Sailing & navigation

Love Love

Taas — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:07:00 GMT

No, it ain't what you think it is. This is Julien Berthier's latest nautical creation. Apparent heading: "The abyss". True heading: "Safe harbour".



	Julien Berthier's Love-Love

"Love-love" is the permanent and floating image of a wrecked ship that has become a functional leisure craft." It wouldn't surprise me though, if entering a marina creates some 'waves' among the local lifeguards...

Considering the purchase, I have some serious concerns about the comfort of 'life on board'...
(especially about using the head)

Impressive or Insane?

Taas — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:01:00 GMT

Sometimes the line between insanity and skill isn't fully clear....

The charterer's logbook 2011

Taas — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:14:00 GMT

Example planning sheet

Here is a new revision of the logbook I made a few years ago. Templates for logbooks are usually specific for one boat. Not fully satisfactory, for bare-boat charter skippers. Additionally the charter skipper needs a 'one sheet overview' with all the boat's important properties, for quick reference.

So the logbook I made has three pages:
- Coverpage
- Log book (front and back side)
- Trip planning

Cover
Charter boats change shape, size and character all the time (though Europe unfortunately seems to standardise on Bavaria now-a-days). Not all charter companies give you a useful summary of everything you need to know; e.g. draft, VHF call sign, left/right propellor. So I put all these in the spreadsheet and fill them in at the start of a cruise.

Log
Log and charts are our back-up if we loose GPS and/or electricity. Every one or two hours we note our position and some characteristics of the trip; e.g. weather, VHF communication, on engine/sail. It has saved us from empty tanks and batteries more than once.

Trip
Some legs require a little more than a line on a chart. For those we use the trip sheet. As charterers, we're never completely familiar with the cruising ground. Where there is tidal movement and currents, you just need that overview.

Below is the MS Excel file (old version) I used, to create our log book pages. Feel free to make modifications to it. And... if you've got a good suggestion, let me know...

Download the bareboat charterer's logbook in MS Excel

Osmosis

Taas — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:58:00 GMT

The chemical explanation

With inspections on so many polyester boats, I've invested some time, to dig into literature where the feared osmosis comes from. Interestingly, osmosis is no osmosis at all. At least not in the scientific meaning of the word. For those who are not feared by organic chemistry, this is what I found:

"On the myths of osmosis in polyester boats"

Racing the Burj Al Arab

Taas — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:32:00 GMT

Beautiful as it is, I always thought the famous Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai was a sorry excuse for a sail. Until today....

Off the San Diego coast, the America's Cupper from BMW Oracle Racing is testing its new rig, replacing the mast that broke earlier this month. A rigid 190 feet high sail turns the 90 feet long monster-boat into the spitting image of the Dubai hotel.

Just to get that size right..... The largest plane flying today - the Antonov An-225 - has 145 feet (44 m) long wings.

BMW Oracle's 'wing' is capable of propelling the boat to 30 knots in just 10 knots of wind.

The wing sail has cost Larry Ellison, billionaire Oracle owner, over 5 million US dollars. But trying to win the America's Cup comes at a high price anyway. Speculations are that BMW Oracle has spend more than 100 million US dollars and is burning dollar bills at a rate of 4 million a month.

And I thought a Hallberg Rassy was expensive....

Some weather...

Taas — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:54:00 GMT

Finally the end is coming to weeks and weeks, in which depression after depression was coming our way. This is a situation can last forever and produces strong South Westerly winds and unpleasant frontal systems. A striking weather chart - showing 3 depressions - is from July 21st (see above). Fortunately, most of the depressions were filling up - and the fronts weakened - by the time they reached the Baltic. But while they were on the North Sea, they were deep and produced gale force winds. For us, they meant staying in port two times and chilly nights...

The Azores High is now producing a ridge of high pressure over The Netherlands and hopefully it will build into a full area of high pressure - with Easterly winds - over Western Europe. But first we are going to ride out the last depression on Möja.

