Love that you show the ups and downs of the cruising life. Too many channels only show the good side of things which gives you a rather twisted look at reality.
Hi Andreas. Yes. I'll start by saying that we never purposely generate drama, which can't be said about all the channels. But we don't have to. There's enough crazy stuff happening around at any given moment to keep us busy. The whole concept of our channel, from the beginning, was to show the cruising life for what it really is, rather than a fantasy that doesn't exist. All white sand beaches and bikinis. But for all the downs, there are incredible highs. As someone once said, you can't have all sunny days. You won't see how beautiful they are unless you experience the rainy ones too.
I appreciate your inclusion of pretty much continuous coverage of your entrance to the harbor and site selection process. Too often the blogs I've seen gloss over this. Granted, it can be a busy/stressful time. Kudos to you guys.
Thanks David. We kind of try to do that with each place we go, but I'm always wondering whether people want to see it. So nice to hear you do. Of course in this case things didn't work out as planned, but the concept of the channel is to show the unvarnished life of cruising.
I'm so thankful for every video that you post! I haven't sailed, but that day is coming, for now, I'm laid up working out a health issue. So... I'll just never mind the complainers, say thankyou & mean it! Valuable REAL life experience, that don't cost me a dime. You explain: everything, perfect, I like it.😁👍
Hi Alan. Well Wendy and I most definitely wish you the best on your health. We enjoy doing the videos, and lots of people enjoy watching them it seems, so we'll keep going. As you may know, the concept of the channel is to show how this life really is, and it's not all white sand beaches and bikinis (although those are nice). Much of the time it's hard work and stress, not to mention the outflow of money. But in return we get to meet tons of new people who share the same interests and talk to viewers of the channel. It's a pretty good life all around. Make sure to let us know how it goes and thanks for watching.
Exciting sail! Really loved the high wind footage. I got nervous just watching you trying to dock. Really, really like your videos. Nice balance of commentary and sailing. Thank you!
Thanks for the candid videos of what can go wrong in crowded anchorages with rude inexperienced boaters. Same problems all over the globe. Keep up the good work and show us it's not all sunsets and pina coladas!
Thanks OM. Your comment reminds me of the constant refrain heard around the US that "these drivers don't know how to drive in the snow". No matter how little or much the snow falls there are people doing dumb things. There's nothing to be done about it. We've seen bad marina driving on the east coast, the Caribbean, the Med. About the only place we saw real professional grade maneuvering was by the Scots, and I expect by extension the Brits.
Believe it or not. The crossing situation you had in this video with that ferry, is the one exception to the classic "powerboat gives way to sailboat" rule. It's one thing for a 60, or 80 motor yacht to give way to a 40 something foot yacht as you would typically expect, but when you have a 2 or 300 foot vessel mingling with a 40 something foot yacht, right of way by tonnage comes into play where the ferry stands on, and the sailboat gives way, (It actually is a maritime rule). The reasoning behind this is because a vessel like that ferry is assumed to be more restricted by its sheer size in its ability to maneuver than a yacht like yours would be by its limitations as a vessel under sail. Simply put, it would be easier to maneuver, or stop a 15 or so ton yacht to avoid a collision than it would be to maneuver, or stop a few hundred tons of ferry to avoid one. Large ranks of Mariners don't even know this because so many fishing, and cruising grounds are far enough from large vessels like the one in this video that many boaters don't really need to know that rule, so it often goes forgotten. I hope this helps Fair Winds.
Sort of agree but the col regs are fairly clear on this topic. If the power vessel is in open water then it needs to change course to avoid a sailing vessel (assuming under sail only). There is no regulation that supports might is right. However, you need to be sensible in all situations. It is not an excuse to say you were the stand on vessel therefore your are not at fault if the unthinkable happens and lets face it you are always going to be worse off. Sometime is is easier for the larger vessel, in a collision situation, to understand your course and speed and your sudden changes in direction can lead to confusion. For example when sailing, especially at night, and my radar/ais suggest an uncomfortable CPA and the vessel is keeping a constant heading then I will radio the vessel to 1) ensure he has me on their radar/ais and 2) to inform him I intend to keep my speed and heading, however, speed is always a variable especially in light winds. I do not ask them to change direction but confirm their intentions. In all cases I start my engine but do not engage drive until the situation is clarified. 9 times out of 10 the vessel will alter course by 5 or 10 degrees even the biggest cruisers :). Any power vessel that is restricted in manoeuvrability or constrained by draft has the right of way, period. Anyway, this debate goes on and on on many forums (a bit like Brexit) and you will all continue to do what you want but this is how I approach potential collision situations. Happy sailing.
@@TheRectory33 Your point is well taken, and I stand corrected. I was recalling some experiences I had nearly 30 years ago in the Puget Sound (Seattle) area where I crewed on a fifty four foot charter sailing vessel, and various captains, (25, and 50 ton), always preached to me the whole right of way by tonnage concept. With a number of 1000 foot freighters, cruise ships, and 400 foot ferries could not, and going every day we had to survive by that concept because the nature of that environment required it. However, I looked it up, and you are absolutely right. The right of way by tonnage law is not a maritime law. It's a law of physics which comes right back to your comment about common senseand taking the onus, in avoiding any collisions at sea. Although the gent in this video did have a point that the guy running the ferry kind of just barged through there like he didn't care, I got the sense that he perhaps didn't fully realize his role even as the stand on vessel in avoiding collisions, and that's what promped me to comment. Fair winds.
So true. And Wendy is mostly chill, but not always. As with women worldwide, she can be brutal when she wants to be. But we rarely raise our voices to each other and our life aboard Talisman is pretty awesome. Thanks for being with us.
So enjoyable that first part sailing across at good speed. I felt your stress though. Wendy tossing bread into the fish at the end looked a blissful scene. Loved the T’shirt too :-)
Hi Martin. It was a great time for us, and we really pitch the Greek islands to other cruisers when the subject comes up. So much history, and great people.
Good on you for being honest and showing it the way it is. There are good lessons here for anyone that can learn. Allow me to state this crap never ends if you drive from dock to dock to dock. Use the anchor. Get some schooling in how to set it and stop paying for the privilege of your boat floating. Last video I watch showed a catamaran anchored on the outside all by itself while you are getting smashed by a ferry. Get out and stay out in the water.
Hi George. It's the truth. You have to be thinking all the time about what could possibly happen, and what you'll do if it does. Thanks for being with us.
Hi Sean. People sometimes ask if we ever feel uncomfortable flying the flag, and I tell them no, we've never gotten any kind of a bad vibe. Plus we really don't care. Mostly folks come up to ask if we've sailed over from the States (no, we started in Troon, Scotland).
@@SailingTalisman funny. normally we see a lot of US flagged boats and they have no Americans on them. Russians, Turks, Italians using the flag as a flag of convenience. if we see Delaware we dont even ask anymore. but this wind and situation is normal for this area. we have been in these islands for 3 years on our Cat. love the area. hate the harbor design.
I might have misunderstood what you said about the right-of-way... commercial shipping _always_ has the right-of-way to "pleasure" boats. Therefore the ferry can plow right through, you have to change course (or slow down). Different case if the motor boat is a pleasure boat, then they have to give way to sailboats. I wouldn't bet my safety on _any_ other captain knowing the rules of the sea though.
This is a great opportunity to discuss an often misunderstood topic. When we took our RYA skipper's course they focused strongly on this issue. Specifically, everyone reading this should understand a few things. This is not an all inclusive list as the actual rules would take pages to recite. 1) Maritime law rejects the idea of "right of way". As the RYA describes it, the feeling is that ROW implies that one vessel always enjoys priority over the other, and they don't want this to be the case. The rules speak of "stand on" and "give way" vessels, and the important point is that the stand on vessel enjoys stand on status only to the point that a collision becomes imminent. At that moment they become the "give way" vessel. If a collision occurs, neither skipper will get anywhere saying they were stand on. It's the obligation of every skipper to avoid a collision at all costs. 2) Sailboats enjoys stand-on status only so long as they are under sail. They lose automatic stand on status the moment they turn on their engine, even if motorsailing. This is why you have a steaming light on your mast, to convey that you are under power (at night). It doesn't matter if you're commercial or recreational, the rules are the same. 3) A powered vessel, typically a larger one, has a few "outs". The term "lack of maneuverability" gives them stand on status. In other words, a large taker is restricted as far as what they can do as far as changing course or slowing down. Vessels under tow or with mechanical problems might also enjoy stand on privileges when they otherwise would not. 4) Fishing boats, when fishing, are the stand on vessel. This includes any nets they might be towing. 5) Given the above, the prudent sailboat skipper will assume give-way status when encountering larger powered vessels and fishing boats. I should add that the ferry we saw was probably tracking 10 or more targets on AIS and another 10 or more non-AIS targets. His job has to be stressful beyond belief.
The big boat(commercial) - small boat(pleasure) rules do not apply at sea as they would in inland waterways. But I would do the same in this case and change course.
Hi Marcel. Interesting point. We do not/have not done inland waterways but hear that there are some special rules that apply. I think if we were to consider doing any of the European canals we'd have to consider taking some classes or at least reading up. There might even be licensing issues. I have to admit to a certain amount of ignorance on the subject.
Had we done so it probably would have helped, but as I mentioned (I think) in the video, we had been warned in the cruising guide about the issue of ferry wakes. However, after watching the local ferries come and go for an afternoon with no drama, we assumed we were okay. As it turned out there is a high speed huge car carrier ferry that travels at 20+ knots, and is easily a mile or more offshore when it passes. That ferry was what they were talking about, and we were lucky to suffer the minimal damage we incurred. It was like a small tsunami. A nearby boat was lifted and dropped on the rocks below, badly damaging their rudder.
@@SailingTalisman Wow... Hard for most to imagine that a ferry more than a mile away can cause waves like that. Some times the events are simply out of your control. Not in a thousand years would I have worried about ships that were miles away. Never.
When navigating in the canals through France and Holland we use long planks of wood on the outside of fenders to reduce damage to topsides and fenders. It works well.
Hi David. Yes, we see fender boards occasionally, but were reluctant to clutter up our deck. We so rarely tie up to docks in Greece. A lot of people have a combination wood passarelle and fender board, but ours is pretty use-specific.
It was bowing a hoolie out of the harbour when we went in Frikes in July '18 too. We got a spot inside the breakwater at the other side of the harbour and had a good night. Others in the flotilla were parked where you were and suffered with the ferry wash.
Hi Bob. Thanks for watching. I guess the only thing to recommend is to ask if it's okay to raft up to someone behind the breakwater. It's the only safe place there.
When you are cruising and your yacht is just $$$ then you don't cruise, you stress and that is what we have here. Could feel it from the start of this vid. I've done many a trip with fellas like this and they teach you a lot. How not to be when you have crew as it sends a message that you are not confident in what you are doing, thus, the crew of what ever level of competence becomes unsettled. Good on this guy though for posting his experience up on YT.
