Latitudes
Spring Summer 2013 ISSUE 36 ÂŁ3.50
21
ARC 2012 The One With Two Starts
16 New Zealand Discovery
33 Fire Afloat
46 Caribbean 1500
www.claris.fr - Photos Nicolas Claris
Lagoon supports the ARC Rally
to refer to as the Lagoon attitude: A great ambiance and an unforgettable class organization in terms of preparation and safety. Lagoon is proud to be a partner of the ARC Rally!
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Proud SuPPorterS of the ArC Berthon is offering the Swan 66’FD TOUCAN for sale. Built in 2008 by Nautor Swan to German Frers designs, TOUCAN has sailed extensively in Northern Europe, the East Coast of the United States and in the Caribbean. Skipper maintained from Day One she offers this owner and her new owner reliable, trouble free, powerful and fast sailing. She is overwintering in the Caribbean where she is available for inspections now.
www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES
List of Advertisers 52 Adlard Coles 35 Admiral Marine Insurance 24 Ayuntamiento Las Palmas 4 Berthon International 2 CBN Lagoon 45 Echomax 54 Fischer Panda 3 Gill UK 45 GN Espace 32 Hamble School of Yachting 8 Hydrovane 52 Imray 18 ISTEC Parasailor 9 Jeanneau 14 The Lisbon Boatyard 36 Mactra Marine Equipment 12 MailASail 14 Marina de Lagos 38 Marlec 32 Mobmat 47 Nanny Cay 38 Ocean Safety 44 Oyster 20 Patronato Turismo de Gran Canaria 49 Peters and May 50 Puerto Calero 6 PYD 6 Raymarine 30 Rolnautic 56 Saint Lucia Tourism 42 Traveleads 42 watt&sea 48 YachtCom & SailCom 45 Yachtfunk
Contents 16
7
Viewpoint Foreword by Andrew Bishop, MD of World Cruising Club
10
Club News News and events from World Cruising Club and our Corporate Members
13
Rally News Round up of rallies
15
Events Diary What, when and where
21
16
Cruising Report New Zealand Discovery
21
ARC 2012 The One With Two Starts...
29
ARC Forest Carbon offset for your voyages
31
Rolnautic Boatyard A welcome new addition to Las Palmas
39 33
Fire Afloat Learn from real life experiences
39
World ARC Ocean Stepping Stones
46
Caribbean 1500 Wet and fast route South
50
OceanCrewLink Bringing ocean sailors together
46
51
ARC Portugal Looking ahead to 2013
53
Boating Book Review The latest books for bluewater sailors
55
noonsite.com News updates from the cruising sailor’s information site
5
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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES
Viewpoint
Editor Jeremy Wyatt
Deputy Editor Sarah Colins
Contributors Lyall Burgess Sarah Collins Rachel Hibberd Donna Hill Nick Martin Andy Schell Paul Tetlow
Photography Credits Suzana Buraca The crews of Andante; Artic Queen; Finnrose; La Boheme; Maunie of Ardwall; Magpie; Moonshadow; Murphy; Poespas; Promise; Vaebitt; Via Con Me Hamble School of Yachting Rachel Hibberd Mike and Donna Hill Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson Nick Martin James Mitchell Ocean Safety Clare Pengelly Capers Rumph David Savides Paul Tetlow Tim Wright Photoaction.com Jeremy Wyatt And to all other yacht crews who submitted photographs!
Cover Image The view from the masthead mid-Atlantic by the crew of Maunie of Ardwall
Design Aaron Rudd Creative www.aaronrudd.co.uk
Publisher World Cruising Club 120 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AX, UK Tel: Email:
+44 (0)1983 296060 mail@worldcruising.com
Websites: worldcruising.com noonsite.com oceancrewlink.com
Almost for as long as the ARC has been running there have been alternative rallies, including the successful French organised events, which have quietly co-existed catering for their own nationalities. In the last four months two new transatlantic rallies have emerged, one offering to liven up your Christmas and New Year whilst at sea, the other to take you on an alternative less visited route via Madeira and the Cape Verdes. We wish them both all the best in helping extend yachtsmen’s cruising boundaries through participation in their respective events.
“
World Cruising Club is about encouraging sailors to extend their cruising boundaries”
Extending boundaries is our mantra at World Cruising Club and is what we have been doing since Jimmy Cornell’s first ARC in 1986, through all our various events, up to the latest new northern route for the Malts Cruise last summer. With the third circumnavigation of World ARC now completed in Saint Lucia our recent objective has been to find a new challenge to help those who Andrew Bishop, have circumnavigated to achieve further goals and visit new places. Managing Director Last visited as a rally on the Millennium Odyssey, we are pleased to announce the new World ARC South America route; leaving from Portugal in September 2014 this route will offer an exciting alternative to Tahiti via Brazil, Argentina and Chile, with time to independently cruise Patagonia, and visit Cape Horn. World ARC 2014 will leave from Saint Lucia in January with at least thirty five yachts taking the start, some of which have chosen to break their journey to explore the western Pacific for a year before continuing with the second half of World ARC 2015, made possible by the event now being run annually. World ARC South America will meet World ARC 2015 in Tahiti, to continue as one group for the remainder of the circumnavigation to finish in Saint Lucia in April 2016. Whilst we extend participants options to the south, Jimmy Cornell’s Blue Planet Odyssey offers an alternative route through the north-west passage, an even more extreme option for the truly adventurous. We wish them all the best for a safe voyage on their challenging route. The start of World ARC 2015 will be my 100th rally, as well as the company’s tenth year under the current management, and the 30th ARC; all good reasons to see the year as one of celebration! Whilst in the spring of 2013 it seems like a long way off the start of 2015 will soon be upon us and so it’s time to start work on how we plan to celebrate these significant milestone achievements. Without our participants’ support none of this would have been possible, and so we look forward to including many past, present and future participants in those celebrations, and in the meantime thank you for your continuing support.
Andrew Bishop
Managing Director, World Cruising Club
7
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Steering broken Rudder damaged Crew incapacitated
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JEANNEAU 57
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LATITUDES
Club News A round-up of news from World Cruising Club supporters
Spring / Summer 2013
New additions to the team in Cowes Several new faces have joined the World Cruising Club team in the past couple of months and if you call the Cowes office, or send an email, you will probably speak to Martine Waitt, our new Administrator. Martine handles all rally entries and enquiries as well as our seminar programme. Also based in Cowes, Sarah Collins has come onboard to assist with our communications to our rally participants and corporate partners.
World Cruising Club USA Andy Schell and his wife Mia Karlsson are the new team at the helm of World Cruising Club USA, responsible for the Caribbean 1500 and Atlantic Cup rallies, plus our US seminars. The couple will be familiar faces to those who have sailed with us before since they have worked on a variety of our rallies over the last 3 years. Andy, a USCG and RYA Yachtmaster Ocean licensed captain, has also sailed 3 times in the Caribbean 1500, as well as transatlantic ARC Europe rally. Andy and Mia were married in June ‘11 and sailed their 35-foot yawl Arcturus from the Chesapeake to Sweden 2 weeks later, via Canada, Ireland and Scotland.
10
Para Anchors from Ocean Safety Following Ocean Safety’s acquisition of Para Anchors Australia, production has now moved to the UK where they are being made alongside the Ocean ISO Liferafts and the Jonbuoy range of man overboard equipment. The range not only includes Para Anchors but also sturdy drogues, deployed from the stern when you’re running before big seas and broaching is a danger. They can also be deployed as an emergency steering device. The parachute anchor range is designed to be deployed from the bow, and is the piece of safety equipment which you can rely on in the heaviest of weather. You can set it up in advance to be deployed from the safety of your cockpit. The anchor will hold you head to wind reducing your crew’s discomfort and keeping your boat safe. Use it to your advantage in any weather, from making repairs to your mast; giving your crew a rest on long passages; or to stand off safely when approaching an unknown harbour entrance in the dark, making your entrance instead in daylight with a rested crew. Go to www.paraanchors.org to read first hand accounts of their benefits in a storm. For more information call Ocean Safety on +44 (0)23 8072 0800
www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES
Rolnautic Valedero Boatyard Located inside the public marina of Las Palmas, the newly-equipped ‘Rolnautic Varadero’ Boatyard is now open for business. Offering a comprehensive range of competitively-priced services and state of the art dry-docking facilities at the newly re-fitted yard, the facility is expected to prove popular with ARC participants requiring maintenance and repair work before crossing the Atlantic. The boat yard will serve as an excellent complement to the existing Rolnautic chandlery that has long since been supplying ARC crews with equipment and technical knowledge. Read the full article on page 31.
Welcome to Watt&Sea Watt&Sea joined World Cruising Club as a new Corporate Member in January. Inventors of a new generation of hydrogenerator, their innovative product offers the best solution for energy autonomy when cruising or racing and is sure to be a popular choice for our rally participants. This unit produces enough power to supply all of your boat’s requirements without the noise and inconvenience of other battery charging options. Conveniently fixing to the yachts transom, cruising models produce 500 watts of power when travelling at 8 knots or above. The range of hydrogenarators proved so efficient at producing clean, free energy on demand that 95% of the 2012 Vendée Globe fleet used the Watt&Sea Hydro’s as their primary power source. For more information or to find your nearest dealer, visit www.wattandsea.com
A new home port for USA events World Cruising Club has recently announced that Portsmouth, Virginia will be the new home port for its sailing rallies held on the east coast of the USA. Yachts joining the Caribbean 1500 and ARC Bahamas will set off from the Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Portsmouth VA, a world-class marina complex with an on-site state-of-the-art refit yard, yacht chandlery and comprehensive yacht services. Portsmouth will also welcome yachts joining ARC Europe from the US east coast, and those returning from the Caribbean as part of the Atlantic Cup.
European representatives Astrid and Wilhelm Greiff provide support for German-speaking participants in all World Cruising Club rallies. They have a new email address, buero-deutschland@worldcruising.com, and will be happy to assist with any queries. In the Netherlands, Bojan Michiels van Kessenich provides support and assistance for Dutch-speaking participants, and has sailed in several World Cruising Club rallies. To get in contact with Bojan, please email dutchsupport@worldcruising.com.
11
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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES
Rally News ARC - Two starts planned for 2013 For the first time since its creation in 1986, ARC sailors have a choice of routes with the introduction of ARC+ Cape Verdes. The islands are ideally placed for boats to sail ‘south until the butter melts’; their latitude at 16º50’N is right in the path of the trade winds, promising a great sail for the passage to Saint Lucia. ARC+ will include a 3 to 5 day stop-over at Mindelo, providing crews with an opportunity to discover the enchanting local culture, lively nightlife and bustling food markets that make these islands a fascinating destination in their own right. ARC+ will have a week long programme of activities in Las Palmas, including parties and preparation lectures, as well as fun socials in Cape Verdes and Saint Lucia. A separate prizegiving party will wrap-up the fun just as the earliest arrivals from the second start make landfall, giving ARC+ yachts more time to enjoy some Caribbean cruising before Christmas.
