Fixing a Vega in the sun....

Vega1447 · Aug 8, 2012

John.
If a coastbound sailor may presume to advise you; go for it.

I'll buy you fish, chips and a pint when you get back either way.

John V1447 Breakaway

John Kinsella
Mathematics and Statistics Dept
University of Limerick

Phone 0035361202148
Web jkcray.maths.ul.ie

stevebirch2002 · Aug 8, 2012

Hi John

You are the one that has to make the decision.... Can always ship to The Canaries no prob.

Sleep, eat and drink then sleep THEN decide!

Fair winds and tides

Steve BirchFrom: John Denney
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 8:04 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Fixing a Vega in the sun....
Well it is decision time! Oh gloom, what to do now......

I have managed to get just about everything fixed. The exhaust has been welded and I made a new rubber bush for the rear mount, the dynastart has been repaired by a nice Portuguese engineer, the oil leak seems to be fixed, the fuel pump is now fine, the raw water leak is cured, the St 200o tiller pilot has its new belts in it (fiddly job) and the engine (bless it) is running as sweet as a nut!

I have had a bad few days in Fuengerila da Foz feeling sorry for myself and wondering what to do but I think the boat is as ready as it ever was (maybe better) to go back to sea.

Do I play it safe and just hop along the coast, fit a new engine, and settle for the Med or do I strike out for the Canary Islands? I have provisioned for the 8 day sail to the Canaries but my arse it twitching a bit at the prospect! (excuse the French). I cannot find a reason not to go to the Canaries other than "if" I have more breakdowns.... but who knows. I am good with "spanners" and I would swear that this little engine is running very well with loads of power, good compression, nice clean exhaust etc... but I suppose it could blow up tomorrow.

I guess I will have to sleep on it and decide in the morning.... a few marinas are "on the way", as it were, because I have to head south along the Portuguese coast for a bit so I guess if I "bottle out" I can hang a left and run for a port.

Appreciate any words of wisdom.....

John the undecided......

johnadenney · Aug 8, 2012

Cheers John - I feel that way myself but I may live to regret it! I
will have a chance to check out all the systems en route so I can
always turn back if I need to... still feeling a bit twitchy about 8
-10 days at sea but at least the forecast is good. Hmmmm... so was
the last one.....

ps everyone I have met say what a great boat the Vega is... and many
of them have owned them... quite encouraging.

Oh and what is the best way to balance the boat to counter weather
helm... I think the steering will be easier if I can get the thing
better balanced. I guess less main sail? what about the traveller
setting? Kicking strap? Any advice greatly appreciated.

John

rogerefairest · Aug 8, 2012

The further south you get on the Portugues coast the stronger the Portugues trades will get, once past Lisbon easily 20knots on the lower end 35knots on the stronger side, if you go you have to go, dont think that you can turn back to a port just because you feel like it, the only port which is an all weather port in that coast is Cascais (and also the most expensive), get a swell forecast before living and see what it looks like.

Once in the Algarve there are only 2 place which are worthwile (ria formosa and another ria next to lagos which I fail to remember its name) and in Spain only Ayamonte I would say its good, the rest (in Andalucia, which is over 500 miles of coast) are all artificial harbours full of shops in the best case senario or just large parking lots for boats and lacking any social activity.If I had to do it, I would probably depart from Lisbon (way cheaper than Cascais also if there is space you can anchor in Cascais, definetly worth all the time spent fixing your boat), go a bit wsw till about 30 - 50 nm out and then strait down, the reason being that I have been told that at 50nm there is no land effect and the wind is steadier and no gales at 19:00 which is what we encountered every evening south of Lisbon along that coast, not sure if this is the case also in summer though.

As steve said, it is your decision!

Cheers

Roger________________________________
From: johndenney johndenney1@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 8 August 2012, 20:31
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Fixing a Vega in the sun....

Cheers John - I feel that way myself but I may live to regret it! I
will have a chance to check out all the systems en route so I can
always turn back if I need to... still feeling a bit twitchy about 8
-10 days at sea but at least the forecast is good. Hmmmm... so was
the last one.....

ps everyone I have met say what a great boat the Vega is... and many
of them have owned them... quite encouraging.

Oh and what is the best way to balance the boat to counter weather
helm... I think the steering will be easier if I can get the thing
better balanced. I guess less main sail? what about the traveller
setting? Kicking strap? Any advice greatly appreciated.

John

vegaboat · Aug 8, 2012

As long as the boat will go as fast as you want, the less main, the
happier the autopilot; especially on a reach to a run. I remember downwind
runs in 25k where I just took the main down. When the main IS up, the
lower the traveller, the less the boat wants to round up...
Ric, #935
(who usually is pretty quiet, with a liveaboard dialup, but is now gabby
when housesitting)

n6ric · Aug 8, 2012

Just remember that the Vega is first and foremost a sailboat and the axillary power is just that. You have to ask yourself, will I ever get the chance to do this again? Waiting for wind can feel like a pain at times, but you're sitting in a beautiful boat that can take you pretty much anywhere and you're out on the ocean with world at your fingertips. I have to work another year before I can even think about such an adventure. Want to trade?