And that's the difference between being an owner and crew. You never have to worry about the big picture when you're crew. Go have fun and never write the check. It's the easy life in some ways. Talisman is our home as well as just a boat we sail on. As such, we have huge investments in labor and love. It goes well beyond dollars. In fact, every year I smile when I write the very substantial check to Pantanious for our insurance. In the end, this is the backstop to a true catastrophic event. And just so you know, we purchased a 25 year old boat partly because we couldn't afford a newer version, but also because we want to be able to sail and use her without feeling that we couldn't add a nick or dent anywhere. New yachts like ours are floating works of art, and the owners won't allow them to be used to their capabilities because all they do is entertain guests. From our library of episodes you'll see that that isn't us. Finally, the repair on the rails cost me about 1000 Euros (for stainless steel fabrication and new lifelines), and that's a lot of dinners and beer.
@@SailingTalisman In my experience, yes, you are rite in that SOME crew treat your boat like a club Med so you have to pick and choose correctly. To find GOOD crew, you first must be a good skipper and your name will get out there . I've sailed many a mile over the Australian coast with my Yacht and have always treated my crew as an owner. So that is the difference I suppose between the attitude that you hold, and the REAL cruiser that is in this for the love of everything that cruising holds, people, places and the general love of the ocean and not the insurance value of the vessel that takes you to certain levels and values of living.
Dude! We don't have crew. That's the point of having a 48' boat. It's just Wendy and me. If we're doing a long passage, we might invite friends to share the shift schedule, but otherwise it's just us. And when we bought Talisman we paid the fantastic transfer skipper, Iain Hunter, who re-rigged her after 7 years on the hard, to come with us on the first two legs of our journey. New boat (to us) and all that. Iain sailed with us from Scotland to France and across the Bay of Biscay to Northern Spain. And you can bet that we treated him like family in every possible way. In fact, he was the skipper and we were the crew, by mutual agreement. We still send each other Christmas and other holiday emails and we pitch Iain's services at every opportunity (Hunter Yacht Delivery). You make some pretty big assumptions and I don't know where they come from. Watch the series.
I assume what happened is that the boat rolled but the fenders were pinched between the boat and the wall and couldn't rotate with the boat hence over stressing the upper life line and stanchion? Also, calling a 'quay wall' a 'key' what's up with that?
Yes, what you say about the fenders is exactly correct. Quay is universally pronounced "key" in Europe, while Cay in the Caribbean is pronounced "key". Go figure. I didn't make the rules. But if you pronounce "quay" there phonetically, they look at you like you've got two heads.
I never really liked that harbor and would not go back. Kioni is just on the other side of the hill and there almost always room to long-line there if the Kioni quay is full.
Hi Shane. Indeed. It think in the US we call it a fender board. A lot of cruisers use a big wooden plank instead of a passarelle, giving them a dual use product and we considered it, but then we'd have both and we've got very limited space on board. Anyway, we've made it this far so we'll probably not change anything. The new midship gate system is a much stronger design as well.
Yup, boats and hard places aren't the most happy pairings. Glad you didn't sustain hull damage. You'll know next time, which is what it's all about - knowing! I enjoyed the sailing and harbour entrance. What would you have done different now that you know?
I'd say not to go to Frikas. It's a tough harbor that has very limited space for sailboats with deeper draft. The cruising guide warned about the swell, but we didn't realize that it wasn't a swell from the local ferries but a big swell from the huge offshore ferries that come by 2 or 3 times a day. The concrete is also of poor quality here, with way too much aggregate and not enough cement. With time, a lot of it has been washed away, leaving a very rough and abrasive surface. There are any number of fixes available, but the Greeks just don't maintain things, so nothing gets improved.
I don't think you did anything wrong it had been a good sail you were honest didn't try to hide it brush over it. We all damage our boats. Great video. Lovely couple I love the way there were no orders shouted just got on with docking
Hi Geoff. Thanks for the kind words. Our no-stress docking technique (no yelling or agitation) has been a long work in progress. Back when we started sailing together we had "two captains", and that was a bad thing. Wendy is a great sailor and former sailing instructor and she really does expect me to do whatever happens to land in her mind at any given moment. We eventually created a good rule for couples, which is that the person on the helm is captain, and the other person becomes crew. In practice, since I like to dock, I've given her almost complete control of sail trim. Since we do frequent long passages, we each get our fill of opportunities to adjust sails.
Hi Kevin. It’s not clear what actually caused the damage. Was it rolling of the boat against the fenders which didn’t slide on the concrete? If they had been tied to the toenail would that have broken the ties?
Hi Pete. Ah ha, you see the issue. Yes, the fenders were caught between the rolling and lifting boat and I believe something had to give. The rough concrete absolutely gripped the fenders with a tenacity that was hard to imagine. The stanchion adjacent to the gate actually failed under almost pure vertical load and you can see how the tubing bent in one direction and then in the other. Talisman has low freeboard, and if you try to tie fenders that low to the water they float and get slanted to one side while not being high enough on the boat to protect the upper gelcoat and toe rail area. Also, the punched oblong holes in the aluminum toe rail have incredibly sharp edges. It is my belief that either the lines would have snapped or been cut, or the fenders themselves would have popped or otherwise failed. The forces were too great.
Just a thought. Could you have used a midships pull-off line? I know you said pilot book says don’t go stern-to, but if there’s reasonable holding ground that would have held you off. Many boats here use them for exactly the same reason (ferry wash).
Between you and the motor boat used to be a large rock just by the quay, should still have some of my rudder paint on it lol What date was this vid taken?
Yep, the rock is still there. This being our third stop in Kioni, I knew where it was. The first three berths are no good for boats above 45', and the rock makes that location unusable by all but the smallest boats. Talisman's rudder is relatively short (it's skeg hung) and pushed a bit forward. We can get in places where boats with big high-aspect fin rudders can't go.
Anchoring has its perks!! We're always happier on our own ground tackle than dealing with docks, concrete, other boaters, etc. We swing with the winds and tides and other than the occasional dragging boat, there's far less hard obstacles in our immediate vicinity. Saves money too!!
Anchoring in Greece is tough. The hillsides slope so steeply and continue at the same angle all the way down. It's not uncommon to be in 30-40 meters of water right offshore. That's why there's so much long-lining. Anchoring is definitely the best way to save money when the area supports it. Thanks for being with us.
Hi Paul. The round fenders came with our boat, so we didn't choose them exactly. But we have found that they work pretty well if we're moving against other boats. They roll better since the circumference is larger. But not a substitute for the long narrow fenders. We like having bigger fenders, and see a lot of boats with too few and too small when it comes to fending off adjacent boats.
We were really only able to spring to the starboard side boat, and as the winds came up it was twisting both boats. To tie to the midship cleat of the cat in front would have done the same thing, pulling that boat back and adding a lot of pressure to their aft fenders. Plus, they didn't offer. Anyway, it was a stressful couple of days and we learned a few lessons on what not to do.
Wonder why with such a great location the docking wouldn't be updated to safe and secure for cruisers, the amount of financial gain for local businesses would easily pay for the update cost in one season. Nothing worse than tied to a concrete wall when a huge wake is hitting. Showing this is real life and your followers appreciate it. I would be more worried about hitting bottom in these areas, I've seen rocks when no rocks are shown on the charts. Thank You for sharing your journey with your followers. STAY SAFE, SAIL SAFE, THANK YOU‼️🙏❤️ Vinny 🇺🇸
Hi Vinny. I believe Frikes is a strong candidate for improvement. It's a nice town and the harbor is fairly large. But the pilot book shows all boats either laid up against the wall, or rafted together against the wall or back of the pier/breakwater. We strongly believe this has to do with chains or even sunken boats in the harbor. This issue needs to be corrected or Frikes will continue to be a second-tier harbor.
Yes, I think so to a degree. With floating pontoons the dock rolls with the boat. With a concrete fixed dock, the boats can roll only so far before the lines snap tight. The dock bollards and rings here are not sized and spaced for recreational boats. It's more of an old commercial ferry dock. Plus, this area is just oven to the outside channel that's at least 5 miles or more across. That's a lot of fetch.
Hi Marc. The holes in our toe rails are very sharp on the edges, but the bigger problem is that it's impossible to get the fenders high enough to protect the top 12" of the hull. The main way this failure happened was actually that the latch on the midship gate failed (which we knew was a weakness in the design). Once that happened the one side folded immediately. When the stainless guy finally got to the boat we had him redo both sides to be like the newer Oysters and Amels, with cable gates and pelican clamps.
Yep. Just like the comment below. Not everything has to be shiny and purpose specific, although I can tell you that at my hefty weight I'm not sure I'd trust a 2x8. Prob 2x10 for me.
@@SailingTalisman I have rope attached to both ends of it and it sits against the cement dock with my ball fenders between it and the boat. When the stink boats wake me, it takes the brunt of it. 42 Catalina.
Hi Michael. We started I think at Sivota, then had the problem in the small harbor of Frikes. Once we left there, we ran for cover at Kioni. We'll have more drama coming up at Kioni on this week's episode (Thursday).
Indeed Shaun. All fixed now and we just figure it's one of those things. As I've said to other commenters, it was a poor design and this has now been corrected with cable gates and pelican clamp fittings. This failure could have happened due to one of us being washed through the lifelines, so in some ways a mixed blessing.
I couldn't hear all your comment due to the audio quality. Why don't you anchor outside the harbor if you, correctly in my view, don't like tying up along sides a menacing ruff concrete quay?
This situation was a one-off for us. I would say we were lulled into a false sense of security since it was pretty calm and predicted to be even calmer overnight. The pilot guide had warned about ferry wash but we'd watched several ferries come and go without knowing that these weren't the ones being warned of. As I've said to others, anchoring in Greece is no small thing. Unlike the Caribbean, in Greece the wind clocks and veers through every point of the compass in a 24 hour period. Combine that with shorelines that go to 30 meters right off the rocks, and it makes for challenging decision-making. As for Frikes itself, it's still a mystery why they don't want people tying stern-to. There's plenty of depth and area to do so. We can only imagine that there are unmarked obstructions. As you might suspect, we won't be going back. But by the same token, these rough and unimproved harbors lead to inexpensive and adventurous cruising.
I would say that this is probably true. The bad decisions come daily, and it tends to start from having filled harbors and anchorages. I hate to hang the Italians out on this, but to them a filled anchorage means you just try to find the least bad spot, even if it's right next to somebody else. We've almost gone to battle with other boats telling them that they can't anchor on top of us. They get bitterly angry about being told that there's just no room left.
Bad experience with Frikes I always give it a wide birth. Only stay for very short time over lunch maybe. Ferries and merchant ships just pound the waves right into the harbour, even Kioni can behave this way sometimes if you are opposite the quay with a line ashore. Ithaca is a beautiful island and still well worth a visit.
