7 Jun 09 - Airport and back

17 nautical miles

This was a day cruise with Sean, Ronan and Kara... so it depended on the direction of the wind where we went to. The wind meant we could have a beat up towards the airport and a broad reach followed by a downwind run back. And I forgot to take any photos.

Today was races at the club. It had originally been Monday for the races, but was changed to Sunday. Tomorrow will be the regatta.

We got down to the club by 9:30 to be out on the water and away from the racing space before they started. In fact I motored out for a cable or so to get quickly out of the way. The wind was light, Bft 3-4 all day which made for a gentle enjoyable cruise. Sean also has his day skipper so we split the helming between us and let the kids have a go too.

There were a couple of inconsiderate power boats that passed us about 50 metres away at high speed. I suppose we should be thankful that they did give way to us at all, but causing a 1 metre bow wave for us to climb over was pretty unnecessary as if they had passed further away it would not have been such a wave and reducing speed would only have cost them a few seconds. Oh well...

We hove to a couple of times - once for a 'bucket and chuck it' break and once for lunch. As we were approaching the airport a 747 came right over head. We were approx 3/4 nautical mile from the end of the runway and didn't get any significant jetwash, so I wonder how close you would have to be to be dangerous. Not covered in the Day Skipper Course!

The broad reach followed by down wind run was good fun and enjoyable. We then gybed out of it into a beam reach back to the club. Was pleased with the gybe out of it - it was a textbook smooth gybe while bringing in the whisker pole at the same time. I suppose having two Day Skippers on the boat, so it should be!

Only issue, one of the snap shackles holding the masthead buoyancy up has lost its spring so it no longer works. Will have to replace that.

6 June 09 - Pila & Dhekalia

19 nautical miles

Originally I had been going to sail today with Tim, but having broken a rib sailing on SAGA III, he was still having pain and decided, quite rightly, that discretion is the better part of valour.

So late yesterday evening I SMSed to friends and then took their kids out. Here's Jacob again at the helm... happy as can be!

We sailed over to just past Pila 2 buoy, turned, hove to and had lunch. The water was really beautiful and sitting in the out there to eat lunch a real blessing.

Marie also took the helm some of the trip, but having turned and made for Dhekelia she developed a bit of a headache. Best thing for that was to get her head out of the sun so she rested on the leeward side of the boat with her head in the shade of the main sail.

How much was rest and how much was sleep was difficult to tell, but the net result was she felt better!

We passed close to Dhekelia Power Station. Closer than I think I have sailed before.

You cannot quite see the new power building they have constructed hidden by the main sail.

We then headed on towards Dhekelia Sailing Club, but all the boats were in - no bosuns to chase around like we sometimes do!

Turning back for Larnaca, the wind came up a bit as you can see from the graph below, from Bft 4 to nearly 5, with waves to match. This was much more exciting sailing back to the club.

Jacob wanted to splash through the waves, but Marie had a gentler hand on the helm and didn't splash so much. When we got back to close to the club we practiced tacking in higher waves which was a useful exercise.


All in all an very enjoyable sail and the start of the kataklismos weekend.

3 June 09 - Happy Birthday Jacob!

5 nautical miles

This was a birthday surprise for Jacob!

He'd been saying for some time 'What I really would like for my birthday is to sail the boat alone with Richard'. We kept making no comment and Wedneday is normally a full work day for me, but I left work early and then went round to Jacob's house and said 'Like to come for a sail?' His face was a picture!

So, with his Dad to help get the boat in and out of the water [Neil and Paula also helped get it out] we went down to the club for a quick sail.

The wind was light to start with. We sailed after Neil and Paula who were out sailing themselves... and then the wind dropped... and Neil and Paula sailed right into the calm too.... and stopped.

But actually it was turning. The late afternoon offshore wind picked up and was really nice, though gusty which Jacob found a little difficult to deal with, so I hove to, reefed the main and everything was better.

Coming back to shore was interesting too... see how many tacks I did to try to keep within the boat lane.

28 May 2009 - Regatta training

15 nautical miles

OK, so here's the buzz... having done well last year in the Regatta, of course I want to do well this year. So... there are two new youngsters in the area - Josh and Jacob - one the son of a friend, the other son of a colleague. Both of them are interested in learning to sail. Today I took them both out together as my trainee crew. One of them in particular is very competitive ['We have to win'] which is not a bad attitude to start racing with.

