Life on Flora Ella

2007-08-09T13:09:00.001+02:00

Flora Ella

Type: Cruiser
Make: Moody
Year: 1974
Length (Feet): 33
Beam (Feet): 11.4
Hull: Fiberglass

Rig: Sloop

Keel: Fin and Skeg

Model: 33 Mk1

Draft: 1.35m

Enine: Perking 4108 Diesel

Fuel: 150L

Water: 250L

Condition: Used

View: Port Napoleon, Marseille France (Birth Available)

Held: Out of the Water

Our Journey

2007-08-08T13:16:00.000+02:00

3 Men and a Baby - 21st September 2007

‘How did you know?’ Quote of the week by T. Outlaw.

After spending a evening in Nice and getting the boat ready for the arrival of Lamby and Outlaw we were duly informed that the port was now full due to a regatta and all the charter yachts returning from the weeks rental. So with the boys arriving that evening we were forced to head off round the corner to the adjacent bay and anchor off the small town of Villefranche-Sur-Mer, which turned out to be a really cute and picturesque little spot that we would have undoubtedly missed had the harbour not been full. Lamby and Outlaw arrived around 11pm and after a quick tour of town searching for a place to grab a take-away pizza we headed off in the dingy to Flora Ella anchored just outside the marina wall. The next four days were a pleasant mix of light sailing, motoring, ample drinking, great food, and lots of cards. We also managed to squeeze in a little beach time and swimming which I could see the guys were really happy about after such a terrible summer in London. The highlight of the trip was stopping in St Tropez and getting a little taste of the bazaar lives that the stupidly rich lead. I think it’s fantastic that we can prop up in the same harbour in Flora Ella and in 2 minutes be walking along the quay boasting a number of 10 million dollar yachts. None with helicopters on top in the harbour but we did manager to see a couple of them anchored in various spots. We have now stopped for a couple of days where we parted with the boys in Port Grimaud due to a Mistral blowing in. The wind was crazy during the evening and poor little Oscar was scared from all the noise of ropes banging and clanging against the masts of all the boats moving around in the harbour. The town is an inland maze of small rivers and canals where people have houses with waterfronts and their yachts parked out front. It kind of reminds me of Patterson Lakes where my mother used to live on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula but kind of bigger. There is a charm and character about the place and the urban mix of houses, shops, boats and water is quite relaxing. Anyway we have just over 100nm (200kms) left of our trip this year and are due to be in Marseille around the start of October, so depending on how long this Mistral lasts will determine how quickly we will be pushed to cover the miles. There are a few places we are looking forward to revisiting along the coast so hopefully we will be not too rushed and miss it all.

Photos

The Genoa Washing Machine (Spin Cycle) – 11th September 2007

Cruising past Genoa and at the top of the Ligurian sea was meant to mark a significant turning point towards the end of our cruise this year. We are now heading towards France and the end is only a couple of hundred miles away, that is if we don’t throw in the towel before that… With a heavily rolling swell the 20nm we were doing under engine was starting to feel like it would never end. I was feeling the effects from a cold graciously passed on by Oscar who had the pleasure of picking it up at the hospital when he went to get his skin checked. I can’t even remember the last time I was sick, so that’s the last time Oscar goes anywhere near a hospital! Coupled with my little incident on the quay at 6am, and a definite bout of sea sickness that we were both overcome with, things were starting to look a little grim in the Howarth household if we didn’t get to a marina quick smart. Well I can safely say that we are now enjoying a cold beer, even if I did have to force it down, and Elo is soaking up the suds and getting her money’s worth in this frightenly expensive marina showers. Think we are both over Italians and their rip-of, well, everything really, and looking forward to a more sympathetic French experience. Oh, and of course looking forward to Outlaw and Lamby arriving in 10 days.

Fun in the Middle of the Night – Camogli - 10th September 2007

Caomgli was given a fantastic write up in our guide book as a place not to miss, a real little gem, I think was the expression. Well it’s not too far off the mark. The only problem was that the marina that was surposto exist, didn’t. The visitors quay was full of fishing boats and there was only room one other yacht, making that the third in the whole harbour. We squeezed in next to a French guy who had been there for a night already and informed us that there was no charge. We thought we were onto a pretty good deal, until the sun went down and the noises started. I am pretty sure we were scraping on the bottom all night and even after several attempts to move away from the quay into deeper water, there was not going to be any sleep tonight, with or without my earplugs. I finally succumbed to the noises around 6am and decided that it was time to sort it out properly and catch at least an hour of sleep before the boy gets up. So I loosened off the lines with the intention of shortening the anchor and pulling us out further still into the harbour. Though as I jumped from the quay back onto the stern of the boat, as I have done a million times, a momentary lapse in concentration saw me miss completely, graze my leg right down the length of my thigh and smack my head on the stainless steel step leading `into the cockpit. Fortunately I landed on the stern swimming platform and not in the water. Though today and I expect for a week or so to come, moving is going to be quite hard, especially round the boat when required. Ah the pain, it even hurts to rest the laptop on my legs. Fosters’ is a remarkable numbing agent though.

