Hints and Tips

Taking a line ashore

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 14:34:23 +0100

Taking a line ashore is a skill we have found increasingly necessary the more often (and more adventurous) our sailing in Croatia gets. Its a useful way to ensure boat safety and position in tight anchorages either where there is not much room because of the closeness of the shores of a bay or because it is very busy (ie Vinogradse on St Klement). It can also provide some anchoring security in prevailing weather allowing you to get anchored up in the lee of a sheltering shore. Like anchoring you should set a watch and check that you are not moving, but we have always found we get a more restful night’s sleep with the security of knowing our position is fixed and we cannot swing over the anchor.

Like so many things planing a routine and preparation is everything so here are few steps we take when taking a line ashore.

Preparation
1. Ensure that all your crew know what they are doing
2. You will need as a minimum someone on the anchor, someone steering and someone to take the line ashore.
3. Prepare your line! Most charter boats have long mooring lines onboard yet even these will probably not be enough to get the line ashore and fast. You may need to tie two or more mooring lines together to make them long enough.
4. Flake the line on the deck so it runs freely as it is drawn ashore.
5. In the anchorage pick your spot then plan either to drop the anchor and immediately take the line ashore, or to anchor and then rest before taking your line ashore.
6. If there are other boats doing the same thing be aware of where their anchors are - if in doubt ask!
7. Decide how you are getting your line ashore - is your crew member going to swim or take the dingy (either is fine, though over longer distances the speed of the dingy may be better).
8. The crew member taking the line ashore should wear gloves (pulling the line ashore is hard work) and swimming shoes or shore shoes (the rocks on the shore may well be sharp and there may be sea urchins on the shore line)

Anchor and take the line ashore
1. Instead of dropping your anchor head to wind, drop it so you can motor back to the shoreline.
2. Set your anchor (2 to 3 scope) and ensure it has bitten, then as you motor backwards have your anchor chain fed out to allow you to move backwards
3. BE SURE OF THE DEPTH AS YOU MOVE TOWARDS THE SHORE
4. It is worth keeping a fender handy just in case the gap you are heading into is tight (flanked by other boats) and you start to drift down on your neighbour.
5. At the appropriate moment the crew member who is going ashore should either swim for it, or take the dingy, and remember to take the end of the line.

1. On shore they should make the line fast to either a suitable tree, rock or mooring bollard/dolfin. Be aware however some communities object to yachts using trees (this may be mentioned in the local pilot). What every you use take the line around it twice before you tie off - this will minimise the risk of slipping or chafe (particularly on a rock).
2. Tie off (we tend to use a bowline)
3. Take in the slack on board - position the boat by adjusting the line and the anchor to ensure the best position.
4. Depending on the security required and the length of your stay consider taking a second line ashore. If doing this consider whether you can get the lines well spread astern of you, or alternatively cross them over if this helps you to reposition your boat.
5. If you are staying for any length of time (overnight) attach a buoy to the centre of at least one line - this will make it visible to anybody thinking about sailing between you and the shore. We use a fender in lieu of a buoy.

Retrieving the line
1. Bringing the line in when you are ready to depart takes similar planning. Consider how you will ensure you do not swing into another boat as you bring the line back in, and how you will retrieve the crew member who is ashore.
2. Put slack in the line so your crew member can release the knot at the shore end. This can be achieved either by releasing some scope in the anchor, motoring very gently backwards or letting the line out at the boat end if there is available slack there. BE AWARE OF YOUR POSITION IN RELATION TO OTHER BOATS AND THE SHORE WHEN YOU DO THIS.
3. Where you have more than one line ashore retrieve one line entirely before casting off the second and again consider which line is holding the boat’s position and what effect casting each one off will have.
4. Once the line(s) ashore are free you can take in some slack on the anchor and possibly hover while your crew member either swims or takes the dingy back to your boat.
5. If hovering is not possible retrieve the anchor and hover in a safe location until your crew member returns.
6. If you are hauling your crew member back on board remember that even the slowest forward speed on the boat will make this hard work both for the person hauling and the person who was ashore.
7. Be aware of where the line is in relation to the boat, as you haul it back in you do not want to motor over it and tangle it into the propeller.
8. Check your lines as you flake them to stow - ensure there is no areas of chafing that make them unsafe to use in the future.

