Baringo's Blog

We returned to Grenada on 16th June and stayed in a hotel until launch day on 20th June .The hotel, “La Sargesse”,  was very pleasant if a little rustic on a pretty and unspoilt beach so good for a swim and a run before and after the days work on the boat .Once Baringo was in the water we stayed on a mooring in St David’s bay to check the engine and generator and bend the sails .We had bought a new Rocna anchor, apparently these give the best holding but in order to fit it we had had to remove our glistening bow sprit which we had installed for the parasailor .We are hoping we can solve this problem later ..it would never do to actually run out of challenges on Baringo ! By Monday 24th June we felt ready to move so we made the short distance about 6nm along the south coast to Prickly Bay marina where we met with Tulu of Fowey a Lagoon catamaran sailed by Chris and Sara whom we had first met in Lanzarote, so a jolly evening was spent enjoying half price pizzas and a good chat (and a few drinks ! ) We had an interesting neighbour in Prickly Bay marina , a small boat which was there when we arrived and we both thought had been there for some time and was a stationary live aboard. It did not give the impression of seaworthiness ,actually nor did the owner ! However we later discovered that the skipper had just completed a transatlantic crossing in 23 days from Cape Verde …so you never can tell ! After two days we cautiously moved slightly further around the SW tip of Grenada to St George’s bay where we had stayed on the way down in January .There was a strong headwind so we decided not to try and sail up the coast to get further north which would have given us a better angle for the voyage to Bonaire .The weather was forecast to be bad for the next few days so we hired a car and explored the island which was great fun .The tropical rain forest is dense and extraordinarily colourful with Birds of Paradise growing in profusion as well as an abundance of flowering trees so a truly kaleidoscopic scene (even without any assistance ) . Then back to work on the boat to complete the final preparations and it seems the weather is favourable …thankfully we have our trusted Emmanuel forecasting for us and hope we will be away tomorrow Monday 1st July .So more anon all being well .

PICS to follow- internet speeds too slow here to upload photos. Hope for better in the Dutch Antilles.

 

 

We arrived back in Las Palmas on 11^th November just two weeks before the start of the ARC. The marina was decorated with many more ARC flags now and the activity was getting more intense by the day .The ARC office opened the following day and the  entry process was completed very efficiently .

We started the provisioning in earnest and  the supermarket delivered  at least 3 trolleys of food and drink to the boat later that day .It was quite a task stowing everything and essential to make a stowage list in order to find food  in the mid atlantic ! The partying started now with happy hour everyday ,crew dinner ,owners dinner, the masked ball and more .All great fun !There were several informative seminars on weather , handling emergencies and how to care for your rigging so  we were still well and truly on the  learning curve .Jimmy Cornell (the founder of the ARC ) was in Las Palmas and gave an excellent talk on voyage planning and he signed all his  books which we have and  on which we rely very heavily for advice .We were scrutineered in the usual way and we joined a tree planting outing to add some trees to the ARC forest .It was rather harder work than we imagined but certainly in a good cause .

On Sunday 18^th we had a day away from the boat and explored the Tamanbada national park on the west of the island which is the least populated ,we had a wonderful walk in the hills and met nobody, a pleasant contrast to the rather frenetic activity in the marina

We are now in the last week before the start and we can feel the panic level rising everywhere ,John almost lived in Rolnautic  the marina chandlers ,I was always finding more provisions  to buy and the internet access was a struggle with so many people all  using it .David and Giles arrived on 19^th in time for the crew dinner and the parasailor lecture by the legendary Thomas who had sold almost all the parasailors for the ARC .Andrew arrived the next day in time for the masked ball .We all used the huge swimming pool every evening in the Club Nautico the Las palmas equivalent of RHKYC ( not quite as nice of course ) and as it was heated so we could swim in the evening and relax afterwards with a drink on the balcony .Pre race abstinence was not a feature of our careful preparation .The skippers briefing was on 22^nd November and it was then that the delayed start was announced but not until after the weather forecast during which everyone became progressively more anxious so the delay was greeted with thunderous applause and great relief !   The racing division start was not delayed so we watched this in bright sunshine on Sunday 27^th but despite the forecast they had very little wind to cross the start line but they did get the forecast strong headwinds later though .

Andrew and Giles hired bikes to fill in the extra days and we of course found more tasks on board ! Is one ever ready to go to sea I wonder?? Tuesday 27^th dawned like any other day but there was great excitement in the marina with much tooting of horns and cheering and we finally left the pontoon and headed out of the port with about 200 other boats so quite a sight .The start was at 11.00 am straight over the line and into a squall with wet cold gray skies and a force 7 wind thankfully from behind .This did not stop varying up to Force 9 and down to 6 until 13^th December ! The waves were mountainous real atlantic rollers and it almost seemed impossible that Baringo could rise up so high but she did every time and we all kept surprisingly dry .Squalls came and went, the moon was full and the stars were brilliant and became much more interesting with Andrews I pad starwalk app. Baringo rolled constantly and relentlessly occasionally a rogue wave would swing her right round with a frightening lurch and any careless unlucky crew would be flung mercilessly across the saloon or cockpit .The most miraculous crew was Poppy the autohelm she worked tirelessly in the extremely heavy conditions with very few complaints only guzzling lots of amps to keep her going but  now we had the new Cummins Onan generator working well this was a small price to pay for such loyal service .

After  he first 24 hours the  large foresail clew was torn so we had to furl and use the small foresail which initially was all we needed indeed at times we did not even need that but after a few days we thought we needed more speed so the skipper had the brainwave to use the trysail as the main would have been far too dangerous  in such strong winds downwind .We had never used the trysail  before and once hoisted which was not easy but did not defeat the indefatigable Giles. It flew wonderfully well and looked pretty with the orange dots!

On 6th December David caught a large mahi mahi which was delicious and fed us all for 2 meals.

Baringo cocktails continued unabated like the winds until one evening the cocktail cabinet broke ….all hand were immediately on deck and the crew showed great willingness and alacrity in mending this vital piece of kit in about 3 minutes ! Their good work lasted for the rest of the voyage.

By Friday 14^th December the wind disappeared and we had to motor for 25 hours but on friday 15^th a very pleasant force 4 arrived and we had some calm and easy sailing .The parasailor which we had bought to get us across was finally hoisted on sunday 16^th December after we had seen Martinique and St Lucia !

We sailed around Pigeon island the northern end of St Lucia and Rodney Bay  and then dropped it as we had to sail up wind to cross the finishing line …rather a change after 19 days of downwind sailing ! We crossed the line at 14.20 after 19 days at sea with great jubilation and relief  in beautiful sunshine .We immediately anchored ,swam and quaffed copious glasses of cold champagne and ate Christmas cake kindly supplied by Giles and David’s sister ….it tasted particularly delicious  !