First order of the day was to practice tacking - so that we can do it smoothly and quickly. Also control of the genoa for best speed [having a GPS that tells you if your SOG is improving is a definite help] and opening bailers etc.

Then move on to running before the wind... goose winged... which requires the crew to get out and rig the whisker pole. Now that is trickier, especially as it requires going from beating up to the buoy, rounding the buoy as a broad reach into a run and at that point getting the genoa to the other side and rigging the whisker pole. Similarly coming out of a run, removing the pole has to be learnt.

I was surprised we did as many miles as we did - 15 in total. Some of the runs were great - we were surfing down the waves. The GPS says we maxed out at 8.6 knots, which was surfing pretty well.

Good day. Hopefully one more training day before the regatta. I suppose I should go by my middle name of James, then the story will be the three Js go sailing!

16 May 2009 - Second family sailing

14 nautical miles

This weeks family was seven - two adults and five kids, though the littlest one being a baby was too small to go out.

So Neil and I each took an adult and two kids so that they could all come out together. Galini and Blue sailing in formation - what a wonderful sight.

Katie (she's the little one in the photo) was thrilled that the wind was light enough (Bft 2) that she could come out with her Dad (Jörn). She was worried she would be left behind.

However, five minutes out and she was wanting to know when we were going back and one trip was enough for her. I think she was happy to be back on dry land.

I let Jacob take the helm and having handed over the helm it was difficult getting him off. I think we've found another sailor here!

During the day we swapped crews around... but every time we went out Jacob wanted to go... and wanted to helm.

When Jacob spots Blue just ahead with Marie at the helm, family rivalries come out and he is desperate to beat her.

The winds are light so it is possible for Galini to beat Blue in light winds - when its stronger the planing hull of Blue lets her pull away. The sense of competition is high - I think Jacob will make a great race crew... and maybe eventually a great helm too.

But Blue holds her own and keeps ahead.

Never mind, we're not really racing... and if you look at the tracks on Google Earth you see how wiggly the helming is anyhow!

We did let the adults have a go too. Jörn loves the water, Sheila the mountains. But both were keen to try this sailing thing.

Of course, we had to put up with cries from the one member of the family desperate to do more of 'Can I take the helm please?'

Yes, buoyancy aids and Crocs really do help you to float! No, this wasn't a man overboard, this was just floating around in the surf.

In the afternoon the wind came up a little to Bft 3 gusting 4 so I took out Sheila and Jacob to show them what its like with stronger winds.

Oh, and I've discovered a new photographic effect. Its called the salt filter, and creates a slight glow around highlights and a softening of contrast ratio. You try to get an even coating of salt crystals over the front of the lens - too little to entirely stop the light, but enough to create the effect. You can see this in the photos of Jörn at the helm and Jörn and Katie together. Actually I'm not sure I like the effect.

9 May 2009 - family sailing

6 nautical miles

It looked like a gentle sailing day - Bft 2 - so I invited the family that are just joining us at work out for a day sail. There are three kids in the family so took them out in two relatively short trips.

These photos are from the second trip.

It turned out to be a little more lively that Bft 2 - the chart showed Bft 4+ later when I got home. Still it was great fun sailing and a good way to introduce people to the fun of sailing.

If you get cold from the spray, the best thing to do is snuggle up under the deck with some cushions for padding... and sleep?


I gave David, Nicole and Josh a chance at helming... Josh seemed to really get the hang of sailing and enjoyed it.

Have I found a new crew to train this season?

18 April 2009 - Larnaca to Patomas and back

30 Nautical miles

Tim and I had planned for a long sail today and so depending on the weather would sail out towards Cape Pila in the east or south towards Cape Kiti in the south. The forecast for the day was northerly for the morning turning easterly winds in the afternoon. So the Cape Pila route was chosen, giving us a beam reach towards the cape, followed by a close haul up to Agia Napa... if we got that far and a reach back to Cape Pila followed by a run back to the club.

We started rigging the boat soon after 8:30am and were on the water by approx 9am and got past Cape Pila within just over two hours so after discussion decided to try and make it to Agia Napa - it would have been a long day, but we were up for it.