Chandlers

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:28:17 +0100

Finding chandlery and supplies can be a real struggle in Croatia - to quote CIYC Member RogerH

‘even a small Cornish chandlers such as the one in Polruan are like a hypermarket compared with Croatian chandlers’

There is also the lack of a good online chandlery business serving the Adriatic coast and while things can be ordered from the UK posting or getting them delivered can be problematic and if possible, with larger items such as anchors, expensive. Then there is customs to consider... while Croatia is now on track to be an EU member by July 2013 (at which time customs problems for postage should cease to be a problem) that is still two years away.

Personal experience suggests there are a few reasonable chandlers to be found, though outside the large marinas and cities these are scarce. And those which do exist tend to have a limited stock range and are generally on the expensive side.

If you have any experience of, or a solution to, this dilemma please let us know

Things to pack

Sat, 4 Jun 2011 19:04:25 +0100

This is a list of things you might want to consider packing...

1. Life Jackets (if you like to use your own) - see this page
2. Water proofs - it is our advice that all crew should take a light waterproof jacket at least and that one person (at a minimum) should have a full set of waterproofs (trousers and jacket) just in case the need to be on deck in poor weather - see this page.
3. Photocopies of crew passports (photo page) - you will be required to provide passports to your charter company for tax reasons and so they can include copies in your boat papers - if members of your crew are joining later in the charter you will need to provide copies up front when you pick up the boat. - see this page also.
4. Toilet Roll - many charter boats only have one roll/head on board and we have frequently found that you can only by it in bulk (ie 12-16 rolls) in the supermarkets. If each crew member packs one roll its problem solved.
5. Ensigns and flags - if you want to fly courtesy flags do not forget to pack them - you can buy them in some chandleries (such as the one at Kremik Marina) but why pay for a new one when you have them on the boat at home.
6. Snap-ties/zip-ties - very useful on board, we use them for easily attaching courtesy flags/ensigns amongst other things and also as a security seal on locks and clips for your baggage at the airport. They won’t necessarily stop your bags being messed with but you will be able to see if it has happened.
7. Your favourite charts/pilots - what is provided varies from charter company to charter company. You can always ask what is provided before you travel. Books like ‘777’ are available in some chandlers but if you have a favourite you might want to pack it. Similarly with charts - some boats have English language charts on board, some do not...
8. Tourist guides - most boats we have chartered do not have standard tourist guides onboard, so whether you favourite ‘Rough Guide’, ‘Lonely Planet’ or ‘Brandt’ do not forget to pack it.
9. Bits of rope - a couple of bits of rope are very handy to have. We generally take one piece of soft nylon 8mm rope around 4m in length and it gets used for all sorts of stuff, including tying the dingy to the foredeck, extending the dingy’s mooring line, and for flying flags from a halyard (to anchor the bottom of the flag to the deck). We would also advocate taking a couple of shorter lengths of shock cord - you can never tell where it might come in handy. We had a problem with a guard-wire last year and could find nothing sensible to cannibalise and ended up taking the length of shock cord off a pen knife one of our crew was carrying to get the job done.
10. Tea/Coffee etc - if you have any special requirements, decaf, mint etc you should consider taking some with you - you may find what you want in the supermarkets you may not. Coffee particularly is worth considering for packing - many supermarkets will only carry the local Franck brand which we find to be very bitter and harsh to taste.
11. Prescription Medicines - if you use specialist prescription medicines do not forget to pack a suitable supply for your stay. You will probably be able to find a doctor to write a prescription, and a pharmacist (in most towns or cities at least) but why waste a day tracking these things down, struggling with language and waiting for appointments.
12. Over the counter medicines - if you have a favourite pain killer, decongestant, sea-sickness pill etc remember to pack them. Again a lot of your normal brands may be found in supermarkets or pharmacists (in towns and cities) but you cannot guarantee it!
13. Deck shoes/sandals - because there is nothing worse than stubbing or trapping your toe - we’ve all sailed barefoot, and we all know the pain.
14. Walking shoes/sandals - for those days when you have to get off the boat and you do not want grit in the razor cut soles of your deck shoes.
15. A small rucksack or courier bag - for when you need to head off the boat to the beach or up a mountain or even just to the cafe.
16. Your own mask and Snorkel - worth packing if you have any serious intent to dive - the ones supplied with the boat are fine, but they won’t fit well enough for any serious time in the water.

