Once more the white cliffs of Dover

Dover

Today we are heading to Cherbourg. Sun is bright and the wind is from North - East a bit ghusty but its on the right direction.

News from Kimmo

How the ex-Hurricane Cristobal affect the UK’s/ North Europe weather next week

Huomattiin, myrskyn jäänteet tulivat tänne kanaaliin viime viikon lopulla.

One more day in Dover

The crew is resting while weather is getting better. A sunny but windy day in St. Margareth´s bay.
South Foreland lighthouse as proud as usual on the meadows high up over the limestone cliffs.
This guiding light tower was the first in Europe to give light to the sailors passing the Goodwin sands.

British "coast guard" with Lancaster is waching the coast. We aproach Normandy! Nice to see something beautiful in the sky.

Dover weather prognosis

Dover

Todays weather prognosis: Get the hell out of English channel towards France and Spain, rain, rain, rain.
Some guy with a racing machine broke his sails in ghusts yesterday. He had been in a race called Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland with the crew of two. Now going back single handed to Ijmuiden and Bremen. 

GER 6524

DESSERT d' Alcyone

The weather has been funny this summer. People in Holland and Belgium wear winter clothes and rain has been pouring every day.

 
http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=en&MENU=0000000000&CONT=euro&MODELL=gfs&MODELLTYP=1&BASE=-&VAR=pslv&HH=0&ARCHIV=0&PANEL=0&ZOOM=0&PERIOD=

We leave Dover

Dover, England

Good sailing with sunshine after two weeks!

Union Jack watching over the Kingdom

Dover entrace to Wellington locks

Spring tides even here in Dover over 5 meters.

Wet gear

Our boat

Dover harbor

Dover morgning shower, Kati

Again rain...we entered with engine and appeared in to the round harbour of Dover safetly... afterwards,  during my morning shower I realised that the floor of the bathroom was moving... Maybe they were just my legs that stayed shaking after so much movement.... Now resting and having my argentinian afternoon MATE...

Arriving to Dover

Reporting, Kati

Ships apeared from the grey courtain like gousts.... likely the ship trail wasn't too busy... we managed to sail very close to the wavebreakers we had to call Captain to the deck...wind was blowing strong, 30 knots and pumping current waves made sailing very difficult....

Approaching Dover

We sight land, finally Kati

The curent had changed  and helped us to reach Dover's white and high walls.... just a few miles before the entrance sudently we were coveed by a thik fog.... like in English movies.... we couldn't see anything... sailed with Navigator's guide...

English Channel

Weather report Kati

At night wind dropped so much that we had to start engines and take away all sails..... the dark sky full of stars reminded us the mystery of Life and our small and short existence... Great moments... Captain sailed until rissing sun and left Naneux in our "hands".....

Dover - Cherbourg 31.8 - 2.9

Report from the sea

Blue sky and big waves.... And what´s most important, we had the wind from the right direccion....behind of us pushing Naneux ahead our destination..... The current was very strong in some places.... at night we saw the same green flashering boy during more than 3 hours!!!!!

Dover 28.8.2014

We reach Dover

Dover.... 9 am.... we sailed in early in the morning after spending one full day in the sea.... we left Zeebrugge at 11 am and had really good weather, our first sunny day, without rain and storms!!!!!!

Enkhuizen

Some photos from the past days after passing Kiel Canal

Our Yankee cut genoa

Some nice gaff riggs of Dutch sailing scooners

In Zeebrugge, Belgium
We have been sailing with full reefed main and our Atlantic Yankee cut genoa heavily reefed. Rain, rain, rain like the Doors song.  Winds up to 50 knots +.

This thunderstorm catched us when sailing towards Goeree in Holland. We just took our sails down when starting to approach the harbour of Stellendam. Our boat leaned 30 degrees with the mast. The waves grew up till 3m on shallow water. 

 Waiting for the weather in Brugge one day. Kati took her spiritual hour in the churc.

Our start at Ijmuiden after we got the delivery of te forgotten maps to our Garmin plotter. we came all the way to here with old charts and a vintage Garmin plotter model 275 c. Damn companies never brought us the maps.

This beautiful Swan 36 classic yacht from the past. The on where it all started with Swan boats.

