OUR LAST DAYS ABOARD ENVOY

Envoy is in winter storage in Lefkas Marina, Greece and we are home in Auckland.

In late October we cruise back into Greece's Lefkas Marina with my brother Charles still aboard.

The weather is still great and totally suitable for cruising, though it generally deteriorates rapidly during November.

Although we had our smaller “spare” Raymarine radar serviced in August and the fluorescent back lighting replaced with LEDs the screen is still too hard to see, even at night. So we take it back to Dieter at Metronix and he tells us what we expected to hear; that the unit is from the early 2000s and old not only in years but in technology, being an LCD screen. The latest similar-sized units have a GPS/Plotter included so will solve the problem of replacing our failed Northstar GPS too. Also they support AIS which neither of our present radars do. So Dieter visits Envoy to check installation costs and quotes us for an Axiom 7 Display unit, Quantum Q24C Radar, Navionics charts for the plotter function and installation so that we can discuss this with our prospective buyer.

The same day that the Internaftiki engineer arrives to work on our noisy stabilisers (see last Post) our buyer arrives with his two friends, Graham and Andrew for their first look at Envoy. 

I'm not using the buyer's name as he prefers to remain anonymous at this point. 

The initial inspection all goes well and they are totally satisfied that Envoy is in fact in better condition than they expected. We'd not met our buyer previously but all get on extremely well and enjoy a sociable dinner that evening.

The next day we do a sea trial and again all goes well – however I'm not satisfied with the Naiad stabilisers and later contact Internaftiki again. But the season is running out of time and there's no chance for them to visit Lefkas before our departure for NZ, so we agree they will visit to solve the problem during preparation for Envoy's next cruise, whenever that may be.

We have always needed to flake the anchor chain into its locker because there's a large spare anchor stowed in the bottom of the anchor locker and this reduces the vertical space available to stow the chain. We've never used this spare anchor (having two other spares) and in fact it's so heavy I would not be able to lift it out of the locker anyway. I discuss this with our buyer and suggest we remove this anchor to eliminate the need for someone to flake the chain. During our sea trial we lay out 80 metres of chain to expose the spare anchor in the bottom locker and Graham and Andrew lift it out. Then we retrieve the chain and as expected find that it doesn't need flaking. As a result we remove this anchor from the boat. In retrospect we could have done this a lot earlier and avoided the need for Di to flake the anchor chain many hundreds of times over all those years.

Next day we lift Envoy out of the water for a hull survey. Again all goes well and subsequently the deal is finalised. We then spend a few days with the buyer explaining Envoy's operation and systems as well as introducing him to some of the key people around the marina.

Charles heads back to Scotland on Sunday 28 October, known as Ochi Day in Greece, celebrating Greece's refusal to allow Italian troops to occupy Greece in World War 2. The Italians consequently attacked Greece but were routed by Greek troops until battle-hardened Germans came to aide Italy and turned the tide of battle. Ochi Day is treated very seriously like our own Anzac Day and masses of people turned out in a sea of waving blue and white Greek flags to watch their parade.

Next day out buyer and his friends leave and we're by ourselves again.

Our last “cruise” is a few hundred metres to the refueling jetty where we load 1,800 litres of diesel from a tanker to top up Envoy's tanks – boats should always be left with fairly full tanks to reduce moisture ingress through condensation. The tanker driver tells us this diesel is imported and unlike local diesel has no bio-diesel content. This is good because while bio-diesel may be good for the environment (although this is highly debatable) it it more hygroscopic and not so good for long term storage stability.

We spend the last few days packing our personal effects and preparing Envoy for winter storage including fitting her winter storage cover.

On our last Saturday night we go out for dinner with Vassilis from Sailand and his English wife Judy.

It was Vasillis who arranged our accommodation last year while Envoy's fire damage was being repaired. They take us to a small village high in the hills behind Lefkas where there's a small and rustic family-owned taverna. There's no menu and after a brief discussion between Vassilis and the owner we're inundated with delicious Greek dishes including local sausages, grilled eggplant with balsamic drizzle, moussaka, grilled lamb, Greek salad and white wine made from their own grapes. As often happens we're surrounded by local cats – in fact six of them. One kitten looks particularly frail and Judy decides to take it home to care for it. The kitten is happy to oblige and nestles contentedly in Judy's arms. Sadly we later learn that it only survived a few days.

On Wednesday 7^th we leave Envoy to spend our last night in Lefkada ashore in the marina's hotel.

This is the end of a major era in our lives – 12 years of owning Envoy and two years of prior research. During those 12 years we spent the substantial parts of eight years cruising plus the much shorter time this year totaling 1,442 days spent aboard, cruising 16,297nm and logging 3,220 engine hours.

Not only have we enjoyed this immensely ourselves but shared special times with 35 family members and close friends. Now we hand the mantle to Envoy's new Australian owners and hope they have as much adventure and enrichment of their lives as we've enjoyed.

Just this week I learned that the parts for our B&G wind speed gear, expected to arrive late August, have finally arrived!

So far as this Blog is concerned – I still have some articles to complete for boating magazines and will put them on the Blog as well as any other boating related material that comes to mind.

Next Spring we plan to do some canal boating in France so will report on that too.

ENVOY HEADS SOUTH FROM CORFU

Envoy is berthed at Lefkas Marina, Greece and we are home in Auckland.

Beautiful gardens of beachside bar at Petriti on Corfu

Envoy anchored at Ormos Imerolia, northern Corfu with RHIB alongside jetty

This Selene trawler anchored nearby

This unusual "yellow submarine" came by with some tourists

Cruising around Corfu I hear a couple of knocking noises while under way and initially think the noise is caused by waves crashing against the hull. But it doesn't sound right and we soon establish that the port side Naiad stabilisers are making a slight knocking noise when Envoy is in larger waves (much of the time it's been too calm to need to use the stabilisers so we hadn't noticed this issue). 

