Latitudes 41 - Spring 2016

Latitudes

Spring 2016 ISSUE 41 ÂŁ3.50

Atlantic 23

Reflections

Andrew Bishop reflects on the Atlantic route from west to east

18 ARC EUROPE & ARC USA

34 ARC BALTIC 2015

40 ARC PORTUGAL

NE W

48

55Mk II 58

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Photos Nicolas Claris

Lagoon supports the ARC Only a few offshore sailing events in the world offer the spirit that we like to refer to as the Lagoon attitude: A great ambiance and an unforgettable experience, with the benefits of a first class organization in terms of preparation and safety. Lagoon is proud to be a partner of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers!

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES

List of Advertisers 24 Admiral Marine Insurance 16 Las Palmas City 20 Berthon International 44 Bomarine 8 CNB 3 Discovery Yachts 44 Echomax 50 Fischer Panda 38 Gill UK 14 GN Espace 44 Hamble School of Yachting 52 Hydrovane 17 IGY Rodney Bay Marina 58 Imray 9 Jeanneau 4 Lagoon 30 Mactra Marine Equipment 46 MailASail 42 Marina de Lagos 54 Marlec 36 Mobmat 6 Nanny Cay 54 Ocean Crew Link 56 Ocean Safety 2 Gran Canaria Tourist Board 48 Peters and May 58 PYD 6 Raymarine 31 Rolnautic 60 Saint Lucia Tourism 14 Santa Marta Marina 36 Traveleads 14 watt&sea 59 YachtCom & SailCom 59 Yachtfunk 56 YB Tracking

Contents 18

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Viewpoint

Foreword by Andrew Bishop, MD of World Cruising Club

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Rally News Round up of rallies

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Club News

News and events from World Cruising Club and our Corporate Members

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Events Diary

Boatshows, Forums, Seminars and Rallies taking place in 2016

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Many Ways to Cross ARC Europe and ARC USA

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Cyclone Pam Relief - Vanuatu

World ARC 2015 Fleet Visit Port Resolution, Vanuatu in the wake of Cyclone Pam

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Refitting at Berthon From rudders to refrigeration, top tips for what to consider refitting your boat before setting sail

40 34

ARC Baltic 2015

Sailing close to 2,000 nautical miles, visiting six countries

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Delaying a Rally Start ARC Portugal Weather considerations and highlights of Algarve cruising

47 47

Cruising Report: Exploring the South Pacific

By John and Joyce Easteal

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noonsite.com

News updates from the cruising sailor’s information site

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES

Viewpoint Editor Jeremy Wyatt

Deputy Editor Sarah Collins

Contributors Andrew Bishop Lyall Burgess John Burnie Joel Chadwick John & Joyce Easteal Ingrid Fortunato Trish Jenkins Barney Larkin Brian May Andy Schell YB Tracking

Photography Credits Bermuda Aerial Media Berthon Martin & Elizabeth Bevan Johny Buraca Suzana Buraca Cecilie Hammersland Mia Karlsson James Mitchell Ali Moseley Hugh Murray-Walker Claire Pengelly Victor Taburiaux And to all yacht crews who submitted photographs and blogs.

Cover Image A bird’s eye view of ARC Europe Photo: Bermuda Aerial Media

Design Monday Creative www.mondaycreative.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

2015 was a significant year for World Cruising Club as we celebrated the 30th edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, although strictly speaking this year is the 30th Anniversary, the event being first run in 1986.

With a combined fleet of close to 260 yachts in the ARC+ and ARC starts we set a new record for the total number of yachts participating in the events sailing across the Atlantic from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia last year. With seventy five places available on ARC+, leaving two weeks ahead of the ARC fleet with a stopover in Mindelo, the pressure has been taken off the ARC, with both events benefiting as a result.

So well established is ARC+, now in its fourth year, it is hard to remember life without it – or how we coped with the large numbers on the ARC before it existed! Development in the Cape Verde islands certainly helped, and we understand that further marina development will be on the agenda following a recent decision to outsource the operation of the ports in the islands to an overseas commercial operator, which will hopefully bring the much needed inward investment required.

“

World Cruising Club is about encouraging sailors to extend their cruising boundaries” Andrew Bishop, Managing Director

World ARC is now established in an annual pattern, with a period of four months where we have two different event fleets at sea, as the rally nearing completion heads up the South Atlantic towards their finish in the Caribbean, whilst the outgoing rally sets off from the Caribbean and into the Pacific Ocean. Logistically a challenge for World Cruising Club, the main advantage is that owners are able to more easily take an extended year in the Pacific to make their circumnavigation twenty eight months instead of the normal sixteen months taken from Saint Lucia to Saint Lucia, as they are able to stop and then jump back on to the next rally a year later.

Safety of our participants is always paramount in our minds – whether it be the route we ask the participating yachts to sail, the weather to be encountered whilst at sea, or the destination itself. We constantly review all of these factors across all our events, which is why World ARC continues to sail the southern Indian Ocean route, with no option at this time to take the Red Sea route back into the Mediterranean. Due to inclement weather forecasts the start of the ARC has been delayed twice in the last few years, and it is why last year the start of ARC Portugal was delayed, as reported in this issue. We continue to monitor security ashore too, liaising with the appropriate local authorities to help assure participants that the destinations chosen are the right ones for their own safety.

With eleven events worldwide, representative staff in six countries across three continents, World Cruising Club has developed into a truly global sailing events conceptualisation, planning and delivery organisation that is proud to look after the needs of cruising sailors worldwide. As well as our events our websites noonsite.com and oceancrewlink.com play an important role in this task. To ensure continuing further growth and delivery of top-quality rallies for our participants we are recruiting for the long term, and I’d like to hear from anyone who feels they are the right person to join the team to help take World Cruising Club forward over the next decade.

Our thanks to all of you who participated in our 2015 events and activities, and especially the 30th ARC.

Andrew Bishop

Managing Director, World Cruising Club

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LATITUDES

Spring 2016

Rally News New Rally Launched – ARC Channel Islands 2016

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers – 30 years young!

We launched our newest cruising rally, ARC Channel Islands at the Southampton Boat Show in September 2015. Run in association with RYA Active Marina, ARC Channel Islands offers a mix of preparation advice and support from a lead boat, combined with a cruise-in-company and social activities ashore. The first entries for the rally were received within minutes of the official launch, and since then have reached its upper limit of 25 yachts set to join the 7 day cruise from the 20-27 August 2016.

Crews joining ARC Channel Islands will receive the peace of mind of being part of an organised rally; enjoying social and sightseeing activities with others in the fleet, along with time to independently explore. The entry fee includes all berthing for the duration of the rally, GPS satellite tracking of each yacht, the support of a lead boat and World Cruising Club staff on hand throughout the rally.

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Aside from the focus on safety and support, there is a comprehensive social programme encouraging the camaraderie between crews to quickly develop during the rally.

RYA membership is included in the entry fee for those not already members and discounts are available for existing RYA members.

Full details including pricing, rally benefits and links to the conditions of entry and safety equipment requirements are available in the ARC Channel Islands Information Pack. To request a copy, please visit www.worldcruising.com and select Tell Me More, or contact World Cruising Club on +44 (0) 1983 296060, or email mail@worldcruising.com You can also visit the ARC Channel Islands website www.worldcruising.com/arcchannelislands

The 2015 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) celebrated its 30th edition, seeing a special programme of activities taking place in Las Palmas and Saint Lucia to celebrate the milestone, including welcoming veterans – both sailors and yachts – of the first ARC. 2015 will be remembered as a special year for the ‘Flying Dutchmen’ as the ARC course record tumbled for third year in a row!

VO65 Team Brunel (NED) took seven hours off the record set by Leopard by Finland in 2014, sailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia in 8 days 7 hours 39m 30s. The 'near-perfect' tradewind sailing conditions saw Team Brunel propelled towards Saint Lucia and into the ARC history books for breaking the record in the rally's 30th edition despite sailing the longest distance of any ARC yacht in 2015, 3343 nautical miles.

It was a relatively swift passage for all the ARC 2015 fleet in what was a classic tradewind crossing; a mix of strong winds at the start, lighter patches en route and a final surge into Saint Lucia, ARC 2015 was straight down the rhumb line, with a high percentage of boats sailing the whole course, and recording some of the shortest passage distances seen in recent years.

A full report of this very special edition of the ARC will be published in the next edition of Latitudes Magazine.

www.worldcruising.com

RALLY NEWS

Back to the Baltic in 2017

Malts Cruise is back again for 2016

ARC Baltic takes a break in 2016 and will sail again in July 2017, giving plenty of time to start planning your cruise now. With the objective of sailing to Saint Petersburg, the historic former capital of imperial Russia that lies at the eastern end of the Baltic, the rally combines the adventure of a Russian visit with time to cruise and explore the scenic delights of the coasts of Finland and Sweden. Along the way there are our trademark trips ashore, crew dinners and parties, helping give ARC Baltic a friendly and enjoyable social side to the sailing and cruising. You can read the report from the 2015 edition on page 34.

Enjoy superb scenery, social sailing and single malt whisky in this Scottish West Coast Sailing Rally.

The Malts Cruise, World Cruising Club’s social sail around the west coast for Scotland, will be back again in the summer of 2016 after taking a break to make way for the ARC Baltic rally.

This special combination of cruising in company whilst exploring the lochs and islands of Scotland’s west coast, brings together sailing, scenery and single malt whisky in a memorable mix. Over two weeks, starting from Oban on 15 July, cruisers will discover the landscape, culture, wildlife and whisky of the Hebrides, a compelling mix that makes the west of Scotland a “must see” sailing destination.

With free time to set your own itinerary, and rendezvous in beautiful locations including the island of Mull, Rum, Skye and Islay, the Malts Cruise suits both free spirits and those looking

for a cruise in company. Social activities ashore include crew suppers and ceilidh dancing. Along the way expect amazing wildlife encounters and the chance to learn about the history and heritage of the region whilst enjoying spectacular views and remote anchorages.

The cruise route will offer the chance to visit the remote west coast of Mull, the Small Isles of Canna, Eigg, Muck and Rum, as well as the ruggedly romantic Isle of Skye. Heading south, the route also includes Coll and Jura before finishing at Islay, the whisky capital of the west coast.

Request an information pack to find out more via the World Cruising Club website.

Two World ARC Fleets at Sea For eight years, each January there has been a World ARC fleet setting off from either Saint Lucia or Cape Town, to begin or complete its circumnavigation. But 2016 is the second year that World ARC has a fleet in both ports; the 'veterans' in Cape Town preparing to cross the South Atlantic to Brazil via St Helena, their final ocean crossing on their epic adventure, and the 'newbies' World ARC 2016-17, assembling in Rodney Bay Marina, Saint Lucia to go off across the Caribbean Sea - the first leg of their 15 month round the world voyage to Santa Marta, Colombia.