Here some honey for the coal fibre lowers!!!

Enkhuizen weather forecast

The weather is stormy, we wait in Enkhuizen

Today finally the sun appears to the sky ( for ten minutes ). The wind should ease late afternoon today. Last night  it was windy and rain poured down heavily. We set the Yankee cut genoa for the first time, because of the hard winds that have been prevailly all the way from Denmark. The thunderstorms followed us to Sciermonnikoog in holland and lasted over one week. The winds have been up to 40 knots, 25 - 30 knots almost every day. The motor service was timed right because of the thunder stoms we actually did not loose so much time. One of the diesel ejectors leaked and I got a bad eye from the monteur and the steerman when saying. Let´s make all the cylinders at once. But the guys at Volvo shared the same opinion with the old skipper and made the whole top with brand new copper cylinders around the ejectors. Now running perfectly.

Some bad stories of the crew is not awailable, the behavior has been greathe unge ecept the captains navigation table. The electric installations are not yet finished. We still bought new maps of Dutch delta because of the tense built wind mill parks.

Flevo Race was very vindy on sunday and the boats came back only 1,5 hours later to the harbour. Fast food managed first on sunday which was named to the older gentleman of this ship by the younger skippr trainee. Ha Haa!

Today heading to Isselmeer and the North sea again. We are sailing to Belgium and England the next week.

Zome more photos

Dutch atmosphere in Lauersoog - Shiermonnikoog - Enkhuizen

Look inside a tab and the sleeping skipper.

Something for Pedro.

Here´s a doggy bag for my wife.

A bike for Kati´s mother

Kati taking a bath in the North sea.

Photos of Holland

Lighthouse in the harbor, boats and beaches.

Enk huizen

Enkhuizen

Espaniolees... va sin enies en el teclado... Paises Bajos: tierras ganadas al mar, campos de cultivo muy fertiles, vacas, caballos, ovejas y cabras en cada rincon...molinos de madera antiguos salpicando las riberas y estaciones flotantes de generadores eolicos modernos no registrados en la carta nautica interponiendose en nuestra derrota nocturna... Flores, tulipanes y aves en cada pueblo, mas puentes levadizos que semaforos y mas canales que calles... Bicicletas para todas las edades y gustos...con porta bebes y perros... Veleros y barcos de todos los colores y modelos...los clasicos de madera tipo "zueco holandes" ganan por mayoria, con tripulacion joven son elegidos por ninios y adolescentes como destino para unas vacaciones-escuela de vela...interesante manera de aprender!!!! ....Nuestra navegacion por el canal muy tranquila, atenta a la profundidad que de a ratos bajaba peligrosamente o a los patos y gansos que desfilaban por delante de la proa como desafiando la velocidad...navegacion entera a motor por viento de proa... Almuerzo al mejor estilo Kati Argentino, todos de la misma olla...menos para lavar y mas seguro en navegacion... Al llegar al mar de Issermeer comenzo una tormenta con vientos fuertes que nos hizo achicar velas... en la maniobra de enrollar Genoa, que segun el Capitan se hace desde cokpit en forma SEGURA...tuve que ir hasta proa para verificar el atascamiento y al regresar las revoltosas y danzantes escotas de la vela me jugaron una pulseada venciendome por unos cuantos moretones en el muslo y unos apretones en los dedos de la mano.... La Mayor no quizo ser menos y al tomar la segunda mano de rizo las cuerdas se trabaron dentro de la botavara obligandonos a bajarla del todo perdiendo asi algo estabilidad en la navegacion y "cabeceando" por unas horas... Pasa de todo en tan poco tiempo... Llegamos bien al puerto de Enkhuizen, Paises Bajos aun...y nos recibio un enorme Clun nautico con los muelles repletos de veleros de regata en andana de a 5, preparandose para el domingo...El Capitan y su timonel mayor no perdieron la oportunidad de relajarse y recargar energias "saludables" en Gregorios Kebab restaurant... DOMINGO: aviso de temporal, Beaufort 6-7...se suspendio la regata y nuestra zarpada...dia de reparar algunas cosas, cambiar genoa por una vela mas rigida y pequenia para fuertes vientos y trincar todo lo suelto al ir acercandonos al cruce para Inglaterra...Nuestro velero es magico, por mas que uno intente ordenarlo siempre esta patas para arriba, con cajas de herramientas en el piso del banio y cables y tornillos de todos los largos por las mesas...el Capitan esta siempre por ajustar la "ultima" clavija, que nunca termina por ser la ultima....por suerte me siento como en casa... Esperando mejores vientos para el lunes, zarpamos hacia cercanias de Amsterdam...