We send a brief audio-visual video clip of this to Internaftiki – the Naiad agents here. 
They ask us to do some further tests by disconnecting the arm from the potentiometer that controls the stabiliser fin movement so that we could move the arm and therefore the fins by hand. 
This replicates the issue without needing to go out into rough seas. Internaftiki soon advise that the problem is most likely one of the hydraulic valves and will come to Envoy, probably when we return to Lefkada. They also explain how to de-activate and lock the port side stabilisers while still using the starboard side. However we later find the knocking noise is still there, so it's happening on both sides and we lock both fins in the central position and continue cruising in the reasonably calm conditions without our stabilisers.

We anchor off Corfu's Gouvia Marina and early next morning go into the marina to lay alongside a jetty so that Angelos, the watermaker engineer, can fix our unit's slight seawater leak. Angelos says you have to expect small water leaks from water makers, but I have to disagree. Anyway he fixes the leak in about an hour and after testing it we set off again heading south towards Preveza, a medium sized town on the mainland where my brother Charles will meet us.

Corfu has two huge castles known as the "old" (top) and the "new" (below), both viewed from Envoy

Passing Corfu's wharves we spot an unusual looking aluminium naval ship – the USS Yuma. She's a 103 metre catamaran fast transport ship for carrying troops – up to 312 of them at a speed of 43 knots – that's 80 km/hr!

The sleek and fast USS Yuma

On the way to Preveza we spend two nights at Paxoi Island's Lakka Bay. 
In season it's often too crowded to anchor here but great at this time of year. 
Here we meet some old cruising acquaintances - Britons Graham and Linda from the yacht Obsession of Poole as well as meeting a bunch of Kiwis aboard Mike and Heather's yacht, Delightful Lady. Ashore a band plays live traditional Greek music until the early hours of the next morning serenading us to sleep.

We make a point of finding delicious treats for morning tea - below apple pie with ice cream and yours' truly with gigantic cream cornet

Preveza is calm as usual and we anchor off the town. This is a popular spot for fishermen to catch prawns and lots of small boats are active most of the time and setting nets quite close to anchored vessels. This can be a nuisance and their often very loud engines wake you early in the morning, however you have to remember this is their livelihood while we're just here having fun. 

Typical Greek fishing boat retrieving net

We meet Charles at the bus station and set off through the Lefkas canal's swing bridge for a few days cruising with him south of Lefkas.

In the last week of October we head into Lefkas Marina where Tassos, an engineer from Internaftiki meets us to check out our stabilisers. He advises our hydraulic system pressure is too low at 90 bar and installs a new valve that enables adjustment of the system pressure. After adjusting the pressure to 100 bar the stabilisers are much less noisy when worked at rest using the potentiometer arm and Tassos thinks the problem is solved. Charles and I are not so sure – if they've been working fine at 90 bar for the last 12 years, why would we now need to increase the pressure? We weren't able to do a sea trial while Tassos was there (in retrospect a big mistake) and will do this shortly.

Next Post - our last days aboard Envoy.

ENVOY CONTINUES CRUISING NEAR CORFU

Photos are to be added in next few days.

Envoy is now safely tucked away under her storage cover in the Lefkas Marina while we have just arrived home in Auckland, NZ last week.

Our last Blog posting detailed Envoy's sale. Now we're going to backtrack to mid September.

I forgot to mention previously that since our exhaust system was reconditioned an exhaust vibration that we previously noticed at low rpm has gone, making for a much nicer exhaust sound right through the whole rpm range.

With our friend Chris still aboard we leave Gouvia marina in great weather and anchor in Kalami, made famous by being home to the English Durell family of authors in the 1930s and now featured in a popular British television series – The Durrells. The water here is perfectly clean and clear, ideal for a proper test of our newly repaired water maker and it works fine making about 90 litres an hour of pure fresh water, although we find there's a very slight (250 ml per hour) sea water leak in the line – subsequently fixed.

Just a few hundred metres away is a bay called Agri where there are several excellent restaurants and next day we motor over there in our large RHIB for a stunning seafood lunch.

Next we cruise close to Albanian waters using just our Yanmar wing engine and anchor off the northern Greek coastal village of Sayiadha. The wing engine with its feathering Maxprop is designed as an emergency propulsion system providing about four knots, but it's a good idea to use it regularly. Later we go ashore for a walk and and a cold beer.

Alone at anchor the next morning a Greek CoastGuard inflatable comes alongside and one of the crew politely asks to check our papers. We're not stressed by this being confident that our documents are in order and the CoastGuard soon confirm this and leave us in peace once again.

Another coastal village further south called Myrtos is one of our favourites. Apart from having a choice of several great anchorages set along the coast and nearby islands there's a bakery that sells fantastic cakes, my own favourite being chocolate cake while Di's is lemon. We spend several nights anchored here until the weather forecast advises of a gale warning up to Force 8. 

This prompts us to move to a very sheltered anchorage called Igoumenitsa Creek, where few boats go and there's plenty of swinging room. Although there are very strong winds offshore the gale doesn't arrive at our location and the strongest winds we experience are gusts in the mid 20 knots. 

Soon the forecast is upgraded to Force 10 winds in some areas, although fortunately not ours. 

Winds this strong (a full-blown storm with winds of 55 knots and possibly reaching about 80 knots) is something we've never heard of previously during our Med cruising. The proximity of this bad weather causes a massive temperature drop to the low 20s and the sea also drops from around 27d C to around 23 in a matter of a few days, making swimming a little bit cooler.

All too soon Chris's time with us comes to an end and we take him across to Corfu to catch a flight to Dubai. Chris has spent more time with us aboard Envoy than anyone and as always we're appreciative of Chris's excellent company and assistance with various projects.

