Sailblogs – Sailing Blog

Seychelles: Islands That Know No Fear - Sat, 24 Oct 2009


Warm, sweet air washed over us like aromatherapy. After 30-some hours of flying from Boston to Mahé Island off the east coast of Africa, Caroline and I were finally in the Seychelles. Our Moorings 44.3 charterboat was only a five-minute cab ride away. Alleluia.

This was the official start of our honeymoon. Still somewhat deranged from the long journey, we shopped in the wonderfully tiny and disorienting capital “city” of Victoria, just up the road from the charter base, to augment the provisions we’d ordered from The Moorings. It didn’t take long to walk off the airplane-seat cramps, acquire a selection of fresh fish and vegetables at the outdoor market, and take off from the marina. Our first goal was to sleep finally sleep—swinging at anchor off nearby Ste. Anne Island. All we remember about that first night, before passing out, exhausted from the travel, is the starlight, the silhouettes of palm trees against a backdrop of Ste. Anne’s granite cliffs, and the gentle swaying of the boat at anchor. We didn’t wake up until the hot equatorial sun sizzled into our bunk— and the local authorities pulled alongside to collect their fee. It’s a routine we came to know well. What keeps the cruising grounds in the Seychelles stunningly pristine is the fact that many of the islands and anchorages lie within protected national parks. Cruisers pay a visitor fee (US$15 per day) to anchor in the park—a small price to pay to sail in an area that’s not littered with anything except natural beauty.



With our fee paid and the morning coffee just kicking in, we soon had water burbling in our wake; the mountains of Mahé faded into the distance as the more-remote islands, about 20 miles to the northeast, came into view. The prevailing winds in the Seychelles come from the northwest in the winter and the southeast in the summer. Pretty easy. There are winter and summer anchorages, and the northerly winds we experienced last December were light. That was just fine with us. Here we were, plopped down close to the equator on a comfortable boat on the Indian Ocean, and we were anxious to wind down from the manic pace of getting married and then traveling 14,000 miles. Ghosting along, slowly ticking off the miles between Mahé and the islands of Praslin and La Digue, was better than a spa treatment. We slipped easily between them and took a left to the small island of Curieuse, which promised a peaceful anchorage and lots of land-based natural goodness. We didn’t even need to mess with the anchor. There was an empty mooring, obviously waiting for us, as we nosed in and admired the classic scene: a white-sand beach rimmed with palm trees and granite boulders punctuating the shore.



Two nights of well-earned sleep, a day of lazy sailing over from Mahé, and multiple snorkel explorations had done wonders. We were ready for the friendly guys who came to come collect our park fee and soon took to the dinghy. As we approached the beach, one of those big black rocks scattered among the palm trunks started moving—slowly. Curieuse is a sanctuary for giant tortoises. We paid a park guide to show us the tortoise nursery (baby tortoises are cute) and introduce us to the docile adult giants that roam free on the island. Later, happening upon tortoises that weigh well over 1,000 pounds and live to be over 175 years old as we explored the island’s trails made us feel like guests in a Darwinian fantasy world. And this was only the beginning. Back on the boat, the heat of the day was intense; we were easily enticed into water of perfect clarity and temperature.

After several days of solitude on Curieuse, we sailed five easy miles to Praslin’s Baie Ste. Anne so we could replenish our stores. We were greeted with open arms before we’d even entered the harbor. Local fisherman and chief welcomer Robert and his son were smiling and waving wildly to us from their dinghy, pointing toward the mooring ball we should take. We were told about Robert during our chart briefing at the base, and there he was, happily eager to help in the accented English of a native French speaker. “I’ll be back with some fresh fish,” he said. He brought some homemade charcoal, too, and his fee was embarrassingly reasonable.



Normally I’m skeptical about touristy things, but Praslin and Curieuse are the only places in the world where the coco de mer tree, whose fruit contains the largest seed in the world, is endemic. The Valle de Mai impacted me in ways I really wasn’t expecting. These remarkable giant coconuts weigh upward of 30 pounds. As we walked around the lush forest, spotting giant palm spiders, screeching birds, and towering palm trees, we were grateful that it’s still possible to experience something so rare and beautiful in its natural environment. The coco de mer has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, and I can attest that we definitely felt the fertility of the place. Robert’s last gift to us as we were leaving Praslin was a homemade fishing rig (a fishing line and a lure wrapped around a discarded plastic spindle). The lure was skimming along behind our boat as soon as we left the harbor. Eager to sail off some of the heat of the island, we circumnavigated La Digue before eventually pulling into its man-made harbor.