We were welcomed into the marina with a steel drum  serenade and rum punch ,fruit and some fellow ARC boats who had arrived before us. We all had land sickness, maybe too much champagne and punch but no-one cared. It was an amazing moment .

The next few days were taken up recovering and returning the boat to our home . We heard lots of tales from other boats and decided we had been very lucky and Baringo had sailed up to the Atlantic challenge excellently. The crew were very happy to find a comfortable bed on land with the ARC staff and  they  hired a car to explore the island .We all needed some exercise for our legs so climbed the Gros Piton and it certainly provided what we wanted and more !

The Arc finished with the prize giving on Friday 21^st lots of interesting prizes including one for the 42 children who had crossed and one skipper who had first done the Arc as a child ! The crew departed and we turned our attention to Christmas celebrations in St Lucia !

Here are the Blogs done en route posted onto ARC web page:

Greetings from Baringo and her crew. Fifth day at sea and our first belated blog. As by now well reported the start was not as in the brochure! It was cloudy, blustery, squally and as we headed out to sea a big swell developed. Not much has changed! We have been running downwind with wind speeds of about 25-30 knots and a large swell. The boat is rolling all over the place and difficult to keep anything in one place. We have broken our main genoa having inadvertently gybed it several times in strong winds so that the clew ring has nearly parted from the body of the sail. So we are using the smaller genny which is working surprisingly well giving us speeds of about 6 knots or more. But it would be nice to go faster in this wind but steering would be more difficult so perhaps we would be using the smaller sail in any case. We plan to get it down and repair it when the sea settles down a bit. No chance to use our new parasailor yet (only in winds less than 18 knots). But we have had some lovely nights with a wonderful full moon and sky full of stars. Crew all remain very cheerful considering the conditions and full of humour and we have had some excellent meals miraculously cooked in a rolling galley. The size of the atlantic is beginning to dawn on us but so far so good and we are making respectable progress compared to other boats of our size. No fish caught yet. More soon….

Date: 03/12/12

Here on board the skipper and crew are having a wonderful wild downhill ride on the boat, nothing beats surfing 12 tons of plastic down the front of 5m waves at night with a following wind gusting to 40 knots true.

Whilst we note we are slowly dropping down the fleet at present in terms of position, we are congratulating ourseleves on our current rig – storm sail and small inner stay head sail, because alas we wore out the clue on our main head sail. The rig looks great, nothing like a bright orange storm sail to enliven life aboard. It is a triumph of our on board committee, because of course we have the ideal trans atlantic compliment: 3 medical doctors and 2 lawyers ! It’s all fun aboard this vessel.

This morning we saw a double rainbow amidst squalls as dawn broke – its desolately beautiful out here and as we sit and think about what we will be doing this time next week, and indeed what we shall be doing in a fortnight and realise with much delirious hilarity that we’ll be here aboard our faithful yacht we actually look forward to it and continue to enjoy the sailing…oh and the food and the jokes; they are always better second time around.

Lunch is being prepared as I write. Professor Andrew Peacock is on galley duty today. He is an expert in handling vasaline covered eggs (they are covered in vaseline to extend thier life), in a heavy sea way …. wow that one almost hit me !

The water maker is being run; our skipper and engineer 1st class Professor John Sanderson is putting all his skill as a cardiac physician to good use in coaxing the recalcitrant machine into life.

All well aboard – more anon.

Giles Surman

Date: 01/12/12

Date 07/12/12: here on the good ship Baringo our deck mate 1st class David Surman has struck gold with a 10kg Mahi Mahi fish which will soon grace the dining table – its no.1 mess dress for the high table this evening.

Crew morale has risen with the fishing triumph & the sunshine and a considerably calmer sea as we crack along at a comfortable pace towards 40 degrees west – our notional or psychological half way line of longitude.

In respect of our sailing we are still somewhat hampered by the early loss of our main large head sail – the clew chaffed through – but are doing our best to make up for its loss and using what other sails we have; and have been fortunate to have fair winds that have generally favoured what sails we have. Thus far the rest of the boat is proving to be very sound indeed – Baringo has thus far made it from Hong Kong, no surprise given that she is beautifully cared for by its owners John Sanderson and Julia Billingham and we are very fortunate to be in such a well found boat as this.

The stories are beginning to be recycled – but we can bear that. All of us think of our families in various parts of the world: John & Julia with their children in London and Beijing; Andrew Peacock with his family gathering at his snow covered home this weekend in the suburbs of Glasgow; David & Giles Surman with thier parents in Fiji and Giles with his lovely wife and 3 sons in Hong Kong – its a global boat this and all of us aboard send greetings to all our families and loved ones.

That’s “over” from Baringo this sunny and windy Thursday 6th Dec at 17.43 UST.

Date: Sun, 09 Dec 2012 01:16:37 +0800

Dear All,

after a Thursday night and Friday (6th and 7th Dec) characterized by three things: rain; rain; and more rain – and a fourth namely such varibale winds that we were turning in all directions – we finally as of about 1800 hrs Friday (6th Dec) picked up a strong and steady north east breeze and have been making steady and comfortable progress since then.

Crew morale is as always excellent and was improved by a celebratory slice of Christmas cake (generously donated to crew supplies by Brownen Richardson – my sister) as we passed the half way point in the rain on Friday.

The crew sweepstakes on the most accurate forecast for the time at which we would cross 40 degrees W , was won by Professor Andrew Peacock – despiet the very best efforts of one helmsman to steer 270 / due west and ‘race for the line’ as the clock counted down through the early hours of Sat (8 Dec) (my apologies for the course deviation skipper).

Besides the daily routine of sail changes, course correction, crew rotation, galley duties etc., the crew of Baringo have wrestled with a number of thorny issues and such has been the range of discussion (rarely argument), debate never dampened by the wind and rain, we thought we’d give you a little flavour of the areas of discussion covered – rarely resolved, but always thought provoking – these have included:

1. Robotics & the development of new ‘skin’ for robots – is this a major leap forwards and simply another incremental step?

2. Robotics in farming?

3. Solar panels & alleged Chinese dumping thereof.

4. Funding the BBC – public or private?

5. Pharmaceutical companies and the funding of drug research / ‘patent cliffs’ / use of animals in drug testing / new methods of funding R & D

6. The ‘war’ on illicit drugs. How will future generations perceive the approach?

7. The rights / obligations of protesters – Animal rights / religious / political ? Do different ‘rules’ apply in ‘open’ societies as opposed to closed ones?

8. Automated vehicles – planes trains & automobiles – which will come first? What impact on road architecture ? On insurance? On car design?

9. Cars – the good the bad and the ugly we have owned and driven. Someone on board had a Fiat – no one ever owned a Lancia (or admitted same).