Agreed. We've been at Kioni multiple times and the berths there that are deep enough for Talisman give us pretty good protection from swell. Being moored stern-to helps too. But the big thing always seems to be anchoring drama. We'll be long-lining there from here on out. Same with Fiscardo.
Hi Adrian. Frikes is okay as long as you have one of the good spots behind the mole. The problem is that there aren't that many spots. We love Kioni, and have figured how it works there (see next episode, where we have problems). But the town is so awesome that we can't help but want to go back.
Now I have to look up what a catabatic wind is. Seems like the wind that comes out of the mouths of our politicians. I could be wrong however. Will look it up. Lol.
Interesting you should say that. Our fenders have attachment points on both ends and we've considered running them horizontally in certain circumstances. Generally, we moor stern to and it isn't an issue.
@@SailingTalisman I tried making a model of the the particular situation you faced but I see a physics issue rearing its head. The roller/ bumper would almost need to be free floating, in other words not anchored to the boat OR the dock!! This kind of problem fascinates me. More research coming to devise a workable system. Would be easier with my own boat... someday soon!!
From and ex-LBI guy, Wendy and I say greetings. The problem there is that these piers and docks were set up to receive fishing vessels and ferries. They have bollards and rings spaced very far apart and it just isn't an ideal place to be with a fiberglass recreational sailboat.
@@SailingTalisman Thanks and the same back as I'm from Cape May. But had friends and good times in LBI. I deal with the same thing in Bulgaria on the Black Sea,it's actually worse there since almost everything is from the communist times and were for steel commercial boats. They've started putting docks in over the past few years but the smaller towns haven't yet. If it wasn't for fender boards I'd have rubbed holes in the hull by now. There's times we'll have 20ft of line on each end of the boards to reach the bollards. It's a great place off of the cruisers maps but it does take some creative rigging at times. I'm back in the States but I'll try and see if I can find some pictures of the pier's here. But basically each town has a cement harbor in the sea.
@@southjerseysound7340 That sounds Wild. Albania is like that. They're about 20 years behind Greece and Croatia, with no improvements to any of the harbors or ports.
Well, luckily we found a really good stainless guy in Preveza who sorted it all for us. TIG welding is a bit outside of my skill set. Thanks for being with us.
Stuff happens on sailboats. We've all had something or other Kevin……. It's frustrating when it happens, but time heals all wounds. I stayed in a number of fishing ports last season ----- and it seemed to help (a little) dropping a sacrificial board on the outside of my fenders to rub against the concrete. BTW, that doesn't help (at all) when you are moored against tyres, but then the only damage is cosmetic black scuffing. Fair winds to the two of you.
Hi Patrick. I have a thing I tell people: There's the 6 month bucket, the 6 day bucket and the 6 hour buck. If I'm not going to worry about it in 6 hours or 6 days, I just let it go. 6 month items are different. Most embarrassments in marinas and harbors are 6 hour items at the most. You're usually getting over it within an hour or so.
Thanks Kevin. New ones coming soon. Am awaiting the (late) delivery of a new staysail, and then I'm off for new adventures. It won't be in as nice a setting as where Kevin and Wendy are filming, but should be great fun nonetheless. :-)
Such a shame to see that damage! Shame we didn’t have that drink in Sivota and a chat about the Ionian. I could have told you of each area and quay. There in Frikas you DONT use that wall or stern to either as the ferry wash will knock out your anchor. Always side to on the mole only and raft up if no spaces. Too small a harbor for a boat with your draft. Vathi is just round the corner. Such a shame to see but shite happens! That’s sailing. Hope you got it all sorted ok 👍. Your probably out of the Mediterranean by now but just for people reading this, the best guide to the Ionian is the Rod Heikenell guide. The ferry companies were told to slow down between the islands due to their wash.....but that didn’t last long and they rip through. We also got 3 bent stanchions and busted stanchion bases and a bent toe rail from the Medicane in end of September from a boat hitting us. Know how you feel, I’m just now finishing up repairs. All the best, hey you live to sail another day. ⛵️
You bet Jay. Thanks for the kind words, and what you say is true. So much of what we learn comes from the other cruisers. When we first arrive in a place we don't know, should it somehow be that we know nothing, which is rare, we'll look for boats similar to ours in size. We do have the Rod Heikenell pilot books and they are indispensable. For the coming season we'll have the Aegean specific version as well.
Boats are a magnet for it. The thing is, we have so much information at our fingertips. A few keystrokes and we can have notes from other cruisers, electronic charts updated regularly on our chartplotters. We can radio into harbors and marinas. I honestly don't know how people did it in the old days. I think there were a lot more groundings and damage.
Sorry about the damage, but totherwise enjoyed that - thanks! Kioni is one of our favourite ports and waiting for my first Oyster too! Fair Winds! PS Good Yacht Club in Vliho (nr Nydri).
@@SailingTalisman Not yet on the Big O, but looking now for two years (and more) waiting to exit business at right time, whenever that is, fingers crossed sooner than later. Based in Aberystwyth and silly, I know, but imagined you sailing down the Irish Sea from Troon (where I've often stayed). Fair Winds, be safe and enjoy!
@@davidgilbert Well good luck on finding the right one. Pretty hard to go terribly wrong. And just so you know, we did indeed sail down the Irish Sea out of Troon, and not a minute too soon with some North Sea weather spinning up behind us.
Nothing changes, same as Kioni... Try putting an insurance claim in once you find out which ferry (use marine traffic if possible). Why dont the local mayors start complaining to the shipping companies?? they must be losing summer trade. Those bloody ferries only have to slow down to 20 knots for a few miles and the problems go away..!
That ferry had a speed limit put on it, according to some of the locals. But as you can see if you look closely at the footage, the ferry sped up dramatically when we were seeing close CPA (closest point of approach). It was doing over 25 knots as it was speeding away. So they clearly reserve the right to take evasive action. We do have a very good insurance policy on the boat, but policies get cancelled if claims get made more than once, so we keep that in our back pocket for serious damage we can't afford to repair. As for claiming against Greek boats, I suspect it's very difficult. The Greek commercial captains drive like maniacs, especially the ferry and day-cruise drivers. It's ridiculous. Stay tuned for the "Joy Cruises incident" coming up later in the series. You'll see what I mean.
Sorry to see that you guys got some damage!! It’s impossible to be able to foresee every scenario, especially when you have waves coming from a ferry that isn’t even coming to that little harbor but it’s wake does! Just bad luck my friend, nothing you can do about it! I will say that you backed that baby perfectly into that spot! Enjoying the videos and enjoy watching that beautiful Oyster yacht of yours. 👍🏻🍻
Yep. You do your best and try to document and log other peoples' mistakes. There were a few times when we just got lucky, if I'm to be honest. This coming season we'll be on the Aegean side, where the Maltami winds play havoc for days and sometimes weeks at a time. We're glad we spent time learning the ropes in the Ionian, but it's still a bit daunting. You can bet that we won't be taking anything for granted. I literally just want to make it though the summer without having any real issues. As always, thanks for being with us.
Hi Brad. We actually had to wait till the end of the season to get the work done. But the fabricator did great work. Is that a spoiler alert? Not sure I did too much filing of it.
What a fu**…..! I had the same a couple of years ago at Mykonos. The movent of the Ferrys pushed me against the concrete wall. Be happy that it is only a Little Welding work to do.
Thanks Andre. We kind of hand-bent it back and let it go for the remaining part of the season and then had both gates rebuilt to the more modern Oyster design (which is the same design as all the boats these days). The swinging gates were removed and now we have a connecting lifeline going through with pelican clamps at the gate area.
Hi Kevin and Wendy So you went to Kioni again or are the videos out of sequence? I have been to Frikes many times and it is not ideal by any means , as you say that Katabatic whips through the gap in the hills and combined with the fetch + ferry wash it’s a killer. Last time I was in Frikes I was chartering a 50 footer and went stern to (bow facing out into the channel)on the mole with two lines ashore - it was very successful. By the way Kevin, re your comments about inexperienced charterers - I have never towed a dinghy with the outboard fitted EVER - and it ain’t even my boat! 😉 Hope you got the stanchions sorted at reasonable cost.
Indeed. It was line of sight across the channel w/ zero wind and we thought no big deal to make the quick hop across. Now we never tow the dinghy, engine attached or not. We did shear a pin in our davits once and are sometimes gun-shy about winching the dinghy up and down a lot, but we still do it as needed. Mostly these days we lower the dinghy and run the passarelle over. That's turned out to be the best. We've also done the stern-to to the moles at various harbors with great success as well. We're upping our game as time goes on. Seeing easy anchorages and open berths on the quay is considered a luxury now for us.
Ferries and day cruise boats are driven by crazy people in Greece. The companies promise way too much, like hitting five beaches, along with an hour stop for lunch, in one day. And to do it they charge through anchorages and harbors at hull speed. We saw several crashes over the summer, and were even involved in one (coming up later in the series). No damage was done to Talisman, but that's only because we were there to take action.
I remember your booze stash from the tour video. It may be a bit breezy with the katabatic comedy winds but the booze'll survive. Hopefully... It did right. ;)
Hi Steve. It's true. We knew we were destroying both our mic and cover as the season wore on, but you really are in the back country when you're in the small harbors of Greece. There are literally no locations to buy these types of things, and ordering in means you have to wait for weeks. The Greek postal system, like the rest of the country, is Byzantine. For 2019 we have replacement mics and covers for our old camera, plus two new cameras with internal image stabilization and external mics/covers. If we can't get perfect footage, at least we'll have a lot more to work with. Thanks for watching.
Liked some of that video really showing the speed sailing in but you really have to do something about audio. A good part of that was drowned out by the wind. Happy trails
If you look, on the side by the concrete dock, two vertical stanchions and the entire midship gate assembly has been bent and folded over. This happened as the surge from the wake of an offshore ferry came into the harbor, and as the boat tried to roll and rise, the fenders were caught against the concrete wall. These were tied to the upper lifeline and it couldn't take the force.
Hi Brett. We decided to take a sort of early retirement. We're both in our mid-fifties, and felt that while it's fairly doable to start in your fifties and move into your 60's and even 70's, it's very difficult to motivate to do this type of thing when you start feeling your age. Plus, there are just so many folks out there that buy a boat only to find out that they can't do it for some reason. One or both halves find themselves infirm.
Sailing Yacht Talisman thanks for the reply. That’s awesome you’re able to do that and enjoy life to it’s fullest! I really enjoy your channel. Hope you’re having fun with all the snow in CO!
Suggestion, instead of apologizing for the wind noise and typing illegible type (white on a light blue background) Edit out the sound and edit in actual readable print or narration.
Are there no such things as mooring balls or anchorages in the med? You guys are always tied to a wall...good advertisement against ever travelling the med if that's the case, not about to cruise on over there anytime soon!!
