CATANIA’S FABULOUS MARKET AND SPECTACULAR MT ETNA

Envoy is now in Sciacca (pronounced “Sharka”) harbour, south-west Sicily.
We soon discovered that eating out in Sicily is slightly dearer than Greece, although the restaurant fare is far more diverse and generally better. The Italian wine selection is of course superb, and very reasonably priced with good bottled wines available from about 2.30 Euros (NZ$3.60). Supermarket prices seem very reasonable, and with some real bargains; chicken legs 2.90 Euros (NZ$4.53) per kg, wings 1.90 Euros (NZ$3) per kg, pork chops 5 Euros (NZ$7.80) per kg, extra virgin olive oil from 3 Euros (NZ$4.70) per litre.
Sicily’s population is similar to New Zealand’s at about 5 million, buy locals tell us the economic situation is not good with over 20% unemployment, compared with 10% for Italy as a whole. The average wage in Italy is about 1,200 Euros (NZ$1,935) per month, whereas it is only half that in Eastern Europe. Consequently manufacturers have been shifting their plants - an example being the relocation of a major Fiat plant from Palermo to Poland.
Next stop was Catania where we berthed in the marina for 55 Euros (NZ$89) per night – this is one of the cheaper marinas! There was so much roll coming into the marina that we’ve had many calmer anchorages, but the marina was a good base for a tour of Mt Etna. Many marinas here are just walled-off sections of the open sea, and subject to swell and surge. Also they often have large fleets of fishing boats which move around at speed setting up wakes.

This cute, compact Twizy electric car parked in the marina has a 100km range before needing recharging

Catania’s 4th century elephant statue in Duomo Piazza

Catania’s gorgeous cathedral

Our Mt Etna tour was as part of a group of eight traveling by Land Rover with a passionate and knowledgeable guide, Sebastiano. The full-day tour cost 55 Euros (NZ$86) including lunch, so we thought it was pretty good value, and although we’ve seen several volcanoes home in New Zealand, Mt Etna has fascinating historical aspects. It’s too dangerous to visit the summit but the tour took us 2,000 metres up the 3,323 metre mountain, where despite the fine day it was about 5 dC. Europe’s largest live volcano’s changing moods have had a big impact on the history of eastern Sicily – a violent eruption with a mile-wide lava stream largely destroyed Catania in 1669. These days there are typically 25 eruptions each year, some resulting in loss of life and damage.

One of Mt Etna’s impressive lava flows

House buried in lava from recent eruption

Laurie and Chris wearing helmets needed for lava cave exploration

Lunar-like landscape of Mt Etna

One of Catania’s most famous features is La Pescheria – the fish market and adjoining food market.
Catania’s La Pescheria market

This is the most exciting and interesting market we’ve ever been to – a gastronomic delight where locals treat their shopping as a pleasure, not a chore. The market’s mayhem assaults all your senses – the bellowing of vendors advertising their wares, the chopping of fish fillets, the clink of ice and splash of water being cast over fish to keep them glisteningly moist, the angry yell of an accidentally splashed elderly lady dressed in black, the good-natured bargaining between sellers and buyers, the aroma of dozens of fish varieties, fresh breads, cheeses and cured meats, live octopuses slithering across the stalls, the kaleidoscope of colours and textures, and the whole experience set in an atmospheric spider’s web of cobbled lanes straight from a movie set. We see so many varieties of fish, including some very large tuna and swordfish, that we wonder why our fishing has been so unsuccessful.

The market sells every imaginable type of food

Large swordfish in La Pescheria

There are dozens of stands like this selling varities of seafood

Slabs of delicious cheeses abound

There are so many people here that we can only walk at a snail’s pace, and after buying what we need we find a small café with outdoor tables to enjoy a none-too-healthy breakfast of cappuccino and chocolate croissants.
TECHNICAL Chris has been helping us with a number of both maintenance jobs and improvements:
- Our refrigerator door stopped closing properly so Chris modified the gasket
- On the advice of another Nordhavn owner we checked the sealant around the base of the mast for water leaks, and Chris laid a new bead of 3M 5200 to keep it watertight. For this job we used an unopened sealant cartridge dating from 2005, and it worked perfectly (so much for 1-2 years shelf life!)
- Resolved a sound quality issue with our DVD player
- Modified our BBQ to make it easier to keep cooked food warm
- Repaired our guest shower nozzle and fitted a new adjustable mirror in the guest bathroom
- Repaired our port forward teak rubbing strake
- Fitted a protective cover around our guest head power switch
- Installed a new clock mechanism in our brass bedroom clock
- Made improvements to the dinette table
- Our main Raritan electric head is not working well and we’ve tried a few ideas to fix it. Next step is to replace the joker valve

LOG As at 30/5/14, we’d spent 52 days aboard and cruised 463 miles for 79 engine hours.

