have liked of some of the islands. But we do intend to cruise much more of the nothern Aegean in 2009.
Note: The previous blog (Croatia) has been modified to now include all of the Croatian islands we visited - the last two being Vis and Lastovo - and a couple of photos have been added .

The overnight sail from Croatia to Brindisi on the east coast of Italy was uneventful. Leaving Lastovo Island at 1030 a.m. on September 25, we motored for 6 hours until the winds increased enough to sail by - at least for 7 hours, then a motor-sail for the next 13 hours, finally sailing the last two. A total of 140 n.miles taking 30 hours. We spent two nights waiting for weather in the new Brindisi marina (at 18 euros per night), filled up with diesel and sailed south to Otranto where we tied up at the sea wall - a free night, and, being a Sunday hassel-free also. None of the “customs, police and immigration hoop-jumping” we had to perform when we stayed there previously (en-route to Croatia).

Leaving at first light with favourable winds to sail the 52 n.miles across the Southern Ionian to the Greek island of Erikoussa, anchoring and swimming in the southern bay. . By the next morning the winds had switched 180 degrees forcing us to motor the 25 miles to the Island of Corfu which is just off the Albanian/Greek mainland.

Clearing immigration and customs at the commercial harbour was not that easy in Corfu due to the back and forth between the wide-spread offices in the harbour. We obtained (for 30 euros) a “Transit Log” which allows us to sail in Greek waters for up to six months. The bonus of that for us is that, if we travel with the boat we are personally allowed six months, rather than three, in Greece. A Greek exception to the E.U. rules and which will be advantageous for when we return next summer to cruise.

In Corfu the weather turned against us (southerly winds, torrential rain with thunder showers) so we spent ten days in the Kerkira (Corfu) marina. It was our first “taste” of Greece, and what we saw we liked. The people were friendly and helpful, the marina was well run (20 euros per day for us in the off-season - supermarket and laundry inside the marina), we saw the sights of the touristy city, the old quarters and the weather, although rainy at times, was warm and eventually came right. We were surprised at how much English was spoken but as it happens, Corfu was a British protectorate for over 50 years. As well, many Brits holiday in Corfu so it is also easy to obtain English newspapers and magazines. Another oil and filter change was routinely done, the third this season, speaking of how often we have had to use the engine - and how many nautical miles we have traveled.

The Passage through Greece to Turkey (October 2008)

Our aim was to take the month of October to travel through Greece to get to Turkey (Marmaris Marina), arriving in early November. The route was to be (roughly): south in the Ionian Sea along the west coast, then east along the north Peloponnisos to the Gulf of Corinth, though the Corinth Canal into the Aegean Sea island-hopping east to Turkey. Only about 600 n.miles - a total of 750 from Croatia. And should the weather cooperate it was quite “doable” in a month albeit a bit rushed.

The names of most of the places mentioned may mean little to readers who have not been to Greece, but for your information: Corfu to Paxos I. - 35 n.m., Paxos to Levkas I. - 47 n.m., Levkas to Oxia I. - 30 n.m., and Oxia to Patras - 30 n.m. These first legs had warm days, anchoring and swimming on arrival made it a delightful cruise.

Then, four nights in Patras marina waiting for weather before heading into the Gulf of Corinth . Spanning the strait at the western end of the Gulf of Corinth one mile from Patras is the world’s second longest (and newest) suspension bridge, the Rio-Antino. It was quite the experience passing beneath it after obtaining clearance, dodging ferries and battling a three knot current as well as funnelled winds on the nose for an hour on the approach. From Patras to Nikalous Bay - 26 n.m., then to Corinth City - 45 n.m. with a free overnight stay in the yacht harbour tied up to the wall.

Photo: The Patras Suspension Bridge - the world's second longest (and newest) - completed 2006. Design allowances were made for frequent earthquakes in the area, deep waters and a widening tectonic plate that it spans.

We were outside the entrance to the Corinth Canal at 0830 the next morning and received clearance to transit after a ten-minute wait. The trip through was quite awesome. The canal is 3.2 n.miles long, 25 metres wide with sheer rock sides of 75 metres along much of its length. We were fortunate being the only boat transiting as bow water pushed by large ships can cause much turbulence and be quite dangerous to vessels of our size. Current helped us considerably and we averaged six knots. We paid the fee at the east end - in our case 114 euros; as the guide book says, “probably the world’s most expensive canal per mile“. However, the alternative (south around the Peloponnisos adding approximately 200 n.miles to the trip) was not attractive to us.

Finally we had arrived in the Aegean Sea and the next stage was to begin. The first day (which included the canal trip) we sailed to Aigina I. - 30 n.m., the next to Kea I. - 45 n.m., Kea to Syros I. - 35 n.m. and then to Naxos I. - 32 n.m. arriving there in force 6 winds, Deborah having “doubting moments” about getting into the marina. The seas outside the harbour were up and a swell rolled into the harbour, rolling us uncomfortably also. No option but to sit, waiting for the big slow-moving “high” over much of Europe to move on and reduce the pressure difference between the “low” to the south of us - which creates meltemis.

We enjoyed the town and the island. Naxos is the most important food producer of the Greek islands. possessing a large fertile plain in the interior with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables as well as olives and wines. It is also touristy, but at this time of year we almost have the place to ourselves. A bus trip to the town of Filoti at the foot of Mount Zeus and a hike to Zeus’ cave part way up was an interesting day.

Photo: Naxos from the portal of the ruins of Opollo's temple - short walk fron the town

According to several guides, Greece (the Aegean particularly) is pretty well “fished out”, but there seems to be a thriving fishing industry on Naxos. The fishing boats go out nightly and there are many fresh fish shops in town.

Photo: the town of Filoti on the slopes of of Mount Zeus

Yet another oil and filter change was completed and a diesel top up from the mini-tanker which comes to your boat on the dock (1.25 euros per litre).

There were only six more sailing days to get to Turkey. The winds finally died after waiting 9 days in naxos, the seas calmed after another one and we continued our island hopping eastwards - mostly motoring: Naxos to Amorgos, to Astypalaia, to Kos, to Symi and to Rhodes, the last Greek stop. Two nights rest, provisioning and then to the last 25 n.miles to Maramis, Turkey.

The huge marina was a welcome sight. An inflatable came out to meet us and guided us into our berth - we could never have found our own way in with 1000 boats in the water (and another 1500 on the hard). But more on Turkey in the next blog.

Keep the emails coming - always love to hear from you.
Brian and Deborah
October, 2008

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Photos below: The Christian Church in Naxos town, Brian enjoying a aGreek ham and cheese "pie", and the old town above Naxos

SUMMER CRUISING CROATIA September 2008

2008-09-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

SUMMER CRUISING CROATIAN ISLANDS 2008

Photo: Korcula City - leaving in the early morning (August 2008)

After two months in Croatia we have found that her coastline is just over the top as far as sailing goes. And who wouldn’t find that. The weather is exceptional – day after day of beautiful blue skies, light winds (but usually enough to sail by – in fact we have probably sailed (as compared to motoring) more in this season than in the last three years in the Med.) Warm water, pretty towns and cities, protected anchorages, no shortage of grocery shopping and markets. It is presently fig season, the grapes are ripening on the vines, and the bread here is to die for. What more could this pair of gypsies want?

Photo below: the anchorage at Mljet

Our “enforced” 19-day stay in Dubrovnik ACI Marina with the transmission problem really kicked our budget and so it was with much alacrity we sailed the 35 n.miles to the island of Mljet (say “millyet”). The north end of the island is a national park with trails throughout and the few roads are not busy. We anchored off the tiny village of Polace near the ruins of a Roman Palace dating back to the 4th century. Tourists who visit Mljet via the ferry are mostly on foot or bicycle which means it is a very quiet place - except for the noisy cicadas and crickets. That suited us after the hustle of Dubrovnik; we took our bikes ashore and toured through the park, jogged and swam. The smell of pine was everywhere. The extremely hot dry weather enabled our sweat to simply evaporate. The water was clear and very refreshing and needless to say we were in it several times a day. A local bakery and a small supermarket gave us all we needed in the way of provisions.

Photo: 12th century monastery, Mljet
The admission cost to the park (90 kunas each - $20 CAD) included the anchoring fee (a one-time fee), a trip in a mini van to one of the interior salt-water lakes and then a ferry to the island of St Mary's where Benedictine monks established a monastery in the 12th century. One can wander the grounds and visit the chapel - the rest is under re-construction. We hired a little motor scooter for a day and rode 25 kilometres to the village of Sobra, where we ate a grilled fish lunch - a mixed grill with a variety of seafood.

Figs were just coming into season as we were there, so we quickly learned the location of all the wild trees and gorged daily. Brian has made fig chutney (delicious with lamb) and a fig and orange jam for the morning toast - toast made with a chewy brown bread containing seeds and nuts. As a testimony of the dry summer the wild blackberries and wild grapes are all small and tart. During the first rain we heard the locals heave a collective sigh. Wine making is a huge industry on the islands - local red wines are not great, but quite drinkable, and the price is right at 15 kunas a glass ($3.50 CAD). And of course home made olive oil is available at all the markets and roadside stalls.

Photo: Sword Dancing; battling over the beautiful Queen, Korcula
Korcula City on the island of Korcula (only 15 n.miles) was the next anchorage. This medieval walled city we found to be even prettier than Dubrovnik and not nearly as touristy. The leaf-vein street layout was designed to take advantage of the breezes and sun’s shadow for the hot Adriatic summers. We saw the famous “sword dance” one night in the castle, this preceded by an acappella group, Polema, (6 men and a woman), singing traditional Croatian music. Of course we bought their CD

However, after two nights of paying 100 kuna in the bay nearby (“harbour dues”) we anchored three n.miles south in a small pleasant bay for a week, swam in its clean water and were able to bike to Korcula and to the close village of Lumbardo for supplies and internet access.

From Korcula to Hvar (43 n.miles): The main town on the island of Hvar was absolutely crowded with boats, so after a ‘spin’ through the anchorage we opted for a tiny bay, Vira, on the north of the island where we took a mooring ball belonging to the local “Ring O” Restaurant. The fee for its use was an obligation to eat at the Ring O - which was no chore! A delicious meal of octopus salad, steamed mussels, green salad and fried potatoes with local wine all for a grand total of180 kunas. We were to return to the island of Hvar at a later date to stay in the town of Stari Grad, the oldest town in the Croatian islands.

Debby’s friends Penny and Jamie from Victoria BC (Canada) were due to arrive and stay aboard for the first week in September, so we headed for Split to meet them. On the way we dropped the hook for a night off the little town of Bobovisce on the island of Brac to explore it as a place to take them for their first sailing experience. And return we did after two nights in Split, as it was a delightful bay. We spent our days hiking, swimming, reading, napping and just “chillin’ out” with Penny and Jamie. We had many laughs together as this was their first experience on board a boat. They were good sports about everything and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Photo: Penny and Jamie clambering aboard - not sure what they were letting themselves in for...

Croatian islands were frequently attacked over the centuries by the Turks and pirates so many of the villages are inland in the hills. Bobovisce, on Brac, has two sites, one on the coast (the fishing village) and the other a couple of kilometres away - up in the hills, the main town. Brac’s “claim to fame” is its limestone-marble quarries that exported the milky-white stone used in construction of the White House in Washington, Berlin’s Reichstag, the altar of Liverpool’s Catholic cathedral and the Diocletian Palace in Split.

