Saturday 30 October 2010

Wintering in Almerimar

Almerimar used to be a popular winter stop over for cruisers in the Med, on a recent visit it seemed extremely quiet, with plenty of available berths. Its hard to say exactly what is keeping the people away, it could be a whole manner of things, from the Global recession, to Spains apparent insistence in collecting revenue from visitors or maybe the marina itself, if you are planning to spend the winter there or have recently left - your feedback would be welcome.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Sailing School now closed for winter

Mar Menor Sea School is now closed for the 2010 winter, we will be returning to Spain in April 2011 and launching our new comprehensive Yachtmaster Fastrack programme as well as continuing with the popular RYA sailing courses.
Over the coming months we will be sailing in Asia but can still be contacted by email, telephone or skype: go-n-sail
In 2011 we are planning more adventure and cruising sailing, starting off with the Balearic Cruise in Company in June exploring Ibiza, Formentera and Mallorca, perfect for anyone looking to experience a new cruising area or just do something different.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Worthwhile read

I wanted to let you know about a reasonably interesting book I have just finished, Occupation Circumnavigator by Lars Hassler, it tells the story of a Lawyer and Stock Broker who dropped out of society to live his dream. The book proves that anyone can follow their dreams with a little planning and luck. Not sure we will be setting off just yet, but the urge for a Circumnavigation is growing and we will of course be inviting guests to join us on the way, so if you fancy sailing in some of the Globes most exotic and remote locations, register your interest and we will keep you posted when we are ready to set sail, until then I will keep the dream alive by brushing up on skills and some internet virtual sailing. 

Saturday 23 October 2010

Mar Menor channel silting up?

The channel allowing access to/from the Mar Menor into the Med appears to be silting up, there have always been a couple of shallow areas although recently we have been recording depths of 2.2m on both the corner at the end of the buoyed fairway and if exiting the Mar Menor or Tomas Maestre the second port fairway buoy by the old sluice gate. Official figures suggest that the channel should be around 4m all the way through, however this is clearly not the case and if further silting is experienced over the winter period it will become questionable as to what yachts will be have access. El Rubicon draws just under 2m and with the recent silting I have been a little nervous watching the depth gauge plunge wondering if it will level out before that horrible rubbing sound as you come to a complete halt... As any sailor should know, the Med is non tidal and running aground is simply not a case of waiting for the next tide to float you free, whats worse the bridge only opens every 2 hours so if you have complications that cause a delay then you are likely to miss the bridge opening as well. Lets hope they dredge the channel for 2011, if not it will be a case of continuing to nudge forward and keeping your fingers crossed.

Thursday 21 October 2010

Naked Lady spotted in Tomas Maestre

We have now closed the school for the 2010 season, El Rubicon has been totally stripped and winterised giving her a rather Naked appearance, strange on the eye considering she is normally laden with safety gear, sails, outboards, etc. However our Naked Lady will be fully dressed once again next year when we return from Asia in April to continue sail training courses and yacht charters in Spain. You can still contact us in the normal manner or drop us an email and anyone looking to sail in paradise can join us in Asia as part of a relaxing sailing holiday or to further RYA qualifications in Tidal waters.

Monday 18 October 2010

Barcelona Boat Show 2010

The Barcelona Boat Show or Salon Nautico as it is called in Spain runs between the 6th -14th November. This is Spains largest and most important nautical show, split between purpose made exhibition halls and floating exhibitions, bus connections take you straight from the airport to the venues so there is no need to drive around the City.
All main dealers will be exhibiting with plenty on offer to tempt your wallets, as with all Boat Shows there is something for everyone from shackles to Superyachts, so if you've been looking for an excuse to spend a few days in this vibrant and cultural City, this could be the excuse you have been looking for.