After that we spend a few days around the northern part of Corfu – Ormos Ay Stefanou, Avalaki and Immerolia where a 48ft Selene brand trawler-style vessel called Pionero in similar colours to Envoy anchors alongside with its Dutch owners. 

The Selene range has been a very successful range of Nordhavn look-alikes.

In a bay called Ormos Ay Stefanou a 57ft German yacht anchors right in front of us, much too close for our peace of mind with its stern only about two metres from our bow. I ask them to move, which they do, but still anchor rather close off our port quarter. Other boats anchoring unnecessarily close is certainly an issue and because sailing yachts behave and swing differently to power boats at anchor this can cause problems.

Next posting Envoy heads south.

ENVOY'S SALE COMPLETED

Sorry about the delay since our last Blog posting – we've had an issue loading images, but I'll do another Post shortly, even without pictures.

Our prospective buyer arrived from Australia last Tuesday with his surveyor friend and a boating friend from UK. The buyer and I had already exchanged dozens of emails and had several phone conversations, but had never met, so on a rainy Tuesday afternoon we had a quick tour of Envoy followed by a dinner so we could all get to know each other. This included my brother Charles, a qualified shipwright and very experienced yachtsman, who came over from Scotland where he works as a Harbour Master.

On the Wednesday the rain passed, the weather was great again and the buying team did a thorough inspection and sea trial. They were well pleased and commented that Envoy's appearance surpassed their expectations and their impressions from photographs. On Thursday we lifted Envoy out of the water for a hull survey. On completion the surveyor said Envoy's condition was better than another Nordhavn ten years newer that he saw out of the water recently.

On that afternoon after having a consultation with his colleagues, the buyer met with us and we concluded the sale arrangements. He and his team are staying on until Monday evening so we can impart as much knowledge about Envoy as possible.

Obviously there is some sadness in parting with Envoy – a major part of our lives for the last 12 years, but we'll have many extremely happy memories of the many great times we've shared with family and close friends and we're delighted to see Envoy going to caring new owners who plan to continue Med cruising based out of Lefkada.

We leave here 8 November and arrive home on the 12^th.

New Post in next few days.

CRUISING WITH OUR FRIEND CHRIS

Envoy is currently under offer to an Australian couple who will visit Lefkas marina late October for an inspection and survey.

Envoy being launched at Lefkas Marina

Laurie enjoying a Greek Mythos beer and giant beans

After a few days cruising by ourselves we anchor off Lefkas Marina to pick up Chris who's flown into Athens and caught the bus to Lefkas with just two minutes to spare after a super-fast taxi ride from the airport to the bus station. 

We visit some of our favourite local places, especially Sivota, before moving on to Cephalonia – Ay Eufemia and Ithica – N Ay Nikolau. Here we meet three kiwi farming couples from the Manwatu cruising aboard a 50 year-old 60ft displacement motor vessel with loads of character called Lochinvar. 

Laurie and Chris by dinghy at N Ay Nikolau

Chris and Di at N Ay Nikolau with mobile taverna in background. They store all their beer outside with no security overnight and it's still there in the morning

Dog on waveski

At many of these places wasps are a bit of a problem and I get a sting on my hand. 

Now we find out that the BandG wind indicator parts aren't coming after all, so we decide to head up to Corfu and get another instrument technician to have a look.

On the way we anchor off Lefkada again and visit a local carpenter who's making some mooring line rat guards for us. On some islands rats are a problem and these guards prevent rats from crawling along the mooring lines. I wasn't able to buy these in NZ before we left and the carpenter charges a very reasonable 30 Euros for four. Later we take these ashore and spray them black.

Stopping in Preveza we meet Ross (a Kiwi) and Cindy from yacht Antares and visit a great restaurant ashore called Apagkio where I have one of the nicest ever pasta dishes together with the inevitable, predictable but delicious Greek salad. Di notices some tomatoes on display and asks if she can buy some, but the staff give them to us for free. Greek tomatoes are particularly tasty as well as being much cheaper than those in NZ. 

Ross is looking for some scuba gear. I won't be needing mine again and it takes up quite a lot of room aboard Envoy so we come to an arrangement for Ross to take it.

On the way north we stop and anchor for the first time at the island of Andipaxoi, having a beautiful bay all to ourselves overnight. This brings the number of Greek islands where we've over-nighted to 65 (plenty more to go as there are about 227 inhabited Greek islands and more than 6,000 in total).

In the morning another Nordhavn called Moxie (from Florida) comes into our bay and of course we meet up for a chat. Bob from Moxie tells us they recently went to Montenegro and tried to clear-in but Bob doesn't have any form of skipper's qualification. Not only would the authorities not let Moxie enter, but wouldn't let her leave until Bob hired a commercial captain to take them out of Montenegro's waters. Sounds like a pretty tough policy.

We spend a couple of days anchored off Petriti and then head to Gouvia marina. On the way we pass a very strange looking yacht, like something out of a sci-fi movie, called “A”. Apparently A is owned by a wealthy Russian and the lowest deck has a transparent hull so those aboard can see under water.

Yacht "A"

Chris and Laurie getting water before the watermaker was running

Chris pumping water from the plastic containers into Envoy's tanks

All of the time we've been here the temperature has been around 30d with light winds and smooth seas - definitely motor boat weather! The sea temperature at 26d makes swimming a real pleasure.

Ay Eufemia's fire brigade

A classic looking motor boat at Agni

And a classic sailing ship

Mates enjoying a beer together

Technical

The main reason for our visit to Gouvia is for technician Angelos to install our watermaker's reconditioned main pump. This is done and the watermaker works fine. We don't want to run it too long in the impure marina waters but a few days later run it for three hours and all is OK.

Our Nautica RHIB has been losing some air, requiring a few pumps every 3 or 4 days, so A1 Yachting arrange for someone to check it over. A few days later it's returned hard as a drum and has remained so since.