ARRIVING IN ITALY

Envoy is in Porto Empedocle, waiting for a Scirocco (southerly blow) to pass before cruising further westwards along the southern coast of Sicily.
Leaving the Albanian port of Sarande we sailed west to the Greek island of Erikoussa for an overnight stop, positioning ourselves for the next morning’s seven hour cruise to Santa Maria di Leuca, our port of entry for Italy. It wasn’t a great re-introduction to Italian marinas as there was no answer to our VHF radio calls and no sign of help available for berthing until a reluctant marinara eventually arrived to allocate a berth and take our stern lines as we backed into the pontoon. Again we used an agency – JLT Yacht Agency (affiliated to A1 Yachting) as we needed sound advice on meeting Italian documentary requirements in the best way. 1930s fascist dictator Mussolini and his cronies had their holiday villas at Santa Maria di Leuca, and many of these still remain. He was also responsible for the construction of an impressive stepped walkway to the lighthouse overlooking the harbour. 

Looking down Mussolini steps to the marina at Santa Maria di Leuca

Laurie and Chris pose with statue of Pope Beneditto 16th who visited here in 2008

There’s not a lot to see along this stretch of coastline, but we enjoyed berthing alongside the quay in the port of Ciro – a typical small Italian working town with few traits of tourism. Here we found a Vodafone shop and were able to get Italian SIM cards for phone and Internet connection. This process is always a bit of a hassle in a new country, and like at home the Vodafone shops are always busy, but they do try their best to help.

Laurie organizing Italian phone and Internet connection

Entering the port of Rocella, further south, can be daunting in a heavy swell as the entrance is only about three metres deep and a very shallow sandbar protrudes from the starboard side of the entrance. In 2004 a 37 ft yacht attempting to enter the harbour in Force 5 winds and large swells was rolled over by a wave estimated at six metres high, fortunately with no loss of life and only minor injuries. We saw a Spanish yacht hit the sandbar with a sudden stop, but conditions were good and she was able to maneuver her way off.

Map showing Rocella Harbour’s dangerous entrance

In the nearby taverna they sell mouth-watering pizza by the metre

SICILY
As we cruised down the “boot” of Italy, the island of Sicily gradually came into view and we spotted a mountain that we thought was Mt Etna. But as we came closer another mountain came into view, and at 10,700 feet high it dwarfed the one we’d seen. It’s sobering to view the mountain and realise it’s still very active with typically 25 minor eruptions annually.
Sicily is the largest Med island and the main focus of this year’s cruise, as we plan to spend about four months here. The wind had been light with glassy calm seas on a gentle swell as we approached the Strait of Messina. Looking ahead I observed whitecaps and closer inspection through binoculars showed an approaching squall. In about ten minutes we had 30 knot winds and breaking two metre seas on our beam. Our stabilisers were coping well, but Envoy still rolled up to 20 degrees each side. At one point our starboard side rolled downwards off a wave just as an extra large wave hit us, breaking over the starboard gunwale and filling the cockpit with water. The water drained out through the scuppers within about ten seconds, but not before some seawater came up over the 150 mm high lip into the saloon. Fortunately the carpet soaked up most of the water and later we found less than ten litres in the bilges.

Taormina
For the first three days we anchored off the town of Giardini Naxos, close to the enchanting medieval village of Taormina – playground of the rich and famous.

View of Taormina from Envoy’s anchorage

In Italy we have to be more careful about personal security as theft is a problem, and it’s always recommended to lock your dinghy to the quay, something we’ve never needed to do in Turkey or Greece. We wanted to leave the dinghy for the day to visit Taormina, and as we approached a jetty in Giardini harbour a young guy came to take our lines, introduced himself as Gabriel and said we could leave our dinghy there. He’d recently had a great holiday in Australia and took a shine to us antipodeans. Diane asked where we could find a butcher’s shop, and Gabriel immediately offered to drive her there.

Di with very helpful Gabriel at the pier we left the tender

Later that day I picked up Chris from the shore from a different jetty, and as he climbed into the RHIB a guy came running down the jetty, waving to us. He told us this was a private jetty and there’s a 10 Euro (NZ$16) fee for using it. We thanked the guy for letting us know and said if we use it again we’ll know to pay.

Chris and Laurie enjoy morning coffee by ceramics shop in Taormina

Taormina street scene

Beautiful Taormina church

There are many street vendors in Taormina selling everything from sunglasses to cheap toys. We had to laugh when it started to rain and immediately the sunglasses and hats disappeared and the same vendors were offering umbrellas and parkas!

This Taormina shop sells sweets and cakes to die for

One of several Taormina antique shops

TECHNICAL – nothing to report

LOG As at 26/5/14, we’d spent 48 days aboard and cruised 431 miles for 73 engine hours.

