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Exorbitant bills from marine tradies? We’ve all had them and wondered how a simple job could cost so much. But how often do owners understand what is involved in work they commission? I’ve been on both sides, and I would love a dollar for every time an owner insisted ‘it’s only a five-minute job’. I often thought, if it is so easy, why don’t they just do it themselves. Take this rigging job for instance…
Choosing a boat name can be even trickier than naming a child. Apart from the sound and meaning of the name, consider the radio transmissions you might engage in. Your call sign should be clear and unmistakeable to the listener, perhaps working through static or poor reception. Shore station operators have a propensity to guess at a familiar-sounding name, rendering even simple names into something totally different. Our Zeston 36 Amica was often called Omega by shore stations unless we spelled the name phonetically each time.
Huon sailing legend, Jeff Sharp, raced his new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 in the Bellerive Yacht Club's Crown Series Regatta last weekend.
If you sail for long enough, at some point you will have an engine failure. Instead of calling for help, a bit of preparation and – dare I say it – practice, might save the day and let you sail in. I learned the hard way, by sailing an engine-free yacht along the Queensland coast for ten years, in all weather and all seasons. It took a while before I became confident, but these are my top 12 tips:
Take the ‘virtual’ helm of the new Jeanneau 51 with this amazing 360° video from Jeanneau France.
Ah, the distinctive smell of…boat. A mixture of diesel, cooking fumes, mould and stale air, sometimes with a hint of wet dog - instantly recognisable to anyone who has looked at second hand boats. That odour is not only a turn-off for buyers, but contributes significantly to seasickness.
There’s no excuse for this smell, although some old salts seem to think it is both inevitable and, well, salty. The main causes are poor ventilation, oily bilges, deck leaks and dirt. Back in the day, it was accepted that boats leaked, ventilation was mainly to keep the timbers sound, and cleaning was not necessarily a priority. Thankfully we have moved on from this. Modern boats should not leak - from the hull or anywhere else.
The Sun Fast 3600 'Double Trouble' will be competing in the 2016 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race in the two-handed division.
However much we love our pets, there is still much to consider before taking them cruising. How long will you be gone? Will the pet miss you, or settle easily with someone else? Some animals adapt happily to life afloat, while others hate it, or are simply unsuitable due to temperament or size. Traditionally cats and small dogs have made the best furry shipmates, but there is a surprising array of pets and their owners happily sharing the confines of a boat.
The Sun Fast 3600 has just been named IRC Boat of the Year by the UNCL, “Union Nationale pour la Course au Large,” which assembles a jury composed of journalists from the marine press (Couse au Large, Voiles et Voiliers, Voile Magazine, Seahorse Magazine).
Cruising (v.) Ongoing boat repairs and maintenance in distant and exotic places.