Hi SWCS. In short, no. There are very few mooring balls in the Med, and although there are anchorages, they need to be chosen wisely. In order to understand why, it helps to understand the history and topography (bathymetry) of the region. Along much if not most of the coastline of the Med, natural harbors were populated centuries ago, and have been improved upon since. If large, they serve commercial traffic, and the smaller ones tend(ed) to support the small boat fishing fleets. These small harbors can be incredible places to visit, but the locals don't want to develop them with pontoons and services for recreational yachting as this will necessarily displace the local fishermen (see episode 65 about Scilla, Italy). There are also places where rivers (or rias in Spain and Portugal) empty into the Med. Most of these are too shallow for sailboats as they silt up regularly and need to be dredged. In and around natural bays, harbors and rivers, along with the leeward sides of islands, there are areas suitable for anchoring. But if these are exposed even slight to the huge expanse of the Mediterranean Sea, they will be rolly and poor places to anchor, especially if the winds come up. As for mooring balls, the same issue exists. People won't use them unless swells are nonexistent. We've sailed a lot in the Caribbean, where mooring balls are everywhere, and while I like the convenience, the $30/night charge adds up. And once you've laid a lot of concrete blocks you preclude anchoring forever. Anchors and chains will get caught on the the blocks, and it's just a bad deal later. In the Caribbean (the BVIs particularly), the mooring balls are often maintained by private companies (Moor-Secure as an example) and this speaks to the fact that mooring balls require constant maintenance and repair. Otherwise they become unreliable and dangerous, failing without warning. Also, having dragged the concrete blocks both in Gibraltar and Ceuta, Spanish Morocco in heavier weather, I've come to not trust them entirely. Finally, especially in Greece, the water gets deep really fast. It's not uncommon to be in 20-30 meters of water within a few boat lengths of shore. This is why you see so much long-lining. If you just free anchor and the wind changes direction, your anchor will just lift off the steep face and you'll be adrift. Anyway, I put all this down so yourself and others see that the Med is a great place for cruising. You just might have to expand your range of tools in the skill toolbox. I kind of feel like depending on mooring balls would be like saying you didn't want to go to a ski area because it had moguls. The mooring balls are great, but Wendy and I now have so much anchoring and long-lining experience that we know that no matter where we go in the Caribbean (and elsewhere), we'll almost certainly have options if the mooring balls are all taken and the marinas are full. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. We love it.
Sailing Yacht Talisman yeah we’re not a fan of mooring balls in general...we’ve been living on anchor for the last year continuously. From your vids, it just always seems like everyone is so packed in...not enough space. Do you not have to pay to long-line out from those walls? We took a ball here in San Diego because they’ll only allow you to anchor for so many days, and it costs $225/mo to sublease it and about $140/mo when a permanent one comes available. We’ll be moving on shortly for the baja where there are no shortage of secluded anchorages and we’re quite looking forward to that!! Hope you avoid any more near catastrophes with ferries and the like...get that beauty boat to some greener pastures!
You are flat out wrong! Ships, tugboats with tows, commercial ferries and fishing vessels with nets deployed have right of way over sailing vessels. Yachts should stay well clear of these vessels. Also, any vessel in a channel that can not exit the channel is the stand-on vessel.
Hmmm. Not sure what you mean. You can see the regs here: www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/english/Regulations/federal/c1416.pdf This channel is really aimed at cruisers and folks who'd like to take this on as a lifestyle, so I welcome the discussion, but ... Generally, a sailboat under sail (not motoring) is the stand-on vessel except when fishing boats are engaged in fishing (and displaying the proper flags/lights so others can know), tugboats towing, vessels not under command, vessels restricted in ability to maneuver, and a few other exceptions. I don't see anything about ferries or other commercial traffic. However, as a matter of pure self-preservation, we do our best to stay clear. But read the part about how none of this exonerates a skipper or captain if a collision occurs. The regs are complicated and at times switch sides. Significant errors occur when people try to logically back into what the regs "should" say.
@@SailingTalisman First, I didn't say, "all" commercial vessels. I said, "Ships, tugboats with tows, commercial ferries", each of which have restricted maneuvering capabilities. COLREGs (even the Canadian modified version) states, under Section II, Rule 18(b) "A sailing vessel underway shall keep out of the way of: (ii) a vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre". A very large ship, like this ferry, qualifies under this rule, especially as FAST as she was moving. For the safety of the passengers, the captain should avoid making abrupt speed and course changes to "manoeuvre" abaft your small and slow sailboat. Imagine if the captain had changed course to go behind you and then changed course again to get back on track. He may have not even had enough room to make the turn if he so desired. Galaxymaster Dave explained it perfectly in his comment 2 weeks before my comment. If you were wondering about the "any vessel in a channel that can not exit the channel", that should be obvious... This is due to their draft, so obviously they can't change course without running aground, hence restricted maneuverability. And yes, you are correct. Rule 17(b), puts the responsibility to the stand-on vessel if it is determined that the crew knew a collision was imminent and it could have been avoided but they failed to do so. "When, from any cause, the vessel required to keep her course and speed finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall take such action as will best aid to avoid collision."
@@donbeckham Hi Don. Nice to review all this occasionally just to keep abreast of it all. I was surprised by how many people just spouted off what they would "expect" a rule to say, rather than really reading up and making sure they were right. There are a lot of comments on the thread, but some of the claims were pretty outrageous. Even with sailboat racing rules I'm always reluctant to trust other skippers. When a race begins, sailboats will jockey to cross the start line at exactly the moment the horn goes off, and given the opportunity Wendy will scrap right in there with bigger boats and press her stand-on position, even as a boat bears down on us. There have been many a time when I bore off to be safe and Wendy was yelling that we were stand-on. But I also knew the other racers were amateurs who only halfway understood how to calculate "starboard".
Oh, and one more thing. So ... just to give you an idea of what we've been seeing when we're out and about, last year the Greek government ran a "sting" operation where they used drone footage to bust various day cruise operators for under-reporting their passenger lists (to avoid paying taxes). In my/our view, this was actually "plan B", since previously they were using AIS to monitor the comings and goings of the day cruise operators, and probably backing into x number of average passengers. But the cruise boats began turning off their AIS, as the fishing boats have been doing for years. Using AIS for law enforcement has led to a whole lot of "broken, sorry" stories. This affects people like us when entering and leaving Gaios because there's a dogleg in the channel and if you can't trust that you can see these boats on AIS you won't be able to see them any other way like radar (hail on VHF might work, and they sometimes blow a long blast). And believe me, they do take the attitude that they own the very narrow channel on the way in or out.
We have a pretty good editing suite. The issue is that it's hard to get text on moving background to still be readable. We've added shadows to the text, and I'm considering adding a background box as well. It doesn't help that TH-cam reduces the resolution of the videos if your internet connection is sub-par. Also, some folks are watching on phones, and there's not much you can do about that except not use text at all. Feel free to suggest an example of how someone is doing it better.
Sorry about that, Arthur. In this particular episode it's what we have. Other batches are better, and I do try to not use overly bad raw footage when I can. Just didn't get lucky on this one. But the concept of the channel is to show the unvarnished side of the cruising life, and in an odd way this is what can happen. As I've told others we have new cameras and mics for next season. We're just running a bit behind on editing. Talisman is in Greece on the hard for the winter, and we'll be back at it in late April with new footage. We obviously hope you'll stick with us while we get some of the bugs worked out.
Sorry, seems like you are properly advertising to other sailors to stay far away from you; you obviously have not learned anything about seamanship, manoeuvring nor boatmanship. Thank you, you will not ever be allowed on or near my ship!! Sickening!!
Would love to! However, there is too much you need to learn, and my time is valuable, so thanks, but no thanks. I hope you'll pick up something with time, well one tip for you, start with one essential thing; keep your boat tidy at all times!! ..and perhaps more will follow...Anyway, happy sailing!!
Love that you show the ups and downs of the cruising life. Too many channels only show the good side of things which gives you a rather twisted look at reality.
Hi Andreas. Yes. I'll start by saying that we never purposely generate drama, which can't be said about all the channels. But we don't have to. There's enough crazy stuff happening around at any given moment to keep us busy. The whole concept of our channel, from the beginning, was to show the cruising life for what it really is, rather than a fantasy that doesn't exist. All white sand beaches and bikinis. But for all the downs, there are incredible highs. As someone once said, you can't have all sunny days. You won't see how beautiful they are unless you experience the rainy ones too.
Finally. I’ve been looking for grown ass people doing the cruiser thing and not just 25 year old rich kids. Nice to find you guys.
Thanks Mike. And we appreciate you being with us!
I appreciate your inclusion of pretty much continuous coverage of your entrance to the harbor and site selection process. Too often the blogs I've seen gloss over this. Granted, it can be a busy/stressful time. Kudos to you guys.
Thanks David. We kind of try to do that with each place we go, but I'm always wondering whether people want to see it. So nice to hear you do. Of course in this case things didn't work out as planned, but the concept of the channel is to show the unvarnished life of cruising.
@@SailingTalisman I'm definitely enjoying your videos. Please keep them coming, hopefully without your having to endure more headaches like this.
I'm so thankful for every video that you post! I haven't sailed, but that day is coming, for now, I'm laid up working out a health issue. So... I'll just never mind the complainers, say thankyou & mean it! Valuable REAL life experience, that don't cost me a dime. You explain: everything, perfect, I like it.😁👍
Hi Alan. Well Wendy and I most definitely wish you the best on your health. We enjoy doing the videos, and lots of people enjoy watching them it seems, so we'll keep going. As you may know, the concept of the channel is to show how this life really is, and it's not all white sand beaches and bikinis (although those are nice). Much of the time it's hard work and stress, not to mention the outflow of money. But in return we get to meet tons of new people who share the same interests and talk to viewers of the channel. It's a pretty good life all around. Make sure to let us know how it goes and thanks for watching.
Exciting sail! Really loved the high wind footage. I got nervous just watching you trying to dock. Really, really like your videos. Nice balance of commentary and sailing. Thank you!
Well thanks Beth. We're both happy you liked it. Plus it's nice to hear from some female viewers. It's generally a pretty male-centric demographic.
Thanks for the candid videos of what can go wrong in crowded anchorages with rude inexperienced boaters. Same problems all over the globe. Keep up the good work and show us it's not all sunsets and pina coladas!
Thanks OM. Your comment reminds me of the constant refrain heard around the US that "these drivers don't know how to drive in the snow". No matter how little or much the snow falls there are people doing dumb things. There's nothing to be done about it. We've seen bad marina driving on the east coast, the Caribbean, the Med. About the only place we saw real professional grade maneuvering was by the Scots, and I expect by extension the Brits.