10. Australia – an economy ‘hollowed out’ by a minerals boom. Will it last forever, how will it end?

11. Hong Kong – the pollution problem.

12. Caribbean politics – the blessings and curses of geogpraphy, neighbours, history & climate.

13. Electricity – nuclear, hydro, conventioanl fossil, sun/wind …and the apparent lack of progress in harnessing the power of the ocean in the form of tides.

14. Abrahamic religions? What of the future? A force for good?

15. Scotland – attitudes & approaches to devolution. What forces propel nationalists within Canada, Spain, UK at a time of increasing globalisation?

16. Post WW2 ‘watershed years’: 1948 (Berlin/Cold War), 1949 (PRC), 1952(Hydrogen), 1960(Cuba), 1979 (Deng/PRC; Thatcher), 1989 (Soviet), 2008 ($ crisis enhancing trends already evident – China, women in employment, US debt). We started with a top 5 restriction but couldn’t do it.

17. Future conflicts- the artic? , Water? Territory? Oil? Football?

18. The Kurds. Beneficiaries of the ‘Arab Spring’?

19. Syria – the end game . Aspirations of the ‘new’ Ottomans?

I could go on – but just wanted to give you a flavour of life aboard ….of course we have talked of boat design, sails, material science and boats etc etc .

That’s it from Baringo at 18 52′ N 41 33’W on a wonderful windy sunny Saturday afternoon.

Giles Surman

Night Watch Leader

Baringo

Sat 8 Dec 2012

Date 12/12/12: A gap in adding to the blog I am afraid as typing is difficult in these roly-poly conditions. We gybed yesterday onto a port tack to go more south and hoping for a more easterly wind which has partly emerged. The wind today remains about 25-30 knots with big following seas. Last night luckily no major squalls and a marvelous starry night with shooting stars and a thin slither of the old moon rising just before dawn. We been hampered by not having a proper genoa to pole out to enable us to go more downwind and it is impossible to repair in these conditions- the thought of getting it down in these winds is enough! We are now sailing with the main with 2 reefs and a strong preventer attached managing to sail about 160 degrees. But not ideal and last night we were a bit overcautious putting 3 reefs in the main further reducind our speeds. Our little genoa is of little use at these wind angles. The promise of lighter winds and the chance to use our parasailor are looking more remote now. So we are pressing on with reasonable speeds of about 6.5 knots. Many of the boats are now arrriving but we are 560 miles from St Lucia and if we continue we should arrive at the weekend. We are amazed to have sailed over 2000 miles with 30 kntos of wind behind us nearly all the way! Crew remain well and cheerful and food miraculously appears from a rolling and tipping galley, a great tribute to the crew! We are hoping for another fish catch today. JS

This morning – Friday – the wind died.

Before we turned on the motor, we had a long debate about it. But thoughts of land and a realization from receiving weather information that we were unlikely to get any decent wind for possibly days meant the old ‘iron sail’ was cranked up.

However, before we commenced motoring, we had a swim in the Atlantic.

As I swam I looked all around me and thought, north of here there is nothing but sea until about Newfoundland or Greenland ; south of me there is nothing until the Falkland Islands or the Arctic, west of me there is the Caribbean – the Leeward Island lay due west of us here (St. Lucia is in the Windward Islands which are a bit further south) , to the east of me as I swam there are several thousand miles to the coast of Africa. Below me was 1000 metres or more – the sea was a very deep blue and as I swam the big rolling ocean waves which are still about 3-5 metres came up and lifted me up and down and up and down and as I went up … I could see forever. And as I was lifted up to the crest I looked east and looked across Africa and across India, and across Thailand and then the South China Sea and I could see Lantau Island and my home in Hong Kong. I could see my wife & children playing on the beach there. And as I went up on a big wave and reached the top of it I looked west and I could see the islands of the Caribbean scattered like jewels sprinkled across a sliver sea and I kept looking and I looked across Central America, across Panama, and then out across the broad deep blue wide Pacific, I saw Kiribati and my old boyhood home on Tarawa Atoll, I looked south to Fiji and saw my mother and father there at home, I then looked north west across the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines and then across the South China Sea and north to Hong Kong and once again home on Lantau Island at the mouth of Pearl River – I could see it all – and I thought as I bobbed up and down and up and down on the big rolling ocean how I could see home in each direction and how I was so very far away right on the other side of the world it was, but I could see home. It was beautiful.

All crew here aboard Baringo are on top form, morale is at an all time high – a swim – naked on the part of some of ‘lower deck’ crew – is the panacea for all ills; not that there have been any to salve.

The skipper John Sanderson and his wife Executive Chief Skipper’s assistant Dr. Julia Billingham have been truly excellent leaders of this expedition.

Julia has been a wonderful overseer of amongst many other things, the galley. All of us aboard have all had our ‘galley day’ as per the rota, but Julia has stepped in where required to assist those of us who are a little challenged by matters culinary or who on some of the more trying mid Atlantic days felt almost as green as the vegetables we were preparing.

The food aboard has been excellent and our fresh fruit has only run out as of this morning – no danger of scurvy aboard this vessel. It was steak and veggies for supper last night, a couple of days ago we enjoyed a beautifully marinated fresh caught Mahi Mahi – caught & filleted by my brother David, and then deliciously prepared with a delicate marinate of spring onions and a dash of Oyster sauce (only Lee Kum Kee’s will do)- if ever Master Chief goes nautical we shall be entering Julia as our representative.

Indeed we are going to award Julia the highest Order available: the Order of Baringo 1st class (culinary) with chocolate bar and crossed fresh vegetable decoration emblazoned with the legends: ‘Conqueror of the Atlantic Galley’ and ‘Provider of viticals in all weathers’.

Our estimated arrival time in St Lucia depends now on how much we decide to motor / how much – if any – wind starts to fill in. Earliest ETA will be Sat evening our time (we will soon be changing our clocks and watches for the 4th time as we have crossed the Atlantic) our latest ETA is Sunday night.

All good aboard. Boat still rolling on the waves but so much calmer now & I write without falling on the stool and being thrown across the boat; that is a very welcome change.

Our love and best wishes go out from all of us aboard to all our families and friends sprinkled across the world.

Its a happy boat and crew that now gently approach St. Lucia.

Giles Surman

Night Watch Leader

S/Y Baringo

Western Atlantic 15 26′ N 56 11’W

Friday 14 December 2012

Giles Surman

We had intended to sail to Port Leucate on the SW coast of France to let the oceoprotec manufacturers look at the Turkish applicators handiwork but a strong mistral prevented this voyage so we prepared to sail directly to Gibraltar from Menorca. We departed from Addaia  around noon  and sailed across the north coast of Menorca as the wind was more favourable for that coast. It faded with the light so we motored past the lights of Majorca which were very welcome in the absence of any moonlight. The next day the wind picked up again to 30 kts but we made good progress with furled sails.