Back to Split to spend two more nights in the ACI Marina (and to take our guests back to the airport and see more of the city (anchoring in the busy and dirty harbour was not considered) before returning to Hvar. Split is Croatia’s main ferry port and the traffic was phenomenal with hydrofoils, speedy catamarans, car ferries, and cruise ships in and out to all destinations all hours of the day and night. The old section of the city is a warren of buildings centuries old - some run-down areas but with much reconstruction going on. What remains of the Diocletian Palace, which encloses the old city, was well worth the visit - an extensive food and clothing market as well as musical entertainment at night . A visit to the medieval town of Trogir by bus was another highlight of the time we spent there with Penny and Jamie. Photo: One of the three weddings we saw in Split on satuday nighht - fireworks to celebrate with everyone in the old town

Thence to Stari Grad on Hvar Island. Originally settled by the Greeks and named Pharos it is a much less touristy town than Hvar Town (which we did visit by bus) but has a real charm. Andrew (on Nivram - see the previous blog entry) was there with his girlfriend Michelle and we got together several times to eat and enjoy happy hours. We stayed on a mooring ball right in the harbour most of the time (100 kn/night) but also went to the town dock for several nights - more for convenience, especially electric power, than anything. Photo: Stari Grad's town docks

The island of Vis for four nights was our next stop. An uncrowded anchorage off the picturesque stone town, a monastery within stone’s throw, a short dinghy ride to where we tied up the bikes and harbour fees of only 50 kn per night. We took a local bus to have lunch in the fishing village of Komiza where Brian’s childhood friend Barney (and his Croatian wife, Jackie) have a summer cottage, but, unfortunately, this was the year they were not escaping from Australia’s winter. We last met up with Barney and Jackie in Spain. Photo: the anchorage at Vis

Then, the last Croatian Island we stopped at was (appropriately named) Lastovo. Three nights anchored in the newest national park (fees - which we only paid once, 40 kuna), a great fish and lamb dinner at a local restaurant, swimming daily, (yes, still warm enough), jogging and some biking along the north coast. The leaving formalities were done at the port of Lastovo, provisioning at the nearby supermarket, and then we left at 1030 direct to Brindisi on the Italian east coast - an overnight trip of 140 n.miles.

Grappling with the Croatian language was not been easy for us. Some basics, and that is what we did not progress much beyond: “da and ne“ = yes and no, “dobra dan” - good morning, “havala” is thank you, “molim - please/what do you want; “bog” - hi/bye;… Deborah, always great with languages, did get beyond these basics and learned words for many fruits and veges.

Our “social life” was not been the greatest this summer. Chartered sailboat crews have their own agenda and stay in locations briefly - as a consequence we do not meet many other folk to chat with. We do meet a few Brits and surprisingly some Aussies and Kiwis. Germans, French and Italians, form the majority of the charterers and we have met few “liveaboards” like ourselves. Chinook is a definite oddity here as far as looks go, as the charter boats are mostly sleek production-line Benetaus, Bavarias and Jeanneaus.

Although the summer weather was been great, a definite coolness in the air was noticeable by mid-September). We did not meet the dreaded “bora”, a strong north wind that can blow cold air from the mountains with near hurricane force - an unusual wind in the summer, but possible. Time to think about heading south to warmer waters

Photo: tootling around on the scooter for a day

We did not venture further north along the Croatian coast where the sailing is reputed to be as good and the islands as beautiful as we have encountered here, simply due to time restrictions. Also trying to cram in too much is counter-productive, we just forget places if there have been too many. Perhaps we will come back another year.

Keep your emails coming - always nice to hear from you.

Brian and Deborah, September 2008

Photos: Penny, Jamie and Deborah inTrojir; the market in Split; Chinook tied stern to shore on Brac.

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2008-07-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

SUMMER CRUISING 2008

Photo: Castellamarre di Golfo, Sicily (June 2008)

SARDINIA TO CROATIA July, 2008

Sitting in Chinook’s cockpit in the ACI Marina just out of Dubrovnik on a Saturday afternoon watching the procession of charter boats come in after their week away. Dozens of them. Tomorrow and Monday, more processions - the outgoing ones. Sunsail, Moorings and EuroCharters have bases here and in the weekends it is almost impossible to get a berth in the marina as the charter boats return. Then there are the "mega-yachts" that come here - six of them now opposite us, each worth millions of dollars, their crews hopping about cleaning, polishing, washing...

Our New Zealand trip and Canada stopover (no, by air) took up the first five months of 2008 - and most of you want to hear about the "sailing bits". That is what this blogsite is about. There will be some NZ photos on a separate blog page "soon.

Loads of boat jobs were completed before Deborah got back from Canada - a long list: hull painted with antifouling (no osmosis blisters found), six deck-water drains (scuppers) cut into the bulwarks, cockpit drains rerouted (those two jobs did away with four through-hull fittings below the waterline), new engine cooling hoses, new water intake filters, stuffing boxes repacked (engine and steering), zincs replaced, holding tank reconnected (for Turkey) with an electric macerator pump. Actually that is the short list. But work is not a four-letter word on a boat - it is all play…

So, here we are, finally in Croatia after a slower-than-usual start to cruising this year, Croatia being our summer of 2008 destination. Hundreds of beautiful unspoiled islands with crystal-clear warm waters and pretty beaches stretch approximately 250 n.miles along the mainland. The summer climate is gentle, quiet villages are to be explored and the people we have met are friendly and welcoming - the history and culture add the other dimension. The islands have become a very popular cruising area for Italian and German boats as well as the charter companies. Croatia is over its political upheavals, the cities are quite modern and vibrant and joining the E.U. community may not be far off for them.

750 nautical miles to get here and we managed that in a relatively short time - holing up in a couple of places to wait for weather. Surprisingly, we were able to sail often, as opposed to motoring which the Mediterranean is famous for (i.e. little wind - or too much) and we seem to have been doing much of the previous three summers. Three overnight trips sped up the getting here - we do not particularly like “overnighters” as they take a lot out of us and the following day is always a lost (recovery) day spent catching up on sleep.

Notable ports-of-call on the journey were Castellamarre di Golfo on the north coast of Sicily (our first stop after leaving Sardinia - 162 n.m.), a quiet town with an old fishing port and high mountain behind it, Isla Vulcano in the Aeolians where we had stopped last summer (102 n.m.) - anchoring again beside the smelly hot mud pools and watching the steam drift out of the volcanic crater above us.

Photo: Gruz Harbour entrance (Dubrovnik)

Navigating through the Straits of Messina was quite the experience. No mythical Charybidis or Scilla were sighted but the tidal current gave us over-the-ground speeds of 9 knots for a couple of hours and the whirlpools were harmless. Fishing for Swordfish in this area is common and we saw boats with high lookout towers and harpoons on the bow and were quite lucky when a "school" of swordfish leapt out of the water near us along the southern Ionian coast.

Rochella di Ioniche, Crotone and Leuca were all long days apart (62, 65 and 71 n.miles respectively) - Leuca being on the eastern side of the "arch" of Italy's "boot". Otranto and Brindisi were shorter days and we recouped at Brindisi before the 120 n.mile overnighter to Dubrovnik.

Photo: Leaving Brindisi. The column is one marking the end of The Appian Way.

Dubrovnik was our first port of call in Croatia. On arrival we were obliged to berth at the customs/police jetty to do the entry paperwork. Approaching the dock our transmission decided it had had enough and the long and short of it is that we had to be towed 3 n.miles to the marina (after the formalities) and are spending way too much money (in the marina) waiting for parts to arrive. Bit of a stressor, however, Dubrovnik is a beautiful city (one of the prettiest in Europe so say the guides), there is a lot to do and see, a summer cultural festival is on with music, food and dance in the streets. We saw John Williams and John Etheridge in concert - an amazing performance with most of their music from their "Places Between" CD. A frequent and cheap bus service into the city from the marina (7 kilometres), a supermarket very close by (very reasonable prices), a swimming pool and excellent facilities. ACI marinas (Adriatic Croatia International Club) are all over Croatia, but at 50 euros a night in high season it would be much more attractive to be in a quiet, secluded island anchorage.

Photo: The main street in the old city of Dubrovnik

Another sailboat made the trip here with us, Nivram, a 26 foot ketch with 32 year-old Andrew from Manchester on his maiden voyage stayed with us the 750 miles. Andy had purchased Nivram in Sardinia and intended making Hvar (near Split) its home port. He learned a lot about his new boat along the way and did very well in such a small craft - especially soloing the three overnighters. Ah, to be young again...

Photo: Andy leaving after sailing 750 miles with us.

The gearbox will take about a week to ten days to get sorted. Brian had to take it out himself as the mechanic was too busy and he (Brian) will have to put it back in. However, not just that, a much bigger problem (gearbox related) revealed itself: the vibration dampener at the rear of the engine (attached to the flywheel) has come apart and has to be replaced. Yet another problem is getting engine parts in Croatia - or getting them into Croatia (usually from Italy). So we wait.

We are able to connect to the internet aboard Chinook with "Hotspot", a service offered in Croatia in marinas, shopping malls and other places around the cities. A wee bit expensive compared to Italy's great deal, ($8CAD an hour here - we were paying $30/month in Italy) so we will not be using the internet as often. Quite convenient though.

Photo: A view fron the ACI Marina

We had briefly discussed wintering in Venice, but have gone back to our original plan - to winter in Turkey. So “the plan” is to spend about three months in Croatia, a month through Greece (as we have very little time left on out E.U. quota) and then to Maramis, Turkey for November. Brian has to fly back to Canada in late November for a new passport and a bit of work on the ancient teeth.
We will keep you posted. Always like to hear from you too.

Brian and Deborah

Photos: Deborah getting some relief from the heat at the fountain in Dubrovnik; a typical side street in Dubrovnik

December 2007 Update

2007-12-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

Photo: From the volcano's rim on Vulcano looking toward Lipari and Salina. Chinook is in the left anchorage (mid picture).

The Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Tunisia and back to Sardinia

From the Italian mainland (Tropea) we motor-sailed to the island of Salina (46 n.m/8 hours on Octotber 3), one of seven islands in the group known as the Aeolians (Isoli Eoli). Most of these are volcanic in origin, the two actively volcanic islands, Stromboli and Vulcano being the best known. Salina is famous for its capers (the pickled berry - not adventures), specially priced here (overly-so for the tourists) and it was from the tiny marina that we spent five days biking and bus tripping around. The tourist season being over, the town was quiet. All of the islands are "steep to" therefore making anchoring tricky - especially in the windier months.

Photos: standing on the edge of the crater, and the stinky tepid pools below.

Lipari was the next island we visited, only ten miles south of Salina, and we spent four nights in a marina out of town a little, but with our bikes it was only a ten-minute jaunt. Here we met up with "Martin the Finn" on Constancia whom we had met in Cagliari last winter - and was now on his way back there. We enjoyed a couple of meals together on Chinook and swapped our summer travels. We took a ferry from Lipari to Vulcano for a day with our bikes and biked to the south end of the island. The scenery was spectacular. It was good to have to stop periodically to enjoy it because we needed the rests. As it turned out, we did anchor for one night in Vulcano's western bay and climbed to the volcano's rim and later soaked in warm (and very stinky) mud pools - said to be good for the skin. Our skins smelled of the mud for three days - what you call "deep penetration".... Constancia was also anchored there but there were only four other sailboats instead of the 50 there would typically be in the main sailing season. What luck for us.

The Sicilian Experience

With the weather due to change for the worse we sailed to Sicily (52 n.m.) staying one night in Cefalu, then on to Palermo, the capital (32 n.m.), where we spent three weeks enjoying this amazing city's cathedrals, galleries, marketplaces and old narrow streets. We took bus trips to other towns nearby. Sicily is a very large and mountainous island, beautiful, and of course, reputed for the Mafia (still with a covert influence)

A highlight in Palermo for us was the visit to the Cappuccini Catacombs where, under an old cemetery, we walked along narrow, dimly lit corridors, with thousands of mummified bodies hanging out of their wall niches (in an upright stance) grinning at us. Just like a Speilberg movie set. Originally, friars from the nearby abbey had been preserved in this manner for 200 years, then the local rich gentry got in on the act - so they could visit and sit with the relatives in person so to speak. 8000 bodies, including young children, line the walls (see photo).