Our sails were pulling comfortably and the sun was red in the west when the line went taut. We caught the first of several fish, a bonito, which sensibly jumped out of my hands as we shot the requisite photo. We tied up stern-to in the harbor. Rental bikes opened up the entire island for us, and several white-tablecloth restaurants gave us honeymooners a break from the daily chores of cooking and cleaning up in anchorages without many cruiser amenities. The bikes gave us a view of this island community that, with its small, quaint houses and a few churches spread out along narrow, winding roads, was reminiscent of the tiny island communities we’d sailed to in Maine—but, yes, a bit more exotic.

La Digue is known for its stunning beaches, so we spent a few days soaking up the rays, the water, the funky vibe, and the restaurant service before we were ready to return to natural wonders. Our time on the boat was winding down, and we’d been advised to visit the Coco Islands for the “best snorkeling in the Seychelles” and the world-renowned bird sanctuary on Cousin Island. Both destinations are a short hop from Curieuse’s little overnight anchorage. Snorkeling around the Cocos was as good as advertised. We swam with school upon school of colorful fish, but the highlight for me was encountering a manta ray in the deeper water where we’d anchored.



The gratitude meter kicked in strongly as I swam (for a moment) with such a large and graceful being in the wild. We felt almost at home returning to Curieuse to spend the night, and we had time to explore the beach on the northern side of the anchorage before we settled in for teatime. So we beached the dinghy, walked 10 steps to a particularly inviting stretch of sand to lay out our towels, and encountered a curious set of tracks leading up from the water’s edge. Both green and hawksbill turtles build nests for their eggs on beaches in the Seychelles, and as I slowly followed the tracks up into the vegetation near the beach, I found a momma sea turtle laying her eggs. How cool is that? Careful not to disturb her, I kept my distance, but the beauty of seeing a sea turtle laying her eggs as we sunned ourselves on a gloriously empty beach just blew us away.

I don’t know if this was a hint to us newlyweds, but we did feel the Garden of Eden groove intensifying. And that was before we stopped at the bird sanctuary on Cousin. The island is open to visitors only during specific times, and you must ride in the park-service skiff if you want a tour; there’s no dock at the beach. The launch driver timed his run into the beach so he had enough speed through the sizable rollers to propel the entire flat-bottomed skiff above the waterline. Our landing was exciting, and the island was unlike any other place we’d been. This sanctuary is not only for birds, but for all the wildlife on the island. Our tour guide was a young researcher with an encyclopedic knowledge of the birds and reptiles that live there, and his love for this special island was infectious. He led us along the path around the island, through a dense canopy of vegetation, and pointed out dozens of exotic birds. There were giant tortoises, and sea turtle nests, and rare plants, and spiders, and skinks, and…

But what really brought a smile to our faces was finally being able to put the feelings Caroline and I had about cruising in the Seychelles into words. It happened when we ran into a group of white birds perched in tree trunks and simply sitting on the ground watching us walk by. The birds were curious and made no attempt to fly when I approached. Our guide told me it was okay to get up close (but not too close) if I wanted to take a picture. “They have no enemies on the island. No predators,” he said. “They were born here and have never learned to fear.” So that’s what sets the Seychelles apart. It’s not the weather, or the water, or the exotic islands, or the friendly locals, or the easy sailing.

These are the Islands That Don’t Know Fear.

Life Raft Check Up - Fri, 02 Oct 2009


Having to deploy a liferaft and abandon ship is every offshore sailor’s nightmare. But it could be worse—say, if your boat is sinking and the raft is too. Getting your raft regularly serviced by a licensed facility is the only way to ensure that it will work properly when you need it. If you’ve forgotten about your liferaft or balk at the idea of paying to have it serviced, you do so at your own risk. All liferaft manufacturers require (and do not just recommend) that their products be regularly serviced by a licensed service facility.

