Venice

Hello again

 

The morning of Thursday 20^th September saw us departing Rovinj - Croatia, and 10 hours later after 60nm, dropping anchor in the Lagoon of Venice just off Treporti and Marina Fiofita.  We were able to sail some of the way but the winds were light and the seas a little lumpy.  The last few miles was slow going as we navigated our way along the canal system inside the Lagoon avoiding the ferries transporting visitors to and from Venice and the surrounding Islands.   This was my third visit here.  Alec and I passed through Venice doing a ferry flight from Europe to the Middle East in 1987, but never had time to venture into the old city.  I returned in 1999 with my good friend Helen on our European trip, and loved it then. So to come back to this wonderful old seafaring port in one’s own boat was quite a buzz.

 

The birth of this city begins sometime in the 4^th century with the collapse of the Roman Empire.  The invasion of Italy by the Barbarians ( Huns ) forced the people on the mainland to seek refuge on the Islands in the Lagoon. It did not take the Venetians long to develop trade, first with the mainland selling salt, then moving down the Adriatic and then soon further afield.  Over time they also conquered lands and built forts and cities as they went.  Hence today we have been able to visit some of these wonderful old places as we have moved not only up the Adriatic, but all around the Mediterranean.  One can always tell where the Venetians have been as there ‘stamp’ is left in stone in the form of ‘The Lion of St. Mark’ as a plaque on all their fortresses.  See photo.

Croatia No 2

Hello Again

 

First many many thanks to all who have written of late to keep us up to date with what has been happening with you.  Love getting your news.

 

Well a few more miles have been covered and lots of interesting places have been visited since our last letter went out.  We left you in Split – Middle Croatia.  From there we sailed towards Trogir, stopping off for a night in a delightful bay towards the north western end of the Island of Ciovo.  This was the first time since arriving in Croatia that we were able to anchor in sand – wonderful holding.  We could see the anchor well dug in at 11mt.  The water temperature was 27.7 degrees so swimming was a must.  Then it was on to Trogir. Here we were to wait for Wendy and her boat ‘Selinaris’ who had sailed into the Red Sea with us.  She was dropping off a crew member and picking up another, both who were also on that Red Sea trip, and with whom we wanted to catch up with again. Kerry from Wales. This time he had his wife Pam with him, they were leaving the boat, and Wendy’s partner John joined the boat.  It was a fun catch up time.

 

Croatia No.1

Hello Again

 

Croatia, what a night to remember !!!   We arrived at  6 PM at a small town called Cavtat.  Cavtat is just 8 miles south of the old walled city of Dubrovnik. Dropped anchor in 6 meters of water amongst a dozen or so yachts in a nice big bay.  Jumped into our tender and off to check in. Very efficient but rather expensive.  Navigation fees, light dues, Govt. admin fee, chart and cruising permit for 3 months, a total of  NZ $ 400.  Back to Shamal on dusk at 8.30 pm.  The dreaded Bora  wind starts to increase.   The Bora ( Katabatic mountain wind ) is a “ speciality “ of the eastern Adriatic coast and can be very dangerous. It can blow with sudden NE gusts.  The wind by 10 pm is now increasing to 25 Kts  so the skipper decides to put more anchor chain out.  Another 10 meters so now we will have 45 in total. As the chain was going out we started dragging  and got rather too close to a yacht moored behind us.  An Italian yacht next to us also was dragging. Several yachts were also trying to re anchor which made for a very busy bay.  So up anchor and out of here !!!  But we also lifted the anchor of the yacht behind us.  Now the wind is 35 kts.  If that wasn’t bad enough we were towing him to our new anchorage !!!  Alec wondered why at 2600 rpm Shamal was only making 1 kt into the headwind. I took the helm while Alec managed to drop the other yachts  anchor.  Really surprising nobody came on deck of the yacht that we were towing being  totally oblivious to the drama that was unfolding.   Now at midnight, after being at our new anchorage for two hours, we again started dragging - bugger !!!  We wanted to go to bed.  Finally we re anchored again in deeper water,  15 meters, amongst  the Super Yachts. 

Corfu - Albania - Montenegro

Hello to You All Again

Well what an interesting month July turned out to be.  On Friday 13^th while we were still in Corfu I flew out and left my cousin Simon and his wife Kay with Alec while I went off to Dubai to help Brigitte pack up her apartment and get everything into storage.  Dan had already left for the States where he was doing a flight rating ( Dash 8 ) followed by a job to get his flying hours up.  The plan at this stage is for Dan to return to Abu Dhabi by the end of the year and for Brigitte to follow when the twins are old enough to travel.  Alec and I plan to fly out to the States and help her take them back to Abu Dhabi.  Plan A !!!!