But the real Sicilian highlight was meeting up again with Gioi, who had purchased a YoungSun/Westwind sister ship ("Zephyr") a few months earlier (see the March blog). Gioi and his lovely Dutch girlfriend, Lidia, are living aboard in a small marina in Palermo and had very kindly arranged a spot for us near them. We spent a lot of time with them, eating delicious Sicilian food, meeting their wonderful friends and Lidia's visiting mother. The Sicilians we discovered to be the most friendly, helpful and generous of all the Italian people and that is really saying something. Due to the speed and volume of traffic in the city, we were a bit reluctant to ride our bikes and, as strangers, it appeared to us that Sicilians had "no-rules" "Aussie" driving habits. But the longer we were there we found that the system works well, as everyone is so considerate of others - so who needs rules? To survive you need only to be nice to others (a rule of life?)... We enjoyed our time with Gioi immensely and hope to see more of him and Sicily next summer on our way east. Photos of Gioi and friends at the end of this blog.

And to Tunisia

Photos: the market street in Bizerte and a butcher most proud of his trade.
From Palermo to San Vito at the westernmost tip of Sicily was a 35 n.m. motor, but better winds were forecast for the following day for our 152-mile overnight sail to Tunisia. The winds did not eventuate, but we did sail eleven of the 33 hours it took to get to Bizerte. Bizerte is a non-touristy city in the north of Tunisia and the three weeks we spent there was quite fascinating. Originally intending to spend only a few days in Tunisia to take Chinook out of the E.U. to avoid having to pay the VAT on her (before wintering her in Cagliari) we were forced to stay longer, having to wait for a weather window and were glad to have done so. Our friends Joe and Michele on Peregrine arrived a few days after us and we spent some pleasant times with them beside us in the marina, bus tripping (one and a half hours) to the beautiful capital, Tunis and other towns nearby. Tunisia is a Muslim country, but is much more liberal than most, with smiling, helpful people. Debby's French language skills were gainfully employed again.

Photo below: Brian and Joe sharing a hooka pipe (tobacco only!) in a local men's hangout in Bizerte

Return to Sardinia - Completing the loop

Finally, on 20 November, the weather forecast allowed us a two-day window to sail to Sardinia, thus completing the 1200 nautical mile "summer circuit" of the Tyrrhenian Sea we began in late June. And what a great sail it was - 122 miles, 23 hours with the wind on the quarter, a full moon, although a bit rolly (Brian was green) but with the winds averaging 15 knots, Chinook loved it. Peregrine left Tunisia also and sailed with us for some of the trip – they are much faster It was like taking that last ski run of the season: you want it to be memorable in a good way! We tied up in Marina Del Sole at 9:30 a.m. and met cruisers we knew from the previous winter and partied that night with them. It felt like coming home.

So, here we are again in Cagliari visiting all the old haunts, seeing familiar faces, and slowly preparing Chinook for her stay "on the hard" by herself, while we fly off to Canada for Christmas and then on to New Zealand for four months to escape the northern winter. Next year: Croatia, Greece and Turkey will be the adventure.

Keep in touch - love to get your emails,
Admiral Deborah and Captain Brian

Photos: Gioi, Brian, Giovanni and Nino - and Rita, Giuseppe and Deborah

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October 2007 Update

2007-10-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

SUMMER CRUISING 2007: Trippin' around the Tyrrhenian; Sardinia, The Maddelenas, Corsica, Elba and south along the Italian coast to Sicily...

Photo: Ponza town, Isola Ponza

From the volcanic (and active) Aeolian Islands. At the time of writing we are in a tiny marina on the island of Salina, one of seven volcanic islands. The two better known and active islands nearby - and in sight - are Stromboli and Vulcano. We sailed directly to Salina from Tropea on the Italian mainland and we will visit two more islands, including Vulcano.

But to backtrack and narrate our summer cruising capers. The previous update left you in July at La Caletta on the east coast of Sardinia while we waited out a mistral. From there we sailed north to Cugnana to wait out another mistral for five days. Mistrals seemed to be still occurring late this year - the settled summer weather did not finally set in until mid-July.

Our friends Joe and Michele on Peregrine, whom we had not seen for two and a half years were waiting for us in a cala (bay) on the island of Caprera, one of Sardinia's National Parks in the Maddelena Islands in the windy Bonifaccio Straits and we had a grand reunion. It was great to see them again as well as Nai'a (John, Kim and 7-year-old Hannah). Peregrine and Nai'a had crossed the Atlantic with us but had raced on ahead to cruise for two years in Greece and Turkey - now on their way west again, Nai'a to the French Canals and Peregrine slowly westing. Photo:Debby with Joe and Michele - hiking in Corsica

We spent three weeks cruising with them in Caprera, then Corsica (Lavezzi, Bonifaccio, Paragnanu, Ajaccio) before Nai'a headed to France. Peregrine was intending to spend a month in Elba and so we kept more company with Joe and Michele there. Corsica (French) is a rugged and starkly beautiful island, very mountainous with crystal clear waters surrounding it. We made several train trips to interior mountain towns, hiked trails, swam in freshwater streams and "bicycled" downhill nearly 10 kilometres from train station to train station. We rented a car with Peregrine to see even more of the island. In early August it was off to Elba - but back around Corsica's south coast, then north stopping at Porto Vecchio, Favone and Taverna before a long 50 nm day.

Brian's niece, Lucy and her boyfriend Kieran joined us in Elba and spent three weeks aboard. Another of Lucy's friends, Kat, stayed a week also. Chinook was quite crowded, but the weather was dry and warm and Kat did not seem to mind sleeping outside in the cockpit. We circumnavigated the island staying most of the time in a bay on the south coast off the holiday/tourist town of Campo. Portoferraio, the main town, was also a base and we visited Napolean Boneparte's official residence and summer home - both museums and good replicas of the year Boneparte was exiled to the Elba . However, with hourly ferries rolling us with their wakes and the bay not being clean enough for swimming we were pleased to leave for Porto Azzuro on the east coast before beginning the long leg(s) south to Sicily. Photo: Kat, Kieran and Lucy

In Corsica and Elba we met up again (quite coincidentally) with Laura on Seven Roses, a young Italian woman single-handler whom we had met in the Richelieu Canal system in Canada not long after we had set off in our new lifestyle. Over the last six years she had sailed with her two dogs from Italy to North America, to South America and back to Elba again. It was a nice surprise to see her as we thought she would be still somewhere around the globe. She now charters her boat in the summers in Elba and Corsica.

Photos: The South coast of Capri and the Duomo (Cathedral) in Amalfi

From Elba, our stops were the islands of Giglio, Anzio. Ponza, Ischia and Capri - all very beautiful. The weather was excellent (sunny, warm and dry), however the maxim of "Not enough wind - or too much wind in the Med." was certainly true for our journey and we were forced to motor quite often. Anchoring was the norm for most of the summer (90 days out of the 103 at last count) but as the marina prices began to drop when the "high season" finished and the anchorages were not as protected, we did overnight more in marinas. In Capri we anchored in a very deep cove on the south coast next to Maribella V - the world's largest sloop rigged yacht, its 92 meter mast towering over Chinook's wooden 15m. We had the same view as them...

Salerno at the root of the Amalfi Peninsula, not far from Naples, was our first stop on the Italian mainland. From here, while waiting for our first bad weather to pass, we visited Amalfi by bus and then Pompeii by train. In Capri we had met up again with Bert and Minneke on Pamina with whom we had spent the 2005-6 winter with in Seville, Spain. Another very pleasant reunion and we a nice day together poking around in the ashes of Pompeii something Brian has wanted to do for 40 years. Photo Bert and Minneke (Pamina) at Pompeii

From Salerno to Agropoli, where we took an extra day and visited the well preserved Greek/Roman temples at Paestum. Agropoli to Camerota, then Cetraro, Tropea and (currently) the Aeolians. In a week we will be in Sicily.

Photo: Temple and old statues dedicated to Ceres, Paestum

Pompeii frescos and bodies - preserved under ash for 2000 years

If our writing gives the impression of a whirlwind summer, that was actually not the case. The portion of the trip south has been the quicker as the weather becomes more unpredictable 250 miles north The summer was fairly leisurely. It was really good seeing fellow cruisers again whom we had met years ago as well as meeting up with others. Far fewer British and North American boats were encountered this season for reasons we are unsure of - possibly language being an obstacle. We met Beedahbun (Canadians Jim and Debra Cantrell). Debra's book,"Changing Course - A Woman's Guide to Cruising" which we just happened to have had a copy of aboard, is now author autographed! Thanks Debra. At current diesel prices (1.25 euros a litre) it hurt the budget to motor as often as we had to but being able to anchor as ofen as we did, offset that. So far this cruising season, the ship’s log has recorded 932 nautical miles with about 300 to go.

Sicily is our next destination, then briefly in Tunisia before Chinook takes us back to Sardinia for the winter.
Photo: Brian teachng Hannah the ukulele - she was a quick learner

Please keep in touch - always nice to get your emails.
Ciao, Brian and Deborah

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JUNE 2007 UPDATE

2007-07-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Photo: The four of us anchored off the Roman ruins at Pula - May's "shakedown cruise"

Admittedly, we have been a bit slow keeping you up with the latest news - apologies. Trips to Canada (for the big wedding) and delays to get untied from the marina in Sardinia (Cagliari) made for a belated start on our summer sailing. But we are finally off the dock! Presently (early July) we are in the little east-coast town of La Caletta waiting out a Mistral (a strong north-westerly from the alps) which is howling through a little further north of us.

Our plans are not quite as ambitious for this year. We intend to do a 1200 n.m. "circuit" of the Tyrrhenian Sea (see the map) including the east coast of Sardinia, the coastline of the French island of Corsica, the Italian Island of Elba (where Napolean was exiled in 1814), hopping south along the west coast of Italy to Sicily and across to Tunisia. We may winter-over in Tunisia but at the moment it is more likely that we will return to Sardinia to put Chinook "on the hard" for our planned trip to NZ in January 2008.

Spring in Sardinia was longer, cooler and wetter than usual according to the locals, but to us, it sure beats any cold Canadian spring. In the marina with the other liveaboards there were birthdays to celebrate, barbecues to enjoy, festivals and parades to watch, football (soccer) cup finals to cheer, cricket world cup matches to listen to, America's Cup (Louis Vuitton) finals to race out. But all our winter friends drifted away to other destinations (most to Greece and Turkey) one by one until there were only three of us left.

Photo: Pat, Deborah, Fiona and Robyn happyhouring aboard "Full Flight"

We did "getaway" on Chinook for a weekend mid-May to an anchorage 15 miles south of Cagliari in a small bay called Cala di Pula where, onshore, we roamed well-preserved ruins of a Punic-Roman (previously Phoenician) city of Nora. As a "shake-down" cruise with three other cruisers it got us off the docks looking for potential boat problems - none found! A very uncomfortable rolly anchorage on the second night had us scooting back to the marina early.

Sailing to Cala di Pula and pushing over Pula's punic public leaning posts (photos thanks to "Roam")

Flamingo flights nightly over the Cagliari marina were an awesome sight. Honking like Canada Geese, pink necks stretched out and in classic V-formation, several "sorties" to unknown targets were made. The salt ponds on the outskirts of the city are their home.

The wedding of Brian's son David and his lovely bride Felicia was held in Ontario on June 2nd. Of course we were there! Very tastefully orchestrated with Italian style and flair, the 250 guests were treated to fabulous food, great music and a beautiful ceremony. On their return from a Hawaiian honeymoon Dave and Felica settled into their new appartment in Burlington, Ontario - and back to reality.

Deborah had actually gone back to Canada earlier and went to visit her son Andy in B.C. which gave Brian a chance to get stuck into (uninterruptedly) those inevitable "boat jobs"... Boat "jobs" - never "work" - it's all play on a boat... But plenty to keep us busy this spring. In addition to the boat jobs mentioned in the last blog. we replaced the primary diesel fuel filter with a Racor 5000 series to save on the high cost of previous elements, had repairs and improvements made to the bimini, rewired the navigation station electrics, stripped and revarnished much of the brightwork (exterior woodwork), installed dry-mesh under the v-berth cushions to eliminate condensation, replaced our wooden spreaders which had rotted out at the bases and, yes, brought back from Canada "yet another anchor" - a Fortress FX 23 for a stern kedge.