More Paperwork

Taas — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:28:00 GMT

One of the few people who left a comment on this blog, asked me to list the organisations that issue paperwork & certificates.
Though applicable for Dutch only, here we go!

Vaarbewijs I+II
http://www.vamex.nl

Marine VHF equipment
http://www.vamex.nl
http://www.agentschaptelecom.nl

GMDSS Equipment:
http://www.watersportverbond.nl
http://www.agentschaptelecom.nl

Theoretische Kust Navigatie
http://www.watersportverbond.nl

International Certificate of Competence (ICC)
http://www.anwb.nl/watersport

Certificates of practical skills & experience
http://www.cwo.nl

Paperwork (BARF!)

Taas — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:16:00 GMT

Winter is perfect for it... Paperwork check! Just what exactly do you need, to take a boat off shore?

Pleasure Craft Certificates & ICC
Distinguising between personal certificates and ship related paperwork, the answer to 'personal' is simple: “ None“. Yes, it is true. In the Netherlands you can skipper a sailing vessel - bigger than most of us will ever sail - without any personal paper work at all. Anything floating, smaller than 15 meters and slower than 20 km/h is exempt from certification.

Without going into details, not all European countries are so lenient. They all have their local rules. Formally - if you arrive with a Dutch vessel - they should respect the Dutch certification rules. However if you charter, local rules apply. To avoid any hassle with authorities, it is wise to have an official Off Shore Pleasure Vessel Certificate (Vaarbewijs II in The Netherlands).

The advantage of the official certificate, is that you can request an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for coastal waters. In Europe, this will be the internationally accepted document for pleasure vessel operators. Exact rules around these documents still change yearly, but once you have the ICC, you comply. There are - by the way - alternative ways to obtain the ICC.

The radio
Once transmitting with anything different from a mobile phone or WiFi, you need a certificate in Europe. Unfortunately each radio band and application requires its own certificate. For sailing yachts, the minimum will be the Maritime Radio Operator's Certificate of Competence. In some countries - like The Netherlands - the certification is split into two steps:
- Basic (low power) Marine VHF Certificate
- Global Maritime Distress Safety System
Two more certificates..... And as the owner of a radar, you need a third....

A handful of - neatly official looking - personal paperwork...

Charters
For 'bare boat' chartering, there are no fixed rules. Every charter company - within the framework of local legislation - will make its own. They're usually a trade-off between the desire to make money and keep insurance costs under control. For international chartering, the ICC - though not legally required and by no means proof of practical skills - is rapidly becoming a must.
What is very useful with more serious charter companies, is practical certification by your local yachting organisation; for example:
- RYA (UK)
- CWO (NL)
- Deutscher Segler-Verband (DE)
They all offert training & certification in coastal navigation, basic yachting & off shore sailing. For chartering, certification as “Day Skipper“ - or equivalent - is highly recommended.

It will be the only proof, that you have actually sailed before.....

Bavaria on the Rocks

Taas — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:52:00 GMT

Misfortune at Folegandros.... My colleague's chartered Bavaria 50 pulled too hard on the mooring buoy's chain.

With its crew enjoying dinner on shore, the boat - with the remains of the mooring buoy - hit rock. Salvage was possible after 4 days, two days after looting.... (Failure of the halyard caused the unwinding of the main sheet's roller furling; looters took the genoa)

Who ever said: “The Greek Mediterranean is safe“ ?

AUW!

Allow me to introduce... "Sea-B-Que"

Taas — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:51:00 GMT

Arrived today, with TNT!

My first Sea-B-Que! A free standing, propane fired barbecue for on board. It's even better, if you mount it onto the railing, at the stern of your boat! The only barbecue that's fully resistant to - salt water - marine environment.

Personally I think, every charter company should have their fleet equiped with it! And every importer of yachts, should have it, in its options list!

Have the Sea-B-Que delivered to your home for € 299,--!
Leave a note in this post's comments, or send me a personal message.
Enjoy your meal.... ;-)