Our dual trumpet air horn has failed due to water ingress and electrician Leo orders and fits a new unit for us.

He also arranges for an instrument technician to look at our B&G wind gear. The mast's sender unit has been removed and is still being looked at.

Envoy has a SeaFire heat activated engine room fire extinguishing system. Nordhavn recently contacted all owners advising that some units have an interlock that shuts down the engine in case of discharge. This is deemed not a desriable feature and they offered a solution to bypass this interlock. Leo has some experience with SeaFire and checked our system out, determining that we don't have this interlock, so no problem.

Envoy has a vacuum gauge connected to the Lugger's Racor primary fuel filters. As filters become clogged they create a vacuum, telling you that it's time to think about changing them. We've never seen any movement in the vacuum gauge and wondered if it's working. So with Leo we checked this out by gradually reducing the fuel supply to the Lugger while it's running. Sure enough the gauge showed vacuum, confirming that it's working. Because Envoy has a fuel polishing system and all fuel is filtered through a 2 micron filter even before going to the primary Racor filter, the filters just don't get contaminated.

Our secondary GPS - a Northstar - has been working adequately, but not well for some time. Now it's definitely not working to our satisfaction and will need repair or replacement. This unit dates from pre-2002 so we can't complain. 

ENVOY IS CRUISING AGAIN

We departed Lefkas Marina on Friday morning and anchored in a bay off mainland Greece about 15 miles south. Weather is fine with temp in low 30s, little humidity and sea water a beautiful 28d. This was pretty fast progress seeing as we didn't arrive here until one week before, but Sailand and Yachtpaint had done a good job of getting things ready. Everything seems to be working well except
for our B&G Network wind speed and direction gear which powers up OK but doesn't read wind speed or direction. The local B&G specialist has inspected the system and says the sender unit on the mast has failed. Wait for it - we can't just replace this 15 year old sender because the new model apparently won't work with our old instrument, so we need a new sender, wiring loom and instrument, all of which has been ordered and will be here week of 10 Sept. I guess it's not too bad to get 15 years life out of a product continuously exposed to weather. Haven't done a whole lot of relaxing yet as have been sorting out gear etc, but another few days and most things should be done.
On Tuesday we return to Lefkas and will anchor off to pick up our friend Chris, aka McGyver who will be cruising with us until late Sept. After that we'll quietly cruise north to Corfu's Gouvia marina, where we'll get a couple of other jobs done including re-installation of our newly reconditioned water maker main pump and reconditioning of its seacock and strainer by Angelo. More to follow plus pics shortly.

RETURN TO LEFKAS, GREECE

Our advertising of Envoy on this Blog has resulted in an offer to purchase from long time readers of the Blog. In fact not only have this Australian couple been following our Blog since its inception, but followed Envoy's Atlantic Crossing by the previous owners in 2004. The potential buyer's offer is naturally subject to their inspection and survey which will take place here in Lefkas late October. So Envoy is “under offer” and we won't be considering any further offers unless this sale doesn't proceed.

We've arrived in Lefkada after a good trip from Auckland spending one night in Dubai and one in Athens on the way. Emirates are a great airline and the nearly 17 hour flight passed quite quickly aided by a solid 8 hours sleep. We like Emirates 30kg luggage allowance, their lenient attitude towards cabin bags and the generous space between economy seat rows. Having a spare seat between us on both flights certainly helped too. Our hotel in Dubai was good and it's a convenient place to break the trip.

We arived to find Envoy as expected on the hardstand under the care of our contractor – Sailand with everything looking good and more progress getting her ready for cruising than we expected.

Sailand completed a refurbishment of the Lugger's exhaust system which included replacing some exhaust sections, building a new stainless steel muffler and replacing all heat insulation.

They had also completed Envoy's anti fouling and attended to a small list of winter jobs:

-Re-sealing two acylic ventilation hatches into their aluminium frames because the sealant had failed

-Servicing the sea water circulating pumps on the generator and wing engine (we get this done annually)

-Checking the wing engine's shaft seal, prop and prop shaft

-Checking the main prop shaft's alignment, internal rubber sleeve and clamps, removing the stuffing box's sealings for inspection and finding them in good condition, greasing and replacing them

-Changing the main gearbox oil and cleaning its oil strainer

-Replacing a leaking galley sink mixer/faucet with a new one

-Replacing the large Nautica RHIB's start battery

Another contractor has also polished Envoy's bootstripe and white topsides gelcoat areas while yet another has repaired a slow air leak in one of the pontoons of our smaller Valiant RHIB.

Today was quite a sight when a huge crane came alongside Envoy to lift our larger RHIB down onto a trailer for annual servicing of its 25HP Yamaha outboard. Also today I took four inflatable life jackets in for two-yearly servicing together with one fire extinguisher which has its gauge needle in the red when it should be in the green.

There's a few more jobs being done on Tuesday such as filter replacements and then on Wednesday we expect to launch Envoy and do a short sea trial with Sailand's engineer aboard. Then we hope to leave the marina by the weekend. Sorry no pictures in this posting.

PLANS FOR 2018 CRUISING

NOTE: ENVOY IS STILL FOR SALE – SEE DETAILS IN BLOG POST BELOW THIS ONE.

We are finally set to leave Auckland and return to Greece in about 10 days time to resume cruising.

The Ionian weather is generally fairly good to the end of October, so we'll be able to enjoy two months cruising before going back into Lefkas Marina for the winter.

After launching we'll spend a few days in the Lefkas area while we confirm everything aboard Envoy is working correctly and then head north to Corfu. Our watermaker's main pump has been reconditioned in Athens during our absence and Angelos will install it in Corfu's Gouvia Marina. Needless to say this will also be a good chance for Di to check out some of her favorite shopping haunts.