Sister Ships: Brian made a quick trip to Sicily by ferry to meet another Westwind/Youngsun and its potential owner, Gioi, and to give some advice about the breed. A very pleasant day was spent with Gioi and another cruising couple on Chaliventures (Chuck and Alison), looking over Zephyr, sampling local wines and lunching. Gioi did buy Zephyr and is currently working on it to sail later in the summer. Another Canadian Westwind/YS named Zephyra is still in Tropea, Italy not too far away (see the Blog of June 2006 for the photo of the two of us).

We must report that every time we have dropped the 'bulwagga' anchor it has dug in immediately and deeply and has not budged an inch in strong (30 knot-plus mistral winds with gusts of 40 plus) Our trials on the NZ designed Rocna will begin soon and that having one of the highest ratings of all the new-generation anchors, we expect good results. (For the techie readers, http://www.rocna.com/ and www.noteco.com/bulwagga )

Always love to hear from you - keep those emails coming.
Ciao, Brian and Deborah

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Photos: Mountains near Caletta (east coast) snapped on a recent bike ride, the rotten spreader base - the screwdriver had no trouble...

February and March 2007

2007-04-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2007

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Photo above: the marine growth on Chinook's bottom on haulout

Time flies when you are having fun. And the "winter" has certainly flown for us too. "Winter" in Sardinia has, for the most part, been sunny and "warmish" - days averaging 15 degrees C and nights of 8 degrees. True there have been a few cloudy rainy days lately, and the recent snow on the mountains (photo) was but just a "blip" in the spring. Everything is green - blossoms and wildflowers have been blooming for the past month.

We have made several trips inland to experience festivals in small towns: Mardi Gras in Tempio in the mountainous north, Festival of the Masks in Oristano on the west coast, and an Asparagus and Wild Fennel Festival in Boronedda in the centre of the island. All three were very traditional Sardinian events and extremely interesting. Sampling food, wine, listening to music, watching parades and dancing were all cultural experiences we were glad not to have missed. Two of the trips were bus excursions with the group "Legambiente" (the environment); Deborah improves her Italiano with a Sardi lady, Luisella, who is a member of the group, and she kindly invited us to participate in these festivals. There was also the Mardi Gras Parade in Cagliari itself.

Photo: Luisella and Deborah

And Debby's Italiano is improving by leaps and bounds and she is often the designated interpreter for some of the yotties in the marina. Brian still carries a dictionary, mimes, does sign language and draws pictures.

Photos: stalls in the Cagliari market - note the murals

The city of Cagliari itself, where our marina is situated, never ceases to amaze us. There are museums, art galleries, cathedrals, and the old walled city. Centuries-old buildings, tiny narrow streets, salt flats, piazzas (open squares with their statues and monuments), the huge public market, the Sunday flea and antique markets, the extensive waterfront. We still stumble upon "hole in the wall" places such as artisan's workshops and tiny shops, which are not advertised with any semblance of signage and looking inside proves to be fascinating.

Boat "Stuff" (i.e. the-never-ending-job-list): March was the month to be hauled out so the bottom (hull) could be cleaned, checked and repainted with fresh antifouling. A tremendous amount of marine growth had attached itself in the few months we have been here but three days "on the hard" were sufficient to scrape it all off and repaint. No new gel-coat blisters were found which meant that the last preventative treatment for osmosis was effective. Many other wintering-over cruisers came out of the water around the same time so we could all commiserate about our problems. (Photo of us two courtesy of Hejira)

Other smaller jobs that were completed: some electrical wiring was revamped and improved, an engine-room blower was installed, sanitary hoses and galley sink hoses replaced, Brian was winched up the mast and checked the rigging, the bowsprit and caprails were sanded and revarnished, Debby put new calking around the cockpit coaming, the mainsail was changed (the original put back on), new lettering was made for the bow with "herself''s" name, stainless cleaning, two new anchors (Bulwagga and Rocna) now gleam dully side-by-side on the bowsprit, the sole (floor in the cabin) was sanded and oiled. Each job had its own "adventure" and set of frustrations and took the obligatory three times the planned time to complete. And the local chandleries are so much richer because of us...

The Day our Bicis went AWOL. We loaned our bicis (say "beechees" - bicycles) to a couple of friendly Norwegian cruisers who had berthed beside us, with the stipulation (stressed) they locked them if they left them (we are fastidious about that after Brian's bike was stolen in Portugal). Well, they stopped for a "quick" coffee and didn't they leave the bikes unlocked. Of course they disappeared. The highly embarrassed cruisers graciously paid for replacements - unfortunately (for them) the bikes were relatively expensive. That's life! We would not be without bikes in this live-aboard life - so much more can be seen from above the spinning spokes.

Photo: The largest man-made lake in Europe (Lago Omodeo) - Sardinia's water and electricity supplies

In a couple of weeks the weather will be a little more settled and we hope to visit some anchorages around the island spending about a month exploring before flying back to Canada to David and Felicia's wedding (June 2nd). On returning, the summer and the north of Sardinia await us, as do Corsica, the island of Elba, the west coast of Italy, Sicily, and then Tunisia.

In the meantime, one more intense flurry of social events with the liveaboards here before everyone disappears: we had a BBQ last Sunday; dinners and general partying are scheduled to the bitter end...

Keep in touch once in a while - always love to hear from you.
Ciao, Brian and Deborah

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A pristine bottom once again

January 2007 Update

2007-02-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

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HAPPY NEW YEAR - may 2007 be kind to you.

Here we are, back in Cagliari, Sardinia, after a hectic five weeks in Canada. We are trying to replace the faded tans we left with so we can merge in with the Sards, recovering in the mornings from insane socializing with the other live-aboard cruisers in Marina Del Sole, brushing up on our forgotten Italiano and of course, working on Chinook doing those "put-off" jobs we left in December.

There and Back Again: Our Christmas trip to Canada was great. We thoroughly caught up with family and friends, over ate, over spent and over exerted. One highlight was a ten-day trip to Victoria, Vancouver Island where we stayed with Andy and Kristin (Deborah's son and partner) and went skiing for three days in Sun Peakes (near Kamloops) with them and Kristin’s parents. Good weather and good conditions. Brian's first time on a snowboard for six years, but it all seemed to come back - slowly. From there, Debby flew to Edmonton to watch Andy's home opener lacrosse game while Brian spent a few more days on the island with his old friends Paul and Deanna Shaw

Debby's mom, Frances, spent Christmas and the couple of weeks after in hospital, unfortunately, but is now home and doing very well. Threatening to drive again, so she must be well. As you may recall, Frances and Debby's father lived aboard their Rival 34 sailboat in Europe for four years and crossed the Atlantic in the 1980's, so she gives us full support in our lifestyle.

It was really good to see olde friends and family members again (it has been two years for Brian), but even better to be back aboard Chinook! We did miss Herself, or perhaps it was the weather, or maybe the friendly Sards, the quieter pace of life, good caffe lattes, or maybe it was just having time to and for ourselves again. Back to swimming, biking and jogging, and for Deborah, learning more Italian with a couple of ladies who want to brush up their English.

Photo: Cormorants feeding on mullet at dawn (photo courtesy of Full Flight)
A new phenomenon to us since returning has been the sounds (and sights if we get up at daybreak) of hundreds and hundreds of cormorants feeding on the mullet in the marina. Such a din, some of the birds striking our hull under the water as they chase the fish and the flapping of wings when they take off to another area. They do not cry though and the sight of them congregated near us is quite amazing.

Messing About on the Boat: Chinook has just had her V-berth renovated; involved was taking off the wall covering material and replacing it with an "easy-clean" formica as well as new shelves on either side. Bit of a messy job but not too complicated - the usual cutting, drilling , sanding, varnishing and an equal amount of time cleaning up. When any interior work is involved, the small inside of Chinook is a disaster zone. Everything in a boat has its "place" and there is never any room for anything else. So when a whole "room" is being worked on, all the "stuff" goes into the "other room", and there are only two "rooms"! We seem to manage.

Photo: the waterfront of Cagliari

The primary diesel filter system was revamped (with a Racor 500 series) and many replacement elements were "smuggled" back form Canada, being less than half the European price there. As was the "prize" - the new 22 Kg. "Bulwagga" anchor - which was huffed and puffed through four airports and allowed through as (maximum) checked baggage weight (it was actually seven Kg over on the Ryan Air flight) Although Brian had spent an afternoon at the Toronto Boat Show two days before leaving, he only spent $10 on some velcro ties - a record.

The next main project is the sole (cabin floor, landlubbers) - sanding and re-oiling the teak in an attempt to restore its former beauty. Some rigging replacement may be necessary, a sail change, and a haul-out is planned for March to clean the bottom and generally prepare her for the season's sailing.

Much to see yet: Until the sailing begins again we will continue to enjoy the country and being in Europe generally. An overnight bus trip to a traditional mask festival this month (February) in the northern mountain town of Tempio will be a highlight for us. The busy social life with the marina yotties seems to take up an inordinate amount of time, but you will never hear us complain too loudly about that.

Ciao for now, Brian and Deborah.

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The Bulwagga anchor - a "new generation" design anchor with excellent reviews

OCTOBER 2006 UPDATE

2006-11-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

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Photo: the south coast of Sardinia near Teulada en route to Cagliari
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We had been in Carloforte on the Island of Saint Pietro for about ten days and decided to explore the west coast of Sardinia before heading for Cagliari, our winter destination. The Mediterranean climate was to give us at least another month of good sailing weather, so why not make good use of it. Waiting for the winds to become favourable southerlies was not tedious as we were enjoying Carloforte, cycling around Isola San Pietro and taking the ferry to nearby towns for day-trips.
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Photo: Roam off Tharros at sun-up preparing to sail.

So, on October 10th we began sailing north the 90 nautical miles, overnighting halfway in an anchorage off the ruins of a Roman town, Tharros, in the Gulf of Oristano. Approaching Oristano Bay we were treated to the antics of several Italian Air Force fighter jets practising runs on "targets" in the bay - screaming right overhead us for two hours. In the anchorage we met up with Terry and Fiona on Roam whom we had not seen since leaving Gibraltar. Of course it was a given that the partying went on until quite late - the next morning's early departure proved a tad difficult.
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Photo: Alghero Port satelite view - Google Earth picture.

Arriving late afternoon in Alghero we opted for Marina Ser-Mar rather than the "free" town docks which were run by "ommerggiatori" (dock supervisors), notorious for hassling transient cruisers who were not inclined to pay the exorbitant fees (30 euros per night) for the "optional" water and electrical hookups. Roam, who are British flagged, had been bothered by the local police and customs (often in league with the ommergiatori) and we did not wish awkward questions asked by immigration officials about our now over-extended stay in the E.U.
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Photo: Porto Conte near Alghero - superb anchorages.
Alghero is a very pretty old walled city with the new city extending around it, apart from the waterfront. It is a touristy place, but the height of the tourist season was over and apart from a couple of cruise ships anchored in the bay occasionally disgorging large tenders of large Germans (or much smaller Japanese) into the town, it was quiet. We took our bicycles on the bus to "Neptunes Grotto" (immense limestone caves complete with stalactites and stalagmites) and biked the 25K slowly back along the coastline, stopping at more Roman ruins (they are everywhere but it is still hard to become indifferent about them).
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Photo: Bosa from across its river.
A day bus trip along the south coast road to Bosa returning inland through the mountains gave us a glimpse of Sardinia's interior: mountainous, rocky, olive and cork treed, grazing sheep herds with tinkling bells and villages perched on hillsides. We intend to see much more of it. Sasari, Sardinia's second largest city is a 25 minute train ride from Alghero. Our bikes were 3 euros extra but they got us around the city to the archaelogical museum and cathedral. The weather was gorgeous the whole time we were north.
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We left Alghero on the 27th October for the four-day sail south to Cagliari. The northerly winds that we had to wait weeks for became light easterlies then stronger south easterlies by mid afternoon, so once again, the sailing became motoring into a chop. Stopping again on the mooring balls in Golfo di Oristano off Tharros for the night was an easy option. The second day we were able to sail for a few hours as the weather forecast was right for a change - we reached Carloforte by 5 p.m.
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Photo: Brian enjoying a pizza lunch after a hard bike on San Pietro.
The third day of travel to Teulada had us motoring three hours and sailing four, dropping the hook in a protected bay off... yes, more Roman ruins. Brian dove on the anchor to ensure it was well in after the first attempt failed on a rocky bottom, then he cleaned off the propeller which actually had very little growth on it. The water was still quite warm - a real bonus to be able to swim in the ocean in late October.
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Photo: Debby reading on the beach on Isola Antioco.