On Thursday 20.9.2012 we crossed the Greenwich meridian into the western hemisphere and as the wind continued to blow ever more strongly the sea became progressively more roly-poly .

That night we were very thankful for the AIS system because at around 3.00am as we approached our waypoint off the SE corner of Spain  it seemed many other vessels had chosen the same point and so this  small area of sea was very crowded .Of course it was a black night and the wind was by this time blowing force 9 It was difficult for us to change course as any deviation into the wind would have been extremely rough. It was so simple with the AIS  to assess the other vessels movements  and we called up three vessels by name and they all very cordially agreed to keep out of our way. Without the clarity of AIS it would have been a mass of lights and being so rough holding binoculars to try and clarify  what all the vessels were doing would have been tricky if not impossible. So we turned westwards around the corner without  colliding with anyone and then conditions abated and we had a calm journey along the south coast of Spain to Gibraltar .

There were many large vessels anchored along the coast but we sighted the Rock at 11.00am on Saturday 22^nd September   a very exciting moment seeing it emerging through the haze.

A few hours later we were entering the marina and were overflown by an  Easy jet flight that only just seemed to clear the mast ! The marina was just next to the runway but despite that it was not too noisy.

On Monday 24^th we took delivery of our new parasailor designed to take the pain out of downwind sailing and it was a great success on a sunny afternoon with a light breeze and flat sea! We had Thomas the expert from the manufacturer on board so learnt the technique from him. It only remains for us to practice.  The rest of the week was a continuous downpour which was disappointing but the sun reappeared in time for us to go up the rock and see the apes and the war time tunnels which was very enjoyable. The rock is very historic and has been continuously fought over for centuries which is not surprising given its strategic location and height .Perhaps the electronic age of warfare may give it some respite now.

On Monday 1^st October we left for The Canaries, an evening start to try and avoid the contrary currents through the straits .We spent some time calculating the optimum time and we were sailing in company with a catamaran who had decided on the same departure time but it seems we were all wrong as we both experienced an adverse current on the way through! We saw the lights of the |rock fade away …the last glimpse of the Med. through the Pillars of Hercules so no going back now.

We tried the parasailor with some success but could not hold it for very long as the wind became too strong. There was a large swell but not in the same direction as the wind and probably  related to a hurricane further out in the Atlantic so it was rather an uncomfortable sail. We had dropped the main early on because it was banging around too much in the swell and the light winds but that evening while trying to enjoy cocktails on the roll we saw the main halyard gradually ascending the mast having parted company with the shackle ! There was no way anyone was volunteering to go up and get it in those conditions so it would have to wait for a calmer moment.

Our course was downwind and as the wind was light and the swell strong we rigged the spinnaker pole to control the large jenny and sailed very successfully for the rest of the way. We had the moon for this trip and had the great pleasure of the unusual mixture of moonlight and sunlight at dawn. On the night of 5^th October what we had thought were fishing vessels turned into the lights of Lanzarote and we were nearly there. We went to an all singing and dancing   marina Puerto Calera and thoroughly enjoyed all the facilities. Shops, shower and  restaurants all within a few metres.

It was here that I achieved the highest accolade from the skipper because I rescued the lost halyard from the top of the mast. A great relief and a fun experience in the flat calm of the marina. Having achieved that we had a day exploring the island by car and it was wonderful with an enormous and  most extraordinary larva field which is unchanged since the volcanic eruption of 1730. I think it must be unique and is well worth a visit. We then moved on to Fuerteventura which was nothing like as nice as Lanzarote and is definitely not worth a visit. So no time lingering there but onto Las Palmas about 56 nm from the southern tip of Fuerteventura.  We had the most fantastic sail which was  much appreciated by us all after the  rather trying conditions of the previous voyages. We sailed all the way without altering the sails or the course as the wind and waves were steady all the way ….such a pleasure.

We arrived in the marina in Las Palmas flying our ARC flag to find we were in good company with many others and tied up and the boat will stay there until the Atlantic crossing on 25^th November.

For three days the Mistral blew and we were boat bound in Addaia bay in the north east of the island until 5^th September. We had two anchors down and luckily did not move despite gusts of 40 kts.

We had shelter from the waves but not all that much from the wind. On  the 5^th the wind finally settled and we had a lovely day out with Sam  and  Gilly  exploring the delights of Menorca on land with wheels. The island is very well manicured with miles of beautiful dry stone walls and farms with curious curvy gates. We explored Alior, Cuitadella and Mahon over the next few days and had some excellent meals.

On 7^th September the Peacocks arrived for the Royal Yacht Squadron rally the following  week. We hired a car to meet them at the airport and then took them up the Torre, the highest point on the island where there is a magnificent view of the whole coastline.

We all had a very enjoyable farewell supper with Sam and Gilly as they were going to Majorca by air for a week’s  sojourn there on land. The RYS rally started the following day in Mahon so after two hours spent pulling the two anchors up we finally set sail for Mahon around the east coast  to meet the other Squadron boats who gave us a warm welcome even though our own Squadron member Hugh Laing was absent.

The following week we made a circumnavigation of Menorca cruising in company with the boats in the rally and enjoyed some excellent dinners and cocktail parties arranged  by the Squadron. All very well organized ,great company and wonderful cuisine to say nothing of the champagne and local wine sampling  …..Thank you very much Hugh!

On Friday 14^th very early in the morning Vanessa finally arrived in Cuitedella having missed her flight connection in Barcelona. Her friend Kate Llewellin had arrived late the previous night on schedule but after a rest Vanessa recovered her energy and they explored Cuitedella, a truly beautiful old town of narrow alleyways and  a magnificently restored church.

On Saturday we left Cuitedella and sailed around the south west of the island and had a good anchorage that night, we  had a nice supper on board under a starry sky after a refreshing swim ..this is what it is all about!

 

Hugh left the next morning and David Surman arrived to join us sailing to the Canaries in preparation for the ARC. We returned to Addaia again completing our circumnavigation and were able to see the girls off and provision for the next leg to Gibraltar. The marina here is excellent the best since Turkey ! We had thought of going to Port Leucate to assess the copper antifouling which had been badly applied inTurkey but one look at the weather and we changed our minds there was a strong mistral blowing again which made the journey north impossible. We finally left Menorca on 18^th September  heading for Gibraltar.

We left Cagliari 6.8.2012 and anchored in the same bay on the south coast that we had used on the way to Cagliari .It was much more crowded this time but John inspected the bottom of the boat only to find the oceoprotec copper based antifouling had not been applied properly in Turkey and there was growth on the keel …it seem the problems generated in Turkey will follow us forever. We motored around the SE tip of Sardinia to make some progress up the east coast and had good anchorage in Cala Pira a small bay  but John was singled out by a jelly fish and stung.  It was very painful and caused the usual swelling and inflammation but it had improved by morning .We learned from the pilot book that they are called sea wasps..not seen only felt.

