Found you site because I was watching all things Nordhavn. Really enjoy your videos - so much content worth watching and like this one we learn a lot about things not seen before. Thanks
You guys made it look so easy to go through that lock. I honestly don't think I would have tried it at night but that is just me. I don't think I know anyone who has ever done that at night. I think you too being able to work together as a team really made the difference.
We had intended to arrive before nightfall but couldn't leave Belfast until about 1/2 hour after the fireworks display when they re-opened the channel. That 1/2 hour moved us a bit later but with delays waiting for the lock, a night lockage was the only option. Your right that it's much easier with two people especially when we don't have daylight experience with that lock.
Thanks. We do have some videos underway in a wide variety of different conditions from tiny canals to open ocean. You already found the video on our North Atlantic Crossing (th-cam.com/video/guEnTp2a6Sc/w-d-xo.html). Amsterdam to Antwerp: th-cam.com/video/fPoSMYSadVU/w-d-xo.html. Crossing the Gulf of Alaska: th-cam.com/video/lSsiK1iHpNo/w-d-xo.html. This is us cruising by the historic Fastnet Lighthouse: th-cam.com/video/S5Y8gdHQsgY/w-d-xo.html. This is us sailing up the King George River in Australia: th-cam.com/video/p3-zSrQlZA4/w-d-xo.html. Through the Crinan Canal in Scotland: th-cam.com/video/3n6BHvWtHjA/w-d-xo.html.
Spitfire often finds a way into the videos. In this one, he's chosen appearance was to go outside as we approached the lock in the dark and letting rip with a blood curdling howl that just wouldn't stop. That wouldn't have been my choice but Spitfire is his own cat :-).
Hey guys, love your channel. A question if I may. The N52 or 55 look a bit top heavy compared to a Selene or the older N57. Is this correct, do they roll more and is the flybridge usable in rough but sunny weather or do you get thrown around too much. Thanks. Clive.
It's hard to read a boat looking at the outside of the boat. Dirona weighs in at 110,000 lbs and draws 6'7". It's a very heavy boat for it's size. This makes it's motion in rough water a nice slow roll. Of course all the boats you mentioned are equipped with active stabilizers so they really don't move much anyway but, at anchor with the stabilizers off, it's a comfortable roll -- no snap. The flybridge is always comfortable -- before the boat is rolling enough to make the flybridge uncomfortable, there's water everywhere. It takes a pretty big sea to get wet up there but it does happen. I personally find the N55 tall for it's length so, aesthetically, I prefer the N60 which is a lengthened version of the N55. The N52 is a lengthened version of the N47 and, again, we find it more attractive but they are all stable Category A, All Oceans capable boats. More data on Nordhavn 52 stability can be found here: mvdirona.com/2019/03/deck-fuel-and-vessel-stability/.
@@MVDirona Hi James, thanks for taking the time to reply. Great article on fuel and stability. We saw an N52 off Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand and we saw her roll badly. We were all in the same situation though as there was a bad swell and a lot of bounce back from the sheer cliff faces.
We spent 7 months in New Zealand, most of it around the South Island you definitely do see some weather down there. It's hard to compare two boats in rough weather because you are only on one of them so can't see what your boat looks like in the same same and you can't feel what the other boat feels like. We can recall some days off the Gold Coast of Australia where we were really taking a beating and the boat was rolling 25 degrees. There are conditions that'll get the boat moving and when it gets up over 25 degrees, care is required when moving around. So, it can get rough, but it's not a frequent thing. One chance we had for a data point on how we looked is when we first arrived at Irelands Skellig Michael. It was rough but the boats delivering tourists to the islands were still running. One tour boat operator came over near Dirona to ask what kind of boat Dirona was. The commercial operator was amazed at how stable we looked in the rough water around the island. It's only one data point but, generally, Dirona seemed pretty stable.
@@MVDirona yes you are totally right, we were all rolling around like corkscrews and every boat looked bad. It was a short but tall wave frequency. Your articles are facinating, interesting solution to the black water senders, great idea.
I realise this video is several years old now,but as a Liverpudlian,but may I correct your pronunciation of Mersey. It is spoken as Merzey.Best wishes from Liverpool.
It's hard to see in the night video but, although you are right the lock doors are fairly narrow, the locks themselves are much wider than the doors and there is room for many boats of the size of Dirona to pass through together.
