GOOD VIS, BAD NEWS 2006
I spent half of May and much of July making reasonable progress with an
extensive refit which Aqua Blue my Kelsall 39 trimaran has needed for some time.
On arrival in May I had been shocked at the damp inside the boat and found seven
leaks, so started by replacing some of the saloon windows with acrylic I had
brought out with me, making new seals from bicycle inner tube which works well.
A new Vetus saloon hatch replaced the unsatisfactory previous model and is a
huge improvement. I was beginning to wonder if a waterproof hatch was actually
made! The cockpit seats were also rebuilt. I also started the engine and was
surprised to find the bilge slowly filling with oil!! Fortunately it was an
easily replaceable external oil pipe on the Yanmar 2GM20.
In July the Yanmar's rusty engine mountings were also finally replaced after
quite a struggle to undo the gearbox/propshaft flange bolts which had been well
tightened seventeen years earlier. The engine was lifted out onto a cockpit
seat, where it's further upgrade was quickly undertaken. The removal of the
corroded coach bolts holding down the collapsing old mountings needed a day with
a hacksaw in very high temperatures, but the freshly painted new mounts were
eventually in place. The now blue engine looked quite smart held down on the
Hammerited mountings with giant stainless washers. The dreaded shaft/gearbox
alignment was accomplished without too much difficulty. I had also cleaned and
lubricated the starter motor drive and freed a sticky throttle lever and fitted
a new fuel pump.
Subsequently I completed the installation of a new Kiwi prop. This all took so
long that some planned repainting has been postponed yet again, however function
must come before beauty. I don't resent the time spent on maintenance and
hopefully improvement, it's an essential part of the cruising lifestyle, so
often described as "working on your boat in exotic locations". Nautec marine in
Monfalcone where Aqua Blue winters has good facilities including a
bar/restaurant and friendly staff. I was particularly grateful to Maurizzio the
Italian engineer who procured the new engine mounts in two days.
My wife Stella, and daughter Louise then arrived along with one of her school
friends Shanthi. I collected them by car from Venice airport and we stopped in
Portogruaro on the way back to visit the ancient watermills. The girls enjoyed
the pool in the heatwave for two days and Stella helped me fit the sails,
inflate the dinghy and provision. I also completed the wiring for the new
Lofrans windlass and was mildly surprised when it worked immediately! On
motoring out of the long Timavo river the engine was noticeably quieter on it's
new mounts and revving more freely, with significantly more power being
delivered by the Kiwi prop, in fact reverse with it's coarser pitch was a
revelation. Instead of heading straight for Croatia, we had decided to visit
Venice lagoon, so our first day at sea was spent making good progress west along
the very shallow coast in a strengthening sea breeze. Eventually crossing the
very shallow banks to enter Lignano, anchoring just off the starboard side of
the entrance channel into the large lagoon for a peaceful night. These banks are
to be avoided in bad weather and in fact a fishing boat was unfortunately rolled
here with loss of life later in September.
Lighter winds the next day meant we motorsailed much of the way to the Lido
entrance to Venice lagoon, easily recognisable with it's chequerboard light
structure. Initially we anchored in the Canale Treporti just past the Marina Lio
Grande for a swim in the murky water after fitting the larger sunshade, as it
was still very hot. Later we moved up channel to anchor north of Burano for the
night and the ladies spent the morning in Burano admiring lace and colourful
architecture while I failed to start the outboard. The local church has a
leaning tower at a much more drunken angle than Pisa's. Later we attempted a
clockwise circumnavigation of Torcello but couldn't manage it even in a
multihull so retreated and tried anticlockwise which got us up a creek
very
close to the ancient Basilica whose campanile Stella and I climbed in the
stupendous heat 97F. The mosaics are very impressive . Later we followed the
marked channel down to anchor north of Murano. However the heat gave way to wind
and rain, and at dusk it was uncomfortable enough in the northeasterly wind to
make me motor round to the southwest side of Murano, to anchor just outside the
channel much to the surprise of the passing high speed water taxis which sped to
and fro from Marco Polo airport all night. We returned to the recognised
northerly anchorage in the dawn calm. The rubbish dump has been landscaped and
this spot offers the easiest access ashore down one of the small canals. Stella
and the girls spent the morning admiring glasswork while I did more jobs onboard
including another ventilation fan. The afternoon heat drove us down to anchor
south of Erasmo island to swim off the sandbank the locals use as a beach,
although frankly I don't recommend bathing in the lagoon!! We returned to the
Murano anchorage for dinner ashore and slept through the northeasterly night
breeze this time, the popply conditions ending at 4.00am. It may be possible to
anchor in the lee of one of the small islands to the east of Murano for a
quieter night and Venice is worth visiting by yacht if you have time to seek out
the few anchorages.