We continued up the east coast pleasantly and uneventfully with the usual erratic Mediterranean winds we have become accustomed to. It is a scenic coastline with beautiful red cliffs near Arbatrax.

The beaches are unspoilt , there are very few buildings and  all are low rise and designed to blend with the environment rather than dominate it .The anchorages are all only a day sail apart and all were straightforward .Further north there is Isola Taverola which rises vertically out of the sea and it is quite tricky navigation to get through the inland side of it and trying to look at the view as well .I think the chart plotter paid for itself that day !

On 11^th August we went to the marina on Olbia to meet Sam and Gilly who were arriving from Edinburgh that evening so great jubilation welcoming them on board again .After a jolly evening we set to work the next day preparing for our  cruise of the la Maddalena archipelago .The islands are all very close so we had long days luxuriating in turquoise water of amazing clarity ,swimming was a real pleasure.

Isola Caprera on the east of the group is home to a memorial museum of Garibaldi because he lived the last 27 years of his colorful life in a beautiful house on the island .He wanted to die looking at the sea .The house is now  a museum and was interesting to visit.

All the anchorages in the islands were crowded  during the day but became much  emptier at night , but there always seemed to be room for everyone.

The main problem was the numerous low lying and semi submerged rocks most of them on the chart but not always where they were supposed to be or marked as expected ! We had one very near miss and  I think without the chart plotter things might have been more dramatic.

We decided to have drive by to see Porto Cervo the Mecca of the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) to see some outsize motor yachts and other super yachts all very interesting and it certainly is a beautiful bay so not really surprising it has been chosen as a playground by the rich and famous.

After a week of island hopping we went to La Maddalena town to provision again .It was difficult to find a place in the marina but eventually we did but in a rather awkward place.

Gilly and I were treated to an excellent night off from galley duties and we all had an excellent meal accompanied by very palatable Sardinian wine .The next day we sailed towards the northern islands of the archipelago and found a truly delightful anchorage on Isola Santa Maria , such beautiful water of an amazing color and clarity we were persuaded to stay for two nights.

We then decided to try and see Bonifacio in southern Corsica and  we stopped en route on the Isola Cavallo named in Italian but in France!  We saw several other yachts at anchor in the bay on the island and decided to join them .The island appeared to be a holiday resort with some rather beautiful houses on the shore but we could not take a close look as we were not allowed further inland than the beach .We sailed to Bonifacio the next day along dramatic steep white cliffs with a fantastic view of the old town perched on the top, sometimes rather precariously as the sea has eroded the limestone lower down underneath them.

There is a long inlet into the harbour and despite our best efforts to get some help to tie up none appeared. The pontoons were very crowded so we just picked a spot. As so often seems to happen at the moment of tying up the wind was quite tricky but luckily with four hands on deck we managed to get tied up safely in the crowded harbor.

The next day was sightseeing and a wonderful lunch in a tiny dining room overlooking the sea from the  of the old town .It is too hot for anything other than a siesta in the afternoon so by the evening we were ready for another delicious meal ….fish again accompanied with the local rose wine!

 

Our intended departure was delayed by a day of strong wind so we finally left on 28^th August and found quite a heavy swell immediately outside  the protection of the harbor .We were heading for Castelsardo a small marina on the north west coast of Sardinia as we had arranged to have the water maker pump renewed. The journey was about 35 nm and the coast was much less populated than the Costa Smeralda, more remote and more natural .Castelsardo was another town on a hill built by the Genoese as a natural defensive point .The marina was a working fishing port as well with slightly more normal sailing boats!

 

We could only have one night there because the weather forecast showed bad weather coming for the Gulf of Lyon the so called tramontana so we left in order to make Menorca before it arrived. Luckily we had good wind and we arrived around 02.00 on 30^th august anchoring in an easy bay on the east coast. We had the benefit of a nearly full moon but as nothing is ever that simple we had no depth sounder temporarily! A cold beer in the moonlight was very welcome and we were glad to have got across without any sign of the heavy weather.

After a refreshing swim the next morning we entered Cala  Addidia on the NW of Menorca to find a sheltered anchorage .We provisioned quickly and by afternoon the wind had risen to force 4 .We put out a kedge anchor and then as the wind strengthened a German boat behind us advised us to put out a stern anchor as well which he lent us. The dinghy provided most of the traumas; Sam nearly got blown away by casting off without the kill cord! Then in the course of laying the kedge  anchor in the dinghy Sam and Gilly were seen rapidly disappearing towards the end of the bay (luckily not out to sea) when the outboard failed and one oar broke! They were rescued by another sturdier RIB .Then later when they were  all back on board the dinghy flipped over twice during the night with the loss of the other oar ,the pump and the bailer.  The sea water dunking did little for the already parlous  outboard function !It seemed we were up the creek again literally without a paddle .

Once the weather calmed Sam and John gave the outboard a nice fresh water shower and this seemed to work the magic and after reaching the shore  John  bought some new oars and we were mobile again. Sam and Gilly left us and returned to land life in a rented flat nearby..already arranged not in desperation!  We prepared for another two nights of forecast bad weather but a land excursion is planned together later.

We had an eventful July in the UK and France with Abi Winter’s wedding in Bosham and Nicci Button’s birthday party in the 1920s in Hong Kong (aka Digswell ), two really  enjoyable and memorable occasions  On 1^st August we left France and returned to Cagliari to find Baringo still afloat in St.Elmo’s marina .

 

 

We changed our modus vivendi from land to sea over the next few days without too much difficulty and had the engine checked over to ensure all the trouble caused in Turkey was over .After recovering from the excesses of  the  July celebrations we  hired bikes from the marina for a  day and explored the city easily and pleasantly  .It is a curious mixture of faded charm and ugly modern but the small narrow alleys of the old city are full of interest .The churches are numerous and the main cathedral very ornate in baroque style.There are traces of the roman and Spanish history and one can easily forget it is Italy ..the people are definitely Sardo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With all the work that could be finished  completed …it is never all done of course we left the marina on Monday  August 7 and returned to the  anchorage in Rio Salinas just a few miles further east along the south coast . We had anchored there for the night on the way in to Cagliari in July .A very pleasant large bay exposed to the south but although it was quite roly –poly we had a reasonable first night out.

We are planning to travel up the east coast to Olbia to meet Sam and Gilly Mc Bride and cruise the north east Sardinian coast and offshore islands and then cross to Minorca .So the fun should start with a vengeance of this more news later!