No, we didn't do a video on the way into Belfast. Entry was easy and during the day so it really wasn't that eventful. We did take a lot of pictures there and and a great time: mvdirona.com/2018/01/beautiful-belfast/. For other entry/exit videos: Baltimore: th-cam.com/video/OLVfYkA43AQ/w-d-xo.html Palmyra: th-cam.com/video/LRNNBUESIQ8/w-d-xo.html Crinan Canal: th-cam.com/video/3n6BHvWtHjA/w-d-xo.html
Does your cat scratch? And will the cat stay on board when you’re at a dock? We love our little dog and cat but trying to figure out the boat life with them? Thanks
Spitfire will scratch at the carpets when he feels like it and is certainly the cause of some wear on the carpets. Not too much problem otherwise. We do "ask" that he stay on the boat and, for the most part he does. We keep a close eye on him whenever he is outside partly to make sure he doesn't fall in the water and partly to ensure he stays on the boat. We have several bells on his neck to make it easier to track him. When he was a kitten he fell in frequently but, like kids, as cats get older they get more careful and falling in is no longer a problem. He will get excited and leave the boat once or twice a year so we still need to keep an eye on him but he's rarely a problem.
Just amazing! Do they charge you for the lock entry? How about docking and daily charges? Do not need specific amounts! I am in awe? We’re the Locks bombed in ww2?
There is no locking charge at this location. There are moorage and electrical consumption charges but they are roughly the same as other marinas in the area. No additional surcharges or costs associated with the use of the locks. I suspect the locks probably were hit by bombs during WWII since Liverpool was extensively bombed but I haven't ready any detail about damage to the port locks.
He's a challenge in that he has a Houdini like way of getting out of anything and goes kind of crazy when we put him in a leash. Just doesn't like any form of restraint. Dogs seem to like life jackets more than cats. We don't let him off the boat and don't let him on deck unless we are watching him. In this case, he's roaming around as we wait outside the lock for an opening. The doors have been closed since we left Belfast the previous evening so he's ready to sniff the new surroundings and look around.
Hi You two,thanks for the video of you going through Brunswick lock gates,I have actually been through it myself with friends on are narrowboats and wide beam inland waterways boats.I started watching your incredible adventures yesterday as I am confined to the house with the flu for the past week.So you can imagine how amazed I was when you said you would be entering my home town and actually been through myself considering you and your boat could have been anywhere in the world truly astonishing.We went through the look and out on the Mersey for a 2hr cruise south to Eastham lock to enter the Manchester ship canal,we cruised up to the river Weaver then cruised as far as Winsford,passing through locks that ocean going ships used to cruise up to for loads of ICI chemicals at Nortwich.After the river Weaver we all cruised up to Manchester again using the locks that ocean going ships used,there were ten boats and we didn't take a quarter of the lock.At the end of March I will be off cruising in my narrowboat The Viking,heading south to enjoy the rivers and canals of England,I will be meeting up with a couple of friends Liz&Dave on there narrow boat and locking out on the tidal river Severn heading for Bristol,we will be having a pilot on board as the Severn is a very high tide.I met Liz&Dave when I inquired about a pilot to come with me a cross the Wash from Boston to Denver sluice in the Fens it's very rare for narrowboats to go out to sea so I was delighted when the pilot said there was another boat wanting to cross,as we need two tides we beached up on a sandbank to let there dogs have a run round it was a great 12hr crossing,hopefully doing it again this summer as I want to moor in the Fens next winter as I love the different rivers you can cruise with very few locks.Getting back to today's video it was so nice seeing you coming into the Mersey I used to live port side in Bootle,then Litherland now I live on the starboard side on the Wirral,many thanks for your videos please keep them coming.
Thanks for the comment. Your Severn river adventure sounds like it'll be a fun trip and we had a great time while we were in your home port of Liverpool.
We lock the boat and try to select places where there is good security. We try to avoid places in the world where there are serious theft problems. We've been lucky and in our lap around the world, we have never had anything stolen but it does happen and, even if you are careful, things can happen.
Found you site because I was watching all things Nordhavn. Really enjoy your videos - so much content worth watching and like this one we learn a lot about things not seen before. Thanks
Excellent. Thanks for the feedback Jon.
Always great to see another video sharing your adventures....thank you! Motivation for us all for our future travels!
You guys made it look so easy to go through that lock. I honestly don't think I would have tried it at night but that is just me. I don't think I know anyone who has ever done that at night. I think you too being able to work together as a team really made the difference.
We had intended to arrive before nightfall but couldn't leave Belfast until about 1/2 hour after the fireworks display when they re-opened the channel. That 1/2 hour moved us a bit later but with delays waiting for the lock, a night lockage was the only option. Your right that it's much easier with two people especially when we don't have daylight experience with that lock.