The Elegance of Elba - 29th August 2007

Italians being Italians, and by that I mean utterly useless at parking or anchoring a boat under any conditions, are also remarkably protective of their water supply. We have been on anchor now for the last eight days and were starting to run short on water after four. Logically we would go into a port to fill up and be back on our way, though in Italy things are a little different. All the taps have locks and from our experience so far a charge is made in most places. In any case all the marinas were full in Elba and were content to save a bit on the ludicrous summer prices, €80 for a night in Portoferraio, as in most places you can anchor right outside the marina anyway, giving a safety net in case of the ol’ 4am un-forecasted gale. Which seems to happen quite a bit here and it is now our general consensus that the Italian weather forecasts are absolute rubbish. That being said, Elba is a magnificent island and well worth a visit, our favourite spot being Marciana Marina, an elegant and quaint town with a delightful rocky beach at the head. You could easily spend a week there in a B&B soaking up the atmosphere, and by the way there are zero English tourists here, unless on a sailing boat. However it must be said that we were impressed to see a motor boat with an extended family of Chavs at one anchorage, all complemented with a full blistering English tan. Looked like they had just won the lottery, but hey good on them for getting out of England and not heading for the Cost Del Sole.

We are now on the Italian mainland and are heading north to Pisa, where we will leave the boat for a few days and venture inland to check out the Tuscan country side. Aside from the Ryan Air Airport at Trieste, this is my first time in Italy, and am quite excited to soak up the food and rolling landscape. Dinner last night of Spaghetti alla Carbonarra di Mare was scrumptious and if the quality continues like this I will be well satisfied to stay for a while.

Plans are slowly changing for us and it is now looking like we may head eventually to Marseille to leave the boat up for sale. I have been in contact with a large Brokerage firm with offices there who claim to have recently sold some small Moody’s like ours. In any case we will need someone to handle things while we are in Australia. We have been to the marina on our first trip in 2005 and know there is a massive yard where we can keep the boat out of the water.
Photos

Forced Back to Bastia - 17th August 2007

All set to cross the 40nm (8-10hrs) to the Island of Elba just off the Italian mainland when we received the weather forecast on the VHF. Force 8 gales coming, don’t leave port. Normally this would be fine except we were about an hour off the coast and had already tired to get into the port at Macinaggio unsuccessfully. We had a couple of hours up our sleeves and were fully aware that the weather here turns really fast and we needed to get into a port. The closest port where we had a good chance of getting in was Bastia so we headed south the 3 hours it would take and hoped for the best. Close but not close enough… Just five miles from Bastia the weather hit like a sledge hammer. Of course we were unprepared and I needed to go up and shorten the main sail. The autopilot was not responsive enough in the strong gusts so I called Elo out to helm whilst I wrestled with the main. It came down with relative ease and we were soon hammering along at 6-7kts with both sails fully reefed. Bastia was in sight but still a way off. Finally though I got to the wear the new sailing we have been lugging around for the past couple of months not expecting to need until October. We arrived well and were greeted by a traffic jam of 5 boats waiting outside the marina and more on the way. After an anxious wait we were told by the marina staff that we would have a place and just to hang until they came back to fetch us. After a good hour we were finally give a place and a warm welcome. Oh and the beer here tastes the best so far. It always amazes me just how much these boat can actually handle and the more times we get into weather like that, the more our confidence grows. Though not sure if we are really ready for the southern ocean just yet.. Italy will have to wait a couple of days, but who’s in a rush..
Photos

Calvi and the West Coast of Corsica – 15th August 2007

So finally after much umming and arring we decided to go to Calvi by train to meet with Elo’s parents who are chartering a yacht for 2 weeks. The wind did eventually turn in our favour for rounding the cape, though since we are heading to Italy next we were not interested in risking the weather turning bad again and being stuck for another week there.

The yacht, an Oceanias 47, complete with captain / owner. Not my dream boat, none the less something that should ooze comfort and luxury, especially for the money invested. We arrived however to find the customers were not quite as satisfied as we expected and the yacht certainly lacked a few creature comforts. For instance should you really be expected to bring your own sheets and towels? Or not have a shower as the captain doesn’t feel like going into the port to fill up the water tank? How about the CD player not working and yacht having the appearance that things are falling apart? I for one would be a little cheesed off also. Things go wrong all the time on Flora Ella, and I fix them and get most things working again. Though on a charter yacht surely you can’t have clients arrive and not have every piece of equipment working in good order, especially the music system! There was not even a connection for my I-Pod, which I assumed would have been standard, from what I have read in sailing magazines anyway. In any case we had an enjoyable couple of days with family and some of Patrick’s friends. Fantastic dinner and a load of wine in Porto and certainly felt pretty relaxed to be passengers for a while, if only a couple of days. The train / bus getting there and back was fantastic as we passed right through the mountains running down the middle of the country. I certainly have respect for those insane enough to attempt the GR20, a two week walk running north – south along the mountain range. Interesting fact – there are four ski ‘resorts’ on Corsica, one of which we passed along the road. It looked better than the Belgium resort we visited in the winter, though not much. Even though a couple of the peaks pass 2300m, the Island is still pretty underdeveloped kept to its natural beauty, and surprisingly quiet for this time of the year, certainly a positive.

For the moment we are back on Flora Ella and have arrived well in Macinaggio at the top of the finger on the East side and have just dropped the hook, cracked a beer and tried once again unsuccessfully to get a wireless connection.