 

On Friday June 15^th we finally left Kithera rather sadly as the island was very relaxing and we had enjoyed the company of our neighbours. It was our first long passage for some time so there were some feelings of uncertainty but it was a beautiful morning as we sailed up the east coast of the island past the bays we had visited in the car. We had found rounding island capes in the Mediterranean to be very tricky because the land alters the behavior of the wind usually in an adverse way and our final Greek cape Tanairo proved no different. So after a brief attempt to sail, which the wind around the cape made  impossible  we had to motor sail away from Greece. As we left land behind the sea became rougher left over from the recent high winds and as the wind was north west as well we had to motor sail all the first night. With the sea state it proved  quite uncomfortable but by the following morning conditions had improved  so we could finally sail on course for the next  two days. We sighted Mount Aetna on 18^th June smoking as usual, no flaming larva but nevertheless  a dramatic and welcome sight and we arrived in Catania on the east coast by mid day.

We had arranged to meet Richard and Isabel Winter there, our rendez- vous was successful and they joined us that evening. The dockside of Catania is as expected of a dock, but the city is one of enormous baroque buildings in a state of  shabby  disrepair  which shrouded the city in mystery, making an  unusual  contrast to the Sicilians carrying on their normal daily lives seemingly oblivious   of the backdrop. The markets were fantastic full of all kinds of fruit, vegetables, spices, cheese, meat and every imaginable edible product so provisioning was a treat.

After our mornings outing in Catania we set off for Syracuse having decided to avoid the Scylla and Charybdis of the Messina strait this time. It was a pleasant sail south down the coast the land is quite flat and gently sloping in contrast to the steep sides of the Greek islands.  Our arrival in Syracuse in the late afternoon sun was truly magnificent like sailing into a history book and we could tie up along a wall right in the heart of the old town. We had a wonderful time exploring the small alleys and shops of the old city the next day. The architecture has a surprise at every corner and always a beautiful one. In the evening we went to a performance of a play about Prometheus in an ancient  Greek amphitheatre just outside the old city. The play which although in Italian/Sicilian was very enjoyabl.  For those who have not been to Syracuse it is definitely worth a visit.

We started early the next morning to reach Marina di Raguza (about 60 nm around the SE corner of the island) before dark and had a good sail most of the day but the dreaded headwind started for the last 2 hours of the journey and we just got into the marina before closing. We needed some help to get into our stern to position because of the wind. We had a good last night in town with Richard and Isabel a delicious meal, a Sicilian specialty of couscous and seafood accompanied by 2 bottles of Sicilian wine followed by a sweet wine tasting organized by Richard. Next morning’s start was delayed for obvious reasons but we went to Raguza about 20 miles away by bus as Richard and Isabel had to get back to Catania the next day for their flights. Raguza is another old town built straddling a deep narrow ravine so the setting is rather more dramatic than the city itself which does not match up to the delights of Syracuse. We said au revoir to the Winters and took the bus back to the boat .

The next morning we left for Licata further along the coast and arrived safely in the marina which is very modern and has all facilities although you pay for the privilege! There are few anchorages along this coast so there is no way of avoiding the expense. Here the walkway along the marina was the local venue for the traditional Sicilian “passagiato” when everyone comes out for an evening stroll. The girls are dressed up in their finest and John certainly enjoyed the spectacle ! We had planned to leave early the next day but on rising we found a very strong wind and decided against moving so we used the day for John to do some work and have a look around the town in the evening and watch the Italian v England football match.

We left the next day for Sciacca and again by the afternoon a fierce head wind and rough sea came suddenly out of nowhere as often seems to happen so we battled the last two hours into it to reach Sciacca. The coastline became slightly more mountainous on this stretch and there were some dramatic white cliffs. It was gusting up to 40 knots and right on the nose so quite hard on the boat. As we approached a kite surfer came into view careering along at 30 mph becoming airborne as he went about, quite a dramatic sight especially as he came rather too close to us for comfort. Amazing to be out in such conditions ! We arrived undamaged and were welcomed into the marina very efficiently. Sciacca is another old city perched on a hill and famous for its thermal baths. The weather meant we had to stay for a few days but there are certainly worse places to be stuck!

We were able to leave a couple of days later and had two more stops, the  last one was saved for the best. A wonderful anchorage at Isolo del Marittemo the western most island of the Egadi group. We expected to be in another marina but as we approached we saw other yachts at anchor and decided to join them. We were under a vertical cliff face in clear water surrounded by beautiful birds and a very pleasant quite night was passed. We dragged ourselves away reluctantly at mid day after a swim and set sail for Cagliari in southern Sardinia. We had a very favorable wind, well worth waiting for and arrived after a peaceful overnight sail and anchored off the south coast in a large bay. We  motored the last 14 miles to Marina del Sole in Cagliari the following morning .

The marina was rather shabby and not well protected and despite several e-mails requesting a months stay and informing them of our ETA they seemed to have no idea about us and when we said we had arranged to stay for a month they promptly asked us to move just after we had moored up! We did move but to a much more protected marina  which was less scruffy  and more professionally run.

We flew to France just 4 days late and we will start sailing again all being well in august when we will be joined by our usual august crew Sam and Gilly McBride   ….happy days !

We left Turkey for the second time on 2nd June and had an uneventful sail to Nisos Nysiros. This is a volcanic island with a dramatic caldera as its centre. This is easily accessible by a vey scenic motorbike ride inside the main rim of the crater. The small villages on the island are the typical greek style, very different from Symi with whitewashed square houses and blue shutters.After a pleasant day there we set off again for Nisos Astipalaia and found a very wild anchorage in a steep sided bay,no need for the rather tiresome long line ashore here as we were the only boat there. It felt much more like the outer islands of Scotland than Greece. The following day was hard work as the winds were very variable from nothing to 40 over the course of the day and always changing direction so Baringo was truly put through her paces and so were we. The evening found us on the southern tip of Nisos Amorgos rather than Nisos Ios which had been our original plan. It was a curious anchorage tucked behind a rocky headland with little shelter from the wind but providing a flatter sea. Luckily our Red Sea experience helped with anchoring a such a strong breeze and we were confident our gear would hold us once we had settled. We were rather surprised to find four other yachts in there but there was enough space for all of us .The wind blew all night but we woke to a beautifully sunny morning showing all the varied turquoise blue hues of the sea. Wednesday 6th June we sailed to Nisos Ios reputed to be a backpackers favourite with the usual accompaniment of bars and music. Luckily the port was quiet but the Chora the small village about 20 minutes walk up the hill lived up to its reputation but it was fun and we had an excellent meal. Surprisingly we met another Hong Kong boat on Ios “ Silverline “ they were sailing to the Canada en famille with a teacher . West wards again the next day to Folegandros and a much calmer sail. We anchored in the small harbour there rather than go stern to against the wall with the other boats . The meltemi started the next day so it was slightly less than tranquil and complicated by being asked to move the following morning by the port police as we might obstruct a large vessel arriving that night. Our anticipated relaxing morning disappeared in several re-anchoring attempts. Folegandros is a very quiet island so we decided to stay an extra day and walk to the Chora which is about 3.3 km away and well worth the trek. The large vessel did arrive at about 01.20 but we were not convinced our small move had been worth the trouble . The next journey was to the south of Nisos Milos where the Venus de Milo was discovered by a greek farmer but then summarily snatched by the French .We decided against going to the main port as it lies at the end of a 5mile bay on the north coast and it would have taken some time just to cross the bay so we opted for Ormos Provatas on the south coast .This proved to be a great anchorage with a sloping sandy shore line and lots of space so we ended up with 10:1 scope as the wind was still blowing over 20 knots and we felt very secure .The night brought calm and so a good nights sleep at least until 5.00am when we started the 71nm sail to Kithera which we wanted to try and make in daylight.  All went well sailing at 7-7.5 knots at lot of the time until the wind disappeared in the afternoon and we had to motor the last 15 miles into the harbour in Diakofti a ferry port on the east coast of the island There were already two boats alongside the wall so we tried three times to anchor but without success as the bottom was too rocky .Eventually we went alongside a Swedish Bavaria 39 bas stern to mooring would have been impossible because of the poor bottom. The place came to life when a ferry arrived,cars lorries and people hurrying on and off then suddenly the ferry left and all was quiet again .We hired a car, fortunately easy to do next to the ferry terminal offices and drove across the island to the Chora for provisioning and the internet .The island is quite bare with little sign of agriculture but there were dramatic views of the sea and the Chora was delightful with all that we needed. In view of the weather forecast we found ,we decided a departure the following day was impossible so decided to wait until Thursday. We returned to Diakofti in the late afternoon just in time for a huge gale which reached over 40 knots (Force 9) and lasted until 03.00 thee following morning. We were busy with the other two boats securing additional warps and fenders. The waves quickly built up with such a strong wind and came directly onto out stern with a lot of slopping and splashing .It all happened so quickly and was so strong we were all rather taken by surprise .The next day remained quite calm so we enjoyed swimming and doing jobs on the boat preparing for the 3 days sail to Sicily, about 400 nm.