The forecast proved to be correct and as the windfinder graph shows we had significant gusts in the morning. But Galini handled them well, bearing up into the wind rather than having to change the main sheet.

I was getting a little cold - Tim was helming most of the way across the bay and I had on a sweatshirt which was getting wet from the spray and the sun was on the wrong side of the boat to warm me up and dry me out. So we swapped helm and I began to dry out, but was still a little cold.

However, the wind turned early. When the wind turned it was very strange... I was helming at the time and had to head more southerly to keep us sailing... then the wind went back to the original direction and we were heading towards Agia Napa again. There was a fish farm close to where we were sailing so deciding whether to go shore side or sea side of the farm kept changing as the wind changed.

Then the wind dropped so we made for the alternative location of Potamos under power. We'd already checked the engine close to the club when we set out to make sure it was working reliably. Having a topping lift means we could drop the main, lash it to the boom and keep space for us in the boat. No, we don't have lazy jacks... maybe another time?

I had been to Potamos before and the entrance is a little confusing - you have to enter from the north-east to get around the shallow shoal water on the east side of the entrance. No, we didn't sail along the shore, that's the inaccuracy of the GPS compared to Google Earth...

Since we were under power this time [last time I sailed to Potamos I sailed in and moored close to the entrance] so we motored slowly up the creek to have a look around and then back and moored alongside a cafe and stopped for coffee and chips - very healthy late morning snack ;-) Also, more significantly they were hot and warmed me up after the getting cold out on the water.

We need some fenders for Galini, mooring alongside without fenders is dependent on the rubbing strip... better get the fenders!

By the time we had finished our 'snack' the wind had changed making it an easy run back up past Cape Pila and across the bay to the club.

It was a wonderful sail - extremely enjoyable. Galini was handling like a gem. Sailing back the sun was on us the whole way so we stayed warm and comfortable. Must remember to pack lightweight cagoul to keep dry in future.

We still have the problem of water coming in the bailers, and on the broad reach/run across the bay from Cape Pila to the club the wind had dropped a little and we didn't have the speed to keep the water out. So a couple of tacks back and forth in front of the club with a bit of speed that was easily emptied out.

Had we got the spinnaker maybe we would have had sufficient speed to keep the boat empty of water. Hmmm... do I get the parts needed for a spinnaker? I have a new unused sail...

There was a little surf close to the shore, so the aim had been to sail in on a run, come right round 180 degrees into the wind to stall and then sort the boat out. We had dropped the genoa early to give us less too do, but when we got close to the club there were kids playing with a surf board in the boat lane, so we turned, tried to drop the main sail and then use the motor to come round in the surf.

We kept away from the kids, but the motor was now short of fuel and we hadn't topped it up... and the rudder was up since we were close to shore, so the motor kept stalling and because we were short of power and in the surf, the rudder came round more than we would like so there are now gouges in the rudder needing sorting out. Reminder: check fuel levels on the motor so that its ready for use when you want it!

When we got back to the club since it was still warm we did a little work on the boat - specifically I wanted to change the reefing method. I had bought Cyprus stainless steel clips for the shock cord for reefing [more of that later] but it wasn't terrible successful and I read of the reefing clips getting caught on the standing rigging, which would definitely be a bad idea.

So I changed the clips for plastic balls, clipped to shock cord. This appears to work very well and is quick and easy to do - will test it out on the water sometime.

Tim [who was sailing with me] likes the idea and says he will try it on his trimaran.

Maybe I will use the same technique for holding the sail after flaking it too...

However... the stainless steel clips weren't [stainless that is] and so I have horrid rust stains over the main sail.

I read online that the best way to get rid of these stains is oxalic acid... so now I need to find where to get it from.

Chatted with Nikos about the sailing... Tim and I had been discussing club events during the year, maybe need to encourage a few BBQs at the club... Nikos bemoans the lack of racing, so I mentioned my idea for a 'Larnaca Cricket Race' - no nothing to do with a game involving balls and bats, but my idea for a handicap race from Larnaca to HMS Cricket [a sunken wreck] and back. It would be a longish race [approx 15 nautical miles] across the bay, not just a short 'round the buoys' race and using the Portsmouth yardstick for handicap should make us all roughly equal.