DELIGHTFUL ALBANIA

Envoy is now anchored at Syracuse, Sicily.
In posting this I have also added photos to the previous post.
We’d heard mixed reports about Albania, with most of the negative comments coming from people who hadn’t been there, but we found our four days there an absolute delight with wonderful, friendly, smiling and helpful people. Furthermore we found the Sarande region perfectly safe, very low priced and loaded with interesting places to visit.
Albania is a mountainous but fertile country roughly one tenth the size of New Zealand, with a largely rural-based population of 3.5 million, of whom 60% are Muslim with the remainder being Catholic or Orthodox. It was great to hear the regular calls to Muslim prayer again, something we’ve not heard since leaving Turkey. Albania has a rich and colourful history having suffered invasions by Greeks, Romans, Venetians, Turks and French among others. Then for five decades after WW11 Albania was an isolationist, totalitarian, atheist, communist state ruled by iron-fisted President Enver Hoxha, and only in 1991 when the system collapsed did Albania, at that time the poorest country in Europe, start to open up to the outside world.
We used BWA Yachting as agents to clear-in (agents are mandatory), and BWA’s Auron Tate’s best friend is married to a part-Maori New Zealander. She is the daughter of a Mr Taylor who used to be high up in the former New Zealand Communist Party, then emigrated to Albania with his family in the late 1960s to live under the communist system.
BWA had emailed us advising a huge number of documents required to visit Albania, something like 19, including a list of personal effects of all people on board - in fact it all seemed so daunting we were almost put off visiting. In reality though this list applied to commercial vessels, and they only wanted to see our Crew List, passports and Registration Certificate, making it all very simple. The formalities were cheap at 38 Euros (NZ$) and for comparison this costs 150 Euros (NZ$) in Greece. Envoy’s berthage alongside the quay cost 70 Euros (NZ$) for three nights. BWA’s main contact person helping us with practical issues like water and power had the interesting name – Captain Zaho. We shared the same dock with Port Police so the security was excellent.

Envoy quayside in Sarande - security here was very good

Enjoying a delicious and reasonably-priced dinner at a Sarande waterfront taverna

One of our days there we took a 40 minute bus trip, costing 200 Leke (about NZ$2.25) each return, to see the impressive ruins of Butrint, founded about 1400BC and since settled in turn by all of the various invading countries.

Chris, Di and Laurie exploring Butrint ruins

On the return bus trip we bought a cheap bracelet from an enterprising eleven year old boy who can speak ten languages.

Sitting with Chris in the bus, this enterprising 11 year old Albanian speaks 10 languages

Another day we rented a car and drove about 90 minutes to Gjirokasta, the best preserved Ottoman village in the Balkans overlooked by a castle that became the palace of local ruler Ali Pasha. Here we had a cooked breakfast for three for a total of 1,050 Leke (about NZ$12).

Blue Eye freshwater springs on the way to Gjirokasta

Sombre entrance to Gjirokasta castle, once a prison

Gjirokasta is riddled with atmospheric cobbled lanes

Chris bought a carving from this stone carver working beside a Gjirokasta lane

Our last night we had dinner at the castle overlooking Sarande, with entertainment from an Albanian cultural group. Other patrons included a very lively group of Polish ladies seemingly wanting to make the most of their vacation, and everyone danced to the haunting Albanian music based around a prolonged monotone chant with different performers taking turns to add lyrics and gesticulations in a similar form to rap.

Albanian entertainers pose with guests – they insisted Chris and I wear their hats!

By visiting non-EU Albania for a few days Envoy is able to remain in the EU for a further 18 months without any VAT liability, and we’re now rather intrigued by Albania and plan to return.

TECHNICAL Chris “MacGyver” has project-managed quite a few jobs for us since coming aboard including the installation of a fresh water consumption meter. Envoy carries a generous 980 litres of water in three tanks, but we don’t have contents gauges and only one tank can be accessed for dipping. Up to now we’ve been getting around this by keeping the tanks filled to a high level using additional water stored in plastic containers on deck. We decided to install a consumption meter so that when we start to use a tank we can record the meter reading, know how much water is left in the tank, and know when to change tanks. This means we shouldn’t need to carry so much spare water, and will eliminate the risk of a tank running dry – which results in difficulty re-priming the water pumps. This is now installed downstream from the water pump and the new system is working well.

Chris holding Sensus water gauge prior to installation

ENVOY LOG As at 18/5/14, we’d spent 40 days aboard and cruised 133 miles for 24 engine hours.

CRUISING TO CORFU

Envoy is now at Santa Maria di Leuca, East Coast of Italy.

A dredger clearing mud from the Lefkas Canal

On our first night we anchored in Meganisi Island’s Port Atheni – a beautiful bay with clear water, picturesque surroundings and a beckoning taverna. Soon after we’d anchored a Greek fishing boat, about 9 metres long, came into the bay and her captain started shouting at us very loudly from about 50 metres away. We had no idea what he was trying to say and looked around for any fishing nets, or rocks or other possible problems, but seeing nothing we ignored him. In early evening we went ashore to the taverna for a beer, and as mostly happens the friendly proprietor introduced himself and spoke with us. When we recounted our experience with the fisherman and pointed out the boat in question he said, “Oh don’t worry, that fisherman’s quite crazy, just ignore him.”