Follow the fleets online on the World ARC website at www.worldcruising.com/worldarc

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LATITUDES

Spring 2016

Club News A round-up of news from World Cruising Club and supporters.

Bluewater Weekend set to inspire offshore sailors The dates have been announced for our upcoming Bluewater Weekend, hosted at Berthon Marina in Lymington on 14-15 May 2016. It will be the third year the two-day rendezvous has taken place, offering visitors the opportunity to climb aboard a variety of ocean sailing boats, mingle with experienced cruisers and get expert advice to help set sail with the right boat, training, and equipment.

Designed to make visitors think about all aspects of living the bluewater dream, the two day free to attend event combines a boatshow, seminar and sailor rendezvous all in one.

During the weekend a selection of bluewater boats will be open for viewing, hosted by experienced offshore sailors, all of whom have sailed transatlantic or further afield. A wide variety of boats from the Berthon Collection are available to view on request, as well as a chance to explore the boat yard facilities offering all aspects of yacht refit and refurbishment.

Balancing out the dockside chat will be a series

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of seminar presentations and discussions about how to embark on the bluewater dream, plus clinics and informal ‘Ask the Expert’ sessions from marine professionals to advise on equipping boats and crew for offshore adventures.

Guest speakers will be Rod and Lu Heikell, cruising “gurus” and authors of Imray’s Mediterranean Cruising Guide. Rod and Lu will be sharing tales of their cruising life over drinks on the Saturday, where sailors can meet and chat over an informal supper.

The two-day event is free to attend but visitors will need to pre-register beforehand.

The flexible programme means people are welcome to attend for a few hours or the whole weekend with those wanting to get more out of the experience able to attend an optional social event on the Saturday night.

For more information please visit www.worldcruising.com/training

www.worldcruising.com

CLUB NEWS

New transport options announced for ARC sailors looking to ship back to Europe Southampton based global boat transporter Peters & May has announced further transport options for ARC participants and will now be giving rally participants the option to load in Antigua as well as St. Thomas.

Historically, all vessels have been brought into the port of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. In 2015, Peters & May first introduced loading options from Antigua and over 100 yachts departed on four vessels; a fair proportion of which were ARC participants.

Steven Stanbury, Caribbean Trade Manager, explained: “Responding to demand from a number of clients, we loaded our first vessel

in Antigua last April. Due to the success and continued demand, we are now pleased to be able to extend this option going forward.

Being the sailing hub of the Caribbean, I hope this will not only benefit our clients, but also many of the local commercial enterprises.

Andrew Bishop of Atlantic Rally for Cruisers noted: “Peters & May has supported us for over a decade, providing shipping options for our participants. This proactive development is most welcome and we look forward to working alongside them to further expand ports and route options.”

Ocean Crew Link – connecting sailors Want to bag a berth on the ARC, or find likeminded crew for your round the world dream voyage? In ARC 2015, four skippers found their entire crews via Ocean Crew Link and more than 60 crew found berths on ARC boats through the website. Ocean Crew Link, World Cruising Club’s crew contact website offers a unique way to connect ocean sailors with aspiring ocean crews. Take a look at more than 150+ current sailing opportunities available on the website, not just for ARC or World ARC, but for many other independent sailing trips in all parts of the world. There are more than 1,000 active sailors on the site and a well-used mailing list, that will see your sailing opportunity sent on to over 4,000 email subscribers. There is a $10 fee for using the site, which includes access to the weekly opportunities mailing, and enables crew to contact skippers, and skippers needing crew to reach-out to keen offshore sailors. Unlike other crew sites, Ocean Crew Link is exclusively for offshore cruising, so you know your voyage of a lifetime will find sailors who share your aspirations. Visit www.oceancrewlink.com

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES

World Cruising Club Programme 2016 2016

23-24 April ARC Langtur Camp Dronningen, Oslo Preparation seminar in English and Norwegian. Held in association with the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club.

07 May ARC Europe / ARC USA, start Tortola, BVI Start of west-east transatlantic rally from Nanny Cay, Tortola visiting Bermuda and Azores en route to Europe. ARC USA shares a departure programme and start sailing to Bermuda then on to USA.

14-15 May Bluewater Weekend, Lymington, UK A unique weekend rendezvous at Berthon’s Lymington UK base for sailors who are aiming at going offshore cruising and want to know what to look for when choosing a bluewater cruising boat.

05 June

15 July

06 November

Malts Cruise

ARC Caribbean 1500 ARC Bahamas start

A two week cruise discovering the landscape, culture, wildlife and whisky of the the west of Scotland.

20 August ARC Channel Islands Start, Gosport, UK Run in association with RYA Active Marina, the rally offers an week long organised cruise to Cherbourg, Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney.

16/25 September Southampton Boat Show, UK Meet the World Cruising Club team at the annual in-water boat show.

17 September

ARC+ Cape Verde Start, Las Palmas Cruising Rally, from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia, with an added stopover in the Cape Verdes.

20 November ARC 2016 start, Las Palmas The world’s most popular cruising rally from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia.

2017

An introduction to ocean sailing held at the Southampton Boat Show.

07 January

6/10 October

Start of 15 month circumnavigation rally via Panama Canal, Australia and South Africa.

World ARC start, Saint Lucia

US Sailboat Show, Annapolis, MD Meet the World Cruising Club team at the America’s largest sailboat show.

UK to Spain and Portugal finishing at Marina de Lagos.

08 October

ARC DelMarVa, Annapolis, USA

06 November

Ocean Sailing Forum, UK

ARC Portugal Start, Plymouth, UK

18 June

Cruising rally from Portsmouth VA to Tortola BVI, or Marsh Harbor, Abacos.

Ocean Sailing Forum, Annapolis, USA An introduction to ocean sailing held at the US Sailboat Show, Annapolis, MD.

Around the DelMarVa peninsula, East Coast USA.

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LATITUDES

Spring 2016

Many Ways to Cross ARC Europe and ARC USA

“I can tell we are getting close to departure: there is an increased energy to everything. The fact that we were up, showered and caffeinated by seven, while not uncommon for most, was way out of character for us. The volume and commotion coming from the port side hull continues to increase exponentially as we approach Saturday’s departure. To say that the boys are excited would be an understatement…”

Many crews who have prepared for a long offshore passage will recognise the mood that Ali Mosely of Widago describes in her log. Whilst the scene refers to her three sons – 11 year old twins William and David and 13 year old Gordon, who are about to embark on their first Atlantic crossing - the countdown to start day can raise excitement from even the most seasoned sailor as preparation lists are tackled with increased vigour and anticipation.

Alongside Widago, in excess of fifty boats were preparing for voyages with World Cruising Club rallies ARC Europe and ARC USA in May 2015.

Venturing west to east across the Atlantic, more than forty boats set sail with ARC Europe this year; thirty leaving from the British Virgin Islands, and six from Portsmouth, Virginia, for the first stage

Welcome Party

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Nanny Cay Start Day

of the rally, a passage to Bermuda where a further seven yachts joined. ARC USA sailors starting from Tortola included seven yachts headed for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, whilst sixteen boats sailed alongside the ARC Europe fleet to Bermuda then onwards to ports along the US east coast.

Caribbean starters were hosted at Nanny Cay, Tortola and it was the equivalent of ‘standing room only’ on the docks with the bumper fleet preparing for the off. For some the rally was a convivial way to start a European adventure and for others, an end to a Caribbean season or circumnavigation. Either way, walking the docks at Nanny Cay and talking to the sailors, one thing was clear; experienced ‘ralliers’ are more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise with first time rally participants.

Ana arrives early Some 1500 miles away, in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Ocean Marine Yacht Centre hosted a smaller fleet with the half-dozen starters waiting at the mouth the Chesapeake. Their preparations and start day will be remembered somewhat differently to the BVI fleet as they were confronted with the summer’s first named Tropical Storm, which, ironically, actually formed outside the tropics off the coast of Florida! Hurricane season doesn’t even ‘officially’ start until June 1, but don’t tell the climate that!

So as the BVI Fleet headed to the starting line, the Portsmouth fleet continued to wait.

Yachts at Nanny Cay

www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES In the end, it was a short delay. Four days after the grim prognosis and the planned start, Sub-Tropical storm ‘Ana’ – the earliest named storm to make landfall in the US in over 65 years, according to rally forecaster’s WRI’s Jeremy Davis – was swallowed up by another approaching low from the west, and formed its own strong cold front as it got pulled to the north and east. While heading through the Gulf Stream on a SW winds is preferred due to the wind being with rather than against the strong current, in this case the SW wind heralded the coming front, which was a strong one, and would produce potentially unstable local conditions as the cold air of the approaching front met the warm Gulf Stream waters. So to time it just right, the fleet would depart on the back of the cold front, as soon as the wind shifted west and northwest, and get a reaching sail across the Gulf Stream and into the Atlantic in settled, though gusty, fair weather of the approaching High pressure.

Alia Vita arrival

Both fleets underway, bound for Bermuda Bermuda is a destination unique in the sailing world. It is a crossroads of cultures, with dozens of national flags hanging from the sterns of the boats anchored in the harbour. But unlike much of the Bahamas or even the Caribbean, it is a midocean crossroads – just to get there on your own boat, you have got to sail at least 650 miles in deep water. It is the real deal, and you meet some real sailors in these parts. No doubt Bermuda’s repute will only be enhanced when the America’s Cup rolls in to town in 2017 – but for this year, it was the ARC Europe and ARC USA sailors who were able to enjoy her vivid colours, welcoming marina staff and a few authentic Dark & Stormys.

Big welcome on the dock for Euphoria

Highlights for crew in Bermuda, best explored by scooter, include touring Hamilton and the historic St.Georges Harbour (a UNESCO heritage site), as well as climbing the 200 stairs to Gibbs Hill Lighthouse to view the astonishingly beautiful landscape.

Ultimately, despite the delay, the Portsmouth fleet still managed to get two full days on island to get caught up, refuelled and rewatered before the start of the long journey ahead on Leg 2; the big one, 1800 miles across the pond to Horta in the Azores.

Meteorological mischief continues From Bermuda, ARC Europe and ARC USA split for their namesake destinations. Their passages could not have been more different as unseasonal weather patterns in the Western Atlantic continued to challenge the fleet in more ways than one.