Cagliari was reached at 1430 the fourth day - motoring and motor-sailing in light winds, and avoiding the many oil tankers approaching the offshore teminal. It was nice to be greeted by the marina staff in a zodiac and helped into our slip by Terry and Fiona. We invited them aboard for a glass of wine and before we knew it ten people were aboard (all Brits) and a great party going with guitars and singing! A super welcome by the live-aboard winter community.
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Cagliari is the capital city of Sardinia. As with most capitals it is cosmopolitan, resplendent with beautiful buildings, cathedrals, Roman ruins, lush parks, many diverse cultural activities, busy roads, and most things one would need. It will be an excellent place to stay the winter, and the price for the marina (Marina Del Sole - family-run) is right at less than 4 euros a day! We joined the health club (gym and pool) across the road and are swimming regularly (Deborah more than Brian but Brian is treadmill-jogging also). Of course we are biking our buns all over the city. There is currently a jazz festival going on and we went to a professional soccer game, Cagliari upsetting top team Palermo (Sicily) 1- 0 to the delight of the 15 000 or so roaring singing fans.
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New Zealand Steinlager 2, which won the Whitbread Around the World race in 1989-90 captained by Sir Peter Blake, was in the marina next to us (in full view) and lifted out to check the hull and saildrive before sailing back to the Italian mainland (see photo). She was purchased by Italy and is used for crew training. Great moment for Brian.
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Debby took Italian lessons, an intensive 30 hour course which helps her communication with the natives immensely. Brian continues to mime and draws pictures a lot but is increasing his nautical vocabulary in the chandleries. The fifteen or so live-boards here are a really nice bunch and the winter should fly by with many social activities. Yes, there is "work" to be done on Chinook (as always) but nothing extensive. A haul out is planned in March to check and clean "herself's" bottom before cruising Sardinia's east coast and Corsica.

A flying trip for a month in Ontario in December and January with family and friends. Debby will also fly out to B.C. for two weeks to visit her son Andrew while Brian is reclining in his dentist's chair for some extensive (and expensive) work on the few remaining ageing teeth. We will be thinking of you all over the Christmas season.
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Ciao for now amicos, Brian and Deborah.

Photos below: the fans cheering on wining Cagliari, an archaelogical "dig" near Carloforte, Chinook tied up in the marina in Alghero and a couple of ancient ruins in ancient ruins.

August Update

2006-10-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

Photo: Tuscan landscape in September

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From Spain to Italy…

Well, actually, from the Balearics to Sardinia. Some of the inhabitants of these islands have separatist leanings with distinctly different customs and language dialects than their mainland counterparts. Not such a bad thing, as that often translates into friendliness and a slower pace.

But first, our “side trip” to Tuscany, then back to the “sailing bits”.

Deborah returned to the Balearics late August from her extended trip to Ontario and we immediately flew to Rome to meet up with our old NZ friends, the Dodds and the Shaws. What a week that was! We had rented a farmhouse in Tuscany in the region of Siena and using that as our base, van-tripped daily around the beautiful Tuscan countryside, visiting all the small hilltop villages and towns enjoying the scenery, wines and food.

The photos describe the Tuscan views and villages far better than I ever could, the foods we sampled delighted our palattes and naturally the local vinos complemented the food. Wild boar sandwiches, local cheeses and sausage, of course typical Italian pizzas and pastas. The farmhouse had a traditional outdoor oven in which we barbecued several times and even roasted a leg of lamb (as Kiwis are wont to do when together).

Photo: the six of us in Tuscany - L to R: the Dodds, us and the Shaws.

Photo: The serious cheese rolling competition we came across on a Sunday afternoon in Pienza (Tuscany).

The way our flights were scheduled meant that we could spend two half-days exploring the city of Rome. We were selective and it was not rushed. The Ancient City ruins, the Vatican, an open-air bus city tour and a long stroll around the city on Saturday night (with the millions of tourists and locals) were plenty for us this time around.

Then back to Chinook. The weather took a week to cooperate for the next planned sailing leg of our "Med. trippin’". Sardinia is 200 n.m. due east of Menorca, which meant for Chinook’s slower rate, 40 to 48 hours of sailing. For the past week the winds had been hard northerlies – gale force at times – but they were forecasted to slowly lessen over a period of 2 –3 days. We left the harbour at 8:30 a.m. in very lumpy seas, a legacy from the northerlies, but agreeable 15 knot winds which virtually died by late afternoon. Not in the forecast. The “iron genny” (the engine, landlubbers!) was pressed into service and we motored and motor-sailed all night and most of the next day. The wind again sprang up enabling us to sail some more until it backed around to be on our nose, forcing us to motor-sail the last 25 n.m.

So, not quite by design, we ended up entering the new marina “Sifreda” in the town of Carloforte on the island of San Pietro on the south western tip of Sardinia at 8:30 a.m. exactly 48 hours after leaving Menorca. Tired, we tied up Chinook and got some real sleep for a few hours. On the passage we had seen five freighters, several fishing boats, one pod of dolphins, received a visit from two small land birds (finches we think) - which obligingly cleaned up some of the flies that somehow had flown out to Chinook - and had an invasion of moths (yes, 50 n.m. from land!).

Photo: Deborah with the pink flamingos which live in the salt flats on the outskirts of town.

A deal for the marina prices was struck (ten euros a day) when we found the town to be one in which we would like to enjoy for a few weeks. It (the town) is pretty, the people exceptionally friendly, and cycling around the island affords fabulous views not to mention good cardio-workouts. The ferry service to the Sardinian mainland is frequent and we took one to the capital city of Cagliari to check out the marina (Del Sole) where we think we may spend the winter. Both city and marina lived up to our expectations and so by the first of November, that is where we shall be.

In the meantime, weather permitting, we will sail to ports around Sardinia and practise our Italian on unsuspecting and confused locals, at the same time fleecing them of their vinos, pizzas and delicious chapata bread. Somehow we missed the fig season (a very short one whilst we were in Tuscany) but the grape harvest is in full swing and other fresh fruits abound. Our dangerous life continues…

Ciao, Brian and Deborah

Photos: Our sailing route in July and August around the Balearics; some of the classic sailboats in the regatta held in Mahon in August; the Colliseum in Rome

July Update

2006-08-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

July Update

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Photo above: the anchorage of Mahon from the old town

Another month and more adventures. Settled weather at last, hot days, warm nights, no rain and light breezes - and no insects! All this with the scenery of the beautiful Balearics with its clear warm water. Well, O.K., I must admit it iwas not absolutely perfect. The anchorages were crowded, the tourists were everywhere as the whole of Europe went on holiday in July and August. But it was all interesting.

Chinook spent a lot of time on a mooring ball in the port town of Mahon on the east coast of Menorca. For all you mayonnaise lovers, this is actually where the creamy sauce was invented. Richelieu, who had commanded the successful French invasion in 1756 had his chef invent and prepare a sauce based on the local "alioli" (which is basically eggs and olive oil whipped up with lots of garlic chunks) and he called it "mahon-esa". He served it at the victory banquet in Paris and the rest is history! By the way alioli is delicious on cold boiled potatoes...

Skill-testing question (to see if you read the text): which came first, the mayonnaise or the alioli? (photo left)

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The island itself, being almost central in the Mediterranean made it militarily strategic. It changed hands six times (between the Spanish, French and British) and each time Mahon was the prize. It has the greatest concentration of prehistoric remains in the entire Mediterranean including what is believed to be the oldest building in Europe. There are a number of Neolithic caves and many megalithic monuments built by bronze age tribes which inhabited the island before the succesive waves of invading Phonecias, Greeks, Romans, Turks, Vandals, Visgoths and Moors. The latest invaders are the tourists.

Photo: in the foreground is a taula, rather like a stonehenge structure - probably religous in origin. In the background is a talayot, thought to be watchtowers; some are hollow with living quarters inside. These two monuments are common over the island and unique to the Balearics.

Enough ancient history. Modern stuff: the latest update simply lets you know that Deborah spent a month in Canada, Brian's sailing friend Will Urquhart came to visit for two weeks, Debby extended her stay and so Brian reluctantly dragged himself around those ancient sites, mingling incognito with tourists, and caught up on all the outstanding boat jobs (he says this every month) and ate pots of mahon-esa.

Deborah went back to Ontario visit her family and to watch the Men's World Lacrosse Championships in which her son, Andy, was playing for Canada. Canada won, beating the USA in the finals - the first time the USA had lost since 1978. Great celebrations! But alas, living the outdoor life, particulary in the sunshine, both of us in spite of being careful, need to have sun skin damage removed occasionally and Debby had a spot on her lip removed, necessitating stitches - hence an extended stay. She did miss Chinook (and Brian).

Photo: Will looking a little apprehensive as a cruise ship passes close to Chinook.
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Will Urquhart and I (Brian) sailed (well, again to be honest, motored in those light winds) Chinook from Port Soller to Mahon. This involved three day sails: the first from Soller to Pollensa at the north of Mellorca (25 nm) where we stayed two nights, then 45 n.m. across to the south coast of Menorca anchoring in the busy little cala (bay) of Son Saura, and the third leg of 25 n.m. around the coast to Mahon. Will had his sailboat in a slip next to ours in The Niagara On the Lake Sailing Club and bought a larger cruiser on which to "live the dream, setting off at the same time as Chinook. Unfortunately ill health forced him to interrupt his journey, but he is now almost ready to set off south (from Ontario) again in his new Shannon 28, tot le matin. We had many long conversations past midnight - Will's enthusiasm for tot le matin and his new venture showed through.

Just before leaving Soller, we were invited to a "happy hour" on another Canadian boat, Mon Ark. Chris and Linda had some "left over" flavoured rums from the Caribbean they were determined to get rid of as they were heading back to Ontario for a year of work. We took over a bottle of the local (Soller-distilled) orange liquor "Oro de Sol" to finish off the night. And it seemed to, quite well.

The long deep harbour of Mahon is very sheltered from strong winds, but somewhat churned up by the many ferries, cruise ships, freighters and of course all the pleasure boaters especially this time of year. Unfortunately the water is not conducive to swimming as a result. Shortly Chinook will be sailed around the north coast to the sheltered cala of Fornells - much quieter, cleaner and cheaper (no mooring fees to be paid).

Sadly, a sailing friend passed away recently. You may remember reading about Doug and Jan (sv Freeway) in our June update. We met them in Portimao in the boatyard on the hard next to us a year ago and we had just spent a week with them whilst in Port Almerimar in June, again with many happy hours. Just a few weeks ago, Jan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which took her very very quickly. They had cruised for 25 years all over the Mediterranean, Pacific and the Caribbean and had just purchased a new boat. They had lived the dream for a long time. It is too soon for Doug to make any decisions about his future but we are sure it will include more cruising. Jan will be missed by many cruisers.

We had planned to make Sardinia our next destination. We were to meet friends (the Dodds and the Shaws) in Tuscany - a land trip this time- and a ferry from Sardinia to the Italian mainland was the convenient and inexpensive plan. However, with Deborah staying longer in Canada, we would not have the time to sail Chinook there this month. Ah well, it proved not a bad island to spend more time in.