From there we'll head around Corfu's NW coast to check out a small island we've not visited previously – Nisos Mathraki and its village of Plakes. From here it's only about 7 miles NW to the island of Nisis Othoni where we've anchored previously, but not been ashore to visit the village of Ammos.

After that we'll cruise over to Italy's NE coast and explore the Gulf of Taranto where there are several interesting places to check out. We'll probably get a rental car here and explore a bit further afield too.

This plan is about all that time will allow this year, but we're looking forward to being on and in the water, having some sunshine, enjoying Envoy and exploring some new places. This time of year is when tuna are caught too, so we'll be trolling our lines.

Our great friend Chris, aka McGyver, will join us early September and we've got a few projects lined up to test his skills and keep him occupied.

Shortly I'll do a further post talking technical.

AMAZING CRUISING LIFESTYLE FOR SALE

This is your opportunity to live the cruising dream aboard Envoy, a stunning Nordhavn 46 motor yacht now offered for sale.

Envoy anchored in Turkey

Envoy is a magnificent example of the legendary Nordhavn 46 motor yacht. Bold in her distinctive design, she offers the ultimate in secure and comfortable cruising for a vessel of this size range. With two double cabins, each with an en-suite bathroom, a well-equipped galley and expansive, sun-drenched deck areas, she offers a cruising experience that will absolutely delight you and your guests.

• Envoy is in superb condition, having been meticulously maintained by all previous owners
• Her elegant and distinctive appearance makes her a talking point wherever she goes
• She is currently located in the exotic Greek Islands
• Included with the boat is literally everything you need to start cruising, from all the navigational equipment, tools and spare parts, through to the bedding, crockery, cutlery, glassware and all kitchen equipment etc... all you need to do is step aboard with your bags of groceries and set off on your journey
• Detailed, accurate and up-to-date technical manuals included, as well as after-sales technical support if required
• Competitively priced at US$275,000

History of Envoy

Envoy was launched in 1991 and we purchased her in 2006. We had become obsessed with the Nordhavn 46, renowned for its offshore ability, economical operation and luxurious accommodations... so we scoured the world for the very best example on the market.

On finding Envoy we were absolutely delighted to see her superb fit-out and condition. This was reinforced when a well-known Nordhavn 46 owner and circumnavigator told us, "I can't think of a better taken care of and upgraded Nordhavn 46 than Envoy."

Envoy has a great pedigree originally cruising to Panama, the Caymans, Florida, the Bahamas and the Exumas and Turks islands. Then in 2004 she crossed the Atlantic with the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally and cruised to Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia before we purchased her.

Since then she has cruised Italy, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Turkey and is now based at  Lefkada Island's marina in Greece.

Envoy cruising in Greece. The starboard stabiliser pole has been deployed to set a flopper stopper when anchoring. Hydraulic stabilisers provide excellent stability under way

Sale of Envoy 

Having spent all these magical years cruising the Mediterranean aboard Envoy, much of which is chronicled on this blog, we are now moving onto the next phase of our lives and as such are selling Envoy.

Envoy's systems are in excellent working condition and she is completely set up and ready to continue cruising the Med or beyond. We will provide full on-board instruction regarding Envoy's operation and maintenance as well as after sales technical support if required.

Whilst Envoy was launched in 1991, much of her equipment dates from later. We offer Envoy on the basis that she is sound and seaworthy with all equipment working correctly unless otherwise specified. All three of Envoy's owners have maintained her with no expense spared and loving care.

Please contact owner Laurie Cranfield - admiralfw@gmail.com or tel: +64 21 939440 for pricing and answers to questions.

Additional images of Envoy are included throughout the specifications below.


SPECIFICATIONS

Type of Vessel: Nordhavn 46 Full Displacement Trawler

• Builder: Pacific Asian Enterprises / Nordhavn
• Designer: Jeff Leishman
• Hull Identification Number (HIN): PAI46019K090
• Year Built as per HIN: 1990
• Year Sold: 1991 Model Year
• Registration Number / Port: NZ1315 / Auckland
• Radio Call Sign: ZMA 2040
• MMSI Number: 512 030 000
• LOA: 13.95m
• LWL: 11.68m
• Beam: 4.7m
• Draft: 1.52m
• Displacement: 28.12 tonne
• Cruising Speed: 7.4 knots
• Range: 2,800nm
• Colour: Light grey hull, white topsides. Complete hull and some of topsides repainted mid-2017

Hull Construction

• Hull: Moulded Solid GRP
• Topsides: Moulded GRP with stainless steel framed windows
• Hull Type: Full displacement – D/L 383, Cp 0.63, A/B Ratio 2.3:1
• Frames: Partitions, bulkheads and longitudinal stringers
• Deck Beams: Moulded GRP
• Decks: Moulded GRP with wood core
• Ballast: 4,800lb in keel

This photo shows the upper deck where the larger RHIB is stored under its cover on its cradle. Note the weatherproof deck storage box. You can also see the boom with its two winches used to lift the RHIBs. Foreground left is one of the stabiliser paravanes in its storage rack

Main Engine

• Type: Lugger L6414D-KC-BW72, 143hp (107Kw), 6 cylinder diesel, 7,428 hours. Recommended RPM: Idle: 650, Cruise: 1700
• Cooling System: Fresh water through Walter keel cooler
• Alternator: Balmar 9435 160 amp
• Primary Fuel Filtration: Dual, interchangeable Racor 75/900FG with manifold vacuum gauge and water alarm in PilotHouse
• Transmission: Borg Warner Velvet Drive Model 10.18.012 (72 Series), ratio 2.91:1
• Throttle and Clutch Controls: Morse cable (2016)
• Propeller Shaft: 50mm Stainless steel stub shaft (2010)
• Shaft Log Type: Fibreglass stern tube and flex hose (2001)
• Bearing Material: Bronze (2001)
• Stuffing Box Seal: Silicone impregnated stuffing 
• Bearings: Rubber Cutless (2010)
• Main Propeller: Bronze four blade 30 x 19 plus spare three blade

