The Catamaran Adventures of Noel and Ceu

Archive for the ‘Preparation’ Category

We use OpenCPN  as our primary navigation tool, running it on a Raspberry Pi 3B using OpenPlotter as the basic platform. Although OpenPlotter has a lot of additional features, we don’t actually use them, just OpenCPN as our chartpolotter. We have an Eyoyo LCD screen at our helm station. It all works well, except that (Click to Read More...)
Current Location: CarriacouCurrent Position: 12 27.35 N 061 29.54 W Click to view map. Distance sailed since last post: 415 nautical miles. View the map of our voyage track hereThis COVID thing makes planning very difficult. And since we need a new PCR test each time we move, we are thinking the best strategy for the coming winter is to do one long sail to the Bahamas, and then just stay there. No fixed plans yet, but we are thinking along those lines and may well depart on the 900 n. mile voyage in the near future.   When we do, this blog will be updated by satellite, complete with our current position. But first we will have to sail back south to Grenada to get our tests done, then we apply for the health visa to enter Bahamas, and THEN we depart. So it won’t happen tomorrow. Will keep you informed.
Current Location: Rodney Bay, St LuciaCurrent Position: 14 5.42 N 060 57.67 W Click to view map. Distance sailed since last post: 1 nautical miles. View the map of our voyage track herePeople say that cruising is actually better described as ‘fixing boats in exotic locations’. We can attest to that. Since we got back (Click to Read More...)
Current Location: Portimao, PortugalCurrent Position: 37 8.2 N 008 31.7 W Click to view map. Distance sailed since last post: 0 nautical miles. View the map of our voyage track hereAll the work is done. This afternoon the big crane will put us back into the water. Then, on Friday (all things permitting) we will (Click to Read More...)
Finally it is done. But what a job! The goal was to coat the bottom of Life Part 2 with CopperCoat. The reason? So we don’t have to keep finding boatyards to haulout the boat every couple of years. So what is it? CopperCoat is an epoxy resin that is loaded with pure copper powder. (Click to Read More...)
Current Location: Boat Yard at Monastir Port de Peche, TunisiaCurrent Position: 35 45.35 N 010 50.14 E Click to view map. Distance sailed since last post: 84 nautical miles. View the map of our voyage track hereFor the past two weeks we have been stuck on the hard in Monastir getting some work done – (Click to Read More...)
Having had them on order, we finally picked up our new anchors in Syracuse. As you can see, the new Rocna 33 – which weighs, uh, 33kg – is quite a bit bigger than our hydrobubble. And, as you can also see, it has a concave shape rather than a convex shape to it. There (Click to Read More...)
What a difference from Spain and Portugal! We went into the store, bought a USB dongle and 3 months of internet at 10Gb per month from TIM for only 49 euros! We plugged in the stick and it installed itself (even offering English as a language). We pressed the ‘connect’ button and it connected instantly. No fuss. No bother. No activation phone calls. No 87 hours on customer support to Vodaphone. Just fast internet that works. Wow.
Current Location: Mar Menor, SpainCurrent Position: 37 44.25 N 000 44.78 W Click to view map. Distance sailed since last post: 4102 nautical miles. View the map of our voyage track hereThis story, you will remember, started in Gibraltar in October, when we first installed the new upper diamonds. But we didn’t receive the other (Click to Read More...)
The rigging was supposed to arrive last Friday, but it is still sitting in customs. SO frustrating. But at least as places to sit and wait Cartagena is not too bad. While we were waiting last week we hired a car and drove across to Portugal for a week. Then last week we took a day trip to Mar Menor which is a large lagoon just around the corner. Lots of windsurfing and kite surfing but the towns were pretty unimpressive. Anyway, hopefuly soon we will be able to get on our way. By the way, in case you haven’t noticed, we have now added a photo gallery to the blog, plus also a google map showing all the places we have visited. Hope you like them!