Envoy anchored in Port Atheni with the taverna behind Port Atheni waterfront

While having a beer in a waterfront taverna in Preveza we noticed a British-crewed charter yacht backing into the quay, so Chris and I went over to assist with their stern lines. The skipper was using far too much throttle and the yacht’s transom was about to hit the rough concrete quay when Chris leaned forward to fend the yacht off. Then the skipper gave a big burst of forward throttle moving the yacht away from the quay. Chris was now over-balanced and to avoid falling in the water had to take a gigantic leap onto the yacht’s stern. There he stayed for about 20 minutes while the yacht berthed some distance away, leaving Diane and I joking that Chris had jumped ship after just a week.

Laurie and Chris enjoy a beer in Preveza after the incident with a charter yacht

Wending our way to Corfu Island’s Gouvia Marina to clear-out of Greece, we spent one night anchored at Parga and one at beautiful End Bay at Mourtos on the mainland.

Stunning Parga Bay where Envoy anchored viewed from hilltop castle ruins

Laurie in Chris in leafy glade among castle ruins

Laurie and Di enjoy cobbled lane in Parga

Colourful Venetian maisonette turned tourist shop

Recycled oil cans used as rustic pot plant holders - waste not want not!

We’d planned to spend two nights in Gouvia and then head to Albania, but on the morning of departure day Chris had a medical concern. In late February he had a serious case of appendicitis involving peritonitis, and thought a complication had arisen. This turned out to be a great test of the Greek medical system (and I write this at Chris’s suggestion). At midday we met with our agent, A1Yachting, who arranged an immediate appointment with a GP. The GP was highly professional, charged 40 Euros (about NZ$65) and concluded that Chris needed to see a specialist for tests. Chris saw the specialist late that same afternoon for a fee of 50 Euros (about NZ$65) and was asked to get a blood test the next morning, also costing 40 Euros. Chris received a full clearance from the specialist after he’d reviewed the blood tests leaving us all impressed with the speed, efficiency and cost of the system.
We waited another day in the marina for 30 knot winds to subside and then cruised about 15 miles to Sarande in southern Albania. There were only three boats at the quayside, and they told us they’d had a bad couple of nights with swell from the strong winds coming into the harbour, two of them having elected to abandon the quay and anchor off. All about Albania in next post.

TECHNICAL We’ve always had some intermittent starting problems with our Lugger main engine. There was a slight delay from turning the starter until starting, and occasionally the engine wouldn’t start with the first turn of the starter, but only on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th turn. During winter we had the starter motor and solenoid serviced, hoping to solve the problem, but it hasn’t. Chris and I used the multimeter to check the ignition switch and voltages to the starter motor and guessed the fault lay with the relay that powers the start solenoid. In Gouvia we had the mechanic, Leon, take a look at this, and he confirmed the problem lay with a big voltage drop, and installed a new relay with heavier wiring located closer to the solenoid. So far since then the Lugger has starting quicker and always first time. We also spoke with Leon about the genset, as its exhaust often leaves some very light oily residues on the surface of the water. The maker - Northern Lights, had already advised that 95% of the time this is caused by under-loading. The genset is rated 7.5 Kw, but most of the time we’re only running refrigeration drawing about 8 amps. Leon confirmed under-loading to be the issue, so in future unless we’re running the water maker (which requires about 30 amps) we’ll run the forward Aircon to increase the load.

ENVOY STARTS 2014 CRUISE

This is a longer post than usual, as the last one was about three weeks ago – will be more regular from now. We returned from Scotland to Lefkas Marina late April where our close Kiwi friend, Chris O’Brien, joined us. We loved north-east Scotland and later will post a Blog about the fascinating Lossiemouth marina. We’ve since departed Lefkas en route to Corfu, where we’ll clear-out of Greece and head to Albania later this week. Apart from the fact that we haven’t been to Albania before, we need to take Envoy out of the EU once every 18 months to avoid hefty VAT (tax).
In Greece it’s not summery yet, with temperatures around 20dC, but for the last few days we have been swimming each morning and barbecuing at night.

Lefkas waterfront just minutes walk from the marina

Envoy at Lefkas Marina with winter storage cover

There’s a small library in the marina where cruisers also leave gear they no longer need for others to use

When we pulled Envoy out after nearly a year in the water the hull was clean but the props were fouled after 5 months non-use

Envoy hidden among a forest of masts on the hardstand - note security fence

On the hardstand it’s a constant climb up and down the ladder

From 1 May there’s a very noticeable increase in boating activity and this is when charters start in earnest. One day in the marina a nearby charter yacht left her berth but her skipper steered too close to Envoy and the yacht’s keel fouled our bow line. This brought the yacht to a rapid halt and the beam wind drove her sideways down onto Envoy’s bow. Fortunately for us Envoy’s point of contact was her large anchor, and the yacht’s crew had a big incentive to hold themselves clear. Shortly one of the marina’s sailors appeared in a workboat to tow the yacht clear with no harm done.