Wing Engine

• Type: Yanmar 3GM30FV 25hp diesel, 801 hours, mounted on GRP stringers
• Cooling System: Fresh water heat exchanger
• Fuel Filters: Primary – Racor, Secondary – Yanmar
• Alternator: Balmar 100 amp
• Transmission: Kanzaki vee drive Model KM3V, ratio 3.20:1
• Throttle and Clutch Controls: Morse cable
• Propeller Shaft: New in 2001, reconditioned 2013
• Shaft Log Type: Fibreglass stem tube and flex hose (2001)
• Bearing Material: Bronze (2001)
• Stuffing Box Seal: Volvo Deep Seal 32mm (2011)
• Bearings: Rubber Cutless (2010)
• Propeller: Max Prop folding
• Exhaust Silencer: GRP

Diesel Auxiliary Generator

• Manufacturer: Northern Lights in sound shield, 4,683 hours, Model Number: M753-811
• Number of Cylinders: 3
• Engine Cooling System: Fresh water heat exchanger
• Type of Fuel Filters: Primary – Racor 500G. Secondary - Northern Lights
• Fuel Usage: About 2.9L/hr
• Exhaust Line: Cast riser, to hose, to lift style muffler, to hose, to through hull.
• Stainless steel exhaust elbow and GRP exhaust silencer, seawater cooled
• Kilowatt: 8
• Voltage: 120/240, 60Hz
• Phase: Single

Other Engine Room Equipment

• Inverter: Xantrex 3Kw, 110V
• Engine Room Blowers: Two 12V forced-air Dayton 2C 646
• Water Heater: Seaward S1100 electric and engine driven 11gal (2004), 1500W, 120V, ignition protected
• Water Maker: HRO Seafari Model 740-2 SFM 31gal/hr, installed 2003, modified 2012
• Oil Change System: Groco BMX3-60 Oil Change System with 12V pump servicing Lugger, Wing Engine and Genset through a three way manifold (2003)
• Fuel Primer System: 12V Walboro pump for Lugger, Wing Engine and Genset (2003)
• Fuel Polishing System: Two 12V pumps: one high speed Groco SPO-60-R (2010) and one slow speed Walboro (2003). Uses Racor 900MA filter and De-Bug L1000
• Aircon Manufacturer: Marine Air Systems with a forward system (2004)and an amidships system
• Battery Charger (12 volt): Charles 50/60Hz charges both house and engine start banks through a combiner 
• Battery Charger (24 volt): Dedicated Mastervolt charger (2003) for the 24V bow thruster in chain locker along with two Deka 8A4-DDM deep cycle AGM Batteries (2016), 210AH powering the bow thruster
• Engine Start Batteries: Two 12V (2017) in parallel for a 12V system starts all engines
• House Batteries: Six Deka 8AGC2 AGM 6V deep cycle batteries Three sets of two 6V batteries are wired in series, then the three resulting 12V banks (each 220Ah) are wired in parallel for 660Ah
• Isolation of Batteries: All three banks have isolation switches
• Lighting Voltage: All 12V DC except one 120V AC in PilotHouse
• Wiring Protection: Circuit breakers and fuses.
• Electrolysis Protection: Bonding system and isolation transformer
• Grounded: Negative

Fuel manifold on starboard side of engine room

Fittings and Equipment

• Deck Hardware: Stainless
• Hand Rails: Stainless
• Stanchions: Stainless
• Grab Rails: Stainless
• Anchor Roller: Integrated stainless with teflon rollers
• Boarding Gates: Port and starboard in cockpit
• Swim Ladder: Stainless and teak mounting to starboard
• Signal mast / Boom / Yardarm: Forespar aluminium
• Stabilizers (active): Naiad MultiSea II (2004)
• Stabilisers (passive): Custom aluminium boom and Forespar spars with galvanised and painted paravane stabilisers (“Birds”). Stainless steel Flopper Stoppers attach for stability at anchor
• Bow Thruster: Wesmar Model T12/10 24V, 12hp with bronze 3-bladed 10 x 10.75inch propeller
• Anchor Windlass: Maxwell 2200 vertical wildcat / capstan driven, 9m/min, rated 1,000kg, 1200W, !2V motor (new 2013) driven from house battery bank
• Ground Tackle: 88lbs Delta Setfast Anchor attached to approx 400ft (122m) of 3/8inch BBB galvanised chain. Spares - 60 lb Plow style anchor stored in bottom of chain locker, 60lb Danforth style stored on boat deck, Fortress FX-37 stored on boat deck
• Boom Winch: The Nautica RHIB is launched and retrieved using the boom on the mast and two Rule 3300R electric winches (2002) controlled by an Imtra 4-position wired remote control (2002) or a wireless remote control (2005) also used for raising/lowering the passarelle and lifting the RHIBs behind the transom. 
• Steering Gear: Single station hydraulic HyDrive 
• Windscreen Wipers: two on forward facing PilotHouse windows
• Power outlets: Throughout the vessel are 120V (USA style) , 220V (European style) and 12V outlets. The 120V outlets are fed by generator or inverter. The 220V outlets are fed from shorepower
• Cooling Fans: In saloon, both sleeping cabins, Pilothouse, main head

Photo shows pilothouse looking to port. Navigation computer and screen is centre right and the circuit breaker panel is lower right

This photo looks aft in the pilothouse. The settee converts into an additional single berth

Tenders

1. Nautica (large RHIB) – normally stored on cradle on Boat Deck. 

• Model: 1999 3.7m Nautica DeLuxe
• Outboard Motor: 1999 25hp Yamaha 4-stroke with power tilt and trim
• Accessories: ICOM VHF radio & antenna, Hummingbird depth sounder with removable display, navigation lights, bilge pump, air pump, tachometer, speedometer, two anchors with warps, paddles, fenders, chaps (new 2017), 12V power outlet, integral 22gal petrol tank