Sixteen ARC USA yachts slipped out from St. George’s Harbour on 19 May and had light winds for the first few days. An area of low pressure had then developed just East of Cape Hatteras late on 21 May and yachts were given warning from rally weather forecasters WRI (Weather Routing Inc.) to expect a period of near gale force conditions. As the low was set to move off north-eastward it would likely affect a lot of the rally boats. Many took the opportunity to duck back south or west to avoid the centre of the low, and the catamarans Alia Vita and Zoom returned to Bermuda.

Doppelbock from Germany, who were the first boat to arrive in Portsmouth, VA reported that, “the trip to Portsmouth was OK despite we had to struggle hard in the gale with constantly more than 40 knots” and Chris from Tom Tom who sailed to Newport reported, “We were glad we went well west, as we saw nothing over mid 30s. It did mean we sailed a greater distance than the first leg though. No injuries and no boat damage, so all is well.”

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On arrival in Horta on the island of Faial, plenty of sailors are more than ready to be ashore and head straight for Peter Café Sport to celebrate! The tradition of ocean sailing is alive and well in the pretty town and each year sailors add to the colourful harbour wall as it is considered bad luck to leave without first having painted your boat mural. A tour of the island takes in sights such as the ’Ponta dos Caplinhos’, site of the most recent volcanic eruption in 1957, and the ‘Caldeira’ an enormous crater at the top of the island.

The next stop is Angra do Heroismo, Terceira, a day sail from Horta. Crews enjoy a guided walking tour around the UNESCO World Heritage listed city, shopping at the many boutique stores and a chance to see one of the traditional street bull running fiestas in a nearby village.

An overnight sail takes you to Ponta Delgada, the bustling capital of the Azores. With a population of 50,000 it’s often the first city visited by participants in a while, all the trappings of which are a short walk from the marina.

The small fishing village of Vila do Porto on Santa Maria is the final port of call on the Azores Cruise. Known locally as the ‘sunny island’ it is the southern most island and the only one with white sandy beaches.

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LATITUDES

Spring 2016 headed north towards the UK and beyond, whilst Sophie chose to sail to Madeira, Free Spirit went direct to Gibraltar and a few chose to spend even longer in the beautiful islands of the Azores!

The bumper fleet get underway

Just over half of the fleet, made their way to Marina de Lagos, renowned as one of the premier marinas on the Portuguese Algarve coast. Five days after the rally yachts left the Azores, the reception pontoon at Marina de Lagos echoed with cries of ‘Bem-Vindo!’ as ARC Europe crews came together for the final time on the rally.

After 6 weeks together sailing across the North Atlantic the final Prize Giving was held at Marina de Lagos. Marking the end of the rally, prizes were awarded not only for sailing achievements within the Cruising Division providing fun competition for the fleet, but also prizes recognising crews for best blog from sea, best fish and best Torrero (bull fighter!) were presented. The biggest cheer went to the winners of the Spirit of the ARC Award - Bikini.

The eastbound ARC Europe fleet set off a day after the USA fleet, “The start was exciting with over 40 sailboats in all shapes and sizes milling around in St. George's Harbour waiting for to set off through Town Cut. As we sailed through the Cut, we saw several Bermuda longtails wheeling overhead a good omen for sure! With light winds behind the fleet, many spinnakers were quickly hoisted, and we did the same. Winds are light, but the sun is shining and the seas are beautiful. We have a fishing line in the water, but nothing is interested in it yet. All in all, it was a good first day back at sea.” Gretchen Cunningham from Agua Dulce.

As the fleet reached the halfway stage to Faial, the Azores high settled more to the north creating light headwinds coming straight out of Horta. At the Skippers Briefing in Bermuda it was outlined that this may not be the typical sail north out of Bermuda to get the good westerly winds and sail over the top of the Azores high, and its associated clockwise winds.

Many took a more rhumb line route taking advantage of the good south westerlies that

Sta Maria - Start of Leg 3

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had carried the yachts this far. In the end, an Azores “double” high settled in over the islands and conditions at sea continued to be very calm with light breezes for the 1800nm passage.

“When your opening gambit with a blog is about bread you know you have had a quiet day. The Navigator/Baker produced yet another loaf from the oven which was rapidly demolished by the crew at lunch. But it did emphasise the importance that meals achieve in the daily routine of life aboard. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are times for the crew to meet and exchange views on the day, the route, the lack of fuel, etc etc.

The lettuce-based salad at lunchtime has given way to a pasta/coleslaw combination and when today Roger announced we were eating the last tomato it brought it home that Tesco was many miles away…” – Gozwoz – Day 13 from Bermuda.

It is always a shame when the rally fleet starts to divide up in the Azores, where for different reasons and commitments boats head in several directions for Leg 3. Boats departing Santa Maria

Whilst crews had visited some magnificent ports en route, and enjoyed great sailing, it was the friendships formed that rally participants were quick to praise about their experience. “Sailing is fun, and big ocean crossings are as well. But sailing with other people is more fun!” said Yana and Henrik Augustsson who completed their second Atlantic crossing with ARC Europe on board Song of the Sea (SWE) a Najad 460. “ARC Europe has been a great way of getting to Europe safely and to get to know a lot of wonderful people.”

Turn your dream into reality!

ARC Europe 2016 has starts from Nanny Cay, Tortola and Portsmouth, VA on May 7, finishing in Lagos on June 19.

ARC USA 2016 departs from Nanny Cay, Tortola with route options directly to Ft. Lauderdale via the Old Bahama Channel, or to Bermuda and on to Portsmouth, VA or other US East Coast ports.

Gozwoz arrive in Lagos

www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES

Atlantic Reflections

Andrew Bishop reflects on the Atlantic route from west to east One of the greatest mysteries of my time organising rallies remains why the number of yachts sailing from west to east each year as part of a rally is always significantly fewer than the total going to the Caribbean. Whilst entry levels are greatly increased over the earliest years the question still remains as to where do all the boats go? There appears to be no specific answer other than that having gained the experience of sailing as part of a rally to the Caribbean an independent passage home appeals.

There is also the choice of route and the date of departure, there being options to be considered.

Not everyone comes home, with a proportion of yachts staying to enjoy the Caribbean, or heading through the Panama Canal to explore the Pacific, and go on to complete a circumnavigation.

And interestingly an increasing number of yachts are being shipped back to Europe.

My involvement with the west to east route started in 1991, when in my first year of working at World Cruising I was given the responsibility of my own rally to run. I headed to Antigua with just a handful of entries on my list with a week to persuade extra boats to join. Having worked on ARC’90 I soon found familiar faces amongst the boats in English and Falmouth Harbours during Antigua Race Week, and increased the

numbers of starters to more than ten! Having started the fleet from Antigua I headed up to Florida to set off an equal number of boats from St Augustine, before heading to Bermuda to meet both fleets, from where the combined fleet sailed to the Azores, and on to Europe.

Looking back on that experience brings back many happy memories of the participants, the places I visited for the first time and of the responsibility of running my own rally all on my own! The tremendous sense of satisfaction of bringing together a group of yachtsmen, ensuring they had a great time, and completed their passage safely was very special, and remains so on our events to this day.

The history of our west to east transatlantic event is not the same success story as the ARC; initially run as the TRANSARC, with the first event in 1986. Records indicate that both the direct route from Antigua to Falmouth, and one including Bermuda were tried, the latter being the logical route to sail, and proving more popular. In the ‘91 and ’92 rallies there were a large number of American yachts heading to Europe to join World Cruising’s America 500, an event in celebration of the quincentenary of Columbus’ discovery of the Americas. After then

the event was not run again until 1998, since when there have been a number of changes as the rally has developed to how it is run today.

Starting from Antigua a few days after Antigua Race Week seemed the logical thing to do, as did starting from Falmouth Harbour, enabling late entries to be garnered from the many yachts in the area. As race week grew in numbers, space got less and the decision was taken to accept the invitation from the newly opened Jolly Harbour Marina to move the start when the event was re-introduced in 1998. This however did not solve the suggestion that participants wanted to see more of the northern Caribbean, and weren’t likely to have sailed in race week anyway. To that end, and combined with the desire to work more closely with Steve Black’s Cruiser Rally Association, the event start was moved in 2009 to Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola, which was to become our event base in the northern Caribbean.

Similarly there have been three start ports from the east coast of America, the first being the historic city of St Augustine chosen for the historic links for the feeder rallies to America 500. A greater concentration of yachts likely to head to Europe are based further north on the Chesapeake Bay and so

23

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES in 2011 the start moved to Hampton Virginia, before moving to our current east coast home port of Portsmouth Virginia in 2014.

For passages from the Caribbean to the Azores the direct route is characterised by light winds, with a more northerly route often taken to find more favourable sailing conditions, passing close to Bermuda. A planned stop in this beautiful archipelago makes sense, with St George’s being the home port of the rally for all our stopovers.

The St George’s Dinghy and Sports Club have hosted the event throughout all our years visiting Bermuda, offering great hospitality and a warm welcome on their dock. The event has grown to need more than just their limited dock space, with much of the fleet now on the town quays, both being good places to berth whilst going to explore the islands and the capital of Hamilton.

Sailing from Bermuda to the Azores is the challenging part of the rally, with a careful eye needing to be kept on the weather systems developing “behind you” and sometimes catching one unawares. Whilst there is a need to head a little north to find the wind, it is a fine balance between finding too much, and not having enough as many yachts have experienced over the years. It’s important to be well prepared for this passage, and to respect the weather, which is easier with more accessible and reliable forecasts than twenty five years ago. The likely weather on this route is why some chose to employ a delivery crew or have their yachts shipped home!

Horta is renowned as the place to make landfall in the Azores, including a visit by Joshua Slocum in 1895 on the early stages of his three year circumnavigation. The harbour has a very special buzz about it, as you’d expect at a meeting point of so many yachts that have just crossed the Atlantic, with stories to tell, clothes to dry, provisions to be loaded, repairs completed, before heading on the final stage of the passage to Europe.

Rather than depart for Horta it makes sense to head through the archipelago to Ponta Delgada, to at least see another island before departing from there. Until 1999 rally yachts were left to explore that section on their own until in 2000 we introduced a semi structured cruise through the islands, with the help of Peter “Stokey“ Woodall, a veteran Atlantic delivery skipper with a passion for the Azores, with knowledge to match. The cruise proved extremely successful and the ten days are now a standard part of ARC Europe, included in the rally entry fee since 2006.

During the early years of the rally the focus on finishing was the south coast of England, with Falmouth as the port most often chosen as the common landfall. However as this rally was then primarily about crews returning home to Europe many other destinations were favoured, and so it was hard to encourage yachts to go to one particular place to end the rally. With several yachts from the Solent area, and a family member from the Berthon Boat Company sailing

as crew on one, Lymington was made the landfall in ’91. Exceptionally in ’92 there was a leg to southern Spain, principally for the American boats heading to the start of America 500.

