Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Seafaring culture
Friday, August 25, 2023
Delivery Djibouti to Cyprus
Having been awhile at home I was contacted by my ex Ch Mate to do a short delivery of m/y Kalizma from Djibouti to Turkey and as I thought I have time I agreed on it readily and as I had been on her several years ago, last time back in 2012, I knew the yacht and her flaws. She had since 2012 been refitted and undergone survey to become a commercial yacht under Cook Island and successfully chartered in Indian Ocean the past years.
Said and done I received my flight tickets a few weeks later after the initial contact and flew down to Djibouti via Istanbul. Arrived more or less on time and exited the plane to go through the formalities I got the 1st indications of being in Africa.
Had to shell out bribes to get my arrival stamp, of course no receipt was given but got the stamp. Same was for the other seafarers behind me in same line, totally open and accepted. At the Customs I was made to open the bag and it was rooted around in, luckily nothing illegal was found and I could continue out of the terminal and find my ride.
Thursday, June 01, 2023
Sail training ship Fennia
Having visited Falklands I came over the information by accident in a pub that a Finnish sailing vessel, FENNIA, had in early 1900's limped into Port Stanley jury rigged after having been partly demasted in a severe storm.
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Project s/y Fanny Port Said to Kastelorizo and Rhodos
Before arriving Med I had been watching the weather and it looked like we had a small chance of getting weather with us. As we exited the Canal it was obvious it wasn't going to happen, sods law I guess. The wind was blowing between W and NW and if we tried to getting a WSW course it was SW and going the other tack we went NNE. As Egypt was in the way and the weather blowing from NW I thought better take the better way and escape N wards, the wind might change (fat chance!). So we tacked and were effectively heading for Cyprus. The only comfort was that we were heading for EU at least. As we progressed further N we were able to come to a heading of NNW and avoided hitting Cyprus but then we had the mainland of Turkey ahead of us.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Project s/y Fanny Sawakin to Suez and Port Said
Saturday, April 02, 2022
Project s/y Fanny - Thailand to Malaysia
After having done the rounds in Phuket I one evening met a Malaysian chap that had been refurbishing a 10yr old second hand 45' Lagoon catamaran for the purpose of world wide traveling.
Tuesday, February 01, 2022
Project s/y Fanny in Thailand
In January having arrived with Boadicea to Thailand I was ashore one evening having a few refreshments and was standing on the street near the marina at a local watering hole.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
BRYC closing regatta
I boarded Cmde Mongia's s/y Ninikins as a spectator to compete with 2 other boats in the same size class and I was showed where I could sit without being in the way. The principle of sailing is not unfamiliar for me at all but the machinations of a bigger sailing yacht was new to me. As a kid I used to do a lot of optimist and windsurfing so I knew the basics.
The sailing crew was Nitin Mongia and Chetan Fernandes, both old timers in the sailing circuit in Mumbai and India if not even Internationally. Then there was a a local group following Nitin and Chetan to come and help as well as to enjoy the camaraderie of the friendly regatta.
The boats circled about the start buoy and came into somekind of agreed pattern with the big boats leaving first and then the smaller ones. Then we waited for the yacht club officials to hoist the start flag and once it was up it was away with all boats. We took the lead at first and held it until we came with the wind from astern it was time to hoist the spinnaker. Unfortunately our old hands messed up the spinnaker and before it was untangled another boat had taken the lead.