Charter yacht wind-driven onto Envoy’s bow

In Lefkas we paid 5 Euros (NZ$6.50) to have some shoes repaired at this interesting, ancient looking cobbler’s shop

TECHNICAL Apart from the previously mentioned failure of our Seapower 120V AC engine-driven generator there’s been no major issues. For the time being we’re going to use our genset to produce AC power for refrigeration while we weigh up different long term options (which might include staying with the genset). In the marina we tried running refrigeration using our 2500 watt inverter. The refrigeration system draws about 30 amps momentarily on startup, then 7 amps. It started and ran OK but our 60 amp battery charger, powered by shore power, couldn’t maintain sufficient charge. An option would be to run this inverter while charging with our 160 amp Lugger-driven Balmar alternator, but the inverter is a modified sine wave one, and there are some possible over-heating issues around powering induction electric motors with modified sine wave (as distinct from pure sine wave) inverters. The refrigerator manufacturer confirmed it might run a bit hotter, but didn’t think it to be a major issue, since the motor is seawater cooled. However I prefer to play safe at this point. Any expert comment welcome!
So, other technical events have been:
During winter we had some chaps made for our smaller RHIB. These are excellent for protection against U/V, abrasion and impact, and great to extend the life of your RHIB.

Envoy’s smaller RHIB with new chaps fitted

Envoy has a 6 person liferaft that hadn’t been tested for several years and we decided to get it inspected and re-certified. Bought in 1995 the liferaft failed the test due to some glued seams coming apart and being beyond repair – not bad for nearly 20 years though. As we’re only coastal cruising at present and carry two RHIBs we won’t replace it at this point.

New main rudder bearing

We tried to get our engine room fire extinguishing system re-certified. The inspector said that since it’s a Halon extinguisher, which is no longer allowed for environmental reasons, he can’t certify it. However he went on to say that Halon is very good technically and advised us to keep it. We’ll do that this year but in the longer term we’d feel happier with a system that can be checked and certified. Also the present system has an interlock so that if the extinguisher is faulty you can’t start the engine. I don’t like that idea and would like a system without that interlock. We’ve replaced two 1kg disposable extinguishers with two 2 kg serviceable ones - according to the same inspector, only extinguishers with metal nozzles (and not plastic) can be serviced. We also had our largest (6kg) portable dry powder extinguisher serviced.
Every three or four years we need to re-galvanize the anchor chain. This year we turned it end-for-end as half of the chain is in near perfect condition, while the other half isn’t too bad and will last another couple of seasons.
Envoy’s fuel system has a Walbro low pressure pump for pressurising the fuel system after filter changes. This has failed and been replaced with our on-board new spare.
Two portholes have been leaking in heavy spray so these were taken out, all old sealant removed, the adjacent hull areas dried out and then the portholes sealed back in place.
All engine mounts were inspected with the Lugger and genset found to be fine. The Yanmar mounts need replacing and this will be done during next winter.
The Lugger’s alternator bearings were found to be worn even though this was reconditioned a year ago. This time heavier duty bearing have been sourced and fitted, and a spare set stored away.
The Lugger’s prop shaft was disconnected from the gearbox flange to be checked, and new bolts and nuts fitted. Then the shaft was re-aligned using a laser,
We carry several cartridges of sealant (such as 3M 5200) aboard in case needed for emergency repairs. Recently we discivered that even unopened cartridges have a limited shelf life of 1-2 year, and to replace them is expensive. Also some sealants can’t be used in wet conditions (although I believe 5200 can). We’ve now gone to another emergency repair product called StayAfloat, which can be used underwater and has a longer shelf life.

ENVOY’S CRUISING PLANS FOR 2014

We’re now back aboard Envoy in Lefkas Marina, Greece.
Our long flight back to Athens was made more enjoyable by an unexpected upgrade to Business Class on the six hour Dubai-Athens sector. We only book cattle class, so for once enjoyed the different world of great food, fine wines, white tablecloths and attentive service.
Then it was a warm sunny day on our arrival in Athens, which always makes for a good start. It’s a five hour bus ride to Lefkada, and next day we took a taxi to the bus station. As the taxi pulled up a scruffily dressed elderly porter offered to assist with our luggage. We don’t normally need any help but he looked like he needed some work, so we asked the taxi driver how much to pay him, and he replied “whatever you think is fair”. We followed the porter for a less than five minute walk to our bus and handed him 2 Euros (about NZ$3). He looked displeased and said 5 Euros. Diane and I thought this was really funny and didn’t quibble about such a small sum, thinking he’s on a pretty good rate at 5 Euros for five minutes work.
Arriving back aboard Envoy everything was just how we’d left her, except for a little more dust than usual resulting from the major repair work to our leaking fuel tank – cutting steel, grinding and welding. We were particularly pleased there was no diesel in the bilges, indicating the repair has been successful.
One of our first tasks was to start the Lugger engine to check that the serviced starter motor, new injectors, new fuel lift pump and reconditioned Sea Power generator were working OK. Unfortunately the Sea Power wasn’t working. This is important because it produces 120 volt AC power whenever the Lugger is running, allowing us to run the refrigeration system (which is 120 V AC). Without the Sea Power we need to run the generator to operate refrigeration. Further checks in Lefkada, and later in Athens failed to find the cause of the problem. The Sea Power consists of a heavy-duty alternator and an inverter. The inverter seems to be the problem, but this is an old unit – 22 years old to be precise, and it seems beyond repair. Our current plan is to use the generator this season and buy a new SeaPower unit for next season. However we’ll also look at other inverter options.
A few days later we lifted Envoy from the water to find the hull very clean but quite a lot of growth on the propellers, despite using a special antifouling. This season we’re trying a new Italian propeller antifouling called Velox. Other work we had to do was install a new seacock for the generator and a new main rudder bearing. Everything else has been routine seasonal jobs.
Now Envoy is back in the water and we’re in England and Scotland for three weeks.
When we get back we’re planning to head up to Corfu, clear-out of Greece, go over to nearby Albania for a few days, then to the east coast of Italy and cruise down to Sicily where we’ll spend most of our season.

