Thanks so much we enjoy sharing and it is a great record of events for us in the future. The other day I watched a couple and it was amazing what I had forgotten.
I have loved every minute of your adventure so far. Love the new bimini but I feel it should be stowed in bad weather. Having crossed the north Pacific nine times I would feel much safer without it. Keep up the posts, always look forward to them.
Ok so stowing is a real major……the canvas is fixed through each of the 16 brackets for the solar which means it’s hours to take down and put back up. Perhaps it could be released from the sides and rolled into the middle and then secured. We are going to have to think about that. Right now I am tending towards a fixing from the helm station up to the two centre rails that can be removed during good weather and put in place for layovers or crossings. Personally I wish the boat had a hard top!
Yes it was a big step for us. Luckily I am used to instrumentation and navigating at night so no issue there. There is always something nice about daylight arriving after a long slow night at sea.
Hey Mark, have you considered just keeping on board a couple of those mini air tanks? They have like 5-10 mins of air in them, just for emergencies like that prop issue. You can get them filled from local dive shops. Pretty cheap as well. Also, fantastic episode as always.
Only really recommend them if you have dive training and a dive shop will only fill them if you can present a dive training license/certificate for safety reasons. A better idea would be to get one of the battery powered floating compressors with the tube. Gives about an hour of air and allows for safe diving for boat cleaning or just a simple look about. The only down side is that it is more effort to suck in air as the compressor will activate only when it detects an attempt to breath. rather than send a continuous stream of air (again this is safety related).
@@ThePenhalionsPost Or just get a little compressor for the boat (not sure if it has one already) and just the mini tank and fill it yourself. SMACO Mini Scuba Tank 0.5L Handheld Mini Diving Tank. $99 !!
@@LeeShand If Mark is already scuba trained then such a tank is fine for less than 10 meters but, without scuba training I would not recommend such a tank to anyone. It has 15 minutes of air for a trained diver. Far less than that for a normal user who will not understand that depth affects rate of consumption and that you don't surface from below 10 meters without exhaling on the way up etc etc. These tanks will kill people if they haven't already!
Ok so a lot of info. My concern is in the winter. I need to investigate and believe me I would not use it for anything other than a metre under the boat. I have only done scuba in Fiji when out around the corals on a day trip with guides. Spent time in a pool being taught the basics and from memory we were not allowed below 10m.
@@AwanuiNZ Yeah exactly, over here in the US (I'm a brit BTW living in Nashville) I see a lot of kids in local pools using them, I have also used them snorkeling just if I wanted to go a bit longer under water, but it would be perfect for just general odd jobs under the boat. Really cheap alternative, maybe a small weight belt as well just to make you neutrally buoyant.
Another great video and nice to see this part of Italy. Did not know it is worth visiting, so when we run out of things to see in Greece and Croatia we have a new place to go to. Good to see you had great weather making those night time passages. They are always a bit uncomfortable, you want to sleep, but you can't. If you plan on making more night time passages in the future you may want to think about getting yourself a Sionyx Nightwave. It is not a FLIR, it just amplifies existing ambient light, but for us it is a game changer. Instead of sailing into darkness, completely blind (other than radar), the Sionyx turns nighttime into daylight again and all of a sudden you can see absolutely everything. When the sea is calm you may not need it, but when the sea is rough you can see the waves coming and adjust your course a bit. It also enables you to make nighttime approaches into unknown anchorages, takes the rush out of having to get into an anchorage / port. We have ours on a tripod on the flybridge, connect it to our tablet and the world opens up. May want to think about it for when you are underway in winter storms and long off shore passages. Super idea to change the cable thickness of the solar panels, last thing you want is a fire onboard.
Hey David thanks so much. Not a lot of stops along the East coast of Italy but where we did stop was nice. We are so looking forward to getting back and just taking our time meandering along coastlines….last bit of this trip felt a little rushed which is not what we want. Interesting on Sionyx…will check out. Thinking maybe next year to fit FLIR. Might keep my eyes out on EBay to see if someone is moving one on. Got quoted $10US for a stabilised model!!