Friday 15 October 2010

ICC 3 day course still popular

Congratulations to John and Eric the latest Mar Menor Sea School students to pass our 3 day ICC course. With some previous experience in yachting and dinghy sailing, both candidates worked hard and deserved to pass. The combination of theory and practical creates an interesting learning environment, giving student the opportunity to learn at their own pace with real life situations and experiences.
Well done guys and stay safe on the water, remember this is just the start and there is plenty more to learn.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Fastrack Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore starts April 2011

Our intake for the first Fastrack course in 2011 will take place in April, not only does the Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore Fastrack courses provide you with all the knowledge necessary to become a first class sailor, but it will provide an amazing adventure taking you along some of Spain best Cruising grounds. Experience the Islands, the Costas, Morocco, Gibraltar and even the Algarve in this 16 week adventure. We give you the best of sailing with an interesting mixture of locations that are both tidal and non-tidal, various weather conditions and of course share our expertise.
For more information visit Mar Menor Sea School or contact us either by email or phone.

Diesel Bug

Recently a colleague suffered this unfortunate sympton and it almost ruined a cruise with friends, fortunately they are easy going people and managed to make the most of a poor situation. The Diesel bug as it is generally known, is effectively contamination of the fuel system by microbials that clog the filters and fuel lines, it emulsifies the fuel making it sludgy and the end result is that the engine wont run very well or very long!
There are many additives that can be added to the fuel claiming to keep everything clean and in tip top condition, however the best way to combat this unfortunate sympton is to be selective where you buy your fuel and alway try to leave the tank full especially when leaving the boat for a period of time. The daily temperature changes and tank airspaces create the perfect breeding ground for these microbials, water condensation is the prime culprit where the droplets form on the inside of the tank before sinking to the bottom where the microbial spores feed on hydrocarbon fuel and multiply, so the less airspace the better.
If you are unlucky enough to experience the dreaded bug, there appears to be little remedy other than draining the system, flushing through with clean diesel and re-filling, changing the filters is simply not enough as they wil re-clog in next to no time.
As mentioned there are many additives on the market and in the past I have seen a sytem flushed through by passing the contaminated fuel through a series of filters several times before returning to the main tank.
If you have overcome the BUG in the past, let us know what methods were used and how successful the results were

Saturday 9 October 2010

Star Flyer comes to Cartagena

Cartagena has seen plenty of activity this week on the cruise front, Tuesday we saw the Oceana and Thursday it was the more traditional Star Flyer a 4 masted 360 foot sailing clipper. This magnificent yacht is a pleasure to see and when they set sail there was even token gesture of some sail as she ghosted out of the harbour. The vessel can caters for 170 guests with 75 crew, giving a totally different experience to the modern cruise liners that look more like a block of flats rather than the traditional older ships with more elegant lines. Star Clipper lines have 3 ships altogether with Star Flyer and Star Clipper being sister ships, she now heads off across the Atlantic but we hope to see her again next year.

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Yacht Port Cartagena winter deals

This well organised and spacious marina located in the heart of the historic city of Cartagena is once again offering some great rates for long term or winter berthing, if your a Catamaran owner its even better as they are charging monohull prices. Located only 5 minutes form the centre everything is to hand and public transport access is good as well with bus and train stations only minutes away. Murcia San Javier airport is only 20 minutes by car, there is plenty of parking and the marina is secure, so you can leave your boat with total peace of mind.
Give them a call to recieve a quotation on +34 968 12 12 13

Mar Menor Bridge

The 'El Estacio' bridge that allows access from the Mediterranean to the Mar Menor and vice versa has yet again changed its opening hours. Its new winter hours are 10.00, 12.00,14.00,16.00, 18.00 and 20.00 hours, these dates took effect on the 1st October. We found out the hard way having missed the bridge once again!

Friday 1 October 2010

Wanted - sailing help

Looking for a couple of keen sailors, preferably with knowledge of the Spanish coastline to assist in updating our pilot book and carry out further research on anchorages etc. Berths offered on a shared cost basis. Looking to sail mid to end of October and go as far along the coast as weather will permit. Call Shane for more details on +34 653 468 472