We had left Baringo on the hard in Gocek for the winter and enjoyed a truly wonderful skiing season in Chamonix with plenty of snow and lots of visitors.We visited Gocek in February to find the boat in rather a mess as the work was underway and was in its most destructive phase.We believed all would be completed by the end of April apart from the final fine tuning.Sadly this was not to be, and after a visit to Hong Kong for John’s work when we returned to Baringo there was still much to be done.We had had a new Cummins –Onan generator fitted,oceoprotec antifouling, a new toe rail to try for the fourth time to stop the starboard leaks,and many other smaller jobs one of which was installing a plastic box to protect the wiring on the port side. It was this interference which really caused most of the problems and I don’t think the wiring will ever be the same again,many wires were cut and left unconnected and the cockpit chart plotter was wired through the saloon light switch! We had been unable to discover why the chart plotter was intermittently faulty and this error might have remained unsolved by us but luckily an electrician worked it out, much to his surprise as well! Once back in the water white smoke was billowing from the exhaust for which many explanations were proffered but finally the turbocharger and cylinder heads were removed and resealed with some improvement although not a complete cure.We think the damage was due to the many days of motoring at slow revs.during the convoy but as we had to go at the speed of the slowest boat we had no choice , perhaps a small price to pay for escaping a visit to Somalia.John noticed just before departure that one of the steering cables was frayed and according to all advice this meant a cable change so while they were trying to cure the white smoke we decided to have a new cable .We had thought they would do both automatically but only the frayed one was done.The whole experience in Gocek was very stressful and frustrating but we did learn a lot about the boat and we managed to enjoy the Turkish food and wine and regular nocturnal walks along the Gocek promenade.
Significantly poorer we finally departed on Saturday 25th May in beautiful weather and had a wonderful first days sailing heading westwards to Bozburun to finally leave Turkey. We had two nights at anchor en route both in very beautiful places and finally left Turkey on 29th May.Checking out at Bozburun was easy and we lowered the Turkish flag once out of Turkish waters with some relief hoping we were at last on our way.We sailed to Symi the closest Greek island and were lucky with the wind that day .Minarets metamorphosed to church towers and we arrived to be greeted by Skylark one of our convoy companion.After a 4 hour check in procedure ,rather longer than we expected ,we finally had supper with Skylark and caught up on all the news .We enjoyed a fun day out on 30th May with Chris and Desiree touring the island on motorbikes.Symi is a dramatically mountainous island ;we visited a Greek monastery and had a delicious Greek lunch of Dolmades, tatzliki, Symi prawns and Greek salad eating in yet another scenic bay.Symi town is picture post card material with well maintained neoclassical houses climbing up the mountainside painted in warm colours, yellows, reds and browns with white trim, really very elegant .
We planned an early start for the next Greek island to the west, Nisos Nisiros and were waved off by Chris at 7.00 am. We could see Nisiros in the distance, the wind was good despite the early hour and although on the nose we felt we had time to tack our way west and sailed easily at 4 kts just starting to think the traumas of Gocek were behind us and it had all been worth it .At 10.00 am the steering failed ,the new cable had lasted only 5 days !After a significant number of expletives and much use of the retrospecoscope we used the autohelm to return to Turkey to get it fixed . We anchored in Semiye luckily a beautiful bay almost like a lake it is so cut off from the open sea .We were obviously unable to moor stern to without any steering but there was plenty of anchoring space and good holding. Our annoyance was mitigated somewhat by the beauty of the surroundings and the pleasant climate , I think we would have felt even worse if it had been cold and wet. The workers came the next day and mended the cable but hardly appreciated the gravity of their error .There was certainly no apology. So take two and we hope to be in Greece tomorrow heading directly for Nisiros about 40 nm away. All digits crossed now !

Emek Marine in Gocek- a warning to other boats!

We had several jobs done during the winter/spring 2011-12 in Gocek by Emek Marine. Unfortunately most turned out to be badly done and botched. Although Riza Cadgas appears very pleasant and knowledgeable sadly his staff are not competent. In addition they are very expensive and tricky to negotiate with.  Here are some expensive examples:

1. We were persuaded to have a copper-based antifouling manufactured  by  Oceoprotec.  This was done at the last moment and slowly so that we had to stay an extra week on the hard (after 6 months!). The last touches to the areas around the seacocks was being applied as the boat was being lifted into the water. Much more seriously after 4 months heavy growth appeard on the bottom of the keel, leading and aft edges and various other patches (see figures). The rudder edge also has growth. This is separate from the slime which accumulates if the boat is in harbour.  This is after only 4 months and the product is guaranteed to keep the hull clean for 5 years! (we were told and confirmed on their web page). We have now to divert to Port Leucate in France to have this redone.
   

   bottom of keel after 4 months!

   In addition, the anodes have worn very quickly and we suspect galvanic corrosion with the copper. No tests for this were done beforehand as recommended.