And for those now using this as a check list don’t forget

a. Passports
b. Driver’s licence
c. Currency
d. Credit Cards
e. Flight Boarding Cards
f. Camera
g. Swimming Trunks/Bikini
h. Sun glasses
i. Hat
j. Sun Tan Cream

etc

Life Jackets

Sat, 4 Jun 2011 17:01:02 +0100

The kind and state of life jackets on board a charter boat very much depend on where the boat is registered and to what standard. Many companies seem to meet French standards and have therefore the minimum required lifejackets in the form of bulky orange floatation aids along with separate harnesses. A boat registered in the UK meanwhile and reaching the MCA standards should have self inflating life jackets on board, but this generally does not seem to the case for charter boats in Croatia.

Perhaps the first question you need to ask yourself is will I be wearing a life jacket while cruising this summer?- and as it stands that is a question very much up to conscience of the individual skipper.

If the answer is only in emergencies, then using those provided, whatever their form and as long as they are well maintained, will likely be sufficient for you.

However if you are going to insist on life jackets being worn while on deck, or while using the dingy for instance then you may want to consider packing your own as your crew will probably quickly become tired of donning the bulky ones provided by your charter company as standard.

I am not particularly advocating one solution or the other but would simply observe most of us - myself included - are (in many cases considerably) more relaxed about such safety issues once we reach the balmy waters of the Adriatic cruising grounds. This year will be the first year we cruise with just two of us onboard and for the first time we will take life jackets with us.

Four large guys paddle ashore at Primonsten in a rolling swell and a small dingy - with no life jackets.

Finally there are the children to consider - most skippers would insist that small children in particular and even teenagers as well have properly fitted life jackets of some form. Under those circumstances it is alway best to bring your own and not rely on what the charter company supplies.

Traveling with your life jacket.
Simple floatation jackets (for young children these are more common) can be packed with any other clothes etc - and though bulky should be no problem what so ever.

Gas inflated jackets are however a completely different issue. A friend who works for Lufthansa tells me that there is no risk to travelling with the standard CO2 gas canister - there are after all life jackets under every seat on every plane with a similar canister in them, but that some airlines discourage people from bringing their own life jackets onboard because of the potential for theft of the onboard canisters (hard to believe I know).

Whatever way you look at it every airline has its own rules, perversely you might expect that the bargain airlines might view such items as sports equipment upon which they can levy additional charges - this however is not the case and all checked seem quite happy to have life jackets on board though Jet 2 and Croatia airlines do require prior notification if you intend to travel with them in hold or hand baggage.

Here is the advice and instruction we have gleaned from some of the airlines - however we would always recommend you contact your carrier and try to get a written acknowledgement you have done so (see our experiences below with Jet 2)

Ryan Air
A self inflating lifejacket with 2 carbon dioxide cylinders (plus 2 spares) can be included in either cabin or checked baggage.
Link to Ryan Air’s FAQs

EasyJet
Non-flammable gas cylinder fitted into a life jacket containing carbon dioxide or other suitable gas will be accepted.

Up to two (2) small cylinders per passenger, and up to two (2) spare cartridges will be allowed.

Therefore, you can take the self inflating sailing lifejackets as long as they meet the above requirements. This can be taken either in the hand or in the hold luggage.
(Confirmed by email) There is no relevant advice on the Easy Jet website.