Boat jobs and new acquisitions ("the never ending list" - TNEL) included in this month: building an outboard motor lifting derrick, constructing a folding cart out of a swim ladder which easily totes two heavy water jugs (friend Bill Severin told Brian once that the sailing community was not ready for him after he had modified a toilet seat fitting to make a tiller extension), checking steering linkages, and purchasing new (flat rectangular) fenders that stow away neatly. Also the binacle was rewired, the autohelm control unit moved and a 240 volt inlet was installed. Keeps one out of mischief...

Diesel fuel on these island was 1.08 Euros per litre (about $1.50 CAD - $2.20 NZD). Putting in a 100 litres hurts...

Hasta la next update.
Brian and Deborah

Photo: a menorquin, one of the very popular pleasure craft built here. A tubby little boat with a very traditional fore and aft. Some have sails...

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JUNE 2006 UPDATE

2006-06-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

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HERE WE ARE IN THE BEAUTIFUL BALEARIC ISLANDS with all of Europe’s holidaymakers about to descend on us. Note how full the Soller anchorage is already (photo above).

Finally reaching the Balearics on 4th June after having to wait seemingly a long time for favourable winds to enable us to hop along the Spanish mainland coast then over to the islands, we are pretty pleased to be here. Anchored securely in a small, almost circular bay off the town of Port Soller on the island of Mallorca, we wonder at the spectacularly high mountains surrounding us, the quaint buildings of the town and the sunny warm weather day after day after day. The reasons, of course exactly why we are here.

After leaving Morocco on May 5 we sailed most of the 65 nm to Benalmadena on the Spanish mainland in good conditions. Benalmadena was a one night stand in a holiday-town marina where many rowdy Brits go to party; on to Motril the next day (motoring as the winds had deserted us), and then on to Almerimar the day after, again motor-sailing in light winds.

Almerimar is just south of Cabo de Gata and another weather window was needed to avoid being beaten up by the prevailing winds and waves both accentuated by the “cape effect” as well as the contra current. Not a problem waiting, we were not in a real hurry. We had emails from cruisers that the Balearics were receiving more than a fair share of late gale-force winds this spring, Almerimar is a huge marina (very reasonable prices - 8 euros per night) with a large live-aboard population, good facilities, chandleries and services. We had a bracket made for our wind generator guy wires, put in a new head (toilet), changed oil and filters and were able to bike and jog in pretty surroundings. Almerimar is also in the center of Europe’s greenhouses, so fruits and vegetables grown under the hundreds thousands of hectares of plastic in Costa del Sol were plentiful and cheap.

We met up again with Doug and Jan (s/v Freeway) whom with we had spend a lot of time in Portimao a year previously on the hard, and had many more happy hours with them. They had just sold Freeway and had proudly bought Wizzo, a Jeanneau 47, still not yet in the water. Doug and Jan have been live-aboard cruisers for 25 years, have sailed in most places around the world and gave us many tips about Mediterranean cruising.

Ten days in Almerimar and we were anxious to get to Cartagena to obtain our new temporary import papers for Chinook to allow her to stay in the European Union countries for another 18 months VAT (GST) free. The weather finally cooperated allowing us make it in three hops – two quiet anchorages of Carbonera and Subida on the way. Actually, Subida was only 12 nm from Cartagena but the wind was so strong on the nose getting around Cape Tinos was simply impossible – not to mention frustrating.

Photo: The sound crew wiring up for a concert in Cartagena´s new amphitheatre built next to the old Roman-built one (currently being restored).
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We tied up at the wall in Cartagena on Saturday at around 10 a.m. (unfortunately, we thought, as the customs offices were closed until Monday and the weather was good for us to keep on moving. As we were to find out to our great delight, Cartegena is a fascinating city and we ended up staying there eight nights, exploring the city by bike, visiting historical sites and museums with their ancient Roman ruins. The city was founded in 227 BC, had 3 centuries of Roman rule, was taken by the Visgoths and Arabs before bcoming "Spanish" again in 1245 AD. Mining, the natural harbour and the uniquness of the surrounding topography (making it easily defended) made Cartagena important. The “father” of the modern submarine (Isaac Peral) had lived there, designing and building the prototype in the naval yards; now the local Naval Museum proudly displays every possible relic and photograph they could find. Interesting stuff.

Obtaining our “temporary importation” renewal for Chinook was easy. They had no forms for yachts, so the form for automobiles was used, “barco” written above the scratched out “automovil”. If it works for them….

A young American couple we met stayed a night aboard. Walker and Michaela were long-distance biking along the Costa del Sol from Seville where they had taken Spanish courses and needed a place to stay for a night. It was refreshing to have them aboard and we would hope that someone else will do the same for our own kids some day. Photo: Walker and Michaela all set to pedal off

The Queen of Spain paid a visit to Cartegena that week and we caught a wee glimpse through the throngs.

The leg from Cartagena to Campello then Moraira (a total of about 100 nm) was mostly motored – again light winds. Moraira was to be our leaping off point to Ibiza Island in the Balearics. Coincidentally an old school chum of Brian’s was holidaying in a small town 25 Km north, and we arranged for a day to get together with Barney and his wife Jackie to catch up on a few years missed. Brian and Barney had started school together at age 5, were in the same classes for years, were great friends during those formative years, losing touch for 35 years when Barney went to Australia to live, reuniting in Canada 7 years ago, but now have a real chance of getting together almost yearly as they visit Europe every summer. Barney does long "walks" in various parts of Great Britain and Jackie has family in Croatia.

In the seemingly protected anchorage at Moraira we dropped the hook in very pretty surroundings – high cliffs, sandy beach, quaint town just outside the marina. A few hours later the wind had backed 180 degrees and picked up. By midnight the swell was making it extremely uncomfortable aboard keeping us awake and on anchor watch. We were in the marina by eight the next morning. “High season” meant prices were up, but we had little option and three days later we were able to leave for the Balearics.

First landfall was San Antonio in Ibiza Island after 60 nm and 13 hours of tiresome motoring. The summer weather patterns of the Mediterranean Basin had established themselves with the prevailing east/north easterlies coming from the exact direction we were heading (of course). It was good to finally get to our summer destination, to be somewhere again to enjoy and more to put an end to long days of traveling (motoring – sailing would perhaps be different). Our house batteries had decided to die there, so we “invested” in new ones paying double the Canadian prices.

From San Antonio to Portinatx where we had planned to stop overnight, but thunder cells in the area changed our minds. Lightning, strong gusts and dragging boats in the weedy-bottomed anchorage encouraged us to wait another day before crossing the strait to Mallorca. And with clear skies and easterlies of 10 knots we sailed most of the 50 nm (winds dying toward the end of the day) to Port Andratx, arriving at around 6 p.m.

Photo: Look-a-like sister ships Chinook and Zephyra.
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For our landlubber readers, a “sister ship” is a vessel of the same make and model. Chinook is a “Young Sun” or “ Westwind” as they are respectively known in North America and Great Britain and were not produced in great numbers, so when another sister ship is encountered, it is a red letter day. Brian is an enthusiastic member of the MSN Owner’s Group and has been e-mailing Vancouver-based Jim on Zephyra for the last six years. Zephyra was shipped over to the Med. nine months ago and it was on this day “the sisters” were getting together. She sailed in to Andratx a few hours after Chinook, and Jim and crewmember Rita “happy houred” with us until late, the ladies becoming bored I’m sure by some of the technical stuff. We saw much of them over the next few days before they went back to Valencia on the mainland to try to see some of the America’s Cup (of sailing races). You may recall we came on three other “sister ships” in Grenada in the Caribbean (see the blogpage “Grenada, our Special Island”.

A Real Blow! In Andratx we experienced an unusual weather phenomenon that had occurred here 30 years previously. A line squall approached the settled anchorage at about 8 p.m. We saw it coming as we were finishing dinner and, recognizing what it could bring, hastily threw our dinner dishes in the galley and started the engine as the winds suddenly increased and the chaos begun. The bottom holding was poor in the weedy bay and most of the anchored boats began to drag in the ensuing 50 to 60 knot gusts. Fortunately we were one of the very few that did not (drag) and by taking the tension off the anchor chain by motoring and steering into the wind as well as trying to avoid hitting any of the boats around us, we avoided any mishap apart from two broken china bowls from the extreme rolling. Another boat was blown side-on to our bowsprit as they were trying to pull up their anchor (passing in front of us) but luckily only suffered minor damage to two stanchion posts. The blow lasted about 20 minutes, then everyone who had pulled up re-anchored. Near midnight another storm cell approached and many boats pulled up anchor again and milled around in anticipation of a repeat performance. It never came; the cell passed a few miles north of us, as did another at 4 a.m. We sat up and watched the natural fireworks. Our dinghy had flipped upside down and sank, then thankfully re-emerged because of its built-in flotation. The next morning was spent getting the salt water out of the gas tank, carburettor and other engine innards and getting it running again.

We heard later from Zephyra, who were in Soller, that the line squall had caused similar havoc there and a local newspaper reported that nine million euros worth of damages to boats and property were caused in the narrow inlet at Ciudadele on Menorca. Both Soller and Ciudadele suffered an emptying surge of the basin (completely in Ciudadele and a five metre drop in Soller) with a resurgance of sea back in. We were lucky; it was a timely reminder to continue careful anchoring practices however benign the climate may seem, also a similar reminder that the Med. is not a pussy cat.

Port Soller, where we spent several weeks is a very sheltered almost circularly enclosed small bay on the west coast of Mallorca. It is surrounded by spectacular high mountains. The water is 21 degrees C and quite clear. The port town is touristy as is the very quaint little town of Soller three kilometers up the valley with its bougainvillea draped stone buildings and hundreds of lemon, orange and olive groves. An electric tram and bus service connect the two and a wooden train and regular bus service provide a fast service to Palma and the rest of the island via a tunnel through the mountain range. While waiting for the train in Soller, one can view the station’s permanent exhibition of 50 of Picasso´s ceramics (originals). The web site www.sollernet.com will give you more insight to the place if you can spare another 30 seconds.

Debby flew back to Ontario for the month of July (poor her) and Brian was joined by a sailing buddy, Will Urqhart, for a couple of weeks and they took Chinook to the island of Menorca.
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Photos: Debby relaxing in the old wooden train en-route to Palma and one of Picasso´s original ceramics in the display.

May Update

2006-05-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Everyone,

Our trip to Morocco features high on April’s memorable times. It was the perfect place to take Chinook out of the EU for a short period to avoid paying VAT on her, and the bonus was seeing (for us) such a different land and culture than we had ever seen before. Right out of National Geographic.

The 25 nm sail across from Gibraltar was a slow (average 3 knots) due to an adverse current encountered half way across the Strait and light winds. Marina Smir on the north coast is run on Spanish lines and is very efficient in terms of checking in and berthing and not crowded, although miles from anywhere. Relatively expensive for Moroccan harbours (mostly fishing harbours – there are very few actual marinas in Morocco), it is noted for its good security and for our trip inland to see more of the country; that was paramount for us.

In the Medina (ancient walled city) in Tetouan

A few days exploring the nearby towns; a 10 K bike ride to M’diq, and a half-hour 10 Dirham (one euro) public taxi ride to Tetouan which has an ancient walled city (the medina). Public taxis are ageing (probably formerly condemned) Mercedes Benzes which ply the roads always seeming to eventually pick up and cram in six passengers. We started to sand the butterfly hatch in preparation for re-varnishing, then the rain halted that so we decided to head inland to the holy city of Fez (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and further south to the great Sahara.

It was a fabulous six days; a total of about 2000 Km, four long days of bus travel and two days and nights in the desert trekking on camels to an oasis and sleeping in nomad tents. The bus ride through the Rif and Atlas Mountain ranges presented us with such a varied vista of landscapes. From the beaches on the coast, through fertile mountain valleys, pine cedar and eucalyptus forests to starkly barren (still snow-capped) mountains and finally to the flat orange-brown desert plains. The road winds along the Ziz valley – oasis like with date palms, olive groves and herded flocks of goats and sheep.