Whilst there was a certain ring to an event from Falmouth to Falmouth it never really caught on, and the event route was allowed to develop.

Meanwhile on the Algarve coast of southern Portugal a new marina was being developed at Lagos, opening in 1994, and becoming the destination for our rally along the coast of Portugal starting in 1995. From 1998 Marina de Lagos has been a destination for a final leg from the Azores, becoming the only official leg finish port since 2005.

Starting life as the TransARC, reflecting the fact that the majority of participants were indeed those returning from sailing on the ARC, the event was renamed ARC Europe in 2000 to broaden the appeal of the event to North Americans considering a transatlantic passage to Europe, whilst maintaining the attraction to ARC participants, and the association with what was becoming an established brand identifying the style and standard of our events.

ARC Europe opens, Nanny Cay

Thanks to World ARC participants choosing to join on their way home at the end of their circumnavigations, and increased awareness of the rally in North America, numbers are increasing, but are still a fraction of those that head west to east. Lower numbers, combined with the fact that there are numerous stops on route, the atmosphere created is very special, and makes for a great event. Don’t just take my word for it – come and join us for ARC Europe!

25

LATITUDES

Cyclone Pam Relief Report

Spring 2016

Cyclone Pam Relief -Vanuatu

On 13 March 2015 a devastating cyclone struck Vanuatu, causing significant damage to homes, businesses and communities throughout the islands. Winds of up to 270km/h (170mph) and torrential rain left a trail of destruction across Vanuatu, Port Resolution, Svanfridur from Hugur and Nichola from Aretha and caused immense suffering to the people who live in this World Cruising Club immediate aid of $5000 World Cruising Club beautiful part of the Pacific. was sent to help fifty employees of the marine services company Yachting World Vanuatu At World Cruising Club, following the news of Below is a brief summary of with $100 per family to help them buy basic the cyclone, and a plea for help from one of the essentials and repair their own homes, so they marine businesses in Port Vila badly affected by the amazing response to the were then able to focus on getting the business the cyclone, an appeal fund was launched aimed disaster, showing the depth operating again. The generosity from previous at raising funds, principally from previous World participants, including those who had never ARC participants who had visited the islands, to and breadth of the response been to Vanuatu, helped raise a total close to specifically aid marine businesses, to help them $50,000 which was distributed to directly help rebuild any damage and re-open in time for from so many organisations those affected in Port Vila and Port Resolution. the new season. Seeded with US$10,000 from and individuals.

Martin & Elizabeth Bevan on Caduceus unloading supplies

Offload of the goods at Port Resolution

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES

Port Resolution, exchange of gifts between the villages and participants

Boat Aid

Charities

With relief aid initially reaching the main population areas, it was important for supplies to also reach the outlying remoter islands. Many yachts took part in this relief operation including ones that sailed from Fiji, and Australia. Tom Partridge & Susie Plume arrived back in Vanuatu shortly after the passage of Cyclone Pam to relaunch their yacht Adina, thankfully undamaged by the storm, and lead some of this relief effort.

They were one of a group of yachts later presented with the OCC Award of Merit in 2015, for their work in Vanuatu, together with three other World ARC yachts taking a break in the western Pacific: Martin & Elizabeth Bevan on Caduceus; Jonathan & Donna Robinson on Chez Nous; and Dennis & Sherry Day on Trillium. All remained in the area for longer than at first planned to work with the island communities offering different types of support, including distribution of medical aid. Charles Livingston on his Amel 54 Cataya brought materials from Fiji, including supplies of hammers, nails and roofing materials, for Port Vila, whilst medical doctor Liz Bevan put her skills in good use amongst the remote communities, moving between islands on Caduceus.

Many organisations became involved in coordinating the huge amount of volunteer help offered including of Medical Sailing Ministries, the Butterfly Trust, and Yacht Aid Global, three lesser known but extremely effective maritime aid charities.

Port Resolution, World ARC participants rewiring Port Resolution Yacht Club

World ARC Often voted the most popular stopover on the route of World ARC, Port Resolution on the island of Tanna was badly affected; buildings were lost, cash crops destroyed.

Whilst several months passed before the arrival of the World ARC 2015/16 fleet, they did an amazing job at taking much needed supplies and goods to donate on their arrival at a traditional gift exchange ceremony. This time that ceremony was more meaningful and poignant as the gifts borne from Fiji by sea on the yachts, then landed ashore by dinghies and local canoes were very carefully considered and planned, being some four months after the tragedy struck. Crews also took the opportunity to turn their hands to practical tasks, although this was hampered by unseasonably wet weather during the visit.

On behalf of the people of Vanuatu World Cruising Club would like to thank all of those involved who helped directly, transported supplies or made donations for your contributions to the aid work following Cyclone Pam. It was a great team effort; thank you.

27

LATITUDES

Spring 2016

Refitting for Bluewater Cruising Top tips for planning a refit from Robin Milledge, Yacht Refit & Repair Manager, Berthon Boat Company 1) Just bought a boat – what your surveyor should tell you You need to get a surveyor involved for their independent advice. Tell your surveyor if your intention is to take the yacht blue water cruising.

A yacht is best surveyed ashore but will need to be examined in the water to run all the systems if you ask for such an in-depth survey. In the context of blue water cruising, minor faults that could be left when considering inshore cruising must be bought to the owner’s attention. The boat’s history will dictate likely areas that need attention. For example, standing rigging should be replaced if known history dictates there’s been a full circumnavigation in past or the rigging

28

has not been changed for at least 8-10 years.

If your purchase is standing ashore a sensible boatyard will have done a risk assessment and going aloft the mast should be a no-go but this can be done from a crane or our advice is to have the rig out for peace of mind, come what may. Imagine a fitting that could have been serviced or replaced brings the rig down on your round-the-world cruise; this could damage the yacht, delay schedules, put life in danger etc. Play safe, whatever. With the mast on the ground you’d normally expect a written report from your surveyor following visual inspection detailing the gauge of wire, type of fittings and any defects they have found including rigging compression, cracks and corrosion.

2) What you need to do next: priority assessment (critical vs nice to have) The surveyor’s report should be given to a competent yard – preferably with all facilities inhouse so that jobs can managed concurrently and efficiently, and you have just one warranty point of call, should it be necessary. All engineering systems need a thorough service and check the capacities of all tanks, grey, black, water, and fuel. Are the electrical and electronic systems up-to-date?

Nice to have LED lighting may seem expensive, but the resultant reduced electricity consumption and less heat output is well worth considering.

Many surveyors will have listed the importance

www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES of works needed but then again your partner or guests need to be also taken into consideration.

Once prioritised, be certain to realise that as various areas are opened up other unknown issues will creep into the limelight; again, do you want to leave the dock knowing that something could go wrong and then need opening up again overseas. Whilst this becomes a cost increase it will cost less to have the job done immediately, before you leave rather than having to open up the area again and delay your cruising schedule.

Rudder

Bow thruster

3) Key Systems to consider Gear that is underwater or passes through the hull must be serviced at the very least or taken out and refitted or replaced as necessary; this may include some of the following:

Stern gear, cutlass bearing, rope cutter, props etc

Anodes

Steering, rudder and stern glands Carry some spare packing and grease, and these need to be part of your regular weekly health check list whilst cruising.

Your anodes may look ok, but to give the best protection for the longest time you need new anodes, because you do not know when your next opportunity to lift will be.

It is worth carrying a spare set including shaft anodes and thruster anodes.

Bow Thruster

Rudder Depending on the bearing fitted, you don’t always need the yard chasing a small amount of play to a good engineering fit which may then become too tight!

Seacocks and skin fittings Make sure they are in good order, not going pink and that the valves are operating well.

It is a good idea to cycle ball valves i.e. close and open them again as part of your weekly check list to keep them free.

Service and include getting the brushes on the bow thruster checked.

“

Engine and Generator; Water Systems & Water Makers Get these serviced by the yard, but you should also learn some basics such as where the seawater strainer is and how to clean it and also where the cooling water impellers are and how to change them. A simple crisp bag or jelly fish can block your water intake strainer and overheat your engine.

If you know how to clean the weed strainer and change the impeller you can be on your way again.

Oil and water checks should be a daily/regular routine and something to add to your checklist.

Carry a spare water pump. You will be using it lots living aboard, again not the same as local cruising. If you find that you are getting low water flow, check the outlets first.

The increased use of water can scale up the little diffusers at the outlets and the shower heads” John Burnie, New Business Manager, Berthon Boat Company

Stern gear

Seacocks nicely labeled

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Making Ocean Passage tip no: 1 Making tip no: 1

Don’t wait for the rain.

Don’t wait for Fit a Water maker the rain.

From Fit a Water maker Mactra Marine From Mactra Marine ‘Yacht watermakers and equipment for serious blue water sailors & livaboards’ ‘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 info@mactrashop.co.uk Mactra Marine E: Equipment Unit 20 Worle Industrial Centre Weston-super-Mare BS22 6BX Tel: 00 44 (0) 1934517288 Fax: 00 44 (0)1934 520684

LATITUDES Do not operate watermakers in harbour.

Try to operate when offshore a little where there is less chance of pollution getting into your system, especially oil that can destroy a membrane. Don’t leave it for long periods without being used. If you do leave for extended periods introduce pickling chemicals.

Spring 2016 Engine

Toilets These will get lots of use as you are living abroad. Get your toilets serviced and if the pipework is old, get built in from new as the boat builders are trying to keep their costs down. Being a refit yard, we are the ones that have to do the servicing and repair work so we are the ones that have to get over these problems. We have found pipes laminated into the structure or they have been fitted then complete head modules fitted over them effectively burying them. The pipework can start to smell quite quickly and also scale up.

One way to help them last longer is to flush better so the bowl contents are out at sea or in the holding tank, not in the rubber pipe. If you do not have black and grey water tanks, then fit them. More and more countries are making them a mandatory requirement for yachts.

Air conditioning and refrigeration Get the yard to get the agents in to check the systems and make sure the gas is topped up. You need to be cool, your food needs to be cold/frozen to last and more important than that; you need to keep your beer cool and ice for your gin and tonic, otherwise there’s no point in going at all!

Bilge Pumps

“

These need to be tested and you need to see them work and know where they are.”

John Burnie, New Business Manager, Berthon Boat Company

Gas System Have an approved agent test the system and provide a certificate. Check that your stove is rated for propane and butane (camping gaz) and fit dual regulators, as it is not always easy to get the same type of gas overseas.