Jet2 - inform carrier before flight (0871 226 1737) well in advance
A self inflating lifejacket with 2 carbon dioxide cylinders (division 2.2 gas) (plus 2 spares) can be included in either cabin or checked baggage. Please inform the airline that you will be travelling with your jacket by calling the customer support before travel.
(Confirmed verbally with a Jet 2 training officer) There is no relevant advice on Jet2’s website.

NOTE - regardless of what the contact centre says (and when we rang they said they had noted it on our booking and that was all that was necessary) when you phone them you must get a letter from Jet2 confirming that you have told them you intend to travel with your life jacket. We found that the call centre had not made any note on the booking and the team at the airport would not let us travel without the note on the booking system AND a letter confirming that we had contacted customer services in advance. Thankfully we could demonstrate that we had called the contact centre and the fault was at their end so we managed to travel with our life jackets in the end.

Croatia Airlines - check with carrier before flight
Non-flammable gas cylinder fitted into a life jacket containing carbon dioxide or other suitable gas in Division 2.2, up to two (2) small cylinders per passenger, and up to two (2) spare cartridges.

The approval of the carrier(s) is required: Yes
Permitted on one's person: Yes
Permitted in or as carry-on (cabin) baggage: Yes
Permitted in or as checked baggage: Yes
Link to Croatian Airlines restricted baggage page

British Airlines
Non-flammable gas cylinder fitted into a life jacket containing carbon dioxide or other suitable gas in Division 2.2, up to two (2) small cylinders per passenger, and up to two (2) spare cartridges.
Link to British Airways restricted baggage page (follow the link at the bottom of the page and download the guide (PDF). Life jackets with CO2 cartridges are currently listed at the top of page 2)

Crew change-overs

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:50:52 +0100

1. Plan ahead.
2. Get photocopies of the incoming crew’s passports before you depart - you will need to give them to your charter company so they can include them on the manifest for boat and charge for the requisite tourist tax (THIS IS A LEAGAL REQUIREMENT)
3. Consider where the changeover will occur. Do you need to get to a mooring near an airport - Split or Trogir for instance. Bear in mind that these marinas are going to be busy and expensive and may be full on Friday or Saturday nights.
4. Avoid Saturday changeovers if you can. This is when the charter companies change over, making all of the marinas within striking distance of the airports very busy. (ACI Trogir for instance will, on a Friday, only take charter yachts based in that marina, so if you arrive on a Friday they may well turn you away.)
5. Consider a change-over well away from the airports. Can you persuade your inbound/outbound crew to get local transport to or from where you are. Bus from the airport to Split and ferry to Hvar or Vis or Brac? This requires a little planing to ensure that the outbound crew make their flights. Investigate early morning ferries - many of the big Island towns have commuter services that depart in time to arrive in Split before 09:00 - these also tend to be cheaper than the tourist ferries late in the day.