Learn from the Experts In a new addition to our Ocean Cruising Seminar programme a World Cruising seminar will take place in Norway this May. Organised in cooperation with Norwegian Allure agents Lange Maritime, this free weekend event is open to anyone interested in offshore cruising. The speaker’s programme will include presentations in Norwegian, on fitting out a boat for long-distance cruising; ARC safety equipment requirements; first-aid at sea; rigging, sail care and choice for cruising. Alongside the seminar sessions will be the opportunity to look aboard a selection of cruising boats fitted out for long distance sailing. Barbeques and entertainment ashore should make for a fun weekend for friends and families together.
ARC Caribbean 1500 2013 sees a new home port for our US events and ARC Caribbean 1500 will start from Portsmouth Virginia on 3rd November. Returning ralliers and new faces will assemble for the week-long pre-departure program, and for the first time for the ARC Caribbean 1500 they will all be docked together prior to departure. The destinations for America’s longest-running and most popular rally are Bluff House Marina on Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Bahamas and Nanny Cay on Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Malts Cruise Combining exceptional cruising, beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife with a journey of discovery into the world of Scottish single malt whisky, the Malts Cruise is proving as popular as ever. Departing Oban on 7th July, the fleet explores many Highland highlights during the two week passage. Chartering a yacht locally is a popular option for the Malts Cruise, with a wide range of vessels available for bareboat or skippered charter.
Attendence is free, but pre-registration is recommended. Ocean Cruising Weekend Camp - May 25/26 at Leangbukta just outside Oslo. For more details, go to worldcruising.com/training
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Distances Bayona 230 miles Madeira 121 miles Azores 777 miles Lagos, Algarve 99 miles Canary Islands 709 miles
The sailors’ crossroads
www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES
World Cruising Club Programme 2013/2014
2013
4 May
6 July
3 November
Tortola BVI Cruising rally from Tortola BVI to Bermuda then on to USA
Whisky-themed cruising around the islands and anchorages of western Scotland
Cruising rally from Portsmouth VA to Tortola BVI.
Atlantic Cup
Malts Cruise
14 September
4 May
ARC Europe Tortola BVI and Portsmouth VA Start of west-east transatlantic rally visiting Bermuda and Azores.
23 - 24 May
Bluewater Cruisers’ Question Time Southampton, UK An introduction to ocean sailing held at the Southampton Boat Show
10-14 October
Ocean Cruising Camp Oslo, Norway Step aboard an ocean cruising yacht and learn from the experts at this free weekend event.
United States Sailboat Show Meet the World Cruising Club USA team in Annapolis
12 October
2 June
ARC Portugal Plymouth UK Cruise in company from Plymouth across Biscay then day sailing down the Portuguese coast to Marina de Lagos.
Bluewater Cruisers’ Question Time Annapolis MD, USA An introduction to ocean sailing held at the US Sailboat Show
ARC Caribbean 1500
3 November
ARC Bahamas Cruising rally from Portsmouth VA to Bahamas.
10 November
ARC + Cape Verdes New route option via Cape Verdes to Saint Lucia
24 November ARC 2013
28th edition of the world’s most popular cruising rally from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia.
2014
4-12 January
London International Boat Show Meet the team and talk about sailing rallies.
World ARC ARC Portugal The 19th edition of this popular social rally will depart from Plymouth on 2 June, crossing the Bay of Biscay to Bayona and then down the coast of Portugal in a series of day sails. This year, the fleet will visit the new marina in Gaia for the first time on a route that combines a varied social calendar of events ashore with a comfortable cruise to the gateway of the Mediterranean.
As the World ARC 2012-13 fleet finish their own 15-month circumnavigation, for others the adventure is just beginning. 48 yachts have confirmed to join the next edition leaving Saint Lucia in 2014, after which the event will have a yearly start. From 2015, there is an exciting new route choice to discover South America before re-joining the main fleet in Tahiti. Those opting for the “cold water route” will set off from Europe in late 2014 sailing from Portugal to Brazil via Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verdes. Heading south the cruise calls at Uruguay and Argentina before exploring the Beagle Channel and Chilean Canals. With two months to explore Patagonia there is plenty of time to enjoy this unique wilderness before heading out across the Pacific via Easter Island, Pitcairn and Gambier to meet up with the “warm water route” in Tahiti.
4 & 11 January
Bluewater Cruisers Question Time An introduction to ocean sailing held at the London Boat Show
11 January
World ARC 2014-15 Start of 15 months circumnavigation rally via Panama Canal, Australia and South Africa
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LATITUDES
Spring/Summer 2013
New Zealand Discovery cruising the land of the long white clouds
Mike and Donna Hill circumnavigated in their Oyster 56 Baccalieu II, completing the second half of their journey with World ARC 2008. Whilst enjoying the Pacific they opted to take time out of the traditional warm water route and head south to explore New Zealand. Having just completed a passage from Fiji… We barely got a glance at the northern most point of New Zealand before night fell. It appeared like a dusty mirage on a bleak grey cloudy horizon then the night sky consumed it and all we could see of it were the orange squiggles on the radar screen. But we knew it was out there and it was great to see it even in that state. Opua is highly organized to receive international boats and encourage boaties (we were known as boaties here, yachties in Fiji), to fax ahead all necessary information required to enter the country before arriving. As well, they prefer recreational vessels to check-in with one of the coastal marine radio stations at least four hours before arrival and encourage the use of one of the local radio freelancers who standby on various stations to assist approaching boats with advice.
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The dock in Opua
Baccalieu II at anchor
“
Port Fitzroy presents itself with rugged rock formations falling deep into the sea, soon to resurface bare and threatening in the path of the approach”
www.worldcruising.com In turn, these stations will contact the necessary authorities and arrange for them to meet new arrivals at the Customs Clearance Wharf. Our arrival around midnight was too late to receive clearance from customs resulting in having to tie up to the floating quarantine dock located off shore in hopes of eliminating any agriculture contamination by arriving international boats. We were happy just to go to bed and have at least part of a good night’s sleep in a stationary bed. When quarantine arrived at nine the following morning they headed straight for our freezer. They were very efficient there too. They removed all our frozen meat and prepared food we had not eaten on passage; prepared lasagna, chicken cannelloni, beef stew, chili, and soups, even my stuffed breads because they contained either cheese or corn beef. All of it went straight into green garbage bags where it would stay until it received a sterilizing steam treatment and eventually a burial. Believe me that was sad. I had already dumped the dairy products and honey and had been forewarned before leaving Musket Cove about emptying the vacuum bag and cleaning the soles of our shoes. I had done all that before leaving Fiji. Prior to entering the 30 mile New Zealand perimeter, I had cleaned out the vegetable storage areas under the floor boards tossing over potatoes, onions and garlic including any dirt that may have fallen off. Before leaving Mike had spent hours cleaning the boat’s bottom in anticipation of an inspection which we were informed would be carried out on arrival, but never was. The quarantine officer looked through our canned goods identifying items produced in Ecuador, especially milk or milk products including mayonnaise. Apparently Foot and Mouth disease can be carried in these products as South America does not have the necessary high standards to eliminate the possible contamination. Those were directed to their fiery death as well.
Bay of Islands
CRUISING REPORT A few days later we took our boat south to where we docked on the northeast side of the North Island in Gulf Harbour, a large well serviced marina about fifty minutes from Auckland; a good place to sit out a cyclone season. While there we drove to Auckland several times to order more navigation charts, shop in some real chandleries and to pick up parts for the boat. If you can’t find a boat part in Auckland, you can at least find an operation that will order it and have it there within a few days. In the following days we flew to Queenstown where we rented a car to spend two weeks traveling throughout the South Island, hiking virgin rainforests, climbing glaciers, visiting Fiordland in Milford Sound and engaging in some pretty exciting left hand driving up the west coast. New Zealand is so exciting to visit.
Meeting the local inhabitants
Milford Sound
Before heading back to Fiji we spent a few days at Great Barrier Island, New Zealand’s fourth largest island in the Hauraki Gulf and where you can find several good bays in which to anchor. Port Fitzroy presents itself with rugged rock formations falling deep into the sea, soon to resurface bare and threatening in the path of the approach, but once in, spreads open to a large bay offering many smaller bays in which to drop anchor. They say New Zealand has the greatest variety of ferns in the world and Kaikora Island is amass with tropical ferns coloured in a wide palate of greens sweeping with camouflaging beauty, underbellies curled brown and spent, some standing ten feet tall like nature’s own patio umbrellas. Paths thick and softened with brown pine needles lead through dense forests, hills and gullies protected by stairs, deep gorges spanned by bridges, streams slowly filling a series of pools, each lower than the other like a planned botanical garden. Smoke House Bay, named for the smoke shack standing amongst trees just back from the beach, offers a chance to smoke up the days catch over
“
Kaikora Island is amass with tropical ferns coloured in a wide palate of greens”
a fire of fallen branches. A water tank waits for a sailor hankering for a bath and can be heated with a little patience and the help of an outdoor wood fired stove. The bathtub rests inside a shack behind a large picture window overlooking the bay. Candles left by previous bathers sat on a shelf. If an outdoor bath is more to one’s liking, there is one of those too. If laundry is the need of the day, five hand wringer washers connected to well water sit near picnic tables while a lengthy rope-swing dangles from a tall branch. All with a view of the bay. Before returning to Opua where we would clear customs for our return to Fiji, we enjoyed some leisurely cruising in the Bay of Islands, one of the most popular cruising grounds in New Zealand. With 144 islands to choose from, we chose what we had time for. Our last anchorage was Robertson Island, one of those long narrow islands, offering an inviting beach with a bay wide enough to handle several day cruisers who often escape the city in good weather on weekends.
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www.worldcruising.com
CRUISING REPORT four wheels. If however you have plenty of time to wait for suitable weather windows, January and February are the best times of year to attempt cruising around the South of New Zealand and to Stewart Island. It is particularly difficult to cruise beautiful Fiordland on the remote south west coast because of exposed open-ocean approaches and deep water anchorages in the fiords.