Believe it or not. The crossing situation you had in this video with that ferry, is the one exception to the classic "powerboat gives way to sailboat" rule. It's one thing for a 60, or 80 motor yacht to give way to a 40 something foot yacht as you would typically expect, but when you have a 2 or 300 foot vessel mingling with a 40 something foot yacht, right of way by tonnage comes into play where the ferry stands on, and the sailboat gives way, (It actually is a maritime rule). The reasoning behind this is because a vessel like that ferry is assumed to be more restricted by its sheer size in its ability to maneuver than a yacht like yours would be by its limitations as a vessel under sail. Simply put, it would be easier to maneuver, or stop a 15 or so ton yacht to avoid a collision than it would be to maneuver, or stop a few hundred tons of ferry to avoid one. Large ranks of Mariners don't even know this because so many fishing, and cruising grounds are far enough from large vessels like the one in this video that many boaters don't really need to know that rule, so it often goes forgotten. I hope this helps Fair Winds.
Sort of agree but the col regs are fairly clear on this topic. If the power vessel is in open water then it needs to change course to avoid a sailing vessel (assuming under sail only). There is no regulation that supports might is right. However, you need to be sensible in all situations. It is not an excuse to say you were the stand on vessel therefore your are not at fault if the unthinkable happens and lets face it you are always going to be worse off. Sometime is is easier for the larger vessel, in a collision situation, to understand your course and speed and your sudden changes in direction can lead to confusion. For example when sailing, especially at night, and my radar/ais suggest an uncomfortable CPA and the vessel is keeping a constant heading then I will radio the vessel to 1) ensure he has me on their radar/ais and 2) to inform him I intend to keep my speed and heading, however, speed is always a variable especially in light winds. I do not ask them to change direction but confirm their intentions. In all cases I start my engine but do not engage drive until the situation is clarified. 9 times out of 10 the vessel will alter course by 5 or 10 degrees even the biggest cruisers :). Any power vessel that is restricted in manoeuvrability or constrained by draft has the right of way, period. Anyway, this debate goes on and on on many forums (a bit like Brexit) and you will all continue to do what you want but this is how I approach potential collision situations. Happy sailing.
PS. I am not sure what "maritime rule" you are referring too.
@@TheRectory33 Your point is well taken, and I stand corrected. I was recalling some experiences I had nearly 30 years ago in the Puget Sound (Seattle) area where I crewed on a fifty four foot charter sailing vessel, and various captains, (25, and 50 ton), always preached to me the whole right of way by tonnage concept. With a number of 1000 foot freighters, cruise ships, and 400 foot ferries could not, and going every day we had to survive by that concept because the nature of that environment required it. However, I looked it up, and you are absolutely right. The right of way by tonnage law is not a maritime law. It's a law of physics which comes right back to your comment about common senseand taking the onus, in avoiding any collisions at sea. Although the gent in this video did have a point that the guy running the ferry kind of just barged through there like he didn't care, I got the sense that he perhaps didn't fully realize his role even as the stand on vessel in avoiding collisions, and that's what promped me to comment. Fair winds.
@@TheRectory33 BTW. where do you sail?
@@galaxymasterdave2969 As you say common sense must prevail at all times. We sail out of Spain (med side). You still sailing?
Wendy seems so chill. Great, honest videos. If sailing were easy, marinas and water would be even more plugged up.
So true. And Wendy is mostly chill, but not always. As with women worldwide, she can be brutal when she wants to be. But we rarely raise our voices to each other and our life aboard Talisman is pretty awesome. Thanks for being with us.
So enjoyable that first part sailing across at good speed. I felt your stress though. Wendy tossing bread into the fish at the end looked a blissful scene. Loved the T’shirt too :-)
Hi Martin. It was a great time for us, and we really pitch the Greek islands to other cruisers when the subject comes up. So much history, and great people.
Good on you for being honest and showing it the way it is. There are good lessons here for anyone that can learn. Allow me to state this crap never ends if you drive from dock to dock to dock. Use the anchor. Get some schooling in how to set it and stop paying for the privilege of your boat floating. Last video I watch showed a catamaran anchored on the outside all by itself while you are getting smashed by a ferry. Get out and stay out in the water.
"When bad things aren't actually happening, they are at risk of happening." Any cruiser will have to smile - and agree. Well said.
Hi George. It's the truth. You have to be thinking all the time about what could possibly happen, and what you'll do if it does. Thanks for being with us.
You two are good. You are doing it!!!! And the flag still looks beautiful off the stern. Thanks for the videos.
Hi Sean. People sometimes ask if we ever feel uncomfortable flying the flag, and I tell them no, we've never gotten any kind of a bad vibe. Plus we really don't care. Mostly folks come up to ask if we've sailed over from the States (no, we started in Troon, Scotland).
@@SailingTalisman funny. normally we see a lot of US flagged boats and they have no Americans on them. Russians, Turks, Italians using the flag as a flag of convenience. if we see Delaware we dont even ask anymore. but this wind and situation is normal for this area. we have been in these islands for 3 years on our Cat. love the area. hate the harbor design.
I might have misunderstood what you said about the right-of-way... commercial shipping _always_ has the right-of-way to "pleasure" boats. Therefore the ferry can plow right through, you have to change course (or slow down).
Different case if the motor boat is a pleasure boat, then they have to give way to sailboats. I wouldn't bet my safety on _any_ other captain knowing the rules of the sea though.
This is a great opportunity to discuss an often misunderstood topic. When we took our RYA skipper's course they focused strongly on this issue. Specifically, everyone reading this should understand a few things. This is not an all inclusive list as the actual rules would take pages to recite. 1) Maritime law rejects the idea of "right of way". As the RYA describes it, the feeling is that ROW implies that one vessel always enjoys priority over the other, and they don't want this to be the case. The rules speak of "stand on" and "give way" vessels, and the important point is that the stand on vessel enjoys stand on status only to the point that a collision becomes imminent. At that moment they become the "give way" vessel. If a collision occurs, neither skipper will get anywhere saying they were stand on. It's the obligation of every skipper to avoid a collision at all costs. 2) Sailboats enjoys stand-on status only so long as they are under sail. They lose automatic stand on status the moment they turn on their engine, even if motorsailing. This is why you have a steaming light on your mast, to convey that you are under power (at night). It doesn't matter if you're commercial or recreational, the rules are the same. 3) A powered vessel, typically a larger one, has a few "outs". The term "lack of maneuverability" gives them stand on status. In other words, a large taker is restricted as far as what they can do as far as changing course or slowing down. Vessels under tow or with mechanical problems might also enjoy stand on privileges when they otherwise would not. 4) Fishing boats, when fishing, are the stand on vessel. This includes any nets they might be towing. 5) Given the above, the prudent sailboat skipper will assume give-way status when encountering larger powered vessels and fishing boats. I should add that the ferry we saw was probably tracking 10 or more targets on AIS and another 10 or more non-AIS targets. His job has to be stressful beyond belief.
The big boat(commercial) - small boat(pleasure) rules do not apply at sea as they would in inland waterways. But I would do the same in this case and change course.
Hi Marcel. Interesting point. We do not/have not done inland waterways but hear that there are some special rules that apply. I think if we were to consider doing any of the European canals we'd have to consider taking some classes or at least reading up. There might even be licensing issues. I have to admit to a certain amount of ignorance on the subject.
Is it possible to attach the fenders on the dock/quey rather than the sailboat? They seem to have some type of large steel ring on the concrete.
Had we done so it probably would have helped, but as I mentioned (I think) in the video, we had been warned in the cruising guide about the issue of ferry wakes. However, after watching the local ferries come and go for an afternoon with no drama, we assumed we were okay. As it turned out there is a high speed huge car carrier ferry that travels at 20+ knots, and is easily a mile or more offshore when it passes. That ferry was what they were talking about, and we were lucky to suffer the minimal damage we incurred. It was like a small tsunami. A nearby boat was lifted and dropped on the rocks below, badly damaging their rudder.
@@SailingTalisman Wow... Hard for most to imagine that a ferry more than a mile away can cause waves like that. Some times the events are simply out of your control. Not in a thousand years would I have worried about ships that were miles away. Never.
A couple of rubbing boards can help, fast ferries are a pain.Its not an arm or a leg , youll be right .
When navigating in the canals through France and Holland we use long planks of wood on the outside of fenders to reduce damage to topsides and fenders. It works well.
Hi David. Yes, we see fender boards occasionally, but were reluctant to clutter up our deck. We so rarely tie up to docks in Greece. A lot of people have a combination wood passarelle and fender board, but ours is pretty use-specific.
It was bowing a hoolie out of the harbour when we went in Frikes in July '18 too. We got a spot inside the breakwater at the other side of the harbour and had a good night. Others in the flotilla were parked where you were and suffered with the ferry wash.
Hi Bob. Thanks for watching. I guess the only thing to recommend is to ask if it's okay to raft up to someone behind the breakwater. It's the only safe place there.
Chin up, you’re living the dream.
Thanks Jim.
When you are cruising and your yacht is just $$$ then you don't cruise, you stress and that is what we have here.
Could feel it from the start of this vid.
I've done many a trip with fellas like this and they teach you a lot.
How not to be when you have crew as it sends a message that you are not confident in what you are doing, thus, the crew of what ever level of competence becomes unsettled.
Good on this guy though for posting his experience up on YT.
And that's the difference between being an owner and crew. You never have to worry about the big picture when you're crew. Go have fun and never write the check. It's the easy life in some ways. Talisman is our home as well as just a boat we sail on. As such, we have huge investments in labor and love. It goes well beyond dollars. In fact, every year I smile when I write the very substantial check to Pantanious for our insurance. In the end, this is the backstop to a true catastrophic event. And just so you know, we purchased a 25 year old boat partly because we couldn't afford a newer version, but also because we want to be able to sail and use her without feeling that we couldn't add a nick or dent anywhere. New yachts like ours are floating works of art, and the owners won't allow them to be used to their capabilities because all they do is entertain guests. From our library of episodes you'll see that that isn't us. Finally, the repair on the rails cost me about 1000 Euros (for stainless steel fabrication and new lifelines), and that's a lot of dinners and beer.
@@SailingTalisman In my experience, yes, you are rite in that SOME crew treat your boat like a club Med so you have to pick and choose correctly.
To find GOOD crew, you first must be a good skipper and your name will get out there .
I've sailed many a mile over the Australian coast with my Yacht and have always treated my crew as an owner.
So that is the difference I suppose between the attitude that you hold, and the REAL cruiser that is in this for the love of everything that cruising holds, people, places and the general love of the ocean and not the insurance value of the vessel that takes you to certain levels and values of living.
Dude! We don't have crew. That's the point of having a 48' boat. It's just Wendy and me. If we're doing a long passage, we might invite friends to share the shift schedule, but otherwise it's just us. And when we bought Talisman we paid the fantastic transfer skipper, Iain Hunter, who re-rigged her after 7 years on the hard, to come with us on the first two legs of our journey. New boat (to us) and all that. Iain sailed with us from Scotland to France and across the Bay of Biscay to Northern Spain. And you can bet that we treated him like family in every possible way. In fact, he was the skipper and we were the crew, by mutual agreement. We still send each other Christmas and other holiday emails and we pitch Iain's services at every opportunity (Hunter Yacht Delivery). You make some pretty big assumptions and I don't know where they come from. Watch the series.