On Deck Blocks and furling gear. Lots of the blocks and furling gear have plastic bearings in them. When washing the boat off, give them a hose and a spin to clear the salt and debris from them.

They will operate better and last longer.

Deck Hatches Occasionally give the seals a wipe with a damp cloth to keep them clear of grit. If they start to leak, some silicon grease can help them in the short term, but be careful as it can contaminate surfaces and make them difficult to paint later.

The use of KY Jelly was mentioned when I was talking on this subject as an alternative.

If the hatches don’t need to be dogged down hard, then don’t. It can help in making the seals last longer. Hopefully it will be hot for you and they will be open in port anyway.

Water maker

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Winches

Tender outboard

Spare parts

Learn how to service your winches and carry spare pawl springs. The manufacturer’s website will show you how.

The outboard will need servicing and give it a regular run when you are away. Carry service parts and filters for it. You can get muffs that fit around the outboard so you can flush it with fresh water to help it last longer. Do not stow the fuel in the boat or where the fumes can get into the boat.

We back up our customers when they travel overseas and, as I say, you are never further away than the local DHL office! You need a sensible amount of spare parts and you need to keep a log of what you have and in what box it is stored and where this box is stored on the boat. Bag up the part. Put a label on it. Put it in a box. Know where it is.

Windlass It sits in the worst of the weather and gets covered in salt. It does not get used very often, but when you need it, you need it. Get it serviced. Get the yard to range out the chain and check for corrosion.

In the big scheme of things chain is not that expensive and again, when you need it, you need it. Check the shackle chain connections each end and that the bitter end has rope that can be cut in an emergency. It is good practice to have a strop or ‘Devils claw’ to connect to the chain and hold it, so that it is not bearing on the windlass all the time when stowed and underway. It is also good to have a strop and make it off to a cleat instead of leaving all the chain loads on the windlass when at anchor.

Internal hoses

Trials and Equipment familiarisation Make sure that all the equipment is test run and you can see it. Try to have the best understanding that you can of where equipment is fitted and what it does. Most boats come with good manuals. Time spent looking at these may help you in the event of a problem.

Tool kit You will need a good basic tool kit on board. I would favour one of the ones where the tools are in a case or cabinet as they are laid out in order, so if a tool goes missing you can see it straight away.

4) Other cruising gear (upgraded items for live aboard comfort) If the yacht you are buying has blue-water capacity, but never utilised there will be a lot of thinking needed regarding storage space, spares you need to carry and food management.

Speaking with your partner on this is vital; who takes what responsibility; is there an inventory and will you keep it updated so that parts are being re-ordered for arrival at your next destination? A good yard will keep your account open, and can source spares quickly and send same by DHL in emergency. Manuals for all the kit on board should be downloaded from the internet (you may not have internet during the emergency!) rather than carrying the originals, but have the latter available for shore-side help just in case. Are you an air-conditioning fan or will fans work for you? On deck wind socks can help at anchor and especially in the Caribbean but Pacific sailing may need more thought.

We at Berthon always advise owners to buy early and spend a season working up from local weekend trips to longer distance to immerse yourself in the project so that when you finally leave, you are totally ready and surprises don’t become SURPRISES. This will give you time to think about chafe points to protect, anchor sizes and how much chain and spare rope to take; consider simple bimini design and a lightweight passerelle; tender size and configuration, davits and solar panels. The list is endless but important to get right at the outset.

[Spares to carry include Halyards and sheets, Mouse line for running out halyards, Spare blocks, including snatch blocks. Shackles.

Sheaves – Halyard and Blocks, Dyneema line for temporary lashings. Selection of tapes, for patching up and emergency rig repair kit.]

33

LATITUDES

Spring 2016

ARC Baltic 2015

Sailing close to 2,000 nautical miles, visiting six countries, experiencing the diversity of cultures, and mixing with the eleven nationalities amongst the crews, signified one amazing summer cruise for ARC Baltic 2015 participants. Ask any one of them about the highlights and you will be regaled with numerous tales of sunset BBQs, witnessing the magnificence and grandeur

of The Hermitage on a private tour in St. Petersburg and paddle-boarding in the Stockholm Archipelago.

However, the phrase “we met so many amazing people” peppers every story from the rally, a testament to the importance of sharing such experiences with others which makes exploring magnificent cruising grounds in company such a pleasurable experience.

Cruising in company

Helsinki Parade of Sail, Blonde Moment

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First Impressions Of the boats participating this year ten had previously sailed in a World Cruising Club rally from as far back as Barkas in 2006 on ARC Portugal and ARC, to most recently Widago sailing from North America on ARC Europe in 2015. The Moseley family are quite remarkable, as having sailed via the Azores and the UK to Germany for the start of ARC Baltic, and following the rally they headed to the Canary Islands for ARC+, and then on to circumnavigate with World ARC16/17, returning home to the USA in the summer of 2017. This is certainly a family project with the three sons (William, David and Gordon) very much involved, their enthusiasm for the adventure very evident, as they maintain a home study schooling programme whilst they explore.

Relatively new to sailing the family opted for a Leopard 48 catamaran, which gives them a spacious home and good on-water performance.

www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Bornholm Fleet

So much to see Whilst six weeks may seem a long time for a summer cruise, the Baltic Sea has so much on offer that the ARC Baltic itinerary has been carefully crafted to try and give a flavour of so many unique locations within the available time. Tours are organised in each stopover and the Rally Control team are on hand to facilitate smooth arrivals and departures, to maximise the time to explore ashore. The first three weeks of the rally moves at a relatively quick pace; covering 750nm to reach St. Petersburg, Russia, visiting three islands, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and one capital city along the way.

For others ARC Baltic comes after some great adventures. Nigel Biggs sailed his Swan 47 Nordlys all over the world before participating in the Malts Cruise 2012 as his first World Cruising Club rally, then ARC Portugal 2013; still keen on adventure Nigel sailed north last summer in readiness to attempt the north west passage, but, like most yachts waiting last year, was thwarted in his attempt.

other crews in the rally and trying to memorize about a thousand names (probably only 10 or so, but I’m horrible at memorizing them). It’s hard to describe the two days but I can say that I met some amazing people and I am happy to spend the next four weeks with a friendly group like this.”

Lines were cast off for the start on a sunny but blustery afternoon for the first leg to Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm. The departure of the ‘Round Bornholm Race’ of the Warnemünde Woche during the same afternoon made for an exciting passage full of sailing boats. “With our big blue parasailor up, we have been enjoying watching all the traffic zigzag and dart across one another.” Wrote Guyon on Widago. On arrival the following day, crews were able to explore the island by bike and bus and visit the historic Hammershus Castle; a relic from the island's turbulent past.

“In the evening we then all gathered and had a nice BBQ,” wrote Nele on Lyonesse, “I sat on a table with two or three other crews. They took very good care of me, and the day ended as it had begun, amazing and crowded.”

Simon Ridley sailed his Hanse 370 Gertha 4 in the Malts Cruise 2009, before completing an Atlantic circuit in stages over 2012-2014. The Janssen family on the German yacht Lyonesse also first sailed with World Cruising Club on the Malts Cruise on the west coast of Scotland.

For two boats the rally was their first major miles under their shiny new keels. Blonde Moment II and Shamwari, a pair of brand new Hallbery Rassy 48’s built side-by-side, were collected from the yard at Orust and sailed almost directly to the start of ARC Baltic. Another Hallberg Rassy collected for the rally from their brokerage collection was the HR40 Northern Light.

This medley of boats came together for the start at Yachthafen Hohe Düne in Warnemunde, Germany in early July. 17-year-old Nele Janssen on Lyonesse summed up her first impressions, “We spent the first evening in Warnemünde meeting

St. Petersburg Peterhof Tour

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES The small medieval town of Visby was the second port of call on the route and proved popular with crews. With a rich history dating back to Viking times, Visby also played an important role in the Hanseatic League, the town’s busy trade protected by an impressive wall still standing today. Then onto the remote little island of Gotska Sandön, which offers tranquillity and relaxation if the weather is right and thankfully the fleet’s visit was well timed. Providing the first chance to anchor on the itinerary, the fleet made the most of their time, many taking their first dip in the Baltic. Now a nature reserve, highlights include a seal sanctuary, small museum and beautiful lighthouse surrounded by forest and white sand beaches. “Sun is shining, sand is beckoning, could be Bermuda if you let your mind drift and forget the sea is 18° not 28°, and the air is 20° not 25°…” Simon Ridley on Gertha 4 mused.

A period of light winds was followed by stronger westerlies for the leg to Tallinn in Estonia, for which calm seas and pleasant sailing combined to give an enjoyable sail enjoyed by all. Based in the TOP Pirita Marina, originally built for the Estonian Olympic Bid in the 1970’s, the fleet were within easy reach of the old town in the city centre which is surrounded by historic stone walls. Two weeks in to their summer adventure, Caly Parker from Shenanigan summed up their time in the Baltic so far, “We are having a super time, we have barbequed, sat on a beach, taken bus tours and walked the streets of the towns we have visited. Yesterday we had a lovely lunch high up on the castle wall ramparts of the Maiden Tower in Tallinn, and a good evening in the main square where the whole fleet met for a crew dinner.”

Cocktail Competition

St. Petersburg, Russia Possibly the most anticipated stop of the entire rally, St. Petersburg did not disappoint. The approach for the fleet is an experience in itself with check points to pass before reaching the island of Kronstadt where the customs and immigration process takes place, greatly assisted by the World Cruising Club agent Vladimir Ivankiv and his team. The ARC Baltic visit only briefly touches on what the city has to offer and participants spent five days exploring some of the highlights. Caly Parker on Shenanigan shared her impressions, “On our first day, we visited The Church of Spilled Blood, and the next morning we were treated to a reception in the Hermitage theatre followed by a private tour of the museum before it opened to the public – World Cruising Club you excelled yourself! Words cannot express the magnificence and grandeur of this stunningly beautiful palace – a moment in life where breath was truly taken away. We finished the day with a vodka tasting session in the Vodka Museum!

Helsinki Parade of Sail Migration

On Saturday morning we went to Peterhof, Summer Palace and gardens, with its 147 fountains. Another incredible breath taking moment. That evening, Brian and I went to the new Marinsky Theatre to watch Le Corsaire performed by the Kirov Ballet. The ballet was absolutely amazing and afterwards we joined Phill and the boys for a small sample of the beers and a bite to eat. I think we got to bed sometime after 3am – not good with a skippers’ briefing at 9am the next morning!

We made the briefing a little bleary eyed and then headed into town again. We visited the St Peter and Paul fortress and tombs of old Tsars.