Exploring ashore in Fiordland
The east coast of the South Island has several attractive harbours such as Dunedin, Timaru and Lyttelton, but none rival the beauty of the Marlborough Sounds, which also has the advantage of being more accessible when sailing down from the north. Cruising yachts are increasingly visiting Nelson, at the northern end of the South Island in Tasman Bay. Nelson is the country’s biggest fishing port; with a good range of marine facilities
Weather
That evening, after the last boat gathered enough mussels from the side of the cliffs to head back home to the mainland for a feed, we had the bay to ourselves. The sun was not far from setting as we drove the dinghy to the abandoned shore. Following a path that led to stairs, we reached the top of the cliff. Ocean swells blasted with furry against the rugged windward coast while Baccalieu sat peacefully waiting for our return in the sheltered bay below. In my back pack was a bottle of wine and two glasses. It was the perfect anchorage to say goodbye to New Zealand and all she had given us. Excerpts from an upcoming book “Yes, the World is Round” by Donna Hill.
New Zealand - Profile New Zealand is a favourite place to spend the cyclone season in the South Pacific and it has a good reputation among cruising sailors as the place where everything can be fixed, upgraded or replaced. Marine facilities are of a high standard in the North Island, particularly around Auckland, Whangarei and Port Opua in the Bay of Islands. The Bay of Islands in the north is a favourite place of entry and the cruising there is so pleasant that some visiting yachts never leave this large protected bay dotted with the many islands that provide its name. In addition, Port Opua and the Opua Marine Park offer a comprehensive service for refit or to safely leave a boat. Sailing south from the Bay of Islands or Whangarei, it is worth taking an offshore tack to call at Great Barrier Island before heading for the Hauraki Gulf and busy Auckland. Auckland is branded the City of Sails because it has a huge local fleet and excellent cruising grounds. It is the yachting capital of New Zealand and virtually every marine facility, service and brand is available in the central city Westhaven-Viaduct area. Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty has also become popular as a port of entry with yachts arriving from Tonga, as well as a stopover for yachts during the cyclone season. Other highlights of a southbound trip are the capital Wellington and, across Cook Strait, picturesque Picton and the Marlborough Sounds. Sailing conditions around the lower South Island are more challenging and those who are short of time can enjoy the majestic scenery by cruising on
The climate is varied from subtropical in the north to snowy mountains and glaciers in the south. The summer from November to March is the more pleasant season, while the winter is wetter and windier. The South Island is generally cooler in both summer and winter. Although out of the tropical cyclone area, occasionally the tail of a cyclone reaches the North Island (in February or March). Lying in the westerly wind belt, the east coast is more sheltered and the main yachting centres are along that coast. Russell Radio, located in the Bay of Islands, provides weather information for the Western Pacific Working 7 days a week all year round. All times are NZST or daylight saving time as appropriate. www.russellradio.org.nz New Zealand Weather or www.metservice.com/national/index New Zealand and South Pacific weather www.metvuw.com New Zealand Metservice www.metservice.co.nz
Main Ports North Island: Auckland, Gisborne, Gulf Harbour, Napier, New Plymouth, Opua (Bay of Islands), Tauranga (Bay of Plenty), Wellington, Whangarei, Whangaroa,Whitianga Off-lying Islands: Chatham Islands, Kermadec Islands, Stewart Island South Island: Christchurch (Lyttelton), Dunedin, Fiordland Greymouth, Invercargill (Bluff), Nelson, Picton, Timaru. Further information at www.noonsite.com/Countries/NewZealand
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www.worldcruising.com ARC The view from above - on board Maunie of Ardwall
ARC 2012... The one with two starts
After twenty-six years the ARC does tend to follow a familiar pattern; familiar to those who organise this annual transatlantic migration from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia and to those taking part for the second, third or fourth time.
“ Last minute preparations for crews
It was a very tough year this year with some challenging weather.” Ross Appleby Scarlet Oyster
There are the parties and seminars for the two week programme in Las Palmas; the pressures of preparing boats, last minute fitting and fixing of equipment, the seemingly endless deliveries of food and supplies, and the late night arrival of bag-toting crew members looking for “their” boat in the huge marina. However, for all the familiar patterns, the 2012 ARC will be remembered as different from its predecessors, it was the ARC with two starts. The crew of German 48DS Frangipani
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LATITUDES
Spring / Summer 2013 gives a series of pre-departure briefings on Atlantic weather and what the outlook is for each year’s crossing: rhumb line or “south until the butter melts” via the Cape Verdes. However, whilst the Trade Winds were looking good for a fast crossing, mother nature was not offering the sailors a totally free ride to the Caribbean and had sent a small low pressure system towards the Canary Islands, which looked set to arrive on the day of the start.
Loading provisions in Las Palmas
Weather plays a big role in the story of the ARC. The rally departure, planned for the end of the third week in November, allows boats to arrive in the Caribbean just before Christmas, whilst benefiting from the first settled Atlantic seasonal winds, the Northeast Trades, which blow steadily from Africa to the Caribbean from December through to April. Planning for weather windows when heading south to the Canary Islands for the ARC rendezvous in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is also part of the ARC experience. Leave it too late and the autumnal winds can be harsh and the journey tough. Leaving in mid-summer means plenty of good weather and time to enjoy the cruise south. “Where are the Trades?” is a question asked often in pre-start conversations and chats on the dock in Las Palmas. Chris Tibbs, the ARC weatherman,
Some observers may comment that for ocean racing, boats should be ready for anything, which is indeed true. However, the ARC is actually the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, a rally and not an ocean race. The entry list is a broad church of the big and the small, the young, the old, families, friends, amateurs and professionals, old-timers and the fresh faced “Atlantic virgins”. So, with this in mind, and for only the second time since its inception in 1986, the start of the ARC was delayed due to the predicted headwinds of 25-35 knots or more on the evening of the first day. This would be exactly as the majority of the fleet were entering the acceleration zone that lies to the south of Gran Canaria, making for uncomfortable conditions at sea. So the organisers felt it prudent to hold back the cruising boats for 48 hours to allow the low to pass. However, for the racing fleet – run in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and using the IRC rating system - the strong winds would provide ideal conditions and more allow tactical options in choice of route. As the racers are fully crewed, tend to be more experienced, and are ready to push their boats harder, the decision was taken to keep the racing division start as scheduled, but give the cruisers a choice: leave as planned on 25 November, or take a second start rescheduled for 27 November.
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Our red skins are being replaced by tans, whilst the bruises from gaining our sea legs also blend in better with the tan.” The start band bids farewell to crews
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34 yachts headed out for Start One
Dave Sturrock Ceilidh of Lorne
And they’re off!
25 November: Start day
With the choice of starts, the final tally for Start One was 34 boats - 27 boats from the RORC Racing Division were joined on the start line by 7 cruising boats. The sun shone and the crowds came down to watch making a fantastic send off from the marina and fanfare before departure, with a lively band playing and lots of spectators bidding crews farewell to Las Palmas. Shortly after the first start gun was fired, the shift from a light southerly breeze to a northerly enabled some yachts to hoist spinnakers. However, the low that kept the majority of cruising boats in port provided an interesting start for the racing fleet, with big localized wind shifts before settling to 10-15 knots south westerly as the crews experienced their first night at sea. Several of the racing boats, mainly those with less experienced charter crews onboard, chose to suspend racing and return to port, restarting after the low had passed.
www.worldcruising.com ARC
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Start Two
Not an isobar to be seen for hundreds of miles on the synoptic chart. Light and fluky breeze on the menu for the next day or so.” Miranda Surfing Petrel
27 November:
The second start So the cruising start, when it happened two days later, was by necessity a more ad-hoc start than usual. It was stranger still as most of the boats had already “had a start” on Sunday having been spectators to the race fleet departure. However, the biggest problem facing the organisers was how to get 190 boats safely out of a busy commercial harbour, whilst causing minimal disruption to shipping. For a “normal” ARC start, the Port Authority of Las Palmas close the harbour to shipping movements and reschedule arrivals, allowing time for the ARC boats to slip the docks and assemble outside the harbour entrance. This would not be an option for Start Two since Las Palmas is one of the largest and busiest Atlantic ports, with cruise ships, container ships and even oil rigs arriving and departing at all hours. Instead
Blustery start for the cruisers
of a full closure, the Port Authority were able to provide a time window of an hour with no shipping movements, so the delayed start would be a concentrated, but achievable mass departure. With great consideration, skippers worked together to slip their pontoons in a measured fashion, and there was a dense, almost unbroken, stream of boats heading out of the marina for the start line. This time the line was a transit from the Port’s main breakwater, rather than the usual Spanish navy ship acting as a committee vessel.
29 November:
Back to normal (almost)
The Italian Swan 80 Berenice logged 320 NM during the third day at sea, and that included taking her spinnaker down at night! Vaquita was the most westerly and the most northerly boat at 29.38N and 34.53W, logging a consistent 14 knots. By going north she was keeping in the strongest winds, something that the cruisers avoided by staying further south where the trades were well established and blowing at 15-20+ knots from the north east - perfect for a downwind passage to Saint Lucia.
Riding Atlantic waves onboard Andante
Two days for most, but four days for others, into the crossing and boats were now bowling along with consistently good winds and the remnants of a large sea left from the first few days - perfect surfing conditions for the racers or those brave enough to use a spinnaker. In strong conditions most cruising boats will use “white sails” - typically their mainsail fixed with a preventer and a headsail fixed on the opposite site using a pole, or a set of twin headsails both fixed on poles and no mainsail. Both rigs allow for quick and easy reefing in strong Atlantic trade winds. Some cruisers use a Parasailor, a special cruising spinnaker with a wing-device in the center that acts to prevent rolling and lift the bow. Racers, with their larger crew compliments will fly spinnakers or asymmetric reaching sails on bowsprits.
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27 ARC
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Aquí comienza la aventura
The adventure begins here
DESCUBRE LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA
Divertida Fun
DISCOVER LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA
Natural Natural
Actual
Modern
Activa Active
Histórica Historic
Cálida Warm
City of sea and cultures
www.worldcruising.com ARC Calmer seas for week two
Fritze happily helming Lady Ann
Rain squall at sunset
02 December:
Life on a big ocean The Atlantic is a big ocean and it takes a while to get used to sailing across it. After 5 days at sea for the cruisers and 7 for the racers, crews were definitely settling into life at sea. James Simpson on Catana 431 Intrepid Bear wrote “First of all, can’t quite believe that we’re now coming into our sixth day at sea with over 1,000 miles on the log. Time and sea really has been flying past. The last few days have been some of our most exhilarating sailing since we set off from Portsmouth back in August.”