YOU CAN LIVE THE DREAM - part three

Diane and I are now back aboard Envoy in Lefkas Marina, Greece.

This is the third and final parts of our article published in Pacific Passagemaker magazine.

CONSIDERING THE PRACTICAL ISSUES OF THE LIVE-ABOARD LIFE
Once Diane and I decided to buy a passagemaker and live the on-board cruising life there were numerous issues we considered mostly falling into these categories:

How long you are going to be away each year
The vast majority of cruisers (power and sail) don’t literally spend the whole year away on their boat. Most have families and assets in their home country, and generally leave their boat during the few mid-winter months of their cruising region to return home. An exception to this would be some European cruisers for whom the weather is much kinder in a location like the Med than in their own country. Diane and I spent most of one winter aboard Envoy in Turkey, and haven’t chosen to repeat the experience as there seems little point in sitting out a winter on our boat in a marina when we can be enjoying a New Zealand summer with our family and friends.

How many years you will cruise for
The short answer is as long as you are enjoying the experience, and health, funds and other circumstances permit. We have so far lived aboard most of five years and plan to continue for another three or four. We rarely meet cruisers who’ve lived aboard for more than ten years, although they certainly are around.

Dependent family
Most of the cruising community are in the age group mid 50s to mid 70s, and no longer have school-age children. It’s rare to meet cruisers living aboard with children. Elderly parents generally accept that you are living your lives to the full, appreciate your regular phone calls and enjoy seeing you during return visits home.

Family and Friends
Of course you miss your family and close friends, but some will visit you and share in your cruising experience. Otherwise being able to see your family and friends for at least one period during the year keeps these relationships intact. Loneliness has not been an issue for us and we have made new friendships with other cruisers during our travels.

Work
Most cruisers we meet are semi or completely retired. Many do some form of consulting work or manage their investments remotely, or are able to find some casual work if they choose to. A fewer number of younger cruisers take time out from the work force to go cruising, planning to return to work later.

Your home
Some cruisers elect to sell their house to provide funds for cruising while many others rent them out to provide a regular income. Another option is to simply leave it vacant.

Compatibility and confidence
Many people will say that you won’t get on well together as a couple spending all that time together in the close confines of a boat. Only you will know if this is correct or not, and we probably all know people where this lifestyle would be doomed to failure. Allied to this issue is one partner having a lack of confidence in the other partner’s ability to manage the live aboard process. If you are passionate you are half way there, and the confidence will come with sharing experiences together.

Health
A reasonable but not perfect standard of general health and fitness is required for the live-aboard life - another argument for starting the cruising life sooner than later … life’s time clock is ticking. Nonetheless we have met several cruising couples who’ve needed to return home regularly for various forms of medical treatment. Travel medical insurance is highly desirable as medical treatment can be extremely expensive overseas.

Pets
Overseas regulations concerning the transportation and quarantine of pets are much less strict than in New Zealand, and some cruisers take their pets along. Similarly there are fewer pet restrictions on beaches and in restaurants and cafes. Diane and I have always had a dog or cat at home and loved them dearly, but decided not to keep a pet aboard a boat. Under these circumstances you may need to find somebody to take over or care for your pet so it doesn’t stand in the way of your cruising adventure.

Comfort aboard
When yachtsmen come aboard Envoy they are amazed at the living space available compared to sailing vessels of the same length, and often say she’s like a small ship, or a floating apartment. At 14 metres Envoy is at the lower end of the passagemaker size range, but still has features such as headroom throughout, a queen-size walk-around double bed, full size refrigerator and freezer, four ring gas stove with a near full-size oven, microwave, washing machine and dryer, water maker, two ensuite heads and showers, reverse cycle air conditioning, excellent sound and DVD systems and a generator to provide power whenever needed. Furthermore she has both hydraulic and paravane stabilisers to dramatically reduce roll both under way and while anchored. Comfort is not an issue as we don’t get wet, cold or wind-blown, and Envoy’s motion is rarely lively enough to spill a cup of coffee.