Shanthi left us in the morning, conveniently getting a water bus from Murano
to Marco Polo airport. After further exploration of Murano we upped anchor and
headed south, spending much film on views of Venice, although I refrained from
attempting the Grande Canale. Following the long channel inside the barrier
islands of Lido and Malomocco eventually brought us to Chioggia where there was
no room in the town harbour, although there is a crowded marina to the northwest
and also another to the east inside the beach resort of Sottomarina, where I
just ran Aqua Blue on to a mudbank for two nights peace, again alarming passing
boats. Before the morning heat we had capuccinos and croissants in a fisherman's
cafe and then walked round to explore Chioggia which is a charming island port
with very few tourists. We spent the afternoon on the beach at Sottomarina
behind which is an impressive Roman sea wall, and later obtained water at the
small marina which does in fact have a few visitor's berths, although the
approach channels through the mudbanks are baffling to a visitor. A good fish
supper ashore too, although Prosecco is a better aperitif than an accompaniment
to a meal in my opinion.
An early start was prevented on the second morning due to it being low tide, but
patience and winching eventually recovered the anchor. We left the lagoon via
the Chioggia entrance and had a rather boring day motoring most of the way
across to Porec in Croatia. However there was an available mooring buoy and
ashore there's a Mac internet cafe where Louise and I spent some time, after a
meal in the courtyard of the Basilica, whose wonderful mosaics are not to be
missed. In the morning we were relieved of 1037Kuna for our annual cruising
permit by the friendly harbourmaster. No mention of the theoretically required
skippers certificate, perhaps it's asked of charterers, to nudge them towards
hiring a skipper! The port police were more severe but still polite, they are
basically a frontier post for marine travellers.
We headed south and anchored off Sturago island for a swimming lunch. However we
were brought up short as the Delta terminally engaged under a rock ledge and no
amount of motoring around would budge it. It was just too deep for me to attach
a tripping line to the anchor so reluctantly I buoyed the chain and left the
lot, probably for someone else!! Continuing south at good speed as though the
boat was glad to lose all that weight at the bow we made Pula harbour by evening
and dropped the alloy Fortress into the filthy water on the second chain and
rope, off the boatyard which now seems to be a charter base. Louise and I went
ashore to eyeball the local chandlery and use the internet cafe leaving Stella
on board. As we rowed back in the dark we could see lightning to the northwest.
The increasing wind had me up again at 11.00pm as a thunderstorm crossed the
harbour. During the first blast I lashed down the dinghy and let out more scope.
However before long we were virtually lying ahull in 36kts (I should have fitted
a bridle), and the large harbour was filled with short breaking waves. For a
while I ran the engine to keep the bows into the wind and was wiping sewage from
my face. The Fortress passed it's test though in the glutinous mud and prevented
us from involuntarily entering the marina behind us, and the deluge was over in
half an hour. In the morning I bought another 25mtrs of 8mm chain and struggled
back to the boat with it on an alloy trolley we usually use for fuel cans,
despite the oaths being directed at me by the supervisor of the rowing pontoon I
was using as a dinghy dock. I winched the chain from the dinghy to the foredeck
with the spinny halliard and after attaching the CQR which had spent several
years under the engine, we could use the new windlass again. Surprisingly the
CQR was a good fit in the new nodding bow roller. We then waited an hour for a
superyacht to leave the fuel dock before we could refuel ourselves. Finally we
escaped Pula although it is worth visiting for the huge Roman amphitheatre and
temple, and passed through the inside passage at Kamenjack rather late at
2.15pm.
We were able to slowly sail across the gulf of Kvaerner in a light southerly
since the trough that had produced the thunderstorm was slow to clear. I was
immediately aware that the Kiwi prop had reduced drag since we were doing six
knots in ten knots apparent despite being full of fuel and water, whereas
previously we'd been pleased to approach half wind speed at cruising weight, and
now could more easily exceed it. The white painted Delrin blades trailed aft
like rocket fins. Later we were overtaken by a roll cloud with a blast
underneath it which sent us scurrying into Artaturi bay on Losinj island to
anchor next to a large cat. In the morning I fitted a new shower head of the
garden variety, a huge improvement over the nautical version. After transiting
the many buoyed anchorage between Ilovik and Petar we drifted down to Zapuntel
on Molat island. The mooring buoy's ground tackle was corroded, and small
jellyfish deterred Louise from swimming, but it was a quiet night although
rather open to the northeast for a popular anchorage. In fact it was popply
enough to wake me at dawn and we motored round to the double headed bay just
north of Molat town for the rest of the morning, a beautiful spot with
brilliantly clear water for swimming.