Rounding Cap Corse – 10th August 2007

Circumnavigating Corse seemed like par of the course for our travels this summer though unfortunately this will not come to fruition, for the moment anyway. Our rendezvous with Elo’s parents on the 11th in Calvi is fast approaching. With us being 100nm on the other side of the island, the wind consistently blowing to gale force round the Cap, our thoughts are focused now on finding the train station rather than planning our next port. Simply we have just run out of time. Flora Ella will rest here while we head off to Calvi for a few days. The option of sailing down to Ajaccio with the oldies is an interesting proposition, since they have a couple of free births until next, we may just take them up on the offer. Really would like to revisit some of the places along the west coast, like Girolatta, a really cute village only accessible by boat or walking. We ended up spending a week or so there in 2005 while a storm belw. Outlaw should remember it well. Visions of swimming to shore since we had lost our tender when the toe rope broke in really strong lee winds close into the cliffs surrounding the area spring to mind. Then running out of food and money leaving us to eat only porridge and Elo’s home made bread seem to underline why our boat is so stocked full of provisions and emergency food this year. We certainly have learned well from our experiences passed.

Stuck in Bastia, Corsica - 8th August 2007

After some uneventful, though quite picturesque sailing up the east coast, we have arrived in Bastia and are awaiting for a storm to pass. The marina is packed to capacity and people next to us were just fighting over a place, quite a spectacle. We are sitting in the cabin as a thunderstorm cracks on overhead, and planning our next move of rounding the finger to meet Elo’s parents in Calvi on the west coast. They are chartering a yacht for 2 weeks and their first stop from Marseille, over 200nm, is Calvi where they will spend a couple of days to relax. Normally we are going to sail there, however with a storm and bad weather settling in for the next couple of days we are not sure if we will have the time. The alternative is to leave the boat here and go there by bus, which I think is the more likely option at the moment. Will need to come back around this side of the Island anyway to make our crossing over the Elba and the Italian main land. It’s some 40nm across, though not out of sight of land. Before leaving Corsica though we still need to spend some time exploring the ‘finger’ and the inland at this end of the Island As you will see from the photos we have done a couple of nice walks in the mountains surrounding Porto Veccio and Solenzara which spectatularly overlook the coast line. We regretted not seeing enough of the inland on our last visit to Corsica in 2005, so made it our priority to get organised with maps and walking guides before heading here this time.

Captains Log – 20th July 2007 Cala Coticcio, Sardinia

Very busy anchorage, and got stung by an €18.50 charge for being in the Maddelena national park area, lucky not to have been charged at Porto Garabaldi also the previous evening. Only four boats stayed on the anchorage overnight which blew a force 4-5 (15 – 20kns) directly across the bay. One other sailing boat that arrived late in the evening was attached to the ferry mooring close to our boat which inhibited me from dropping 10-20m more of chain needed in the conditions. As I nervously slept in the cockpit at 12.30am we dragged under the force of the wind and ended up along side the moored yacht. I immediately called Elodie onto deck as we needed to start the engine and re-set the anchor. 4 Attempts at re-setting were unsuccessful and I was unable to determine in the darkness exactly how close we were to the shore. We decided leaving the bay now and heading for a port was certainly a last resort and consequently woke up the moored boat to request tying along side for the rest of the evening. It took 4 attempts to come along side in the tricky strong wind and in retrospect we should have approached from down wind so we could float off if needed, though wasn’t thinking too clearly at this hour I suppose. Our first ‘event’ went rather smoothly as Elo and I worked calmly and well together under the conditions, there was certainly no panic, well done us!

Photo Album

Finally off - 24th July 2007

Sorry for the lack of updates so far. It hasn't helped that I left the cable for my pc in Belgium and that there has been no wifi in the harbour in St Teresa where we have been based for the last couple of weeks. Well after the excitement of arriving here wore off, we realised quickly the long list of jobs that needed doing on Flora Ella. First off was to get her out of the water and do a much needed paint job and replacement of all the anodes stopping her from falling apart. We also were anxious to inspect the keep after running aground on our last voyage, which turned out to look fine, thankfully. So we spent two weeks doing maintenance and then finally headed off to enjoy some of the islands in the north of Sardinia, the La Maddalena archipelago. Some beautiful landscape and a couple of really great anchorages, although dragging our anchor during the middle of the night is happening a bit to often at the moment and re-setting at 2am is not anyone's idea of fun. We are now back in St Teresa and waiting for the bad weather to pass before heading off up the coast of Corsica, fist stop Boniffacio. Loads of photos to upload and will definitely write more in detail when I get my computer sorted out. Though we do have a mobile +393496183350 so feel free to give us a call. btw Oscar is loving the ocean and has no problems going swimming with us off the back of the boat.

http://picasaweb.google.fr/howarthdav/FranceCorsica07

Back in London
Le Grand Disaster
A Great Place to Learn
Summer in the Med Again
Le Grand Retour
Babies on Boats
Le Havre and the Dreaded Propellor
Feecamp to Le Havre
Crossing the Channel - Take Two
Crossing the Channel - Take One
Before you go get Married and celebrate in Style
Ready for the Off? Almost
Fog Ahoy
The BMYC Retirement Community
A Little Further
Now What?
Making the Dream a Reality
Dream, Stupidity or Reality

Flora Ella

2006-12-11T13:17:00.001+01:00

Moody 33 Mk1 1974

May be for sale at the end of the 2007 Mediteranean Summer, offers invited

Lying currently in Sardinia

Links

2006-12-11T13:17:00.000+01:00

Global Yacht Positions
Crewfile
Cruiser Log
Onpassage
Windguru
Ocean Navigator
Passage Planning Guide RORC