Capital costs
The size, age and condition of your passagemaker determines its initial capital cost with the price range probably starting around NZ$400,000 (240,000 Euros). You could certainly buy a well-equipped Nordhavn 46, in good condition built during the 1990s for about NZ$530,000 (318,000 Euros). Bigger isn’t always better, and remember that the larger vessel you buy the greater will be the cost of insurance, casual and winter marina berthage and repairs and maintenance.

Living costs
Actual living costs such as food, beverages, household supplies and personal spending are about the same cruising as when at home. Maintenance is dearer due to the higher cost of parts and greater distances traveled, and what also bumps up costs is annual travel to and from our boat, additional fuel for the longer distances cruised, and sightseeing ashore – particularly rental cars and accommodation (occasional travel inland away from the boat is well worth the experience in the many interesting new areas). Casual marina prices are also high in the Med, e.g. for our 14 metre Nordhavn 46 typically about NZ$130 (78 Euros) per night plus power and water, sometimes higher. You pay considerably less (or sometimes even nothing) in town harbours, particularly in Greek waters, but the best option is to anchor wherever possible, which is mostly free. Winter berthage rates are considerably less than casual and we’re paying NZ$21 (12.40 Euros) per night including all services and 23% VAT. Some costs are fixed and are for the whole year, such as insurance, winter marina, travel, most regulatory costs and some maintenance, while most other costs including living costs and fuel are variable depending on the time spent aboard and the distance traveled. During 2012 we spent 200 days aboard, and cruised 1,736 miles for 336 engine hours. Excluding living costs maintenance was the largest cost at NZ$26,200 (15,700 Euros). This was about what we expected at 5.4% of Envoy’s estimated value, and on average has been consistent over four years cruising. Second largest was fuel at NZ$9,700 (5,800 Euros) including 3,440 litres of diesel, petrol for the RHIBs, engine oil and cooking gas. Third was marina and regulatory costs at NZ$7,500 (4,500 Euros), while fourth was boat and travel insurance at NZ$6,100 (3,660 Euros). Communication costs including internet and phone is also significant and although this could be reduced by using only Wi-Fi, we prefer to stay connected all the time using pre-pay USBs for internet access. Diane and I look at this not as “cost” but as our “investment in fun”.

YOU CAN LIVE THE DREAM - part two

The 2nd of three parts of our article recently published in Pacific Passagemaker magazine.

Sources of cruising and technical information
Those interested in the live-aboard cruising lifestyle can find valuable information from:
- Voyaging Under Power, the Bible of passage making by Captain Robert P Beebe, 4th edition updated by Denis Umstot
- PassageMaker magazine (US)
- Seven Seas Cruising Association
- Cruising blogs
- Web sites of various passagemaker builders, often with links to cruising blogs
- Brand owners’ websites
- Noonsite.com
- Cruising guides to various areas
- OEM instruction Manuals and manufacturers of the equipment
- Technical books (e.g. Nigel Calder‘s Boatowners’ Mechanical and Electrical Manual)
- Other cruisers
- Local marine engineering companies and/or agents for equipment
- Internet and You Tube searches
- Previous owners of your boat

Buying your passagemaker
Although the boat market has come out of the bottom of the trough it’s still a buyer’s market, and now is a good time to purchase and enjoy your new or pre-owned passagemaker.
A passagemaker is a modest-sized motor vessel that can safely, comfortably and economically cross oceans to take its owners and their families anywhere in the world.
Typically it will be heavy-displacement, single-engined, diesel powered, around 12 to 23 metres in length, with sufficient in-built fuel tank capacity to cruise at least 2,500 miles, easily handled by two people, able to proceed in open seas in most weather conditions, and equipped for long periods of living aboard.
To simplify your selection process a good first step is to decide the specific brand and size of boat you want to buy. An excellent resource is the US magazine, PassageMaker, having a wealth of useful information about passage making as well as listing many vessels for sale and providing an excellent guide to market values.
Passagemakers are technically complex making a comparison of different vessels for sale with varying equipment levels challenging. We used a spreadsheet to list vessels plus their equipment and inventories so that we were able to objectively compare what was included with each vessel, and judge their relative value.
Consider the location of vessels for sale and your intended cruising area. We wanted to use our passagemaker in the Med so primarily looked at vessels located in Europe.
Allied to the location issue is the complex one of port of registry. If you importing a vessel to your home country you may be required to pay some form of tax or duty. If you are locating a vessel elsewhere you will often be able to avoid this indefinitely. For example our New Zealand-registered vessel can remain in EU waters up to 18 months at a time without paying tax (VAT). Before the expiry of the 18 month period it’s only necessary to leave EU waters for a few days, and the 18 month clock is re-set. This is a complex issue and if buying offshore we suggest involving an experienced marine solicitor to ensure the vessel is unencumbered, and that correct documentary procedures are followed to minimise your liabilities.