Unusually for an ARC crossing, crews had to contend with trade-wind sailing from day one: 25+ knots from the north pushed the boats along at a fast pace, but brought big seas as well. On Ceilidh of Lorne, Dave Sturrock described the sailing in the boat’s blog. “Yesterday was a classic ARC day with bright sunny conditions and a F6 NE driving Ceilidh forward with some style, there was a 3-4 metre swell which she surfed down at 10-12knots whilst staying on track. Since the wave period has increased we have found that Ceilidh is tracking much better and we really had an exhilarating day yesterday.” The early wet and wild conditions eased after the first week at sea, helping the process of settling into life afloat. Bodies became accustomed to the constant motion, and stomachs settled so that mealtimes could once again be enjoyed. Rising temperatures as boats sailed further south also raised morale. American sailor Ryan Faris, crewing on Beneteau First 40 Lancelot II in the Racing Division commented “We have cleared the rain now and the temperatures continue to go up. Our red skins are being replaced by tans, whilst the bruises from gaining our sea legs also blend in better with the tan.”
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We have cleared the rain now and the temperatures continue to go up.” Ryan Faris Lancelot II
05 December: Calmer seas
In a typical year, crews can expect a gentle start from Gran Canaria, once passed the wind acceleration zones at the south of the island. Then it is a case of “sailing south until the butter melts” and then gybing to the west and pointing the bows at Saint Lucia with the trade winds of 20+ knots pushing boats along at a fine pace. Neptune, or should it be Aeolus, played tricks on the ARC sailors as the wind decided not to follow the usual pattern; instead there was too much at the beginning and then not enough later! Logs in week one were full of tales of watches spent wearing foul-weather jackets, cold nights and rain; lots of rain. However, week two saw the winds abating and calmer seas became the norm, especially for those boats leading the fleet. On Surfing Petrel, one of the racing fleet, Miranda wrote “Not an isobar to be seen for hundreds of miles on the synoptic chart. Light and fluky breeze on the menu for the next day or so.” Whilst the racers are becoming frustrated, for the cruisers the lighter conditions mean an easier and more relaxing life at sea. Dan, captain of Skyelark of London wrote in his log “We have just set full main and cutter rig, all plain sail, for the first time since we set off, and the first time we have seen true wind under 20kts. The first week saw average F6-7, 25-30kts wind and we had several spells of 30-35kts, F8; two-reefs in the main by day, and three at night. Whilst not uncomfortable, we all welcome the smoother seas and the ability to move about with just a steadying hand instead of having to lurch around with a vice-like grip on something solid.”
25
LATITUDES
Spring / Summer 2013
10 December:
Rocking and rolling towards Rodney Bay Twenty-one boats had now arrived into IGY Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia, setting the pattern for the 2012 as one of the fastest crossings for many years, despite the delayed departure. Vaquita crosses the finish line
07 December:
Vaquita is first boat to arrive The Class 40 Vaquita took line honours, having sailed 3300NM from Gran Canaria in just over 12 days; a truly magnificent performance for a 40 footer. The six man crew crossed the line at 10:22 local (14:22UTC) on 7 December, giving them an elapsed time of 12 days, 1:37 hours. Skippered by Christof Petter, Vaquita, had a crew of leading Austrian sailors aboard, including Andreas Hanakamp, former Team Russia Volvo Ocean Race skipper and two time Olympic star. The yacht sailed an extreme northerly route from Gran Canaria, clocking speeds of up to 25 knots during the crossing. This is the team’s third consecutive year racing in the ARC, each time favouring the northerly passage, and each time paying off.
ARC veterans Scarlet Oyster finished in just under 15 days. On the dockside, owner Ross Appleby described their crossing in the RORC Racing Division: “It was a very tough year this year with some challenging weather; upwind at the start, and a great deal of changeable stuff, including being parked-up for a day or so. Finally we had some good strong Trade Winds at the end to sort of propel us on our way here.” Those still at sea – just under 200 boats - were experiencing a mix of weather conditions as they continued to make good progress and check off the miles towards Saint Lucia. For many crew still at sea, the question at watch-change slipped from “How far have we come?” to “How far have we to go?” as excitement built towards arrival. By this point in the crossing tropical rain squalls had been encountered by much of the fleet, with plenty of crews taking advantage of the supply of warm fresh water for a quick natural shower on deck.
“
Watching a squall on the horizon from Artic Queen
Stronger winds accompanying the rain saw many boats achieve their highest daily distances as they surfed the rolling waves. Despite the benefits of fast sailing and watching the miles fall away, these were testing conditions for the sailors. Pieter Schueler described the varying conditions on board Ostrea, “Yesterday was rainy and squally. Last night we sailed on genoa only and had a windy, wet and thundery night and it was very dark because of all the cloud cover and hardly any moon.”
12 December:
Finally we had some good strong Trade Winds at the end to sort of propel us on our way here.” Ross Appleby, Scarlet Oyster
Scarlet Oyster arrive in Saint Lucia
Swimming with whales and blown-out spinnakers The wet and windy finish, whilst giving fast crossings, extracted its toll on equipment. Northern Child, a Swan 51 and a regular entrant in the ARC, blew out their second spinnaker about three days before making landfall. “The first one went up, the fitting broke, and it came right back down,” said the crew on the dock after arrival. “Our spare was a bit old and came apart at the seams.” However, they still managed to beat their previous best crossing time by 13 hours!
A whale goes under the keel of Galatea
26
www.worldcruising.com ARC Rudders and masts suffer early damage It was a tougher than average year for boats and gear in the ARC, mainly due to the strong trade winds blowing from early on in the crossing.
La Medianoche celebrate their arrival
The Simpson family on Intrepid Bear - Milly (9), Thea (7) and Harry (5), plus mum Sara and dad James - had a unique wildlife experience, swimming with whales mid-Atlantic “We hit a bit of a lull about ten days in and we weren’t moving anywhere at all,” explained Sara. “It was a lovely day and the sea was calm, so we decided to take advantage and we went swimming in the sea. We were in for quite a long time. James had a snorkel and was looking for fish. All of sudden, he said ‘Everybody out! Everybody out! Get on the boat!’ So we got onto the boat, and this big whale went straight past us and under the boat. We were so shocked! There were actually two of them, and they were just kind of going around the boat, following us.”
13 December 2012: Celebrating the last hours at sea
08:00 local time and 104 boats had crossed the finish line off Pigeon Island. The team of World Cruising Club “yellow shirts” plus helpers from the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, and a dedicated band of volunteers staffing the finish line boat, were preparing for the “big rush”, 3 days of 30+ boat arrivals per day!
With so many boats approaching the finish, comments from crew at sea reflected mixed emotions at the prospect of arrival. “This is our last night out on the big open ocean,” wrote the Lady Ann crew in their online log. “We spent it with mixed Mid-atlantic swim for the crew of Artic Queen feelings: eager to step ashore, have a good shower and a sumptuous meal, but we’re simultaneously realising we are about to end a very special trip. We will treasure one more watch under the starry sky, running out of wishes because of all the shooting stars, one more rising of a very tiny little horizontal moon-sickle, a couple of more downpours under passing squalls, some more sweaty moments in our full foul weather tops, and perhaps some last solitary contemplations on the meaning of life in general.”
Just one day out from Las Palmas one of the smallest boats in the fleet, Victor Anishchenko’s Delphia 33 Julia, broke her rudder, losing all steering. The SALVAMAR lifeboat Alphertz went to her assistance, and she was towed approximately 50nm into Los Cristianos, on Tenerife. Now fully repaired, Victor hopes to sail again in ARC 2013. Also early on in the crossing, Farr 585CC Spock (Thomas Schumacher) sailed by an all German crew in the Racing Division, had to divert to Mindello, Cape Verdes after the yacht was dismasted. The crew had an uncomfortable motor-sail for 2 days to reach landfall. Dag Rorslett and his Norwegian crew of 4 aboard Modus Vivendi, had a tough few days coping with a lost rudder. For four days, the crew hand-steered the heavy 50ft steel yacht using just their small Hydrovane rudder and balancing sails. Not an easy feat in F6 and 4m swells constantly pushing the boat sideways. Unable to steer a good heading, and in danger of being blown passed the Cape Verdes, a tug was dispatched and towed the stricken boat for almost 20 hours, bringing her safely into the marina at Mindello.
Modus Vevendi attampted to balance sails after losing their rudder
27
LATITUDES
Spring / Summer 2013
14 December 2012:
16 December 2012:
As waves of boats arrived at Rodney Bay, the ARC shore-side programme was packed full of activities, offering crew members a warm Saint Lucian welcome to the Caribbean. Starting with the First Arrivals party, there were two fun packed weeks at Rodney Bay through to the final prize giving. The IGY Marina staff hosted the ‘Crew Olympics’ which saw dozens of crew competing against one another and an IGY staff team. Events included kayak football, tug of war and other fun and games. Anse La Raye, a usually sleepy fishing village hosted a Friday evening “Jump Up” – that’s ‘lucian for a party, and a Fish Fry, where the catch of the day was fried and served up on the streets. Another highlight was the Pigeon Island Costume Party with a Roman Toga theme. ARC Kids weren’t left out either; the Saint Lucia Yacht Club’s ‘ARC Kid’s Rally,’ pitted young locals against ARC children, sailing J/24s.
Seventeen days since the Cruising Division start in Las Palmas, 175 yachts had made landfall, with lighter winds at sea slowing the tail-enders.
ARC programme in full swing
IGY Marina Manager’s Party
Light wind slows last arrivals
22 December 2012:
Prize giving wraps up ARC 2012 The 2012 edition of the rally was officially closed with a prize giving ceremony, held at the Gaiety nightclub just outside Rodney Bay. All starters, other than those boats that had stopped in the Cape Verdes arrived in time for the party. Troskala, one of the smallest boats in the fleet, was the last yacht to arrive, only entering Saint Lucia as the prize giving was getting started. However, the 3 man crew got to the party just in time for the second half, and were brought on stage to huge applause. The Spirit of the ARC award is the highlight of the evening and presented last. Each year it is awarded to the crew that best displays the spirit of goodwill and enthusiasm that the rally strives to create amongst the fleet. The yacht Ostrea received the honour this year for selflessly sacrificing distance and time to come to the aid of Johanem whilst at sea.
An impromtu dock party as Sirius arrives
The Ostrea crew receive the Spirit of the ARC award
Champagne and celebrations on arrival in Rodney Bay
WINNER
Best Overall and Sighting Land category winner: Capers Rumph, from Drina
The ARC 2012 Photo Competition was very well subscribed this year, with over 200 images submitted to the judging panel. Category winners were selected and then friends and followers of the ARC’s social media channels were asked to vote for the best overall photo. This year’s winner was Capers Rumph from Drina who took a stunning photograph (left) as they approached Saint Lucia. All the images from category winners and runners up are available to view on the ARC website at www.worldcruising.com/arc
ARC 2012 Photo Competition Winners
ARC Photo Competition 28
•B est Overall and Sighting Land category winner: Capers Rumph, from Drina • L ife On Board category winner: Unknown from Promise •M oods of the Sea category winner: Axel Thieke from Poespas •O ther Boats category winner: Pawel Matowa from Malaika
www.worldcruising.com ARC
ARC Forest Environmental Project Sailing allows us to travel long distances with relatively low carbon emissions, but the reality is that all yachts burn diesel for motive power and to generate electricity.