Ric
s/v Blue Max
#2692
www.ric-maxfield.net

pjacobs55 · Aug 8, 2012

From another Coastal Sailor:
The ST2000+ has a few settings to adjust that will help prevent it from sawing itself to death. "Auto Sea State" should be on (default setting), and "Rudder Gain" set to 3, unless you're running dead downwind in which case 4 is a more sensitive setting.

My personal preference is to use the Navik when sailing and the ST2000+ when under power, but if you're using it to sail make sure the main is reduced enough to minimze weather helm.

Heck, I quite often leave the main down and sail with only the jib, if the weather is brisk. That way there's almost no weather helm at all ... very easy to steer.

Peter
www.sintacha.com

johnadenney · Aug 8, 2012

Thankyou all for the fabulous advice. I have just woken up and I am
checking the weather. The winds are Northerly all the way to the
Canary Islands with a min of 10kts and a max of 25 kts over the entire
8 days. The max swell is 1.5 m and all looks good on the weather
front. I shall fill up with diesel, give the engine a good run for an
hour or two along the coast and see how things go. Wish me luck!

John

stevebirch2002 · Aug 9, 2012

Go for it mate, hear from you from The Canaries..... Mine's a lager!

S

samr90us · Aug 10, 2012

John

When you are trying to balance the sails think of the keel as the fulcrum of the boat. If you apply more force to the jib you get lee helm, more force to the main you get weather helm. The boat pivots between the sails.

Hang in there.....

Sam

johnadenney · Aug 15, 2012

Hi all, got to a rock in the Atlantic called Porto Santo - did not
mean to come here but..... it is a long story! .The boat has been
fabulous - I cannot praise it enough - its me - I am not cut out for
long distance sailing - it's too lonely!............. I arrived in the
dark..... (which I swore I would never do again), F6 maybe F7
headwinds (the wind always blows from the North in this area - my
arse!) nearly ran out of fuel - (maybe 1 pint left in the tank) ,
risked being blown onto a rocky lee shore, got bashed by the boom and
nearly fell over, not eaten or slept properly for 6 days, parked up at
3.00 am against a concrete harbour wall which got taller in the night
and woke me up as I was dangling from the mooring lines, got hooted at
by the Ferry to Madeira for hogging his parking space......oh and
rescued a Spanish family from being blown out to sea in a tiny rowing
boat. So, as you can see everything is as normal on the sailing
asylum "Cirrus".

I have had enough - I am finding this so hard. The weather seems to
be conspiring against me - it actually rained here last night due to a
frontal system, hence the westerlies - VERY unusual....... I think I
will make it to the Canary Islands but then I am coming home.... If
anyone wants to buy (VERY cheap) a fully kitted out Vega let me know.
No reasonable offer will be refused. (seriously). I shall post a
brief list of what is fitted on the boat and if anyone wants her just
email me and make me a derisory offer - I will not be offended! Only
problem is she will be in the Canary Islands!

I need some food......

Vasco de John

Vega1447 · Aug 15, 2012

Another landfall, well done John.

A good night's sleep, half a litre of Plonko Rosso and some decent grub and you'll feel much better.
Whatever you decide Cirrus has sailed further in a month than my Vega has in years.

Good luck,
John

John Kinsella
Mathematics and Statistics Dept
University of Limerick

Phone 0035361202148
Web jkcray.maths.ul.ie

stevebirch2002 · Aug 15, 2012

Remember when I had an awful crossing and when I reached port I would of sold Southern Comfort for a tenner! But after a couple of days the crossing yarn was added to the list of stories!

Vino, rest and then all will be fine with the world

Keep on John, you know it makes sense...ish!

Fair winds and tides

Steve BFrom: John.Kinsella
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 3:15 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: vega weather helm
Another landfall, well done John.

A good night's sleep, half a litre of Plonko Rosso and some decent grub and you'll feel much better.
Whatever you decide Cirrus has sailed further in a month than my Vega has in years.

Good luck,
John

John Kinsella
Mathematics and Statistics Dept
University of Limerick

Phone 0035361202148
Web jkcray.maths.ul.ie

johnadenney · Aug 15, 2012

Hi Steve, I am sat here with a coffee, in the sun, feeling fine now
but I just hate being alone. I am a chatty little bugger and love
company so long periods of isolation feel like a prison sentence..
(laughing - the Portuguese guy next to thinks I am crazy!) The real
problem is that I do not eat or sleep properly. The motion seems to
take away all my appetite and I just survive on crisps and chocolate
bars.. it is hard to describe but after a couple of nights it feels
like I am in a prison cell (solitary confinement) but tasked with
keeping the "prison" moving at all times... I will have a think about
how to describe what it feels like to be alone at sea for 6 days but
at the moment I just know that I do not like it! How people have
sailed all the way around the globe is beyond me. I have kept a
detailed diary so I shall type it all up asap and you will laugh your
socks off.... but some of it makes for disturbing reading!