Enkhuizen 16.8 - 17.8.2014

16-17...8...2014: ENKHUIZEN,

 Nederlands...After a quiet sailing trought Van Harixma channel we got to Isselmeer with lot of wind over 30 knots. After siling with hole main sail and full Genoa for few hours, in the afternoon we had to reef the sails...youngest crew member had to strugle with the hitting and dancing ropes... Ropes gained Kati giving her some funny bruces in her hips...also some "black" fingers...wile Big Captain and his steerman were shouting orders from astern... Finally we got to Enkhuizen harbour where rock and roll band were playing loudly in the famous summer festival...and the pontoons were full of fancy racing boats preparing them selfs for the next day... Half dead old crew went to relax and get more extra energy to the latest open kebab restaurant... "Gregorios Greeck"...just few beers were enough this night... Next day fixing day...we changed genoa for a smaller sail for heavy weather and checked the right function of the reef sistem... We stayed in port because of a storm advice, beaufort 6-7... hopping good winds for tomorrow.

Lauersoog - Harlingen 14.8 - 15.8

Harlingen

15..8..2014.....Today we reached Harlingen, Nederlands...we choose a little "haven" yacht club near the big turistic harbour... nice  city, with almost so many channels than streets, very easy go get lost at night, returning from a "tuhti" great dinner...Next destination: Ijmuiden, quite near to Amsterdam just to get back to the North Sea!

For the Castellano readers

Today is the perfect time for some reveals of my nature loving daughter.

Hand washing of course in former east Germany!

Katis magical number on friday at our splendid Concert at Christiansö

Here heeling a bad ear with a hot garlik and the stormy night with an energy stone! So natural Kati.

my nature lowing daugter.

Captain got a day of his own, Ha Haa!

The crew was hoisted to a near by island with an early morgning coffee.

Last night a long walk to the Fishermans Wharf. But unfortunately the Pierenend restaurant was closed. Captain had to open a bottle of red wine for the cold night and heat the oven for some cheese sandwiches.
Anyway we saw spectacular thunder and lightning under our stroll to the harbour and back.

The evening was beautiful with the thunder clouds gathering around

 us.

Lauersoog

Una mas, 11.8.2014

Las mejores..... la cercania casi intima con los elementos, el viento, el sol, el mar, las estrellas y la luna.... Que bendicion nuestra Madre Tierra!!! Y que hermosa, inmensa y pequenia a la vez se ve desde este nuevo angulo que me toca experimentar... Las playas y puertos son todos nuevos y viejos a la vez, cada uno con sus bellezas y particularidades, las gentes con sus estilos y razgos propios mas las mismas necesidades que uno, la convivencia en este hogar flotante de algo mas de 10 metros de eslora (largo)... Todo es aprendizaje! Geografia y meteorologia en accion, creatividad al maximo cuando los elementos escenciales en un barco quedaron en el muelle: sacacorchos, tijeras y encendedor.... Ahi pude sacar a relucir la tecnica creeria argentina de abrir una botella de vino con un cortaplumas!...................Muchos molinos de viento por nuestro camino, en la costa y formando islas en pleno mar, bicicletas por todas partes, muchos parques y bosques en cada ciudad, canillas controladoras del uso del agua en casi todos lados, separacion de residuos en cada esquina, expendedoras de bolsitas para excrementos perrunos........... Manjares como pescados de todo tipo y muchas frutas y verduras de estacion por el verano le hace competencia a las comidas "tipo polvo" que el Capitan compro para el viaje pensando que con eso nos inflariamos los estomagos......... BELLO VIAJE......DESEO COMPARTIRLO ALGUN DIA CON MIS 4 HIJOS!!!!!!