Above: Andrew Bishop, Managing Director of World Cruising Club with Sergio Armas Robaina, Director of Foresta, standing beside the first tree planted by Andrew in the ARC Forest in Gran Canaria, now over two years old.
Conscious of this impact, World Cruising Club has teamed up with local non-profit forestry organisations in both Gran Canaria and Saint Lucia to develop and sponsor a carbon offset project, planting trees where they are most needed, to offset the carbon emissions created during the ARC crossing.
ARC Forest Gran Canaria
ARC Forest Saint Lucia
Carbon Offsetting
Since 2010, over 700 native trees have been planted by ARC volunteers on a deforested site in the mountains above Las Palmas; not only offsetting carbon emissions, but also helping to recreate one of the most threatened ecosystems on Gran Canaria. As part of a five year commitment, paid for by World Cruising Club, the ARC Forest will eventually cover a hectare of land (10,000m2), improving bio-diversity, reducing soil erosion and mitigating flooding. Managing the project is the Canaries based organisation Foresta, ensuring that the small trees planted by ARC crews will grow to become a true sustainable forest, linking areas of historic indigenous woodland to make a “green cordon� around the mountain tops and restoring the native cloud forest eco-system.
In 2012, World Cruising Club expanded their environmental commitment by creating the ARC Forest Project in Saint Lucia. Working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Saint Lucia Rotary Club, the initiative aims to help preserve the river bank in Dennery, which was badly affected by hurricane flooding two years ago. All the trees planted at the site are mix of species native to Saint Lucia and crop trees producing spices, limes and walnuts that will benefit the local community. The trees are sponsored by World Cruising Club and ARC sailors have the chance to see a different side of the island, away from the tourist resorts of the North. In an area prone to seasonal hurricanes, reforestation can have a significant impact on the economy and livelihoods of local communities, reducing the risk of devastating floods and landslips.
ARC participants can donate to the reforesting projects with a suggested value per litre of diesel fuel carried aboard. Advice is given to each crew for the best way to calculate their carbon emissions generated by a tank of diesel and offset this against the number of trees planted. The funds raised go exclusively towards future sponsored days to help plant more trees in the ARC Forest. So far the scheme has raised over US$2,000 for the on-going development of the ARC Forest projects, as well as increased awareness amongst thousands of sailors to consider their duty to preserve the environment.
Each year, the tree-planting day is popular excursion with around 100 sailors taking time out from their Atlantic crossing preparations to learn about the reforestation project, plant more trees, and enjoy a picnic on the mountain side.
29
www.worldcruising.com ROLNAUTIC
The Rodriguez family are proud of the business they have developed
The all-new Rolnautic Varadero boatyard compliments Rolnautic’s extensive chandlery, located almost next door, right in the heart of the Las Palmas marina. Experienced and multi-lingual staff will be on hand to provide quotes and advice, with an array of technical specialists ready to solve any boating problems. Rolnautic Varadero boatyard are setting the standard by specializing in hull painting, and have now installed a new system which automatically analyses the current hull material and the condition of the antifoul. The equipment then calculates exact quantities and type of paint needed to ensure the highest quality and longestlasting finish possible.
Rolnautic Varadero
The new Rolnautic Varadero boatyard facility is expected to prove very popular with visiting yachtsmen. Due to the healthy ongoing relationship between World Cruising Club and Rolnautic, ARC yachts will be given priority, but with limited space, those intending on making use of the facility are urged to allow plenty of time and book well in advance for maintenance and repair work.
A welcome new addition in Las Palmas
Rolnautic announce the re-opening of the on-site boatyard at Las Palmas. The newly-equipped Rolnautic Varadero Boatyard, conveniently located inside the public marina of Las Palmas, is now open for business. Any visiting sailor to Gran Canaria will already be familiar with the Canary Islands’ premier yacht chandlery, Rolnautic. With more than 15 years of local knowledge, and a wealth of experience in the nautical industry, the friendly family-run company has long since been the official supplier to the ARC fleet, and provided many thousands of yachts with all the equipment needed for an Atlantic crossing. As part of their ever-growing service, Rolnautic have recently acquired the marina boatyard in Las Palmas marina in an exciting new venture that comes as a timely and very welcome addition for both local and visiting yachtsmen alike.
Rolnautic Varadero boatyard can be contacted on rolnautic@rolnautic.com
Facilities include:
Services available include:
• 34,000 ft2 (3,100m2) dry dock working area
• Anti-fouling, painting & polishing
• 65 ton travel-lift, capable of hauling boats up to 82 ft LOA and 21ft draught
• Osmosis treatment
• Additional cranes • 7 ton Forklift for dry storage of small boats up to 19ft LOA • Rolnautic also plan to install a heat-sealed canopy system to carry out fullycovered structural and painting work.
• Rigging • Mechanical, electrical & electronics • Aluminum & stainless steel • GRP and composite work • Water blasting, sanding • Hydraulics
Always with their finger on the pulse when it comes to visiting sailors’ needs, Rolnautic have responded to their customers’ needs and will be offering a comprehensive range of competitively-priced services and state of the art dry-docking facilities at the newly re-fitted and environmentally-sound yard.
31
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6/3/12 09:32:29
FIRE AFLOAT
Fire Afloat
Learn from real life experiences Without doubt, an uncontrollable fire is the one thing that most frightens us. On a yacht at sea, a fire can quickly become a danger to the boat and the lives of the crew. We look at an experience of fire on board, and what can be lessons can be learned for all cruisers.
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“From seeing the flames to abandoning ship probably only took two or three minutes” Matt Sillars
Classic Cruiser Hamble School of Yachting instructor Matt Sillars was helping with the delivery of a 30 year old Swan from Italy back to the UK. With Matt was another RYA instructor, plus the owner and a friend. The boat had undergone a full refit in Italy, including new sails and safety equipment. Although old, it was well-built and appeared to be in good overall condition, and was certainly suitable for the planned voyage. One night, the boat was sailing around 60NM off the Italian coast on a broad reach in a moderate breeze. Three people were in the cockpit and one asleep in the aft cabin. Matt saw flames by the aft toilet window, and went below to investigate.
33
LATITUDES
Once below it was obvious that the fire was serious, with thick choking smoke. Three extinguishers were used, but it wasn’t possible to dampen the flames. The sleeping crewman was evacuated to the deck while an attempt was made to send a MayDay message on the VHF. The radio had no DSC emergency button, and there were language difficulties with the ships that responded to the emergency call. This resulted in the boat’s position being recorded incorrectly. The fire was spreading so fast the May Day message had to be abandoned so the crew could evacuate the ship. In the minute or two that had elapsed, the deck crew had tried to throw the cooking gas bottles overboard, one sustaining a nasty cold burn when the regulator on the live bottle sheared off. The liferaft was deployed, but the ship’s EPIRB and grab bag couldn’t be reached in their position by the saloon table. By this point the flames were at boom height. Matt says “The massive thing for me was the speed which everything happened. The whole sequence, from seeing the flames to abandoning ship probably only took two or three minutes.”
Abandon Ship The raft was launched from the windward quarter, to keep upwind of sparks and flames. The three original deck crew were all wearing lifejackets, but the man sleeping below was unable to reach his lifejacket in time.
34
Spring / Summer 2013
Getting into the raft proved difficult and there was no knife to cut the painter, so a sharp multi tool knife was used; not something you would normally chose to use in an inflatable raft! They quickly discovered that the torch and batteries were loose in the water in the bottom of the raft, so had no light. The instructions on the flares were illegible in the dark, adding to the confusion. Matt activated the personal locator beacon (PLB) attached to his lifejacket, and fortuitously had a satellite phone in his jacket pocket – there wouldn’t have been time to fetch one from below. The sat phone quickly got Falmouth Coastguard coordinating the rescue with the Italian authorities, but it still took three hours before they were rescued.
Postscript The boat was eventually salvaged by a fisherman. It is thought that a seacock hose melted, and the water eventually extinguished the fire. The quality of the construction probably saved the boat - cheaper bulkheads would have burned straight through. The cause of the fire was never completely established, but was possibly a fan in the toilet.
www.worldcruising.com
FIRE AFLOAT
“
“The effect of fire on board can be devastating” Robert Holbrook, Admiral Insurance
What Are the Chances? Matt’s experience is just one of many – last year a new racing yacht had to be withdrawn from the ARC after it caught fire and sank while taking part in a Mediterranean race. The circumstances were very similar, with the crew almost overcome with choking thick smoke and unable to fight the rapidly spreading fire, abandoning to the liferafts without reaching the EPIRB or grab bag. This yacht had a VHF in the cockpit, which at least allowed them to contact the authorities before leaving the boat to burn. Admiral Yacht Insurance has had extensive experience of dealing with claims for fires on board yachts. Managing Director Robert Holbrook says “We have settled 24 fire claims in the last 15 years, totalling £750,000 of losses. Our most expensive claim was from a large Grand Banks motor yacht which suffered an engine fire off Antigua in 2007. We also recently paid for the total loss of a Hallberg Rassy that caught fire in Scotland as a result of a defective dehumidifier.” Robert adds “The most common causes of fire in our experience are associated with engine and machinery, accounting for 41% of fire claims. One third are as a result of fires on adjacent boats or buildings, 9% for galley fires and 4.5% for cabin upholstery fires. The effect of fires onboard can be devastating and keeping electrical cables in good order and looking out for fuel leaks are key prevention priorities, together with having sufficient extinguishers readily available to tackle engine and machinery fires in their early stages.”