Anchor out when possible tire fenders work on concrete . Love joy peace wealth & abundance for all .
Thanks Phillip!
I assume what happened is that the boat rolled but the fenders were pinched between the boat and the wall and couldn't rotate with the boat hence over stressing the upper life line and stanchion? Also, calling a 'quay wall' a 'key' what's up with that?
Yes, what you say about the fenders is exactly correct. Quay is universally pronounced "key" in Europe, while Cay in the Caribbean is pronounced "key". Go figure. I didn't make the rules. But if you pronounce "quay" there phonetically, they look at you like you've got two heads.
Where you tied up at 10;00 is the exact same spot we were in Sep16 lovely wee harbour, on a charter boat with Neilson, lovely area the Ionian Sea
I never really liked that harbor and would not go back. Kioni is just on the other side of the hill and there almost always room to long-line there if the Kioni quay is full.
Don't stress, In Australia, we use a timber plank and hang between. Helps a lot.
Hi Shane. Indeed. It think in the US we call it a fender board. A lot of cruisers use a big wooden plank instead of a passarelle, giving them a dual use product and we considered it, but then we'd have both and we've got very limited space on board. Anyway, we've made it this far so we'll probably not change anything. The new midship gate system is a much stronger design as well.
Yup, boats and hard places aren't the most happy pairings. Glad you didn't sustain hull damage. You'll know next time, which is what it's all about - knowing! I enjoyed the sailing and harbour entrance. What would you have done different now that you know?
I'd say not to go to Frikas. It's a tough harbor that has very limited space for sailboats with deeper draft. The cruising guide warned about the swell, but we didn't realize that it wasn't a swell from the local ferries but a big swell from the huge offshore ferries that come by 2 or 3 times a day. The concrete is also of poor quality here, with way too much aggregate and not enough cement. With time, a lot of it has been washed away, leaving a very rough and abrasive surface. There are any number of fixes available, but the Greeks just don't maintain things, so nothing gets improved.
I don't think you did anything wrong it had been a good sail you were honest didn't try to hide it brush over it. We all damage our boats. Great video. Lovely couple I love the way there were no orders shouted just got on with docking
Hi Geoff. Thanks for the kind words. Our no-stress docking technique (no yelling or agitation) has been a long work in progress. Back when we started sailing together we had "two captains", and that was a bad thing. Wendy is a great sailor and former sailing instructor and she really does expect me to do whatever happens to land in her mind at any given moment. We eventually created a good rule for couples, which is that the person on the helm is captain, and the other person becomes crew. In practice, since I like to dock, I've given her almost complete control of sail trim. Since we do frequent long passages, we each get our fill of opportunities to adjust sails.
It's what sorts out the men from the boys. Great blog.
Thanks Frank. It's part of the life.
Hi Kevin. It’s not clear what actually caused the damage. Was it rolling of the boat against the fenders which didn’t slide on the concrete? If they had been tied to the toenail would that have broken the ties?
Hi Pete. Ah ha, you see the issue. Yes, the fenders were caught between the rolling and lifting boat and I believe something had to give. The rough concrete absolutely gripped the fenders with a tenacity that was hard to imagine. The stanchion adjacent to the gate actually failed under almost pure vertical load and you can see how the tubing bent in one direction and then in the other. Talisman has low freeboard, and if you try to tie fenders that low to the water they float and get slanted to one side while not being high enough on the boat to protect the upper gelcoat and toe rail area. Also, the punched oblong holes in the aluminum toe rail have incredibly sharp edges. It is my belief that either the lines would have snapped or been cut, or the fenders themselves would have popped or otherwise failed. The forces were too great.
Just a thought. Could you have used a midships pull-off line? I know you said pilot book says don’t go stern-to, but if there’s reasonable holding ground that would have held you off. Many boats here use them for exactly the same reason (ferry wash).
Between you and the motor boat used to be a large rock just by the quay, should still have some of my rudder paint on it lol What date was this vid taken?
Yep, the rock is still there. This being our third stop in Kioni, I knew where it was. The first three berths are no good for boats above 45', and the rock makes that location unusable by all but the smallest boats. Talisman's rudder is relatively short (it's skeg hung) and pushed a bit forward. We can get in places where boats with big high-aspect fin rudders can't go.
Anchoring has its perks!! We're always happier on our own ground tackle than dealing with docks, concrete, other boaters, etc. We swing with the winds and tides and other than the occasional dragging boat, there's far less hard obstacles in our immediate vicinity. Saves money too!!
Anchoring in Greece is tough. The hillsides slope so steeply and continue at the same angle all the way down. It's not uncommon to be in 30-40 meters of water right offshore. That's why there's so much long-lining. Anchoring is definitely the best way to save money when the area supports it. Thanks for being with us.
Do the bigger rounder fenders not help from rubbing against exposed concrete
Hi Paul. The round fenders came with our boat, so we didn't choose them exactly. But we have found that they work pretty well if we're moving against other boats. They roll better since the circumference is larger. But not a substitute for the long narrow fenders. We like having bigger fenders, and see a lot of boats with too few and too small when it comes to fending off adjacent boats.
If you put spring lines in wouldn’t that have kept you off the dock?
We were really only able to spring to the starboard side boat, and as the winds came up it was twisting both boats. To tie to the midship cleat of the cat in front would have done the same thing, pulling that boat back and adding a lot of pressure to their aft fenders. Plus, they didn't offer. Anyway, it was a stressful couple of days and we learned a few lessons on what not to do.
Wonder why with such a great location the docking wouldn't be updated to safe and secure for cruisers, the amount of financial gain for local businesses would easily pay for the update cost in one season. Nothing worse than tied to a concrete wall when a huge wake is hitting. Showing this is real life and your followers appreciate it. I would be more worried about hitting bottom in these areas, I've seen rocks when no rocks are shown on the charts. Thank You for sharing your journey with your followers. STAY SAFE, SAIL SAFE, THANK YOU‼️🙏❤️ Vinny 🇺🇸
Hi Vinny. I believe Frikes is a strong candidate for improvement. It's a nice town and the harbor is fairly large. But the pilot book shows all boats either laid up against the wall, or rafted together against the wall or back of the pier/breakwater. We strongly believe this has to do with chains or even sunken boats in the harbor. This issue needs to be corrected or Frikes will continue to be a second-tier harbor.
Is it because on a dock the wave can pass under the floating dock. And the cement wall the wave bounces off back towards your boat?
Yes, I think so to a degree. With floating pontoons the dock rolls with the boat. With a concrete fixed dock, the boats can roll only so far before the lines snap tight. The dock bollards and rings here are not sized and spaced for recreational boats. It's more of an old commercial ferry dock. Plus, this area is just oven to the outside channel that's at least 5 miles or more across. That's a lot of fetch.
I have a perforated toe rail where I can tie my fenders. Have you ever tried that?
Hi Marc. The holes in our toe rails are very sharp on the edges, but the bigger problem is that it's impossible to get the fenders high enough to protect the top 12" of the hull. The main way this failure happened was actually that the latch on the midship gate failed (which we knew was a weakness in the design). Once that happened the one side folded immediately. When the stainless guy finally got to the boat we had him redo both sides to be like the newer Oysters and Amels, with cable gates and pelican clamps.
Nice fix Captain. Good job.
Don't sweat the arm chair admirals and the dock potatoes. I carry a home depot 2x8. Wife hates it but that thing works.
Yep. Just like the comment below. Not everything has to be shiny and purpose specific, although I can tell you that at my hefty weight I'm not sure I'd trust a 2x8. Prob 2x10 for me.
@@SailingTalisman I have rope attached to both ends of it and it sits against the cement dock with my ball fenders between it and the boat. When the stink boats wake me, it takes the brunt of it.
42 Catalina.
Thanks a lot for this video!
No worries!
What harbor were you guys at? Just curious.
Hi Michael. We started I think at Sivota, then had the problem in the small harbor of Frikes. Once we left there, we ran for cover at Kioni. We'll have more drama coming up at Kioni on this week's episode (Thursday).
Sorry you took some damage but you are safe and no injuries. Glass of wine with your next sunset is in order. :)
Indeed Shaun. All fixed now and we just figure it's one of those things. As I've said to other commenters, it was a poor design and this has now been corrected with cable gates and pelican clamp fittings. This failure could have happened due to one of us being washed through the lifelines, so in some ways a mixed blessing.
I couldn't hear all your comment due to the audio quality. Why don't you anchor outside the harbor if you, correctly in my view, don't like tying up along sides a menacing ruff concrete quay?
This situation was a one-off for us. I would say we were lulled into a false sense of security since it was pretty calm and predicted to be even calmer overnight. The pilot guide had warned about ferry wash but we'd watched several ferries come and go without knowing that these weren't the ones being warned of. As I've said to others, anchoring in Greece is no small thing. Unlike the Caribbean, in Greece the wind clocks and veers through every point of the compass in a 24 hour period. Combine that with shorelines that go to 30 meters right off the rocks, and it makes for challenging decision-making. As for Frikes itself, it's still a mystery why they don't want people tying stern-to. There's plenty of depth and area to do so. We can only imagine that there are unmarked obstructions. As you might suspect, we won't be going back. But by the same token, these rough and unimproved harbors lead to inexpensive and adventurous cruising.
Stay in Greece long enough and you’ll get your safety lines and/or stantions damaged. Normally by another badly handled boat
I would say that this is probably true. The bad decisions come daily, and it tends to start from having filled harbors and anchorages. I hate to hang the Italians out on this, but to them a filled anchorage means you just try to find the least bad spot, even if it's right next to somebody else. We've almost gone to battle with other boats telling them that they can't anchor on top of us. They get bitterly angry about being told that there's just no room left.
Bad experience with Frikes I always give it a wide birth. Only stay for very short time over lunch maybe. Ferries and merchant ships just pound the waves right into the harbour, even Kioni can behave this way sometimes if you are opposite the quay with a line ashore. Ithaca is a beautiful island and still well worth a visit.
Agreed. We've been at Kioni multiple times and the berths there that are deep enough for Talisman give us pretty good protection from swell. Being moored stern-to helps too. But the big thing always seems to be anchoring drama. We'll be long-lining there from here on out. Same with Fiscardo.
Hi Adrian. Frikes is okay as long as you have one of the good spots behind the mole. The problem is that there aren't that many spots. We love Kioni, and have figured how it works there (see next episode, where we have problems). But the town is so awesome that we can't help but want to go back.
I'm new to your channel just recently subscribed and wanted to say hello.
Safe travels from snowy Syracuse NY
Hi Tom. Great to have you.