Moisture is the enemy of all packed life rafts. It can work its way into a raft stored on deck and eventually damage the CO2 cylinder, its firing head, and any flares stowed in the raft; over time, it may also contaminate the raft’s food supply. Rafts packed in plastic vacuum bags that are designed to rip away when the raft is deployed do a good job of keeping moisture out and generally need service every three years. Non-vacuum-bagged rafts should be serviced annually. Regular service is also required so that any food or emergency gear (flares, batteries, and so on) with expiration dates is replaced as necessary.

I got a firsthand look at liferaft servicing when the licensed technicians at Life Raft and Survival Equipment, Inc.’s service facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, walked me through the process. I soon learned that a raft inspection involves much more than just pulling the inflation trip line to see what happens. Each raft is inspected by a technician who is trained and certified by that raft’s manufacturer. Techs receive frequent additional training and must be recertified every two years.

1) Before the raft is unpacked, the container or valise is visually inspected for damage. Then the raft is carefully unfolded, and the trip line, CO2/N2 cylinder, and firing head are all removed. The firing head is inspected for cracks or corrosion and is replaced if there are any signs of deterioration. The cylinder is visually inspected and is weighed to confirm there hasn’t been a leak; it is also sent out for pressure testing every 5 years (see “Cylinder Test”).

2) The raft is then inflated, using compressed air, to its proper operating pressure. The firing head is tested, by pulling the inflation trip line, only every five years. Once the raft is inflated, the tech checks for visible chafing or tears and makes sure the pressure-relief valves work properly and don’t leak. A thin film of soapy water is spread over each valve; if any bubbles form, there’s a leak. Pressure-relief valves use metal springs that can rust; a malfunctioning valve is, obviously, replaced.

3) The tech also goes over the raft and all its equipment bags with a fine-tooth comb. Are the handholds and righting line firmly attached to the raft? Do all the lights work? All the gear bags containing food, water, flashlight, batteries, flares, and so on are inspected, and any damaged (like this firing head) or expired items are replaced.

4) We observed the inspection of a vacuum-sealed raft brought in for regular service; it was in good shape and was relatively dry. The tech found that the battery sensors (used to turn on the strobe when the raft is inflated) and the safety knife needed to be replaced. Another raft we saw (it was not vacuum-sealed and had not been serviced in over seven years) was soaking wet. All the food and water rations were contaminated, the manual pump and the CO2 cylinder were heavily rusted (pictured above), the firing head showed signs of corrosion, and the flares had not only expired years ago, but were also wet. Obviously, it’s better to find out about these problems sooner rather than later.

5) The body of the raft is put through a battery of tests. First, all the pressure-relief valves are sealed, and the raft is overinflated to stretch the fabric prior to testing for leaks. At this point the fabric and seams are inspected for any sign of deterioration. The raft is then deflated to its normal operating pressure and is pressure-tested (using a digital pressure indicator hooked up to each tube and adjusted for temperature) for over an hour. Even the slightest pressure drop indicates there is a leak that the tech will then locate using the trusty bucket of soapy water.

6) If a leak is found, it’s patched and the whole process is repeated to confirm that the patch has fixed the leak. Once any and all leaks are patched, the raft is deflated using a vacuum pump to help get rid of any air that could complicate the repacking process.

7) Before the raft is repacked, the inspected (and updated) emergency packs are secured inside and the light system is reconnected. The inspected CO2 cylinder is secured in its sleeve, the firing head is attached and often wrapped in foam to minimize chafe inside, and the firing cable for the inflation system is reattached. All rafts are designed to be packed into very small containers, and each has a unique repacking procedure. Most are folded to ensure that the weight of the cylinder will allow the raft to inflate right side up and that none of the emergency packs will be damaged. Once the raft is carefully folded, it’s compressed in a hydraulic press (and/or vacuum-bagged) to help it fit into its container. The serviced raft is now armed and ready to use.

Here’s a piece of advice: Get your raft serviced regularly. When it comes to raft inspections, you can usually pay a little now or a lot later—or worse.