The Cruising Sailor’s Choice: Key features: • Underwriters regulated by the FSA • Coverage for piracy, civil disturbance, acts of terrorism and derelict weapons of war • All nationalities insured including USA and Canadian flagged boats • Discounts for owners insuring with Admiral who participate in both ARC and World ARC • Accommodation costs if boat is rendered uninhabitable
features include: • 12 months for the price of 10 • Free cover for Yellowbrick Tracking devices as standard • Free aloft rig inspection in Las Palmas undertaken by experienced UK rigger • Personal visit to Las Palmas by key Admiral staff to assist with any last minute policy changes and to advise on lay-up options, if vessel is to stay in the Caribbean for the hurricane season
www.admiralyacht.com +44 (0)1722 416106
Admiral Marine Limited is authorised & regulated by the Financial Services Authority Admiral Marine Ltd, 4 Barnack Centre, Blakey Rd, Salisbury, SP1 2LP, UK E-mail: yacht@admiralyacht.com Web: www.admiralyacht.com Tel: +44 (0)1722 416106 Fax: +44 (0)1722 324455
Ocean Passage Making tip no: 1
Don’t wait for the rain. Fit a Water maker From Mactra Marine
‘Yacht watermakers and equipment for serious blue water sailors & livaboards’
Mactra Marine Equipment Unit 20 Worle Industrial Centre Weston-super-Mare BS22 6BX Tel: 00 44 (0) 1934517288 Fax: 00 44 (0)1934 520684 Web: www.mactrashop.co.uk E: info@mactrashop.co.uk
www.worldcruising.com
FIRE AFLOAT
Lessons Learned The key message from Matt’s experience was the speed with which the fire spread, rapidly becoming unmanageable. This meant that there was no time to get the grab bag, extra lifejackets, or really to fight the fire. Some suggestions to consider on your own boat: • I nstall smoke alarms in the cabins; in both examples the fire wasn’t noticed until it had taken hold, and crew sleeping below were at risk • Keep the grab bag, EPIRB and spare lifejackets close to hand in the cockpit •K eep a charged satellite phone in the grab bag •T hrow spare gas/LPG bottles over the side, but take care with the ‘live’ bottle •C hose a DSC VHF linked to GPS to quickly send a MayDay with automatic position reporting •T hink about communications, and have suitable equipment available in the cockpit •B uy the largest fire extinguishers you can reasonably install • Install fire extinguishers in the sleeping and living cabins, and in the cockpit locker •C heck the quality of wiring, fuel hoses, gas installation and other fire risks • Don’t buy a cheap liferaft; they’re not well made nor well equipped • F amiliarise yourself with flare operation; each type may be different •D on’t assume rescue will come quickly. Even with boats around and close to shore it took 3 long cold hours to rescue Matt and the crew
Fighting Fire WCC requires all boats taking part in rallies to have at least two fire extinguishers on board, plus a fire blanket in the galley. Charlie Mill, Managing Director of Ocean Safety, says “Typically on a 40 to 50ft yacht we would recommend carrying a 1kg or 2 kg (2lb-4lb) extinguisher in each cabin, plus a suitable fire blanket and extinguisher in or near the galley. Engine compartments should also be protected by a suitable system.” The average cruiser is never going to be as skilled as a professional fire fighter, and the emphasis should always be on escaping the fire, rather than putting the crew in danger. However, basic training in fire safety and hands-on experience of using fire extinguishers could give you more confidence to take the right decisions in an emergency. A good place to start is the ISAF Offshore Safety course which covers all aspects of emergencies at sea. Hamble School of Yachting run ISAF courses yearround, with special dates for World Cruising Club members. www.hamble.co.uk In the USA, two-day basic fire fighting and prevention courses are also available as a stand-alone course or as part of the STCW Basic Safety Training course. www.mptusa.com
Further Reading The Crash Test Boat Yachting Monthly took a 40ft boat through 8 disaster scenarios and this high-octane, actionpacked book shows you how to avoid and troubleshoot a disaster at sea. The Crash Test Boat takes the drama out of a crisis and demonstrates how to stay afloat and stay alive when the chips are down – as well as how to avoid disaster in the first place. The book also features scannable QR codes which link to live-action crash test films, that literally bring the pages of the book to life. Crash Tests by Chris Beeson Edited by Paul Gelder Published by Adlard Coles Nautical ISBN: 9781408157275
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WORLD ARC
Ocean Stepping Stones
Cocos Keeling anchorage
The World ARC fleet spent the latter half of 2012 crossing the Indian Ocean. Sailing across this ocean is not usually considered as enjoyable as its neighbour the Pacific, and it is true that for the last few editions of the World ARC Rally the conditions at sea have been testing. But thankfully the Rally route divides the ocean crossing into a number of smaller passages, making stops on some really enjoyable ‘stepping stones’. What is even better is how the stopovers tend to alternate between different types of landscape and geography, and with different cultural, religious and language mixes. it is a really enjoyable combination!
Beatoo leaving La Réunion
Le Nez de Boeuf Mountain in La Réunion
“
The Indian Ocean, from Bali to South Africa, had something for everyone and offered up a wide range of sailing conditions ” Mark & Janet, At Last
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LATITUDES
Spring / Summer 2013
“
Our time in Mauritius has been packed with sightseeing during the day and partying in the evenings. People are talking about wanting to get back to sea just for a break!” Phil, Anastasia Prize Giving at Bali Marina
Darwin Debut
A new stopover
The fleet was pleased to welcome several new boats of the Rally at the halfway stage in Australia, including the catamaran Umineko, the Sweden 42 Ciao and changing the extreme dimensions of the fleet, the big Catana 58, 1+1 and the Challenger 39 Spirit of Alcides. The trip across the Arafura Sea was as windless as usual, which was a fact more disappointing for two boats in the fleet; Bronwyn lost the use of the entire engine and whilst Spirit of Alcides lost their propeller, they did manage to ingeniously rig their swim ladder to mount an 8hp Tohatsu outboard engine to propel them through the lighter winds. Bronwyn got a tow in by Anastasia and there was plenty of help available for Spirit of Alcides to get themselves in.
After suggestions from previous participants, World ARC 2012-13 made a new stop at Christmas Island. This mid-ocean rock is a dependency of Australia, but has a really interesting mix of cultures, reflecting its equidistance position from India, South East Asia and Australia. The island is also worth a visit for its natural habitat. Our visit didn’t coincide with the famous ‘running’ migration of the red crab population which carpet the countryside, but there were still plenty of them around as well as the infrastructure to protect them during the journey (barriers alongside roads, tunnels, crossing points). The anchorage at Flying Fish Cove has a limited number of moorings, which will hopefully be expanded in the future, but it worked for a 48hour stop so crews could visit and tour the island and have another Aussie BBQ on the beach! World ARC looks forward to visiting again.
Bali – ‘The Best Yet’ The contrast in these Indian Ocean passages is probably most noticable when arriving in Bali from Australia. The Balinese temples, both public and private are numerous and the architecture reflects the strong Hindu heritage. It is impossible to walk down a pathway or even off a pontoon without seeing the prayer offerings which local people make. This side to Balinese culture is really interesting and is accessible through a visits to public temples, some of which featured in the World ARC tour. The Balinese are also extremely talented craftsmen, making some excellent wood carvings and ornaments from silver and other metals. The crew of GUNVØR bought Anastasia a disco glitter ball to continue their onboard entertaining!
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Sunset at Christmas Island
From Bali, Christmas Island is 15 miles off the rhumb line and almost exactly half the passage distance to the other Australian dependency of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. But the two places share little in common, in terms of landscape. Cocos is often called the Jewel of the Indian Ocean making it a small but precious stepping stone. If fact on arriving in Cocos, Jane from Trompeta told those still at sea that ‘when you arrive, you’ll see paradise!’
The World ARC fleet in Le Port, La Réunion
WORLD ARC The only weather ‘upset’ came towards the end of the trip when Intense Tropical Cyclone Anais, the earliest recorded event of the Indian Ocean cyclone seasons, threatened to cut across the yachts’ course. Thankfully, although a concern for a number of days, the cyclone dissipated at sea and was not destructive when it made landfall in Madagascar. Tour in Mauritius
BRIZO’s crew arrive at Le Caudan Waterfront, Mauritius
That was a thought shared by many. The yachts visiting Cocos stay at the anchorage off Direction Island. It is a low lying, palm covered Island with a perfect sandy beach and places to meet ashore. It is difficult not to feel relaxed in such a tranquil place. Whilst on the island the fleet enjoyed an ‘away day’ to the main island on a specially chartered ferry to do tours, provisioning, internet and watch the final of the Australian Football League, which was a big event for the expatriate community on West Island too! But it was during the fleet’s time in Cocos, waiting for the arrival of the second half of the fleet, that Ciao sustained rudder damage, was left holed through the rudder bearings and sank. Having participated in World ARC in 2010, Sreco and Olga rejoined the Rally in Bali. They got to know the fleet extremely quickly. When something like this happens it is a real loss for the whole fleet, but it was good to be in the support of one another, including those who had been involved in the rescue.
Once the threat had passed it left plenty of time to enjoy the wonderful island, whilst staying at the very convenient Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis. It is great that most crews spend almost 2 weeks in Mauritius making it a good place to receive visitors, change crew or explore inland. The fleet had great support throughout the stay from the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority which meant that crews could enjoy themselves to the maximum. Trips and hotel stays were planned and the World ARC tour was well enjoyed. Just before departure to the next stopover port there were several events on the quayside to mark our stay including a prizegiving party, with plenty of sugar cane rum and a multi-faith blessing ceremony. It was great to have all the boats together. These events really contribute to the community spirit which has developed during the Rally. With so much sailing experience over the previous 10 months, the next passage could be considered by some as ‘like a trip to the fuel dock’. The trip across to La Réunion is the shortest competitive leg of the Rally and involves only an overnight sail. However, with some uncomfortable cross seas
Sega Dancing Group, Mauritius
and some uncooperative winds, it wasn’t quite the trip around the corner which most were hoping for. La Réunion was a real hit too. As the crew of Matilda wrote ‘The food over the last week has been delicious and the places we have visited spectacular’. The World ARC tour to the Piton Fournaise volcano was a great day – plenty of information, panoramic mountain views and also a superb lunch. There were many local supporters to the World ARC stay and the welcome and hospitality which the crews received was excellent, especially the bottles of rum and sugar gifts.
World ARC fleet at anchor in Direction Island, Cocos Keeling
The biggest step The fleet next took the biggest step of these passages with a sail from Cocos to Mauritius. Although this 2,400 nautical mile passage, is the second longest of the route, the yachts had good winds and passage times were fast.
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WORLD ARC
The stay in La Réunion coincided with Halloween so it was a great excuse to dress in wonderful, and weird, costumes both connected and unrelated to the theme. It was a lively night! The rest of the time on the island was mostly spent exploring the island by hire car and provisioning at the wellstocked supermarkets which had everything you would expect to find. The last step across the Indian Ocean is probably the trickiest. The route goes around the bottom of Madagascar and west to Richards Bay, South Africa. Typically, care must be taken to negotiate the variable currents off the tip of Madagascar and the strong Agulhas current when approaching Richards Bay. Additionally for this trip, there were strong winds and heavy seas for the first part of the trip which made the whole passage the least favourite for many.
