Sail-World Cruising's Australian News Magazine
by Nancy Knudsen on 14 Jun 2006
Working on Blackwattle in the Turkish port of Ayvalik Nancy Knudsen
Ayvalik, Turkey: Our boat Blackwattle’s long sojourn in Turkey is nearing its end as we prepare to cross the Med, and then the Atlantic later this year in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. We drag out the sails, unpickle the watermaker and the electrosan, replace the impeller, clear out the old provisions - examining the ‘use by’ dates, check the rigging, clean wash varnish and install new bits of equipment. The weather is cooler and fresher than usual at this time of year – great for the jobs in hand.
As well, of course, it’s back to the sociable cruising life – we’d forgotten the inevitable sundowners on someone’s boat in the marina after work day is finished, which usually end with cheap local Turkish food at a nearby restaurant: the comings and goings of the seasonal cruising boats – mostly German or English, French or Scandinavian, the visa and transit log problems, the arguments, the never-failing pleasant attitudes of the Turkish marina staff.
This week there's an article about how Airlie Beach is maybe destined to be the 'new' Noosa, and if your name's David, you come from a southern state somewhere and you know how to sail, your reputation could be in BIG trouble.
Do your own fibre glassing? you may find the new online information valuable, and there’s an article on LED lights, which have revolutionised how much power your nav lights draw.
If you’re adventure minded and not short of a dollar/euro/shekel(or have something to sell), there’s an incredible sailing journey to the Antarctic from Tasmania next January, and talking of adventures, the woman who just sailed the Indian Ocean on a windsurfer has had a big welcome from the other side. Not all the adventurers are human of course - there’s also the delightful tale of the heroic boat that has just sailed 4,500 miles from America to Hawaii – ALONE!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IF YOU HAVEN'T COMPLETED OUR READER'S SURVEY, PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES - We really want to know how to constantly improve Sail-World!
Have a good week and..
Sail Safe
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