2. New generator by Cummins Ona  fitted incorrectly. The water separator was fitted too low and huge loops were in the exhaust pipes. This is completely contrary  to the instructions in the manual. Eventually I managed to persuade them to resite it into a locker above the engine room. This was a very similar arrangement to the previous Fisher-Panda generator.  Also we have concerns about the base as the old one designed for the much smaller Fisher-Panda has been used and the new Cummins overhangs. Pictures were sent to Cummins UK who reassured that this was probably ok but that the bolts were not countersunk. They have suggested that these bolts be refitted in Gibralter.  More expense. In addition the through-hull fitting is too large for the exhaust pipe. It was just pushed on for a few cms and held with one hose clip, quite unsatisfactory. When I insisted it was fitted properly the technician told me the through hull was too large and he had to get a heater and force the new pipe on to get two hose clips fitted. There was a lot of misinformation about the whereabouts of the generator. We were told it was in their office but when we visited in February we were told it was in Istanbul at the boat show.  So presumably it was delivered to Gocek , transported back to Istanbul for the boat show and then back again.
3. A new box for the wiring was suggested to protect the fuses from any leaks. This also proved to be a disaster. Several circuits were not reconnected or improperly connected– for example the cockpit chart plotter through  the saloon light circuits, the automatic bilge pump not connected at all and the forward Nav lights did not work .  This took a lot of time to sort out. Similarly the wiring in the anchor locker was done badly. The cable to navigation lights was cut (for what reason?) and not reconnected. The electrician who discovered this also thought the cable to the port light was defective (it was not- it was the connection in the light) he removed this cable and replaced it with two thin wires coming out of the stanchion to the light. When I pointed out this was inadequate he just wrapped insulation tape around them. So now we have a no proper cable to the port light. Also the new junction box put in does not open fully because the door hits the anchor windlass- it is the wrong type!

3. Changing the Steering cable: this was a disaster. We noticed slight fraying of one steering cable and I asked for this to be changed. The first attempt came apart while we were at sea after 3 days. Luckily the autohelm worked and we were able to get back into a harbour but this was a potentially dangerous situation. The second attempt was also badly done . First the cable was cut too long but because the eye had already been spliced onto the binnacle end and the other had a lifeline type of fitting the wire was cut just below the eye. It was then too short and the new eye is held by about only 4mm of wire. This will give way eventually. Also the lifeline type of fitting is not suitable- it cannot be removed from the wire. The correct Blue wave swage which was on origianlly is designed to be reused so that the cables can be removed if necessary. I suspect it was not  fitted properly the first time and this is why it came apart. We will have to have this done again before we cross the atlantic.

5. Rev counter did not work when the boat was put back into the water. An electrician came to repair this and managed to cut off the wiring to the starter motor solenoid. Rather than repair this properly we now have a starter motor solenoid clipped onto a cable which looks terrible and unreliable. Emek gave some story that the proper one is difficult to reach under the engine. Anyway we were told we need a new rev counter. However, after a few months the rev counter is now working fine!
6. Rudder Bearing; we asked for a new lower rudder bearing and I suggested the Jefa bearing as recommended by Wauquiez. For some reason Riza never seemed to like this idea (probably because it is more difficult to fit) and kept failing to answer any questions other than vague reassurance. Instead Emek have put in some other form of bearing and it was never fully explained what type and they could not give us a receipt or invoice from the company. Riza said he had photos but one was from a brochure, two were not of our boat and the third was one of a worker just holding the rudder. We still do not know what kind of bearing we have or what its life expectancy is.
7. New Battery monitor by Phillippi was fitted. The shunt pole for this was placed in the battery compartment so that it is impossible for us to have the larger type of battery again. The new batteries are smaller so this is not a problem at the moment but not a good place to put it. Also the old amp meter on the switch board now no longer works. I was not told that if I had a new battery monitor I would lose the old ammeter which worked fine and has the advantage of being seen anywhere in the saloon whereas the new one is only seen from the nav table.
8. Broken wind generator regulator. When the old batteries were removed the WG was not shut down so the regulator burnt out. Luckily I had a spare which I replaced but I will need to get the old one repaired in the UK.
9. Engine service- after a complete service of the engine and injectors the engine produced large amounts of white smoke. We were told it was a problem of the valves and all the valves were replaced at a cost of nearly 3000 euros. This has made no difference. There is still white smoke and cause remains unknown.

The total bill for all the work done was 37,000 euros. There was a lot of overcharging of many items (eg new stereo system twice the price of UK; new batteries 30% mark up by Emek; 750 euros for storing main sail etc). Much of the work has to be redone but as we had to leave Turkey to press on as we have booked to join the ARC this year we had to pay up and get the repairs done elsewhere. There are some good yards in Turkey (in Marmaris for instance) but we recommend all yachts to avoid Emek Marine in Gocek.

Sorry the blog dried up last summer. We spent a very pleasnt time cruising around Turkey and had a fun time with visits from Jila and Andy Peacock with Hugh Laing, Dale and Janet Crisp and Kate Pocock, and Sam and Gilly McBride. Also Henry and Gu Bo and Vanessa came but it poured with rain with a huge storm so we were marina bound very sadly for them. Tim Jenkinson and Susie came for a brief stay in between the rain in october and we saw for the first time snow on the surronding mountains. Winds blew at about 30knots. Baringo was put on the hard in mid October. We are back in Turkey now in Feb checking on the work being done on Baringo over the winter. The boat is in a mess! All the old kit- generator, battery charger, all batteries etc etc- has been removed but nothing new in place yet. It is promised for next week! However, some other jobs such as putting on the copper antifouling, new cutlass bearing, new/ cleaned seacocks have been done. The rudder has been removed and we are waiting the new lower rudder bearing from Jafa. They have removed the toe rail and all the stanchions and a new toe rail is being made from teak and the stanchions refitted to ensure no more annoying small leaks (coming via the stanchions) into the lockers. The mainsail has been removed and is being cleaned of the red sea dust. ALso we now have LED lights throughout. We are awaiting the new solar panels which are flexible and will go ontop of the bimini. So we hope with a new reliable generator, bigger battery charger, solar panels and the wind generator we will have enough amps to power every thing we need without worrying. We realise that electricity generating capacity is important when sailing non-stop as the auto-pilot, fridge, chart plotter and other navigation instruements, and lights all guzzle amps.
We hope to have the boat back in the water by the end of april with all the new kit and then set off to Rhodes, crete, the ionian sea, sicily, sardinia, Balearic islands, Gibralter and then down to the Canary islands well in time for the ARC rally across the atlantic leaving November 25th. We have been invited by our friend Hugh Laing to join the Royal Yacht Squadron rally in Menorca in september which should be fun. We look forward to friends joining us hopefully for various legs during our trip across the med. Blog will restart in earnest in April, written by the senior author Julia!