BBQ in Direction Island, Cocos Keeling
Traditional Dancers, Bali
The crew from Anastasia receiving their prize and wearing their T-shirts at Zululand Yacht Club, Richards Bay
However, arriving in Richards Bay, marks the substantial achievement of crossing the Indian Ocean. And it is great that the local yacht club, the Zululand Yacht Club, are always so keen to welcome the World ARC fleet. Members of their committee guided boats in using their own boats or were on the docks to welcome the crews with a bottle of bubbly. The general buzz around the Club is extremely friendly and and it is a relaxing place to be. The World ARC tours to the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi national parks were also very successful as crews tried to spot the ‘Big 5’. Unfortunately, the leopards were not cooperating, but everyone saw a wide range of other animals which is one of the real highlights of visiting South Africa. Back at the Club, and the crews enjoyed a fabulous party, tasting a local Potkje dish and being entertained by a traditional Zulu group and a contempory street dance set. To recognise the generosity of the club a collection was held for the Yacht Club’s charities which raised nearly US$ 800 and which World Cruising Club matched. During the prize giving each crew member was given a T Shirt which read ‘Zululand YC – Worth crossing an ocean for!’ It was entirely appropriate for the Club and all the stopovers on this Indian Ocean stage of the Rally. As At Last wrote on the conditions, ‘the Indian Ocean threw up something for everybody’. It was a challenging ocean to cross with a huge mixture of wind strengths, directions and reliability, heavy seas both comfortable and not, bright days, cloudy days, wet or sunny days. But for many days it was quick sailing and with so many interesting, diverse and friendly places to bounce between it has been a real adventure to explore.
Thank You World Cruising Club would like to thank the following organisations for being part of our World ARC adventure: Darwin: Darwin Port Corporation, Tipperary Waters Marina, Australian Customs & Border Protection Service, Australian Department for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (also in Indian Ocean dependencies), Aquatic Biosecurities Fisheries, Darwin Sailing Club, Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association, Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia, HMAS Coonawarra, Tec Ventures. Bali: Bali International Marina, Bali Tourist Board, Tour East. Christmas Island: Christmas Island Tourism Association, Island Explorer Tours, The Sunset Hotel, Patrick’s Port Cocos (Keeling) Island: Cocos (Keeling) Tourism Association, Australian Federal Police, The Cocos Seaview Hotel Mauritius: Le Caudan Waterfront,
Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authourity (MTPA) Mauritius Port Authority La Reunion: Ille du Reunion Tourisme, Chambre de Commerce/ Industrie de La Reunion (CCIR), Mairie du Port, Club Nautique Portois, International Sailors Society, Le Dodo Palmé, Le Coursaire Fourban Richards Bay South Africa: Zululand Yacht Club, South Africa Revenue Services (SARS), SA Department of Home Affairs, Richards Bay Port Control, RIS Vehicle Hire, Bay View Lodge and many, many more.
Entries are open for World ARC 2014 and 2015 www.worldcruising.com/worldarc
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LATITUDES
Spring / Summer 2013
Caribbean 1500
The Caribbean 1500 is the largest and longest-running event of its kind in the US. First held in 1990, it has come to be defined by great parties, safety-conscious cruising, fantastic company and adventurous sailing. The 2012 edition had all of that and then some. This year was characterized by a wet start and some late arrivals in Hampton, thanks to Hurricane Sandy, and the unprecedented early departure, which saw the fleet depart 24 hours earlier than expected in order to take advantage of a good weather window. Non-rally yachts that remained in Hampton had to wait over a week for another window, while the Caribbean 1500 fleet flew to Tortola in one of the fastest years on record. It was a close-knit group of 43 boats, including six taking part in the newly minted ARC Bahamas fleet. While the rally has had a Bahamas contingent for several years now, 2012 marked the first time it got its own name. Yachts ranged from a classic 35-foot Morgan, Turbo’s Tub, taking part in the event for the first time, to the big Karina, a Tayana 55 that is a perennial entry. Six catamarans took the start, and yachts flew flags from the USA, Canada and Australia. Traditionally the event is a family affair, and this year the young crew of Helia kept the tradition alive.
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Hurricane Sandy brings a wet start Hurricane Sandy’s progress up the US east coast caused some disruption to arrivals and the programme in Hampton. Though it may have literally ‘dampened’ the rally crews for a few days, Sandy didn’t dampen their spirits despite the flooded docks and rain. Some seminars had to be re-arranged due to the weather, but otherwise the programme continued without a hitch, and included nightly cocktail hours in the dockside ballroom at Hampton Public Piers, safety inspections (mostly in the rain!) and the Welcome Reception at the Hampton Auction House. Autumn on the US east coast is always a difficult time for weather forecasting, and 2012 was no exception. The challenge in planning an offshore voyage in the autumn is the tight window between hurricane season and the winter weather pattern.
“
It was an overwhelmingly positive year for the 1500” Miles and Anne Poor, Karina
Hurricane Sandy floods Hampton Docks
www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Fishing aboard Moonshadow
Everyone was enthusiastic - the Tortola fleet would be leaving early, and the ARC Bahamas fleet would sail offshore to Beaufort and wait out the weather window there.
At Sea The decision to depart early was commended by nearly all of the boats in the fleet. “It’s the smartest thing the event has ever done,” said Miles Poor of Karina. “This time of year the weather windows are just so tight, and the longer you wait, the larger the risk of a big winter gale,” he explained. Three days before the scheduled start, it was apparent that another weather system was forming, this time looking more like the typical winter weather pattern. A nor’easter was forecast to build over Georgia and offshore of South Carolina, moving NE and strengthening significantly. By plotting the GRIB files, rally staff determined that by leaving early the fleet should be well enough south and east of the center of low pressure to avoid the worst of the weather. On Friday, the announcement was made that there would be the option to depart under a ‘rolling start’ as soon as crew felt they were ready.
Most of the fleet reported bumpy weather on day two, but the payoff was favourable winds for the remainder of the passage to the Caribbean. Rob and Ginny Beams were aboard Helia, the only family boat in this year’s event. Their three girls, Hannah, Eleanor and Mia were excited to be in the islands for the first time, and said they had a blast offshore. “It was like being on Space Mountain ride!” they said, of the experience of doing a night watch and sailing at eight knots in the dark. Helia is a big Slocum 43, and needs a bit of wind to get going. “I thought the boat liked 15 knots,” said skipper Rob, “but she really likes 25 knots!” he exclaimed.
Habits of Health, the Moody 54 owned by Wayne & Lori Anderson led the fleet for most of the way south. Long-time rally veterans, they know the route well, and appreciated the early departure on Saturday. “When we woke up Saturday morning we generally had a sense that we were going to start the passage that day,” they said. We’d be ahead of schedule and could use the energy of the storm to propel us further south east to Tortola.” That’s exactly what Habits - and the rest of the fleet - was able to do. The nor’easter had been giving New York and New England snow, but it gave the fleet following breezes. The initial rush across the Gulf Stream to get ahead of the weather meant that the fleet managed to stay fairly tightly packed this year; another benefit of a windy crossing. Despite the windy voyage, breakages within the fleet were minimal, with only standard wear and tear experienced by a majority of the boats. Paul on Moonshadow spent a better part of an afternoon in Tortola re-engineering his windvane mount; Escapade and a few other boats suffered damage to their electronics in a lightning storm, and Rick Palm of Altair lost a tooth during a tack, but otherwise the fleet came through unscathed.
LATITUDES
Spring / Summer 2013 everything that makes an ocean passage so special.
BBQ on the beach
Blackrose arrival
Bahamas
Nanny Cay
With the guidance of ARC Bahamas event manager Johnny Powell, the Bahamas fleet left a day early, but only as far as Beaufort, North Carolina. The storm that the BVI fleet was trying to get ahead of was due to form directly over the rhumb line to Green Turtle Cay, leaving just enough time to sail offshore to Beaufort and re-group.
Yachts began arriving into Nanny Cay late in the evening on November 11, with the Hylas 54 Wings first to finish in just over 7 days, followed closely by Karina and Altair. Each night as yachts continued to arrive, events were held on the beach in Nanny Cay Marina.
Susie Q and Mariannina elected to sail directly to Green Turtle Cay after having made a run for it rather than stop in Beaufort with the rest of the fleet. They’d have strong winds, but forecast to be from behind them, and the experienced crews onboard made a calculated decision that in the end proved to be the right one for them. They carried wind all the way south, and made fast passages into the Abacos. T’ai Chi talked about the frustration of waiting for weather in their log. “We are not yet on our way to Abacos, though we have some progress in the right direction,” wrote the crew from Beaufort. Irish Rover ended up making their own way south via the ICW and short hops offshore while T’ai Chi finished repairs and Turbo’s Tub caught up after a delayed start in Hampton. Mariannina very narrowly edged out Susie Q to arrive first into Green Turtle Cay, both having gone nonstop from Hampton, and a few days later the rest of the ARC Bahamas fleet caught up to join in the festivities. A small prizegiving dinner was held at the resort ashore, and stories were shared by all.
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The programme was expanded in 2012 to include several seminars on cruising the BVI and the rest of the Caribbean, an island tour sponsored in part by BVI360, and cocktail hours, pizza nights and beach BBQs that participants have come to expect and enjoy. The Nanny Cay events were a big hit, and every yacht that left Hampton arrived in time to enjoy the majority of the programme. The 2012 Caribbean 1500 wrapped up in Tortola with the final prizegiving on Friday, November 16. Prizes are not only awarded for the first three places based on corrected time in each class of the Cruising Division, but also for fun and inventive things like ‘Best Fish Story’, ‘Best Diver’ and ‘Best Bruise.’ In short, the prizegiving recognizes
The Tempest Trophy for Spirit of the Rally has been given each year since 1990, to the crew that best combined seamanship, enthusiasm, and helping others. This year Avanti - two of Helming on Magpie whose crew dropped out two days before the start, so sailed double-handed so as not miss the weather window - was given the award. On the second night out, Avanti - that had radar on board - guided Helia through a series of squalls just east of the Gulf Stream. “They were amazing,” said Rob, the skipper of the family boat Helia. “Jeremi [skipper of Avanti] just called us up on the radio and said ‘follow me!’, and we steered clear of the worst thunderstorms that night.” Summing up the rally, veterans Miles and Anne Poor said “It was an overwhelmingly positive year for the 1500; the decision to leave a day early was the best move the organizers have ever made!”