@@AwanuiNZ The 10 to 25 K was one of the reasons why I decided against it. We don't need it that often and then such an amount of money is a bit over the top for us. On top of that, heard from people who have one that a FLIR will stop working as soon as the temperature difference between water and air becomes minimal, it becomes a bit of a blur. After all, it works on finding a difference in temperature. The Sionyx is more like night vision goggles, it just amplifies existing light. And the price difference was immense. I paid 1600 euro for the Sionyx or I would have paid 9000 for the cheapest FLIR (non stabilized and non maneuverable). Now I just placed the Sionyx on a standard photography tripod, which enables me to move it around as I please. And when we don't need it I can take it away and store it, which makes it last a bit longer (I hope). Forgot to mention it before, but good catch 👍that you saw that chain wrapped around your prop shaft. Could have seriously ruined your day.
Yet another great video. They just keep coming, excellent. Brings back memories of my first night passage as skipper. I was extremely nervous. We were sailing under full sail but I had the advantage of a navigator who was below checking the route through one or two Scottish islands. We had three crew and four guests that night. The guests who had requested a night passage all turned in for the night about one in the morning saying it was a bit cold on deck. The crew and I had to sail for another four hours to a safe anchorage!!!! Safe passage R.
Bimini fix - per your concerns on making your bimini more secure; Look at using sailboat cable and turnbuckels vs adding more pipes. You can place the cables where you need them and they are less intrusive. Would seem to provide a better fit and finish while giving you more flexibity to remove if needed. I would suggest you look at some biminis on some high end sailboats for ideas. Good luck.
Just a terrific video. So glad the first taste of overnight passage-making with just the two of you and another couple worked out well. I may have missed this in another video, but I'd love to see a video on how well the boat's accommodations have worked out . Do you and Fiona find the main stateroom to be comfortable? Are the storage closets and cabinets adequate? Is the lighting satisfactory? The head? Is there anything irritating about it? Same with the galley, the main salon and the pilothouse. Are the side and foredecks well-thought out? Ample storage places for fenders, cleaning supplies and spares? Really enjoying sharing the passages with you -- thanks!
You might need to get a portable underwater diving machine like DIDEEP Portable Diving Machine, Scuba Breathing Machine, Air Compressor Underwater Dive Eq. They are easy to use and great for getting under your yacht.
I can keep them going for two more weeks and then we have an idea for a “cost so far reveal” - I don’t know what is is so far so Fiona will reveal to me on camera!
It’s nice that you found someone who can speak English. I was there seven years ago, and the person was so upset with me because I couldn’t understand anything they were saying and they kept telling me they were speaking English while getting angrier and angrier with me. It was not a fun time looking back at it. 😂
I’ve done a number of night trips. It can be a little bit scary and exhausting at times but very exciting. How long are you going back to New Zealand for Mark before you get back on the boat?
We will be home for t weeks…back on 6 October when friends will meet us. Heading back to Sicily then western Italian coast…..oh while watching the Americas Cup of course!
It has become very popular for over wintering in the Med. I hear you there will be reasons for the cost of the Marina being low. Labour is on average €6/day and concrete is €6 a cubic meter. Africa is cheap……or you could say Europe is expensive. It is interesting we met a civil engineer in Monastir, he told us crime very low in Tunisia.
@@AwanuiNZ The consequences for crime can be a little ....severe in Muslim countries, but Tunisia remains on a very high warning of the possibility of terrorist action although this is mostly anticipated in the Libya and Algeria border areas. Have you considered fitting at least one motion activated camera - bridge, saloon, or master bedroom - with an automatic notification to your phone or tablet in NZ ? Something you can log into when you're bored for a little peace of mind perhaps ? Best regards, and good luck.
