The life of a ‘boaty’ takes you places, be it The Whitsundays, The Grenadines or the shores of French Polynesia, there are always new waters to be explored and – here’s the kicker – more boat maintenance to be done.
Recently, Southern Cross Yachting (SCY) principal owner Jamie returned to Spain to do boat maintenance on the family steel ketch Rozamar. Here’s an overview of the time abroad from Jamie…
I went back to Spain in April to work on our family steel ketch which we used to run as a charter yacht on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean. We had to leave her out on the hard standing during the COVID pandemic and this was the first time I could return. After 10 days of sanding and painting, we decided it was time to put her on the market as running Southern Cross Yachting in Manly is a full-time job.
After completing works on Rozamar, I returned to the UK to revalidate my Yachtmaster Instructors certificate in Hamble on the South Coast of the UK. It was great to sail back in a tidal area, fortunately the weather held out. I’d recommend that any sailor sails in the Northern hemisphere given the chance.
Sailing in tidal areas
Sailing with strong tides requires precise passage planning and accurate evaluation of the conditions, I really enjoyed the challenge after a 10 year hiatus. Planning and concentration are key for success, fortunately the RYA framework of courses provides us with all the necessary tools to navigate in tidal waters.
Having a good understanding of tides is crucial to good navigation, we need to be able to work out tides for planning our passages, working out clearances to lock gates and bridges, as well as understanding how to correct our courses to steer (CTS) while underway.
SCY offer plenty of in-depth courses to understand and practice using tidal curves and tidal streams – it’s a must for any sailor!
European travel tips
Border protection between the UK and Europe is a little more stringent now, since BREXT, I would recommend booking accommodation and Visas in advance and don’t forget to change to the local currency. The queues at the airport can take longer than usual too.
Most importantly, beer… There are many good local European Beers, especially in Germany, when in Spain I drink Estrella Damm beer, made in Barcelona. I could have one right now!!