Photo: A village in the dry Atlas Mountains Houses made of clay blocks.

Morocco is a third world country most of the population living below the poverty level - on less than a dollar a day. People are, however, very friendly, genuinely wanting to help and practice their English on us. Often we were approached by beggars but they were never as “pushy” as the people who wanted to guide us. French is very widely spoken (thank goodness for Debby’s French language skills) along with some Spanish. The thousands-of-years of history of the country is tremendously interesting. Islam is the principal religion; loudspeakers call the faithful Muslims to prayer four times a day from minarets to the local mosque (or the prayer room in the bus stations - our desert guides prayed at four a.m. outside our tent). Women of course cover most of their skin (but few had complete face covering and many of the younger set in the larger cities dressed western style), Deborah certainly was looked up and down by everyone even though she did wear long sleeves and jeans for a disguise – her blonde hair and blue eyes were a bit of a giveaway.

The Blue Gate in the Medina (old city) in Fez. Fantastic tile mosaics.

Just have to mention food before making this into a complete travelogue: we ate traditional meals of (uninspiring) lamb stew and couscous (tajine), a delicious beef dish baked in a clay pot with peppers, onions and tomatoes (almost swimming in olive oil and Moroccan spices - Brian’s attempt to copy it on Chinook did not do it justice), barbecued lamb at roadside stands, deep-fried chickpea fritters, chicken samosa-like pastilles, fresh sheep cheese, many, many flat bread “rounds”, sweet mint tea, and Deborah found plenty of pastries to satisfy her sweet tooth. Fresh eggs, fruits and veges are cheap and plentiful in the markets, but the hanging meat joints with their fly crowds did not appeal to us . The Moroccan beer (Flag) is “run-of-the-mill” and the wine, a shiraz-cabernet, is inexpensive and good. Islam prohibits alcohol, so alcohol is not easy to find and there are few drinking establishments. It was a dry six days in the desert (literally).

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Photo: the tannery in Fez. Very very smelly. We put crushed mint leaves up our nostrils to help combat the stink.

It may bore you to go on further. We have many more tales to tell, but we won’t bog you down with all the details. Seeing artisans working with copper, brass, silver, wood, leather, silk, ceramics, watching carpets being hand woven, hides being tanned, tiles being painted … The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the cities, people, architecture, landscapes, and food kept us amazed for the time we spent in Morocco. If you ever get the chance, we thoroughly recommend the Moroccan experience.

Hand weaving a carpet. It takes 25 days to do one square metre

Presently we are sailing east, coast-hopping along the Spanish Costa del Sol to the Balearic Islands where we will spend the summer months. Depending on the weather this is a 300 nm trip of a couple of weeks. Catching up with other cruising couples we have met (who are also heading in that direction) will be fun.

The camel train winding thru the Chebbi Dunes to the oasis (or: Debbi in the Chebbi)

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April Update

2006-04-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Here is our update for April, in other words, the travels and exploits of the fearless Chinook and her less-than-intrepid crew over the last few weeks. Remember, photos can be enlarged by clicking on them but remember to choose "Back" to return to this page.

We slipped the slip of Club Nautico Sevilla on March 8th after exactly 100 days in this beautiful city. We were sorry to leave, but it was time to move on. The bridge did open for us at 1730 (the operator was not drunk and managed to get the police to ensure all the traffic had stopped before raising the bridge) and we also made the 1800 lock opening two nm down the river. Anchoring in the Guadilqivir River at the peaceful junction of the canal on the second attempt in a strong tidal current around 1900 watching the freighters pass by for a few hours before darkness set in, finished the day’s traveling.

It was a peaceful night. The noise of the big city was gone - no sirens, construction noise, traffic horns and fumes, neighbours… The first time we had anchored for months.

Photo: Saying goodbye to our neighbours at the Club Nautico Marina
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The next morning we awoke to unforecasted fog that scotched our hopes of making passage down the river with the early tidal current. Nothing to do but sit at anchor for the day reading a book, drinking tea and hoping the following day would be a brighter one - and it was. The plan was to make best use of the tidal current, anchor for 3 - 4 hours in the adverse current then motor downriver again with the tide change as far as we could before dark. As luck would have it - or maybe the current was not as strong as we had anticipated - we kept on plodding the whole 40 nm to Chipiona and tied up in the marina at 1700. Our friends on Roam greeted us and with bottles of wine we celebrated our return to Chipiona.

The motor down the river was quite uneventful. There was little wind, lots of sun, three freighters passed us giving us lots of room, the shrimp boats were not working, the herons were in their nests and it really was a tranquil trip.

The next week was spent in Chipiona just waiting for the right weather conditions to sail east and commiserating with Roam’s crew who had decided to replace their dying engine to the tune of many euros. On the 14th we “sailed” to Rota, a distance of only 15 nm, a frustrating five hours of motoring into head winds and small waves.

We had actually intended to make Cadiz – another 5 nm, but the thought of battling another two hours made the decision easy. We were very pleasantly surprised by the pretty port and town of Rota. The weather worsened and it was not for another week that we could sail to Barbate (35 nm) and the next day make Gibraltar.

The last 37 nm leg was motored. Tunny (tuna) nets, set two miles offshore, were to be skirted at Zahara just as we had done approaching Rota. Passing Tarifa – the narrowest point in the Straits of Gibraltar that for 300 days of the year has wind speeds of over 30 knots – we observed the limp flags and glassy seas. With the tide and perpetual current into the Mediterranean our SOG "speed over the ground" was often above seven knots.

Living in the shadow of The Rock

Photo: approaching "The Rock" 23 March 2006"
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Gibraltar is a different experience. “Not quite British and definitely not Spanish” is how our guide book correctly puts it. There still exists a slight political friction between Spain and Britain about The Rock – should we give it back? The locals are fluently bilingual with interesting English and Spanish accents. There is also a sizeable permanent Jewish and Muslim population here evidenced by the dress commonly seen around the town and a large mosque out at Europa Point. Many of the shopkeepers are of East Indian descent, so it is a truly multicultural society.

However, it is a tourist destination and the the beet-red (sunburnt) brit tourists arriving four flights daily gorge on fish and chips, brit-beers, duty-free liquor and visit Marks and Spencers to spend. Gibraltar is shabby, expensive (replace dollars with English pounds), and the across-the-runway (border) walk to Spanish La Linea is refreshing. The marina is 150 metres east of the airport runway so we are provided with daily entertainment – especially the seagull clearing exercises before the daily six flights arrive and depart.

We took the cable car to the top of the Rock on a cloudless day and visited with the Barbary apes (tailless monkeys - macaques) and spent two enjoyable hours walking down, peering into the old barred-off tunnels and gun turrets, observing the snow on the African Atlas Mountains to the south and the Spanish Sierras in the east and imagining the glory days of the Rock. It is quite unforgettable – just like the pictures: picturesque and steeped in history - but only if they would make it tourist friendly instead of the rip-off it actually is - and clean it up a little. Jaded and faded, almost dirty and depressing when off the beaten track.

Terry and Fiona from Roam came to stay for a few days with us and in their rental car we “took to the hills” to visit Ronda, an old city in the mountains built on the sides of a gorge. All the “white cities” in the mountains are very, very pretty – whitewashed houses with red terracotta brick tiled roofs with their donkey-narrow streets hanging on cliff faces. Although we had biked across to Spain several times with no hassels (usually it is a nod and wave through with a mere glance at the passport covers), we were stopped while crossing the border in the car and told that we were illegally entering Spain (our visas had long expired) but they did allow us one day in the end.

Photo: One of the Spanish "white cities" in the mountains north of Gibraltar
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We are staying here in Gib a little longer than anticipated trying to rearrange boat insurance. Our insurance company required an out of water survey (expensive here) after only three years. We have found another company (Pantaenius) that will insure us with our existing survey for the same premium, so there really is little contest. Currently negotiating and finalizing everything before sailing across to Morocco later in the week, we have also managed to delete the top few items from the never-ending job list – a Navtex weather receiver, a new mainsheet, some electrical rewiring, adding shape to the sagging bimini and waterproofing it, purchasing all the guides and charts we need for the Mediterranean. An expensive stop even though it is a duty-free port..

Haircut time again (photo thanks to Suleika)
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The marina is $14 CAD per night, quite reasonable considering the location. It is bow-to mooring (commonly called “Med style”) to cram more boats in. It makes getting on and off interesting in the swells that roll through the marina when the high-speed ferries pass. One of the other two marinas is closing soon and is currently building luxury condos overlooking the bay adding to the highrise skyline.

The NZ boat Hullabaloo dropped by for a visit (by car) and to pick up several items we had brought for them from Seville. It was great to see them again. We “happy houred” often with a friendly Swiss couple, Martin and Adriana on yacht Suleika moored next to us. They have a brand new aluminium boat and are ambitiously planning to slowly sail around the world.

Photo: Ronda - built on the side of a gorge
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All in all, an interesting stopover, one we would not have missed, but it is off across the Strait to Morocco as soon as the weather cooperates. Smir is the destination primarily to take Chinook out of the EU so we can re-enter (her) avoiding paying VAT (GST, IVA) as it is now 18 months since we entered the European mainland.

Photo below: the mosque at Europa Point

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March Update

2006-03-07T05:30:00.001-08:00

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March was another interesting month in Seville aboard Chinook. They all are.

We took the train to Cordoba (once the largest city in Spain) an hour and a half north of Seville. Our bicycles were welcomed on the train and were a boon for seeing that city. Highlights were the Real Alcazar (Royal Castle of the Christian Kings) built in 1328 and also the headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition from 1492 until the1800’s and an 11th century Arabic mosque cum Jewish temple cum Catholic church. Cordoba was also famed as the place where Christopher Columbus receiving the royal blessing from Ferdinand and Isabella (who funded him) to sail off to America.

Deborah, while practising a stretching exercise at her tai chi class, hurt her left knee quite badly. She had to go to the local medical clinic, saw specialists, had xrays and an MRI, bought crutches and was virtually boat-bound for two weeks. If you know her you would realize how frustrated she was. No swimming, walking or biking - just hobbling. The service at the clinic was excellent - mind you she was paying big euros for it.

Photo: Paul at the Alcazar in Cordoba
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Brian’s son Paul visited for the last week of February after a week in London. It was really great to have him aboard – his second time on Chinook and first trip to Europe. The bicycles were pressed into service daily to see the city’s attractions. We also made a repeat Cordoba trip on the train with the bikes and the weather cooperated for him for the week only raining briefly on his last afternoon with us. He seemed enthusiastic about the city.

A visit by Terry and Fiona, friends on sv Roam for a weekend reminded us of how small Chinook is with four aboard. We never-the-less had a really good time together and managed to pack Deb in a taxi with us to go to a bar to watch a soccer game on the Saturday night.

Some outstanding (put off) boat chores were completed this month. The “list”never seemed to get smaller Always something to be added as another one was ticked off.

Vegemite supplies are excellent at the moment. Jars of the “incredible inedible” were brought back from Gibraltar, Ireland and New Zealand by kindly fellow Seville marina dwellers. Brian’s complexion is looking better (Vegemite for the uninformed, has all the B-vitamins you ever needed lurking in the black goop). It is expected to get rid of all those wrinkles, but rubbing it on his face at nights gets it on the pillow cases…

Weatherwise we were expecting it to warm up a little, but to the contrary - we had more rainy days and cooler weather in February than is usual in Seville, so the locals told us. Still, mustn’t complain as we had an excellent “winter” with most days being cloudless, little wind and temperatures of 15 – 20 degrees C.

Sevilla is gearing up for two large festivals - the largest in Spain: Samana Santa which is a religious parade with many many church treasures being carried through the city on extemely heavy man-powered "floats". Then the reward is a huge week-long party in the local fair grounds where hundreds of "casetas" - tent-like shelters presently under construction - are set up for food, music, flamenco dancing, horse-back riding, costume wearing and mucho mucho vinos and cervezas. A pity we will miss them.