I tried to tighten the slipping alternator belt yet again and had an unwelcome
surprise when the threaded lug on the alternator snapped off!! Fortunately there
was just enough to still hold the bolt but I added another one underneath the
lug as well. A temporary repair which may well be there for some time. In
retrospect I think a fatter belt is needed. When the northwesterly Maestro
returned at lunch time we left and easily sailed down inside Dugi Otok to pick
up a buoy in Uvala Lucina off the village of Brinj. We only moved 15mls that
day, real lotus eating. Dinner on board followed by American Gigolo on the new
12v Sevic DVD player, which the batteries can just manage. The light southerlies
returned on the 1st August and the three of us tacked slowly southeast for most
of the day making Zut island by three pm to anchor north east of the marina for
a siesta, and later a meal in the large restaurant. There's also a small but
pricey shop and a water shortage, but we did manage a few jerry cans when the
taps were switched back on at 8.00am
After our morning departure the 12yr old Lowrance GPS with it's valued large
screen failed to find any satellites and could not be brought back to useful
life even after re-initiallising. Sharing a battery with the windlass was too
much for it. Fortunately the handheld Magellan which talks to the laptop wasn't
so fussy. A SW wind had us closehauling SE to Tijat for an afternoon swim before
motoring into Sibenik. We backed up to the town quay at the first attempt to
pick up the laid mooring ropes, never easy especially short handed in a trimaran,
since the ropes have to be passed round the floats. The old town has been
noticeably cleaned up for tourism (which can't be said of the harbour) and we
had a surprisingly good fish meal at a pavement cafe, and the internet was
available in a couple of places, topped off by a free jazz concert in a small
square. The Cathedral on the front is worth a visit and there's also a water
hose .Humphrey our regular crew arrived in the morning by bus from Split airport
and was added to the crew list by a friendly official in the harbourmaster's
office. However the SW wind was increasing and the berth becoming uncomfortable,
in fact a charter yacht alongside snapped it's bow rope and ended up broadside
to the quay. As the crew winched it back out we made our escape and motored up
the river Krka to to anchor almost under the trees outside the full marina at
Skradin. Humphrey caught up on sleep, and we swam in the warm fresh water before
I filmed a Dragonfly tri which tacked up through the crowded anchorage.
We were ashore for the ten am river boat up to the famous falls, whose nature
trail we spent a couple of hours hiking round before returning to Skradin for a
late lunch. It's a surprisingly fashionable little place with good restaurants.
We retraced our steps down the river in the afternoon and exited Sibenik via the
canal again, to run down the coast under sail and pass under the low road bridge
into large Morinje bay for the night. There were only three other yachts there
in early August and being shallow it's ideal for multis. Back out in the morning
under the only 22mtr arch bridge we motor sailed SE to Drevenika Veli at the
east end of Solta for tea and swimming. However before long a brisk westerly had
us swinging too near Krknjas so we ran over to Brac where we rejected Maslinica
as too open, and continued round to enter the fjord like inlet of Sesula.
Unfortunately the CQR was ineffective on the thin sand over rock and we
re-anchored no less than three times, before squeezing up to the head of the
inlet and reversing up to the trees alongside a large Dutch yacht. We joined the
skipper and his children in a "thatched hut restaurant" up the cliffs, run I
suspect by students, but the meal was fine and the jazz appreciated. Of course
once we were in our bunks it turned into disco inferno, but I managed to doze by
telling myself that I actually liked the music. Mind over matter!!
Our
Dutch neighbour was from the Frisian islands and chartering a yacht based near
Split, as so many are in this area, producing the crowded summer anchorages.
After extricating ourselves from the fjord we motorsailed south to Vis by early
afternoon to anchor in Luka Rogacic past the naval bunker. As the others
siesta'd I tackled the installation of a new CD player and associated wiring and
before too long we had John Scofield playing in the cockpit. By the cocktail
hour we had re-anchored off Kut at the east end of Vis harbour and had a good
meal at the waterfront hotel. Later at the internet cafe I learned from my
brother Paul (who was staying in our house in Brighton) that my poor Dad was
seriously ill in hospital.
I had intended to spend a few days in Vis, which I'm rather fond of, although
it's much busier than only a few years ago. But now the news was not so good, we
had to immediately start retracing our steps. Stella and Louise flew home from
Split three days later and I nearly joined them. However Humphrey and I day
raced north through indifferent and even stormy weather, arranging flights on
the mobile, anchoring for short nights only and not going ashore for five days,
till reaching Umag to clear Croatia. Next day we were back in Monfalcone and
within 24hrs via Ryanair I was at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.
Much to the welcome surprise of my parents!