Cruising on a budget

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:16:21 +0100

1. Avoid marinas unless absolutely necessary for the services they offer. In the scale of things the cost of mooring is probably going to be the biggest expense you have after the charter fee. Moorings get cheaper in the following order:
a. Marinas in big towns (Split, Dubrovnik etc)
b. Marinas in small towns and islands
c. Town Harbour Walls (between 25-50% cheaper than
marinas)
d. Town Harbour Anchorages (some charge some
don’t)
e. Private mooring buoys (some charge, some are free,
some require you to frequent the owner’s restaurant.)
f. Moor in the charter company’s home base marina (it
may be free or discounted but it is always wise to
check)
g. Un-regulated anchorages (almost entirely free).
We tried 7 days avoiding mooring in marinas completely - an entirely doable prospect and estimate that we saved several hundred pounds.
1. If you are heading to a Marina for water or power consider a harbour wall instead. You can always use the shower and the head onboard.
2. Do you need to use the engine? Sail and save the fuel.
3. Consider the options for buying fuel, some charter companies require you to return the boat full, others offer an upfront payment package - weigh up carefully which is going to be most cost efficient for you.
4. Leave the outboard behind - many charter companies charge an additional fee for the outboard - so do you really need it? or can you manage the dingy/tender with the oars?
5. Leave the cruising chute behind - most charter companies charge extra for this sail so ask yourself - do I really need it? Perhaps you do if you intend to sail and save fuel. Weigh up the relative costs.
6. Eat on board - the third greatest cost after charter fees and mooring fees is that of restaurants. Local produce is good value and most charter boats have reasonable galley facilities - make use of them. We tried one night out and one night onboard over a 7 day period and estimated that we saved £100-£150.
7. Provision away from the marina shops and even the supermarkets close to the marinas - you will find it cheaper. Also use the produce markets - they are generally good value - just be prepared to walk away from a trader if you think they are trying to rip you off because they saw you climb off a yacht (it does happen).
8. Take a smaller boat - not only do most moorings set the cost on the basis of length but, you may find a smaller boat easier to get going in light airs allowing you to sail efficiently for longer and thus save petrol. If your charter company is offering you an upgrade to a 43 footer think twice and stick with the 37!

Adriatic Mooring

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 20:05:00 +0100

1. Stern-to or bow-to, either is generally unfamiliar to those coming from outside the Mediterranean sphere.
2. First off practice reversing the boat. First day, first lunch stop, before you drop the anchor or pick up a buoy, stop, put it into reverse and get a feel for the boat going backwards.
3. In reverse it will turn more quickly in one direction than the other (largely due to prop wash).
4. Stop the boat, then put it into reverse and slow slow slow, let it start back in its own time, build up speed gently and if you can, keep it below 1-1.5 kts.
5. Once you have the prop wash sorted you can use this to help the turn.
6. Remember only half a turn on the wheel as you start to move backwards, any more than this and you will effectively stall the rudder and you are wasting its effectiveness.
7. Plan ahead - get fenders on both sides and if you have a spare one on the back - you may need the rear one anyway (at the expense of the side) depending on where you are mooring.
8. Get your aft mooring lines on both sides and passed under the guard rails on back onto the deck.
9. Ensure the crew know what they are doing and when.
10. Approaching the mooring work which way is the most effective for your boat to turn in in reverse.
11. Also establish on what side the dock hand is going to pass the lazy line up to and position the crew member who is going to take it on that side, aft, with the boat hook.
12. Don’t panic - its easy really.
13. There are three basic jobs
14. Steering (and speed control)
15. Picking up the lazy line (walking it forward and securing it)
16. Handing off the rear mooring lines (and receiving them back)
17. If necessary these jobs can easily be done by two people with little or no practice (one on the lazy line and one steering and handing off the rear mooring lines to the shore.)
18. Listen to the dock hands - they know what they are talking about.
19. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help or advice - that is what the dock hands are paid for and they moor boats hundreds of times every week.
20. The person taking the lazy line with the boat hook needs to move forward carefully but promptly. Watch for the fenders as it is easy for the thin carrier-line to get tangled under them.
21. Haul up the carrier-line until you find the mooring rope, get it through a fairlead (or straight onto the cleat). This is important particularly if there is a cross wind, because this line may hold the whole weight of the boat. It is better to have it on slack and adjust it later, than to loose it because you cannot hold the weight.
22. The aim is to be square to the dock - about 0.75 - 1.25 metres off it and not moving forward or back.
23. If you are not square changing the side of the lazy line (or picking up a second one) can often resolve this - it may be a current or prevailing wind which is causing you to skew. The tension on the lazy line also effectively determines you closeness or otherwise towards the dock.
24. Once you are tied on both sides at the back you can run the engine gently forward - this will keep you off the dock and generally square (if both stern lines are of the right general length) and will allow you either to swap the lazy line over or take in more slack off it.
25. Lazy lines can be dirty (oil, silt and algae) - many people take gardening-type gloves to handle them.
26. Also watch your clothes - its easy to get dirt onto a t-shirt or jacket in the scramble to get the line forward and pulled tight - and not always easy to get the stain out again.
27. Mooring alongside is unusual, accept at some fuel berths and occasional harbour walls (Trogir, Split and Sibenik come to mind)
28. The days of dropping the anchor and motoring back onto a mooring seem to have gone almost completely (the only place we have seen this was at Veli Drvenik). Almost all facilities have laid moorings (lazy lines) now.