We plan to leave Seville and motor the 50 nm to the coast on Wednesday the 8th March. This time the trip will be a two-day one with an overnight stop anchored somewhere along the river. We will miss the marina and all its facilities, as well as the people we have met here. At least four of the other cruisers we spent the winter with will hook up somewhere in the Med. during the next few years.

Photos: One of the town squares in Cordoba. Beer and Tapas again for lunch. Chris being farewelled by Ferdie and Isabella ("Go for the gold, Chris" - must be true, it´s cast in stone...).

February Update

2006-02-06T04:39:00.000-08:00

NEW LOOK FOR CHINOOK´S INSIDES: The cushion covering marathon is over. Seamstress(ed) Deborah completed the covers and they look great. She made a fabulous job. It completely alters the look inside, the textured green shades bringing out the richness of the teak wood. She will be taking orders when she recovers...
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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: We went to a performance on January 31 here in Sevilla by the Chinese troupe, Dralion, and what a great performance it was. No photos were allowed to be taken inside so the only ones we can show you are of the "big top" (tent) and a poster. However, if you go to the website www.cirquedusoleil.com video clips of the performance we attended can be accessed. Well worth the money (Brian´s birthday present!).
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HAGGIS, BAGPIPES AND POETRY: an invitation to a Burn´s Supper at the home of a cruising couple (who are now semi-landlubbering it) for Robbie´s birthday was accepted with pleasure, and what a pleasurable night it was. The haggis was piped in (with piped in music, served hot and steaming with tatties and bashed neaps and many wee drams. Toasts were made, poems quoted (well, read actually) and then more drams were piped and more bagpipes bashed... (Photo: the poor little haggises (3) minus heads and legs. Host Jackie and friend David ready to carve.
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TAI CHI FOR MAI Deborah. Debby has always wanted to do Tai Chi on the beach in the early morning sun ever since she saw a group in Galicia, so off to lessons she goes now (for this month) to the local gym. Not just any gym, it is the biggest gym in Europe. Six levels with every type of sport facility you ever need to keep fit. Debby is daily finding new muscles with the Tai Chi, the gentle sport. Photo is of the Taicheerleader with Europe´s largest gym in the background.
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Religious Parades seem to come out of the woodwork (or stonework) when you are least expecting it. We chanced on one emerging from the Cathedral Sevilla last Sunday with the heavy heavy float carrying a "treasure". The crowd of hundreds fell deathly quiet as the float made its way down the steps, then the cathedral bells pealed and a brass band struck up. The Cathedral Sevilla is the third biggest in the world and quite awesome. (Photos of same)
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A huge flea-market last Sunday by the River gave us "treasures" of our own - new brass bedside reading lamps and a chess set amongst other smaller trinkets. We arrived too late to completely fill our knapsacks so we will go back next Sunday...
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Vegemite Flash: Our neighbours on Pamina are currently in New Zealand for a couple of weeks and promised to bring Brian back a couple of jars of his favourite: Vegemite, that delicious B-vitamin black goop he speads on toast in the mornings. He has these insane cravings. A New Zealand boat Hullabaloo is due in here around the 20th of this month. The big question: will Brian share the Vegemite...
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Photo: The city from the Cathedral Sevilla roof top - Deborah climbed up on a Sunday afternoon before being accosted by security guards

January Update

2006-01-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

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Debby is busy making new cabin cushion covers over the next few (?) days. We had ordered the material two weeks ago; it arrived Monday. Brian is helping a little (measuring and moral support) but has to get away a lot to an internet cafe to blog..
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Three Kings Day was held (throughout Spain) on 6th January - a public holiday more hallowed than Xmas Day itself. The day of present giving and a huge parade (on the 5th) through the city where candies are thrown from floats. 10 000 kilos of candy! No kidding. It was like a cattle stampede. Parents even took their 3 month olds and gathered up bags of the stuff.
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A couple of Canadian rowers from Vancouver stopped by Chinook yesterday to say hello. Young guys on the Canadian team. They are in training here - not a bad place to train... We think Deb´s son Andy knows one of them.
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Watched a rowing race between Sevilla and another city last Sunday (from the boat - went right past us).
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Went to a Flamenco dance exhibition 10 days ago - a real dancer who has had years of training. Quite amazing. We had been to a local bar (from 12 midnight - that's when it opened - until 3 a.m. when the smoke finally drove us home. The locals all do the dancing - called "Sevillana" an easier less complicated dance.
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We have tickets to Cirque du Soleil for the 31st Jan - looking forward to it. It is the Chinese troupe.
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Going to a Robbie Burns Night on the 25th hosted by a local cruiser-club member in their home. Haggis, scotch, bagpipes and poetry... hmmm... can we handle that in Spain - Roberto Burnso...
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Photo: Debby getting roasted chestnuts

Getting the blog pages up and running has been Brian´s major "chore" over the last week in the local internet cafe. All are pretty well finished, but will never be finished, alway s edited and photos exchanged, added etc.... If you have any suggestions about any of them please let´s know. They (the Blogs) are not advertised on the WWW so only friends and family know about them, but if you want to pass on Chinook`s blog site to anyone who may be interested, that is fine with us.

Then there are those overdue boat chores that have to be done yet...

Christmas and New Year

2006-01-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

Photo: the gang at the Christmas table

We had a very different Christmas this year. Usually we fly back to Ontario to see family and friends, but this year we decided to remain in Spain, aboard Chinook. We had recently seen 3 out of the 4 boys. Culturally, we reasoned there would be a tremendous amount of stuff for us to see and do. Besides, the climate here in Sevilla has it all over Ontario....

The other sailboats here in the Club Nautico all got together for an International Christmas Day meal planned for 3 p.m. We took a roast leg of lamb and a pavlova desert, the New Zealand thing to do. Also Nanaimo bars: Debbys Canadian chocolate desert. The other Canadian boat, Masala brought the roasted turkey and a salad. The Brits did sausages, roasted potatoes and a plum pudding. The American boat brought a delicious fish soup and a huge salad. Mucho vino was consumed, Xmas music was playing in the background, the weather was warm, everyone had a very nice time and ate heaps and heaps...

Photo: Brian getting first patanque lessons while Debby looks on disinterestedly
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We spent New Years Eve quietly on Chinook rather foolishly NOT going downtown Sevilla to see what action was happening. We were woken at midnight with the fireworks, the Spanish LOVE fireworks... went on and on and on....

New Years Day we played patanque with all of the boaters from 4 until 6, then went back to the Belgian boat Pamina for drinks which lasted until 1:30 a.m. An impromptu pot luck meal including another roast leg of lamb which Brian had been cooking for us and pork and potatoes and more Nanaimo bars and mucho mas mas vino....
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Brian carving the leg o lamb
while Debby models her Xmas outfit
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MARINA SEVILLA

2005-12-23T04:33:00.000-08:00

The Club Nautico Sevilla Marina
on the River Guadalquivir is quite small with only 10 boats presently berthed here although it it can squeeze in about 40. The club (Club Nautica Sevilla) has about 8000 (mostly social) members who pay huge annual dues for the privilege and have to keep their boats down at the coast. It is not cheap for us to be here (about 17 Euros per night - $25 CAD - based on a 3 monthly discounted rate, but worth every penny to us for the three winter months.
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Almost right downtown – a short walk and an even shorter bike ride to an absolutely beautiful city – without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities either of us has ever been in. Historical, well kept, with many parks and monuments, the third largest cathedral in the world. (More on the city itself on another blog).
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Laden orange and lemon trees are everywhere around the marina grounds for the picking, set among sub-tropical vegetation and large trees. The club has three swimming pools (an indoor one which we use often), gymnasium, tennis courts, soccer grounds, active rowing and junior sailing programs (even in the winter), a weight room, a 10 Km bike path nearby along the river and a restaurant and bar with a big-screen TV for those well-attended soccer games. And we have full use of all of the facilities. Putting up with cool nights (4-5 degrees C) and sunny days of 15 – 18 degrees is not difficult. An electric heater is employed at night and the duvet cover was stuffed with another sleeping bag. We joined the new (nearby) Biblioteca Publica as it has a fair selection of English language books, CD’s and DVD’s.
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Our “neighbours” include British (Primareta), Belgians (Pamina), Irish (Island Life), two American boats Gandalf and Voyageur, a German/Portugese couple (Woodwind). The other Canadian boat Masala, stayed 3 weeks and headed into the Med. Other neighbours include a fleet of ducks and flocks of pigeons. We socialise and attend events together and eat with the ducks and pigeons. It’s a busy life…

To Seville up the Guadalquivir River

2005-12-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

The Marina on the Rio Guadalquivir

The motor up the Guadalquivir from Chipiona was like our trip down the U.S. Intra-Coastal Waterway. Shallow water, nearly running aground although it was well marked and buoyed, three freighters passing us, shrimp boats, herons and cormorants, flat landscape – déjà vu. The lock was reached within the deadline of 16:00; after that an enforced stay at an expensive little marina nearby as there was no bridge opening into Sevilla until later the following day.
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We had left at 08:00 (barely enough morning light to see our way out of the Chipiona Marina for the 50 nm trip. The tidal current was necessary for a one-day trip although we could have anchored in the river (nervously as the large freighters ply the river day and night) and we did have magnificent speeds of over seven knots at times with an average of 6.2 knots – fast for us.
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The marina in which we are presently is small with only 10 boats berthed at the moment – it can squeeze in 40. The club (Club Nautico Sevilla) has about 8000 (mostly social) members who pay huge annual dues for the privilege but have to keep their boats down at the coast. It is not cheap to be here, but worth every penny to us for the three winter months. It is almost right downtown – a short walk and even shorter bike ride to an absolutely beautiful city– without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities either of us has ever been in. Historical, well kept, with many parks and monuments, the third largest cathedral in the world (with more of Chris Columbus’ bones in it – funny, I thought they were all in the Dominican Republic). Laden orange trees are everywhere – also in the marina for the picking. The club has swimming pools (an indoor one which we use often), gymnasium, tennis courts, soccer grounds, active rowing and junior sailing programs (even in the winter), weight room, a 10 Km bike path nearby along the river, restaurant and bar and we have full use of all of the facilities. Putting up with cool nights (4-5 degrees C) and sunny days of 15 – 18 degrees is not difficult. An electric heater is employed at night and the duvet was stuffed with another sleeping bag.
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More on Sevilla in another blog soon

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SEVILLA - THE CITY

2005-11-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

Placa Espana - built in 1928 as part of an Americas Expo

Looking along the River Guadalquivir with the Torre de Oro (Tower of Gold) in sight.
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Simply amazing! We think it ranks as the prettiest city either of us has ever been in. Rather than write a travelog we will give just a few of the highlights of the city we are enjoying with photos.
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The buildings are georgous. Parks, squares and monuments everywhere.

Two Palaces of Kings and Queens of Spain: one is being currently restored and the Alcazar (roots back to 1100) we have done one tour of it but will go back with a picnic lunch and a book and just chill out in the beautiful grounds.
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The Cathedral – third largest in the world and it purports to contain Christoper Columbus’ bones (but in fact they are those of his brother). We did see his real casket in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic - who really knows... We attended a Christmas concert in the Cathedral and revisited on the free Sunday openings.
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The Egg - another monument to Columbus
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The River Guadalquivir is well used by tour boats and rowers. We watched one rowing competition between the Sevilla and the Betis Rowing Clubs - they went right by Chinook. Other competitions are happening soon.
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Tapa bars, Flamenco bars and restaurants are everywhere - every second shop seems to be a bakery - and prices are reasonable. We have been out many times and enjoyed their ambiences.
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Many many many guitar shops...
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Hotel Alphonso XIII - very classy!
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Sevilla is supposed to be the hottest city in Europe during the summer months, so we will definitely be moving on...