Today was a public holiday – Navy Day – and Russian Naval vessels congregated in the River Neva and the streets were full of sailors, past and present, in their Naval uniforms along with the public waving flags and acknowledging the Naval service. The atmosphere conveyed the proudness of a nation and was quite moving.”

Hello Helsinki After three weeks of a tight itinerary sailing east to Russia, crews enjoyed a more relaxed schedule cruising through the archipelagos of Finland, Åland and Sweden for the second half of the rally. Reaching Finland, the fleet were berthed at the largest and oldest yacht club in Finland (Nyländska Jaktklubben), located in the centre of Helsinki. “Finland has been an unexpected gem.” said Ali Mosely on Widago, “Cruising the Finnish coastline has been spectacular. Our first night anchored after Haapasari was a brisk delight. I was the only one with sense enough to stay out of the chilly water. My polar bears were happy to get wet, and then have hot chocolate.

Always a good excuse for hot chocolate!”

A crew dinner was held in the main hall of the Nyländska Jaktklubben and Vice Commodore of the NJK Jan Hörman took the opportunity to welcome the fleet sharing the history of the

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Helsinki Parade of Sail Shamwari

club and wishing good winds and safe sailing through the archipelago, and for the rest of the rally. Several skippers exchanged club burgees adding to the impressive collection that is displayed on the NJK club house interior walls.

Into the Archipelagos Departing Helsinki, the fleet enjoyed a taste of archipelago cruising, navigating the narrow channels and passages to explore unspoilt nature and hidden anchorages. The archipelago is made up of thousands of islands and whilst navigation can be challenging, the fleet could explore at their own pace via well buoyed channels or taking advice from local sailors, venture into the unmarked routes.

Several boats in the fleet decided to anchor in one of the recommended anchorages provided by the rally team at the small island of Kökar and whilst there rented bikes and discovered the inland of this delightful island.

After three nights in the archipelago it was time to move on to the rendezvous in Mariehamn, Åland.

Staying for two nights in the small town, crews got visit to the historic old windjammer ship the Pommern, and Maritime Museum maintaining the memory of the Ålanders who crewed the world’s sailing ships in the 19th century. That evening Mariehamn provided the perfect location for the inaugural ARC Baltic Cocktail Competition; crews were invited to create a cocktail based on their time in the rally and present it to the fleet. Judged for taste, appearance and presentation, the competition made for a jovial evening whilst the sun set on the docks.

From Mariehamn, the fleet sailed 80 nautical miles to the KSSS Marina, Saltsjöbaden in Sweden. There crews once again received a warm and hospitable welcome, spending time visiting the impressive Wasa Museum and Stockholm City Center.

Boats then took five days to sail south, enjoying the good weather in the Swedish archipelago before arriving in Kalmar for the final rendezvous of the rally. The fleet’s arrival was also timed with Kalmar’s biggest sporting event, the Kalmar Ironman. Thousands of spectators created a vibrant atmosphere in

St. Petersburg Farewell Dock Party

and around the town as athletes competed, finishing with an impressive fireworks display.

Kalmar Castle is walking distance from the marina and dates back over 800 years; its strategic position guarded the border between Sweden and Denmark until the 17th century.

A fond farewell – for now An evening of laughs and a few tears rounded off the rally at the final social in Kalmar a little over six weeks since the fleet had first come together in Warnemunde. It was clear that the friendships formed over the six week rally will be lasting as long as the memories made, and many of the fleet have kept in touch whilst cruising after the rally. ARC Baltic will back again to explore Europe’s East Sea in the summer of 2017 - “An overall experience not to be missed” said the crew of Blonde Moment II.

Grape and pillage in the Swedish archipelago

39

LATITUDES

Spring 2016

ARC Portugal

Sailing a total of 1000 nautical miles over three weeks from the western approaches of the English Channel, across the Bay of Biscay to southern Portugal in June is bound to give participants a variety of weather.

Chanto

40

Typically on this route there are challenges early on, before the sailing gets better the further south we get, with a truly cracking sail on the last leg from Sines to Lagos. With some bad weather on the last part of the Biscay crossing, 2015 was no exception, but everyone arrived in Lagos having experienced their best day’s sailing on the last leg. Whilst normal for the rally it is always interesting to watch as confidence levels grow within the fleet, especially after the Biscay crossing.

For the majority of ralliers this was their first crossing of “the Bay”, which lived up to expectations. Leaving later than planned certainly helped, although some in the fleet were then hit by another weather system as they approached landfall in Bayona. Lessons learnt from the crossing are as varied as the weather experienced, although the common theme is about crew getting to know their boats better, understanding what the boat is capable of and better learning how certain equipment works. For many this is their longest passage so far, with time to get into a routine and experience life at sea, providing true offshore sailing experience.

Paul on Attachment, expressed this sentiment about Biscay, “a challenging experience, and one that increases your confidence in boat, crew and sailing skills.”

“The friendships gained and the mutual support were fantastic” said Peter Harvey from Chanto, whilst Sean Clarke, on May said “Book early and commit. The rally will focus you to prepare your boat.” Other sailors enjoyed having a YB Tracker on board whilst kept family and friends updated on their progress. Typical comments after the crossing included: “YB Tracker was great for family left at home” and “Family at home followed the YB Tracker, which re-assured them”.

May

www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES

Delaying a Rally Start Joel Chadwick, event manager Forecasting Often weather forecasts from differing on ARC Portugal 2015, sources offer variations in data for the same location and time period. Unfortunately as explains the weather issues rally organisers, we cannot just choose the faced by the World Cruising most favourable forecast, but must consider the implications of a range of forecasts, taking Club before a rally start. into account the worst case scenario.

The dream of 15-20 knots from a favourable direction, clear skies and calm seas is sometimes too much to ask when organising a departure for any World Cruising Club rally. As a result, flexibility is the key to the planning and delivering a rally where the safety of crews and their boats is paramount. As an event manager I know that weather forecasting is always something we closely monitor to ensure the right decision is made for the rally fleet as a whole.

In 2015, the start of ARC Portugal suffered a significant three day delay before departing Plymouth to cross the Bay of Biscay. A low pressure system causing winds in excess of 40 knots, combined with a high sea state in the English Channel, was reason enough to delay.

With a mixed fleet of different boats, crew abilities, and as organisers, having the pressure of a rally itinerary to keep to, when is the right time to delay a start and how do you make that decision?

The Course

The first leg of ARC Portugal is approximately 550 nautical miles, taking boats across the English Channel and Bay of Biscay making landfall at the Spanish port of Bayona. Typically, yachts will spend four to five nights at sea on the passage. Five day weather forecasts which cover the latter half of the passage are a good indicator of what might be expected towards the end of the trip; however weather systems in the area can develop or alter within a shorter timeframe quickly changing the wind speed and direction from what was forecast.

Weather Windows

The opportunity of a window in the forecast weather can always be tempting, allowing us to start the fleet who have been keenly anticipating their departure. In 2015, the planned departure day from Plymouth offered a potential weather window to reach the French coast or alternatively Falmouth Harbour. Logistically getting the fleet underway in the general direction of their next arrival port would be preferable, minimising implications on the berthing and social programme organised down the coast of Portugal. This said, it is always better to pass behind a weather system than in front of it. Consequently the decision was made to remain in Mayflower Marina where crews had all they required. Later that day the low pressure system further developed closing the studied weather window and thus highlighting how a weather system can quickly change ultimately making for a good decision to stay in port.

Range of Abilities

When considering starting a rally into heavier weather or delaying a start, the capabilities of the crews and the boats must be considered. All of World Cruising Club rallies are designed to be a social and safer way of sailing to destinations, with the idea of knowing there are other rally boats in the vicinity whilst at sea. ARC Portugal often

Attachment

attracts crew who are venturing on their first real experience of longer distance offshore sailing, aided by the experience and support of the rally team. Despite having participants who may be comfortable sailing in heavier winds and seas, as an organiser it is always in mind that we want to keep the fleet together.

A departure date must take into account all abilities, highlighting an important ethos of our rallies which is helped by the relationship formed with our participants from the day of registering to the very end of the rally.

Rally Itinerary

Delaying a start does have implications on the itinerary and programme of a rally. For ARC Portugal, a window of delay is built in at the first port of Bayona, Spain. These extra days act as a cushion to minimise implications further down the Portuguese coast if a delay is necessary. This year, the delay was significant meaning that some days and tours had to be dropped from the rally programme in Bayona and Povoa de Varzim before continuing to Porto on schedule.

When to make the decision

The decision to delay a start is never taken lightly. With the participant’s anticipation of departure and work of rearranging the itinerary ahead, ideally the decision to delay is made as far in advance as possible. This year, despite the weather system moving fast, a notice was posted two days prior to the planned start, informing crews of a likely delay to help them prepare themselves and boats as necessary. A final decision was made during the skipper’s briefing where it was clear from the forecast of the day that there would not be a start earlier than three days after the planned departure.

With the new date set, participants could relax knowing they had a new day of departure to aim for before setting sail to Spain and Portugal. Benefits of the delay included a guided tour of the Plymouth Gin distillery!

We will wait for the weather to moderate, team spirit great in anticipation, boat ready, so planned start early Wednesday morning.

Let’s go!”

41

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LATITUDES

Sailing in the Algarve Basing your boat on Portugal’s warm southern coast offers an attractive package of sunshine, easy cruising and sandy beaches, all close to a range of safe and secure marinas.

Everyone has heard of the Algarve, the south coast of Portugal, as a holiday destination, but the region has much to offer if you have a boat.

With its average yearly temperature of 18ºC, and low rainfall, good accessibility, modern nautical infrastructure, low crime-rate, superb food and renowned friendliness of the people, keeping your boat to the Algarve is an easy decision.

Sailing in the Algarve means all year-round ocean and river sailing, staying at modern, Blue Flag accredited, permanent access marinas with finger pontoons, or in safe anchorages and finding your own secluded beach.

Flying to Faro airport has never been so quick, inexpensive and convenient, with over 60 direct destinations.

Lagos, at the west of the Algarve has long been a seafaring town, since the Portuguese sailors set out from there to discover new lands across the globe. Nowadays, Lagos attracts leisure sailors to one of the best sailing spots in Europe, offering

steady offshore winds, easy seas, excellent support facilities, giving a warm welcome to those arriving and also a superb time on shore.

Marina de Lagos about a 50 minute drive from Faro airport has a unique location, sitting right in the town centre, protected from the sea, allowing for a hassle free cruising lifestyle, where everything can be reached on foot or using public transportation or car rental at the marina’s doorstep – literally! These attributes have put the marina on the list of the best places to stay aboard and proof of it is that it hosts an active community of boaters who make the most of their time in Lagos through a wide range of group activities, water and land based.