Back In London - 27th November 2006

2006-11-27T14:25:00.000+01:00

After a couple of weeks in Australia visiting family and friends I have landed back in London and can’t help but focus only on our plans to continue cruising next summer. I have secured 3-5 months of contract work as a consultant for the company I was previously working for in London. I can feel myself being pulled deeper into the corporate vortex though am adamant to continue building towards getting my Yachtmaster and leaving the office for good. The plan is to tackle it in Southampton in February with a five day preparation course followed by the gruelling two day examination. In the meantime I am brushing up on the theory to ensure all is covered up to this level and booking in for a first aid and VHF operator certificates, prerequisites for the course. Where will all this lead you may ask? Well I suspect the answer I can only come up with now is, absolutely no idea. Though, I do have some thoughts about corporate and private charter skippering, and probably some teaching as well, in Australia of course. So our immediate plans are to head off from Sardinia in May or June and enjoy a good 4-5 months in the Med covering Sardinia, Italy and the east coast of Corsica, basically doing a big loop. Following this move to Australia around October, but as we all know nothing is certain in this life…. Except of course getting the flu in London.

Back in London

2006-11-27T10:56:00.000+01:00

After an amazing couple of weeks in Australia visiting family and friends I have landed back in London and can’t help but focus only on our plans to continue cruising next summer. I have secured 3-5 months of contract work as a consultant for the company I was previously working for in London. I can feel myself being pulled deeper into the corporate vortex though am adamant to continue building towards getting my Yachtmaster and leaving the office for good. The plan is to tackle it in Southampton in February with a five day preparation course followed by the gruelling two day examination. In the meantime I am brushing up on the theory to ensure all is covered up to this level and booking in for a first aid and VHF operator certificates, prerequisites for the course.

Where will all this lead you may ask? Well I suspect the answer I can only come up with now is, absolutely no idea. Though, I do have some thoughts about corporate and private charter skippering, and probably some teaching as well, in Australia of course. So our immediate plans are to head off from Sardinia in May or June and enjoy a good 4-5 months in the Med covering Sardinia, Italy and the east coast of Corsica, basically doing a big loop. Following this move to Australia around October, but as we all know nothing is certain in this life…. Except of course getting the flu in London.

Le Grand Disaster

2006-10-24T13:21:00.000+02:00

My initial visions of 200 boats heading down the river towards Brussels were slightly misleading, though 30 is still a decent number. Elo and I left Kortgene around 10am, just stopping to get some fuel, and headed for our rendezvous at Hansweert near the entrance to the river Schelde. Ideally then the boats passing on route from Zeebrugge would stop or call on the VHF so we could join the group. Clearly marked on our schedule from the Brussels Royal Yacht Club was a meeting between 2 – 3pm, though on reflection of the state of tide this seemed a little late in the day to me. We arrived at 1pm and tied to the outside of waiting pontoon to be sure we were noticed by any boats passing the entrance to the canal and put out several calls on the VHF for anyone participating to give us their position, with no response. So we waited to around 3pm with another motor boat, also with the same instructions, all to no avail. Finally Pat managed to get one of the guys from the club on the phone and we were informed that they passed around 1pm and were now two hours ahead of us up the river. Disgusted but determined to move on we headed off with a full tide and assurances from those on the river that the current was ‘not too strong at all’. Not strong, my ass, 3 knots + meant our speed over the ground was around 3 knots, whereas the others taking the favourable tide would have had around 8 knots over the ground, resulting in us taking double the time and eventually arriving after midnight. Interesting as it was to sail through Antwerp in the dark, I couldn’t help thinking that I would rather be at the bar having a few beers and a nice meal.

We cast off at 9am on Sunday, this time with all the other boats, to run the remaining leg up the canal to Brussels. Quite a cool experience, arriving in the centre of Brussels on your yacht, I guess not too many have experienced.

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A Great Place to Learn

2006-10-19T13:59:00.000+02:00

Sailing appeals to all ages. At 11 I had my first boat, Blue Bottle, a Minnow sailed out of the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron in Port Philip Bay, Victoria Australia. At 27 I bought Flora Ella, a Moody 33 Mk1, which my wife and I owned outright within a year. An achievement we are quite proud of as it will make a nice little deposit on our first house in Australia when we finally get there. Of course we will re-mortgage for the new boat!

My son Oscar at 4 months is beginning his sailing education slightly earlier. Though of course he will not remember any of it, the salt will be in his veins and the passion for travel will be instinctive. If he wants to beat Jessie Martin’s record of the youngest Aussie to sail single-handed around the world, I will buy him the boat to do it in.

My father in-law Patrick at 57 has also just bought his first boat, an Endurance 35 and has spend the season in Zeeland, Holland, learning the ropes. It’s never too late but just a little harder to teach an “older” gentleman new tricks than Oscar who just sits and smiles. Zeeland is a fantastic learning ground with hundreds of miles of protected waterways and rivers. It’s like sailing on a lake as even with the wind above 25 knots the sea hardly raises a bump. Not quite like the English Channel where my wife and I were schooled. Probably also why Oscar has been on board quite a bit this summer, we feel pretty safe in the area and the shore is always in sight. Hopefully for Patrick it will not give false impressions of what sailing is really like once the shore is out of sight and the sun dips below the horizon. Zeeland though is a fantastic place to learn to handle your boat as there are plenty of locks and tight spaces to challenge anyone, and sailing in close quarters with hundreds of boats around thoroughly tests your sailing skills not to mention the collision reg’s.

http://www.deltamarina.nl/index.php

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Summer in the Med again…..