New Neel Trimaran - Wed, 16 Sep 2009

Check this new trimaran out that just launched over in multihull-crazy France. It comes from Eric Bruneel who left Fountaine Pajot recently. As you could probably guess, this spaceship is designed for fast cruising, and early reports say it should be capable of sailing at more than 10 knots average, and reeling off 300 mile days offshore. It's also reported to be able to get up to speeds in 15 to 20 knot range when the wind picks up It's set up like the big french racing trimarans but with legit living space. It has as a huge square top main, Vectran shrouds and forestay, a big reacher, carbon rudder, and weight distribution is centered to limiting pitching. It's certainly different, and very French, and who wouldn't want to cruise easily at 10 knots. The boat's website is pretty cool too. www.neel-trimarans.com

Skeeter ZX225 Fishing Boat 2008 - Sun, 15 Nov 2009

As the original flagship of the ZX line, the Skeeter ZX225 Fishing Boat 2008 combines massive horsepower with a lighter, highly dexterous boat. Leading the way in performance domination, the ZX225 has everything you’ll need in a first-class angling vessel. Made with composite construction, this Skeeter fishing boat comes equipped with a torque transfer transom and stringer system. Other features include 24-quart ice chest, Lowrance X-135 Fish Finder, front deck cooler, Minn Kota Max 80F trolling motor, integrated rod storage system, fishing line spooler, and livewell system with independent fill, recirculating and drain modes. Skeeter Boats.

Sanpan 2500 Limited Pontoon Boat 2008 - Sun, 15 Nov 2009

Refined luxury and a little bit of attitude – that’s the Sanpan 2500 Limited Pontoon Boat 2008 in a nutshell. Equipped with precision and luxe features, the 2500 Limited will make your next trip across the water an exhilarating one. Featuring the rugged StrataTech superstructure, this Sanpan pontoon boat enhances safety and promotes peace of mind, thanks to interlocking components that evenly distribute stress and maintain durability. Standard features include a molded windscreen, teak-inspired flooring, color coordinated canopy, chaise lounge with fold down armrest and built-in trash receptacle and 25-qt. carry-on cooler. Sells for around $46,000. Sanpan Pontoons.

Albemarle 242 CC Fishing Boat 2008 - Sun, 15 Nov 2009

One of the finest all-purpose fishing boats under 25 feet on the water, the Albemarle 242 CC Fishing Boat 2008 delivers safety, reliability, and angling adventure. Featuring the Jackshaft Power System, the 242 CC combines fast, fuel efficient, and functional performance, with 360-degree fishability. Equipped with a wide-open cockpit, a soft, dry ride, ample storage, and a long list of standard features, this Albemarle fishing boat covers off everything you need on the water. Features include a livewell, tackle storage, transom fishbox, raw water washdown and four flush-mounted rod holders. Albemarle Boats.

BMPT YACHT AND DESIGN UNLIMITED 40 METERS MOTOR CATAMARANS - Tue, 09 Mar 2010
Design Unlimited and BMT yachts are working together on a large, 40 meter, fast and spacious, motor catamaran. Please find following the press release about this project.

FLUX LUXURY CATAMARAN

RAPHOLY - PHOTO ALBUM - Tue, 02 Mar 2010
If you feel sad or are stuck in the winter or dream about beautiful luxury catamarans click on the image below and you'll enter the word of the beautiful RAPHOLY. Thanks Raphael for sharing your picture album with us.

FLUX LUXURY CATAMARAN

CASSIOPEIA BY CONSTELLATION YACHT - Thu, 25 Feb 2010
Florida based Constellation Yacht is building a 70 foot catamaran "Cassiopeia", a long distance, fast and confortable yacht, designed by Walter Schurtenberger.

Walter Schurtenberger is an experienced designer and boat builder. He has taken part to the building process of some of the fastest racing multihulls in the world, collaborating with Nigel Irens, Mike Birch and Walter Green. He is also a keen sailor. On Cassiopeia's website, he explains how this luxury catamaran is built using composite technology to insure performance and strength. Cassiopeia can sail the world heaven in heavy weather.

The platform is huge with a lot of space and light in the Salon, the Galley, the Dining room and the protected cockpit. The interior can be completely customized in any way the client wishes.

Cassiopeia was designed to reduce maintenance costs at a minimum and be easy to sail with a small crew.

There is a list of options available including a "Green Boat Package" :

• 4 Superwind Wind Generators
• 28 Solar Panels
• 2 Balmar High Output Alternators 24VDC / 220 Amp
• 3 Charge Controllers
• 2 High Capacity Battery Banks 2400 Amp-Hour
• 2 5000 Watt / 240VAC Inverters
• 1 4000 Watt / 120VAC Inverter
• 2 100 Amp Battery Chargers

Constellation Yacht is building a second 70 footer named "Magic".

FLUX LUXURY CATAMARAN

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