For those crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Lagos is a logical stop for either the start or the end of the journey. The local boat repair facilities, Bluewater Algarve and Sopromar, offer a full range of services, represent the major brands and guarantee reliable and professional assistance next door to outstanding cruising grounds.

Cruising the Algarve

Heading west from Spain there are plenty of interesting ports, rivers and anchorages to visit.

Vila Real de Santo António – 26 miles to Culatra At the mouth of the River Guadiana, it has an historic town centre with typical Algarve style building. It is a public harbour so prices

are lower but occupancy is higher. Close to the border with Spain (Ayamonte).

River Guadiana Navigable as far as Alcoutim, 20 miles from Vila Real Santo António. Keep to the outside of river bends as channel meanders. Anchorage options next to small riverside villages and discover some of traditional Portugal Culatra and Ria Formosa – 26 miles from Vila Real De Santo António, 20 miles to Vilamoura This is a popular and safe anchorage. Follow the channel from 2nm out to avoid sand banks west of entrance. Watch out for the very strong current in lagoon entrance.

Vessels with drafts above 2.50m should get local advice before navigating the marked channels. Visit Olhão town visitor’s pontoon to go shopping for supplies and get water. No visiting boats allowed in Olhão public harbour and it gets very busy in July and August, but peaceful off-season.

Ria Formosa beach

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Marina Vilamoura

Vilamoura beach

Marina de Vilamoura – 20 miles from Culatra, 6 miles to Albufeira Well known marina in a resort town, with hotels, restaurants, and a casino. Does get very busy in summer, but much slower in winter. Close to Faro airport, and surrounded by sandy beaches and low rise coastline.

Marina has a well-equipped boat yard.

Marina de Albufeira – 6 miles from Vilamoura, 14 miles to Portimão Well positioned with a 20 minute walk in to town center. Popular so often very busy in summer. Good access to Faro airport. Nice low sandy beaches to the east, set within cliffs to west. There is a small boat yard.

Ferragudo and Portimão – 14 miles from Albufeira, 4 miles to Alvor A very safe harbour entrance with anchorage inside East harbour wall, but look out for commercial and fishing traffic in river.

Waterfront restaurants accessible by dinghy, but can be busy in peak-season.

Lagos town and marina

Marina de Portimão – 14 miles from Albufeira, 4 miles to Alvor Easy access (20 minutes walk) to town centerand surrounded by beautiful coastline and small fishing villages. Fine for deep draft boats. Full service boat yard across river. Busy in mid-summer.

Alvor – 4 miles from Portimão, 2 miles to Lagos This is a typical fishing village and very peaceful off-season. The harbour entrance can be risky in SE swell. The lagoon has a tricky channel that shifts and silts. Anchorage is after entrance to lagoon: drafts up to 2.30m OK. Lagos – 2 miles from Alvor, 15 miles to Sagres A charming historic town. Safe to sail close to the cliffs and enjoy empty beaches and coves even in mid-summer.

Seabed is sandy with some rocks normally exposed. Bay of Lagos is protected from N winds, but exposed to S and SE.

Lagos castle walls

Sagres and Baleeira – 15 miles from Lagos Last anchorage before Cape St. Vincent for passage north. Provides shelter from strong northerly wind. Anchorage has sandy bottom. Dinghy ashore to explore the small, but isolated town.

Further Information

Portuguese marinas and harbours marinasdeportugal.com/en/ Cruising in Portugal portugalnautico.weebly.com/zona-sul.html Distance and sailing time calculator portugalnautico.weebly.com/ distacircncias6.html Algarve Tourism Board visitportugal.com/en/destinos/algarve Hiking trails solagasta.com/en/

Lagos beach

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LATITUDES Near Champagne Beach Espiritu Santo

Cruising Report:

Exploring the South Pacific

Making the decision to extend their circumnavigation by a year enabled World ARC cruisers John and Joyce Easteal to spend more time in some beautiful locations both By John and Joyce Easteal before and after hiding from the cyclones in New Zealand. Tonga Tonga comprises several island groups Their yacht Starblazer is a and we explored the Vava’u group during Hallberg Rassy 42F, built our first visit and the Ha’apai group on our return from New Zealand. in 1992 and refitted by the Easteals with their World Vava’u Group are rugged, volcanic islands with extensive reef areas which make for good ARC adventure in mind. snorkelling but require careful navigation! We found our electronic charts were very accurate.

Spending time cruising the Some of the islands are approached via a pass, idyllic atolls of the Pacific was e.g. Hunga, and it is best undertaken towards water around high tide. (Pass approximately a lifelong dream and John and slack 18°42.72’S 174°08.18’W). The village of Hunga is very welcoming; we were invited to a dance, Joyce share their experiences raising funds to pay for the boats to collect their of 12 months exploring secondary age children from Neiafu on Fridays and return them on Mondays. One of the village elders Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New gave us a guided tour of the village, his allotment Caledonia and New Zealand. and his vanilla plantation. It was very interesting.

Kanutu island (18°41.8’S 173°65.5’W) offers a peaceful anchorage with the waves crashing against the eastern side of the island though there is a shallow, unmarked pass to navigate before the shallow approach to the anchorage. Starblazer draws about 2.3 m and we touched the odd coral head, my fault for not standing on the bow keeping a good lookout. We were however following our previous tracks where I had been on lookout duty!

The Ha’apai Group are generally much flatter, sandier islands with more coral reefs. These islands receive fewer visitors but we found the people in the villages very friendly and eager to help. The islands had been badly hit by a cyclone in January 2014 and there was still a lot of rebuilding going on, it had missed the Vava’u group about 70 miles to the north.

On Ha’afeva (19°56.8’S 174°42.7’W) we were welcomed at the school, guided there by Anna who gave us some fruit and vegetables.

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Catch of the day on Avokh

As we were leaving the village, the opposite side of the island from the anchorage, Charlie offered to take us to his garden to collect fruit and vegetables as well. We paid them for their produce. The uninhabited islands of Tofanga, Uonukuhahaki and Uonukuhihifo, (19°57.6’S 174°29.2’W) joined together by sand bars, have beautiful sandy beaches, good snorkelling and some resident cattle. If the bull takes an interest in you, head rapidly down to the sea as he doesn’t like getting his feet wet! We had been told the singing in church was very good on Uiha (19°53.2’S 174°24.8’W) so we made that our final island visit before returning to Pangai to clear out for our trip to Neiafu.

Fiji Fiji is strewn with reefs and some buoyage but you cannot rely on marks, posts or buoys existing!

The Lau group are undeveloped and, the further

south you go, the poorer. Rules on clearing in to the Lau seem to change regularly, if you have to overshoot to one of the four main clearance ports it is a hard upwind slog to return to the Lau. From the Lau you have two choices, north about Viti Levu or south. Both routes offer numerous islands to visit, some challenging navigation, beaches, villages and one city. Savusavu on Vanua Levu, the northern route, is highly recommended by those who have visited there; Suva the capital on Viti Levu is a much larger city. West of these two main islands lie the Manumucas and the Yasawas, two groups offering beaches, snorkelling, a few resorts, uninhabited islands, villages and reefs.

One mistake is to assume 60 mile days because navigating after dark is not recommended as sunlight is essential to avoid unmarked shoals.

It is safe to sail around the southern side of Viti Levu in the dark; however you need to time your arrival at the western pass for daylight.

(17°55.7’S 177°12.46’E). On both our visits we

spent longer in Vuda Point Marina than we had planned, carrying out engine repairs. Parts can be ordered from New Zealand with about a 2-3 day delivery, and local labour is inexpensive. A good mechanic may be rather busy as there don’t seem to be many about; unskilled labour is plentiful.

Vanuatu Vanuatu has so much to offer but cruisers are limited to one month as the cost of extending your permission to stay is quite high. Clearance at Anyetum is sometimes possible but rules change regularly! (20°10.5’S 169°49’E) We chose to head straight to Port Vila the first time, after we left the World ARC at Musket Cove, Fiji as we intended to rejoin the following year and visit Tanna with the rally. (17°43’S 168°15.8’E) From Port Vila we worked our way northwards via Epi (16°38.4’S) where the dugongs hid from us;

Weaving a basket Avokh

The dancers arrive

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Lobster in the fish market in Noumea New Caledonia

Aid has been concentrated on Epi, Port Vila (Efate) and Tanna; we were so glad we managed to visit Avokh and relay their plight to friends who are spending a second year in the South Pacific. We had one night at anchor there then a second overnight trip back to Port Vila to rejoin the fleet and prepare for the leg to Australia.

New Caledonia

the Maskelynes where we were welcomed to the island of Avokh (16°31.1’S 167°47.3’E); Ambrym (16°11.8’S 168°00’E) to Espiritu Santo (15°33.3’S 167°9.9’E). Each island is different: Epi appears relatively prosperous, the Maskelynes are very poor, Ambrym is very mountainous and we didn’t manage to get ashore and Santo has an interesting history. We spent several days on Santo, tied to a buoy off the Aore Island Resort, a dinghy trip across to Luganville. We hired a car to visit all the sights and found that we could only drive along one road except to visit the various attractions, especially Million Dollar Point, several ‘Blue Holes’ and Champagne Beach. Apart from that one road,

all the other roads were unmade, unmarked and very rough and banned by the rental company!

Pentecost is famous for its land diving but that happens in April; Malecula is infamous for being the last island in Vanuatu to give up cannibalism!

We visited neither of these islands. We cleared out of Luganville on Espiritu Santo where duty free diesel is available but a little challenging! On our second visit with World ARC we visited Tanna then made an overnight dash to the Maskeleynes as we had some clothing, tools and food for Avokh, an island we visited the previous year. In March 2015 a cyclone passed through Epi, Efate and Tanna, side-swiping the Maskelynes in passing.