2. Valiant (small RHIB) – normally stored Aft of transom supported by boom

• Model: 2010 2.7m Valiant Dynamic
• Outboard Motor: 2007 2.3hp Honda 4-stroke, air cooled
• Accessories: Oars, pump, repair kit, spare fuel tank

Navigation Electronics

• Compass: Ritchie Power Damp
• Wind Indicator: B&G Network (2003). Also reads house bank voltage
• Digital Hand-Held Wind Indicator:  Smart Sensor Model AR816 
• Weatherfax: Furuno DFAX model 207 (2001). No longer used as replaced by internet forecasts
• NavTex l: ICS Receiver Model: NAV 4 printing NavTex connected to GPS signal
• NavTex 2: Furuno NX-300 (2006) LCD display NavTex connected to GPS signal
• Barometer: 4½ inch Weems and Plath in PilotHouse. 
• Ships Clock: 4½ inch Weems and Plath
• Barometer and clock also in Saloon and Master Cabin
• GPS: Raytheon RayNav 300 (2003)
• Garmin GPS I2XL (2002)
• Northstar 951X Model No 1500-A
• Main Navigation Computer: Toshiba Satellite A35 Laptop with MaxSea C-Map V10.1.3.2 and navigation software. Samsung SyncMaster 150MP flat screen
• Backup Navigation Computer: Compaq Presario Laptop Model 12XL300 in 1200 series (about 2001) with Windows ME and same navigation software as above
• Auto Pilot 1: Robertson AP200DL with Simrad RF45X sender (new 2107)
• Auto Pilot2: SimRad AP 21 (2004) with RF300S sender. NOTE: each autopilot has its own hydraulic pump, compass, rudder indicator and control head. They are independent units with in use unit selected from an electrical switch behind the breaker panel
• Rudder Angle Indicator: Robertson RI101
• Speed Log: BandG Network (2003)
• Distance Log: BandG Network (2003)
• Radar: Raytheon R41X Open array 48 mile antenna linked to GPS
• Raytheon RL9 closed array 16 mile antenna linked to GPS
• Depth Sounder 1: Interphase Probe forward searching sonar (2002)
• Depth Sounder 2: BandG Network Digital (2002)
• Sat Phone: Iridium Motorola 9505 (2004). Probably needs replacing as old technology
• Radios: Main - ICOM M602 DSC VHF (2003)
• Shakespeare Galaxy 23 ft VHF antenna (2003)
• Secondary - ICOM IC-M56 VHF
• Shakespeare 3db antenna on masthead (2003)
• ICOM IC-M710 SSB Shakespeare 23ft antenna (2002)
• VHF antenna (spare) mounted on PilotHouse roof
• ICOM Handheld IC-M1v (2006), re-chargeable on 110V
• Standard Horizon Handheld HX350S replaceable battery powered
• Closed Circuit TV System: Black and white rear view vision
• Engine Room Video System: Three Magnavox colour cameras in Engine Room with images displayed as required on Samsung screen
• Portable Communications: 2 sets of radio headset systems
• Ships Bell: Chrome-plated brass bell in PilotHouse with mount also in cockpit
• Horn: Dual Trumpet Electric/Air (2002)
• Loud Hailer: Speaker in Cockpit operated from ICOM IC-M602 radio
• Navigation Lights: Port (2013) and Starboard (2017), forward mast head, stern, anchor
• Temperature and Humidity Measuring system: Digitech XC-0328 (2016) 8 channel wireless thermometer /hygrometer with main LCD screen in PilotHouse and additional sensors in cockpit and engine room.

Photo shows the amidships master cabin looking to port with walk around king size double berth

Here is the guest cabin looking to port

Safety Equipment

• Bilge Pumps 2 x Jabsco 36600-0000 (2004), 8gpm, 12V, wired directly to house bank. Self priming, manual or auto operation, both using Ultra Safety Systems sensors. Quick EBSN bilge depth sensor
• Edson Model 638 high capacity manual pump
• 120V Rule emergency portable pump
• Several hand pumps of various sizes and capacities
• Emergency Flares: Full complement of current dated red parachute, red hand and smoke canisters
• Life Jackets: 1 x Stearns belt-worn CO2 inflatable buoyancy vest; 1 x West Marine WM-38MH self-inflating; 2 x Marinepool (2013) CO2 self-inflatable; 1 x Stearns 429-06, Type 2, adult offshore, not inflatable; 3 x Safegyard Corp Model S225RT, adult offshore, not inflatable; 1 x Child lifejacket
• Whistles and strobe lights for several jackets
• Life Ring: Starboard forward bulkhead in front of PilotHouse
• Rescue Line 1 x crew rescue system mounted boat deck aft
• EPIRB McMurdo A5G 406 MHz transmitter and 121.5 MHz SAR
• homing frequency. With built-in GPS. To be replaced with new prior sale
• Abandon Ship Ditch-bag Bag with all necessary items
• First Aid Kit: Comprehensive kit includes medicines, antibiotics, digital BP and pulse monitor
• Binoculars: Fujinon 7x50 7d, Nikon 7x50 7.2d CFWP, Nikon Action 8x40 8.2d. Plus 1 pair in ditch bag
• Emergency tiller: Stainless steel, stored in Lazarette rack
• Seabrake drogue: In anchor locker
• Towing Line: In anchor locker

Photo shows starboard side of saloon with three steps up to pilothouse on right and several steps down to master cabin left