@@AwanuiNZ A follow up thought. If you do invest in some sort of alarm which can send a notification to you in NZ, please make sure you get a phone number to ring in the marina, otherwise .... 24 hour service is probably unrealistic though. Good luck.
Do not know about leaving the boat in Tunisia with the likes of boats being stolen in North Africa to cross the Mediterranean to the coast of the EU countries, when you have an incident where you have something raped around the propeller and the shaft it is always a good idea to have scuba or a system of a surface demand system as it always provides a system to remove the growth on the hull at times, love times on boats when I get the opportunity had the pleasure of taking a yacht from Plymouth down to Barcelona with a friend just for the trip, we hit a force 9 gale in the Bay of Biscay and everyone started to experience seasickness and I ended up at the helm as I was the only one that it did not seem to affect me and ended up at the helm for 11 hours all the others were either in the heads or with their heads over the side of the boat
Tunisia at the Marina is fine. The boat is right outside a very busy restaurant and the Marina office. It’s a modern area visited by many tourists. The boats head away much further down the coast. What a trip and I understand. I had one all nighter and that was very tiring but in beautiful weather. What was force 9 like? Frightening.
@@AwanuiNZ It was not a pleasant experience but being at the helm kept me occupied and my mind off things until one of the others got their sea legs, as I was concerned for the safety of the others onboard and the safety of the boat we were on, as for the Marina I hope your boat will be safe there like you said about the yachts that were tied up alongside that jetty some of those were probably from some marina that was taken to cross the Mediterranean by the illegal immigrants entering into the EU
Lol. So now diesel is cheaper in Norway by alot😂 wtf is going on?😂 we have always had the most expensive fuel. 1,2 euro for boat diesel now, and 1,5 euro for car fuel. Madness.
You are living the life that I have been dreaming of for years now.😊 soon very soon!
Keep the dream alive, it can happen.
Perhaps your best episode yet!. Thanks See you at blossom time!
That would be cool….weather is really playing up
What a lovely expedition route. Enjoyed every minute 🎉
Thanks so much we enjoy sharing and it is a great record of events for us in the future. The other day I watched a couple and it was amazing what I had forgotten.
Excellent video, your best yet. Well done.
Oh wow thanks…not sure what was so special?
What a fantastic experience Mr and Mrs R, brilliant ❤
Thanks so much we love making each episode
I have loved every minute of your adventure so far. Love the new bimini but I feel it should be stowed in bad weather. Having crossed the north Pacific nine times I would feel much safer without it. Keep up the posts, always look forward to them.
Ok so stowing is a real major……the canvas is fixed through each of the 16 brackets for the solar which means it’s hours to take down and put back up. Perhaps it could be released from the sides and rolled into the middle and then secured. We are going to have to think about that. Right now I am tending towards a fixing from the helm station up to the two centre rails that can be removed during good weather and put in place for layovers or crossings. Personally I wish the boat had a hard top!
@@AwanuiNZ They don’t offer a hard top for this model?
thanks once again excellent
Thank you we appreciate the feedback
Mark thank you great video as ever you both done amazing going though the night at sea.
Yes it was a big step for us. Luckily I am used to instrumentation and navigating at night so no issue there. There is always something nice about daylight arriving after a long slow night at sea.
Hey Mark, have you considered just keeping on board a couple of those mini air tanks? They have like 5-10 mins of air in them, just for emergencies like that prop issue. You can get them filled from local dive shops. Pretty cheap as well. Also, fantastic episode as always.
Only really recommend them if you have dive training and a dive shop will only fill them if you can present a dive training license/certificate for safety reasons. A better idea would be to get one of the battery powered floating compressors with the tube. Gives about an hour of air and allows for safe diving for boat cleaning or just a simple look about. The only down side is that it is more effort to suck in air as the compressor will activate only when it detects an attempt to breath. rather than send a continuous stream of air (again this is safety related).