Back to France, or rather New Caledonia. This is your last opportunity to spend those pretty CFP notes you used in French Polynesia. Just like Tahiti, everything is available in the shops but some of the prices are eye watering. Be aware that biosecurity here is almost as strict as New Zealand and Australia, one boat had the entire contents of their freezer removed! In 2014 it was possible to anchor off and dinghy in to complete your clearance and thus avoid a visit from SIVAP, especially if you took a bag with a few banned goods to hand in. It is unclear whether or not boats are allowed to clear in at We on Lifou, (20°56.5’S 167°12.8’E) one of the Loyalty Islands. In 2014 one of our friends did, they had no SIVAP inspection then cruised on to Ile des Pins,(22°36.5’S 167°26.4’E) a beautiful island but a hard slog to windward if you check in at Noumea first. (22°17.7’S 166°24’E). From Noumea there are several beautiful islands with free mooring buoys, just a few hours sail away. Ile Maitre is a kite boarders dream, just avoid weekends! (22°20’S 166°24.6’E) There is a resort on the island, several kite boarding ‘schools’, BBQ and picnic facilities plus daily tripper boats but it is very peaceful after the last boat back. Ile Nge also known as Ile Laregnere is an unoccupied nature reserve with free mooring buoys and BBQ facilities ashore if Ile Maitre is too busy. (22°19.5’S 166°19.2’E)

New Zealand

Old Customs House Noumea

The trip to New Zealand is a challenge! To begin with it is about 1200 miles so it is highly unlikely you will find a suitable weather window as the systems move through every 4 to 7 days, it is most likely to be a beat and the weather gets distinctly cooler. In all, it resembles sailing in the English Channel in summertime rather than the South Pacific! But, New Zealand is well worth the effort.

We spent just over 5 months there, sailing from Opua and the beautiful Bay of Islands cruising ground in the north of North Island (34°14.4’S 174°8.9’E) south to the Hauraki Gulf area of Auckland via Whangarei (35°44’S 174°19.47’E).

Marinas are remarkably inexpensive though not always conveniently sited. Opua boasts two chandleries and one small food shop, though Pahia is bigger, a taxi ride away, and Kerikeri has two

51

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www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Charlotte Sound South Island NZ

On the way to New Zealand

harbour (36°14.7’S 175°26.17’E), fished for Snapper and anchored in Smokehouse Bay (36°11.95’S 175°20’E) where there is provision for cruisers.

We found a smokehouse to fire up to smoke your catch and a bathroom complete with bath and shower but you have to light a fire to heat a tank of water and forage for replacement wood. There were also some drying piles but we did not discover if the water was deep enough for Starblazer.

Hot pools on Great Barrier Island NZ

major supermarkets but it would be too expensive by taxi, however hire cars are relatively inexpensive.

The rigging, repairs and engine servicing is excellent. Whangarei has a small marina right in the town centre. We based ourselves in Gulf Harbour Marina on the Whangaparoa Peninsular (36°37.3’S 174°47.3’E) a 45 minute ferry trip to Central Auckland. It was also convenient for a sail to Great Barrier Island with our guests, where we walked to thermal pools from Whangaparapara

We bought a car, a people carrier converted to a small campervan, from Kiwi Cruise Control in Takanini south of Auckland. We explored both North Island and South Island, camping in beautiful locations. We bought the car on a buy-back basis, guaranteed 50% after 6 months about 54% after 5 months. We found incredibly cheap but basic campsites, approximately £3 per person per night, but also fully serviced campsites including kitchen facilities for between £8 and £12 per person per night. We absolutely loved New Zealand and were sorry to leave but autumn had arrived and it was getting rather cool.

Back to the Islands Our return trip to the islands included a unique experience, anchoring in the middle of an ocean overnight! (23°38’S 178°54’W). The Minerva Reefs rise to surface level from depths of hundreds of metres not far away, we anchored in North Minerva with a group of boats taking part in the ICA Pacific Circuit Rally from Opua, having signed up for the first two legs of the rally from New Zealand to Tonga and on to the Lau group in Fiji. Minerva Reefs offer a welcome break if the trip has been a beat and, after a couple of days, it is probable that the last part of the trip to Ha’apai Group will be more pleasant.

Inside the Cardboard Cathedral Christchurch NZ

Panning for gold near Invercarfill South Island NZ

Outside the cardboard cathedral Christchurch

53

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23/06/2011

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LATITUDES

A nearly deserted anchorage New Caledonia

Recommended Cruising Guides Tonga: • Ken’s Comprehensive Cruising Guide for the Kingdom of Tonga by Kenneth Hellewell (ISBN: 978-0972749213) fairly old and one or two of the suggested anchorages are questionable!

• Sail Tonga Cruising Guide (IPad App) by Island Cruising Regattas Ltd. Available from the App Store. Regularly updated Fiji: • Sail Fiji Cruising Guide (IPad App) by Island Cruising Regattas Ltd. Available from the App Store. Regularly updated

New Zealand: • Bay of Islands chart book • New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf by David Thatcher (ISBN 9781877197420) • ICA, www.islandcruising.co.nz Charts: we carried paper charts but, apart from the Bay of Islands chart book, we relied on the plotter and the Navionics charts we downloaded Gulf Harbour Radio was useful for weather and routing suggestions, especially when considering the passage to New Zealand. They also maintain contact with yachts which register with them when on passage: Yacht in Transit www.yit.co.nz There is an active Cruiser Net in Vanuatu

Vanuatu: • Vanuatu Cruising Guide, a download to a PC New Caledonia: • Free ‘Yellow Flag Guide’ picked up in Tahiti!

Clearances www.noonsite.com for up to date information on clearance in to each country

Top Tips from John and Joyce • Go with an open mind and enjoy the experiences you find.

• Visit the less frequently visited places and meet the people • Take practical gifts with you: lots of lollipops for the children, Small fishing hooks with line attached, notebooks, pencils and rubbers are welcomed by the children. If you can find some deflated balls they will go down very well, provided you inflate them of course!

• Trade provisions with the local people: bags of rice, sugar and flour and cans of meat and fish to trade for fruit and vegetables.

Milk powder is especially welcome • In Fiji do not miss the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Raymond (Perry, Mason, Ironside) Burr’s Orchid Gardens, followed by the nearby mud baths • Guide books: we found the Lonely Planet guides the most useful, but they don’t cover the small islands with no hotels, roads, shops etc!

Charlotte Sound South Island NZ

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LATITUDES

Tracking your progress For the last five years YB Tracking has provided tracking services to the ARC and other World Cruising Club rallies.

This usually consists of a rental device being fitted to the boat before the rally start, providing regular position updates during the crossing before being removed after arrival at the finish port. However, YB Tracking are now selling individual trackers, allowing boat-owners to get the benefits of global tracking on a permanent basis. Owning a YB3 tracker provides both tracking and a whole host of messaging features to owners. YB Tracking are offering a substantial £150 discount to World Cruising Club participants on both the portable YB3 Professional and the fixed installation YB3i Professional.

Messaging The tracker is capable of connecting to a Bluetooth enabled smartphone or tablet (e.g. iPhone, iPad, Android) and sending emails and text messages via the ‘YB Connect’ app. Unlike other forms of satellite communication you only pay for the text you send/receive and nothing more.

It is limited to text-only, but is a very easy and efficient way to keep in contact with those back at home, and to update your YBlog. A single YB tracker can support multiple users with separate accounts – allowing crew or guests to manage their own communication costs.

Along with the tracker itself, owners receive access to the features below: YBlog This is a mapping and blogging page which is personal to the owner. All of the positions transmitted from the tracker appear here as well as any blogs or pictures an owner chooses to add. Ideal for keeping the armchair sailors at home up to date and worry free.

Alerting The YB3 has a whole host of alerting features including the dedicated red button, geographic alerts (based on your vessel moving in/out of certain areas)and power on/off alerts.

Fleet Viewer This allows users to request the positions of the other boats in a rally fleet during the crossing. The app requests the positions and displays them on an offline map detailing the distances between each vessel. This is an excellent and cost effective way of retrieving the positions of the fleet when you want them.

More information: ybtracking.com or call +44 (0) 23 8000 3888

57

100 North Atlantic Ocean Passage Chart

Edition 2012 Printed June 2012 Before using this chart visit www.imray.com for the latest corrections

1:7 620 000 WGS 84 New York

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CANADA NEWFOUNDLAND Cape Cod

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Chart E3

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Chart E2

Trinidad

NORTH AFRICA Chart

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Conical projection - Great Circle routes are plotted as straight lines Routes: From East to West to the Caribbean and to the eastern seaboard of the United States and east to Europe • Ice limits • Currents

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Imray-Iolaire CHARTS FOR THE ATLANTIC OCEAN Compiled by DM Street Jnr

For the catalogue of Imray books and charts visit our web site www.imray.com

www.worldcruising.com LATITUDES Whetting Your Cruising Appetite

The Global Website for Cruising Sailors Noonsite is 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.

Eastern Mediterranean: Advice on where to winter your boat If you are considering where to winter your boat next season and plan to cruise in the eastern Mediterranean, these comments from the cruising community should give you a good idea as to where the majority a docking for the winter.

Noonsite also lists marinas throughout Turkey, Greece and Northern Cyrpus. noonsite.com/Countries/Turkey/wintering2015-2016-in-the-eastern-mediterranean

Thailand: AIS transponders mandatory on all foreign craft Following Singapore’s lead who introduced the AIS requirement for recreational craft back in 2012, Phuket (Thailand) announced back in October 2014 that all foreign yachts sailing in Phuket waters must have an AIS Class B transponder fitted. Following a period of grace to enact the new requirements, the Phuket Marine Department will now no longer allow foreign vessels enter or depart Thailand waters, if they are not fitted with AIS transponders. noonsite.com/Countries/Thailand/thailandphuket-ais-transponders-mandatory-onall-foreign-craft-this-time-it-s-for-real

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Noonsite publishes cruiser’s reports describing visits to far-flung places. Packed with toptips, local advice and links, they are a great way to prepare for your own exploration or just to enjoy as a spot of armchair cruising. Here are a selection of some exotic destinations to whet your cruising appetite.

Exploring the Andaman Islands noonsite.com/Countries/India/a-visitto-the-andaman-islands-march-2014very-special-and-worth-the-trouble Cruising the South Coast of Cuba: Highly Recommended noonsite.com/Countries/Cuba/cruising-thesouth-coast-of-cuba-highly-recommended Borneo, Sarawak: Voyaging up the Regang River past Sibu to Kapit noonsite.com/Countries/Malaysia/borneo-sarawakvoyaging-up-the-regang-river-past-sibu-to-kapit Morocco, Mohammedia: An option for the route to the ARC start in Las Palmas noonsite.com/Countries/Morocco/ morocco-mohammedia-report-ofvisit-in-october-november-2012

SAINT LUCIA WELCOMES ALL ARC PARTICIPANTS TO ITS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL SHORES

A Warm Welcome to Saint Lucia The idyllic island of Saint Lucia is a sensory delight, full of beautiful scenery, scents and sounds. From the UNESCO world heritage Piton Mountains, to the Caribbean’s only ‘drive-thru’ volcano, beautiful palm-fringed beaches and award-winning accommodation, there’s something for everyone.

For more information visit stlucia.org or email information@stlucia.org

C36887_SLTBHO_Yachting_WCC_HANDBOOK_01Feb_257x165_v5.indd 1

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