2006-10-16T14:32:00.000+02:00

Well it’s pretty much decided that life on dry land is just no where near as fun as life on Flora Ella. After being in Belgium for a year now the feet are starting to get itchy once again and tentative plans are in the pipeline for an April departure from Sardinia. Oscar will be almost one and ready to go, though this season he did sail 6 full days in Zeeland. Not too bad for a 3 month old. However there are no waves there even when the wind is above 25 knots, so the Med may be a bit of a shock.

I have managed to secure employment for the next two months with the opportunity to extend if performance is good. Ideally I would like to work out to March next year, take some time to sail in England and France on a friends yacht before heading off in April on Flora Ella.
Trying also to squeeze in a Yachtmaster certificate before next season if possible. I would love to hear any comments or feedback from anyone who has done the course. My plan is to sail over to England in March and do the course in the Solent around the start of April. The motivation behind doing the course is to sharpen my skills and also have a qualification that will allow me to work professionally in the sailing industry when we get to Aus next year… But more on that later.

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Le Grand Retour

2006-10-03T14:36:00.000+02:00

What a fantastic way to spend the last weekend of the official sailing season in Europe, by sailing into the centre of Brussels with a couple hundred other boats. Sound like fun, hey?? Well from stories and rumour it is paled as a huge party and drinking event, some even have labelled it the ‘Cows Week’ of Belgium.

Well I will be there on board L’licorne, an Endurance 35 travelling from Zeeland in Holland where she has spend a glorious summer exploring the inland waterways and rivers. The event kicks off in the port of Breskens on the Belgium border with Holland and culuminates in a mad rush up the river and into the centre of Brussels finishing at the Royal Brussels Yacht Club. Mental note: Probably should take the Monday off work if you have a job!!

Our yacht, Flora Ella is still in Sardinia where we left her last summer however I am very excited to report that we are making plans to drop the lines once again next summer and continue our Life on Flora Ella, part 2. With Oscar on board we will be mainly coast hugging and exploring Sardinia, Corsica and the west coast of Italy. Then at the end of the summer putting her up for sale and heading to Aus to continue life over there. Sounds like a plan to me? Now just need a job until next summer, any offers???

http://www.bryc.info/

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Looking for Delivery Work

2006-09-22T11:35:00.000+02:00

After spending 4 months living aboard in 2005 and travelling to Sardinia, Italy from the UK I am now based in Belgium and looking for delivery work in Europe. Currently I am spending most weekends as a non-paid skipper on an Endurance 35 in Zeeland, Holland.

I have several years of experience, some of which can be read about below. I am an easy going 30yr old Aussie with a passion and respect of the ocean.

Please post a comment with your details if you are looking for crew.

Cheers,

Dave.

Babies on Boats

2006-09-21T15:34:00.000+02:00

After the recent arrival of Oscar our newborn son we decided that it was time for him to get his sea legs. Everyone you meet in the sailing world will have a different opinion of when is the ideal time to start sailing with you child. Well we decided not to listen to anyone and get Oscar on the water as soon as possible, from 5 days old that is…

We are now based in Zeeland, Holland, and sailing on the inland see and rivers so felt that it was quite safe enough to venture out. Zeeland is a fantastic place to sail with hundreds of mules of sea and rivers and numerous islands to explore. It has the advantage of being quite protected allowing you to sail even when the wind is really strong, 30+ knots, as the sea remains quite flat. In the English Channel with this breeze you would probably have 2m of swell and quite a nail biting ride.

Oscar has now been sailing a number of times Elo mostly carries him in her scarf so he hangs in front and can take in all the views, quite contently. What a way to start your life……