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Ocean Crew link Connecting sailors
Specialising purely in ocean sailing opportunities, OceanCrewLink.com is our new online directory of sailors and sailing opportunities, connecting boat owners with offshore sailing crew. At World Cruising Club we wanted a new way for captains and crew to be able to contact each other; somewhere for ocean sailors to meet ocean going captains and provide an easy way for crew and captains to see if they “like the cut of your jib” when judging whether to join a boat or choose a crew member. So we talked to crew and captains and used our extensive knowledge gained from organising transocean sailing rallies to provide a better way to connect sailors. OceanCrewLink.com is a database of crew and opportunities - think of it like an index card system. We’ve tried to make it simple, but to include the key questions about experience and abilities, dates and locations that often get left out of online ads.
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Registration is easy and free! You will need to add some basic data to your profile before you can view other opportunities or crew in full. Then you can go back when it suits you to add more detail. Captains can find crew by adding an opportunity – a boat sailing on a route at a specified time. Again, we’ve thought about the standard information a potential crew might want to know, so opportunities have to include dates, locations and some basic details of costs, sleeping arrangements and experience levels sought. Contact is made via the site, so personal details are not published directly and cannot be “spammed” from the site. With over 1,000 sailors already signed up to use the service and over 100 opportunities to sail currently available, oceancrewlink.com offers a unique meeting place for those who love ocean sailing.
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ARC PORTUGAL PREVIEW
ARC Portugal Preview
The tour group at Coimbra University
Social highlights and exploring ashore
2-26 June 2013
Cross the Bay of Biscay in company and discover the delights of the Portuguese coast. ARC Portugal is a unique event, combining a cruise-in-company with a sightseeing holiday. Not only is the rally a great way to deliver your boat to the Med or further south, it is also a summer cruise in its own right with plenty of social activities in every port, shore-based sightseeing tours and spectacular sailing along the way.
Crossing the Bay The ARC Portugal fleet assemble in Plymouth’s Mayflower Marina for pre-rally events and safety checks organised by the World Cruising Club team. The well-equipped marina is an ideal place for final preparations before the first and longest leg of the rally to the Spanish port of Bayona, some 550nm away. ARC Portugal has been making landfall here for many years and the friendly staff at Monte Real Club de Yates, our host yacht club, always give participants a warm welcome on arrival. Ralliers have several days to explore the historic town, taking in the fantastic atmosphere and sampling local seafood in one of the many restaurants that line the cobbled streets.
Into Portuguese waters and a new port for 2013 With the hard work of the Biscay crossing now well and truly behind them, participants really begin to settle into the Rally. Entering Portuguese waters, the next stopover is in Povoa de Varzim where there’s an opportunity to join a guided tour to the old city of Guimarães. Always keen to revitalise the route, the itinerary for 2013 includes a two night stop at the new marina in Gaia on the River Douro close to Porto. Situated just inside the mouth of the river entrance this well protected marina is situated close the heart of Gaia, the home of the port wine lodges. With new shoreside facilities being completed this spring, the new stop is sure to add to the overall rally experience.
ITINERARY
Sailing South
Date 30 May 2 June 11 June 13 June 15 June 18 June 20 June 23 June 25 June 26 June
Lying at the mouth of the River Mondego, Figueira da Foz is the third stopover and fourth marina visited by ARC Portugal. The stopover in Figueira is always popular amongst participants for two of the most memorable highlights on the Rally’s social calendar: a visit to the beautiful historic city of Coimbra, and for the excellent cabaret show and dinner at the local casino. The interesting and pretty seaside town of Peniche is the next port of call on the sail south, followed by the Oeiras which offers excellent public transport links to the capital city of Lisbon. A fine sandy beach lines the bay of the penultimate stopover in Sines and those who wish to venture slightly further afield can often find small deserted inlets hidden on the south side of the port.
Finishing at the gateway to the Mediterranean ARC Portugal comes to an end at Marina de Lagos, with superb on site facilities and a warm welcome for ralliers. The marina is ideally located for boats continuing cruising through to the Med and provides a well-equipped and convenient safe haven for those returning home after the rally. Whatever their onward plans, yachts in the ARC Portugal fleet share a unique bond as they reach the gateway to the Mediterranean and reflect on their great adventure of sailing, culture and newfound friendships.
Details Rally office opens in Plymouth Stage 1: Plymouth to Bayona Stage 2: Bayona to Povoa de Varzim Stage 3: Povoa to Gaia (Porto) Stage 4: Gaia to Figueira da Foz Stage 5: Figueira to Peniche Stage 6: Peniche to Oeiras Stage 7: Oeiras to Sines Stage 8: Sines to Lagos Final prize giving in Lagos
Miles 550 NM 50 NM 15 NM 55 NM 55 NM 50 NM 50 NM 75 NM
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BOATING BOOK REVIEW Eileen Ramsay – Queen of Yachting Photography
Boating Book Review
Eileen Ramsay was at the centre of a unique period in yachting history, and this wonderful book, featuring her classic photography, celebrates an extraordinary woman and her extraordinary subjects. Her unique archive records the explosive growth in dinghy and offshore sailing during post-war years, and includes pictures of the first Enterprises, Mirrors, Ospreys, Optimists and the first America’s Cup 12 metres Sceptre and Evaine. Including tributes from her famous subjects, this is a spectacular celebration of a pioneering photographer and a fascinating time in yachting history and perfect for any sailor’s coffee table. By Barry Pickthall. Published by Adlard Coles Nautical ISBN: 9781408178416
The latest books for bluewater sailors.
Cruising Guide to Trinidad & Tobago plus Barbados and Guyana
The Boat Galley Cookbook When Carolyn Shearlock and Jan Irons began cruising with their husbands, they discovered that boat cooking IS different from cooking ashore. The space is smaller, there are no supermarkets 5 minutes away, you have fewer prepared foods and electric appliances, and food storage is much different. Carolyn and Jan have combined their recipes, tips and substitutions from their extensive cruising experiences to produce The Boat Galley Cookbook; a single comprehensive galley guide that’s needed on every boat, whether for a weekend sail or a cruise around the world. By Carolyn Shearlock and Jan Irons Published by International Marine ISBN: 9780071782364
Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados and Guyana are fast becoming the most popular destinations for cruising yachtsmen in the Caribbean. This new edition is the most comprehensive of its type published for this area. Chris Doyle along with the collaborative efforts of Charlene Defrietas, Cathy Whitby, Jeff Fisher and Peter Hoad have explored these islands extensively, offering comprehensive information on a wide variety of facilities, ranging from marinas to haul-out yards and marine repair services. By Chris Doyle Published by Cruising Guides Publications ISBN: 9780944428962
Cruising guide to the Virgin Islands Just released, the 2013/2014 edition of Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands, is celebrating 32 years of assisting sailors and vacationers cruising the tropical waters of the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. This guide assists cruisers with navigational information and enhances their holiday by steering them to the most interesting sights, the best restaurants and shopping, the finest resorts and leading marine facilities. The Island Directory sections provide valuable telephone, fax, email and website information to make finding island businesses, services and restaurants effortless. By Nancy and Simon Scott Published by Cruising Guides Publications ISBN: 9780944428955
Sailors Guide to the Windward Islands After 30 years in print, this book continues to be the best selling cruising guide to the Windward Islands. A wide range of topics are covered in this 2013/2014 edition including the latest information on marinas, marine services, water sports, resorts, and shore-side shopping, restaurants, area sights, regulations affecting the yachtsman and helpful navigational directions. Most importantly, colour aerial photography is included to further assist in navigation and provide invaluable information on anchorages. By Chris Doyle Published by Cruising Guides Publications ISBN: 9780944428948
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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES
Cruising notes from noonsite.com A round-up of recent news and information for cruising sailors from noonsite.com
Noonsite.com - the global website for cruising sailors Noonsite.com aims to provide a one-stop website featuring essential information on all matters of interest to sailors planning an offshore voyage anywhere in the world, whether already underway or still in the preparatory stages. All cruising destinations are covered (currently 193 countries and 1845 ports) with information on clearance formalities, visa requirements, fees, weather, special events and other facts needed by visiting sailors. Also featured are details of repair facilities as well as marine and shore services for every major port visited by cruising boats.
Get Involved Since autumn 2012 we’ve been working to update and improve the way noonsite.com works and add features to improve the site and enhance the benefits to the global community it serves. The latest new feature is “noonsite notes” giving users the ability to comment on any news, reports or data published on the site. So if you had an experience you want to share with other cruisers; found a great service company; want to talk about a marina or anchorage you have used, then noonsite notes is the perfect way to pass on your knowledge.
Cruising Reports The Costs of Cruising If you want to know more about the real costs of cruising overseas, the crew of Estrellita have a written great blog with lots of resources and advice. One interesting collection is a list of cruising websites they have sourced by cruisers who have reported on the cost of cruising. Not budgets for dreamers or those in preparation,
but reports from people who are or have been actively cruising. Of course, these estimates are for different time periods, with different boats, in different locations, etc, but still a very useful resource for planning your own trip. http:// thegiddyupplan.blogspot.com.es/2011/04/costof-cruising.html
Concerned about security while cruising? Visit this page for suggestions and ideas from cruisers for non-lethal ways to protect your crew and your boat. www.noonsite.com/General/ Piracy/Self-defence and Deterring Attacks
Panama Canal Agents: Cruisers’ Recommendations If you are planning to transit the Panama Canal, then you may choose to employ a local agent to organise your transit. Visit this page for the latest recommendations from other cruisers as to the agents they have used in the 2012 season. www.noonsite.com/Members/sue/R2011-0621-2 Yachts transiting the Panama Canal
Croatia - Only 5% Tax to Import boats into the EU The accession of Croatia to the European Union (EU) in July 2013 is providing a unique opportunity to obtain EU tax-paid status for boat currently outside the EU tax area. Owners of nontax paid boats may register their boats in Croatia by 31 May 2013, and then only need to pay the local rate of VAT at 5%. Additional customs duty (not above 2.7%) may apply to certain boats. Details of Croatian registration can be seen at http://croatia.hr/Documents/2705/Informationfor-Vessel-Owners-Regarding-Registration-ofVessels-with-Croatian-Vessel-Registers.pdf
iPhone App for Man Over Board A useful smartphone App is now available for tracking man-over-board casualties. Providing a cheap alternative for those captains without alternative MoB position fixing electronics. www.noonsite.com/General/MedicalSafety/ man-overboard-app-for-iphone
Somalia Piracy: Latest Warning for Yachts The joint risk assessment for threats to sailing yachts in the High Risk Area off Somalia has been undertaken by UKMTO, MSCHOA, NATO Shipping Centre and MARLO. Its conclusions are clear and incontrovertible - all sailing yachts under their own passage should remain out of the High Risk Area or face the risk of being attacked and pirated for ransom. Full details at: www.noonsite.com/images/pdfs/ somali-piracy-warning-for-yachts-january-2013/ view
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LEGENDARY SAILING…CENTURIES OF TRADITION
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