@@ThePenhalionsPost Or just get a little compressor for the boat (not sure if it has one already) and just the mini tank and fill it yourself. SMACO Mini Scuba Tank 0.5L Handheld Mini Diving Tank. $99 !!
@@LeeShand If Mark is already scuba trained then such a tank is fine for less than 10 meters but, without scuba training I would not recommend such a tank to anyone. It has 15 minutes of air for a trained diver. Far less than that for a normal user who will not understand that depth affects rate of consumption and that you don't surface from below 10 meters without exhaling on the way up etc etc. These tanks will kill people if they haven't already!
Ok so a lot of info. My concern is in the winter. I need to investigate and believe me I would not use it for anything other than a metre under the boat. I have only done scuba in Fiji when out around the corals on a day trip with guides. Spent time in a pool being taught the basics and from memory we were not allowed below 10m.
@@AwanuiNZ Yeah exactly, over here in the US (I'm a brit BTW living in Nashville) I see a lot of kids in local pools using them, I have also used them snorkeling just if I wanted to go a bit longer under water, but it would be perfect for just general odd jobs under the boat. Really cheap alternative, maybe a small weight belt as well just to make you neutrally buoyant.
Great video as always! Love that you guys are getting to see so many interesting places!
Yip we certainly are couple of good episodes coming up
👍good one- like the music on this one, looking a little tired on this one Big Guy-, the break will do you both Good.
Haha and ta
Another great video and nice to see this part of Italy. Did not know it is worth visiting, so when we run out of things to see in Greece and Croatia we have a new place to go to.
Good to see you had great weather making those night time passages. They are always a bit uncomfortable, you want to sleep, but you can't.
If you plan on making more night time passages in the future you may want to think about getting yourself a Sionyx Nightwave. It is not a FLIR, it just amplifies existing ambient light, but for us it is a game changer. Instead of sailing into darkness, completely blind (other than radar), the Sionyx turns nighttime into daylight again and all of a sudden you can see absolutely everything. When the sea is calm you may not need it, but when the sea is rough you can see the waves coming and adjust your course a bit. It also enables you to make nighttime approaches into unknown anchorages, takes the rush out of having to get into an anchorage / port. We have ours on a tripod on the flybridge, connect it to our tablet and the world opens up. May want to think about it for when you are underway in winter storms and long off shore passages.
Super idea to change the cable thickness of the solar panels, last thing you want is a fire onboard.
Hey David thanks so much. Not a lot of stops along the East coast of Italy but where we did stop was nice. We are so looking forward to getting back and just taking our time meandering along coastlines….last bit of this trip felt a little rushed which is not what we want. Interesting on Sionyx…will check out. Thinking maybe next year to fit FLIR. Might keep my eyes out on EBay to see if someone is moving one on. Got quoted $10US for a stabilised model!!
@@AwanuiNZ The 10 to 25 K was one of the reasons why I decided against it. We don't need it that often and then such an amount of money is a bit over the top for us. On top of that, heard from people who have one that a FLIR will stop working as soon as the temperature difference between water and air becomes minimal, it becomes a bit of a blur. After all, it works on finding a difference in temperature. The Sionyx is more like night vision goggles, it just amplifies existing light. And the price difference was immense. I paid 1600 euro for the Sionyx or I would have paid 9000 for the cheapest FLIR (non stabilized and non maneuverable). Now I just placed the Sionyx on a standard photography tripod, which enables me to move it around as I please. And when we don't need it I can take it away and store it, which makes it last a bit longer (I hope).
Forgot to mention it before, but good catch 👍that you saw that chain wrapped around your prop shaft. Could have seriously ruined your day.
thanks for all the info and yes very pleased we saw that
Yet another great video. They just keep coming, excellent. Brings back memories of my first night passage as skipper. I was extremely nervous. We were sailing under full sail but I had the advantage of a navigator who was below checking the route through one or two Scottish islands. We had three crew and four guests that night. The guests who had requested a night passage all turned in for the night about one in the morning saying it was a bit cold on deck. The crew and I had to sail for another four hours to a safe anchorage!!!!