Greece - The Ionia Sea

Hello From A Hot And Sunny Mediterranean

Our last letter finished off with us sailing out from Crete with an ‘interesting’ sea running and rather blustery conditions.  I have to admit our crew from Dubai ,Judith and Graeme, were a little nervous as we motored on out of Khania Harbour with a bit of a swell still coming in, but nothing like the day before when there were 2-3mt seas breaking across the entrance making for some wild surf.   We followed another yacht out, and in turn another yacht followed us.  Once out we put the sails up we pointed for our first Island in the Southern Ionian Group, Kithera, some 65nm away.  Judith and Graeme were great and settled in to the roll of the 2-3mt seas with winds gusting 25-28kts.  The swell was very sharp and short and just after midday Alec noticed we had blown the starboard trampoline – bugger!!  That is the second time that has happened.  The first being on our way into McKay in Australia.  Once we arrived at our anchorage that evening, Judith helped me lace it up again.  It is not a major as only the edging vinyl tore and not the trampoline.  It will hold out till we find somewhere to get it fixed again.  But on the up side of this trip was that Graeme caught a beautiful fat long fin albacore tuna. His third so far, and our fifth tuna for the season.  So there are still good fish in the Med.

Malta And Crete

Yes It’s Us Again

Well Maggie arrived from the U.K. to join us in Malta and that morning we needed to up anchor and motor outside the harbour to empty our holding tanks. The weather was not the best as strong winds were blowing in through the entrance which gave for a very rolling exit and entrance.  Not the best introduction to the boat for Maggie.  She lives on a narrow boat on the English canals. 

We spent the next four days while waiting for the watermaker clutch to arrive, shopping and exploring a bit more of Malta.  On one of these days Maggie and I brought ourselves a two euro sixty cent bus pass which would take us anywhere over the Island – a great deal.  So off we set having no idea where we were going.   Our first stop took us into the old capital of Mdina and Rabat.  Mdina is the walled town and Rabat are its suburbs. Mdina is a very impressive town perched on a rocky outcrop in the southwest of the Island, commanding views over nearly the whole Island.  The narrow streets and wonderful old houses and palaces date back to the 1400’s, but it has been a fortified town for more than 3000 years. We visited another St Paul’s Cathedral.  This one is not as ornate as the one in Valletta.  They were setting it up for a wedding later in the day.

Malta

 

 Hello Again

Malta and its islands are said to occupy a position in the centre of the Mediterranean.  So here we are moored in the beautiful harbour of Marsamxetto looking up at the old city of Valletta with its huge fortified walls, Grand Palaces and Churches.  It is so pretty at night as spot lights flood the ancient walls, the domes, spires and bell towers of the churches.  On the other side of the rocky Valletta peninsula lies Grand Harbour with an equally beautiful view of Valletta and more forts churches etc. around its coastline.

Marina di Raguas - Sicily

THE START TO A NEW CRUISING SEASON 2012

Hello to you all again

Having left New Zealand on 16^th March we stopped off in Brisbane for the weekend staying with Alec’s brother Richard and his wife ‘Kayleen.  Then it was on to Dubai where we spent time with Brigitte and Dan, caught up with friends, then flew on to Malta, then ferry to Sicily to re-join SHAMAL on 4^th April.

We have had a slow start to this cruising season.  In fact as I start this email we are still in Marina di Ragusa in southern Sicily where we left SHAMAL at the end of the last sailing season.  We have been told April is a little early to head on out as the weather is still very unsettled, and yes they are right about that.  The sun is out at the moment, but big black clouds are passing over with rain, it is still only between 18-22deg dropping to about 10-13deg at night, sometimes cooler.  And the winds seem to blow every day getting up to 30kts at times. BUT all is well and we are making progress at getting SHAMAL in order to leave here – hopefully by the end of the month.  We arrived back to find all was well with her – stilled tied up with no damage from the winter storms that passed through.  Unlike one of the Marinas up the coast from here and across in Malta where boats were lost in the Marinas when mooring lines broke as 2mt swells crashed in.  We did have some fine black volcanic ash on board from Mt. Etna, which is only about 50 miles away.