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Photo Album

2005-11-27T17:03:00.000+01:00

France - South Coast 07

Italy - Mainland 07

Italy - Elba 07

France - Corsica - Calvi 07

France - Corsica 07

Italy - Sardinia 07

Mamy's birthday 07

Antwerp & Cherine bday 07

Ardenne 06

Netherlands - Zeeland 06

Oscar Birth

France - Corsica West Coast 05

France - South Coast 05

France - Inland Waterways 05

France - West Coast 05

UK - BMYC 05

UK - Brighton 04

Le Havre and the Dreaded Propeller

2005-07-06T14:08:00.000+02:00

We had come to Le Havre as during my research it was suggested as the better of the two options, the other being Honfleur, to un-step the mast prior to entering the river Seine. Though after doing in this you are still required to go back out into the ocean to get to the start of the river, meaning that you loose stability and have the possibility of capsizing.
Le Havre was busy and we were required to wait a couple of days to finally get a booking with the crane needed to take down the mast. So in the meantime we spent the time preparing the supports and packing away the sails and rigging, which would not be required for another month when we reach the Mediterranean.
After a couple of really boring days in probably the ugliest industrial town on the coast we woke early to move the boat over to where the crane was operating. As we were maneuvering I noticed the engine was making a strange sound. I asked Elo to see if there was a mechanic available since we were going to be using our engine for the next month I didn't want to take any chances. The mechanic suggested that maybe there was something around the propellor and that I should go under the boat for a look. Lucky I brought my wetsuit over from Australia as the water is not exactly warm around these parts. The suggestion turned out to be correct and I was required to cut a large piece of fishing mesh from around the propeller. Noticing also to my surprise that one of the propeller blades has also broken off! Though relieved we found this now and had not had a problem at sea. It seemed also that we did have a spare on board, left by the previous owner. I concluded that he must have changed the prop at some stage and left the old one there as a spare, why else would it be on board?
After consultation with the marina staff it was determined that we should dry out on the wall rather than waiting the next couple of days for thecranen and then pay two hundred Euros for the lift out and back in. We were hesitant though as this would be a first time for us and also now without a mast it made the exercise decidly more technical. Elo talked to a few of our neighbor's who were kind enough to offer advice. Basically what we were attempting to do was go to a spot in the marina that dried out with the out-going tide, yet deep enough to move the boat into at high tide, tie to the wall and wait for the tide to go out. Resulting in Flora Ella standing on her keel and leaning agains a wall. We would then be able to change the propeller. At the same time I arranged for the mechanic to arrive at 10am, when we expected to be on the ground. So after getting there around 4am and waiting anxioulsy for her to touch the ground we were devastated to find out that we had stopped in the wrong place, although only about 20 meters along on the same wall. At this point the ground was mud and only above water for an hour or so, not enough time to work nor a suitable working surface. Meaning we would have to wait for the next tide and dry out again, although by this time the mechanic would be off and we would be left on our own to change the propeller. Determined to leave Le Havre as soon as possible I swallowed hard and put my mind to getting the job done.
Finally the new propeller was on and we were able to leave the wall where we had spent the last 12 hours. I started the engine and put her in forward, only to find that I was heading backwards, the propeller was clearly not the correct one for this engine. Frustrated, tired and desperate to leave after more than a week in Le Havre, we stubbornly and stupidly decided to leave anyway...

Feecamp to Le Havre

2005-07-05T14:06:00.000+02:00

Over the last couple of days the weather turned really sour. Gale force conditions were eveident and no one was entering or leaving the safety of Feecamp marina. So we spent the time enjoying the town and making use of our bikes, which by the way is the single most useful posession on an extended cruising trip by far. I was certinaly just happy to be in France and not at all bothered to rest after the built up anxiety of leaving England for good.
Finally as the weather cleared slightly, neighbouring boats began to take decisions to leave. The forecast was for a westerly beaufort forece 5-6, a direct headwind and short sea, testing conditions for anyone. Confidence or stupidity had grown on us after our tryumphant crossing of the English Channel and as such we decided also to head off towards Le Havre.
The twenty mile journey, which normally would take around four hours, took us nearly eight in the most testing conditions we have ever been in. On recllection it would have been better to drop the sails and motor most of the way, but I was more interested in sailing. It was also the first real test for Flora Ella up wind and she prooved to be quite average, probably a combination of a short keel, high above water area and an undersized Genoa.
Arriving at 21.00 I noted in the log ‘Arrived, Le Havre, soaked and wet inside and out. Realised we have leaking cabin windows and a wet bed. Really tough sail and the lost testing conditions for Flora Ella and us so far.’

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Crossing the Channel – Take Two

2005-07-03T14:03:00.000+02:00

Waking to a clear sky and fresh South Wersterly 3, the excitement and nerves of leaving were upon me once more. I dropped the lines, for the last time again, and headed out of the marina. Brighton is really protected and you can't even see out of the marina until you round the break water and enter the Channel. Smiling to myself as the ocean came into view as I knew conditions were near perfect. We hoisted the full main and Genoa and set off at a steady 4-5 knots bound for Feecamp. Originally we had intended on going directly to Le Havre, however the wind was not favorablee for that direction, so Feecamp, being the shortest point with a south westerly, was the logical destination. Anyway I didn't care, as long as it was on the other side of the Channel. We would still need to head down the coast to Le Havre to un-step the mast and enter the Seine on route to Paris and eventually the Med.
The wind died down around midday and we fired up the engine, which was also needed to safely and quickly cross the shipping lanes. We were taking constant bearings of ships every ten minutes and so far nothing was passing too close! Having the engine on also gives you extra manouverability should it be required to move from the path of a ship about to mow you down at 25 knots. The last thing you want is to be tacking and stressing with sails at this moment.
Fortunately all went smoothly crossing the shipping lanes and by 16.00 we were in sight of France! Jubilation and deep feeling of satisfaction engulfed the crew as we knew we were only a few short hours away from reaching Feecamp and cracking open the beers. At 19.00 we docked, 80.1 nortical miles taking a spritly 14 hours.

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Crossing the Channel – Take One

2005-07-02T13:47:00.000+02:00

We woke around 4am and nerveless edged out of the marina. Our crew for the trip, Karl and Adam were roused shortly by the movement of the boat as the swell hit us as we left the comfort and safety of the break water. The weather was not looking great, 5-6 beaufort, South Westerly resulting in a direct head wind and short sharp waves splashing over the boat. The boys were not looking great as we learnt by the look on their faces that one or two many beers were consumed the previous night, which was still only just a couple of hours earlier. Not an easy lesson to learn, but always sail first, drink second, or pay the price. Our plan was to make a decision on the weather prior to entering the shipping lanes, which from Brighton is around 3 hours. After two though it was clear that the weather was not improving and worsening if anything. The crossing was not being enjoyed by anyone, so I made the call around 6am to head back much to the relief of all on board including myself. I had imagined setting off in the sunshine and enjoying the trip. We do have 4 months so whatÂs the rush anyway. A few hours sleep and a Sunday roast will do everyone a world of good.