Safe passage
R.
I hear you. Being alone at night is cool but it does make you think….not much room for error
What a wonderful life experience. Good on you. And a reminder of past life working through the nigh added in.
Yip indeed
Great episode
Thanks
You are so welcome
Bimini fix - per your concerns on making your bimini more secure; Look at using sailboat cable and turnbuckels vs adding more pipes. You can place the cables where you need them and they are less intrusive. Would seem to provide a better fit and finish while giving you more flexibity to remove if needed. I would suggest you look at some biminis on some high end sailboats for ideas. Good luck.
Thanks so much that’s a great idea. I guess it is uplift we want to stop not down pressure?
Cracking job, well done.
Many thanks!
Mark, Great episode!
Cheers…back home now
@@AwanuiNZ Are you on your way back to NZ?
We in NZ for Blossom Valley. Back to the boat on 6 October
Nightvision : Mount a REDLIGHT on the flybridge and save your nightvision when sailing at night.
Got to get running light above Bimini
@@AwanuiNZ A plate on the underside also to stop the light bleeding down?
Great point
Just a terrific video. So glad the first taste of overnight passage-making with just the two of you and another couple worked out well. I may have missed this in another video, but I'd love to see a video on how well the boat's accommodations have worked out . Do you and Fiona find the main stateroom to be comfortable? Are the storage closets and cabinets adequate? Is the lighting satisfactory? The head? Is there anything irritating about it? Same with the galley, the main salon and the pilothouse. Are the side and foredecks well-thought out? Ample storage places for fenders, cleaning supplies and spares? Really enjoying sharing the passages with you -- thanks!
Great idea…standby
You might need to get a portable underwater diving machine like DIDEEP Portable Diving Machine, Scuba Breathing Machine, Air Compressor Underwater Dive Eq. They are easy to use and great for getting under your yacht.
Yes I agree…never been one for diving but may have to
Forget the Speedos Mark . . . Go all out with a Mankini . . Lol . .
Great vid team . .
Take care till next time
Bye from NZ💐👋🇳🇿🍻twa
Cheers Roger. Back home and missing Awanui NZ
Another good one, shame your coming to the end of this years adventure, just what are we going to do without your weekly updates?
I can keep them going for two more weeks and then we have an idea for a “cost so far reveal” - I don’t know what is is so far so Fiona will reveal to me on camera!
Oh and have you not noticed they are more frequent than that now?
What difference does it make to your fuel burn, running at 4.5/5 knots rather than crusing speed of 7/8 knots
About 30% less fuel. I think for longer legs we will cruise at 6.5-7kts from now on.
Agree with previous comment. You really must use a Redlight for night passages and safety of all on board.
Got one down stairs. Upstairs it’s the running light….needs changing
It’s nice that you found someone who can speak English. I was there seven years ago, and the person was so upset with me because I couldn’t understand anything they were saying and they kept telling me they were speaking English while getting angrier and angrier with me. It was not a fun time looking back at it. 😂
Wow…so far we have been very lucky with people’s ability and patience when trying to communicate with us in English
Diesel in the US is around $ 5.00 a gallon for automobiles and around $ 3.50 a gallon for marine diesel at the harbor
Looking forward to that!
It definitely is a nice looking Bimini. I’m trying to develop something similar for a friend.
Thanks
FLIR camera above the Bimini cover mate 👍🏻
$10k US - maybe next year.
@@AwanuiNZ not that much! Stock for less quoted me 1900 usd
where
Also interested why travelling slowly at 5 knots
Conserves about 30% fuel and we in no rush. Thinking for longer passages we will increase to 6.5-7kts
Your spot on about the politicians. What's a guy to do. Sail on I say!