Nice video. Interesting to see my home city and Marina from another perspective:-)
We had a great stay in Liverpool and look forward to returning.
interesting video
You speak about container logistics like you have worked in this. I like your boat and trip!
Wish u would have taped ur days at sea... I did enjoy that.
Thanks. We do have some videos underway in a wide variety of different conditions from tiny canals to open ocean. You already found the video on our North Atlantic Crossing (th-cam.com/video/guEnTp2a6Sc/w-d-xo.html). Amsterdam to Antwerp: th-cam.com/video/fPoSMYSadVU/w-d-xo.html. Crossing the Gulf of Alaska: th-cam.com/video/lSsiK1iHpNo/w-d-xo.html. This is us cruising by the historic Fastnet Lighthouse: th-cam.com/video/S5Y8gdHQsgY/w-d-xo.html. This is us sailing up the King George River in Australia: th-cam.com/video/p3-zSrQlZA4/w-d-xo.html. Through the Crinan Canal in Scotland: th-cam.com/video/3n6BHvWtHjA/w-d-xo.html.
Another great one...thanks for sharing.
I'm here for the appearance of the cat. . . ;-)
Spitfire often finds a way into the videos. In this one, he's chosen appearance was to go outside as we approached the lock in the dark and letting rip with a blood curdling howl that just wouldn't stop. That wouldn't have been my choice but Spitfire is his own cat :-).
Hey guys, love your channel. A question if I may. The N52 or 55 look a bit top heavy compared to a Selene or the older N57. Is this correct, do they roll more and is the flybridge usable in rough but sunny weather or do you get thrown around too much. Thanks. Clive.
It's hard to read a boat looking at the outside of the boat. Dirona weighs in at 110,000 lbs and draws 6'7". It's a very heavy boat for it's size. This makes it's motion in rough water a nice slow roll. Of course all the boats you mentioned are equipped with active stabilizers so they really don't move much anyway but, at anchor with the stabilizers off, it's a comfortable roll -- no snap.
The flybridge is always comfortable -- before the boat is rolling enough to make the flybridge uncomfortable, there's water everywhere. It takes a pretty big sea to get wet up there but it does happen.
I personally find the N55 tall for it's length so, aesthetically, I prefer the N60 which is a lengthened version of the N55. The N52 is a lengthened version of the N47 and, again, we find it more attractive but they are all stable Category A, All Oceans capable boats. More data on Nordhavn 52 stability can be found here: mvdirona.com/2019/03/deck-fuel-and-vessel-stability/.
@@MVDirona Hi James, thanks for taking the time to reply. Great article on fuel and stability. We saw an N52 off Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand and we saw her roll badly. We were all in the same situation though as there was a bad swell and a lot of bounce back from the sheer cliff faces.
We spent 7 months in New Zealand, most of it around the South Island you definitely do see some weather down there. It's hard to compare two boats in rough weather because you are only on one of them so can't see what your boat looks like in the same same and you can't feel what the other boat feels like.
We can recall some days off the Gold Coast of Australia where we were really taking a beating and the boat was rolling 25 degrees. There are conditions that'll get the boat moving and when it gets up over 25 degrees, care is required when moving around. So, it can get rough, but it's not a frequent thing.
One chance we had for a data point on how we looked is when we first arrived at Irelands Skellig Michael. It was rough but the boats delivering tourists to the islands were still running. One tour boat operator came over near Dirona to ask what kind of boat Dirona was. The commercial operator was amazed at how stable we looked in the rough water around the island. It's only one data point but, generally, Dirona seemed pretty stable.
@@MVDirona yes you are totally right, we were all rolling around like corkscrews and every boat looked bad. It was a short but tall wave frequency. Your articles are facinating, interesting solution to the black water senders, great idea.
Thanks for the feedback Clive.
great Video!!
I realise this video is several years old now,but as a Liverpudlian,but may I correct your pronunciation of Mersey. It is spoken as Merzey.Best wishes from Liverpool.
Thanks for the pronunciation correction. We enjoyed our time in Liverpool.
Could you show us some image with the view of the pilot house?
The forward camera is mounted between the central two windows of the PH at the top so that view is just about exactly my view.
The lock gates have not been change. Tge livk is wuder to allow more than one vessel at a time
It's hard to see in the night video but, although you are right the lock doors are fairly narrow, the locks themselves are much wider than the doors and there is room for many boats of the size of Dirona to pass through together.