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Before you go get married and celebrate in style

2005-06-25T13:40:00.000+02:00

Everything was planned, packed and ready to go. All our life was aboard Flora Ella, all that was left to do was head to Brussels to get married and celebrate in style. It made sense to get married in at least one of our home countries. It seemed difficult and too expensive to ship everyone over to Aus, considering that the bulk of my friends are currently residing in London. So, ten of my close family and friends jumped on a plane and headed to over to the land of mussels, fries, mayonnaise and beer. Oh, also a Eurostar full of really loud and drunk Aussies from London were on their way.El’s family have a great house outside of Brussels with a garden overlooking the sight of Napoleon’s last battle of Waterloo, with a fantastic garden and pool. A garden party was definitely in order, so we sat down to plan the great event. One question immediately came to mind, how many liters of beer is required for 30 thirsty young Australian larrikins? As much as you can purchase and more! 80 liters was a slight under calculation and during the evening the local supermarket was raided for another 100lt of Belgium’s finest. I’m so proud it brings a tear of nostalgia to my eyes every time I think about this marvelous achievement.So back to the wedding, we were married at 11am in a short but really great service in the Local Commune of Waterloo. We then jumped on a bus hired just to cart all the Aussies around for the day and headed where else, but to the pub for a quick beer. I think the bar tender almost had a heart attack when we asked for 30 beers. Anyway after a quick tour of the sites of Waterloo, we were back on the bus and en route for the reception.The food was fantastic, cooked mostly by Elodie during the previous week, and little did we know but the entertainment was about to commence. As strange a sight as I had ever seen, men dressed in tribal warrior outfits speaking in a strange language and making music from various household items and giant balloons. We were captivated, intrigued and involved in this bizarre spectacle. The madness and music carried on for a couple of hours and put everyone well and truly in the party mood. The afternoon kicked on and saw everyone in the pool at some stage. With Willy our inflatable killer whale sliced in two by the combined weights of some well feed boys. The Afternoon meandered into evening and suddenly there were dj’s setting up by the pool for what turned out to be a very late session in deed. Ben, my best man, and I saw in the sunrise however the last of the stragglers finally got into a cab around 5am. “Best wedding I’ve ever been to,” was a common sentiment from friends and family after the event, and I couldn’t agree more. Thanks to all those who made the effort to get there, it was you guys who made the party what it was.

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Ready for the off? Almost

2005-05-01T17:25:00.000+02:00

After sailing approx. 400nm and feeling more confident that our plans of extended travel to the Med were not too ridiculous, we were almost ready to go for good. We had been dreaming of escaping the UK for a good two years and it was dawning on us that we might not be too far from that after all. Plenty left to do before tackling the Channel for the first time, hitting the inland waterways of France and then cruising full swing into the Med. Realising that I would require and International Certificate of Competence for traveling through France on the River system I booked a date with the Brighton Marina Watersports Sailing School. I completed the test in the worst possible conditions but was further encouraged that Dan our instructor felt we had the required skill level now to head out across the Channel for good. As part of the test I was required to show an understanding of passage planning. Planning for a Channel crossing is totally different from the normal costal planning due to the tidal flows up and down the Channel. So we looked at this instead and it was good to have Dan's input and assistance even though I felt I knew the theory. You can only plan so much before heading off and a lot does depend on the weather for the day, which we happened to find out all too well...

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Fog Ahoy

2005-04-07T17:22:00.000+02:00

Thick fog encircled us as we edged out of Brighton Marina at 0600. The sea was dead calm with an eerie quietness, only distant squawks from birds following in the fishing boats could be heard. The radio crackled to life to inform us that one of the boats in the group had already turned back. Three of us decided to continue on, based on the minimal risk until the shipping lanes out from Portsmouth. The only potential collisions would come from a fishing boat or other pleasure craft. We had plenty of hands on board for a constant watch and were comforted by our experienced friends from the Cruising Club following close-by, somewhere. Visibility was not great at around 30m but prospects for the sun to shine through and burn off the fog were favorable.We cruised through the looe channel and out past the buoys, Border and Street, marking the end of a narrow channel rounding Selsey Bill and the entrance to the Solent. The fog had not lifted despite the forecasted sunshine and a collective decision was reached to head towards Horse Sands fort, marking the outer side of the narrow commercial shipping channel into Portsmouth Harbor. The Fort and submerged wall were built in World War II to keep out enemy submarines and defend one of the UK’s major military bases. There are only two places to cross the wall, either between the two opposing forts where the major ships run through, or through a narrow gap in the wall marked only by a small post. No-one liked our prospects of finding ‘the gap’ in the fog and decided the safest thing to do was meet at a marked buoy just on the inside of the for and call the port authority at Portsmouth to determine if a safe passage was available. The bells and engines of ships surrounded us and I could feel my heart starting to race. As we edged though the shipping channel suddenly we all heard the roar of a ships engine, seemingly bearing down on top of us. At this stage I was really starting to swet and Martin on one of the other boats was desperately trying to squeeze out the last breaths from his gas canister foghorn. Surprisingly though we were not mowed down and predictably the buoy marking the outer edge of the channel came into view. We realised with hindsight that the ship had just passed in front and it was the noise of it moving away from us out to sea that we heard. From there we followed the small ships channel into Portsmouth for some well-deserved beers. Glad I had the experience, but wouldn’t recommend it for family fun! Thanks to the experience of David and Mike at the BMYC to get us through safely, and for providing plenty of alcohol to sooth my nerves.