Indeed
I’ve done a number of night trips. It can be a little bit scary and exhausting at times but very exciting. How long are you going back to New Zealand for Mark before you get back on the boat?
We will be home for t weeks…back on 6 October when friends will meet us. Heading back to Sicily then western Italian coast…..oh while watching the Americas Cup of course!
How come only 5 kts cruising ? Cost of diesel perhaps !
Yip it’s horrendous in Europe. We will go faster when necessary but generally no rush. We give the engines a blow out pretty regularly.
Italy biutiful Land
It is
interested why you travel so slowly ? as your engines would enjoy a higher rpm ?
Fuel….they get a burn out every couple of days
Lekker man lekker 🇿🇦
Thank you so much
Good luck with leaving the boat in Tunisia, i doubt I could sleep at night. Third of the price for a reason ......
It has become very popular for over wintering in the Med. I hear you there will be reasons for the cost of the Marina being low. Labour is on average €6/day and concrete is €6 a cubic meter. Africa is cheap……or you could say Europe is expensive. It is interesting we met a civil engineer in Monastir, he told us crime very low in Tunisia.
@@AwanuiNZ The consequences for crime can be a little ....severe in Muslim countries, but Tunisia remains on a very high warning of the possibility of terrorist action although this is mostly anticipated in the Libya and Algeria border areas. Have you considered fitting at least one motion activated camera - bridge, saloon, or master bedroom - with an automatic notification to your phone or tablet in NZ ? Something you can log into when you're bored for a little peace of mind perhaps ? Best regards, and good luck.
Good thinking will look into it
@@AwanuiNZ A follow up thought. If you do invest in some sort of alarm which can send a notification to you in NZ, please make sure you get a phone number to ring in the marina, otherwise .... 24 hour service is probably unrealistic though. Good luck.
Do not know about leaving the boat in Tunisia with the likes of boats being stolen in North Africa to cross the Mediterranean to the coast of the EU countries, when you have an incident where you have something raped around the propeller and the shaft it is always a good idea to have scuba or a system of a surface demand system as it always provides a system to remove the growth on the hull at times, love times on boats when I get the opportunity had the pleasure of taking a yacht from Plymouth down to Barcelona with a friend just for the trip, we hit a force 9 gale in the Bay of Biscay and everyone started to experience seasickness and I ended up at the helm as I was the only one that it did not seem to affect me and ended up at the helm for 11 hours all the others were either in the heads or with their heads over the side of the boat
Tunisia at the Marina is fine. The boat is right outside a very busy restaurant and the Marina office. It’s a modern area visited by many tourists. The boats head away much further down the coast. What a trip and I understand. I had one all nighter and that was very tiring but in beautiful weather. What was force 9 like? Frightening.
@@AwanuiNZ It was not a pleasant experience but being at the helm kept me occupied and my mind off things until one of the others got their sea legs, as I was concerned for the safety of the others onboard and the safety of the boat we were on, as for the Marina I hope your boat will be safe there like you said about the yachts that were tied up alongside that jetty some of those were probably from some marina that was taken to cross the Mediterranean by the illegal immigrants entering into the EU
Yes agree
Lol. So now diesel is cheaper in Norway by alot😂 wtf is going on?😂 we have always had the most expensive fuel. 1,2 euro for boat diesel now, and 1,5 euro for car fuel. Madness.
That is good….0.75€ in Tunisia
@@AwanuiNZ amazing✌️i hope you guys will visit Norway, NZ is stunning, but so is my home. Wish you the best. Safe travels. Love from Norway😘
Absolutely want to come to Norway
Why is the running light under the Bimini?
Because it is in the wrong place. Another job to do
Капитан,сохраните этот цепь снятую с винтов, и сказать Фионе - когда ты будешь непослушной, то будешь закована этой цепью и .....😂
Haha I like the way you think!
Мой друг Вы хороший молодец,но не забывайте учить Фиону, женщины любят сильного капитана🎉
Oooh why not