Waterproofs

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 19:52:30 +0100

1. To take them or not to take them? That is the question.
2. The answer - take light-weight waterproofs with you!
3. If you don’t think you have space make it - you may end up buying them otherwise and if that happens they can be hard to find, not only at a reasonable price - but at any price.
4. Out of visits over three years we have needed them on two years.
5. Also take at least one warm layer with you too. A sweat shirt or fleece. If you end up having to cover 20 or 30 miles on the motor in consistent rain with cloud cover, and even if the air temperature does not drop below 20C, you will soon begin to feel cold.
6. Waterproofs are also a great way to stop the wind penetrating and chilling you. Even if its not raining and the sun is shining - this is still a possibility.
7. While the weather in Croatia is usually excellent, the odd bad day (or two) is always a possibility.

Provisioning

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 19:09:50 +0100

1. Be aware that if you ask your charter company to provision for you, you may well end up with monumental quantities of some very unusual things (one South African we met had been bought 2 kgs of Rose-hip Tea!).
2. Marina shops/supermarkets are great if there are no other options - but are invariably expensive.
3. Shops/supermarkets in the town closest to your charter base may be slightly cheaper - but still more expensive than normal. Also they may run out of vital supplies - particularly bottled water - if the whole marina full of charters is trying to provision at the same time.
4. In recent trips we have tried to buy enough for 1 or 2 days and planned the itinerary to coincide with a larger supermarket during that one or two day period to allow more complete provisioning.
5. Some things are hard, if not impossible, to find (i.e. fresh decaffeinated coffee) so consider bring vital supplies with you when you travel.
6. The best (and usually most cost-efficient place) to buy fresh produce (fruit and veg) is in the markets. Trogir and Split both have large produce markets that are generally good value. Be aware however that some vendors are not above changing their prices (scamming) if they think you are on a yacht - on one occasion in Korcula we were charged 100k (around £10) - for 3 pears, a lemon, a pepper and three nectarines. Be prepared to say no and walk away if you think the price asked is too expensive.

Saturdays

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 18:56:20 +0100

1. Saturdays (or any designated hand-over day) are a refined form of chaos in most charter bases. Staff are frantically busy and at the same time desperately trying to be helpful.
2. Establish with your charter company what time you might expect your yacht to be ready (ie generally Sunsail Kremik would tell you between 15:00-16:00) and if you are left with free time head away from the charter base.
3. Take advantage of chart briefings if they are on offer
4. Use the time to find provisions - if you can get out of the marina to some more local shops you will get better prices.
5. If you need to get to a particular marina to do a crew change (ie Trogir or Split - so incoming or outgoing crew can use the airport) be aware that many of the charter marinas are full on the Friday night or on Saturdays during the day. Officially Trogir ACI will not accept any new arrivals (except for returning charters) on a Friday. Split ACI will also be very busy but may squeeze you in.
6. If you can persuade the crew involved in a change over on a Saturday, it is worth considering mooring on one of the offshore islands and getting the crew to the airport by public transport (ferry then bus or taxi)
7. If you are collecting your boat ensure that all of the basic maintenance has been completed on the handover day (Saturday) - as a minimum check that the water tanks are full, the holding tanks empty and that the gas bottles are full. In addition to this it is worth looking over the rigging (we once went for a reef just to find the lines were not on the sails - due to basic sail maintenance on a changeover).
8. Watch for flotillas - if you are heading out from a base that services the a flotilla and you and they are heading out in the afternoon after handover - ask the flotilla leader where they are heading then go in the other direction. While the flotilla people may be perfectly nice they will clog the mooring/anchorage and fill any available local restaurants.