Now I have to look up what a catabatic wind is. Seems like the wind that comes out of the mouths of our politicians. I could be wrong however. Will look it up. Lol.
Haha, and the disappears up their Anabatic.
LMAO
Now you've got me wondering if a roller style bumper horizontally suspended would work at a non-floating concrete quay like this one.
Interesting you should say that. Our fenders have attachment points on both ends and we've considered running them horizontally in certain circumstances. Generally, we moor stern to and it isn't an issue.
@@SailingTalisman I tried making a model of the the particular situation you faced but I see a physics issue rearing its head. The roller/ bumper would almost need to be free floating, in other words not anchored to the boat OR the dock!! This kind of problem fascinates me. More research coming to devise a workable system. Would be easier with my own boat... someday soon!!
Don't be afraid to tie fenders onto the pier and for situations like that I prefer the cylinder style fenders myself.
From and ex-LBI guy, Wendy and I say greetings. The problem there is that these piers and docks were set up to receive fishing vessels and ferries. They have bollards and rings spaced very far apart and it just isn't an ideal place to be with a fiberglass recreational sailboat.
@@SailingTalisman Thanks and the same back as I'm from Cape May. But had friends and good times in LBI. I deal with the same thing in Bulgaria on the Black Sea,it's actually worse there since almost everything is from the communist times and were for steel commercial boats. They've started putting docks in over the past few years but the smaller towns haven't yet. If it wasn't for fender boards I'd have rubbed holes in the hull by now. There's times we'll have 20ft of line on each end of the boards to reach the bollards. It's a great place off of the cruisers maps but it does take some creative rigging at times. I'm back in the States but I'll try and see if I can find some pictures of the pier's here. But basically each town has a cement harbor in the sea.
@@southjerseysound7340 That sounds Wild. Albania is like that. They're about 20 years behind Greece and Croatia, with no improvements to any of the harbors or ports.
Just an idea Kevin: tie the quay rings together with a line and hang the fenders from that line.
Great storage on your yacht. Small welder and some tools.
Well, luckily we found a really good stainless guy in Preveza who sorted it all for us. TIG welding is a bit outside of my skill set. Thanks for being with us.
You have bow thrusters on your boat?
Yes.
beautifully shoot the video) thanks for the pleasure from Russia
Well thanks Paul. The pleasure is ours (from the US).
Stuff happens on sailboats. We've all had something or other Kevin……. It's frustrating when it happens, but time heals all wounds. I stayed in a number of fishing ports last season ----- and it seemed to help (a little) dropping a sacrificial board on the outside of my fenders to rub against the concrete. BTW, that doesn't help (at all) when you are moored against tyres, but then the only damage is cosmetic black scuffing. Fair winds to the two of you.
Hi Patrick. I have a thing I tell people: There's the 6 month bucket, the 6 day bucket and the 6 hour buck. If I'm not going to worry about it in 6 hours or 6 days, I just let it go. 6 month items are different. Most embarrassments in marinas and harbors are 6 hour items at the most. You're usually getting over it within an hour or so.
Patrick
When are we going to see your adventures again?
Thanks Kevin. New ones coming soon. Am awaiting the (late) delivery of a new staysail, and then I'm off for new adventures. It won't be in as nice a setting as where Kevin and Wendy are filming, but should be great fun nonetheless. :-)
@@patricklaine6958 Always good stuff Patrick!
The biggest boat always wins. It’s the arrogant sailor who sinks his vessel
Such a shame to see that damage!
Shame we didn’t have that drink in Sivota and a chat about the Ionian. I could have told you of each area and quay. There in Frikas you DONT use that wall or stern to either as the ferry wash will knock out your anchor. Always side to on the mole only and raft up if no spaces. Too small a harbor for a boat with your draft. Vathi is just round the corner.
Such a shame to see but shite happens! That’s sailing.
Hope you got it all sorted ok 👍.
Your probably out of the Mediterranean by now but just for people reading this, the best guide to the Ionian is the Rod Heikenell guide.
The ferry companies were told to slow down between the islands due to their wash.....but that didn’t last long and they rip through.
We also got 3 bent stanchions and busted stanchion bases and a bent toe rail from the Medicane in end of September from a boat hitting us. Know how you feel, I’m just now finishing up repairs.
All the best, hey you live to sail another day. ⛵️
You bet Jay. Thanks for the kind words, and what you say is true. So much of what we learn comes from the other cruisers. When we first arrive in a place we don't know, should it somehow be that we know nothing, which is rare, we'll look for boats similar to ours in size. We do have the Rod Heikenell pilot books and they are indispensable. For the coming season we'll have the Aegean specific version as well.
Good honest video. 👍🏼
Thanks Paul. We appreciate it.
even the wealthy has a bad day every once in a while. We all go through it. Some not so expensive as others. Good boating sounds hollow right now.
love the honesty and how are you supposed to know until youvde been told by the locals.. shit happens. but more shit happens on boats
Boats are a magnet for it. The thing is, we have so much information at our fingertips. A few keystrokes and we can have notes from other cruisers, electronic charts updated regularly on our chartplotters. We can radio into harbors and marinas. I honestly don't know how people did it in the old days. I think there were a lot more groundings and damage.
In Australia we call them bullets, they are a pain in the a...
Great if you need to get somewhere fast, bad if you're in the way or tied up alongside a quay.
Sorry about the damage, but totherwise enjoyed that - thanks! Kioni is one of our favourite ports and waiting for my first Oyster too! Fair Winds! PS Good Yacht Club in Vliho (nr Nydri).
No worries David. It was a bummer but all repaired now, and better design than before. Are you saying you're getting an Oyster? If so, which one?
@@SailingTalisman Not yet on the Big O, but looking now for two years (and more) waiting to exit business at right time, whenever that is, fingers crossed sooner than later. Based in Aberystwyth and silly, I know, but imagined you sailing down the Irish Sea from Troon (where I've often stayed). Fair Winds, be safe and enjoy!
@@davidgilbert Well good luck on finding the right one. Pretty hard to go terribly wrong. And just so you know, we did indeed sail down the Irish Sea out of Troon, and not a minute too soon with some North Sea weather spinning up behind us.
What type of yacht is it?
Hi Paul. Talisman is an Oyster 485.
Sailing Yacht Talisman - I always fall in love with the most expensive (gorgeous) boats!
We did, I guess. Of course ours wasn't the most expensive by any means.
Very nice
U guys a amazing keep up the good work love ur video lots of good information
Thanks Collin. Great having you.
Nothing changes, same as Kioni... Try putting an insurance claim in once you find out which ferry (use marine traffic if possible). Why dont the local mayors start complaining to the shipping companies?? they must be losing summer trade. Those bloody ferries only have to slow down to 20 knots for a few miles and the problems go away..!
That ferry had a speed limit put on it, according to some of the locals. But as you can see if you look closely at the footage, the ferry sped up dramatically when we were seeing close CPA (closest point of approach). It was doing over 25 knots as it was speeding away. So they clearly reserve the right to take evasive action. We do have a very good insurance policy on the boat, but policies get cancelled if claims get made more than once, so we keep that in our back pocket for serious damage we can't afford to repair. As for claiming against Greek boats, I suspect it's very difficult. The Greek commercial captains drive like maniacs, especially the ferry and day-cruise drivers. It's ridiculous. Stay tuned for the "Joy Cruises incident" coming up later in the series. You'll see what I mean.
The hull is ok. That’s good
Hi Kris. Indeed. Nothing that a few Euros didn't take care of. We actually took the opportunity to improve the design. Thanks so much for watching.
You want any cheeze with that whine?
Sorry to see that you guys got some damage!! It’s impossible to be able to foresee every scenario, especially when you have waves coming from a ferry that isn’t even coming to that little harbor but it’s wake does! Just bad luck my friend, nothing you can do about it! I will say that you backed that baby perfectly into that spot!
Enjoying the videos and enjoy watching that beautiful Oyster yacht of yours. 👍🏻🍻
Yep. You do your best and try to document and log other peoples' mistakes. There were a few times when we just got lucky, if I'm to be honest. This coming season we'll be on the Aegean side, where the Maltami winds play havoc for days and sometimes weeks at a time. We're glad we spent time learning the ropes in the Ionian, but it's still a bit daunting. You can bet that we won't be taking anything for granted. I literally just want to make it though the summer without having any real issues. As always, thanks for being with us.
You guys should put the patron link in description. Great videos.
Hi Enrico. Yes we should. It's been mentioned before and I keep forgetting. I'll see what I can do. And as always, thanks for watching.
...looking on the bright side, it will make for an interesting video when you have the stanchions repaired or replaced :-).
Hi Brad. We actually had to wait till the end of the season to get the work done. But the fabricator did great work. Is that a spoiler alert? Not sure I did too much filing of it.
What a fu**…..! I had the same a couple of years ago at Mykonos. The movent of the Ferrys pushed me against the concrete wall. Be happy that it is only a Little Welding work to do.
Thanks Andre. We kind of hand-bent it back and let it go for the remaining part of the season and then had both gates rebuilt to the more modern Oyster design (which is the same design as all the boats these days). The swinging gates were removed and now we have a connecting lifeline going through with pelican clamps at the gate area.
Hi Kevin and Wendy
So you went to Kioni again or are the videos out of sequence?
I have been to Frikes many times and it is not ideal by any means , as you say that Katabatic whips through the gap in the hills and combined with the fetch + ferry wash it’s a killer.
Last time I was in Frikes I was chartering a 50 footer and went stern to (bow facing out into the channel)on the mole with two lines ashore - it was very successful.
By the way Kevin, re your comments about inexperienced charterers - I have never towed a dinghy with the outboard fitted EVER - and it ain’t even my boat! 😉
Hope you got the stanchions sorted at reasonable cost.
Indeed. It was line of sight across the channel w/ zero wind and we thought no big deal to make the quick hop across. Now we never tow the dinghy, engine attached or not. We did shear a pin in our davits once and are sometimes gun-shy about winching the dinghy up and down a lot, but we still do it as needed. Mostly these days we lower the dinghy and run the passarelle over. That's turned out to be the best. We've also done the stern-to to the moles at various harbors with great success as well. We're upping our game as time goes on. Seeing easy anchorages and open berths on the quay is considered a luxury now for us.
Great sail... poop happens.
Yep. It's all part of the deal. Thanks for being with us.
Oooh nasty. Ferry's seem to be an issue in many parts of Greece? Sail Safe. Ant & Cid (SV Impavidus)
Ferries and day cruise boats are driven by crazy people in Greece. The companies promise way too much, like hitting five beaches, along with an hour stop for lunch, in one day. And to do it they charge through anchorages and harbors at hull speed. We saw several crashes over the summer, and were even involved in one (coming up later in the series). No damage was done to Talisman, but that's only because we were there to take action.
@@SailingTalisman Presumably they are insured and have ID numbers? Go pro may come in useful then. Sail safe. Ant.