You came to Liverpool from Belfast, did you create a video of entry and exit from Belfast? I can’t find it if you did.
No, we didn't do a video on the way into Belfast. Entry was easy and during the day so it really wasn't that eventful. We did take a lot of pictures there and and a great time: mvdirona.com/2018/01/beautiful-belfast/.
For other entry/exit videos:
Baltimore: th-cam.com/video/OLVfYkA43AQ/w-d-xo.html
Palmyra: th-cam.com/video/LRNNBUESIQ8/w-d-xo.html
Crinan Canal: th-cam.com/video/3n6BHvWtHjA/w-d-xo.html
MV Dirona Thank you. I grew up there during the rough times and it’s great to see the positive side of it now.
We learned a lot on our visit and had a really enjoyable time.
Expert helm.
Does your cat scratch? And will the cat stay on board when you’re at a dock? We love our little dog and cat but trying to figure out the boat life with them? Thanks
Spitfire will scratch at the carpets when he feels like it and is certainly the cause of some wear on the carpets. Not too much problem otherwise. We do "ask" that he stay on the boat and, for the most part he does. We keep a close eye on him whenever he is outside partly to make sure he doesn't fall in the water and partly to ensure he stays on the boat. We have several bells on his neck to make it easier to track him. When he was a kitten he fell in frequently but, like kids, as cats get older they get more careful and falling in is no longer a problem. He will get excited and leave the boat once or twice a year so we still need to keep an eye on him but he's rarely a problem.
Just amazing! Do they charge you for the lock entry? How about docking and daily charges? Do not need specific amounts! I am in awe? We’re the Locks bombed in ww2?
There is no locking charge at this location. There are moorage and electrical consumption charges but they are roughly the same as other marinas in the area. No additional surcharges or costs associated with the use of the locks. I suspect the locks probably were hit by bombs during WWII since Liverpool was extensively bombed but I haven't ready any detail about damage to the port locks.
No lifejacket for Mr.Spitfire ;) ;)
He's a challenge in that he has a Houdini like way of getting out of anything and goes kind of crazy when we put him in a leash. Just doesn't like any form of restraint. Dogs seem to like life jackets more than cats.
We don't let him off the boat and don't let him on deck unless we are watching him. In this case, he's roaming around as we wait outside the lock for an opening. The doors have been closed since we left Belfast the previous evening so he's ready to sniff the new surroundings and look around.
Hi You two,thanks for the video of you going through Brunswick lock gates,I have actually been through it myself with friends on are narrowboats and wide beam inland waterways boats.I started watching your incredible adventures yesterday as I am confined to the house with the flu for the past week.So you can imagine how amazed I was when you said you would be entering my home town and actually been through myself considering you and your boat could have been anywhere in the world truly astonishing.We went through the look and out on the Mersey for a 2hr cruise south to Eastham lock to enter the Manchester ship canal,we cruised up to the river Weaver then cruised as far as Winsford,passing through locks that ocean going ships used to cruise up to for loads of ICI chemicals at Nortwich.After the river Weaver we all cruised up to Manchester again using the locks that ocean going ships used,there were ten boats and we didn't take a quarter of the lock.At the end of March I will be off cruising in my narrowboat The Viking,heading south to enjoy the rivers and canals of England,I will be meeting up with a couple of friends Liz&Dave on there narrow boat and locking out on the tidal river Severn heading for Bristol,we will be having a pilot on board as the Severn is a very high tide.I met Liz&Dave when I inquired about a pilot to come with me a cross the Wash from Boston to Denver sluice in the Fens it's very rare for narrowboats to go out to sea so I was delighted when the pilot said there was another boat wanting to cross,as we need two tides we beached up on a sandbank to let there dogs have a run round it was a great 12hr crossing,hopefully doing it again this summer as I want to moor in the Fens next winter as I love the different rivers you can cruise with very few locks.Getting back to today's video it was so nice seeing you coming into the Mersey I used to live port side in Bootle,then Litherland now I live on the starboard side on the Wirral,many thanks for your videos please keep them coming.
Thanks for the comment. Your Severn river adventure sounds like it'll be a fun trip and we had a great time while we were in your home port of Liverpool.
wow you was in BEATLES city it's been a hard day's night
I stay in th e docks for a month and always
How do you prevent theft as you travel around the world 🗺?
We lock the boat and try to select places where there is good security. We try to avoid places in the world where there are serious theft problems. We've been lucky and in our lap around the world, we have never had anything stolen but it does happen and, even if you are careful, things can happen.
❤🤍💙