ps anyone any ideas on the cheapest place to keep a yacht in this area
(madeira / Canaries) and how to go about selling it! Or if anyone
wants to bring it back to the UK - be my guest..

africanmarco · Aug 15, 2012

Hi John,

Had the same feeling and idea of getting rid of my Vega, when I reached Portugal after 2 gales that damaged the mast support system and the bulkhead that contains the water tank. Got scared by the sea and thought I was taking too a big risk also for my crew. A short break staying in the harbour and enjoying good food and beer helped. From there till Sicily I sailed singlehanded, with legs up to 400 NM...and it worked. I got little by little more confident of myself and the Vega. I'm now in Corfu'-Greece, 3747 NM on the Vega...and I love her!
As the other fellow Vega sailors suggested, take a good rest and enjoy good food and wine before taking any decision.

If you feel hard sailing long distance singlehanded, maybe the Mediterranean could offer you an easier route?

Keep smiling, we are all with you!
marco

Inviato da iPad

Il giorno 15/ago/2012, alle ore 17:05, johndenney johndenney1@... ha scritto:

johnadenney · Aug 15, 2012

Thanks Marco, I think I should have turned left into the Med now......
but I think it is a very difficult sail from Madeira to Gibraltar?
Head winds maybe - not sure... anyone know?
I have to say I am feeling better by the minute and just enjoying
answering emails and sitting on "steady" ground having a coffee and a
smoke. I think I am also very homesick.. and I did not realise how
much I would miss my family and home - I shall sit down and try to
rationalise how I feel about all this but at the moment I would rather
poke a needle in my eye than go back out to sea! The isolation just
drives me insane...

If anyone can think of a way to get the boat back to the Med (or the
UK) I would be very interested - as long as it does not involve me
sailing into more headwinds and bad weather!

...... by the way, thank you all so much for your help, advice and
support. I do actually get quite lonely out here and it is so good to
get emails from group members. I shall write up the "epic" tail as
soon as I can - I type very slowly!

groundhogyh · Aug 15, 2012

Wow, very interesting story.
After reading the emails in this thread, i agree with some of the others and might add
a bit more of my thoughts.

Your first (i assume) big outing on the boat was straight out into the atlantic. Maybe you would feel better with much shorter hops from one vacation type spot to the next. That way you would have lots of people around you, more often. And in the mediteranian maybe better seas (im sure there are big storms there too).

There are also "Rallys" where a bunch of boats with low experience can group together to hop destinations together. One such is out of the Chesapeake to the bahamas, where the chesapeake is a gathering spot for boats from all over the north before the last jump out to the atlantic. Cost for joining is like $1200 though.

Do you have weather fax capability out at sea?

groundhog

dougpol1 · Aug 15, 2012

If I wanted to go to England I would jump off and follow the trades past
the Us and the Gulf stream across the North Atlantic back to England.
Its a milk run! All downwind sailing and if you have time you can join
the fun at Georgetown Bahamas for the winter and cross to England in the
spring. Who knows, You might pick up a pretty girl to go with you. That
will change your dreary outlook.

Doug

winslowbuoy · Aug 15, 2012

Hi John - Have been looking up a set of old lifeboat charts from my distant past, according to these the Portugal current runs southward down the coast from Biscay to below the Cape Verde Islands at a rate between 8 and 12 miles a day, add to that the fact that ' In summer the weather is normally fine with moderate winds usually from a northerly quarter' . I'm not sure you want to know this.

You have done bloody well to get as far as you have, none of us know how we would cope with the isolation until we try it. On the other hand finding a compatible crew is very difficult as well.

There is a current that runs south east from Cape St Vincent toward Gibraltar and that might be your best option, once in the Med you could work your way up the Spanish coast to France and come back through the French Canals. Di Webb travelled to Med through the Canal du Midi a couple of years ago in a Vega so it is possible.

Whatever you decide to do I hope you have fairwinds and a good passage

Regards MIke
________________________________
From: johndenney johndenney1@...
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 15 August 2012, 16:52
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Re: vega weather helm

Thanks Marco, I think I should have turned left into the Med now......
but I think it is a very difficult sail from Madeira to Gibraltar?
Head winds maybe - not sure... anyone know?
I have to say I am feeling better by the minute and just enjoying
answering emails and sitting on "steady" ground having a coffee and a
smoke. I think I am also very homesick.. and I did not realise how
much I would miss my family and home - I shall sit down and try to
rationalise how I feel about all this but at the moment I would rather
poke a needle in my eye than go back out to sea! The isolation just
drives me insane...

If anyone can think of a way to get the boat back to the Med (or the
UK) I would be very interested - as long as it does not involve me
sailing into more headwinds and bad weather!

...... by the way, thank you all so much for your help, advice and
support. I do actually get quite lonely out here and it is so good to
get emails from group members. I shall write up the "epic" tail as
soon as I can - I type very slowly!