Fire Fighting Equipment and Wash Downs

• Fixed Extinguisher: Sea-Fire Model 100CG, 10lbs Halon 1301, DOT39 NRC500/720 M106, Model 100CG. Mounted port side of engine room
• Portable Extinguishers: Saloon - Anaf PS2Y ABC RINA 2kg, powder. Modiak 2kg ABC powder, master cabin – Mobiak 2kg ABC85, guest cabin – Mobiak 2kg ABC85, PilotHouse - 2 x Anaf PS2Y ABC RINA 2kg powder, Anaf PS6-F ABC 6 kg, powder
• Auxiliary Fire Pumps: Salt water wash down on foredeck, Fresh water hose in Cockpit
• Fire Blanket: Galley
• Smoke Detector/Alarms: I – Engine Room, 1 – PilotHouse, 1 – Guest Cabin, 1 – top of stairs to master cabin. All powered by 9V batteries

Entertainment Electronics

• Guest Cabin: Sharp flat screen (2003), DVD player
• Saloon Home Theatre: Sharp AM/FM/CD/DVD 110V player surround sound home theatre with 5 speakers, amplifier, subwoofer and remote control (2004). Sony DVD DVP-SR 750H (2011) with Samsung flat screen (2014)
• Stereos: PilotHouse: Pioneer Sat ready/MP3/CD stereo (2006) with iPod adaptor, remote control and two speakers
• Master Cabin: wiring and 2 speakers only for Pioneer unit
• Guest Cabin: Pioneer CD/AM/FM tuner with 2 speakers (2004)

The galley is port side forward of the saloon. Note microwave, stove, garbage compactor. The refrigerator is to the right

The large and efficient AC-powered refrigerator is on the starboard side of the galley

Galley Equipment

• Stove: Force 10 Gormet 63351 (2002) 3-burner stove with oven and broiler, auto lighting
• LPG Tanks 4 x replaceable lpg bottles suitable for Greece and Italy. Bottles typically last 45-60 days
• LPG Tank Location: Vented locker on port side of PilotHouse. One spare in vented locker, two stored in protective bags on boat deck
• Stove Lines and Regulator: Approved type with overfill protection valves
• Shut-Off for Stove: In galley, main breaker panel on lpg bottles
• Vent Blower: Above stove
• Microwave: Whirlpool MT1071SGBO, 120V, 60Hz
• Refrigeration: Rich Beers custom 120V cold plate refrigerator and freezer
• Sink: Double stainless steel
• Garbage Disposal: ISE Badger (2006) Insinkerator, Marine Appliances Model EX1055 Compactor, 2200W.
• Kettle: One for gas plus Blue Line Listesi WK8261, 220V, 2200W for shorepower
• Toaster: One for gas plus 110V pop-up (2012)

Also included: crockery, cutlery, saucepans, serving platters, implements, glassware etc

Miscellaneous Equipment

• Scuba and Snorkel Gear: Complete set of Scuba gear including 2 air tanks, large selection of masks, snorkels, fins etc
• Fishing Equipment: 2 x rods and complete set of tackle
• Fresh Water Supply: Capacity 920L. There are 3 freshwater tanks any one of which can be accessed using a 12V Shurflo 2088-414-934 pump (spare pump wired and plumbed in situ) or an auxiliary foot pump. System includes Jabsco1L accumulator Model 30573-0000 and dual filtration.
• A Sensus 62015C volumetric meter (2014) measures water consumed
• Heads: Master – Raritan Atlantes A5F12 can discharge into holding tank or directly overboard. Guest – Sealand Vacuuflush Model 1006 discharges into own holding tank
• Air Vents: There are two air vents on the foredeck, the port one providing air to the master cabin and the starboard one to the guest cabin
• Solar Air Vents: There are two solar air vents located in the saloon, two in the PilotHouse and one in guest head
• Washing Machine / Dryer: Splendide 2000 Model WD802M
• Vacuum Cleaners: 110V house unit and 12 V Shopvac unit
• Bathroom scales: Felix Onore (2010)
• BBQ: Custom-built stainless steel (2010), cockpit mounted with Stamoid cover utilising same LPG tanks as Stove
• Scanner / Copier: Canon Canoscan LiDE 30
• Label Maker: Brother Model PT-65
• Dehumidifyer: Philco PDH-520HB (2013) 320W, free standing with Stamoid storage cover
• Safe: Hidden, combination locked
• Flags: Comprehensive set of country flags including Q, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Albania, Croatia, New Zealand
• Chairs: 2 x cockpit plastic chairs, 1 x cockpit small folding table, 4 x folding deck chairs
• Passarelle: Custom made with remote control for operation from boom winch
• Mosquito proofing: Custom screens on PilotHouse doors, both doors to master cabin (2014) and six saloon windows (2014)
• Shopping Trolley: 1 (2014)
• Heavy duty trolley: 1 collapsible
• Fender Boards: 1 large plank which can also be used as gang plank plus 2 smaller boards
• Fenders: 2 x large round Hercules, 2 x very long, 1 x “fat boy”, 7 x regular shape large. All with covers. Several smaller fenders for RHIBs
• Fender tyres: 4 x car tyres set up for immediate use as fenders for tough conditions
• Tools: Extensive selection of power and hand tools mostly listed in Inventory Manual
• Spare Parts: Extensive selection listed in Inventory Manual
• Chandlery: Extensive selection of most imaginable items

The combo washer / dryer is inset in the stairway leading from the pilothouse to the guest cabin. The deep freeze is located just forward and out of picture

Rigging and Canvas Covers

• Canvas covers for Nautica tender, cockpit sun awning, boat deck winch, boom winches, engine room vents and vents in smokestack. Full waterproof cover for deck and topsides custom designed and built in 2008 using Wolmix pvc coated polyester
• Sun shade covers for PilotHouse windshield and saloon windows
• 4 x custom made Stomoid large volume deck storage bags (in addition to four fixed waterproof GRP storage boxes)

Please contact owner Laurie Cranfield - admiralfw@gmail.com or tel: +64 21 939440 for pricing and answers to questions.