The BMYC Retirement Community

2005-04-06T17:18:00.000+02:00

Elodie 27, Myself 29, Flora Ella 30, the average age of the Brighton Marina Yacht Club Cruising Section, 60. Young people, under thirty that is, don’t have cruising boats. Do you think however I was going to wait until retirement to start living my dreams? Not a chance. We were quickly adopted and felt quite at home with people of a different generation who shared a common passion for sailing. We had tapped into a wealth of experience and wisdom, and felt reassured that we would learn and broaden our sailing horizons with this Wiley old bunch of half-deaf alcoholics. Not uncommon from my other close Aussie mates in London!So the cruising agenda was set for the year and looked as though we would indeed push our cruising boundaries and increase our miles over the 3 months prior to our departure on July 3rd.

A Little Further

2004-07-06T17:11:00.000+02:00

After spending two full days aboard with our instructor Dan, we began to realise just how much knowledge is required to go sailing in the UK. I grew up sailing small dingies all summer long at our beach hose on the Mornington Peninsula, just outside Melbourne in Australia. However I really had no concept of navigation, passage planning, entering unfamiliar ports, tidal flows. On top of all that learning to respect the weather and knowing your and your boats limitations. The English Channel can be vicious at times and a certain amount of respect is required to keep out of any trouble and go sailing safely. So study was the order of the day. I decided to forego the expensive and time-consuming RYA’s ‘Day Skipper’ course for some home study and practice every time we went out of port. We had undertaken a basic passage plan to an unfamiliar tidal port with our instructor so it wasn’t too daunting to get out the some of the other local ports around Brighton. Thus, for the remainder of the 2004 season when we ventured out it was predominantly for a day sail without going too far out of our comfort zones. When we thought about our plans to sail to the Med, it was an overwhelming prospect. Crossing the Channel was a frightening prospect. We desperately needed some confidence building miles before endeavoring to undertake such a journey. So what better way to do that than join the local cruising club run through the Brighton Marina Yacht Club.

Now What?

2004-06-05T17:08:00.000+02:00

After finding a birth in Brighton Marina and negotiating the previous owners to deliver Flora Ella there, all that was left to do was to go sailing. Or so I thought..... Without any instruction I made the fatal, yet really common, error of thinking that she would be easy to handle and a couple of hours cruising round the marina was all I needed to take control of my new boat. So with a few friends on board and a moderate southerly breeze blowing over our starboard side, I gave instructions to cast off and started to back out of our birth, ever so gently. I headed straight back until just shy of the boats on the opposite pontoon, put her in forward, turned the wheel to starboard and watched with amazement as she just wouldn’t turn. The wind was such that all I could do was go back and forwards, whilst just missing a range of bloody expensive boats, and drift with the force of the wind to the end of the pontoon. Fortunately there was no boat there and we were able to tie up. With shaking hands and a red face, the harbormaster quietly remarked, after he had helped up tie up, "new boat"? I sheepishly agreed and went inside to cry.Well with a bruised ego, but no real damage done, we decided that maybe we need some lessons. Brighton Marina Watersports came to the rescue and employed Dan (pictured in yellow, the other is me) to teach us the basics and the essentials of how to operate an 11m yacht in confined spaces, let alone what to do once we left the marina. After a couple of hours I regained some confidence and learnt some valuable skills, which are required, every time we go out in Flora Ella. You would be amazed the effect of the wind and the direction the propeller turns has on your ability to turn the boat.

Making the Dream a Reality

2004-03-05T17:04:00.000+01:00

After securing the required finance I headed off to Paris to take a first look at what was potentially our first boat. I found her on the Internet and recognizing a good price I decided it was worth the trip to save a few thousand pounds. She was owned by a Australian couple (pictured right) who where on the last leg of a four year tour of the Med, culminating in a trip through the inland waterways of France and eventually to the UK. I fell in love immediately and pending a positive survey I was now the proud owner of Flora Ella. We decided not to change her name after finding out from the previous owners that it was named after her mum who just happened to grow up one street away from me in Melbourne, and wend to the same school that my sister was at! This was all just too much of a coincidence, so Flora Ella stuck.

Dream, Stupidity or Reality?

2004-03-05T10:53:00.000+01:00

For an Australian with a love of the great outdoors, London is a perfect place to dream up really crazy ideas of escape to a warmer and better life. The one that happened to spring to mind was, "hey why don't we buy a boat and sail back to Aus"? Well crazy as that may seem, we decided to do just that. Although for now getting to Aus was a little out of reach, experience wise and financially. So our immediate goals were to buy Flora Ella, work like hell in London for 2 years, pay off the boat and have enough cash in the bank to travel for 4 months over the summer of 2005. So where do you start? Paris of course.......