I remember your booze stash from the tour video. It may be a bit breezy with the katabatic comedy winds but the booze'll survive. Hopefully... It did right. ;)
Hi Dave. The booze stash is still there. The funny thing is that we don't drink much hard alcohol. It's mostly for guests and special occasions.
Sounds like you have great advice but we can't understand with all the wind noise. Maybe invest on a mic cover...
Hi Steve. It's true. We knew we were destroying both our mic and cover as the season wore on, but you really are in the back country when you're in the small harbors of Greece. There are literally no locations to buy these types of things, and ordering in means you have to wait for weeks. The Greek postal system, like the rest of the country, is Byzantine. For 2019 we have replacement mics and covers for our old camera, plus two new cameras with internal image stabilization and external mics/covers. If we can't get perfect footage, at least we'll have a lot more to work with. Thanks for watching.
Liked some of that video really showing the speed sailing in but you really have to do something about audio. A good part of that was drowned out by the wind. Happy trails
Yep. We're playing the cards we're dealt for now, but have two new cameras w/ external mics for next season.
still dont understand or see exactly what damage occurred to your boat
If you look, on the side by the concrete dock, two vertical stanchions and the entire midship gate assembly has been bent and folded over. This happened as the surge from the wake of an offshore ferry came into the harbor, and as the boat tried to roll and rise, the fenders were caught against the concrete wall. These were tied to the upper lifeline and it couldn't take the force.
Are you two retired? Work from home?
Hi Brett. We decided to take a sort of early retirement. We're both in our mid-fifties, and felt that while it's fairly doable to start in your fifties and move into your 60's and even 70's, it's very difficult to motivate to do this type of thing when you start feeling your age. Plus, there are just so many folks out there that buy a boat only to find out that they can't do it for some reason. One or both halves find themselves infirm.
Sailing Yacht Talisman thanks for the reply. That’s awesome you’re able to do that and enjoy life to it’s fullest! I really enjoy your channel. Hope you’re having fun with all the snow in CO!
Great way to loose a railing
Suggestion, instead of apologizing for the wind noise and typing illegible type (white on a light blue background) Edit out the sound and edit in actual readable print or narration.
I'll see what I can do.
At 12:41 I did NOT appreciate the -ahem- view.
Got to do something with mic
Sorry Eric. Working on it, but we're dealing with footage that is months old. No easy way to fix now.
Are there no such things as mooring balls or anchorages in the med? You guys are always tied to a wall...good advertisement against ever travelling the med if that's the case, not about to cruise on over there anytime soon!!
Hi SWCS. In short, no. There are very few mooring balls in the Med, and although there are anchorages, they need to be chosen wisely. In order to understand why, it helps to understand the history and topography (bathymetry) of the region. Along much if not most of the coastline of the Med, natural harbors were populated centuries ago, and have been improved upon since. If large, they serve commercial traffic, and the smaller ones tend(ed) to support the small boat fishing fleets. These small harbors can be incredible places to visit, but the locals don't want to develop them with pontoons and services for recreational yachting as this will necessarily displace the local fishermen (see episode 65 about Scilla, Italy). There are also places where rivers (or rias in Spain and Portugal) empty into the Med. Most of these are too shallow for sailboats as they silt up regularly and need to be dredged. In and around natural bays, harbors and rivers, along with the leeward sides of islands, there are areas suitable for anchoring. But if these are exposed even slight to the huge expanse of the Mediterranean Sea, they will be rolly and poor places to anchor, especially if the winds come up. As for mooring balls, the same issue exists. People won't use them unless swells are nonexistent. We've sailed a lot in the Caribbean, where mooring balls are everywhere, and while I like the convenience, the $30/night charge adds up. And once you've laid a lot of concrete blocks you preclude anchoring forever. Anchors and chains will get caught on the the blocks, and it's just a bad deal later. In the Caribbean (the BVIs particularly), the mooring balls are often maintained by private companies (Moor-Secure as an example) and this speaks to the fact that mooring balls require constant maintenance and repair. Otherwise they become unreliable and dangerous, failing without warning. Also, having dragged the concrete blocks both in Gibraltar and Ceuta, Spanish Morocco in heavier weather, I've come to not trust them entirely. Finally, especially in Greece, the water gets deep really fast. It's not uncommon to be in 20-30 meters of water within a few boat lengths of shore. This is why you see so much long-lining. If you just free anchor and the wind changes direction, your anchor will just lift off the steep face and you'll be adrift. Anyway, I put all this down so yourself and others see that the Med is a great place for cruising. You just might have to expand your range of tools in the skill toolbox. I kind of feel like depending on mooring balls would be like saying you didn't want to go to a ski area because it had moguls. The mooring balls are great, but Wendy and I now have so much anchoring and long-lining experience that we know that no matter where we go in the Caribbean (and elsewhere), we'll almost certainly have options if the mooring balls are all taken and the marinas are full. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. We love it.
Sailing Yacht Talisman yeah we’re not a fan of mooring balls in general...we’ve been living on anchor for the last year continuously. From your vids, it just always seems like everyone is so packed in...not enough space. Do you not have to pay to long-line out from those walls? We took a ball here in San Diego because they’ll only allow you to anchor for so many days, and it costs $225/mo to sublease it and about $140/mo when a permanent one comes available. We’ll be moving on shortly for the baja where there are no shortage of secluded anchorages and we’re quite looking forward to that!! Hope you avoid any more near catastrophes with ferries and the like...get that beauty boat to some greener pastures!
You are flat out wrong!
Ships, tugboats with tows, commercial ferries and fishing vessels with nets deployed have right of way over sailing vessels. Yachts should stay well clear of these vessels. Also, any vessel in a channel that can not exit the channel is the stand-on vessel.
Hmmm. Not sure what you mean. You can see the regs here: www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/english/Regulations/federal/c1416.pdf
This channel is really aimed at cruisers and folks who'd like to take this on as a lifestyle, so I welcome the discussion, but ... Generally, a sailboat under sail (not motoring) is the stand-on vessel except when fishing boats are engaged in fishing (and displaying the proper flags/lights so others can know), tugboats towing, vessels not under command, vessels restricted in ability to maneuver, and a few other exceptions. I don't see anything about ferries or other commercial traffic. However, as a matter of pure self-preservation, we do our best to stay clear. But read the part about how none of this exonerates a skipper or captain if a collision occurs. The regs are complicated and at times switch sides. Significant errors occur when people try to logically back into what the regs "should" say.
@@SailingTalisman First, I didn't say, "all" commercial vessels. I said, "Ships, tugboats with tows, commercial ferries", each of which have restricted maneuvering capabilities. COLREGs (even the Canadian modified version) states, under Section II, Rule 18(b) "A sailing vessel underway shall keep out of the way of: (ii) a vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre". A very large ship, like this ferry, qualifies under this rule, especially as FAST as she was moving. For the safety of the passengers, the captain should avoid making abrupt speed and course changes to "manoeuvre" abaft your small and slow sailboat. Imagine if the captain had changed course to go behind you and then changed course again to get back on track. He may have not even had enough room to make the turn if he so desired. Galaxymaster Dave explained it perfectly in his comment 2 weeks before my comment.
If you were wondering about the "any vessel in a channel that can not exit the channel", that should be obvious... This is due to their draft, so obviously they can't change course without running aground, hence restricted maneuverability.
And yes, you are correct. Rule 17(b), puts the responsibility to the stand-on vessel if it is determined that the crew knew a collision was imminent and it could have been avoided but they failed to do so. "When, from any cause, the vessel required to keep her course and speed finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall take such action as will best aid to avoid collision."
@@donbeckham Hi Don. Nice to review all this occasionally just to keep abreast of it all. I was surprised by how many people just spouted off what they would "expect" a rule to say, rather than really reading up and making sure they were right. There are a lot of comments on the thread, but some of the claims were pretty outrageous. Even with sailboat racing rules I'm always reluctant to trust other skippers. When a race begins, sailboats will jockey to cross the start line at exactly the moment the horn goes off, and given the opportunity Wendy will scrap right in there with bigger boats and press her stand-on position, even as a boat bears down on us. There have been many a time when I bore off to be safe and Wendy was yelling that we were stand-on. But I also knew the other racers were amateurs who only halfway understood how to calculate "starboard".
Oh, and one more thing. So ... just to give you an idea of what we've been seeing when we're out and about, last year the Greek government ran a "sting" operation where they used drone footage to bust various day cruise operators for under-reporting their passenger lists (to avoid paying taxes). In my/our view, this was actually "plan B", since previously they were using AIS to monitor the comings and goings of the day cruise operators, and probably backing into x number of average passengers. But the cruise boats began turning off their AIS, as the fishing boats have been doing for years. Using AIS for law enforcement has led to a whole lot of "broken, sorry" stories. This affects people like us when entering and leaving Gaios because there's a dogleg in the channel and if you can't trust that you can see these boats on AIS you won't be able to see them any other way like radar (hail on VHF might work, and they sometimes blow a long blast). And believe me, they do take the attitude that they own the very narrow channel on the way in or out.
how bout spend some of those dollars on a decent editing suite, can hardly read the graphics .....
We have a pretty good editing suite. The issue is that it's hard to get text on moving background to still be readable. We've added shadows to the text, and I'm considering adding a background box as well. It doesn't help that TH-cam reduces the resolution of the videos if your internet connection is sub-par. Also, some folks are watching on phones, and there's not much you can do about that except not use text at all. Feel free to suggest an example of how someone is doing it better.
Worried about your dinghy? Need to shorten painter and have it as close to stern as possible
Dinghy is still holding strong.
Damage was self inflicted. Do it properly next time.
We'll get on it.
Sorry but you don't look like you're having fun. It really didn't look that awful. Lord knows yo9u had enough fenders out.
Hi Ricardo. You can't know a good day without knowing a bad one. All fixed now. Thanks so much for watching.
Terrible sound , the commentary is woeful
Sorry about that, Arthur. In this particular episode it's what we have. Other batches are better, and I do try to not use overly bad raw footage when I can. Just didn't get lucky on this one. But the concept of the channel is to show the unvarnished side of the cruising life, and in an odd way this is what can happen. As I've told others we have new cameras and mics for next season. We're just running a bit behind on editing. Talisman is in Greece on the hard for the winter, and we'll be back at it in late April with new footage. We obviously hope you'll stick with us while we get some of the bugs worked out.
Sorry, seems like you are properly advertising to other sailors to stay far away from you; you obviously have not learned anything about seamanship, manoeuvring nor boatmanship. Thank you, you will not ever be allowed on or near my ship!! Sickening!!
Yeah whatever. You'll have to come over and tell me about how you want me to move my boat.
Would love to! However, there is too much you need to learn, and my time is valuable, so thanks, but no thanks. I hope you'll pick up something with time, well one tip for you, start with one essential thing; keep your boat tidy at all times!! ..and perhaps more will follow...Anyway, happy sailing!!