You can cruise to stunning places like this bay in Croatia

Do all live-aboard cruisers cross oceans?
Absolutely not; there are literally thousands of people living aboard all manner of boats, and some do cross oceans, but a much large number enjoy what I’ll describe as adventurous coastal cruising.
Our live-aboard experience is five years cruising 11,000 miles in the Med but we’re rarely more than 40 miles from the nearest land. Many cruisers enjoy fantastic cruising locations like the Med, the Bahamas, North and South America, and South-East Asia without needing to venture across the major oceans, and while it’s a great feeling to have a boat that is ocean-capable, the majority of cruisers elect to ship even these vessels aboard purpose-built freighters rather than traverse the large distances on their own hulls. From a cost perspective the two options are generally considered to be similar. Many of the cruisers who do cross oceans take extra crew along to assist during that part of their voyage. We greatly admire the exploits of folks like Jim and Suzy Sink, who in 1990 were the first to circumnavigate the world aboard a production motor yacht, Salvation 11 – a Nordhavn 46, covering over 50,000 nm during five years, but we don’t plan to do that ourselves.

Read the 3rd and final part of this article next week.

YOU CAN LIVE THE DREAM - CUTTING LOOSE FOR THE LIVE-ABOARD LIFE Part One

Read the first of three parts of our article recently published in Pacific Passagemaker magazine. 

Is the live-aboard cruising life for everyone?
No the cruising life isn’t for everyone. I can’t think of anything worse than riding a horse, and similarly some folks can’t think of anything worse than going on a boat, never mind living aboard. Not all weekend and holiday cruisers will enjoy living aboard for extended periods. But for those who have the cruising passion there is generally nothing to stop you living aboard, and if you can’t literally do it now, at least plan for it now and have a clear timetable - in the words of famed cruiser and circumnavigator Scott Flanders (Nordhavn 46, Egret), “tick…tick…tick… the clock is ticking, get the picture … do it now!”
When I turned 50 I expected to have about 20 good summers left, meaning that all being well and barring major illnesses or accidents I expected to be able to enjoy the things I enjoyed then until I was about 70 years old - after that age things could be different. Now I’m 63 and I believe I’ve probably got 12 good summers left – yes I’ve stretched it out a little. But one thing’s for sure – you don’t meet many cruisers in their 80s (although there are some). How many summers do you have left?

If you want to live-aboard and can't do it now at least plan now

The major fears
Scott Flanders wrote an excellent article, “Yes you can too,” outlining potential cruisers’ most common concerns and some solutions. I have expanded those thoughts a little below based on our modest five years living aboard experience.
Experience levels – everyone starts somewhere. Take small steps first and learn from your mistakes. I add that there are excellent courses available to gain both practical and theoretical skills. Unlike my home country, New Zealand, most countries want to see some evidence of proficiency so it’s a good idea to gain some certifications like Coastguard’s Boatmaster or Royal Yachting Association’s International Certificate For Operator Of Pleasure Craft.
Mechanical ability – it isn’t the big things that fail, and you will learn to deal with handling the smaller problems. I add that most countries do have competent mechanical assistance available, but in some instances you may just have to bite the bullet and meet the right expert in a convenient location. For example we had to meet a Dutch engineer who flew to Greece to rectify a hydraulic stabiliser fault that had baffled the locals for days, and he fixed it in an hour. Having a comprehensive supply of tools, spare parts, equipment manuals and chandlery aboard will assist greatly.
Handling rough seas – becomes easier with some practice. You won’t always be comfortable but always safe. I add that although rough seas feature high on most people’s list of concerns one study reported that for the open oceans in general, 80% of the time wave heights are less than 3.7m, 90% of the time they are less than 6m, and to encounter waves above 12m is extremely rare. This partially explains how so many cruisers travel thousands of ocean miles over many years and don’t ever encounter dangerous rough seas. Another part of the explanation is watching the weather. My brother and his partner sailed their 12 metre yacht from Australia to Turkey (before piracy was a major threat) and never encountered seas over two metres. Navigation – is not difficult with today’s electronic equipment. I add that sextants are long gone, and this is an area where courses will greatly assist.
Seasickness – many cruisers start off getting seasick but wean themselves out of it. Drugs are available to assist.
Weather and tides – there are ample information sources for coastal cruising while many offshore cruisers use professional forecasting. I add that having internet access available hugely improves the availability of forecasts.
Manoeuvring and docking – practice makes perfect and don’t worry about minor scratches (”battle-scars”) on your gelcoat.

I will also add another concern – piracy. Off the north-east coast of Africa piracy has now escalated to the point where it is extremely dangerous to cruise these waters and insurance is not available. Even cruising in convoys is now discouraged. Circumnavigators who want to include the Med in their route now mostly ship their boats across the Indian Ocean from Thailand or the Maldives to Turkey while some cruisers, like Scott and Mary Flanders elect to go via South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Piracy is not a currently a major issue in other waters, although sometimes occurs. The website www.noonsite.com provides regular updates on the status of international piracy.
Next posting - part 2 of 3