Lauersoog

Lauersoog, thoughts of a crewmember

Un pequnio resumen en castellano...aprovechando nuestra estadia prolongada en el puerto de lawersoog....temas tecnicos menores del motor....
ya van casi 900 millas nauticas navegadas tocando puertos en varios paises: Finlandia, Suecia, Dinamarca, Alemania y actualmente Holanda. El mar nos ha tratado mas que bien...solo un par de ocasiones que me erizaron los pelos....vientos hasta 31 nudos y olas de entre 2 y 3 metros con chaparrones que te mojan cada milimetro del cuerpo por mas ropa tecnica que uno pueda tener..... mas nada grave ya que por estas latitudes (53 grados N) es verano y nada de frio....
En el relato original en ingles, El Capitan, ha omitido algunas anecdotas dignas de ser registradas antes que se escurran en el inconciente de mi memoria..... Zarpamos un 22 de julio con el apuro de quien ya quiere comenzar el viaje y el barco aun a medio "atornillar"...a las horas el velero hacia agua caliente y por donde???? Nos habiamos olvidado de conectar una llave importante.... Luego nuestra primera navegacion nocturna entre islas e islitas en el Archipielago de Finlandia solo por instinto o, como dice mi papa, por olfato..sin cartas ni luces de navegacion..... YA esta eso superado y conectado!! para mi sorpresa al plotear algunas balizas y ver que no las encontraba a la vista en el mar, observo en el margen de una de las cartas nauticas un 1925...y al preguntarle al Capitan que significaba ese dato me confiesa con algo de picardia que era la fecha de impresion.... Pues seguimos la navegacion por estima....
Otro notable incidente fue el protagonizado por nuestro cocinero oficial, el senior Pera..... al freir en navegacion salpicando con aceite una carta demasido cercana y generando un mini incendio quemandose justo el area por el cual estabamos transitando..... Nuevamente navegando por estima...
Y les recomiendo que al ir al banio bombeen suficientemente agua, varias veces porque sino corren el peligro de irse a dormir y amanecer inundados en agua salada.....nos paso que al quedar un "papel" obstruido la exclusa no cerro del todo y agua salada comenzo a filtrarse despacio...hasta que nos dimos cuenta.... bomba manual y esponja en mano achicando las sentinas.....
Las cosas abordo se suceden tan rapidamente que cuesta trabajo recordarlas a todas.....han habido mas y seguiran nuevas.....

Kiel - Cuxhafen - Lauwersoog 3.8 - 7.8.2014

Kiel - Cuxhafen - Lauwersoog

Kiel Canal was not so bysy as usual, but still a lot interesting vessels passed by. Early morgning sail to Cuxhafen where we bunkered food and picked up a sock for the genacker. Thank´s for the Bryt Sailmakers in Poland.

The wind prognose was bad for the end of the week and a storm front was approaching from mid Atlantic. We decided to set the sails as soon as possible and left the harbour 05.00 for Friesland.

We had a perfect sidewind from the mainland and very little waves. Winds from 23 to 31 knots.

We reached 6 - 8 knots in speed.

In German bight outside the island of Juist the wind turned against us. We where now tacking in quite hard wind and the waves started to build up. We arrived to the island Shiermonnikoog during the night and tried to spend a few hours to get daylight before sailing in between the the islands and the sandbanks in Westgat.

We called coast guard on VHF to ask the position of the entrance buoys. The Westgat entrance had been changed and we did not have the uppdate maps in the area. The entrance in the North Frisian island is all the time on the move because of the sandbanks.

The sun came up and delighted the minds of the whole crew. "Mar del Norte ,Mar de la Muerte" as I told the crew before entering the North Sea. The crew did experience a little what North Sea has to offer when the going gets rough.

The Nort Sea is shallow and on Westerly and Northerly winds it is open for whole Atlantic so it can be nasty in bad weather.

Lauwersoog fishing vessels meet us outside of Shiermonnikoog.

Engelsmansplaat

Happy crew after the sun came up.

Senior steerman.

Some sewing made during the journey.

Kiel locks

Some charplotters only show us the worldmap? We had our old chartplotter and had to rely on it.

Hydro charger for the big ocean passages.

Interesting vessels

Classic TUI cruiser in Kiel channel

Captain is having his evening excercise...mounting..