The Dockwise experience
by Andrea and Ian Treleaven on 22 May 2010
Waiting for Dockwise to submerge Ian & Andrea Treleaven
Thinking of shipping your yacht somewhere instead of sailing the long passage? Andrea and Ian Treleaven, who have entertained us for years with their tales of both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, have just shipped their yacht Cape Finisterre across the Atlantic with Dockwise. Here they tell their experience:
Shipping Cape Finisterre to the Mediterranean was a very good move and everything went as planned. In Ft Lauderdale Harbour we arrived at the Dockwise Ship just as she was sinking by filing with sea water.
Then we and twenty other vessels - mostly super yachts - are called one by one, some in forwards and some in backwards.
Fitting the pieces, each into a small space, all goes to plan, we are tied up and that's it for us, we get off.
Now its up to the divers to position each boat with props and weld into place.
Only then is the sea water pumped out and the ship returns to normal.
As we fly over the next day for Boston we see our third child about to depart for Palma de Mallorca.
Ash in the air and planes grounded is a bit alarming as we have two weeks until we meet the ship - or there can be incredible fines if we are late.
Our last few weeks in Florida and the Bimini Islands of the Bahamas were spent with daughter Janey in a sea of vibrant turquoise colours.
From feeding stingrays, finding our last conch and snorkelling the Bimini Road, we had our last taste of coral reefs and unforgettable clear waterways.
The Bimini Road, which is 5 metres below the surface and could date back to the Chinese discovering the world in 1421, is a man made huge stone interlocking road.
What its purpose was is unknown but many stories and legends are written about it.
The sky clears of ash and we have perfect timing to be able to fly to London for a small break.
Friends spoil us as we are in walking distance to Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. Red tulips in full bloom fill the gardens, and we have time for a visit to Greenwich.
Cape Finisterre arrives on time and we are here to meet our third child that never grows up to be independent.
We couldn’t speak more highly of the whole experience with Dockwise as our yacht is in perfect order.
Once again the ship sinks, the divers disconnect everything, we start our engines and one by one disembark.
Did we do anything special for those thinking of shipping?
The best advice was make sure all your hatches are watertight.
We vaselined all the seals and no water came in.
Apparently they high-pressure-wash your boat several times during the crossing.
Ian took off all the sails as the mast is left standing and tied down or covered anything on deck.
Inside we just stowed as if going to sea in a storm.
Europe is experiencing some cold weather so we are not exempt.
Friends have joined us and once again we are enjoying the Mediterranean cuisine, walking cobbled streets and covering old ground, just as I remember.
Cruising the waters of Palma de Mallorca and the Spanish Balearic Islands which we first visited on our other yacht ‘Cadiz’ in 2003, our first year of cruising in the Med.
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