Brrrrrr........it's cold

[ash]

Just back from a 2 week flotilla sailing holiday with Sailing Holidays, N to S on the Ionian.

We were with the Jaguar fleet but had a last minute upgrade to a Dufour 32 Classic after one of the converted jags was Tee boned by a 44' er on autohelm during a previous cruise.

We had an excellent time and I'll try to do a write up somewhere when I get time.

Ash

[Booby Trapper]

You should take a tip from Mark James, yesterday while commenting at the Open Golf
"It can get very cold playing links golf, I remember ken Brown used to soak his balls in hot water for at least an hour before teeing off"



Maybe this should be in the "TIPS" forum??

[Rowana]

I liked Ken Brown's description of someone's wayward shot into the long stuff -

"That shot was more twisted than an MP's expenses"

[Pete Cooper]

You should take a tip from Mark James, yesterday while commenting at the Open Golf
"It can get very cold playing links golf, I remember ken Brown used to soak his balls in hot water for at least an hour before teeing off"



Maybe this should be in the "TIPS" forum??

I am sure I have heard that Arnold Palmer's wife kissed his balls for luck before he played.

[aquaplane]

Some folk just love to rub it in don't they? Not only have they been off swanning around in the sun, they got a FREE upgrade, it had best be a good writeup.

I am sure I have heard that Arnold Palmer's wife kissed his balls for luck before he played.

There may be more to this golf than I thought, it may be worth giving it a try.

[ash]

I've been hijacked - bl00dy golf!

Anyway - ploughing on regardless

I've uploaded my photos from my phone and camera to PB.

Click on Ash's Photos and use SwordFish as the password.



Ash

[Booby Trapper]

So will it be stern to berthing on Loch Lomond now?

[aquaplane]

What sort of anchor is best for stern to mooring?

[aquaplane]

Which pic has the BM budgie on it? I'm going to have to look at the rest when I'm at work and have more time,

[ash]

So will it be stern to berthing on Loch Lomond now?

I don't think so - the Dufour could be easily steered in either direction in astern - the Vega just does her own thing.

What sort of anchor is best for stern to mooring?

The genuine 7.5kg Bruce seemed to do the trick just nicely - only had one problem - and that was user error.

The Jags usually moored bows to but I tried to always go stern to - the kedge was manual and heavy work whilst the bower was electric winch.

On one occasion when using the Fortress kedge, it could be seen to be just lying on top of the sand, despite seemingly hauling the rode as tight as I could. She was part of a raft all lying bows on to the beach with the bower run up the beach so she wasn't going anywhere very far.

Which pic has the BM budgie on it?

None, I'm afraid - didn't think to take it with me - not sure why not.

We were encouraged to make up one of our own - this was my effort - luckily the cushion covers were blue.




Ash

[Mark]

Great pics, thanks.

I notice the Red Ensign flying from your spreaders. I've chartered boats in Greece and picked them up with a British Courtesy flag flying from the cross trees. It seemed odd, since the boat isn't visiting Britain...

What's the logic behind it?

(...and no, I don't bother to take it down, life's to short for thinking about flag ettiquet when you're on holiday, and anyway, for all I know it could well be 'correct'.)

[Telo]

It seems the charter organisers do it to indicate the nationality of the crew on board - it's been a few years since we were out there but we occasionally saw boats with two or perhaps three courtesy flags. I'm sure it's not really the proper thing, but it seems harmless enough, indicates languages spoken on board, and probably helps those other nationalities if they don't like rafting up alongside UK crewed charters......

[ash]

I would think that Shard is correct.
The charter boats are registered as Greek and wear the Greek flag on the backstay. Any other flags are just 'fun' flags without any legal meaning.
Any boat that I saw wearing a red (or blue) ensign had a Greek courtesy flag flown at the stb spreader.
The flotilla lead boats carry battle flags which mean something to the crew - their national flag, their football team, etc.





Ash

PS - The top photo shows 'our' Dufour leaving Sivota to be motored overnight north to Plataria to rejoin her own fleet - we spent Saturday night in an airconditioned apartment. I did offer to sail her back with the next S to N flotilla at a cost greatly reduced from my usual daily rate but they didn't take me up on my generous offer.

[Mark]

It seems the charter organisers do it to indicate the nationality of the crew on board

Thanks to Ash + Shard. Mystery solved.

I'm sure it's not really the proper thing, but it seems harmless enough, indicates languages spoken on board, and probably helps those other nationalities if they don't like rafting up alongside UK crewed charters.

Strikes me as a brilliant idea & being 'not proper' is the icing on the cake AFAIC!


Can't resist showing off a few pics myself:
http://fattie.freehostia.com/IonianImages2008" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://fattie.freehostia.com/ionian" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ash]

Found this video on my phone. Sailing towards Preveza. Wind and seas on the beam. Later on, and near the buoyed approach the water was less than 15M and we were corkscrewing and surfing now and then to 7.2knts (we had our LJs on by then) - very different from Loch Lomond.

[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wkcN29du4QE[/youtube]

Ash